Free and reduced-price benefits expire at the end of each school year. Families can apply for benefits on or after July 1, 2023 for the 2023-24 school year online using SchoolCafe atwww.schoolcafe.com/pps or download the mobile app. Updated paper meal applications can be downloaded from:https://www.pps.net/Page/2464 on or after July 1, 2023. Families who do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals can use SchoolCafe to monitor transactions, view balance, set up low balance notifications, transfer funds among students and request a refund check. The system is free to use unless a payment is made with a debit/credit card to pay for school meals which is optional.
Eligible families are encouraged to apply for SNAP benefits. Approved SNAP recipients along with households where all students attend approved Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools do not need to submit meal applications.
Households receiving SNAP benefits, attending a CEP school and approved for free and reduced-price meals may be eligible for other benefits, like low cost internet and educational-related fee reductions or waivers.
For questions about meal benefits, please emailmealbenefits@pps.netor call 503.916.3402.
New Playground After School Use Hours
Dear Families,
We wanted to take a moment to inform you about a change in our school's policy regarding the upper playground’s after-school hours.
Due to the growing demand for our afterschool programs, we have made the decision to restrict access to the upper playground. Starting Wednesday, May 10, the upper playground will only be available for use by our afterschool program participants from 3:00pm-5:30pm.
If you are one of the many families who meet your student(s) on the upper playground after school pickup we ask that you please move promptly to the lower playground. The upper playground will remain closed until 5:30pm.
We understand that this may be an inconvenience for families who use the upper playground after school to socialize and play, but we believe that this change is necessary in order to provide the best possible experience for our afterschool program participants. By limiting access to the playground, we can ensure that our afterschool programs have the space and resources they need to run smoothly and effectively.
We encourage families to continue to play and gather on the lower playground and field areas during this time as it is also a great space.
Thank you for your understanding and support as we strive to provide the best possible learning and play experiences for our students. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Here Is A Helpful Guide to Your Student Health Questions
Yesterday for the whole school, and then last night for their parents, Fifth graders performed Three Short Plays to enthusiastic acclaim! Ms. Kelly’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Ms. Nicholl’s Frog & Cat,and Ms. Jensen’s The Elemental Dragonswere clever, fun, had intriguing plots, twists, dancing and songs that had you humming all the way home! As Music Teacher Mr. S. explained to parents, all three plays were conceived of and written by students under the guidance of Ms. Andrea White our Drama Teacher. Ms. Hannah Downs supported the choreography for all dances, and props and costumes were developed with Ms. Penn. Mr. Schopmeyer helped students compose the original music. Congratulations Ms. Jensen, Ms. Kelly, Ms. Nicholl, students, and the Arts Team for a wonderful evening!
Today, Third graders spent much of their day at OMSI. Many were fascinated by the Orca exhibit and history. Orcas are intelligent, and have bigger brains than humans. Students also enjoyed the Orca art by Native Americans. In the Natural History Lab, students learned about finding fossils, and the fact that snakes' eyes turn pale blue when they are about to shed their skin. In the Earth Science lab, there were three Axolotl! The Earthquake House simulated an earthquake with the floor shaking at three different levels. Tokyo Japan was the strongest at 9.1 on the Richter scale.
The Planetarium helped students understand how bodies survive in space, and that the elements of space can harm you if you do not wear the right equipment. It was cool to watch how an Astronaut’s body reacts in an actual countdown. The “Vomit Comet” airplane flies almost straight up and then steeply down. It is a “reduced-gravity fixed-wing aircraft that provides brief near-weightlessness environments for training astronauts. Students also learned that Astronauts train underwater. Finally, in the Chemistry Lab students got to experiment with mixing varied amounts of water and air to see how high they could get a bottle rocket to fly. The consensus was most students would love to return for another OMSI visit. Thank you Third Grade Team and students for a great learning experience!
Lastly, Please join me in celebrating our Librarian, Ms. Darcy Rudnick who was honored last night at Revolution Hall for placing second in On Pointe’s Educator of the Year award!She won a cash award, and Buckman also received a cash award. We are so fortunate to have Ms. Rudnick as our outstanding LIbrarian, and so proud of her accomplishments, and all she brings to our Buckman Bear literacy program. Congratulations Ms. Rudnick!
Have a safe and fun filled long weekend!
Best,
Fred
FOUNDATION
Join us at Lolo Pass on Thursday June 1st from 6-7:30pm for Connect to Buckman! These informal evenings are open to everyone and a great way to get to know other Buckman families, learn more about the Buckman Foundation and ways to get involved.
We would also love your feedback on the auction, we will be writing thank you cards to all our donors if you want to help and this is a perfect time to come tell us you want to join the foundation team next year.
ALL BUCKMAN LIBRARY BOOKS DUE (staff and students) FRIDAY, JUNE 2nd
If you cannot find an overdue book or it was damaged please stop in the library (or email drudnick@pps.net) so we can mark the book as “LOST”. LOST books come with a fine as to replace the book. If you have a fine for a lost or damaged book you have options to take care of the fine:
Pay the fine in SchoolPay (after the book has been marked as “LOST”)
Replace the book with a hardcover. Don’t forget to bring the original book with a note so your fine can be waived!
Make an appointment with Ms. Rudnick to do community service in the library to work off the cost.
PTA NEWS
Check out our Teacher and Staff wishlist as a final Teacher & Staff Appreciation initiative. Let's try and make all of the wishes come true! Please drop your donations in the office by 5/31!
April showers brings...May members? Grab an Oregon PTAmembership for just $12 to make sure we can continue as a formal group.Anyone who signs up by the end of May will enter a raffle to receive a $10 gift card to Fifty Licks!
Support Buckman through Fred Meyer community rewards programs! Choose Buckman PTA as your Fred Meyer Community Rewards designee, and raise money for Buckman just by grocery shopping. We make about $1000/year - let's try and double that!
Pick up some BottleDrop blue bags for those late spring/early summer parties! Plenty of empties = easy money for our beloved little school.
SUN NEWS
We are proud to be a recipient of an OnPoint Community Builder prize for next year! If you are interested in participating in the planning or facilitating of a multicultural family arts nights program that runs over the course of the next year, please let Katie know.
The last day of SUN school is next Friday, June 2. Fall registration will begin in late August!
Have you attended one or more family engagement events at Buckman this year (OMSI Night, Loteria Night, ArtMake, etc.)? If so, please fill out this quick demographic survey. This helps SUN and the county know who we are serving and how best we can serve the Buckman community in the future
First Bell: 8:35 (All students enter at the front of the building.)
Tardy Bell: 8:45
All School Release Time: 3:00
If your child arrives at school after the Late Bell at 8:45, please go to the front doors of the school on SE 16 and ring the doorbell to the left of the front doors. It will ring in the office, and the door will be unlocked for them to enter the building. They will need to come to the office to sign in so that they are not marked absent for the day.
Lunch Schedule
1st Lunch: K and 1st Grade - 11:10 - 11:30
2nd Lunch: 2nd and 3rd Grade - 11:35 - 11:55
3rd Lunch: 4th and 5th Grade - 12:00 - 12:20
Parking Around Buckman
Please be aware that the entire block on the south side of Pine St. from 16th to 18th is a Bus Zone. There is no parking anywhere on that block.
Please be respectful of our neighbors and do not park in driveways.
If you have other people picking up your child, make sure they are aware of the parking regulations.
Champions Child Care News
If you are interested in care or have additional questions, please contact Site Manager Chanel Bodden at ch001370@discoverchampions.com.
Thursday afternoon was a real treat as author illustrator Nidhi Chanani, who dreams kind and creative dreams shared her talents with our whole school. She is the author of Pashmina, a graphic novel, and Shubh Raatri Dost/Good Night Friend, and the illustrator of the bilingual board book, I Will Be Fierce. She was very engaging, drew on the spot requests, and her latest book Shark Princess has proved very successful! Thank you Nidhi and Ms. Darcy!
Spring diagnostic MAP testing, which is useful because it measures individual student growth in reading and math, is underway. To keep students focused and doing their best work, our third grade team is having students only do ten problems at a time. This is a proven strategy, and I am excited to see the resulting student growth.
The other big news is that our 4th grade production of Their Stories Must Be Told was a great success! The whole school saw the performance at 1:30, and a packed house thoroughly enjoyed the evening show. In six parts, each class presented two vignettes on famous artists of color. Ms. Walker’s class featured: Maya Angelou, American memorist, poet, and civil rights activist, and Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese contemporary multi-media artist who worked primarily in sculpture and installation, and is considered “the world’s most successful living artist.”
Mr. Hansen’s class presented Jim Thorpe’s Shoes, and Sun Ra Angel Race. Native American from the Sac and Fox Nation, Jim Thorpe was an incredible athlete, who won two Gold Medals for the United States in the 1912 Summer Olympics. He also played professional football, basketball and baseball. Sun Ra was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet, known for his experimental “cosmic” music.
Ms. Ayala's class featured Bessie Coleman and Alvin Ailey.Bessie Coleman was famous as an early American aviator. She was the first African American and Native American to hold a pilot license, and the first Black American to fly public in 1922. Alvin Ailey, was a very talented American dancer, director and activist who founded the prestigious Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and school. The company and school nurtured Black artists and expressed the universality of the African American experience through dance. His signature piece, Revelations continues to beperformed all over the world.
KUDOs and congratulations to all our4th grade students, teachers and arts stafffor their wonderful performances. Their important work in learning about and sharing the lives of these outstanding artists of color was much appreciated!.
YES! Break out that crimper and your best 80s formal wear, workout wear, shoulder pads, and hypercolor – rumor has it someone is wearing roller skates.
Dinner, hosted bar, party favors, dancing/entertainment, live & super silent auction, special video, and paddle raise.
What is the point of the auction?
The auction is the main fundraiser for the Buckman Foundation. The Buckman Foundation provides money to support staff positions at Buckman that are not funded (or not fully funded) by Portland Public Schools. These positions include: The Librarian/Media Specialist and keeping all 3 arts positions at full time (art, music and dance)
How much money does the auction need to raise?
Our goal is to raise $50,000 at the auction
I can’t go to the auction but still want to participate
There is an online auction that will run from Friday May 12th at 6PM through Sunday, May 14th at 6PM that includes classroom projects, lodging packages, restaurant gift cards, and other exciting packages. Check out the catalog here.
ALL BUCKMAN LIBRARY BOOKS DUE (staff and students) FRIDAY, JUNE 2rd
PTA NEWS
Did you miss the yearbook ordering deadline for free shipping? You can still purchase, but will need to pay for shipping to your home address. $22 for a soft cover and $32 for a hard cover + shipping. Unfortunately, PTA will not be able to offer yearbooks to 5th graders this year. However, any 5th grade family who needs financial assistance in purchasing a yearbook should email pta@buckmanelementary.org.
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is coming up May 8 - 12! Sign up to bring a donation to help celebrate our wonderful and dedicated teachers and staff, and help make this week extra special. Thanks to all who have signed up, and for those who haven't, there are still spots :)
April showers brings...May members? Grab an Oregon PTA membership for just $12 to make sure we can continue as a formal group.Anyone who signs up will enter a raffle to receive a $10 gift card to Fifty Licks!
Support Buckman through Fred Meyer community rewards programs! Choose Buckman PTA as your Fred Meyer Community Rewards designee, and raise money for Buckman just by grocery shopping. We make about $1000/year - let's try and double that!
Cognizart 360 Arts Camp scholarships for Buckman students
Available to students between the ages of 6½ to 12 with scholarships and opportunities to attend our 360 Arts Camp this July. The scholarship deadline is 5/1/2023.
We are filling up quickly but would love to provide as many kids as possible from Buckman with the opportunity to attend! Many students have attended over our camp’s 30-year-history.
Our Family Resource Navigator program and staff (Diana Silva, at Buckman) are currently slated to lose their funding at the end of this June. There are several opportunities to advocate for the continuation of the program at the county level, which serves families needing basic resources including rent and energy assistance, clothing support, and food insecurity. Cutting the Family Resource Navigator program funding means over 34 jobs will be lost, over 20 schools will lose additional support for families in need, and the nearly 2,500 families served will lose a trusted connection to broader social services, leaving thousands more without the option of this resource in the coming years. If you are interested in learning more, see the attached letter from Impact NW and contact Katie with further questions.
Letter to Families_FRN Program .docx.pdf
Letter to Families
4/28/2023
Hello Buckman Families!
With two days of glorious sun and warming temperatures, spring is here! Yards are bursting with color, and our plants are soaking up the sun. Recess has been warm, and it was great to see our students playing and having fun without their coats. Next week is forecasted to be cooler with possible rain, so stay tuned and have your children dress accordingly.
In school news, much is afoot. students are busy with their daily studies, fourth graders are rehearsing for their performance next Friday, and 5th graders are sharpening their skills for middle school. The Fourth grade script is great, and I am quite sure the performances (school at 1:30pm, and for 4th grade families at 6:30pm) will be a real treat!
Our Middle school transition panel is May 4th, at 5:30pm. Please join us for a panel with current middle school students and their families to learn about what to expect as your fifth grader graduates up to middle school! We will have families from local schools, and there will be a chance for kids to break off into a student group and grownups to break off into an adult group to ask the hard-hitting questions!
On a special school-wide project coordinated by Ms. Jess, our students have been decorating coffee cup sleeves for a local coffee shop. Spreading Buckman kindness in the community is awesome, Thank you Ms. Jess and students!
Buckman is a finalist to receive funding from OnPoint Credit Union next year to host a multicultural family arts night series! The project with the most votes from the community will receive $5000 in funding. Voting ends May 3rd. Submit your votehere! You can vote once per day through May 3rd.
Be Well, and as always, Thank you for your lovely children!
Have a great weekend!
Best,
Fred
FOUNDATION NEWS
Spring is here and that means it’s time gear up for the BUCKMAN AUCTION! We’re gearing up to Buckman’s biggest fundraiser of the year and couldn’t be more excited. Here’s what you need to know! Back to the 80’s | 2023 Buckman Annual Auction Where: The Redd East When:May 13 What: An epic evening of throwback fun, all in support of Buckman! Dinner, hosted bar, entertainment, a special video and an incredible live and silent auction. Cost: $80/ticket Dress code: 80’s attire HIGHLY ENCOURAGED. Buy your tickets today and stop by the online catalog for a sneak peek of some of the auction items at buckmanauction.org!
Tickets are not sold at the event or after May 8th.
Cognizart 360 Arts Camp scholarships for Buckman students
Available to students between the ages of 6½ to 12 with scholarships and opportunities to attend our 360 Arts Camp this July. The scholarship deadline is 5/1/2023.
We are filling up quickly but would love to provide as many kids as possible from Buckman with the opportunity to attend! Many students have attended over our camp’s 30-year-history.
Selling 30 books keeps our author visits at no cost to the school.
Order books here to be signed and delivered on the day of the author's visit. Please follow the ordering instructions on the flyer for proper delivery.
PTA NEWS
Order your yearbook by May 5th! The 2022 - 2023 yearbook is now available to order for free shipping/pick up at Buckman. $22 for a soft cover and $32 for a hard cover. If you purchase after that date, you will need to pay for shipping to your home address. Unfortunately, PTA will not be able to offer yearbooks to 5th graders this year. However, any 5th grade family who needs financial assistance in purchasing a yearbook should email pta@buckmanelementary.org.
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is coming up May 8 - 12! Sign up to bring a donation to help celebrate our wonderful and dedicated teachers and staff, and help make this week extra special. There are many spots still open!
April showers brings...May members? Grab a membership for $12 to make sure we can continue as a formal group.Anyone who signs up will enter a raffle to receive a $10 gift card to Fifty Licks!
Support Buckman through Fred Meyer community rewards programs! Choose Buckman PTA as your Fred Meyer Community Rewards designee, and raise money for Buckman just by grocery shopping. We make about $1000/year - let's try and double that!
SUN NEWS
Buckman is a finalist to receive funding from OnPoint Credit Union next year to host a multicultural family arts night series! The project with the most votes from the community will receive $5000 in funding. Voting ends May 3rd. Submit your vote here!
5th grade families, SAVE THE DATE!
Middle school transition panel, May 4th, 5:30pm: join us for a panel with current middle school students and their families to learn about what to expect as your fifth grader graduates up to middle school! We will have families from several local schools, and there will be a chance for kids to break off into a student group and grownups to break off into an adult group to ask the hard-hitting questions!
4/21/2023
Hello Buckman Families!
I hope this finds you well, and hereare some highlights for this week:On Wednesday, it was Career Day for Buckman Third graders, and today the entire 5th grade class went to the Hoyt Arboretum.
Third grade Career Day was a super success, and we will be expanding it to more grades next year. Students were very engaged, and really appreciated the chance to learn about different, cool, professions.
Today’s Hoyt Arboretum Field Trip was thoroughly enjoyed by our Fifth graders. Our students were divided into 6 different groups with each group having a guide. Students were wowed on many levels. “The Western Red Cedars were stunning” said students. The Bamboo forest was very cool and had the art installation “The Basket of Airs.” It was explained that as humans we exhale carbon dioxide, trees absorb carbon dioxide, and in return produce oxygen.
Students got to be different parts of a tree. Pumping the sap was particularly arduous. They also learned how Native Americans used the Red Cedar and Douglas Fir trees to build log houses, make boats, clothes and other items. Tomorrow is Earth Day, and Ms. Jensen loved that their trip almost coincided. Banana slugs, different types of Magnolia trees, the river, bird calls, and all the trees had their own stories. As they learned of trees, they also learned much about native plants and their histories. Hiding and finding acorns was fun, and all of this learning was tied directly to their 5th grade science standards. This outing will definitely become a regular 5th grade Field Trip. Thank you students and teachers for making this possible. Great learning!
The District Buckman Principal Selection Community meeting is on Monday at 5:00 pm. I know our Area Senior Director would appreciate your input.
Thank you for your wonderful children!
Have a great weekend!
Best,
Fred
FOUNDATION NEWS
Spring is here and that means it’s time gear up for the BUCKMAN AUCTION! We’re gearing up to Buckman’s biggest fundraiser of the year and couldn’t be more excited. Here’s what you need to know! Back to the 80’s | 2023 Buckman Annual Auction Where: The Redd East When:May 13 What: An epic evening of throwback fun, all in support of Buckman! Dinner, hosted bar, entertainment, a special video and an incredible live and silent auction. Cost: $80/ticket Dress code: 80’s attire HIGHLY ENCOURAGED. Buy your tickets today and stop by the online catalog for a sneak peek of some of the auction items at buckmanauction.org!
Cognizart 360 Arts Camp scholarships for Buckman students
Available to students between the ages of 6½ to 12 with scholarships and opportunities to attend our 360 Arts Camp this July. The scholarship deadline is 5/1/2023.
We are filling up quickly but would love to provide as many kids as possible from Buckman with the opportunity to attend! Many students have attended over our camp’s 30-year-history.
Selling 30 books keeps our author visits at no cost to the school.
Order books here to be signed and delivered on the day of the author's visit. Please follow the ordering instructions on the flyer for proper delivery.
PTA NEWS
Don't delay - order your yearbook today! The 2022 - 2023 yearbook is now available to order. $22 for a soft cover and $32 for a hard cover. Unfortunately, PTA will not be able to offer yearbooks to 5th graders this year. However, any 5th grade family who needs financial assistance in purchasing a yearbook should email pta@buckmanelementary.org.
April showers brings...May members? Grab a membership for $12 to make sure we can continue as a formal group.Anyone who signs up will enter a raffle to receive a $10 gift card to Fifty Licks!
Support Buckman through Fred Meyer community rewards programs! Choose Buckman PTA as your Fred Meyer Community Rewards designee, and raise money for Buckman just by grocery shopping. We make about $1000/year - let's try and double that!
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is coming up May 8 - 12! Sign up to bring a donation to help celebrate our wonderful and dedicated teachers and staff, and help make this week extra special.
SUN NEWS
5th grade families, SAVE THE DATE!
Middle school transition panel, May 4th, 5:30pm: join us for a panel with current middle school students and their families to learn about what to expect as your fifth grader graduates up to middle school! We will have families from several local schools, and there will be a chance for kids to break off into a student group and grownups to break off into an adult group to ask the hard-hitting questions!
If you're looking for something for your kiddo to do on Tuesday afternoons, check out Experiment PDX! They are running a "Lego Explorer" class that picks students up at Buckman when the bell rings, then walks them to their site at 14th & Star
4/14/2023
Hello Buckman Families!
I hope you are all well. The sunshine this afternoon was very welcome, and most of us took our jackets off during Lunch and Recess. At this morning’s assembly, Mr. Darby reviewed with everyone “Leave it Better Than You Found It.” A number of students and staff were recognized from all grade levels, and they got to put their names on the banner that hangs to the right of the stage. To honor today’s sunshine, Mr. S played and led us all singing The Beatles classic, Here Comes the Sun!
I visited a 3rd grade and a 5th grade classroom this week while they were doing math. Third graders did a very cool introduction to fractions, and 5th graders were revisiting decimals. All students were very engaged, and I was impressed with how they were learning different math strategies to solve problems. Math is such an important skill, students in both classes were taking important notes in their Math Notebooks, and it was great to see students focused and excited to be learning math.
Today, all our First graders visited OMSI. Specifically, they learned about the culmination of the Solar System and they enjoyed learning about and viewing different Planets. I am thrilled that our young students have the opportunity to learn at OMSI, I am wondering if they have a favorite planet?
Thank you, parents, for your wonderful children!
Best regards,
Fred
FOUNDATION NEWS
Spring is here and that means it’s time gear up for the BUCKMAN AUCTION! We’re gearing up to Buckman’s biggest fundraiser of the year and couldn’t be more excited. Here’s what you need to know! Back to the 80’s | 2023 Buckman Annual Auction Where: The Redd East When:May 13 What: An epic evening of throwback fun, all in support of Buckman! Dinner, hosted bar, entertainment, a special video and an incredible live and silent auction. Cost: $80/ticket Dress code: 80’s attire HIGHLY ENCOURAGED. Buy your tickets today and stop by the online catalog for a sneak peek of some of the auction items at buckmanauction.org!
PPS 2023 Successful Schools Survey
The 2023 Successful Schools Survey is live. This survey aims to assess school climate and culture from student, family and staff points of view. It should take 15-30 minutes to complete and is an important strategy for decision making and resourcing. The survey is also available in different languages.
Selling 30 books keeps our author visits at no cost to the school.
Order books here to be signed and delivered on the day of the author's visit. Please follow the ordering instructions on the flyer for proper delivery.
PTA NEWS
Help us meet our goal of 75 Oregon PTA members by the end of the year! We need just 16 PTA memberships needed to reach goal! With a reduction of funding next year as well as Foundations being threatened, supporting PTA is more important than ever. Please consider joining Oregon PTA - memberships are only $12.00, and allow you to vote at PTA meetings and allows us to continue to fundraise for our beloved school! Anyone who signs up will enter a raffle to receive a $10 gift card to Fifty Licks!
Support Buckman through Fred Meyer community rewards programs! Choose Buckman PTA as your Fred Meyer Community Rewards designee, and raise money for Buckman just by grocery shopping. We make about $1000/year - let's try and double that!
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is coming up May 8 - 12! Sign up to bring a donation to help celebrate our wonderful and dedicated teachers and staff, and help make this week extra special.
SUN NEWS
5th grade families, SAVE THE DATE!
Middle school transition panel, May 4th, 5:30pm: join us for a panel with current middle school students and their families to learn about what to expect as your fifth grader graduates up to middle school! We will have families from several local schools, and there will be a chance for kids to break off into a student group and grownups to break off into an adult group to ask the hard-hitting questions!
If you're looking for something for your kiddo to do on Tuesday afternoons, check out Experiment PDX! They are running a "Lego Explorer" class that picks students up at Buckman when the bell rings, then walks them to their site at 14th & Stark.
Do you have a job that you're really stoked about? Do you want to share your passion with 3rd graders? If so, reach out to Katie or Ms. Jess asap to talk about joining us for our career day event on April 20th!
2/16/2023
Hello Buckman Families,
I hope you are well and that your students enjoyed the teacher professional development day.
Ms. Ditto and I have appreciated a day to get caught up and prepare for when your students return on Tuesday, February 21st.
Just to the right of our main entrance there is a Black History Bulletin Board. Check it out:
“All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you.” –Octavia Butler
“Ago! (are you listening)
Ame (you have my attention)
It’s Black History Month and ‘Black Resistance’ is this year’s national theme. Check back every day to learn a fact about a person, piece of art, or reflect on a question on your own or together as a community!
Use your Chromebook to learn more about the Adinkra symbols on each card here:
Kuronti Ne Akwamu
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I’m changing the things I cannot accept.” –Angela Davis
Special Thanks to the PPS LGBTQ+ Supports Team for sharing this.
In the 5th grade hall, there are BLACK LIVES MATTER posters. Here are three of the 13 GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
“BLACK VILLAGESWe disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.”
“BLACK WOMEN We build a space that affirms Black women and is free from sexism, misogyny, and environments in which men are centered.”
“BLACK FAMILIES We make our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work “double shifts” so that they can mother in private even as they participate in public justice work.”
#BLACKLIVESMATTERATSCHOOL (IN NYC SCHOOLS)
5th grade teachers and students, thank you for sharing. Please let me know other ways you are celebrating Black History Month.
Lastly, I wanted to share that I will retire again at the end of June to have more time for my daughters and grandkids. I am privileged to be part of this wonderful community, to get to support and enjoy your children and their learning at a high level, and to work with the fabulous Buckman staff and parents. Thank you!
Enjoy your long weekend!
Fred
Fred
Buckman Art Show and Sell is March 11th!!
THREE WEEKS UNTIL THE SHOW! Check out our website to see all of our featured artists
LAST CHANCE to sign your student up if they want to sell at the show! Sign up link here
Remember that we are not able to sell liquids, food, slime, or stress balls. Check out our website for FAQ or email questions to Korrin Weldon at korrinweldon@gmail.com
This show is 100% volunteer run. Each shift is only a few hours - please consider signing up to help Sign up link here
Save the Date for our next Dines Out at XICO on Feb. 23rd, also Buckman parent owned.
The Buckman Foundation is already hard at work on the 2023 Buckman Auction, and we need your help! This is our school’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and it wouldn’t be possible with Buckman families stepping up to lend a hand.
Do you know a business that would be interested in sponsorship or donating to the annual auction?
Have amazing videography or video editing skills? Or know somebody who does? We’re looking for people who can help put together our special appeal video, featured at the live event.
Other great ideas?
Reach out by sending us an email at auction@buckmanelementary.org to let us know how you can play your part in making this year’s auction the best one yet!
3rd graders!The Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award Reading Challenge is due by Friday, April 7th if you are choosing to participate in Ms. Rudnick’s challenge to read ALL 5 nominees! Anyone that has read TWO or more books will be able to vote for their favoirte. Read all 5 and fill out this form and you will be invited to a special party in May. Participation is not mandatory.
PTA has board vacancies. We are looking for a co-president and VP of Communications as we head into next year. We also still seek a VP of Equity & Inclusion. Check out our job descriptions to learn more.
Just 27 PTA memberships needed to goal! We are currently at 47, with 10 new sign ups just last month. Show all Oregon kids how much you love them by joining Oregon PTA in February - memberships are only $12.00 ($9.50+ $2.50 transaction fee). Being a member allows you to vote at PTA meetings, and assures we maintain our 501-c3 status-- allowing us to do all the things we do to support our school.
Support Buckman through community rewards programs! Choose Buckman PTA as your Fred Meyer Community Rewards designee, and raise money for Buckman just by grocery shopping. Pick up a blue bag for your empties (on the bulletin board across from the office), and redeem at any Bottle Drop location - all proceeds go to Buckman! Office Depot also offers rewards. All of this money adds up and is not insignificant in funding all that we do (see above).
SUN
Multnomah County-REACH is inviting Black community members to join a fun and family-friendly five-mile bike ride. This event is a celebration of Black History Month and is targeted to Black Portlanders and Black/African immigrants and refugees to experience the joy of riding bikes with kinfolk. (See attachment)
Register your student for a SUN enrichment spring break camp March 27-31 at Buckman! The theme is Spring into Spring: An Exploration of Spring Through Art & Science. $220 for the week, 9am-4pm. Open to 1st-5th graders, registration link here.
Girls on the Run registration is open! The Buckman team will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays after school. Open to 3d-5th graders. Sign up here.
SAVE THE DATES!
SUN info night - FEBRUARY 27th, 5:30pm: Join us virtually to learn more about SUN after-school programming, registration, etc.
How to talk about homelessness with your kids - MARCH 14th, 6pm: This is a panel Q&A event with experts from Catholic Charities, Impact NW, and HereTogether. Join us to learn what we can do to support our houseless neighbors and how to talk about it with our kiddos! Food and childcare provided.
SUN NEEDS SNACKS! We've run through our annual snack budget and desperately need snack donations to keep our after-school kiddos fed until they go home for supper.
2/10/2023
Hello Buckman Families,
I hope you all are well and enjoyed yesterday’s afternoon sun. It is National Counselors Appreciation Week, and yesterday we celebrated our amazing Counselor Ms. Jess! At the end of Kinder/First Grade lunch, we asked Ms. Jess to the Cafetorium and both grade levels gave her a rousing ovation as I presented her with flowers and a staff Thank You card! Ms. Jess is the best, and we are very fortunate to have her expertise and care at Buckman.
On Thursday, all our 5th graders went to the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) to see the Motown Exhibit. As we celebrate Black History Month, I asked students for some highlights. Karaoke, singing like the Supremes, and dance lessons like the Temptations that were projected on a big screen so students could see themselves dancing were big hits. It was also very cool to see Stevie Wonder’s piano! As the OHS website shares, “A blend of gospel, blues and pop, Motown began in Detroit in the late 1950's and quickly became ‘The Sound of Young America,' crashing the American pop charts and challenging the Beatles-led British Invasion.”
Growing up in the “Stop In the Name of Love” era, I am so glad our students got to experience some of the Motown magic. Thank you Ms. Jensen, Ms. Kelly and Ms. Nicholl for this rare treat!
School-wide, students completed their Winter MAP testing in Reading and Math. These periodic assessments offer a snapshot of strengths, areas of growth, and offer valuable data as teachers track progress throughout the year. Students, thank you for giving your best effort.
Finally, our Library is back in full service, and Ms. Darcy is helping students find and check out books again, Hooray, Hooray!!! Thank you for everyone’s patience.
Have a great weekend!
Best regards,
Fred
PPS 2023 Successful Schools Survey
The 2023 Successful Schools Survey is live. This survey aims to assess school climate and culture from student, family and staff points of view. It should take 15-30 minutes to complete and is an important strategy for decision making and resourcing. The survey is also available in different languages.
Starting next week, we are completing the Panorama Successful Schools Survey. This student survey is designed to gather student perception data about teaching, learning, and school climate. The survey is expected to take about 15 minutes. This information helps Buckman best support our students school-wide. All entries are anonymous. There are two developmentally appropriate versions of the survey for students in grades 3-5 and students in grades 6-12. Grades K-2 are not included in the survey.
Students will be asked questions in these main categories:
Skills and Competencies: The social, emotional, and motivational skills that help students excel in school, career, and life. Example topics: Growth Mindset, Self-Efficacy, Social Awareness
Support and Environment: The environment in which students learn, which influences their academic success and social-emotional development. Example topics: Sense of Belonging, School Safety
Well-Being: Students’ positive and challenging feelings, as well as how supported they feel through relationships with others. Example topics: Positive Feelings, Challenging Feelings
If you have any questions, please contact our Successful Schools Survey Coordinator, Jess Firestone jfirest1@pps.net
FOUNDATION NEWS
Thank you for supporting Oma’s Hideaway and Buckman, we made $578 on Tuesday night!
Save the Date for our next Dines Out at XICO on Feb. 23rd, also Buckman parent owned.
The Buckman Foundation is already hard at work on the 2023 Buckman Auction, and we need your help! This is our school’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and it wouldn’t be possible with Buckman families stepping up to lend a hand.
Do you know a business that would be interested in sponsorship or donating to the annual auction?
Have amazing videography or video editing skills? Or know somebody who does? We’re looking for people who can help put together our special appeal video, featured at the live event.
Other great ideas?
Reach out by sending us an email at auction@buckmanelementary.org to let us know how you can play your part in making this year’s auction the best one yet!
The Buckman Library is back open to students! Make sure to get all your books in this week so you don't miss checking out new books! Students can find current checkouts by going to their apps on myapps.classlink.net - click on Destiny - Log in - click on MY STUFF - then CHECKOUTS. This works best on their district issued chromebook. Kindergarten does not take books home. 1st grade gets to take one book home each week and 2-5th have a choice of taking books home or leaving them at school to read. Check in with your student please! Thanks! Ms. Rudnick
PTA has board vacancies. We are looking for a co-president and VP of Communications as we head into next year. We also still seek a VP of Equity & Inclusion. Check out our job descriptions to learn more.
Just 27 PTA memberships needed to goal! We are currently at 47, with 10 new sign ups just last month. Show all Oregon kids how much you love them by joining Oregon PTA in February - memberships are only $12.00 ($9.50+ $2.50 transaction fee). Being a member allows you to vote at PTA meetings, and assures we maintain our 501-c3 status-- allowing us to do all the things we do to support our school.
Support Buckman through community rewards programs! Choose Buckman PTA as your Fred Meyer Community Rewards designee, and raise money for Buckman just by grocery shopping. Pick up a blue bag for your empties (on the bulletin board across from the office), and redeem at any Bottle Drop location - all proceeds go to Buckman! Office Depot also offers rewards. All of this money adds up and is not insignificant in funding all that we do (see above).
SUN
Register your student for a SUN enrichment spring break camp March 27-31 at Buckman! The theme is Spring into Spring: An Exploration of Spring Through Art & Science. $220 for the week, 9am-4pm. Open to 1st-5th graders, registration link here.
Girls on the Run registration is open! The Buckman team will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays after school. Open to 3d-5th graders. Sign up here.
Join the Black Parent Initiative in-person or virtually for an event next week on Feb 15th, or donate to support their efforts. More information here!
SAVE THE DATES!
SUN info night - FEBRUARY 27th, 5:30pm: Join us virtually to learn more about SUN after-school programming, registration, etc.
How to talk about homelessness with your kids - MARCH 14th, 6pm: This is a panel Q&A event with experts from Catholic Charities, Impact NW, and HereTogether. Join us to learn what we can do to support our houseless neighbors and how to talk about it with our kiddos! Food and childcare provided.
1/26/202
Hello Buckman Families,
This is the last day of Quarter 2, and I hope it finds you well. Tomorrow is a Teacher Grading day, so a gentle reminder that we have no school for students. The progress your students have made this year is notable, and I am excited to see the learning continue through the middle of June and beyond.
At Tuesday’s staff meeting, we reviewed different resources for honoring Black Excellence during Black History Month. Each grade level has made plans to honor outstanding Black individuals throughout the month and are looking forward to sharing. I am grateful for Black History Month, and honoring Black Excellence all year makes more sense.
As we reach the halfway point, I am grateful for our Buckman school community. We love your children as they challenge and inspire us. Their growth, physically and social-emotionally , is considerable and impressive. At all levels they are maturing, asking great questions, learning letter formation, writing paragraphs, and improving their mathematical computation, and research skills. Thank you parents for the opportunity to work with your children each day. I so appreciate you, and am also very grateful for our dedicated and tireless staff. We at Buckman are the best!
Have a restful and fun weekend!
Best regards,
Fred
Buckman Art Show and Sell is March 11th!!
It is time for you to sign your student up if they want to sell at the show!
We will need helping hands to make this show a success! Look out for the volunteer sign up for the weekend of the show.
We are also still in search of a House Manager - this person helps to organize set up and take down of the show as well as troubleshoot the day of the event. We would have you shadow this year and move into the role next year. Email Nicole Simmons (Nicole.p.simmons@gmail.com) if you are interested in learning more.
Panorama Successful Schools Survey
Starting next week, we are completing the Panorama Successful Schools Survey. This student survey is designed to gather student perception data about teaching, learning, and school climate. The survey is expected to take about 15 minutes. This information helps Buckman best support our students school-wide. All entries are anonymous. There are two developmentally appropriate versions of the survey for students in grades 3-5 and students in grades 6-12. Grades K-2 are not included in the survey.
Students will be asked questions in these main categories:
Skills and Competencies: The social, emotional, and motivational skills that help students excel in school, career, and life. Example topics: Growth Mindset, Self-Efficacy, Social Awareness
Support and Environment: The environment in which students learn, which influences their academic success and social-emotional development. Example topics: Sense of Belonging, School Safety
Well-Being: Students’ positive and challenging feelings, as well as how supported they feel through relationships with others. Example topics: Positive Feelings, Challenging Feelings
If you have any questions, please contact our Successful Schools Survey Coordinator, Jess Firestone jfirest1@pps.net
FOUNDATION NEWS
Thank you for supporting Oma’s Hideaway and Buckman, we made $578 on Tuesday night!
Save the Date for our next Dines Out at XICO on Feb. 23rd, also Buckman parent owned.
The Buckman Foundation is already hard at work on the 2023 Buckman Auction, and we need your help! This is our school’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and it wouldn’t be possible with Buckman families stepping up to lend a hand.
Do you know a business that would be interested in sponsorship or donating to the annual auction?
Have amazing videography or video editing skills? Or know somebody who does? We’re looking for people who can help put together our special appeal video, featured at the live event.
Other great ideas?
Reach out by sending us an email at auction@buckmanelementary.org to let us know how you can play your part in making this year’s auction the best one yet!
The library is still under construction addressing a mold situation. Library class has been pushing into students’ homeroom classrooms with engaging lessons and accessing digital books in the meantime. Students may return their Buckman library books at any time. Check-out and library classes will resume when the space is done.
For full access to many books and resources use the “Learning Resources” on the Buckman Library Catalog - link above.
PTA NEWS
Join us at our next general membership PTA meeting on Tuesday, February 7th. Hear about all the wonderful ways PTA supports Buckman, and how to get involved. This meeting will be virtual (link coming soon).
Come to our PTA Mixer! Join us on Thursday, February 9th from 5:30 - 7:00 at Enso Winery just a few blocks from Buckman (minors welcome until 6pm). This will be an informal and fun way to connect with PTA leaders and learn about open positions and other ways you can support all the great work we do. As we head into next year, it will be critical to find 2-3 additional people to step into these roles, so we don't lose our standing as an organization. Without board members, we are at risk of losing $30,000, which funds many things including but not limited to: classroom supplies and grants, events, teacher appreciation, equity efforts, drama teacher, SUN programming, crossing guard incentives.
Our next Community Coffee Chat is Friday, February 10th from 8:45 - 9:30. Join us in person and enjoy Concourse Coffee or virtually
Help us reach our goal of 75 PTA members! We are currently at 45. If you have not yet purchased one, head over to Oregon PTA - memberships are only $12.00 ($9.50+ $2.50 transaction fee). Being a member allows you to vote at PTA meetings, and assures we maintain our 501-c3 status-- allowing us to do all the things we do to support our school.
Support Buckman through community rewards programs! Choose Buckman PTA as your Fred Meyer Community Rewards designee, and raise money for Buckman just by grocery shopping. Pick up a blue bag for your empties (on the bulletin board across from the office), and redeem at any Bottle Drop location - all proceeds go to Buckman! Office Depot also offers rewards. All of this money adds up and is not insignificant in funding all that we do (see above).
SUN
Register your student for a SUN enrichment spring break camp March 27-31 at Buckman! The theme is Spring into Spring: An Exploration of Spring Through Art & Science. $220 for the week, 9am-4pm. Open to 1st-5th graders, registration link here.
Would you like to help coach a Girls on the Run team this spring? We are looking for assistance coaches on Mondays and Wednesdays 3-5:30pm for the season, which goes from March 6 - May 20, 2023. Contact Katie for more information.
SAVE THE DATES!
Buckman Family Dance, FEBRUARY 10th, 5:30pm: This is a whole-family affair, kids will need to be with their grownups at all times! Pizza and snacks will be available by donation. If you'd like to volunteer to help set-up or run the event, sign up here.
How to talk about homelessness with your kids - MARCH 14th, 6pm: This is a panel Q&A event with experts from Catholic Charities, Impact NW, and HereTogether. Join us to learn what we can do to support our houseless neighbors and how to talk about it with our kiddos! Food and childcare provided.
1/20/2023
Hello Buckman Families,
Last night was Make Art Night, and it was super cool! Sponsored by our SUN program, and the brainchild of our Counselor Ms. Jess, many students and parents had a great time making art.
Different tables offered various craft activities, and with great volunteer support, it was a resounding success. Thank you Ms. Katie, Ms. Jess and volunteers for making this possible! Some of the art created last night might be sold at our annual Art Show and Sell on Saturday, March 11, from 10:00 - 5:00pm. Save the date!
As we approach the end of the Quarter 2, please remind your children to give their best effort to complete their classwork and assignments. Building learning momentum is exciting, and students sense their progress and skill development. I enjoy watching the social emotional growth and ownership that supports healthy play and fun at Lunch/Recess.
Next Month, as part of our Black History Celebration, all fifth-graders will be going to the Oregon Historical Society Museum to tour a Motown Exhibition. Having grown up with this music, it should be a wonderful opportunity to learn about and enjoy this unique sound. As part ofBlack Lives Matter Week of Action (February 6-10th) our staff and Climate team are planning learning activities that will help strengthen our Buckman anti-racist resolve.
Your children teach us every day, and we are all honored to help them build their self-confidence and self concept as young people. We are a village, and I appreciate how each of you contribute to our whole community.
Be well, and have a great weekend!
Fred
FOUNDATION NEWS
The Buckman Foundation is already hard at work on the 2023 Buckman Auction, and we need your help! This is our school’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and it wouldn’t be possible with Buckman families stepping up to lend a hand.
Do you know a business that would be interested in sponsorship or donating to the annual auction?
Have amazing videography or video editing skills? Or know somebody who does? We’re looking for people who can help put together our special appeal video, featured at the live event.
Other great ideas?
Reach out by sending us an email at auction@buckmanelementary.org to let us know how you can play your part in making this year’s auction the best one yet!
The library is still under construction addressing a mold situation. Library class has been pushing into student’s homeroom classrooms with engaging lessons and accessing digital books for the meantime. Students may return their Buckman library books at any time. Check out and library class will resume when the space is done.
For full access to many books and resources use the “Learning Resources” on the Buckman Library Catalog - link above.
PTA NEWS
Buckman Art Show and Sell is March 11th!!
Student art is the shining star of the event!
It is time for you to help your student plan and make their art. We will open the sign up link in a few weeks - keep your eyes open for updates!! Remember that we are not able to sell liquids, food, slime, or stress balls. Check out our website (link: https://buckmanartshow.weebly.com/student-info.html) for FAQ or email questions to Nicole Simmons. Nicole.p.simmons@gmail.co
Come hang with your fabulous and fun PTA! Join us at our "Mixer" on Thursday, February 9th from 5:30 - 7:00 at Enso Winery just a few blocks from Buckman. This will be an informal and fun way to connect with PTA leaders and learn about open positions and other ways you can support all the great work we do. As we head into next year, it will be critical to find 2-3 additional people to step into these roles. Come enjoy a glass on us (limited quantity). Enso only allows minors in their tasting room until 6, so do plan accordingly.
Mr. Christy is the only teacher in need of a Room Lead! Let's help him get the support he needs for the remainder of the year.
Help us reach our goal of 75 PTA members! We are currently at 45. Thanks to those who have signed up! If you have not yet purchased one, head over to Oregon PTA - memberships are only $12.00 ($9.50+ $2.50 transaction fee). Being a member allows you to vote at PTA meetings, and assures we maintain our 501-c3 status-- allowing us to do all the things we do to support our school.
Support Buckman through rewards! Choose Buckman PTA as your Fred Meyer Community Rewards designee, and raise money for Buckman just by grocery shopping. Pick up a blue bag for your empties (on the bulletin board across from the office), and redeem at any Bottle Drop location - all proceeds go to Buckman!
SUN
Thanks to everyone who helped out or came to ArtMake last night! It was a great success, with over 100 folks showing up. Students left with lots of creative projects they made using recycled or found materials.
SUN School starts this coming Monday, January 23rd! Reach out to Tabitha or Katie if you have any questions about your student's schedule.
Register your student for a SUN enrichment spring break camp March 27-31 at Buckman! The theme is Spring into Spring: An Exploration of Spring Through Art & Science. $220 for the week, 9am-4pm. Open to 1st-5th graders, registration link here.
Would you like to help coach a Girls on the Run team this spring? We are looking for assistance coaches on Mondays and Wednesdays 3-5:30pm for the season, which goes from March 6 - May 20, 2023. Contact Katie for more information.
SAVE THE DATE!
Buckman Family Dance, FEBRUARY 10th, 5:30pm: This is a whole-family affair, kids will need to be with their grownups at all times! Pizza and snacks will be available by donation. If you'd like to volunteer to help set-up or run the event, sign up here.
1/13/2023
Hello Buckman Families,
I hope you are all well, and we just finished a great week! On Tuesday evening, Lotería, or Mexican Bingo was a wonderful treat, and a huge success! The Cafeteria was packed, the homemade Tamales and Mexican food were delicious, and winners won authentic prizes that Naydyn’s family brought back from Mexico. This great evening stemmed from a Race Talks meeting where the family volunteered to share Lotería with our Buckman community. A very special Thank you to Naydyn and her family for a super fun and special night!
Regarding our current Library closure, two different firms will be here next Wednesday morning to start the repairs. Per district advice, all week three air purifiers are running 24 hours a day to filter potentially harmful mold spores from the air. The Library will continue to be closed next week. As the work progresses, I will update you.
On Wednesday morning, as part of our Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, Ms. Hannah and I arranged for the Jefferson Dancers to perform. This outstanding HS Dance company will be performing three pieces at the annual National HS Dance Festival in Pittsburgh, PA in March, and one of the pieces they will perform was choreographed by a Buckman Alumnus. The dancers and Artistic Director Steve Gonzales were great, and our whole school audience was very appreciative!
Next week, Charlie McNeely a highly skilled PPS Restorative Justice Specialist will be meeting first with Ms. Ditto and I, and then with our Buckman staff Equity committee. We are excited to partner with Charlie on ways we can improve our school-wide equity work with staff and students, such that students feel seen, heard, and above all supported for who they are.
This partnership will be ongoing, and I look forward to furthering this important work.
At our Admin/Principal’s Coffee today, Ms. Ditto shared about Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), which is a system designed to ensure that all students are getting what they need. I spoke to our Library closure, and apologized for not sharing information earlier in the week.
It is a privilege to work with your children as their zest for learning rubs off on us all!
Have a wonderful three day weekend!
Fred Locke
FOUNDATION NEWS
January’s Dines Out will be at the amazing (Buckman Family-Owned) Oma's Hideawayon Tuesday, January 24th from 5pm-9:30pm. Reservations are recommended.
From Green Bean Books: Bridging Readers Book Club and Advisory Board are raring to read more books in the new year! We bring together kids from Pittsburgh and Portland to discuss advanced reader copies of books, write reviews, and meet authors.
Call us up of you'd like to join! 503-954-2354 Saturday, January 21st at 10am inside Green Bean Books - Masks required.
PTA NEWS
Buckman Art Show and Sell is March 11th!!
Student art is the shining star of the event!
It is time for you to help your student plan and make their art. We will open the sign up link in a few weeks - keep your eyes open for updates!! Remember that we are not able to sell liquids, food, slime, or stress balls. Check out our website (link: https://buckmanartshow.weebly.com/student-info.html) for FAQ or email questions to Nicole Simmons. Nicole.p.simmons@gmail.com
Thank you to Concourse Coffee for an ongoing donation for our Friday morning monthly Community Coffee Chat. Please stop by their shop and give them some Buckman love! This is an in person meeting, but you can join this meeting virtually. and can also submit questions for principals Locke and Ditto here.
Mr. Christy is the only teacher in need of a Room Lead! Being a room lead is easy peasy - you essentially help parents and families stay in the know of school happenings, support class projects and make sure supplies and snacks are stocked. Questions about this role? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
Help us reach our goal of 75 PTA members! We are currently at 35. If you have not yet purchased one, head over to Oregon PTA - memberships are only $12.00 ($9.50+ $2.50 transaction fee). Being a member allows you to vote at PTA meetings, and assures we maintain our 501-c3 status-- allowing us to do all the things we do to support our school.
Support Buckman with every day shopping. Both Amazon and Fred Meyer will give a portion of sales to Buckman each quarter. Be sure to designate Buckman at smile.amazon.com and through the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program. Pick up a blue bag for your empties (on the bulletin board across from the office), and redeem at any Bottle Drop location - all proceeds go to Buckman!
SUN NEWS
Register your student for a SUN enrichment spring break camp March 27-31 at Buckman! The theme is Spring into Spring: An Exploration of Spring Through Art & Science. $220 for the week, 9am-4pm. Open to 1st-5th graders, registration link here.
Would you like to help coach a Girls on the Run team this spring? We are looking for assistant coaches on Mondays and Wednesdays 3-5:30pm for the season, which goes from March 6 - May 20, 2023. Contact Katie for more information.
There are two new family engagement groups that are beginning to form. Contact Casey for more information on or to get involved with the parent/family antiracism group, and contact Britt for more information on or to get involved with the BIPOC parent affinity space.
SUN needs snacks! If you'd like to donate any shelf-stable, individually packaged snacks, please drop them off in the front office labeled "SUN" or coordinate a drop-off with Katie.
SAVE THE DATES!
Art Make night, JANUARY 19th, 5:30pm: Come make an art project with a staff member at one or more of our project stations, or make your own project with materials available at the event! You can even make something to sell at the Art Show & Sell.
Buckman Family Dance, FEBRUARY 10th, 5:30pm: This is a whole-family affair, kids will need to be with their grownups at all times! Pizza and snacks will be available by donation. If you'd like to volunteer to help set-up or run the event, sign up here.
1/6/2023
Hello Buckman Families,
I hope that you all had a wonderful Winter Break. Your students were rested with lots of positive energy, and it is great to have them back at Buckman. With three more weeks left in Quarter 2, we are excited about finishing strong as their important learning continues.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
At our K-2 and 3-5 assemblies today, we continued our practice of being a very respectful and appreciative audience. Why practice? On Wednesday morning, as part of our Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, we are super excited to host the Jefferson Dancers who will perform for our whole school.
Today, playing his guitar, Mr. Schopmeyer led us all singing two Buckman songs, and all grades and staff sang with gusto. Mr. Darby had us practice showing appreciation and quieting immediately with “Waterfall, waterfall…shsh”… and it is getting better and better. Ms. Evola, our PE Teacher, had two students place as many blocks on their heads in a plastic saucer for one minute. Both students did well, and one emerged a winner balancing three blocks on a saucer on top of her head. Kudos to all!
Lastly, Ms. Ditto showed a “Respect” video from another school, and asked if any classes wanted to contribute to a Buckman respect video?
I like the reading, critical thinking, and math that I am seeing in classrooms. Mr. Christy’s third-grade class had an interesting discussion about sharks, their living environment, and environments more generally. Different students shared their environment drawings which were creative and varied.
Lastly, although our Library is currently closed for some repairs, the good news is that Ms. Darcy is visiting classrooms instead.
Thank you for your children, go Buckman Bears!
FOUNDATION NEWS
January’s Dines Out will be at the amazing (Buckman Family-Owned) Oma's Hideawayon Tuesday, January 24th from 5pm-9:30pm. Reservations are recommended.
From Green Bean Books: Bridging Readers Book Club and Advisory Board are raring to read more books in the new year! We bring together kids from Pittsburgh and Portland to discuss advanced reader copies of books, write reviews, and meet authors. Call us up of you'd like to join! 503-954-2354 Saturday, January 21st at 10am inside Green Bean Books - Masks required.
PTA NEWS
Community Coffee Chat is Friday, January 13th. Join other families and staff for a Q&A with our principals at 8:45 - 9:25. You can also join virtually. Submit questions for the Q&A here.
Mr. Christy is the only teacher in need of a Room Lead! Being a room lead is easy peasy - you essentially help parents and families stay in the know of school happenings, support class projects and make sure supplies and snacks are stocked. Questions about this role? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
Help us reach our goal of 75 PTA members! We are currently at 35. If you have not yet purchased one, head over to Oregon PTA - memberships are only $12.00 ($9.50+ $2.50 transaction fee). Being a member allows you to vote at PTA meetings, and assures we maintain our 501-c3 status-- allowing us to do all the things we do to support our school.
Support Buckman with every day shopping. Both Amazon and Fred Meyer will give a portion of sales to Buckman each quarter. Be sure to designate Buckman at smile.amazon.com and through the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program. Pick up a blue bag for your empties (on the bulletin board across from the office), and redeem at any Bottle Drop location - all proceeds go to Buckman!
SUN NEWS
SAVE THE DATES!
Lotería night, JANUARY 10th, 6pm: We will be hosting a Lotería night (Mexican bingo) on Jan 10th at 6pm in the cafetorium. We will have food and prizes. All are welcome, we hope to see you and your student(s) there!
Art Make night, JANUARY 19th, 5:30pm: Come make an art project with a staff member at one or more of our project stations, or make your own project with materials available at the event! You can even make something to sell at the Art Show & Sell.
Buckman Family Dance, FEBRUARY 10th, 5:30pm: This is a whole-family affair, kids will need to be with their grownups at all times! Pizza and snacks will be available by donation. If you'd like to volunteer to help set-up or run the event, sign up here!
Would you like to help coach a Girls on the Run team this spring? We are looking for assistance coaches on Mondays and Wednesdays 3-5:30pm for the season, which goes from March 6 - May 20, 2023. Contact Katie for more information.
There are two new family engagement groups that are beginning to form. Contact Casey for more information on or to get involved with the parent/family antiracism group, and contact Britt for more information on or to get involved with the BIPOC parent affinity space.
SUN needs snacks! If you'd like to donate any shelf-stable, individually packaged snacks, please drop them off in the front office labeled "SUN" or coordinate a drop-off with Katie.
December 9, 2022
Hello Buckman Families,
Despite the triple threat of (Covid, Flu, and RSV), I hope that you and your children are well. We are all looking forward to our upcoming Winter Holiday, and be it green or white, I know that it will be great to have time with family, friends and loved ones.
This week has brought us some great highlights. Our 4th and 5th graders, with daily support from Ms. Nicholl and Ms. Walker are doing an awesome job at lunch! It is getting much harder to choose the 4th and 5th grade Golden Spoon daily recipients. Thank you students, and staff, your leadership and cooperation are much appreciated!
In fourth grade classrooms, students spent this week learning or furthering coding skills. I was impressed by the focus, and intent learning that begins with learning “Scratch.” This afternoon, students in all three classrooms were very engaged and creating impressive systems. Students showed me how they had designed a soccer video game, researched Ancient Egypt, coral reefs, slime, created storyboards with characters that changed color, exhibited dance moves, waving hands and much more. Researching the architecture of Minecraft and a narrated slide show on earth and Sea Slugs were outstanding examples of creative and sophisticated work. Thank you fourth grade team and students for your inspiring work!
On a very different note, yesterday morning, when I heard of the potential bomb threat, which also included other districts, I immediately did a careful walk around our building, and thankfully saw nothing unusual. Thank you for trusting us with the safety of your children.
A SUPER SPECIAL THANKS to Ms. Darcy for an AMAZING Buckman BOOK FAIR! Thank you for all the wonderful books, your patience as we shopped, and all the time and effort that made this week-long event possible. With much gratitude, you’re the BEST!!!
We look forward to the First Grade performance on Thursday, and a week of festive learning. Practice Kindness, it spreads!
Have a great weekend, and stay warm!
Best,
Fred
SUN
Winter Registration Monday, Dec. 12 - 7am!
PTA
General Meeting (Virtual) Tues., Dec. 13th 6-8pm
Join us virtually for our December general PTA meeting from 6:00 - 8:00 on Zoom. Covid, cold and flu season are here, so we will be holding this meeting (and likely our next) virtually. Grab a mug of cocoa (or wine?) and join us from the comfort of home.
December Dines Out
Let's keep the momentum going by planning to grab a bite at Mississippi Pizza on December 13, any time 11am - 11pm for our final Dines Out of 2022. As always, proceeds from your purchase will benefit the Foundation.
Apparel Sales - Wednesday, Dec 14 8:20am - 9:00am
Come stock up on Buckman Apparel, makes great gifts. We have hoodies & tees, beanies, trucker hats, masks, stickers and more. PTA will also have the Blue Bottle drop bags available for recycling cans.
All proceeds benefit Buckman.
(Credit card, cash and checks accepted)
Free Covid Test Kits
Dear PPS Families: To help your holidays be healthy as well as happy, next week our school will provide each student with an iHealth test kit for at-home use. Students and families are encouraged to use these tests if they develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or know they have been exposed to COVID-19. Please note: the FDA granted a shelf-life extension for the iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test. Please enter the lot number listed on the end of your test kit box into this tool to check the updated expiration date of your kit.
FOUNDATION NEWS
Our Buckman community is amazing! We have unlocked the $13,000 challenge match goal with 96 donations and another 4 donations with get us an additional $250. Thank you Buckman for your continued support.
PTA General Meeting next Tuesday. Join us virtually for our December general PTA meeting from 6:00 - 8:00 on Zoom. Covid, cold and flu season are here, so we will be holding this meeting (and likely our next) virtually. Grab a mug of cocoa (or wine?) and join us from the comfort of home.
Room parents still needed for Page & Christy! December is here, and we still do not have an assigned classroom lead for these AMAZING teachers. Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - our teachers need your help! Questions about this role? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
PTA board members needed! We are still in need of a Vice President of Equity, as well as a President-Elect to round out our PTA. These positions are critical to assure decisions, policies, programs and practices are equitable and inclusive of everyone, but especially our BIPOC communities.
Help us reach our goal of 75 PTA members! If you have not yet purchased one, head over to Oregon PTA - memberships are only $12.00 ($9.50+ $2.50 membership fee). Being a member allows you to vote at PTA meetings, and assures we maintain our 501-c3 status-- allowing us to do all the things we do to support our school.
Making a financial donation to Buckman? If so, your donation to Buckman could be doubled! Just imagine what those extra philanthropic funds could do for our school. As a non-profit organization, Buckman PTA can print you a receipt for you to submit to your workplace. Your benefits or Human Resources office would likely be able to let you know if your workplace offers a company match program.
SUN NEWS
The SUN Winter Term catalog is out now (above)! General registration will open this Monday, Dec 12 at 7am at this link.
Would you like to help coach a Girls on the Run team this spring? We are looking for assistance coaches on Mondays and Wednesdays 3-5:30pm for the season, which goes from March 6 - May 20, 2023. Contact Katie for more information.
SAVE THE DATE! We will be hosting a lotería night (Mexican bingo) on Jan 10th at 6pm in the cafetorium. We will have food and prizes for winners. All are welcome, we hope to see you and your student(s) there!
There are two new family engagement groups that are beginning to form. Contact Casey for more information on or to get involved with the parent/family antiracism group, and contact Britt for more information on or to get involved with the BIPOC parent affinity space.
SUN needs snacks! If you'd like to donate any shelf-stable, individually packaged snacks, please drop them off in the front office labeled "SUN" or coordinate a drop-off with Katie.
Katie would like to extend a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to the entire Buckman community for showing up for Season of Sharing! We were able to fulfill all requested items thanks to you!
SUN Winter Registration Monday, Dec. 12 - 7am!
December 2, 2022
Hello Buckman Families,
I hope you are well. Thank you for your flexibility on Wednesday with the power outage. We were unlucky that the wind storm caused a huge trunk of a fir tree on the lower field to hit the wires and cause the outage that impacted us. Thank you again for your flexibility!
For our Buckman Coffee Chat Friday morning, we were very fortunate to have Librarian Jennie from Belmont Public Library share some great Safe online Tips! Her presentation is below (click on yellow link), and I promise regardless of the age of your child, there is something for everyone. In 15 minutes, she offered us great food for thought on a very important topic. Help your kids stay safe online this Winter Break (and Read a few Books too.)
A Special Thank you to all who donated for Giving Tuesday! I donated today, so join us to ensure that our own Darcy Rudnick can remain full time! Every donation, large and small, helps us reach our goal. https://buckmanelementary.scho...endask2022/g/buckman
We can do this; Thank You Buckman Foundation for a great Giving kick-off!
Finally, by request, enjoy thisAction for Happiness' Do Good Decembercalendar. included. This one page calendar will warm your heart. Thank you Amanda C.
Thank you for your wonderful children!
Be well, be safe.
Best,
Fred
FOUNDATION NEWS
Our Buckman community is amazing! We launched our Year-End Ask campaign on Tuesday, in the hopes of reaching 75 donors by the end of the year. We’re delighted to share we have already had 66 people step up to sponsor, putting us within 9 more gifts (at ANY amount!) of unlocking the $13,000 challenge match goal!
It gets even better. We have a sponsor who has stepped up to donate $250 for ever 25 contributions past our goal of 75. Let’s do this, Buckman!
The PPS School Policy Board will hear testimony on 12/6 regarding amending or abolishing school foundations throughout the district. The Buckman Foundation will be there, and we’d love to have your support or hear your opinions on the issue. Reach out at foundation@buckmanelementary.org for more details.
December Dines Out
Let's keep the momentum going by planning to grab a bite at Mississippi Pizza on December 13, any time 11am - 11pm for our final Dines Out of 2022. As always, proceeds from your purchase will benefit the Foundation.
Set up aneWalletfor students for a cash-free experience. (video)
PTA NEWS
Volunteers Needed for Oregon PTA Clothing Center! The Buckman volunteer day with the Oregon PTA Clothing Center is coming up on Monday, December 5th. They are in need of 5-6 volunteers to help kids navigate the shopping experience, as well as to sort donations. Here are the deets from the center coordinator:
Monday, Dec. 5th
9:30am -1:30pm
Marshall (Benson HS) Campus; 3905 SE 91st, Room B-60.
When entering through the main school entrance take the hallway to the left, then the next hallway to the left, halfway down we are on the right, up the stairs and there we are.
PTA board members needed! We are still in need of a Vice President of Equity, as well as a President-Elect to round out our PTA. These positions are critical to assure decisions, policies, programs and practices are equitable and inclusive of everyone, but especially our BIPOC communities.
There's still time to grab a PTA membership. If you have not yet purchased one, head over to Oregon PTA - memberships are only $12.00 ($9.50+ $2.50 membership fee). Being a member allows you to vote at PTA meetings, and assures we maintain our 501-c3 status-- allowing us to do all the things we do to support our school. We need approximately 35 memberships to meet our goal for the year!
Please sign up as a room lead for teachers Page, Kelly and Christy! December is here, and we still do not have an assigned classroom lead for these three AMAZING teachers. Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - our teachers need your help! Questions about this role? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
Does your place of employment offer a company match? If so, your donation to Buckman could be doubled! Just imagine what those extra philanthropic funds could do for our school. As a non-profit organization, Buckman PTA can print you a receipt for you to submit to your workplace. Your benefits or Human Resources office would likely be able to let you know if your workplace offers a company match program.
SUN NEWS
The SUN Winter Term catalog is out now and we are accepting early bird registrations through the weekend. We must have all scholarship requests by 8am on Monday, Dec 5. General registration will open on Dec 12 at 7am at this link.
Season of Sharing has begun! Sign up to fulfill one or more item requests here and bring them unwrapped and labeled with the item number to the front office or the SUN office by December 8th.
Would you like to help coach a Girls on the Run team this spring? We are looking for assistance coaches on Mondays and Wednesdays 3-5:30pm for the season, which goes from March 6 - May 20, 2023. Contact Katie for more information.
SAVE THE DATE! We will be hosting aLotería Night (Mexican bingo) on Jan 10th at 6pm in the cafetorium. We will have food and prizes for winners. All are welcome, we hope to see you and your student(s) there!
There are two new family engagement groups that are beginning to form. Contact Casey for more information on or to get involved with the parent/family antiracism group, and contact Britt for more information on or to get involved with the BIPOC parent affinity space.
SUN needs snacks! If you'd like to donate any shelf-stable, individually packaged snacks, please drop them off in the front office labeled "SUN" or coordinate a drop-off with Katie.
LOST & FOUND!
Please check the growing mountain of items in our lost and found! You can't miss it when you come in the front entryway.
All items that are unclaimed and don't have names on them will be donated to the PTA Clothing Closet at the start of winter break.
I hope you are well and excited for Conferences on Monday or Tuesday, and our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. In the spirit of giving thanks, I am very grateful for our awesome Buckman community, students, staff, and families. This is a wonderful school, and you all make it so!
Please help me say a special Thank you to our long term Visual Arts Substitute Ms. Kari Rittenour. Thank you for your strong visual arts curriculum and art expertise. It takes a village, and you will always be a part of ours.
With enthusiasm, we are thrilled to have Ms. Nicole Penoncello resume her Buckman teaching on Monday, November 28th.
Our second Buckman 2022 Assembly was a show stopper! Ms. Jess and Mr. Darby reviewed excellent audience behaviors, and as a school we practiced and practiced. By the end of the assembly, most students were able stay quiet and attentive (voices off and quiet hands) in only two seconds! The improvement and desire to do their Buckman best was very evident and appreciated. Our competition, organized by Coach E., was between three student-teacher teams; to win, you had to make the highest tower with plastic cups in one minute. Competition was fierce, and ALL teams got rousing audience support. In the end, by six inches, Ms. Jensen’s team took the First Place Prize!
Congratulations, great fun, work and sportsmanship by all!
On a serious note, this excellent practice is exactly what is needed at all our school assemblies and also public performances. As students represent us in the community, our Buckman reputation depends on consistent polite and respectful behavior while enjoying the event.
We are looking forward to seeing you at Conferences on Monday and Tuesday as we value the time for you to connect with your children’s teacher(s).
We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving, and a lovely holiday!
Enjoy and if you are traveling, Be safe!
Best regards,
Fred
Parent /Teacher Conferences
Monday, November 21-Tuesday, November 22
Look for a confirmation email from Myconferencetime with the appointment date & time and if requested the link for the Google meeting. You will also get a reminder two days in advance. If you need any help, contact sbruner@pps.net
LOST & FOUND!
Please check the growing mountain of items in our lost and found when you're here for conferences! You can't miss it when you come in the front entryway.
All items that are unclaimed and don't have names on them will be donated to the PTA Clothing Closet at the start of winter break.
FOUNDATION NEWS
Celebrate the kickoff of our Year-End Ask campaign on Tuesday, November 29 — also known as #GivingTuesday! We’ll be at the main entrance for school drop-off with apparel sales and warm beverages from 8:20-9:00am. Buy a beanie, add on a gift to the Foundation, and watch our Year-End-Ask-O-Meter grow. Our goal is to reach 75 gifts to unlock the funds pledged by our Challenge Match Sponsors. Any gift - be $1, $10, or $100 - gets us closer to our goal!
Do you support more staffing in public schools? Do you think PPS is chronically underfunded? The foundation model used by many schools in our district is jeopardy, as the PPS School Board weighs on their decision of whether or not abolish school foundations altogether. We know the model is imperfect, and we also know that PPS does not currently have the funds to meeting current staffing needs. We also know that now is not the time for PPS to make this decision, without hearing the insight and voices of our community. If you have anything you would like to share about your experience with school foundations, please send an email to foundation@buckmanelementary.org. We welcome all perspectives about this district-wide decision! Look for more communications from us about the future of PPS foundations in the coming weeks.
DINES OUT
Thank you to everyone who headed to Buckman parent-owned Gado Gado for the October Dines Out. We made over $500 in support of the Buckman Foundation! Let's keep the momentum going by planning to grab a bit at Mississippi Pizza on December 13, any time 11am - 11pm for our final Dines Out of 2022. As always, proceeds from your purchase will benefit the Foundation.
Volunteer for our Book Fair - We still have slots available! If there are not enough volunteers, the book fair will be closed at certain times as I cannot run it alone - Thanks! Ms. Rudnick
December 5-9 8:00 am-8:35 am and 3:00-6:00 pm (no purchases can be made during the school day)
Set up an eWallet for students for a cash-free experience. (video)
PTA NEWS
Sign up to bring snacks for conferences. Let's show our teachers and staff appreciation with some goodies for them to enjoy during conferences on Monday and Tuesday. You can sign up here.
Don't forget to get your PTA membership. If you have not yet purchased a PTA membership, please consider doing so - memberships are only $12.00 ($9.50+ $2.50 membership fee), so that you can also vote at PTA meetings. Oregon PTA requires schools to have a certain number of paid memberships in order to maintain benefits under Oregon PTA and continue as a distinct nonprofit organization.
We need room leads! We still need classroom leads for the following teachers: Page, Kelly and Christy! Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - first come, first served (but there's always a job to help with!). If you have schedule flexibility and want to help in-person or virtually, this is the job for you! Questions? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
Sign up for Yearbook committee! We are in need 2-4 more yearbook committee members to pull together the 2022 - 2023 yearbook. Duties include researching companies and getting bids, taking or collecting photographs, designing art, and coordinating printing and distribution. If you are interested, sign up for the committee on Konstella or email pta@buckmanelementary.org.
Does your place of employment offer a company match? If so, your donation to Buckman could be doubled! Just imagine what those extra philanthropic funds could do for our school. As a non-profit organization, Buckman PTA can print you a receipt for you to submit to your workplace. Your benefits or Human Resources office would likely be able to let you know if your workplace offers a company match program.
SUN NEWS
Sign your 4th or 5th grader up for GoldenBall! We have a coach ready for a coed team. Space is limited so sign up early. Registration form attached.
It's not too late to sign up to request support from SUN for the winter season. If you'd like to request anything for your kiddo(s), please complete this form by Tuesday, November 22nd. If you're interested in helping to fulfill requests, sign up on the link here!
SAVE THE DATE! We will be hosting a lotería night (Mexican bingo) on Jan 10th at 6pm inthe cafetorium. We will have food and prizes for winners. All are welcome, we hope to see you and your student(s) there!
SUN needs snacks! If you'd like to donate any shelf-stable, individually packaged snacks, please drop them off in the front office labeled "SUN" or coordinate a drop-off with Katie.
On behalf of our wonderful staff, we appreciate educating your children. They come through our doors as their best selves, and that affords us the chance to guide their engagement, critical thinking, perseverance, and robust learning
For a “Showcase” presentation that I gave to other principals and some district administrators this morning, I was able to brag on our Buckman Bear community. That as an arts focus school, in addition to our rigorous core academic instruction in English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies, our students regularly get challenging and fun instruction in visual art, music, dance and drama. This balance of great learning opportunities in core curriculum and the arts helps your students express themselves and discover passions that they may want to develop.
As we build towards Conferences, please know that we want each of your students to enjoy learning and be successful. Outstanding learning requires outstanding effort, and we know it is worth every moment. Thank you for partnering with us to make strong learning something we can all contribute to and be proud of. Be you at Buckman
Be safe, and have a lovely holiday long weekend
Best,
Fred
Parent/Teacher Conferences
November 21st & 22nd
Who, what, and why: Family (parent/guardian/caregiver). Teacher conferences offer an invaluable opportunity to meet and discuss student progress and needs.
When: November 21 and 22 from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM.
Teachers block off their meal breaks in advance and there may be some variation in availability.
Where: Our conferences will be in-person or virtual, using Google Meet (by request). As is typical, each conference slot is 20-minutes. These are scheduled a very short transition time so it is imperative to start and end promptly. These slots usually do fill up so if you miss your time for any reason, we will not be able to accommodate schedule changes.
How to Sign up: Please use this site to pick times to meet with your child’s teacher(s). Take only one slot per teacher per child
The conference schedule website is live for you to sign up.
It will be locked at 5 PM on November 18th so teachers can prepare
> Look for a confirmation email from Myconferencetime with the appointment date & time and if requested the link for the Google meeting. You will also get a reminder two days in advance. If you need any help, contact sbruner@pps.net
FOUNDATION NEWS
As the year draws to a close, we plan to kick off our Year-End Ask campaign. This annual fundraiser reaches out to families and members of the Buckman community to make direct gifts to the Buckman Foundation. The Year-End Ask launches on #GivingTuesday, an annual day of giving celebrated worldwide. Look for more information about this critical campaign in the coming weeks!
Thank you to everyone who headed to Buckman parent-owned Gado Gado last week for our November Dines Out. We made over $500 in support of the Buckman Foundation! Let's keep the momentum going by planning to grab a bit at Mississippi Pizza on December 13, any time 11am - 11pm for our final Dines Out of 2022. As always, proceeds from your purchase will benefit the Foundation.
Set up an eWallet for students for a cash free experience. (video)
SUN NEWS
SUN is recruiting basketball coaches for the winter Goldenball season! If you are interested, please contact Katie. More information on coaching can be found here. We can't enroll students for teams without coaches, so please consider volunteering!
Season of Sharing forms are out now! To put in a request, please complete this form before Nov 18.
The SUN winter catalog will be out shortly! Watch Konstella and your emails for it coming soon.
SUN needs snacks! Shelf-stable, pre-packaged snacks are best. You can coordinate drop-off with Katie or leave them in the front office labeled for SUN.
Applications are open for the 2023 Art Show & Sell for artist vendors! We will have info for students interested in selling art closer to the event.
October 28, 2022
Hello Buckman Families,
I hope this finds you well and that you are enjoying the cooler weather. Our flowers and your gardens welcome the rain. Our rose bushes and burgundy flowers by the front steps have informed me that they love Oregon rain!
Yesterday, most second graders took a Talented and Gifted Screener test. This assessment is taken by all PPS second graders, and there will be a make-up date if students missed it.
This morning our Buckman Safety Committee met, and wanted to share a few important reminders. We have created Rainbow Hall Passes, so that we know that students in the hall have a specific purpose and have teacher permission to be out of class. Teachers will also be reminding students of our Bathroom expectations of Go/Flush/Wash/Leave so the instructional time missed is minimal.
As we are beginning our Oregon rainy season, it is fine for your children to bring umbrellas to school, AND we ask that they live in their lockers. At Lunch/Recess, as we did last year, we are not allowing student umbrellas as it is a safety concern. On rainy days, we strongly recommend rain boots, and a raincoat or waterproof jacket such that your child is warm and relatively dry. Having an extra set of clothes in their locker is always a good idea just in case they get accidentally wet.
At today’s Parent Coffee Chat, by request, I shared information on our new English Language Arts curriculum, Wit & Wisdom. This very comprehensive curriculum uses compelling essential questions, sequential Focus Questions, and an End of Module Task to build critical thinking skills. As students read different texts, this integrated approach in reading, listening, speaking and writing are developed in a fun and robust manner. Content Stages (Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill and Know) sequentially teach students how to use the text as a resource, and to appreciate the author’s intent.
Have a great weekend, and hope to see you tomorrow at our first ever Buckman Fall Festival. Halloween costumes are welcome, and you may throw a pie in my face! Hope to see you there from 1:00 - 4:00pm.
Thank you for your lovely children!
Best,
Fred
Regarding Halloween Costumes
As a reminder, we request that students not wear their Halloween costumes to school on Monday, October 31. We do this for a variety of reasons, namely: Halloween costumes can be a distraction from studies, and we do not want to exclude or offend religious or cultural groups that do not celebrate Halloween. As students will have the evening to wear their costumes, this helps us all focus on learning during the school day. Students are also welcome to wear their costumes to the Buckman Fall Festival on October 29th, provided that they do not bring masks, simulated weapons, or blood-and-guts makeup. Thank you for helping us to maintain a strong academic environment.
Buckman Fall Conference 2022
November 21st & 22nd
Who, what, and why: Family (parent/guardian/caregiver). Teacher conferences offer an invaluable opportunity to meet and discuss student progress and needs.
When: November 21 and 22 from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM.
Teachers block off their meal breaks in advance and there may be some variation in availability.
Where: Our conferences will be in-person or virtual, using Google Meet (by request). As is typical, each conference slot is 20-minutes. These are scheduled a very short transition time so it is imperative to start and end promptly. These slots usually do fill up so if you miss your time for any reason, we will not be able to accommodate schedule changes.
How to Sign up: Please use this site to pick times to meet with your child’s teacher(s). Take only one slot per teacher per child.
The conference schedule website will go live for you to sign up at 09:00 AM on October 29th.
It will be locked at 5 PM on November 18th so teachers can prepare.
> Look for a confirmation email from Myconferencetime with the appointment date & time and if requested the link for the Google meeting. You will also get a reminder two days in advance. If you need any help, contact sbruner@pps.net
FOUNDATION NEWS
Thank you to all who dined out at Nostrana earlier this month. We made $1,486.88! Let's keep this going...November’s Dines Out will be at the amazing (Buckman Parent-Owned) Gado Gado on the first of the month, from 5pm-9pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Enjoy their Chef’s Choice Rice Table dining experience, or order from the a la carte menu.
Our Fall Raffle is live! Buy your tickets by 9am on October 31st and you will be entered to win a 4-night getaway at Astoria House, a 4-night getaway at June Lake Pines, or an Apparel Package full of Buckman goodies! All funds raised will go toward staffing positions at Buckman. Buy 5 and get one free, details are at the link!
Set up an eWallet for students for a cash free experience. (video)
SUN NEWS
SUN is recruiting basketball coaches for the winter Goldenball season! If you are interested, please contact Katie. More information on coaching can be found here.
Register your student for a SUN enrichment day camp on November 4th at Buckman! The theme is Puzzles & Riddles. 9am-3:30pm. $50/student. Registration link here. Open to 1st-5th graders.
Season of Sharing forms are out now! To put in a request, please complete the form attached to this email and return it to the SUN box in the front office or to room 114 before Nov 18.
Save the Date! Our first Race Talks event of the school year is on Nov 8th at 6pm. We will have students presenting about how to be anti-racist. This event is open to all families - we will have food and childcare provided, but would love for your elementary and older students to join us in the conversation! Food provided by Buckman-parent-owned Big’s Chicken - vegan, g/f, and vegetarian options will be available.
Move for the Arts was a HUGE success! Thank you to all of our wonderful Buckman supporters who donated or volunteered at the event. All together, we fundraised more than $24,000 - just shy of our overall goal of $30,000 - WOW!
Thanks to all who came to the first PTA meeting. We apologize for the AV challenges, and next time we plan on having laptops for all board members, and encourage audience members to also bring their laptops until we have additional devices to improve the hybrid meeting. If you have not yet purchased a PTA membership, please consider doing so - memberships are only $12 ($9 + $2.50 membership fee), so that you can also vote at PTA meetings. Oregon PTA requires schools to have a certain number of paid memberships in order to maintain benefits under Oregon PTA.
Don't miss our inaugural FALL FESTIVAL coming up on Saturday, October 29th! Come celebrate the season of abundance with a coin drive, face painting, popcorn, games, prizes, snacks, crafts and more! Please consider volunteering!
We need room leads! We still need classroom leads for the following teachers: Page, Lee, Kelly and Degraw! Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - first come, first served (but there's always a job to help with!). If you have schedule flexibility and want to help in-person or virtually, this is the job for you! Questions? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
PTA needs executive board members! We are currently looking for a President Elect to shadow this year and take the reins next year, as well as a Vice President of Equity. Learn more about the roles and connect with us if you are interested - PTA is a great way to connect with other families and support Buckman!
Does your place of employment offer a company match? If so, your donation to Buckman could be doubled! Just imagine what those extra philanthropic funds could do for our school. As a non-profit organization, Buckman PTA can print you a receipt for you to submit to your workplace. Your benefits or Human Resources office would likely be able to let you know if your workplace offers a company match program.
Pick up a blue BottleDrop bag for your empties and support Buckman! Blue bags are available inside the front doors at the community bulletin board (across from the office). It's quick and easy, and all the money goes to Buckman! Don't forget to fill the bag to the top!
October 21, 2022
Hello Buckman Families,
I hope you are well and we had a very busy week!
This morning we had our first Assembly in over two years, and it was great to come together as a community. Our Counselor, Ms. Jess, reminded and practiced with students how to be excellent audience members. With only a few reminders, all did a great job sitting quietly, and showing how we give appreciation and support. Coach C., our PE Teacher hosted two rounds of pairs, (a teacher and a student) keeping three balloons airborne for one minute. Try it, it is challenging and fun!
On Wednesday, OMSI Science Night was super cool. Over 100 students and their parent/guardians attended, and the different activities were engaging and required thoughtful and creative problem-solving. Students and adults were enthralled, it went past 7:00pm, and a Buckman parent was able to show me how to balance 8-10 8” spikes on one magnetic, vertical nail as I was totally stumped!
Last night was our annual Talented and Gifted or TAG meeting. Our TAG Coordinator Ms. Ayala presented information and answered questions. If you were unable to attend last night’s meeting but would like TAG information, please email Ms. Ayala layala@pps.net and she is happy to help.
Today was Apple Tasting day, and all grade levels K-5 had apples to sample, and decide which variety they liked best. The very generous folks from Rubinette Produce brought apples for each grade level to taste. The choices were: Honeycrisp, Fuji, Crimson Crisp, Elstar, Pinova, and Rubinette. The fourth-grade top three were: 3) Rubinette, 2) Fuji, and their favorite apple at #1 was “Honey Crisp.” A special Thank you to Rubinette Produce for making this possible. It was a big success, and students received a voucher to be used this weekend.
Thank you for your children, we enjoy helping them learn and have fun each day.
Have a great weekend!
Fred
FOUNDATION NEWS
November’s Dines Out will be at the amazing Gado Gado on the first of the month, from 5pm-9pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Enjoy their Chef’s Choice Rice Table dining experience, or order from the a la carte menu. Owned by Buckman parents!
Our Fall Raffle is live! Buy your tickets by 9am on October 31st and you will be entered to win a 4-night getaway at Astoria House, a 4-night getaway at June Lake Pines, or an Apparel Package full of Buckman goodies! All funds raised will go toward staffing positions at Buckman. Buy 5 and get one free, details are at the link!
Move for the Arts was a HUGE success! Thank you to all of our wonderful Buckman supporters who donated or volunteered at the event. All together, we fundraised more than $24,000 - just shy of our overall goal of $30,000 - WOW!
Thanks to all who came to the first PTA meeting. We apologize for the AV challenges, and next time we plan on having laptops for all board members, and encourage audience members to also bring their laptops until we have additional devices to improve the hybrid meeting. If you have not yet purchased a PTA membership, please consider doing so - memberships are only $12 ($9 + $2.50 membership fee), so that you can also vote at PTA meetings. Oregon PTA requires schools to have a certain number of paid memberships in order to maintain benefits under Oregon PTA.
Don't miss our inaugural FALL FESTIVAL coming up on Saturday, October 29th! Come celebrate the season of abundance with a coin drive, face painting, popcorn, games, prizes, snacks, crafts and more! Please consider volunteering!
We need room leads! We still need classroom leads for the following teachers: Page, Lee, Kelly and Degraw! Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - first come, first served (but there's always a job to help with!). If you have schedule flexibility and want to help in-person or virtually, this is the job for you! Questions? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
PTA needs executive board members! We are currently looking for a President Elect to shadow this year and take the reins next year, as well as a Vice President of Equity. Learn more about the roles and connect with us if you are interested - PTA is a great way to connect with other families and support Buckman!
Does your place of employment offer a company match? If so, your donation to Buckman could be doubled! Just imagine what those extra philanthropic funds could do for our school. As a non-profit organization, Buckman PTA can print you a receipt for you to submit to your workplace. Your benefits or Human Resources office would likely be able to let you know if your workplace offers a company match program.
Pick up a blue BottleDrop bag for your empties and support Buckman! Blue bags are available inside the front doors at the community bulletin board (across from the office). It's quick and easy, and all the money goes to Buckman! Don't forget to fill the bag to the top!
SUN NEWS
SUN is recruiting basketball coaches for the winter Goldenball season! If you are interested, please contact Katie. More information on coaching can be found here.
Register your student for a SUN enrichment day camp on November 4th at Buckman! The theme is Puzzles & Riddles. 9am-3:30pm. $50/student. Registration link here. Open to 1st-5th graders.
Regarding Halloween Costumes/Celebrations:
Generally speaking as a public school we do not celebrate Halloween. That said, there is nothing in the dress code stopping kids from wearing costumes to school on any day of the year, including Halloween.
However, like any other day of the year Halloween costumes must be school appropriate: no “masks”, violence, overly scary or offensive. Any activities should have an academic tie; as we do not just drop a day or afternoon of learning to party.
October 14, 2022
HELLO BUCKMAN FAMILIES,
I hope you are enjoying this warm, fall day. It is different being in the building without the glee and excitement of learning that your children bring, and I am grateful for the chance to celebrate Indigenous People's Day.
A huge thank you to those parents that were able to attend our first PTA meeting at Buckman on Tuesday, from 6:00 - 7:30pm. It was great to meet in person, and we also appreciated those who joined virtually. I thanked everyone for our Move 4 the Artsfundraising, and described how we use restorative justice to help students learn to make better choices as they interact with peers, teachers and staff. At our next meeting, I was asked to share more information about our new Wit & Wisdom English Language Arts curriculum. As our very committed PTA supports all Buckman students and families, we would love to see you either in person or virtually.
While visiting a third grade classroom during a science lesson, I learned about bees and how vital they are to our ecosystem. This was especially interesting as OPB/NPR ran a story about the fact that “global animal populations reportedly shrunk over the last half-century.” Our third graders were focusing on “interdependence,” and how bees, as major pollinators, play a very significant role in the health of our planet. I look forward to understanding more of the interrelatedness of our animals, and how we can combat their decline.
As always, I appreciate you and your children, and the critical learning they do with our fabulous teachers and staff everyday.
Have a great weekend!
Best,
Fred
FOUNDATION NEWS
November’s Dines Out will be at the amazing Gado Gado on the first of the month, from 5pm-9pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Enjoy their Chef’s Choice Rice Table dining experience, or order from the a la carte menu. Owned by Buckman parents!
Our Fall Raffle is live! Buy your tickets by 9am on October 31st and you will be entered to win a 4-night getaway at Astoria House, a 4-night getaway at June Lake Pines, or an Apparel Package full of Buckman goodies! All funds raised will go toward staffing positions at Buckman. Buy 5 and get one free, details are at the link!
One more thing for your calendar: our very first Fall Festival will be held on October 29th from 1-4pm at Buckman. Don’t miss this fun and entertaining community event. More details coming soon!
FOUNDATION NEWS
November’s Dines Out will be at the amazing Gado Gado on the first of the month, from 5pm-9pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Enjoy their Chef’s Choice Rice Table dining experience, or order from the a la carte menu. Owned by Buckman parents!
Our Fall Raffle is live! Buy your tickets by 9am on October 31st and you will be entered to win a 4-night getaway at Astoria House, a 4-night getaway at June Lake Pines, or an Apparel Package full of Buckman goodies! All funds raised will go toward staffing positions at Buckman. Buy 5 and get one free, details are at the link!
One more thing for your calendar: our very first Fall Festival will be held on October 29th from 1-4pm at Buckman. Don’t miss this fun and entertaining community event. More details coming soon!
PTA NEWS
Don't miss our inaugural FALL FESTIVAL coming up on Saturday, October 29th! Come celebrate the season of abundance with a penny drive, face painting, popcorn, games, prizes, snacks, crafts and more! You may even get to see our principals endure pies in the face! More to come!
We need room leads! We still need classroom leads for the following teachers: Molina, Page, Lee, Christy, Walker, Kelly and Degraw! Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - first come, first served (but there's always a job to help with!). If you have schedule flexibility and want to help in-person or virtually, this is the job for you! Questions? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
PTA needs executive board members! We need new executive membership to assure our PTA lasts into the future, and that we have ongoing capacity to fundraise for our critical arts programming that makes us a focus option school. We are currently looking for a President Elect to shadow this year and take the reins next year, a Vice President of Equity, and a Secretary. Learn more about the roles and connect with us if you are interested - PTA is a great way to connect with other families and support Buckman!
Help generate passive funds for Buckman. Did you know you can designate Buckman as your organization of choice for the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program? Raise funds for Buckman just by doing your regular shopping! The same goes for AmazonSmile - easy income for our school.
Pick up a blue BottleDrop bag for your empties and support Buckman! Blue bags are available inside the front doors at the community bulletin board (across from the office). It's quick and easy, and all the money goes to Buckman! Don't forget to fill to the top!
SUN NEWS
SUN is recruiting basketball coaches for the winter Goldenball season! If you are interested, please contact Katie. More information on coaching can be found here.
Join us this Wednesday evening! OMSI Science Festival is coming to Buckman on Wednesday October 19th at 6pm. All families welcome, students must be with their grownups the entire time. See you there!
Register your student for a SUN enrichment day camp on November 4th at Buckman! The theme is Puzzles & Riddles. 9am-3:30pm. $50/student. Registration link here. Open to 1st-5th graders.
REGARDING HALLOWEEN COSTUMES/CELEBRATIONS:
Generally speaking as a public school we do not celebrate Halloween. That said, there is nothing in the dress code stopping kids from wearing costumes to school on any day of the year, including Halloween.
However, like any other day of the year Halloween costumes must be school appropriate: no “masks”, violence, overly scary or offensive. Any activities should have an academic tie; as we do not just drop a day or afternoon of learning to party.
October 7, 2022
HELLO BUCKMAN FAMILIES,
Culminating our week was Move for the Arts, it was a total rockin' hit!
Buckman PTA, SUN, and Foundationthank you for teaming up to create a great celebration benefiting Buckman arts. Parent volunteers and staff you all were amazing! “RUN, CHEER, DANCE” signs, groovin’ music, and enthusiastic supporters helped all our student stars shine bright and contribute to funding our arts program. Runners bursting off the starting line, and running or walking lap after lap was impressive. Cheering and high-fives kept many students going for the entire 20 minutes. With dancers dancing, cartwheeling, doing round-offs, and lots of groove-in with their teachers to the beat, fun, and community were had throughout.
With our second full five-day week, lots of learning is underway. To celebrateHispanic Heritage month, all 4th graders are writing a six-paragraph essay. Mr. Hansen created a great graphic organizer including a “Focus Statement, Evidence for four paragraphs, Ideas for an Intro, and Ideas for a Conclusion to give all students a great format. For their final essay, they chose to write on either Frida Kahlo or Cesar Chavez
In science, fourth graders studied the eye, answering the focus question of “How do eyes help animals survive?” Student groups taught me a lot about their particular focus and I learned that crabs have 360-degree vision and flies and spiders have compound vision.
All the posters were artistic, informational, and detailed. Great work
In math, First graders are trying, discussing, and practicing “counting on” starting on any number 1-20. For example, start at 7 and count 8,9,10,11, or at 15, and count 16,17,18, and 19. It is pretty cool, and one of the challenges is that students must explain their thinking. In science, they are learning how moms and dads help their babies survive, and how babies help themselves survive. In Wit and Wisdom students have been introduced to vocabulary such as “quill, niches, haiku” and in the next module “nook and essential.” The comprehensive nature of this curriculum bodes well for lots of critical thinking and learning across all grade levels.
Parents, please join me in thanking ALL our excellent staff!
Please know that your continued support and partnership make Buckman Buckman, a great community to learn and grow!
Thank you for your fabulous children
Have a great weekend!
Fred
FOUNDATION NEWS
It was a Buckman takeover at Nostrana for October’s Dines Out! We love seeing Buckman families supporting our community AND our school at the same time. We are still waiting to get the total from the event, but we want to share that November’s Dines Out will be at the amazing Gado Gado on the first of the month, from 5pm-9pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Enjoy their Chef’s Choice Rice Table dining experience, or order from the a la carte menu. Owned by Buckman parents!
Our Fall Raffle is live! Buy your tickets by 9am on October 31st and you will be entered to win a 4-night getaway at Astoria House, a 4-night getaway at June Lake Pines, or an Apparel Package full of Buckman goodies! All funds raised will go toward staffing positions at Buckman. Buy 5 and get one free, details are at the link
One more thing for your calendar: our very first Fall Festival will be held on October 29th from 1-4pm at Buckman. Don’t miss this fun and entertaining community event. More details coming soon!
LIBRARY NEWS
LAST CALL TO ORDER!!!! K-3 Author Visit: Charise Harper! We have sold 24 copies so far! She will share about being an author/illustrator and teach a drawing activity to the students. Author visits are free to school provided by Green Bean Books in lieu of selling 30 signed copies of I Cannot Draw A Horse! Order here (consider an order for yourself, a teacher, or a copy to the Buckman Library) - under “calculate shipping cost” choose “pickup at Buckman Elementary”.
First PTA Meeting of the year is Tuesday, October 11th from 6-8pm. Join us in the Cafetorium or online and learn about the PTA and all the ways you can support Buckman this year. Childcare and dinner provided! Head on over to Oregon PTA website to learn more and purchase a membership for just $12 ($9 + $2.50 membership fee), so that you can also vote at PTA meetings. Oregon PTA requires schools to have a certain number of paid memberships in order to maintain benefits under Oregon PTA.
Don't miss our inaugural FALL FESTIVAL coming up on Saturday, October 29th! Come celebrate the season of abundance with a penny drive, face painting, popcorn, games, prizes, snacks, crafts and more! You may even get to see our principals endure pies in the face! More to come!
We need room leads! We still need classroom leads for the following teachers: Molina, Page, Lee, Christy, Walker, Kelly and Degraw! Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - first come, first served (but there's always a job to help with!). If you have schedule flexibility and want to help in-person or virtually, this is the job for you! Questions? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
PTA needs executive board members! We need new executive membership to assure our PTA lasts into the future, and that we have ongoing capacity to fundraise for our critical arts programming that makes us a focus option school. We are currently looking for a President Elect to shadow this year and take the reins next year, a Vice President of Equity, and a Secretary. Learn more about the roles and connect with us if you are interested - PTA is a great way to connect with other families and support Buckman!
Help generate passive funds for Buckman. Did you know you can designate Buckman as your organization of choice for the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program? Raise funds for Buckman just by doing your regular shopping! The same goes for AmazonSmile - easy income for our school.
Pick up a blue BottleDrop bag for your empties and support Buckman! Blue bags are available inside the front doors at the community bulletin board (across from the office). It's quick and easy, and all the money goes to Buckman! Don't forget to fill to the top!
SUN NEWS
SUN is recruiting basketball coaches for the winter Goldenball season! If you are interested, please contact Katie. More information on coaching can be found here.
Save the date! OMSI Science Festival is coming to Buckman on Wednesday, October 19th at 6pm. All families are welcome, students must be with their grownups the entire time. See you there!
Register your student for a SUN enrichment day camp on October 14th (next Friday) at Buckman! The theme is Bats, Screeches, and Howls. Space is limited. Registration link here. Open to 1st-5th graders.
PTA MEETING
TUESDAY, OCT. 11TH, 6PM
BUCKMAN CAFETORIUM & VIRTUAL
TAG INFO MEETING
THURSDAY, OCT. 20TH, 6PM
THIS IS AN ONLINE EVENT.
Please join Ms. Ayala, our new TAG Facilitator, for a virtual TAG Night on October 20 from 6:00-7:00. The link for this event will be made available closer to the date. We will be discussing TAG (Talented and Gifted) services, referrals, and identification. We look forward to seeing you there!
September 30, 2022
Dear Buckman Families,
Although most leaves have not started to turn or fall, with cooler temperatures and sunshine, your children were bubbling with energy at Lunch/Recess and afternoon recess. Four-square, play structure, nature playground, tag, and soccer, were fun and well played. A Shout Out to our Health Assistant Ms. Amy, who adeptly attends to the sometimes scrapes and bruises.
Today, we also had a very successful Lock Down Drill. As Ms. Ditto and I checked in with each classroom, students were very quiet, calm, and safe before returning to their work.
In classrooms, i-Ready Math is comprehensive, challenging, and keeps students’ focused, thinking critically, and engaged. I love the attentiveness of the teacher Read Alouds and was pleased with the wonderful variety of choice books from science, classic children’s literature, non-fiction, and fantasy that spark students' curiosity. With our first five-day week, teachers are diligently building learning stamina with fun and healthy breaks.
I love walking by an open door and seeing how students are intently listening to directions, engaging in the task, and problem-solving occasional conflicts with trusted adults. Active listening is huge, and, as your children engage, their confidence and skills will continue to blossom.
As we begin October, I am excited to see your children build on their learning thus far, and make meaningful connections with their teachers, peers, and content. I appreciate your guidance and support and thoroughly enjoy being part of the Buckman community.
Have a great weekend!
Best,
Fred
MOVE FOR THE ARTS:
Friday, October 8th!
Don't forget to get your MOVE FOR THE ARTS pledges! On Friday, October 7th, students will move and groove in any way they can to raise critical funds for our year-long arts programming and staffing. Our goal is $30,000, and we are currently at only 16% of our fundraising goal. So, check those backpacks for pledge forms and reach out to family and friends. Donations can be made online or via cash/check (made out to Buckman PTA).
Donation link for friends and family not on Konstella (2-step process: 1) they will be prompted to ask for approval first (we will approve asap!); 2) they will enter credit card info): https://tinyurl.com/msb8d42t
Volunteers are needed for Move for the Arts! We need volunteers to help this event run smoothly! If you have a flexible schedule on the morning of Friday, October 7th, please sign up for a volunteer shift. We also need a volunteer to shadow in the committee chair role who will also take the lead next year. Interested? Email pta@buckmanelementary.org.
FOUNDATION NEWS
A heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to Screen Door and to everyone in the Buckman community who made our first Dines Out of the school year a success! The event raised $725 for the Buckman Foundation and gets us all another step closer to our annual goal. We hope that inspires everyone to book their reservations at Nostrana for our next Dines Out, happening on Wednesday, October 5th from 5pm - 9:30pm. Find out why this Italian restaurant is a popular spot and head to their website to book a table straight away!
Thank you also to everyone who attended our Connect to Buckman event last night. These informal gatherings are a great way to meet other members of the Buckman community and learn more about how to get involved in school activities and fundraising. Our next Connect to Buckman will be at Cooper’s Hall on October 27 at 6pm — we hope to see you there!
LIBRARY NEWS
K-3 Author Visit: Charise Harper! She will share about being an author/illustrator and teach a drawing activity to the students. Author visits are free to school provided by Green Bean Books in lieu of selling 30 signed copies of I Cannot Draw A Horse! Order here (consider an order for yourself, a teacher, or a copy to the Buckman Library) - under “calculate shipping cost” choose “pickup at Buckman Elementary”.
Do you want to help in your classroom? Our amazing teachers need 1-2 volunteer Room Leads to serve as the point of contact for families and help support classroom activities. Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - first come, first served (but there's always a job to help with!). We have 16 room leads so far, but many rooms remain empty. If you have schedule flexibility and want to help in person, this is the job for you! Questions? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
PTA needs executive board members! We need new executive membership to assure our PTA lasts into the future, and that we have the ongoing capacity to fundraise for our critical arts programming that makes us a focus option school. We are currently looking for a President-Elect to shadow this year and take the reins next year, a Vice President of Equity, and a Secretary. Learn more about the roles and connect with us if you are interested!
Wondering just what PTA does? Come to our first meeting on October 11th from 6-8pm, and also head over to the Oregon PTA website to learn more and purchase a membership for just $12 ($9 + $2.50 membership fee). Oregon PTA requires schools to have a certain number of paid memberships in order to maintain benefits under Oregon PTA. You can also learn more about Buckman PTA and Foundation -- how they are alike and different -- at www.buckmanelementary.org
Help generate passive funds for Buckman. Did you know you can designate Buckman as your organization of choice for the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program? Raise funds for Buckman just by doing your regular shopping! The same goes for AmazonSmile - easy passive income for our school.
Pick up a blue BottleDrop bag for your empties and create easy passive funding for Buckman! Blue bags are available inside the front doors at the community bulletin board (across from the office). It's quick and easy, and all the money goes to Buckman!
SUN NEWS
Register your student for SUN Day Camp on Friday, October 14th (teacher PD day)! Bats, Screeches, and Howls. $50/student for the day. 9am-4pm. Register here.
SAVE THE DATE! OMSI Family Night, Thursday, Oct 19th at 6pm. All families are welcome - come see science in action! We will have a cafeteria full of tables with science equipment and challenges guaranteed to thrill youngsters, perplex adults and offer an unforgettable science experience.
School Supplies
If it slipped your mind to support classroom school supplies please donate now.
Thank you to the families that have already donated money for classroom school supplies!
Please join Ms. Ayala, our new TAG Facilitator, for a virtual TAG Night on October 20 from 6:00-7:00. The link for this event will be made available closer to the date. We will be discussing TAG (Talented and Gifted) services, referrals, and identification. We look forward to seeing you there!
I want to celebrate the fact that it is Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. A special thank you to ALL our Hispanic Buckman Families. Your students and their rich heritage and culture add immeasurably to our Buckman community. Thank you!
As we appreciate all our Hispanic students and their culture, I want to also express the importance of showing kindness each and every day while at Buckman. At school, it is our kindness to each other that sets us apart, and helps us to build a positive Buckman Bear community around trust and learning. All students do their best when they feel safe, and acting kindly is essential learning that we must all practice to improve. This growth is exciting because it is up to us all, and we all benefit as we become more and more consistent.
When a student feels sad because they were harmed emotionally or physically on purpose or by accident, it hurts. On the flip side, when praised for their best work, and/or a great and supportive attitude, it is like the sun coming out and shining brightly on us all. Sunshine and kindness are catchable. As I learned from Ms. Ashley today, “reach up, grab the star and pull it down.”
A huge THANK YOU to all the families that dined at the Screen Door last night to benefit the Buckman Foundation. All Foundation donations, large and small are much appreciated as it supports our arts focus staffing for the 2023-24 school year. My “to go” dinner was delicious!
Thank you in advance, for exploring how you can contribute positivity and kindness in your classroom, our school and our community.
Ms. Ditto and the Buckman staff so appreciate you!
Have a great three-day weekend!
Best,
Fred
School Picture Day is Next Week!
This year we have a wonderful new photographer coming in to take pictures of our students. Please read her Introduction Letter Here: Sung Kokko Photography
Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd grade pictures are the morning of Weds. the 28th
3rd, 4th & 5th grade pictures are the morning of Thurs. the 29th
The Photographer will send you order information with the proofs of the photos after Picture Day.
Register your student for SUN Day Camp on Friday October 14th (teacher PD day)! Bats, Screeches, and Howls. $50/student for the day. 9am-4pm. Register here.
SUN School begins Monday, Sept 26. Check your active account to confirm your student's schedule.
SAVE THE DATE! OMSI Family Night, Thursday Oct 19th at 6pm. All families welcome - come see science in action! We will have a cafeteria full of tables with science equipment and challenges guaranteed to thrill youngsters, perplex adults and offer an unforgettable science experience.
LIBRARY NEWS
Did your student finish the summer reading program? If they wear their Multnomah County Library Summer Reading T-shirt to the library on their library day in the month of September, they will get to pick out a free book!
K-3 Author Visit: Charise Harper! She will share about being an author/illustrator and teach a drawing activity to the students. Author visits are free to school provided by Green Bean Books in lieu of selling 30 signed copies of I Cannot Draw A Horse! Order here (consider an order for yourself, a teacher, or a copy to the Buckman Library) - under “calculate shipping cost” choose “pickup at Buckman Elementary”.
FOUNDATION NEWS
Hi Buckman families! The Buckman Foundation has been busy preparing fun events and fundraisers for the 2022-2023 school year. For those new to our school, the Buckman Foundation raises money each year to fill the gaps between the allotted PPS budget and the staffing needed to best support our students. In recent years, funds raised have supported positions in the arts, literacy, and additional grade-level teachers.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Buckman Foundation and ways to get involved, join us at Lolo Pass (rooftop) on Thursday September 29th from 6-7pm for Connect to Buckman! These informal evenings are open to everyone and a great way to get to know other Buckman families. If you can’t make it, reach out any time by emailing foundation@buckmanelementary.org.
PTA NEWS
MOVE FOR THE ARTS on Friday, October 7th! Students will move and groove in any way they can to raise critical funds for our year long arts programming. Our goal is $30,000, and if we raise $2,500 by September 30th, a Buckman parent's company will write a check for $10,000! WOW. So, check those backpacks for pledge forms and reach out to family and friends. Donations can be made online or via cash/check (made out to Buckman PTA). We also need a volunteer to shadow in the committee chair role who will also take the lead next year. Interested? Email pta@buckmanelementary.org.
--Donation link for friends and family not on Konstella (2-step process: 1) they will be prompted to ask for approval first (we will approve asap!); 2) they will enter credit card): https://tinyurl.com/msb8d42t
Do you want to help in your classroom? Our amazing teachers need 1-2 volunteer Room Leads to serve as the point of contact for families and help support classroom activities. Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - first come, first served (but there's always a job to help with!). We have about 14 room leads so far, but many rooms remain empty. If you have schedule flexibility and want to help in-person, this is the job for you! Questions? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
PTA needs executive board members! Ever wonder who is behind all the great events at Buckman? It's us, your PTA! (and also Buckman Foundation, SUN, staff, teachers, students and more...). We need new executive membership to assure our PTA lasts into the future, and that we have ongoing capacity to fundraise for our critical arts programming that makes us a focus option school. We are currently looking for a President Elect to shadow this year and take the reins next year, a Vice President of Equity, and a Secretary. Learn more about the roles and connect with us if you are interested!
Wondering just what PTA does? Come to our first meeting on October 11th from 6-8pm, and also head over to the Oregon PTA website to learn more and purchase a membership for just $12 ($9 + $2.50 membership fee). Oregon PTA requires schools to have a certain number of paid memberships in order to maintain benefits under Oregon PTA. You can also learn more about Buckman PTA and Foundation -- how they are alike, and different -- at www.buckmanelementary.org
Help generate passive funds for Buckman. Did you know you can designate Buckman as your organization of choice for the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program? Raise funds for Buckman just by doing your regular shopping! The same goes for AmazonSmile - easy passive income for our school.
School Supplies
Thank you to the families that have already donated money for classroom school supplies!
We are asking families to use SchoolPay to contribute toward classroom supplies.
It was great to see you and have you all in the building for Back to School Night! Your children were great leaders, and our new Bingo Card format was a smashing success! I loved answering questions, and there were many compliments from parents and staff. Please thank Ms. Ditto, Ms. Jess, and Ms. Katie (our SUN Coordinator) who masterminded the entire evening! In two words, last night was Fun and Fabulous. Thank you all for a great Buckman community evening.
As our first full week of school, lots of significant learning is underway. I appreciate the skills and stamina that your students are building and demonstrating. Following directions, raising hands to share, walking quietly in straight and quiet lines, and working independently or with a neighbor to solve problems.
In visiting classes this afternoon, I was impressed by the following: Fourth graders writing “I Am” poems; First time Reading Buddies pairing First and Fourth graders. Two other First grade classes were completing their i-Ready Math Diagnostic assessment, and students who finished were challenged with online math games. In Dance, Fifth graders were practicing standing jumps into a hula hoop, and one student made it all the way across the Gym in about 40 seconds. In Mr. S.’s Fifth grade Music class, students practiced a West African Ghanaian song “Bobo” that involved singing, rhythmic clapping and movement in a circle. Coordinating this all, especially as the tempo increased was quite challenging. His students were attentive and did a very good job.
Thank you for your children, and their enthusiasm for learning. Last night was special, and I look forward to more events when we can come together as a community.
Did your student finish the summer reading program? If they wear their Multnomah County Library Summer Reading T-shirt to the library on their library day in the month of September, they will get to pick out a free book!
K-3 Author Visit: Charise Harper! She will share about being an author/illustrator and teach a drawing activity to the students. Author visits are free to school provided by Green Bean Books in lieu of selling 30 signed copies of I Cannot Draw A Horse! Order here (consider an order for yourself, a teacher, or a copy to the Buckman Library) - under “calculate shipping cost” choose “pickup at Buckman Elementary”.
FOUNDATION NEWS
Hi Buckman families! The Buckman Foundation has been busy preparing fun events and fundraisers for the 2022-2023 school year. For those new to our school, the Buckman Foundation raises money each year to fill the gaps between the allotted PPS budget and the staffing needed to best support our students. In recent years, funds raised have supported positions in the arts, literacy, and additional grade-level teachers.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Buckman Foundation and ways to get involved, join us at Lolo Pass (rooftop) on Thursday September 29th from 6-7pm for Connect to Buckman! These informal evenings are open to everyone and a great way to get to know other Buckman families. If you can’t make it, reach out any time by emailing foundation@buckmanelementary.org.
Another date to add to your calendar is our first Dines Out of the school year on September 21, 5pm-9pm at the Screen Door! Dine-in or take-out at this neighborhood favorite, and 10% of the proceeds will go to Buckman!
PTA NEWS
MOVE FOR THE ARTS on Friday, October 7th! Students will move and groove in any way they can to raise critical funds for our year long arts programming. Our goal is $30,000, and if we raise $2,500 by September 30th, a Buckman parent's company will write a check for $10,000! WOW. So, check those backpacks for pledge forms and reach out to family and friends. Donations can be made online or via cash/check (made out to Buckman PTA). We also need a volunteer to shadow in the committee chair role who will also take the lead next year. Interested? Email pta@buckmanelementary.org.
--Donation link for friends and family not on Konstella (2-step process: 1) they will be prompted to ask for approval first (we will approve asap!); 2) they will enter credit card): https://tinyurl.com/msb8d42t
Do you want to help in your classroom? Our amazing teachers need 1-2 volunteer Room Leads to serve as the point of contact for families and help support classroom activities. Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - first come, first served (but there's always a job to help with!). We have about 14 room leads so far, but many rooms remain empty. If you have schedule flexibility and want to help in-person, this is the job for you! Questions? Reach out to your teacher or PTA.
PTA needs executive board members! Ever wonder who is behind all the great events at Buckman? It's us, your PTA! (and also Buckman Foundation, SUN, staff, teachers, students and more...). We need new executive membership to assure our PTA lasts into the future, and that we have ongoing capacity to fundraise for our critical arts programming that makes us a focus option school. We are currently looking for a President Elect to shadow this year and take the reins next year, a Vice President of Equity, and a Secretary. Learn more about the roles and connect with us if you are interested!
Wondering just what PTA does? Come to our first meeting on October 11th from 6-8pm, and also head over to the Oregon PTA website to learn more and purchase a membership for just $12 ($9 + $2.50 membership fee). Oregon PTA requires schools to have a certain number of paid memberships in order to maintain benefits under Oregon PTA. You can also learn more about Buckman PTA and Foundation -- how they are alike, and different -- at www.buckmanelementary.org
Help generate passive funds for Buckman. Did you know you can designate Buckman as your organization of choice for the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program? Raise funds for Buckman just by doing your regular shopping! The same goes for AmazonSmile - easy passive income for our school.
School Supplies
Thank you to the families that have already donated money for classroom school supplies!
We are asking families to use SchoolPay to contribute toward classroom supplies.
This year we have a wonderful new photographer coming in to take pictures of our students. Please read her Introduction Letter Here: Sung Kokko Photography
September 9, 2022
Dear Buckman Families,
I hope this finds you well.
Despite the East winds with a bit of smoke in the air, we finished our first two weeks with lots of positivity. In visiting classrooms, I appreciated the attentiveness of your students as they revisited existing routines and/or learned and practiced new ones. Their enthusiasm and focus are refreshing, and I appreciate that they are listening carefully with occasional reminders.
Getting back into the swing of school takes time, and your students’ enthusiasm is contagious. We are all excited about the strong learning, art, and fun that we look forward to this year. Today was our first of regular Fire Drills and went smoothly. At the conclusion of our drill, Ms. Ditto suggested that older students let younger students go first, and this will become our preferred practice.
Be it walking to specials with voices off in straight lines, following Cafeteria protocols, taking turns asking questions, or working productively with a partner in class, your children are absorbing a lot of important information and demonstrating new skills.
Here are a few Drop Off and Pick Up helpful reminders:
When dropping off or picking up your child please park next to the curb.
Under no circumstances, do not double park, as this blocks traffic, and may cause other students to be late.
If you park in front of the building, please drop your child off, and then leave to open up that spot for another family.
Thank you in advance, as this ensures safety for all our students.
I was particularly pleased that 4th and 5th-grade classes have done their iReady Math Diagnostic test, which provides valuable information to your child’s teacher. Read-alouds, scribing letters, and sharing summer experiences have been great for building community.
Thank you to all who joined us for our monthly Coffee Chat this morning both in person and also online. Have a great weekend, and we look forward to seeing you at Back to School Night on Thursday, September 15.
This year we have a wonderful new photographer coming in to take pictures of our students. Please read her Introduction Letter Here: Sung Kokko Photography
K-3 Author Visit: Charise Harper! She will share about being an author/illustrator and teach a drawing activity to the students. Author visits are free to school provided by Green Bean Books in lieu of selling 30 signed copies of I Cannot Draw A Horse! Order here (consider an order for yourself, a teacher, or a copy to the Buckman Library) - under “calculate shipping cost” choose “pickup at Buckman Elementary”.
PTA NEWS
PTA needs executive board members! Ever wonder who is behind all the great events at Buckman? It's us, your PTA! (and also Buckman Foundation, SUN, staff, teachers, students, and more...). We need new executive membership to assure our PTA lasts into the future, and that we have the ongoing capacity to fundraise for our critical arts programming that makes us a focus option school. We are currently looking for a President-Elect to shadow this year and take the reins next year, a Vice President of Equity, and a Secretary. Learn more about the roles and connect with us if you are interested!
Are you new to Buckman? If so, be sure to join Konstella - a primary way for families, teachers and staff to connect with each other and share important information. Joining is quick and easy - just click on "Find Your School", search for "Buckman" and answer a few questions. PTA admin will receive and approve your request to join within a few days, but usually sooner. We realize there are many communication methods at our school (this newsletter, Konstella, Facebook, Remind, ParentVue), but encourage participation in Konstella, as it's the easiest way to sign up for school events and fundraisers and to connect with others in your child's classroom.
Do you want to help in your classroom? Speaking of classrooms, our amazing teachers need 1-2 volunteer Room Leads to serve as the point of contact for families and help support classroom activities. Please join the "Room Leads" committee in Konstella and sign yourself up - first come, first served (but there's always a job to help with!).
Wondering just what PTA does? Come to our first meeting on October 11th from 6-8 pm, or head over to the Oregon PTA website to learn more and purchase a membership for just $12. Oregon PTA requires schools to have a certain number of paid memberships in order to maintain membership and benefits under Oregon PTA. You can also learn more about Buckman PTA and Foundation -- how they are alike and different -- at www.buckmanelementary.org
Help generate passive funds for Buckman. Did you know you can designate Buckman as your organization of choice for the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program? Raise passive funds for Buckman simply by grocery shopping! The same goes for AmazonSmile - easy passive income for our school.
SAVE THE DATE for our first big fundraiser, MOVE FOR THE ARTS on Friday, October 7th! Students will move and groove in any way they can to raise critical funds for our year-long arts programming. More details on how to sign up to volunteer, sponsor students and donate to the event coming soon! We also need a volunteer to shadow in the committee chair role who will also take the lead next year. Interested? Email pta@buckmanelementary.org.
SUN NEWS
SUN general registration opens on Monday at 7 am! Set your alarms now because classes fill up quickly.
June 10, 2022
Hello Buckman Community,
We made it, summer break is here! A year of many challenges, thank you for your students and for all your support.
Friday, all three of our rousing Kinder performances concluded. With songs, dance, and Kinder Promotion certificates, students received a standing ovation and were super cute! To Ms. I, Ms. Molina, and Ms. Dewson, Mr. S, Ms. Hannah, Ms. Penn and Ms. Root, your students were fabulous! Thank you for starting them off on their Buckman learning and arts journey in such fine fashion. Congratulations!
Thursday’s Fifth grade Promotion was wonderful! Ms. Jensen, Ms. Nicholl, and Ms, Nichenko presented their classes as the “World's Best Ever 5th grade,” and they were ALL outstanding! Each teacher described their students in realistic superlative terms, and then presented them with their Promotion Certificates. Crossing Guard, and Affinity groups were recognized, and I was impressed with all. As a class, their resilience, learning, performing, and caring throughout the year for each other and their teachers made for many special moments. In her closing remarks, Ms. Ditto recognized Ms. Nichenko for her many years of service at Buckman and PPS, and wished her well.
Ms. Nichenko, thank you, and we wish you all the Very Best in your well-deserved retirement, congratulations! As Buckman Bear Fifth graders we will miss you. I am also quite assured that you will enjoy middle school and that you are well prepared. We wish you all the very best as you continue to learn, and mature, and hope you continue to be creative and make art. Fifth graders, congratulations!
Equally, we are very proud of our First - Fourth graders who have also persevered, done excellent work and learned as their best selves. Parents, please join me in thanking our entire teacher and support staff for making this year one to remember. Parents and Staff, Brava, Bravo, you’re the BEST!
Finally, Buckman PTA, Buckman Foundation, and Lunch Volunteers, Thank you, Thank you, you are all outstanding! From the Buckman Art Show & Sell, the 100 year Anniversary Auction, apparel sales, staff appreciation, Fun for the Arts and so many more volunteer hours of support, we are so grateful. Quite literally, you make our Buckman School community possible!
Have a wonderful summer, be safe, and students keep reading for enjoyment!
Best,
Fred
Important Upcoming Dates:
06/11-08/29 - Summer Break
08/30 - First Day of school for 1st - 5th grade
09/06 - First Day of Kindergarten
Lost and Found items want to come home!
Did your kids home home without their coat, lunchbox, or other special items? You get one last chance to claim these items. We will allow parents to come look through Lost and Found Monday & Tuesday next week. After Tuesday all items will be donated to charity.
Do you have an incoming Kindergartner to Buckman next School Year? If so please register now! For more info:Buckman Kindergarten FAQs
NEW Permanent Student Art Installed in the 3rd Grade hallway
With the support of local artist and parent Beth Buncdy, all three third grade classes created laser paper cut art that was permanently installed above the lockers in the 3rd grade hallway. In connection to their Social Studies unit on Portland History, each student chose an iconic place in Portland to make a drawing of, which Beth turned into laser paper cuts.
Thanks to Beth for all of her hard work on this project and thank you to the Regional Arts and Culture Council for supporting this project with a Make-Learn-Build-Grant!
From the Buckman PTA Executive Board to all of you, HAPPY SUMMER VACATION! Wherever and whatever your summer brings you, we wish you a fantastic time - see you next year!
Join the PTA Executive Board! We are STILL in need of a Secretary, Equity Team Vice President, and a President-Elect as we head into the next school year. Here is an overview of board positions to give you an idea of what you would be signing up for. Time commitment ranges anywhere from 8-20 hours/mo. Please email pta@buckmanelementary.org if you are interested in stepping up.
All PPS students are automatically enrolled at the public library through Library Connect (see the last slide of the slideshow)
If you cannot find an overdue book or it was damaged please email me at drudnick@pps.net) so we can mark it as “lost." Lost books come with a fine as to replace the book. If you have a fine for a lost or damaged book you have a couple of options:
1. Pay the fine in SchoolPay.
2. Replace the book with a hardcover. Don’t forget to use smile.amazon.com to support the Buckman community. Often there are inexpensive used books in excellent condition that cost less than the school fine.
*If you are a parent of a graduating 5th grader, these fines carry over to middle school/high school. It’s best if we try to take care of it before moving schools. Thanks!
June 3, 2022
Hello Buckman Community,
I hope you are well, and today was a special Friday! Two wonderful students Tilly (5th) and Bea (3rd) were Principals for the Day, and our Portland Public Schools Superintendent, Guadalupe Guerrero visited Buckman this morning.
Tilly and Bea were great and super helpful principals. This morning we counted and organized for each classroom, a COVID 19 Test Kit for each student to take home today. Test Kits were bagged, labeled and delivered to all classrooms with each principal taking a floor. They were efficient, hard working and this was a huge help! When Superintendent Guerrero arrived, they both enjoyed meeting him.
It was a pleasure to have Superintendent Guerrero visit today. We dropped in to a number of classrooms, heard music students play xylophones and sing, watched the coveted Ms. Hannah’s “Dance Party,” we did not disturb students that were testing, and dropped in on reading time in a third grade class. Superintendent Guerrero asked what students liked most about Buckman and a number of students responded that it was a friendly, helpful, and fun place to learn. Third graders almost all raised their hands when asked if they liked to do math, and even more hands went up regarding students that liked reading and writing. At Recess, his supervision was helpful, and he shared that he enjoyed his visit and appreciated our arts focus/neighborhood Buckman community.
Our last five days will be packed with end of year celebratory events. I am particularly looking forward to Field Day on Tuesday, Thursday’s Fifth grade Promotion, and our Kinder Performance on Friday, June 10th. We are all looking forward to a summer break, and especially to honor our Fifth graders as they are promoted to middle school. Have a wonderful weekend!
Best,
Fred
Important Upcoming Dates:
6/6 - Used Book Sale 3pm-4:30pm
6/7 - Field Day
5/9 - 5th Grade Promotion
6/10 - Kinder Performances
6/10 - 2pm-2:45pm End of School Celebration
6/11-8/29 - Summer Break
Lost and Found items want to come home!
The lost and found pile has grown like your child over summer break. If your family is missing items, please visit the the Mountain of Lost Stuff.
The Lost & Found will also be outside during the Used Book sale on Monday 3pm-4:30pm - Come and check it all out!
Anything unclaimed by the last day of school will be donated to charity.
All Student Chromebooks should be returned to the school.
If your student is keeping their Chromebook over the summer they need to return a parent/guardian signed permission slip to check it out.
Families are welcome to join their students on the lower field to celebrate the end of the school year. Family members will check in at one of the four entrances to the lower playground and receive a sticker/tag. Each classroom will have a flag to identify their space so families can easily find their student. Popsicles will be provided. Parents wishing to take their student home early, will check their student out with the classroom teacher. At 2:45, teachers/remaining students will begin to make their way back to the classroom with remaining students to prepare for dismissal. Please watch for communication from your student's teacher regarding details. Some teachers may be adjusting the timing due to classroom events.
Do you have an incoming Kindergartner to Buckman next School Year? If so please register now! For more info: Buckman Kindergarten FAQs
Thank you to Chihiro, Jeffrey, and Minori Aldrich for their work on beautifying the nature play area with trees and plants. They have also been instrumental in working on getting the Buckman campus certified as a Backyard Habitat. Thank you!
Foundation News
What a year! After a triumphant return to in-person learning, our students roared through the year like fierce Buckman Bears. With your support, we have secured critical staffing for next year, even in the uncertainty of PPS cuts and shortages. We truly couldn’t do it without you, our Buckman community. You know how to show up for our kids at this critical time. THANK YOU!
We’d like to welcome anyone interested in getting involved with the Buckman Foundation for the 2022-2023 school year to our roof top meeting at Lolo Pass (1616 NE Burnside) on Sunday, June 5, at 4pm. We’ll do an auction wrap-up and dip our toes into planning for next year! If you have any questions, please reach out to foundation@buckmanelementary.org. Hope to see you there!
Join the PTA Executive Board! We are in need of a Secretary, Equity Team Vice President, and a President-Elect as we head into the next school year. Here is an overview of board positions to give you an idea of what you would be signing up for. Time commitment ranges anywhere from 8-24 hours/mo. Please email pta@buckmanelementary.org if you are interested in stepping up.
Library News
Pop-Up Used Book Sale! Upper Playground Monday, June 6th, 3-4:30 pm, All books 25 cents!
All PPS students are automatically enrolled at the public library through Library Connect (see the last slide of the slideshow)
This week all library books were due. Please return them as soon as possible.
If you cannot find an overdue book or it was damaged please stop in the library (or email me at drudnick@pps.net) so we can mark it as “lost." Lost books come with a fine as to replace the book. If you have a fine for a lost or damaged book you have a couple of options:
1. Pay the fine in SchoolPay.
2. Replace the book with a hardcover. Don’t forget to use smile.amazon.com to support the Buckman community. Often there are inexpensive used books in excellent condition that cost less than the school fine.
*If you are a parent of a graduating 5th grader, these fines carry over to middle school/high school. It’s best if we try to take care of it before moving schools. Thanks!
SUN News
There are still spots available in our summer camps! We have increased the class capacities so more students can join. We'd love to have you! Register for one or more weeks here.
If you have an incoming kindergartner joining us at Buckman this fall, please contact Katie for information about our pilot EKT (Early Kindergarten Transition) program, running this summer.
Join us for our third annual summer anti-racist book study! If you're interested in participating in a family book study this summer, please sign up here. We will have more detailed information to come soon.
May 27, 2022
Hello Buckman Community,
As Memorial Day weekend is upon us, I hope this finds you well. Enjoy!
Fifth Graders, you were all AWESOME last night, congratulations! In three groups, all Buckman students saw the Fifth grade performance yesterday afternoon and it was fabulous! There were many great moments of this entirely unique three-class original performance. Fifth graders wrote and performed the script, the music, the videos and made the sets. The story line was intriguing, and with a great mix of drama, laughs, acting, dancing, and singing you touched our minds and hearts. Special Thanks to our amazing 5th grade teachers, Ms. Nichenko, Ms. Nicholl, Ms. Jensen, Ms. Carabajal and our arts staff, Ms. Hannah, Ms. Penn, Mr. Schopmeyer, and Drama teacher Andrea White! Such talent and wonderful work guiding and rehearsing our students. Brava, Bravo ALL!!!
In other school news, our Buckman Bears continue to be busy. Third, Fourth, and Fifth graders are completing or have completed their required OSAS state assessments, and we appreciate their best efforts. I am looking forward to Field Day on 6/7, Fifth grade Promotion on 6/9, Kinder performance on 6/10, and our last day school Picnic on Friday, June 10th.
As we get closer to the end of the 2021-22 school year, please know that we all feel very fortunate to work and support your students each and every day. Thank you for all your parental involvement and support. It takes a village, and here’s to two great last weeks of focused and fun learning.
Be Well, and Be Safe!
Best,
Fred
Important Upcoming Dates:
5/30 - Memorial Day Holiday
6/3 - Chromebooks or permission slips due to keep devices over the summer for rising 4/5th graders
6/6 - Used Book Sale 3-4:30pm
6/7 - Field Day
5/9 - 5th Grade Promotion
6/10 - 2pm-3pm School Picnic
6/11-8/29 - Summer Break
Field Day - June 7th
We are looking for parent volunteers to help out with our upcoming field day.
Ages: 5-11 Dates: 2021/2022 School Year (Dates subject to change according to school district's schedule) Hours: 6:30 AM to bell and school dismissal to 6:00 PM Champions provides busy, working families like yours the flexibility to extend the learning day before and after school for school-age children ages 5 to 12 years. www.discoverchampions.com
The lost and found pile has grown like your child over summer break. If your family is missing items, please visit the the Mountain of Lost Stuff.
Lunch boxes and smelly food containers are begging for the trash and will soon have their wishes granted.
Anything unclaimed by the last day of school will be donated to charity.
Foundation News
Buckman! The annual auction was a roaring success! Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and our community, we raised over $48,000 at the event. Funds raised will go towards staffing three critical positions at Buckman: a media specialist (Ms. Rudnick), dance teacher (Ms. Hannah), and a third 4th-grade teacher. We are so grateful to everyone who attended, shared, donated to, and bid at the event and online. Plans are already in the works for next year. Mark your calendars for next year's 80’s edition at The Redd on Salmon on May 13, 2023!
We have an adopted PTA budget for next year! Thanks to everyone who joined us at our budget meeting on Tuesday, May 24th.
Join the PTA Executive Board! We are in need of a Secretary, Equity Team Vice President, and a President-Elect as we head into the next school year. Here is an overview of board positions to give you an idea of what you would be signing up for. Time commitment ranges anywhere from 8-24 hours/mo. Please email pta@buckmanelementary.org if you are interested in stepping up.
Library News
Pop-Up Used Book Sale! Upper Playground Monday, June 6th 3-4:30pm, All books 25 cents!
ALL BUCKMAN LIBRARY BOOKS DUE (staff and students) FRIDAY, JUNE 3rd (Places books hide!)
There are still spots available in our summer camps! We have increased the class capacities so more students can join. We'd love to have you! Register for one or more weeks here.
If you have an incoming kindergartner joining us at Buckman this fall, please contact Katie for information about our pilot EKT (Early Kindergarten Transition) program, running this summer
We need sturdy backpacks for our food backpack program! If you have gently used backpacks that you are no longer using, please consider donating to SUN to help get food out to families.
May 6, 2022
Hello Buckman Community,
This week was Staff Appreciation Week! First a HUGE THANK YOU to our most amazing Buckman Staff who week in and week out, give your children their awesome expertise and kind hearts and a smile. Equally, THANK YOU to our Fabulous Buckman PTA for organizing and providing wonderful treats ALL WEEK LONG! You make us all feel valued, and important in this especially challenging year.
Two days of serious rain has been much enjoyed by our plant friends, and has not dampened our spirits for learning. On Fun Friday, 5th graders were giving their best effort on their state assessments; fourth graders were reading, writing, or thoroughly engaged in a makeup class party; third graders were reading, writing, and some were designing and drawing architectural floor plans for elaborate “animal houses.” Tuesday night, Ms. Jess and SUN Coordinator Ms. Katie hosted a very successful 5th grade Information Session. Former Buckman grads shared their current middle school experience and answered great questions from the first day, lockers, lunch and bathrooms. The questions as well as the answers were impressive. I was impressed with the strong questions and detailed and informative answers. Great work All, and Promotion Plans are underway! Toy Clarification:
Toys are great, and we are asking that all toys remain at home. Unfortunately, toys at school are distracting, and are often lost or broken. At Recess, we have soccer balls, playground balls, basketballs, jump ropes, and hula hoops. Tag, two touch, four-square, the play structures and tire swings all remain very popular. These activities and more, afford all our students the chance to relax, move, have fun and gain or improve new skills. Thank you in advance for your support ensuring that all toys remain at home. Finally, Buckman parents, THANK YOU ALL for your wonderful children, and special THANKS to ALL who brought lovely, lovely flowers and treats for our staff. This tradition again sets our Buckman community apart in fine style!
HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY, see you next Saturday at the Buckman Auction!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Best,
Fred
Important Upcoming Dates:
5/10 - PTA Meeting (virtual)
5/12 - Connect to Kindergarten (virtual)
5/14 - Buckman Auction
5/19 - PTA Race Talks Even
5/20 - Principal Coffee Talk (Virtual)
Do you have an incoming Kindergartner to Buckman next School Year? If so please register now! For more info: Buckman Kindergarten FAQs
Have an incoming 9th-Grader to Cleveland High School?
The Cleveland High School PTA is delighted to host a Meet & Greet on Monday May 16, 7-8 pm at the school – starring Principal Jo Ann Wadkins!
This will be a fun evening where parents and guardians can mix and mingle. There will be a brief panel presentation and also ample opportunity to learn more about what our PTA does and the many ways to get involved. We have several openings at the board level in need of volunteers, as well as many other roles!
There is a flyer attached and you can find the event on the CHS PTA website here.
Questions or want more info now about the CHS PTA? Please email our Volunteer Coordinator – thank you!
Foundation News
Check out the silent auction items including all the classroom projects online. Bidding will kickoff on Monday May 9th at 5pm and will last until May 15th at 7pm. Buckmanauction.org
PTA News
Our next PTA meeting will be May 10th. We will share the budget for next school year based on feedback from the PTA Family Survey results. Adoption of the budget will happen at the PTA meeting on May 24th after a weeklong feedback period following the May 10th meeting. More to come.
Race Talks Round 2! Join us for this important continued virtual discussion on equity and inclusion at Buckman on Thursday, May 19th from 6:00 - 7:30. This will be a continued conversation for our first meeting at the end of February. Meeting link coming soon!
Join the PTA Executive Board! We are in need of a Secretary, Equity Team Vice President, and a President-Elect as we head into the next school year. Please email pta@buckmanelementary.org if you are interested in stepping up.
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week is a Wrap! Thank you to everyone who stepped up to bring in goodies and flowers to share with our Buckman staff and teachers. While this week brings special awareness and celebration, we are all so fortunate to have this special community year after year.
Library News
Are you spring cleaning? Donate gently used books to Ms. Rudnick for our Pop-Up Sale in June
Pop-Up Used Book Sale! Upper Playground Monday, June 6th 3-4:30pm, All books 25 cents!
Green Bean Books Wish List - New social stories added to lend to classrooms
SUN News
1. If you have a sturdy backpack that you are not using at home, please donate it to SUN! We need more backpacks to expand our food backpack program.
2. Check out our new website! Find info about Buckman SUN, including schedules and student artwork here.
3. Buckman SUN Summer Camp registration is open now and there are still spots available! Available to all rising 1st-6th graders. Register your student here and contact Katie with any questions. All camps will be held on-site at Buckman and will run from 9am-4pm Monday-Friday, with the option of after-care available until 5pm for an extra fee.
July 11-15: The Art and Science of Color
July 18-22: DIY Science Discovery Camp
July 25-29: Grace in Motion presents Summer Circus Camp, Session 1
Aug 1-5: Grace in Motion presents Summer Circus Camp, Session 2
April 29, 2022
Hello Buckman Community,
One of our wonderful second grade classrooms informed me today that the countdown to our summer holiday magic number is 30 days. With much learning in classrooms, and the very exciting fourth grade performances underway, I am very pleased to share this important Buckman news!
Our fourth graders, in Ms. Walker’s, Mr. Rudolph’s, and Ms. Ekelof’s classes have been working very hard on their performances. Honoring American composer Sun Ra, with expertise and support from Ms. Penn, Ms. Hannah, Mr. S, and performance Director, Andrea White, students have put together a totally fun, informative, colorful and compelling show. The narration, acting, music and dancing were excellent! With each class performing this afternoon, and this evening for their parents. To all fourth graders, their amazing teachers, and our fabulous arts staff, Congratulations!!!!!!
On Saturday, May 14, from 6:00-9:00pm PLEASE come and support our Buckman 100th Anniversary Auction! Not only is this a chance to get together as a community, it is a critical fundraiser for our Buckman Foundation so that we can keep our Arts program alive and well. As the district is not able to fully fund our incredible and comprehensive arts program, it is up to each of us to contribute at a level that is comfortable. If you can help, thank you in advance. For more information please visit our website: BUCKMANAUCTION.ORG
You may purchase Auction tickets through this Sunday, May 1st, or make a direct contribution to our Buckman Foundation to support staffing for our 2022-23 school year.
Thank you for your wonderful children and your support. Best,
Next week is forecasted to be cooler with possible rain, so stay tuned and have your children dress accordingly.