District Home

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School
Building a Community of Learners

4906 NE 6th•Portland, OR 97211•Ph 503-916-6456•Fx 503-916-2647

••Ph •Fx

••Ph •Fx

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. News

View All

  • School Start Dates

    8/20/2025

    • 8/26: First day of school for students in grades 1–5

    • 8/26–8/27: One-on-one Kindergarten Visits (to be scheduled with your child’s teacher)

    • 8/28: First day for Kindergarten students with last names A–L only for a full day

      • Students with last names starting M-Z will not attend this day

    • 8/29: First day for Kindergarten students with last names M–Z only for a full day

      • Students with last names starting  A-L  will not attend this day

    • 9/02: All Kindergarten Students begin full day school

      • 7:45AM: Doors open. Breakfast Available.

      • 8:00AM: Tardy Bell/Students in Class 

      • 2:30PM: End of Day. Please confirm your dismissal location with your student’s teacher.

    • 9/04:  PreKindergarten Starts

  • School Supply Wish List 2025-26

    8/4/2025

    We’re so excited to kick off another great school year with you and your children!

    Below is our School Supply Wish List. If you're able to donate any items, we would be truly grateful. These are the most highly used items by grade level.


    Please know that donations are completely optional and not required—your generosity is always appreciated but never expected.

    Thank you for your support, and we’re looking forward to a fantastic year together!

    General Supply List for all staff: Amazon General List

    Grade Kinder

    • Kleenex

    • Disinfectant Wipes

    • Sanitizer

    • Child-sized masks

    • Bandaids

    • Paper Towels

    • Ticonderoga Pencils

    • Pink erasers

    • Crayola Crayons

    • Crayola markers

    • Arts and Crafts supplies like feathers, sequins, etc.

    • Construction paper

    • Expo Markers Fine Point

    • Whiteboard erasers, small

    • Elmer's Glue Sticks

    • Post it Notes

    • Index cards (3x5) and (4x6)

    • White paper

    • Cardstock

    • Sharpie markers ultra fine tip and fine tip

     

    Grade 1st-2nd

    • Kleenex

    • Disinfectant Wipes

    • Paper Towels

    • Ticoderoga Pencils

    • Expo Markers Fine Point

    • Elmers Glue Sticks

    • Crayola Crayons

    • Composition Books Primary journals with picture space

    • Primary Journals/per student

    • Highlighters (MIP Mandarin side)

    • Index cards (3x5) and (4x6) (MIP, Mandarin side)

    • Post it Notes (MIP, Mandarin side)

     

    Grade 3-5th

    • Kleenex

    • Disinfectant Wipes

    • Paper Towels

    • Ticonderoga Pencils

    • Expo Markers (fine point)

    • Notebook paper (wide rule)

    • 3-ring binder (1 inch, white, durable view) 5th grade

    • Crayola Colored Pencils

    • Post-It Notes (3x3 inch)

    • Highlighters 

    • Pencil Top Erasers

    • (4th grade: protractor) 

    • Composition Notebooks 3rd Grade

  • Office Opening

    8/5/2024

    We are excited to welcome back our new and incoming families!

    The office will be re-open on Monday, August 18th, 2025

    Temp Summer Hours (8/18-8/25)

    9:00am-2:00pm

    Regular school office hours beginning 8/26/25: 8:00am-3:00pm

    For registration questions please email Nancy Rios at nrios1@pps.net .for all other questions please email mekohl@pps.net

Principal's
Message

  • October 6, 2025

     

    Hello Dr MLK Jr Families,

     

    Fall conferences: click here to find links to teacher calendars to sign up for conferences. Conferences will be in person unless otherwise requested. 

     

    (repeat) Move Toward the DREAM: Save the Date! This year’s PTA fundraiser, Move Toward the Dream, is happening on Friday, October 17th! Students will raise money for the school by collecting pledges from family and friends for running laps, dancing, and completing an obstacle course. Look out for more details in next week’s red folder!

    ⭐ Your student can start collecting pledges and donations now at our Move Toward the Dream website ⭐

    www.app.givebacks.gives/mttd2025

     

    (repeat) Donations: We are in need of attendance pop up donations, specifically Capri sun and individual bags of popcorn and Takis. Please send what you can to the office! The more the better! 

     

    SUN updates: SUN begins today, Monday! 

     

    PPS request: PPS is seeking parents/caregivers and students to participate in the following committees: New Committee Members Needed for Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) for the Distribution of Donations for Staffing, and The Fund for PPS School Liaison Opportunities. Please click here for more details. 

    Literacy night: postponed to December 18th, the evening of the PTA multicultural potluck. More details coming soon! 

    Mandarin student help website: I am sharing a Chinese Mandarin learning website that is designed by a Woodstock parent, Jason Z., with the support of the Woodstock Community. The website is called "Panda Learn Chinese." Per Jason, this website is filled with content and materials from Woodstock Chinese Immersion Program and will always be free of charge.

    Black Family night: Thursday, October 16, 5-6:30. Families of Black students, please join us for an evening of community, dinner, and connection! 

    9-30-25 PTA Meeting Highlights

    Thank you to everyone who joined our first PTA meeting of the year! Here are a few updates from the evening:

    • Bike Bus: Kirk Ohly shared about the Harriet Tubman Bike Bus, where students meet at 7th & Wygant at 8:30 a.m. and ride to school together—building independence and community along the way. Families with future Tubman students are encouraged to get involved. If you have a student going to HTMS, you can sign up for the bike bus here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHIfwBYE23zYSiPjRk9h_T4RTC6snUtsRevIu1iLQMxszQ6w/viewform

    • EcoSchool Network: Sophie from EcoSchool Network introduced free “Changemaker” training for parents interested in starting sustainability projects. Info sessions are Oct 2 and Oct 8. Learn more and register for an info session here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecKMbjV090t9LfD3SrfeB_y9ajzAZJ1oNHqukv1TTwdYZLGg/viewform

    • Principal’s Report: Dr. Seidel celebrated a strong start to the year with our largest Kindergarten class ever (70 students). Attendance is a major focus this year, with fun “attendance pop-up days” planned to encourage kids to be at school every day.

    • Teacher’s Share: Amy Jo Mooney spoke about her grant-funded work to support attendance. Families are encouraged to share ideas to help kids arrive on time and stay engaged all day.

    • SUN School: Johnice Masker reported high interest in SUN programs this fall, with classes starting Oct 6. The Boys & Girls Club still has openings for families needing after-school care.

    • Events & Fundraising: Our biggest fundraiser, Move Toward the Dream, is Oct 17 during the school day. Students will run, dance, and take on an obstacle course with pledges from family and friends. Volunteers will be needed! Harvest Fest follows after school on Oct 28.

    • Sustainability & Garden: From composting to BottleDrop to our berry bushes planted last spring, the PTA has many green initiatives underway. Visit mlkjrpta.org to learn more and get involved.

    • Volunteer Needs: Volunteers are needed for the PPS Clothing Closet on Oct 20, field trips, and classroom help. Remember: in-school volunteers must complete the PPS background check at pps.net/volunteer.

    • Board Updates: Congratulations to our newly elected PTA President, Michae Dean, and Co-VP, Coisha Graham!

    Next PTA Meeting: Nov 18
    We hope to see you there!

     

    Hope everyone had a great weekend, 

    Teresa

     

    Important Dates & Reminders: 2025–2026

    • 10/7: First day of SUN school

    • 10/10: no school, statewide inservice 

    • 10/16:  5-6:30pm: Black Family Night 

    • 10/17: Move toward the DREAM (during specials) 

    • 10/22: Early Release, DREAM assemblies 

    • 10/28: NW Noggins 

District News

View All

  • Two Lincoln High School Grads Win National Merit Scholarships

    6/12/2025

    Congratulations to Lincoln High School students Richard Deng and Coral Platt! Both were awarded National Merit Scholarships of $2,500 toward their college studies.

    They were chosen from more than 15,000 finalists nationwide. Richard plans to pursue a career in politics and Coral is looking at a future in the legal sector.

  • Two PPS Educators Named OnPoint Educators of the Year

    6/2/2025

    Two exceptional PPS educators, Ricardo Barber and Hang Jones, were recently named OnPoint Educators of the Year for 2025.

    As part of this prestigious honor, both teachers will have their rent or mortgage paid for an entire year, and their schools also receive a $2,500 donation. 

    Ricardo Barber teaches third grade at Faubion, and Hang Jones serves as a social worker at Marysville Elementary. 

    The OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education celebrates educators who embrace innovative teaching techniques that ignite enthusiasm in their students. 

    Congratulations to Ricardo Barber and Hang Jones! And thank you both for everything you do to make a difference in the lives our students.

  • Student Filmmakers Showcase Their Monster Talent

    5/22/2025

    The assignment their teacher gave them was simple – make a short film that begins with a phone call and ends with someone hanging up. Benson first-year students Dylan Martinez-Torres and Dariel Soriano Zamora ran it all the way to a small city populated by two very big and rather iconic monsters – Godzilla and Hedora.

    The result, Sorry, Wrong Number, is one of the more than 90 films entered into the annual Best of PPS Film Festival. The festival is a celebration of exceptional student filmmaking that includes a showcase at the historic Hollywood Theatre. 

    The fourth annual installment of the festival took place on May 21 and included a screening of 13 standout films. The films came from all over PPS and ran the gamut from Dylan and Dariel’s monster short to documentaries, film noir, and broadcast journalism. 

    Read More

  • Join the Climate Crisis Response Committee

    5/19/2025

    If you are a passionate student or community member that wants to make a difference at PPS, apply to join the Climate Crisis Response Committee! This is a committee that reports to the PPS Board of Education.

    On the committee you will learn about how PPS is making progress towards our climate justice and sustainability policies, provide input and recommendations to the PPS Board on how to better support PPS staff as we advance these policy goals, and connect with other passionate members of our PPS community from diverse backgrounds, knowledge areas, and lived experiences.

    No previous professional experience in climate change or sustainability required! Students can apply via this form. Community members can apply here.

    Deadline to apply: June 6. 

more
 
CLOSE
CLOSE