Wildcat Newsletter

We are off and running into this new school year! We appreciate your flexibility as we navigated the heat last week. We do have a scheduled early release later this month on the 25th. For the monthly, scheduled early release days, school ends at 11:50. Lunch is part of the early release days.

I know there are already opportunities to help in the classroom or support a class or staff member. It’s important for you to keep your volunteer status up to date. The background check is valid for 3 years from the date it was approved. For many of our 3rd grade parents, you are likely going to expire in this school year. You will receive an email from PPS Security Services letting you know it’s time to renew. You will not be able to renew until you hear from them.

New to Woodlawn? The first step for volunteering is to complete the background check at pps.net/volunteer. Once you receive an email stating you are cleared, you will bring your ID into the office for an additional check. After that, you’ll be added to the volunteer database. Once you coordinate with a teacher or group to volunteer, you can begin by signing in at the computer in the office.

A general reminder: Please put your child’s name on EVERYTHING…this includes water bottles, lunch bags/boxes, sweatshirts, sweaters, coats and backpacks. We have sharpies available if you’d like one. We will be putting names on things as we find them and reunite them with the owner.

We are thankful to have community partners that support our Wildcats. One of our big supporters is Schoolhouse Supply. Through this amazing organization, all of our students get a backpack and supplies to be used in the classroom and at home. If your child needs a backpack, make sure to let the teacher know. One of the items that every student needs but is not supplied through our backpack program is headphones. Your child will need headphones in the classroom. Both a 35mm jack (the pointy one) or a USB jack will work in the devices. The classroom teacher will have a storage bag for the headphones. Your child's headphones will remain at school.

Some great news came our way last week. We will be adding another teacher to our 3rd grade team. Since this group started at Woodlawn, they have been shifted between 2 and 3 classes. In three classes the students get more time with the teacher and more personalized attention across the day. There are more learning opportunities and the students are able to build relationships with their classmates.

We really are diving right into this school year and we are so happy to be back as a school community!

Mrs. Porter-Lopez

Join us Thursday, September 19th for our annual Back to School Night. Dinner will be available starting at 5:30.

This year, B2SN isn’t an open house style event as it has been in past years. The teachers would like time to share what is happening and what is expected in their grade. So, this year, you can attend a session for each teacher that your children have. The session will include a quick curriculum overview, how to best connect with the teacher, what the expectations in the classroom are and information about homework and other things. The sessions will start each half-hour: 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30*. Your children are welcome to accompany you in the sessions. The 6:00 session will likely be full, you might consider a later session if you will only be visiting one classroom.

Sessions will also include the annual Talented and Gifted meeting (TAG) and the English as a Second Language (ESL) family meeting at 6:30 and 7:30.

The 7:30* session is open classroom time for you to talk with the teacher about your child and ask any questions that weren’t answered in the content session.

• Complete yearly verification of your student's information
  
• Update your communication and language preferences
  
• Ensure your school has the most up-to-date information
  
• Save paper and time
  

Activate a ParentVUE Account
For parents who currently have enrolled students at PPS but do not have a ParentVUE account, click the link above.

Create a ParentVUE Account
For parents who are new to PPS and their student(s) have never attended a PPS school or PPS program, click the link above.

Lottery Application and Hardship Petition Information
For parents who wish to complete a lottery application or hardship petition, click the link above for additional information.

StudentVUE | Android - Apple

District Zip Code to enter: 97227

Hello Woodlawn Families,

We are a few days away from SUN Fall Registration. Registration will open on September 16th and close on September 20th. Families will get confirmation of enrollment September 25 and the first day of programming begins October 7. Please make mark your calendars! If you have any questions about SUN and the registration process please reach out to Anastasia via email at Anastasial@selfenhancement.org

We are so excited to announce that this year all Woodlawn students will have access to free eye exams and glasses. Last week our 2nd, 4th, and 5th graders got vision screened thanks to our partnership with Vision to Learn.

The first step, the screening process, is a joint effort between MESD and Vision to Learn (VTL). MESD screens every kindergartener, 1st grader, and 3rd grader in PPS which is why VTL only screened 2, 4 and 5 last week. MESD will share info with VTL to determine which of our students (of any grade) need a full eye exam.

Next, VTL will come to our school and perform eye exams out of a bus similar to Picture Day! This will take place during the school day. Any student that needs glasses will get to pick out their frames, and after the glasses are ready, an Optician will visit one final time to deliver the glasses and ensure proper fitting for each individual student.

If your student already wears glasses, this is an excellent opportunity to receive a second pair for free! Lastly, if your child breaks their glasses, their pair can be reordered by VTL at no cost to you. We are so excited for this opportunity, and we can't wait to see all of our Wildcats in their new glasses!

Opt OUT forms were sent home in last week’s Wednesday folder. If you would like to opt out and need a new form, please email Ms. Paige. pbyquist@pps.net

This is a unique opportunity for Woodlawn students to learn about the book creation process from a talented writer of picture books.

This visit is free to us if we sell enough books through Green Bean Books. Please consider ordering a signed copy for your family! When ordering through the link below, please:

• Green Bean Books Link: https://greenbeanbookspdx.indielite.org/list/idris-goodwin-author-visit

• Select "I would like to pick up this order" under pick up options and then select Woodlawn

• Write your child's teacher's name in the comment box so that the books can be distributed easily.

The deadline for submitting orders is Wednesday, September 25th

At Woodlawn, we send our newsletters digitally unless you request a hard copy. Your child has a paper newsletter survey in their Wednesday Folder. If you would like to continue receiving paper newsletters, please fill out the survey and send it back to school. Every parent listed in Synergy will automatically receive the digital version each week. If at any time, you would like to start receiving paper copies again, please send an email to Ms. Paige (pbyquist@pps.net). Thanks!

Have you ever wondered what makes a watermelon red? The answer is lycopene! Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant found in many red fruits and vegetables, and it helps support both heart and immune health. If your child has been enjoying watermelon in the cafeteria, why not try some at home? Visit FoodHero.org for fun new recipes, including this unique take on salsa!

Please join us for a movie night!

PPS is hosting a series of events that focus on Belonging, Equity & Inclusive Practices where we will screen powerful, award winning documentaries that will stir, provoke, and challenge each of us about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities. Staff, Parents, Community are all invited. The first screening will be Forget Me Not, on September 25th 6:00 PM at McDaniel High School. Our Roles, Our Work, Our Children!

Fliers in all languages

Volunteer with Us at Woodlawn!

We’d love to have you join our community of volunteers. To volunteer in any PPS school, you'll need to complete a brief background check. Find more details on how to become a volunteer here. https://www.pps.net/domain/66 Thank you for making a difference by being an active part of the Woodlawn School community! See below for current volunteer opportunities.

Landscape Expertise Needed
Do you have experience in landscaping or architecture? We need your input for an outdoor school project! Please email us at Woodlawnschoolpta@gmail.com by September 30th if you're able to help.

Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) Planning Help
OBOB is a book trivia competition for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. We’re brainstorming ways to improve our program this year. If you or your child in 3rd-5th grade would like to get involved, please email us at woodlawnschoolpta@gmail.com by September 15th to join a planning session. Learn more about OBOB here. https://www.oregonbattleofthebooks.org/

Help Us Sell T-Shirts at Back to School Night
Click the link below to sign up and learn more.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49AFA828A4FEC43-volunteer

Want Wildcat Gear?
You can purchase youth or adult Wildcat gear online here. https://woodlawn-806881.square.site/wildcat-gear Pick up your gear at Back to School Night, or we can send it home with your student.

Contact Us or Join Us!
The PTA is here to welcome and support you. Reach out to us with any questions at woodlawnschoolpta@gmail.com or join our Private Facebook Community, https://www.facebook.com/groups/WoodlawnPTA Public Facebook, or Instagram pages.

To join the PTA, select Woodlawn Elementary and sign up here. https://www.oregonpta.org/membership 100% of your dues go toward insurance and required operating fees.

9/16 SUN Registration Opens

9/19 Back to School Night

9/20 SUN Registration Closes

9/25 Early Release

9/25 Spirit Day: Wear Grade Level Colors!