10.22.21
Weekly OGMS Family Communication
Hello OG Families,
We had a busy week at Ockley Green. If your student missed picture day on Friday, retakes are scheduled for December 6th. First quarter ends on November 4th. There is no school for students on Friday, November 5th. Also, we will have our first Ockley Dine-in at Catalina’s; more information below.
Let’s have a great week and finish the quarter strong!
Dr. Tania McKey
2019-2020 Yearbooks
We recently located some additional 2019-2020 OG yearbooks. Any students or families interested in purchasing them can contact our office, the yearbooks are $5 each while they last.
Conferences
For COVID safety parent teacher conferences will be held virtually this year. Advisors will begin outreach for scheduling conferences on Nov. 1st. We’ll have more information in upcoming family communications as conferences get closer.
On-Site Outdoor School November 8th-11th for 6th Graders
Outdoor School will be broken into two sections this year; a fall visit on-site at Ockley Green and a shortened spring trip off-site*. For the fall visit, 6th grade students will attend normal school hours at Ockley where they will receive Outdoor School lessons from the MESD staff rather than attending their normal 7-period schedules. Permission slips for the fall dates were sent home this week in your 6th grader’s advisory class, along with a parent letter with more information. If you have not signed this permission slip, please ask your student about it or email your student’s advisory teacher.
*tentative due to COVID field trip restrictions
Roosevelt Football Vaccination Requirement for Spectators
We know that some of our OG community attend Roosevelt HS Football games and wanted to pass along this important information regarding attendance at those games. If students are 12 or over, they will need to show proof of vaccination if they are not a Roosevelt High School student.
Updated Visitor Guidance
Families are encouraged to review the updated PPS visitor guidance at this link. Changes include opportunities for drop-off and pick-up in the building.
Lost and Found
Please encourage your child to check the lost and found right inside the doors of the main entrance for any items they may have misplaced during the day. Due to space limitations we are not able to hold items for extended periods of time and items not claimed in a timely manner will unfortunately need to be disposed of by OGMS.
Chromebooks Reminder
Students are asked to bring their fully charged Chromebook to school daily. These devices are important for many in class activities as well as for use during some of our DragonTime/Flex classes. Loaner devices are limited so students bringing their own fully charged Chromebook helps ensure that they can fully participate.
First Quarter Grades
As we come closer to the end of the first quarter we know some students and families are thinking of first quarter grades. Students are encouraged to check in with teachers about missing work (typically by going to the class Canvas page) and to monitor the information provided via the Synergy StudentVUE. Similarly families are encouraged to monitor their students’ progress via ParentVUE. Questions about grades and grading should be directed to a student’s individual teachers.
Indoor Lunch Times
While we have been fortunate to frequently be able to utilize outdoor lunch spaces with the aid of several canopies and mild weather we do occasionally need to call for ‘indoor’ lunch. This means our lunch periods are split. A schedule is linked here. We will continue to work to improve our students’ indoor and outdoor lunch experiences.
Supporting Social Distancing
While we continue to make efforts to support social distancing at school families are also asked to remind students of the importance of social distancing when possible including after school, during transitions, and during lunch/in the lunchline. We appreciate our students' efforts around masks, social distancing, and regular hand washing/sanitizing as we all work together to make this school year as safe as possible for students, families, and staff.
Isolation/Quarantine Enrichment Lessons for Students
If a student is home for isolation or quarantine reasons, there are enrichment lessons for students to engage in. They can be found at https://sites.google.com/pps.net/ppsquarantinelessons/home
Covid-19 Symptom checker
Students and families are asked to utilize this symptom checker to self-screen daily for COVID symptoms prior to coming to school.
SUN School
Start date:10/18/21
End dare:12/9/21
Monday-Thursday 4:00pm-5:30pm
Registration for classes will happen the first day of programming.
Application link: https://www.selfenhancement.org/21-22sun1
Spanish:https://www.selfenhancement.org/21-22sun1-sp
Covid Waiver: https://dochub.com/enrollmentsei/B5LgrGvR03j87jaw9MYq6j/covid-sei-risk-release-and-waiver-of-liability-2021-pdf?dt=phzDaFA3rzr-3jx6yo9v
Weatherization Workshop
School Counseling Corner:
- Attention 8th grade families. We are including a link about high school information. Please read the letter and reach out to your child’s school counselor with any questions.
Please read Letter to 8th grade families (English)
Leer Por favor Carta familiar de octavo grado
Ockely Green Family Dine-out
On Friday, November 5, Catalina's Mexican Restaurant (517 NE Killingsworth) will donate 20% of all Ockley orders to our OG Supporters group. (OG Supporters is our parent-led group that fulfills various needs of our staff and students all throughout the year.) Catalina's is a woman-owned restaurant serving delicious, authentic Mexican fare, and the owner proudly notes, "everything is made in-house and nothing is from a can!" See the attached flyer for more information. (For the current menu and pricing, please be sure to order from the restaurant's website menu. Please note, "Ockley dine-out" must be referenced when placing your order.) Remember, November 5th, and thank you, Catalina's, for your support!
Weekly OGMS Family Communication 10/15/21
Hello OG Families,
We have a few updates for the week of October 18th. Picture day is finally here - Friday, October 22nd; paper forms will be sent home this week.
Updated Visitor Guidance
Families are encouraged to review the updated PPS visitor guidance at this link. Changes include opportunities for drop-off and pick-up in the building.
Lost and Found
Please encourage your child to check the lost and found right inside the doors of the main entrance for any items they may have misplaced during the day. Due to space limitations we are not able to hold items for extended periods of time and items not claimed in a timely manner will unfortunately need to be disposed of by OGMS.
Chromebooks Reminder
Students are asked to bring their fully charged Chromebook to school daily. These devices are important for many in class activities as well as for use during some of our DragonTime/Flex classes. Loaner devices are limited so students bringing their own fully charged Chromebook helps ensure that they can fully participate.
First Quarter Grades
As we come closer to the end of the first quarter we know some students and families are thinking of first quarter grades. Students are encouraged to check in with teachers about missing work (typically by going to the class Canvas page) and to monitor the information provided via the Synergy StudentVUE. Similarly families are encouraged to monitor their students’ progress via ParentVUE. Questions about grades and grading should be directed to a student’s individual teachers.
DragonTime/Flex Time
We began our first round of fully utilizing the DragonTime/Flex period this week. This allowed students to receive targeted support and interventions as well as extensions. We appreciate the work of all of our staff and students as we launch this exciting new program to support student learning and achievement. DragonTime/Flex groupings will be revisited approximately every four weeks to provide response to individual student growth and/or needs.
Indoor Lunch Times
While we have been fortunate to frequently be able to utilize outdoor lunch spaces with the aid of several canopies and mild weather we do occasionally need to call for ‘indoor’ lunch. This means our lunch periods are split. A schedule is linked here. We will continue to work to improve our students’ indoor and outdoor lunch experiences.
Great Oregon Shakeout and Evacuation Drill
On Thursday 10/21/21 we will be participating in the Great Oregon ShakeOut earthquake drill. We will also practice our building evacuation procedures at that time as well. These drills are part of our ongoing series of emergency preparedness drills.
Changes to bus route 105
As our transportation department continues to work to optimize bus schedules to increase reliability and accuracy they’ve recently updated the route for bus 105. Students on the bus were provided with a flier with new times and stops. Information about all of our OG bus routes including route 105 is available at this link.
Supporting Social Distancing
While we continue to make efforts to support social distancing at school families are also asked to remind students of the importance of social distancing when possible including after school, during transitions, and during lunch/in the lunchline. We appreciate our students' efforts around masks, social distancing, and regular hand washing/sanitizing as we all work together to make this school year as safe as possible for students, families, and staff.
Isolation/Quarantine Enrichment Lessons for Students
If a student is home for isolation or quarantine reasons, there are enrichment lessons for students to engage in. They can be found at https://sites.google.com/pps.net/ppsquarantinelessons/home
(Repeat) Volunteering for set-up an take down of OGMS lunch
At the Back to School Night it was asked if parents could volunteer for the set-up and take down of outdoor lunch. Absolutely, we are happy for you to volunteer. Set-up will be at 11:00 a.m. and take down will be at 1:00 p.m. Volunteers will check in at the loading dock at those times. In order to volunteer, please visit https://www.pps.net/volunteer and follow the steps. ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST SHOW AND UPLOAD PROOF OF VACCINATIONS. It takes about 1 - 2 weeks for volunteers to be approved. We are only having volunteers for setting up and the taking down of outdoor lunch at this time.
(Repeat) Covid-19 Symptom checker
Students and families are asked to utilize this symptom checker to self-screen daily for COVID symptoms prior to coming to school.
October 8th - Weekly OGMS Family Communication
Good Afternoon Ockley Green Families,
Fall is here. The weather is getting colder. We will continue to go outside for lunch as weather permits. Be sure to have your student(s) bring a sweater, sweatshirt or jacket. We are excited about SUN School starting on October 18th. More information is listed below. We welcomed Coalition of Black Men this past Wednesday. There are still a few more openings; how to enroll is listed below. We are looking for 5 volunteers to help with picture day on October 18th. If you have been cleared to volunteer and are interested, please reach out to me via email tmckey@pps.net We have accumulated many lost and found items, please remind your student(s) to check lost and found corner near main entrance. Optional Covid-19 testing paperwork was sent home with students on October 4th. Please return forms ASAP so we can upload into synergy.
October 11th is Indigenous Peoples Day. Sharing an excellent resource below.
Indigenous Cultures | Global Oneness Project
Let’s have a great week!
Dr. Tania McKey
Volunteering for set-up an take down of OGMS lunch
At the Back to School Night it was asked if parents could volunteer for the set-up and take down of outdoor lunch. Absolutely, we are happy for you to volunteer. Set-up will be at 11:00 a.m. and take down will be at 1:00 p.m. Volunteers will check in at the loading dock at those times. In order to volunteer, please visit https://www.pps.net/volunteer and follow the steps. ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST SHOW AND UPLOAD PROOF OF VACCINATIONS. It takes about 1 - 2 weeks for volunteers to be approved. We are only having volunteers for setting up and the taking down of outdoor lunch at this time.
Covid-19 Symptom checker
Students and families are asked to utilize this symptom checker to self-screen daily for COVID symptoms prior to coming to school.
Wellbeing Nutrition Class
This year all 8th-grade students will take a 9-week class called Wellbeing. This class is part of their health and physical education wheel and focuses specifically on nutrition.
Once a week we do hands-on cooking in Wellbeing, and we are in need of your support. We are looking for any pantry staple items you may be interested in donating, any homegrown fruits and vegetables you may have extras to share, and/or any equipment, such as food processors, you may be willing to part with. Contact Jessica Sawyer: jsawyer@pps.net with any questions and/or inquiries.
Supporting Clean School Grounds
As we continue to work through the new logistics of eating outdoors (when weather permits) we ask that students pay close attention to making sure their trash is appropriately placed in a receptacle when they finish their lunch. If students find barriers to doing so for any reason their suggestions to lunch/recess staff regarding timing, trash can placement, and any other support needed would be welcome!
Community Partners Update
We are deeply grateful for the work our community partners do to support our students and families and look forward to connecting as many students as possible with this valuable programming. Our community partners are continuing to navigate Covid-19 safety, so we appreciate your patience and will update you as we have more information. You can contact school social worker Avy Harris at rharris@pps.net or (503)-729-0634 with questions.
SEI
Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) is excited to be returning to the building! You may ask "What is SEI?"...
“SEI knows that for students to succeed, they need more than a drop-in, part time program. They need support before and during class, after the bell rings, and beyond – services the public education system just can’t afford or provide. While class is in session, our full-time, service coordinators provide academic guidance and monitor each student’s scholastic achievement, attendance, and behavior. When school lets out, SEI’s instruction continues. We provide homework tutorials, enrichment classes, performing arts, computer instruction, and recreation from Monday through Friday.” - Self Enhancement, Inc.
Coordinators:
Treshawn J. (Mr. Tre) - 6th Grade
Andre M. (Mr. Dre) - 7th grade
Roneisha W. (Ms. Ro) - 8th grade
Recruitment:
We currently have openings for our grade-level caseloads! If you are interested in joining or learning more about our program please visit us at selfenhancement.org or stop by and speak with one of our coordinators after school. Programming will begin mid-November. We look forward to hearing from you!
Latino Network - Conexiones
Conexiones is currently recruiting Latino/a 7th and 8th graders. After school programming will begin October 15th and aims to support students to develop self confidence as Latinos/as and to achieve academically and socially. For more information, contact Jessica Cisneros-Floresat jcisnerosflores@pps.net
Coalition for Black Men
Coalition of Black Men will begin their Dream Bigger Mentoring Program on campus next week! This group meets every Wednesday during Dragon Time and provides culturally specific enrichment programs, leadership, mentorship, and academic support for middle school boys. Still accepting applications - apply here. For more information, please contact Lorenzo Lowe at elloweiii@cobmportland.org
SUN School
Start date:10/18/21
End dare:12/9/21
Monday-Thursday 4:00pm-5:30pm
Registration for classes will happen the first day of programming.
Application link: https://www.selfenhancement.org/21-22sun1
Spanish:https://www.selfenhancement.org/21-22sun1-sp
Covid Waiver: https://dochub.com/enrollmentsei/B5LgrGvR03j87jaw9MYq6j/covid-sei-risk-release-and-waiver-of-liability-2021-pdf?dt=phzDaFA3rzr-3jx6yo9v
Game Time: If you're a true Gamer this is the class for you! We will have Fornite battles, 2k Tournaments, Roblox, Minecraft, and etc. Also, Start Your career in Game Programming/Coding, and launch you a career in web development !
Creative Arts: We will provide an atmosphere that encourages you to fully realize your artistic potential. We welcome you to deepen your relationship with Art and connect to a vibrant creative community. Students will explore a variety of artists, art processes, and materials such as drawing, painting, graphic design,pottery, and etc.
Chess For Success: Helping students develop high-level thinking and problem-solving skills that improve self-esteem, behavior, and academic performance. We will be competing in some really exciting tournaments as well. Come represent your school In a positive way!
Gym Rats: Come engage in some fun new safe activities! This class is designed to include all the components of fitness-cardiovascular of those played in middle school gym class! Also, this will help students find their way into an active, healthy, and fit lifestyle.
October 3rd, 2021 - Weekly OGMS Family Communication
Good Afternoon Ockley Green Families,
Happy October! We have had a busy start to the school year. We have finished MAP testing except for a few make-ups that we will work on this week. Students who haven’t received their new chromebook will be able to pick up theirs on Tuesday, October 5th during period 1. Information will be sent home with students on Monday about the OHSU opt-in COVID 19 testing; please be on the lookout for that. As a reminder, school starts at 9:10 with the first bell at 9:03. Breakfast is served in the morning and is free to all students. It is important that students arrive at school on time. Students who are late in the morning will need to enter through the main entrance on Montana Ave and get a pass to go to class;they will be marked tardy. As a reminder, there is no school on October 8th as this is a statewide in-service day.
We are still looking for parent volunteers to help with outdoor lunch set-up and take down. There is more information listed below.
Let’s have a great week!
Dr. Tania McKey
Volunteering for set-up an take down of OGMS lunch
At the Back to School Night it was asked if parents could volunteer for the set-up and take down of outdoor lunch. Absolutely, we are happy for you to volunteer. Set-up will be at 11:00 a.m. and take down will be at 1:00 p.m. Volunteers will check in at the loading dock at those times. In order to volunteer, please visit https://www.pps.net/volunteer and follow the steps. ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST SHOW AND UPLOAD PROOF OF VACCINATIONS. It takes about 1 - 2 weeks for volunteers to be approved. We are only having volunteers for setting up and the taking down of outdoor lunch at this time.
Wellbeing Nutrition Class
This year all 8th-grade students will take a 9-week class called Wellbeing. This class is part of their health and physical education wheel and focuses specifically on nutrition.
Once a week we do hands-on cooking in Wellbeing, and we are in need of your support. We are looking for any pantry staple items you may be interested in donating, any homegrown fruits and vegetables you may have extras to share, and/or any equipment, such as food processors, you may be willing to part with. Contact Jessica Sawyer: jsawyer@pps.net with any questions and/or inquiries.
Community Partners Update
We are deeply grateful for the work our community partners do to support our students and families and look forward to connecting as many students as possible with this valuable programming. Our community partners are continuing to navigate Covid-19 safety, so we appreciate your patience and will update you as we have more information. You can contact school social worker Avy Harris at rharris@pps.net or (503)-729-0634 with questions.
SEI
Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) is excited to be returning to the building! You may ask "What is SEI?"...
“SEI knows that for students to succeed, they need more than a drop-in, part time program. They need support before and during class, after the bell rings, and beyond – services the public education system just can’t afford or provide. While class is in session, our full-time, service coordinators provide academic guidance and monitor each student’s scholastic achievement, attendance, and behavior. When school lets out, SEI’s instruction continues. We provide homework tutorials, enrichment classes, performing arts, computer instruction, and recreation from Monday through Friday.” - Self Enhancement, Inc.
Coordinators:
Treshawn J. (Mr. Tre) - 6th Grade
Andre M. (Mr. Dre) - 7th grade
Roneisha W. (Ms. Ro) - 8th grade
Recruitment:
We currently have openings for our grade-level caseloads! If you are interested in joining or learning more about our program please visit us at selfenhancement.org or stop by and speak with one of our coordinators after school. Programming will begin mid-November. We look forward to hearing from you!
Latino Network - Conexiones
Conexiones is currently recruiting Latino/a 7th and 8th graders. After school programming will begin October 15th and aims to support students to develop self confidence as Latinos/as and to achieve academically and socially. For more information, contact Jessica Cisneros-Floresat jcisnerosflores@pps.net
Coalition for Black Men
Coalition of Black Men will begin their Dream Bigger Mentoring Program on campus next week! This group meets every Wednesday during Dragon Time and provides culturally specific enrichment programs, leadership, mentorship, and academic support for middle school boys. Still accepting applications - apply here. For more information, please contact Lorenzo Lowe at elloweiii@cobmportland.org
SUN School
Start date:10/18/21
End dare:12/9/21
Monday-Thursday 4:00pm-5:30pm
Registration for classes will happen the first day of programming.
Application link: https://www.selfenhancement.org/21-22sun1
Spanish:https://www.selfenhancement.org/21-22sun1-sp
Covid Waiver: https://dochub.com/enrollmentsei/B5LgrGvR03j87jaw9MYq6j/covid-sei-risk-release-and-waiver-of-liability-2021-pdf?dt=phzDaFA3rzr-3jx6yo9v
Game Time: If you're a true Gamer this is the class for you! We will have Fornite battles, 2k Tournaments, Roblox, Minecraft, and etc. Also, Start Your career in Game Programming/Coding, and launch you a career in web development !
Creative Arts: We will provide an atmosphere that encourages you to fully realize your artistic potential. We welcome you to deepen your relationship with Art and connect to a vibrant creative community. Students will explore a variety of artists, art processes, and materials such as drawing, painting, graphic design,pottery, and etc.
Chess For Success: Helping students develop high-level thinking and problem-solving skills that improve self-esteem, behavior, and academic performance. We will be competing in some really exciting tournaments as well. Come represent your school In a positive way!
Gym Rats: Come engage in some fun new safe activities! This class is designed to include all the components of fitness-cardiovascular of those played in middle school gym class! Also, this will help students find their way into an active, healthy, and fit lifestyle.
PTA - Greetings Ockley Green families, staff and caregivers-
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our first meeting on the 22nd. It was great to have so many incoming 6th grade caregivers wanting to be involved as well as returning/new caregivers of 7th and 8th graders. Thank you also to those who have asked to be added to this list for communications moving forward. If you use social media, please make sure you are on Facebook pages for Ockley Green Community and OG Supporters.
Moving forward meetings will be the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7pm. We will send out info/reminders/ and zoom link in days prior.
Meeting update:
Attendance: Dayna Morrison, Jennifer Stewart, Kari Powers, Sue Dearborn, Kari McFarlan, Tami Sherwood, Karen Davis, Margaret Seiler, Stacey Humphrey, Kelly Bentley. I hopefully didn't miss anyone.
We discussed OG Supporters past as a PTA, why we are OG Supporters now and not a PTA and how we have supported OG staff/community in the past. Attached is a prior budget to get a glimpse. We have not decided on a budget for this year. We would love to have volunteers to help in a leadership capacity for such things as the budget, use of funds, learning the ropes of being treasurer, helping with communication, taking minutes at our meetings, "all the things". If you are interested in helping a little or a lot, please email karik_22@yahoo.com
We currently have around $22,000 in our account. In year's past we worked on a budget of $10k, with the plan to raise approximately that much through fundraising to replenish. (see former budget 2019/2020 below).
Ideas for this year:
- Jennifer Stewart has taken the first steps in reaching out to local restaurants that have supported area schools in the past to set up "fundraiser night/days". These involve very little work on our parts other than to spread the news and get people to attend, but usually all customers (not just from OG) count. If you have an idea on a restaurant we could reach out to, please let Jennifer know at jlstewart718@gmail.com. In prior years we had Tamale Boy, McMenamins, and PorQue No, to give an idea.
This is usually done just prior to school starting and again around Earth Day in April. Parents/Staff/caregivers and students come together at OG campus to clean up litter, trim/edge grassy areas as able, and otherwise beautify our campus. Kelly Bentley has taken the reigns for this and will work with Recology (they provided a mass clean up 2 years ago- and have pledged continuing support) and admin to get a date set for this fall. If you are interested in helping, please reach out to Kelly at bentley@fully.com
In the past area schools, including OG have provided snacks/meal support for teachers and staff during the long conference days. One idea was to provide dinners to staff if they would be in the building. Another idea was table full of goodies, similar to the open vending machine that was a hit at the last Teachers Week. One parent thought beautifying and cleaning up the staff lounge would be great, including a good fridge clean up. Kari Powers (myself) will reach out to administration to see what conferences might look like this year, will staff be in the building, how can we treat/support staff? Anyone interested in helping with this, please contact me at karik_22@yahoo.com
-This is typically a BIG fundraiser for us, in the past we have partnered with Chief Joseph and it was a huge success. Muriah Gerrard has agreed to do wreath sales again this year. If you are interested in helping her with managing orders (we have an awesome online process) or with distribution day please reach out to her at muriahg@hotmail.com
An easy, almost no effort way to fundraise for OG Supporters is to add OG Supporters to your community giving on your Fred Meyer card/app. FM donates a % of your shopping bills to us. We usually gets around $150 a quarter from this, lets get more friends and family signed up and score even more! More info here: Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer
OG Supporters has a bottle drop account! Big thanks to Chris Riser for getting this account started in 2019 and helping it make a comeback! OG Supporters will supporting the purchase of bottle collection containers for both floors of the building (4 total). Anyone at the school can put their deposit cans and bottles in these bins. Mr. Riser and/or parent volunteer (we are looking for someone interested, if that's you-contact myself or Mr. Riser criser@pps.net) will handle collection when full and turning in at the bottle drop center. Bags will be available for pick up at school. These are blue bags for non-profits and have OG specific labels to go with them. Anyone can donate their bottles from to OG through the account! You simply have to go to this link (https://www.bottledropcenters.com/fundraiser/ockley-green-pta/ ) and click donate!
Ockley Green PTA - BottleDrop
We currently have $362.50. This is a great way to support our school! Reach out to criser@pps.net if you have questions, need bags, want to help.
Reader board Update: Did you know OG Supporters (formerly the PTA) has been working for YEARS to get a reader board for our school? This has been a long but exciting process and will make a big improvement to our school grounds (less penitentiary appearing) and will help to keep our community informed about happenings at Ockley Green. Funding for this reader board was largely supported by the developers of the Arlo Apartments. Huge thanks to former parents that made this happen. We are signing contracts with PPS in the next couple weeks to get our plans approved and move forward. ALL work for this project: engineering, planning, and installation, have been donated by community members. We should have the sign installed by mid to late spring. Once installed we will host a BIG celebration and give formal recognition to everyone who has made this happen. Stay tuned.
Thanks to everyone if you made it this far and are still reading :)
Hope to see you around school grounds or at meetings/events.
Kari Powers (parent, Haley, 8th grade)
9/24/21 Weekly Ockley Green Family Communication
Good afternoon OG Families,
We want to congratulate our OG Dragons on completing another week of in-person learning. Highlights this week include our successful MAP Math testing and work to hire for a few key positions. We look forward to announcing our new Student Attendance/Engagement Coach soon and an additional School Secretary to be at Ockley Green in the mornings.
I also want to recognize that it is Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th - October 15th). We celebrate throughout the year as well as during this time. Here are some links for parents:
PBS Learning Media - https://opb.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/latino-americans/#.WcpmxdPyvBI
Learning for Justice -
https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/unmaking-hispanic-teaching-the-creation-of-hispanic-identity
Colorin’ Colorado
https://www.colorincolorado.org/libros-autores/calendario-de-alfabetizaci%C3%B3n/hispanic-heritage-month
Portland Public Schools -Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month - HispanicHeritageResolution.pdf
In appreciation,
Dr. Tania McKey
Interim Principal
Update to policies about late drop off and early pick-up of students
As we continue to see COVID cases in our community, in order to support our efforts to keep all of our students safe, we need to limit the number of visitors who enter the building. We will be asking those who are picking students up early or dropping them off late to wait outside the building and call the front office by phone or use the call box at the main entrance to coordinate drop off and pick-up of students.
Please also be sure to verify that your student’s information is updated in Synergy with appropriate emergency contacts and parent/guardian information. That information will be referenced when students are being picked up. Additionally for student safety we will ask to see the identification of anyone picking students up, without identification we will not be able to release a student. Similarly we are not able to release students without a parent/guardian or other emergency contact present to pick them up. If any of these policies present a difficulty please contact our front office staff for assistance.
Outdoor Eating
We had another week of good weather so we were able to continue with our outdoor eating plan. We’ve heard from some families that they would prefer their students eat outside even in the event of inclement weather, unfortunately we do not have sufficient structural and staffing resources for that to occur yet. If it is raining or if other situations arise causing us to transition to indoor lunch we will let students know the day of as early as we can that we will be eating indoors so they can make arrangements with their families based on their family’s preference. Our students also participated in a brief exercise this week to give them some experience in entering the cafeteria to find their table assignments. We appreciated their efforts during that exercise and it helped us identify some improvements to our process for table assignments. Tables are assigned based on students’ advisory (5th period) teachers.
(The above procedures are all subject to potential change if the district changes guidelines/resources available)
Volunteering for set-up an take down of OGMS lunch
At the Back to School Night it was asked if parents could volunteer for the set-up and take down of outdoor lunch. Absolutely, we are happy for you to volunteer. Set-up will be at 11:00 a.m. and take down will be at 1:00 p.m. Volunteers will check in at the loading dock at those times. In order to volunteer, please visit https://www.pps.net/volunteer and follow the steps. ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST SHOW AND UPLOAD PROOF OF VACCINATIONS. It takes about 1 - 2 weeks for volunteers to be approved. Our goal is to have volunteers starting Monday, September 27th but may be the following week. We are only having volunteers for setting up and the taking down of outdoor lunch at this time.
MAP Testing
Students did a great job with their MAP Math testing this week. We look forward to using the individual results to provide intervention, support, and extensions to continue to support student learning growth. We will continue MAP testing next week with our MAP Reading testing. We appreciate students’ efforts to bring their fully charged chromebooks to be able to complete their testing.
Bathroom, Water, and General Hallway Expectations
We’ve undertaken some efforts to review our school policies and protocols with staff and students around bathroom, water, and general hallway expectations. These include students being excused one at a time for bathroom and water fountain use and signing in and out for contact tracing purposes in the event of COVID concerns. We also ask that students not leave the class during the first and last 10 minutes of each class (the 10/10 rule) except for in particularly urgent situations. We do this because it helps teachers to take accurate attendance quickly at the start of each class and similarly to be able to close class with their students so they can collectively plan for the next class meeting. This is typically done with students providing data via an exit ticket or closing activity and the teacher reviewing/assessing the learning objectives with the students.
Revisiting Indoor lunch Plans
Many have asked about indoor lunch plans when the weather or events don’t allow us to go outside for eating. We have created two lunches on those days where we are splitting 6th and 7th/8th graders and using the auditorium and cafeteria for seating. Students will be assigned to sit with their class and will be seated 6 feet apart when able but at least 3 feet. Once students are finished eating they will be instructed to put their masks back on for the remainder of the lunch period. Additional information about our safety protocols can be found at https://www.pps.net/domain/6712. Please remind your student(s) that they need to wear a mask outside before and after school, during the school day and at recess. In addition, we are working hard to keep students 3 feet apart in classrooms and outside. The masks need to cover their nose; we have various sizes of masks in the main office if they need one.
Weekly vaccine clinics at the Multnomah County Student Health Centers:
Upload Student Vaccinations
Families can also upload their student's vaccination status when they complete yearly registration verification processes. Directions are here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AxHhVVEjAqJxV1Vuh9PnfwkZHcp-Tde_x6iFOOEy58Y/edit. When families have it uploaded, it shows up in Synergy under the documents tab on the student page.
9/19/21 Weekly Ockley Green Family Communication
Greetings OG Families,
Thanks to all of the families that were able to join us for Back to School Night on Thursday. Requested documents are linked below. This week we will be using our advisory and FLEX period 10:41 - 12:10 on Wednesday and FLEX 11:25 - 12:10 on Friday for MAP Math testing. In addition, students who were present on Friday received their new chromebooks. It is important that students bring them fully charged each day. Many have asked about indoor lunch plans when the weather or events don’t allow us to go outside for eating. We have created two lunches on those days where we are splitting 6th and 7th/8th graders and using the auditorium and cafeteria for seating. Students will be assigned to sit with their class and will be seated 6 feet apart when able but at least 3 feet. Once students are finished eating they will be instructed to put their masks back on for the remainder of the lunch period. Additional information about our safety protocols can be found at https://www.pps.net/domain/6712. Please remind your student(s) that they need to wear a mask outside before and after school, during the school day and at recess. In addition, we are working hard to keep students 3 feet apart in classrooms and outside. The masks need to cover their nose; we have various sizes of masks in the main office if they need one.
I also want to recognize that it is Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th - October 15th). We celebrate throughout the year as well as during this time. Here are some links for parents:
PBS Learning Media - https://opb.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/latino-americans/#.WcpmxdPyvBI
Learning for Justice -
https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/unmaking-hispanic-teaching-the-creation-of-hispanic-identity
Colorin’ Colorado
https://www.colorincolorado.org/libros-autores/calendario-de-alfabetizaci%C3%B3n/hispanic-heritage-month
Portland Public Schools -Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month - HispanicHeritageResolution.pdf
In appreciation,
Dr. Tania McKey
Interim Principal
Back To School Night Documents
We had a successful BTS Night and appreciated the thoughtful questions and comments that parents shared. The slide deck below includes links to helpful documents and contact information for families.
OG Back to School Night 21-22 Slides
To view individual teacher videos:
- Info.flipgrid.com
- Enter Group Code: 95b9b2ea
- Then the next screen should prompt you to add a passcode: GoDragons
Volunteering for set-up an take down of OGMS lunch
At the Back to School Night it was asked if parents could volunteer for the set-up and take down of outdoor lunch. Absolutely, we are happy for you to volunteer. Set-up will be at 11:00 a.m. and take down will be at 1:00 p.m. Volunteers will check in at the loading dock at those times. In order to volunteer, please visit https://www.pps.net/volunteer and follow the steps. ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST SHOW AND UPLOAD PROOF OF VACCINATIONS. It takes about 1 - 2 weeks for volunteers to be approved. Our goal is to have volunteers starting Monday, September 27th but may be the following week. We are only having volunteers for setting up and the taking down of outdoor lunch at this time.
Welcome Paige Philipson to OGMS
Please join me in welcoming Paige Phillipson to our OGMS as a long-term substitute for Kelly Cahill. Paige will be teaching half day afternoons through January. With our schedule that means that Paige will teach periods 4 - 7 on Mondays, periods 3 & 4 on A days and periods 6 & 7 on B days. Her email address is pphillipson@pps.net She will also be supporting various classrooms in the a.m.
Weekly vaccine clinics at the Multnomah County Student Health Centers:
Individual Scheduling Update and Class Load Balancing
We’ve begun work to complete the class load balancing that is needed due to changes in start-of-year enrollment versus original projections. Unfortunately this work isn’t possible prior to us seeing how many students actually show up. This will result in scheduling changes for some individual students - however we will continue to make every effort to honor their existing elective selections and keep them with the same teachers for core subjects where possible. As future enrollment or staffing adjustments occur we will work to continue to make minor adjustments to individual student schedules to support the overall student experience.
STOPPS Drill - Success!
Feedback from our bus drivers was that our OG Dragons did a fantastic job with the STOPPS bus safety drill. Kudos to our students!
Building Access in the Morning
As the weather gets colder and rain arrives please know that because of staffing limitations we do not have a location in the building for students to be prior to 9:03. This means that students who are arriving prior to 9:03 will need to wait outside the building.
Health and PE Offering
All 6th and 7th grade students have a quarter each of health and physical education. 8th grade students have a quarter of health and a full semester of physical education.
MAP Info
- Wednesday 9/22 and Friday 9/24 students will complete the MAP Math during advisory and FLEX.
- Wednesday 9/29 and Friday 10/1 students will complete MAP Reading during advisory and FLEX.
Students will need to bring their chromebooks fully charged to school each day. It is especially important on MAP testing days.
A Message from the OGMS Supporters:
We are excited to have students back in class and to kick off the year supporting our school community. We hope you can join us Wednesday 9/22/21 at 7pm for our first OG Supporters meeting. We will be discussing what OG Supporters group will look like this year and plans for school community events-as allowed by current Covid restrictions.
We CAN’T be a group without the support of parents, caregivers, and staff and we NEED people who WANT to be involved in making Ockley Green a great community. In past years OG Supporters have held family nights (international potluck, Loteriá night, paint night, earth day clean ups, Trivia Night fundraiser, wreath/plant sales, supported end of year parties/8th grade promotion, teacher mini grants and much much more!
Come hear about OG Supporters and ways you can be involved-we aren’t a PTA, but we do need help with leadership in small, very manageable ways. If you have questions please feel free to reach Kari at karik_22@yahoo.com
We hope to see you Wednesday,
Kari Powers (Haley 8th) & Sue Dearborn (Bea 6th)
Greetings OGMS supporters!
PPS COVID-19 Student Vaccine Survey
A survey was sent out to families via email to complete a brief survey (5 -10 minutes) about your student and the COVID 19 vaccination.
In short, we’d like to determine how many of our students (ages 12 and older) are fully vaccinated against the virus and as we anxiously await approval for the COVID-19 vaccine for younger students (age 5 to 11), we’d like to plan for targeted outreach for families to quickly access the vaccine. The information you share will help us prioritize vaccine access and outreach to schools this fall.
Included in this brief survey is a question about your student’s home access to a computer and the internet. As we become a district that further integrates the use of technology in our teaching and learning, this information will better prepare us to equip students and families with these tools.
Please take a moment to complete your unique survey by September 30, 2021.
Thank you for your support in taking this survey.
Upload Student Vaccinations
Families can also upload their student's vaccination status when they complete yearly registration verification processes. Directions are here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AxHhVVEjAqJxV1Vuh9PnfwkZHcp-Tde_x6iFOOEy58Y/edit. When families have it uploaded, it shows up in Synergy under the documents tab on the student page.
Principal Message 9/10/21
9/10/21 Weekly Ockley Green Family Communication
Greetings OG Families,
We are happy to report that we successfully completed our first week of block schedule with Dragon Time. During this week’s Dragon Time students completed some of our required September drills. These drills included our Lockdown and Fire Drills. Next week we will be completing our STOPPS (Safety Training of Pupils in Portland Schools) drill during which we will review bus safety. We also look forward to our virtual Back to School night on 9/16/21.
OGMS Back to School Night
The Ockley Green Virtual Back to School Night is next Thursday, September 16th from 6:00-7:30pm. TAG and ELD meetings will be held at 5:30, before the general meeting takes place. After the welcome, there will be an opportunity to attend up to three 20 minute sessions hosted by grade level teams, support staff, and the admin team. The links for these sessions can be found on this flyer and sessions will be recorded for later viewing. Individual staff are also making short videos about their specific classes or programs. The password to access those videos will be sent out next Tuesday evening, giving families an opportunity to view in advance of Back to School Night if that is convenient. We look forward to joining you in partnership this school year. OGMS Back to School Flyer
School Counseling Corner:
We are looking forward to meeting your students this year and we are so excited to welcome them back to the building and to our Ockley Green Community. We have two school counselors who serve all students. We were able to introduce ourselves to all students this week in the advisory lessons. We have also been working hard to build schedules that work for students and we will be done with all major schedule changes this week. After 9/10 the OG Schedule Change protocol will be posted on the schools website for families to see. We have presented this protocol to students already in their advisory classes.
We split our school counseling caseload by alphabetical order.
Mrs. Stone works with students with the last names A-K, jstone@pps.net
Ms. Galen works with students with the last names L-Z, gdickstein@pps.net
We are excited to work together to support your students with a successful academic year!
1:1 Technology at Ockley Green
As we prepare for our 1:1 tech distribution which will provide all students with a new upgraded chromebook we need to collect students’ old chromebooks. Our anticipated date of distribution is 9/17/21. Please have your student bring their chromebook and charger and return them to the library. This is also a great opportunity to bring back any outstanding library books as well.
Individual Schedules
We will continue to work to balance class loads based on start-of-year enrollment where necessary, this will result in some scheduling changes for some individual students - however we will continue to make every effort to keep the impact as minimal as possible. We will also be adding a .5 FTE to support our class load balancing efforts.
Bell Schedule Update
We made some minor changes to our bell schedule - these won’t impact start or end times however they do provide more time for passing and streamline our lunch procedures to support giving students plenty of time for eating and recess. The updated bell schedule will also be reflected on the OG website starting Monday. Paper copies will be distributed later that week.
Reminder Regarding School Supplies
We have shared with students and families that we are providing all school supplies this year. If you would like to make a donation to support our distribution of school supplies to all students please email our Principal’s Secretary Shakyla Mosley (smosley@pps.net).
For Bus 102 and 134 riders
The district has let us know that bus routes 102 and 134 will be combined. The district has said it will contact impacted families. The route number for the combined route will be 134.
With Gratitude,
Dr. Tania McKey
Interim Principal
