The Cheetah Coalition #12

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Monday is Veterans Day so there is no school. Have a great long weekend and we'll see you on Tuesday!

Greetings, Atkinson families,

We want all families to know that all students enrolled at Atkinson have a right to remain here regardless of where they are from, or what their citizenship or residency status is. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the landmark 1982 court case Plyler v. Doe ruled that public schools have a responsibility to enroll and register every child who resides in their geographic boundaries, regardless of the child’s or parents’ immigration status. This means that students are in a safe place while they are at school.

In the last week, we've had some students share that they might be moving away and some students asking other students if they plan on moving away. Changing homes and or schools can be a very stressful event for students. Just the thought of it can significantly impact a students' ability to stay engaged in school. Thinking about their friends moving away can also negatively impact students. We know that adults at home and at school will want to handle these conversations with care as they impact our entire community. We encourage families who may be discussing something like this in front of students to reach out to inform school staff so we can support students.

We are committed to making our school community a safe and welcoming environment for all students.

Debbie Armendariz

Principal

Atkinson Elementary School

darmenda@pps.net

School Main Number: (503) 916-6333

All schools are required to instruct and drill students on emergency procedures so that the students can respond to an emergency without confusion or panic. In the coming weeks, we will be conducting the following drills at Atkinson:

• Secure the Perimeter Drill on Tuesday, November 12
• Evacuation Drill on Tuesday, December 3

Read more about these drills on the PPS website HERE.

Our lost and found is overflowing! Please come claim your student's items by Tuesday, November 26. After that, we will donate everything to the PPS Clothing Closet and start over!

We are now in the rainy, muddy season, and sometimes students need a change of clothes after being outside for recess. We do not have many spare clothing items in our clothing closet, so please consider keeping an extra set of clothes for your child in their backpack or locker.

Happy Native American Heritage Month! Read more about the Portland Public Schools Title VI Indian Education Program with this month's TALKING CIRCLE.

See the attachment below to learn more about our wonderful health room staff!

Vaccines play a crucial role in protecting our students from serious illnesses and help keep our community safe. Parents/Guardians of students who are due to receive vaccines should receive a letter in the mail. Please check if your child’s vaccinations are current, including their recommended flu shot, and contact your medical provider or any of the resources listed below:

• Multnomah County Student Health Centers
• OHSU Wellness Center
• Multnomah County Vaccination Clinic (English)
• Clínica Comunitaria de Vacunación Gratuita (Spanish)

On October 21, students in kindergarten and first grade were screened for hearing. On November 18, an audiologist will return to Atkinson to administer follow-up hearing evaluations for students who were either absent or did not pass the first hearing screening. Additional students can be screened at that time with parent permission. Please contact Katie in the office (kcarriker@pps.net) to obtain a permission slip if you would like your child screened on November 18.

The Successful Schools Survey is an opportunity for families to provide important feedback on their school environments, learning experiences, and sense of well-being and safety at school. Students in grades 4 & 5 will take a version at school. Staff also take the survey.

We value your input and opinions and commit to reviewing the data with our Instructional Leadership Team and School Site Council, but in order to do this, we need a high response rate.

You can complete the Successful Schools Survey online using this link: https://surveys.panoramaed.com/portlandor/fall24family. Please complete one survey per household. If you have more than one student at PPS, we ask that you complete the survey considering the experiences of your eldest child.

The survey will take approximately 15–30 minutes to complete and is available in English, Spanish, Russian, Somali, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

PPS Pre-Kindergarten is a free preschool program that promotes school readiness for children ages 3-5 from low-income families. Applications are being accepted for this school year for children who turned 3 or 4 by September 1st. More information and application can be found HERE.

Some of our budding artists worked with local artist Anne Storrs of The Art Garage to create nature-inspired notecards to raise money for the outdoor learning garden. Sets of notecards are now available for pre-sale AT THIS LINK.

Cards must be picked up in person at The Art Garage Holiday Sale or delivered by one of our student artists.

Our next Dine Out for Atkinson is at Pastini on Division on Thursday, Nov 14th. Pastini will donate 40% of sales from tables that mention Atkinson (dine in or take out)! So if you grab dinner there on 11/14, be sure to say that you are supporting Atkinson!!

Read more in the PTA NEWSLETTER HERE.

Atkinson’s Basketball Program is back! Registration is now open for all players, including K-2 students for the open gyms and grade 3-5 players for team play. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION and CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

• Monday, November 11 — Veterans Day, NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
• Thursday, November 14 — Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day

• Monday, November 18 — Hearing Re-Screening
• Wednesday, November 20 — Early Release at 11:50 a.m.
• Thursday, November 21 — Online with the Principal, 7–7:30 p.m.
• Friday, November 22 — Principal's Coffee in the Cafeteria, 8:10 a.m.

• Monday–Tuesday, November 25–26 —Parent Teacher Conferences
• Wednesday–Friday, November 27–29 — Thanksgiving Break, NO SCHOOL