Irvington Weekly Newsletter

Next week is the last week of the first quarter! Teachers will work on report cards during non-student days, and you'll be able to see completed report cards in ParentVue by November 8. Please check in with the main office if you have questions about ParentVue!

Please help us welcome to the Irvington community Caroline Schroeder, who as of this week works in the front office alongside Eliza! Having worked administrative positions across multiple continents, she brings a range of experiences and a helpful demeanor to our office. Welcome, Caroline!

Ever notice how great the school looks after a community clean up day? Let’s keep it looking beautiful all year long! We are now seeking volunteers to help regularly maintain our school grounds, including raking leaves, picking up trash, pulling weeds, and mowing grass. This is a great way to help on your own schedule because the work can be done any time outside of school hours.

Additionally, there are a number of exciting, high-impact larger projects including assembling and installing our new message board, fixing and painting the ball wall, optimizing dog access signage and building a shed for maintenance equipment. If you are drawn to this type of work, we would love your help!

Please check out this Grounds Maintenance and Projects sign up to review opportunities and sign up. Questions? Please contact the Grounds Committee at grounds@irvingtonschool.com.

During the last tea, we talked about the way students learn to read, and there was a request to do the same thing for math. For that reason, I invite you all to our next Tea with Mr. G., Friday, November 8, right after arrival. We'll talk about how we teach math and how you can support your child with it at home. There will be coffee!

Almost 200 students make their way through the lunch line each day at Irvington, and it makes a big difference to the kitchen staff when parents help serve lunch. Ms. Rie can focus on preparing and restocking so all the kids have healthy choices, and parent servers help make the line go a lot faster! It's a great way to observe your child during their school day and to see how the kitchen at Irvington works. November sign ups are now open; please consider signing up for a slot here! If you've never served lunch before, you'll have to be a PPS-approved volunteer first. Please contact Betsy at bihuigens@gmail.com with any questions.

This is a group for parents and caregivers of students who experience neurodiversity. We meet to network with other parents and caregivers and discuss such things as the different ways our students’ school experiences take shape, or how to navigate the IEP process. Our interpretation of neurodiversity is comprehensive and includes (but is not limited to) anxiety, autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. The next meeting is Monday, October 28, after drop off (around 8 AM) in the PTA room 109. If you have questions or would like to know more about this group, email Amy Dachtler at amydachtler@gmail.com.

We are on a roll recruiting volunteers for our second annual Career Day! Last year's event was so much fun, and we'd love to make this a tradition. But we need YOU! If you (or a family member or friend) are available the morning of Friday, March 14, and you'd like to share with our students what you do for a living, please email our school counselor Ms Blum at cblum@pps.net OR fill out this Interest Form by November 22. We'd love to have as many different fields and types of jobs as possible. Currently, we need at least 10 more volunteers to make this day truly a success!

Is your child interested in participating in Oregon Battle of The Books? All 3rd-5th grade students are eligible to participate in this Jeopardy-style trivia competition where students read from the list of 16 amazing titles. Learn all about it here! Sign ups are open now through this Friday, November 1. Sign up here! Questions? Contact our volunteer coordinator at kevin.gauthier@gmail.com.

As in years past, this October 31 will be a normal day at school. In order to be a welcoming environment for all students, we do not celebrate Halloween at Irvington. For that reason, please do not send your child to school in a costume or with candy on that day. Thank you for your understanding!

The first Movie Night of the year is tonight, October 25! This is a free community event hosted by the PTA, and this time we’ll be showing Inside Out 2. See all the details below:

• Where: School cafeteria.

• When: Today, Friday, October 25. Doors open and disco party at 6:15pm, movie begins at 6:30pm. Use the cafeteria doors behind the school for entry/exit.

• Who: Irvington students and their families. Children MUST be accompanied by an adult.

• Food and Drink: Free popcorn provided! Please bring your own water bottles filled with water only. Picnic dinners are ok, too. Thank you in advance for cleaning up after yourselves.

• Seating: Bring a blanket or camp chair to sit on. Cafeteria tables are also available.

• Disco: Enjoy some fun lights, music and dancing before the show and during a short intermission.

Friday, October 25: Movie night, 6:15pm

Monday, October 28: Neurodiversity caregivers coffe chat, 8am in room 109

Monday, October 28: Auction committee meeting, 6:30pm, at McMenamin's Broadway Pub

Friday, November 1: No school (grading day for teachers)

Friday, November 1: OBOB sign-ups close

Monday, November 4: No school (planning day for teachers)

Tuesday, November 5: Blind Onion restaurant fundraiser, 11am-10pm

Thursday, November 7: Green Team meeting, 2:40pm, on the small playground

Friday, November 8: Tea with Mr. G., 8-9am

Friday, November 8: Report cards available for view on ParentVue

See it all at a glance here: https://www.irvingtonschool.com/