SES Messenger

Happy Friday Sunnyside,

I know that this week you have received many messages about budget and staffing. Sunnyside is a unique program and in such that we are, we have unique staffing needs and we have always asked for community support in meeting those needs. I wish that schools didn't have to ask their community for money and that we could all be funded at the level that we know best supports our students. Sunnyside will be impacted by the budget cuts and we will need to come together as a community to continue to support our program. Everyone who works at Sunnyside is an integral part of our school community and as such, we will be continuing to advocate at a central level for resources to support our program. Across the district cuts have been made to classrooms, programs, support positions, and central services. At this time, we are facing cuts in support staff and support positions. As we move through this process, more information will be coming and we will be hoping to continue to raise funding through the auction and through our other PTSA fundraising to support gardening, support staff and support positions. Please stay tuned as the budget season progresses for Sunnyside specifics.

What can you do? Advocate on behalf of district funding to the state. PPS has not been funded at an adequate level by the state and we should keep advocating to be so.

Help raise money for Sunnyside specifically by attending the auction and by participating in our fundraising opportunities.

Stay tuned! Specific information about next year's staffing will be coming out as we finalize our schedule and work with the district to determine next steps.

Dr. Berg

Principal, Sunnyside Environmental School

• Mon, Feb 19. Make up day. School in session.
  

• Wed, Feb 21 8:45am. SES PTSA meeting: SES room 102

• Thur-Fri, Feb 22-23 - 8th Grade Retreat

• Mon, Feb 26. Last day for Read-A-Thon pledges / Read-A-Thon brochure is due

• Tues, Feb 27. K-5 Open House for new families. 6-7p

• Fri, Mar 8: NO SCHOOL for SES only

• Fri, Mar 8, 6:30pm: SES MS Musical

• Sat, Mar 9, 2pm: SES MS Musical

• Mar 25 - Mar 29 - NO SCHOOL. Spring Break

We only have FIVE meetings left this year! Please join us as we head into the second half of the school year - we’ll dig into our remaining fundraising events and opportunities for parent support, especially the SESF Auction & Gala on April 12. Our next meeting is Wednesday, February 21 at 8:45 a.m. in Room 102, with coffee by Oblique. Option to join digitally. If there’s anything you’d like to see on the Agenda, please reach out.

Join the PTSA Meeting on GoogleMeet: bit.ly/SESPTSA-Meeting-Link
View the Agenda HERE.

Review January Meeting Minutes HERE.

Steph & Heather

Co-Presidents, SES PTSA

Dear SES families,

For many years it has been a tradition in the SES middle school to invite parents, guardians and community members to teach mini-classes. This is a time when we draw on the expertise and interests of our school community to teach an enrichment course to our middle school students who are excited and passionate about the topic. We've had parents from all grade levels offer to teach courses. Some examples of past classes are: woodworking, sewing, computer programming, trail running, history of radio, purse/wallet making, poetry, watercolor, yoga, chess and card games, and movie making.

This year our mini-classes will take place on three mornings:

• Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, March 19-21 from 9-11:15am

We look forward to providing our students with a range of offerings to choose from. If you are available, but undecided on what class to teach, we can help. If you have a class in mind, we look forward to learning what your class will be. We are happy to welcome you in whatever capacity your busy life allows.

If you will be joining us during our mini-classes, please ensure you have a current background check on file, then complete this form.

Come and get it! We will be washing and donating all leftover clothing in the lost and found to the PPS Clothing closet. Come and search for your unclaimed items after school TODAY!

Thanks so much for all of your support SO FAR during our annual SES Read-A-Thon. Monday was the final day to track reading, but there is still more to do! Fundraising continues until February 26 and we still need everyone to turn in their brochures with reading trackers & physical pledges to the office!

YOU STILL HAVE TIME to register your student(s) online, and share the donation link as you are able. Remember that if you can donate, or share with friends and family who can, $1 or $100, every dollar counts. The money raised accounts for almost one-third of PTSA’s annual budget. The hope of this event has always been that all students will see themselves as part of a powerful collective and understand the agency they have to make SES the unique place-based school that it is through reading, participation and fundraising.

In order to hit our budgeted goal for this event, it’s going to take all of us. We are nearly half way there! Let’s keep this momentum up so our actual SES garden can continue growing. Without these peer-to-peer fundraisers, we would simply not have the garden, music, and field study programs we all treasure.

Email notifications will be sent home by February 23rd for the Fall data-driven window and the Winter referral window for those students for whom we have all work samples and data.

Thanks for your patience, the Sunnyside TAG team

Indigo- ccorwin@pps.net and Melodie- madams1@pps.net

We put another MS Mom's Night Out on the books, finally! The Sweet Hereafter is closing at the end of the month, so let's go one more time as a group for some relaxed camaraderie. Contact Angela Kelly with questions at angelalgkelly@gmail.com.

Tomorrow: Saturday, 2/17
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
The Sweet Hereafter on Belmont
3326 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97214

Hey Sunnyside families! Join us for Westwind Family Camp, Friday April 5 - Sunday April 7! Nestled between the Salmon River and the Pacific Ocean, Westwind offers a delightful blend of beach, forest, and riverscapes, where one can enjoy hiking, beachcombing, tidepooling, or more laid back pursuits like reading a good book, playing board games or doing puzzles. A great place to bond with other families and kids, the SES Westwind weekend is a 20+ year tradition. $135 / person covers heated, lit lodging in the camp's cabins and 5 meals. Sign up here: 2024 SES Westwind Family Camp

Do you have a passion for volunteerism, healthy habits, and youth empowerment? Coaching for Girls on the Run might be for you! Girls on the Run is a local nonprofit that empowers girls and nonbinary youth through physical activity and social emotional curriculum. GOTR is hoping to bring their program to Sunnyside this spring and they are looking for two volunteer coaches.

As a coach, you’ll receive tools and training to lead a team toward their goal of completing a 5K. Coaches, 18 or older of any gender, work together to lead teams of up to 15 participants through our fun, interactive 10-week curriculum from March 18th through the 5K celebration on June 1st. SES will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 to 4:45. With your support, they’ll grow their confidence, meet new friends, positively impact their community and much more.

By signing up to coach today you can help guarantee there will be a place for all participants this spring. Please visit www.gotroregon.org/coach for more information.

Our annual SES Foundation Auction opens April 2 & the Gala is Friday, April 12! The funds we raise support staffing costs at SES. Current needs:

• Prize Donations: Submit auction donations HERE.

• Party Board Hosts: Learn more & submit ideas HERE. We have 6 amazing ones already, but we’d like at least 6 more!

Ideas you want to toss around? Please contact Justine Reimnitz (justinereimnitz@gmail.com) and Jessica Maeder (jessicamaeder@gmail.com) with questions.

• If your child is missing vaccines, it's time to catch up! (Exclusion day is Feb. 21st)
  Vaccines keep your child healthy and protected from serious diseases. They are required by law for all children in schools, preschools and child care facilities. Parents will be sent a letter if their child’s vaccination records are incomplete. To avoid missing school or child care, get your child up to date on their vaccinations as soon as possible. Make a vaccine appointment now, as there may be a long wait.

• Si a su hijo le faltan vacunas, ¡es el momento de ponerse al día!
  Las vacunas mantienen a su hijo saludable y protegido de las enfermedades graves. La ley exige que los niños que asistan a la escuela, al preescolar y a la guardería tengan las vacunas al día. Los padres recibirán una carta si los registros de vacunas de sus hijos están incompletos. Para evitar perder días de escuela o guardería, póngase al día con las vacunas de su hijo lo antes posible. Programe una cita para las vacunas ahora, puede haber una espera larga.

Go eat yummy, healthy burritos, bowls and more on Tuesday, March 5th at Laughing Planet's Belmont location and support Sunnyside! All day, 10% of sales will go to SES. Mark your calendars and check out the MENU!

Join your classmates and walk, run, scooter, or bike to school every Wednesday! Studies show that active transportation to school keeps kids and families fit, reduces traffic and air pollution, and even helps kids learn.

Bike Bus: Meet at 8:20, roll out at 8:25, every Wednesday morning from these meeting spots.

• SE 26th and Pine- join in anywhere along Pine from 26th to 33rd!

• SE 23rd and Salmon- join in anywhere along Salmon!

• SE 41st & Lincoln, continuing to 41st & Taylor- join in anywhere along the way!

Can’t walk or roll the whole way to school? That’s ok! The benefits of walking or biking to school apply even if you drive part of the way! You’re welcome to park and join a bike bus at any meetup point, or along a route. Or consider parking 2-4 blocks from school and walking the rest of the way, which encourages active transportation and cuts down on air pollution from idling of vehicles near our school!

If you need any gear (bike lock, helmet, etc) please be in touch! Parents interested in active transportation, please join the Family Biking social group on Konstella or message 2nd grade parent Alida Cantor (alidacantor@gmail.com or on Konstella).

Is your child interested in registering for a youth baseball or softball team this Spring? Now is the time to get your child registered for Spring ball! This handout was created by Friends of Baseball/Girls Lead Softball to help families:

• VIBE of Portland Spring Break Camp (Mar 25-29)
• VIBE of Portland East Winds Band Camp (July 22-26) | Spanish | Russian
  
• City of Portland / Rose City Self-Defense Workshop Series:
  Foster / Powell neighborhood, April 10 & 17
  Lower Albina neighborhood, Saturdays, March 16, 23, & 30

• Sign up to chaperone Middle School field study

• Apply for Free/Reduced Meals - NEW Oregon expanded income guidelines

• Sign up to support Christina at lunch

• SES current volunteer needs

• Konstella - One stop shop for parent information (PTSA)

• 2023-2024 Back to School Ask

• SES attendance form: English | Español

• Sunnyside School Page

• SES PTSA website | After school activities at SES

• SchoolPay | SchoolCafé

• Communicable disease protocol - aka when should I keep my child home from school?

• MESD head lice resources and information