Rowe Elementary Newsletter

Hello Rowe Families,

Below are the latest updates from our school this week! Our students have been busy diving into learning and growing each day. Thank you for your continued support at home—we truly appreciate it!

Your Partners at Rowe,

Bill Anton, Principal

Melissa Richard, Assistant Principal

Our Mile Tile Board has a brand-new look! Thanks to Mrs. McAlaine’s beautiful design, the board is more inspiring than ever as we work together to fill it by being safe, respectful, and responsible.

We have recess outside every day unless the temperature is below 13 degrees (or the wind chill is below 13 degrees). This is a Portland Public Schools policy for every school in the district.

Students need jackets, hats, and gloves/mittens to be safely protected from the cold during recess. During snowy weather, children are expected to wear boots and snow pants if they wish to be out in the field area to play in the snow. If you need help getting these items to your child, don't hesitate to contact our SEL Team:

Amy Leonard - leonaa@portlandschools.org

Valerie Allen - allenv@portlandschools.org

Kate McAlaine - mcalak@portlandschools.org

We have a clothing closet well-supplied with winter gear, and each grade level has a bin with extra items for their grade level team. We are here to help!

The PTO is excited to be launching a pilot session of a new after-school enrichment program at Rowe beginning in February 2025. The program will offer some exciting and enriching clubs and classes that fall outside of the school curriculum and allow our young learners to embrace their love of learning while exploring new interests in a fun, supportive and accessible environment.

The initial six-week pilot session will host two after-school clubs facilitated by Rowe teachers beginning the week of February 24th - Knitting Club with Ms. Gellar on Tuesdays (grades 2-5) and Art Club with Ms. Warren on Thursdays (grades K-2). More details about these Session 1 offerings can be found here.

Registration for Session 1 will be open for three days - January 27th, 28th and 29th. An email with the registration link will be sent out once registration is open. If registration totals for any club exceed the number of seats available, spaces will be allocated by a lottery and a waitlist will be maintained for each club.

During the initial pilot period of this new program, club costs will be covered by the PTO. The PTO will gladly accept donations to help cover enrichment program expenses, but this will be optional and will not impact a student’s placement in a club.

The PTO currently hopes to have a second Spring 2025 session that will begin the week of April 28th, with the hope of expanding the offerings and growing the program over time.

If you have any ideas, questions or feedback, please feel free to reach out to the Enrichment committee at Enrichment@roweschoolpto.org.

We are very excited about building this enrichment program at Rowe! We ask for your continued patience as we get our processes refined.

Warmly,
The PTO Board

January 27 - 29 - Rowe Afterschool Enrichment Registration Opens

February 6 - PTO Meeting - 6:00 PM

February 12 - Pokemon Night

It’s been another action-packed month in Physical Education, and I’m excited to share some of the fun activities and accomplishments our students have been up to! From energetic warm-ups to thrilling skill challenges, our gymnasium has been buzzing with energy, teamwork, and plenty of laughter.

The second through fifth graders kicked things off with a heart-pumping game called Switchback, where teams raced to stack cups faster than you can blink! It was a total blast watching the kids cheer each other on. They pushed themselves to improve, and their enthusiasm was contagious. We also took a break from stacking and played a mystery game called Alibi. In this activity, students were giving a mystery for a chosen detective to solve. They had to be sharp with their clues and also practice being good sports. I loved seeing them think critically and work together as a team.

Next up was Dice Dash, a game combining multiplication and movement! The gym turned into a track, and students sprinted (or galloped!) to collect popsicle sticks before facing off in a dice-rolling challenge. The sportsmanship was off the charts, with high-fives all around!

Our Kindergarteners were just as energetic, starting with their favorite warm-up: Walk, Skip, Gallop, and Run. Then, they zoomed through the Cars & Cups activity, stacking cups to create a mini obstacle course. Talk about speed! They wrapped up their session with the Around the World game, where teamwork and coordination were the name of the game. Their focus and enthusiasm were awesome to see.

The first graders joined in the fun with the same warm-up and also dove into the Speed Stacking. They had a blast learning new skills and improving together. Their teamwork during the Around the World game was amazing, they cheered each other on like pros!

All in all, this month has been full of learning, growth, and fun! Whether it was stacking cups, solving mysteries, practicing multiplication, or advancing in our games, every student showed great effort and enthusiasm. I couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments. It’s not just about the winning, it’s about the effort, the teamwork, and the positive attitude the students bring to every challenge!

Thank you,

Mr. Custeau

Rowe’s upcoming school talent show, showcasing the incredible talents of our 5th grade, 3rd grade and 1st grade students will take place in the cafeteria on Friday, February 14, 2025, starting promptly at 1:40 pm.

The event is being planned by Mrs. Cobblah, Mr. Shaddox, Mrs. Williams and Ms. Warren.

A 2nd talent show, featuring, K, 2nd and 4th graders will take place Thursday, April 17, 2025.

Sign-ups will take place through Monday, January 27. We encourage students to sign-up for acts like singing, dancing, playing instruments, gymnastics/martial arts, juggling, acting or a skill demonstration. Teachers will encourage collaboration and work with students to form groups. Please chat with your child about a possible act that they might be prepared to perform, if they are interested.