PPS Head Start is accepting applications for children who will be 3 or 4 by September 1, 2022!

Head Start is a free preschool program that promotes the school readiness of children ages 3 to 5 from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Click here to enroll online.

Head Start es un programa pre-escolar gratuito que promueve la preparación escolar de niños y niñas de tres a cinco años de edad que vienen de familias de bajos ingresos para realzar su desarrollo cognitivo, social y emocional.

Head Start là một chương trình giáo dục mầm non miễn phí xúc tiến các trẻ em từ ba đến năm tuổi của những gia đình có mức thu nhập thấp sẳn sàng đi học qua sự phát triển về nhận thức, giao tiếp, và sự cảm xúc của các em.

學前班是一個免費的學齡前章程，促進兒童準備上學,年齡由三至五歲來自低收入家庭通過增強他們的認知、社會和情感發展。

“Head Start” является бесплатной программой дошкольного обучения, которая способствует подготовке детей к школе в возрасте от трёх до пяти лет из семей с низким уровнем дохода за счёт повышения их познавательного, социального и эмоционального уровня развития.

Barnaamijka Bilowga Waxbarashada waa barnaamij bilaa lacag ah oo kor u qaadaya u diyaargarowga dugsiga caruurta da’doodu u dhaxayso saddex sanno ilaa shan ee qoysaskoodu dakhligoodu hooseeyo, kaasi oo kobcinaya caqligooda, bulshawaanimadooda, iyo horumarinta shucuurtooda.

A BIG thank you to the Children's Book Bank and to Umpqua Bank for their recent donation to Melissa Kolb's Classroom!

We received 1,000 dollars worth of new books! The children, and their teachers are delighted! We have a student in our PM class to thank--Serenity was the recipient of the ONE MILLIONTH BOOK BAG given out by CBB! Serenity and her family were interviewed by the book bank and were on the news! We are grateful for their role, and that of the CBB and Umpqua Bank for putting more books where they belong--in children's hands!

State Program Offers Families Help to Pay for Food

It is Head Start’s goal to ensure a safe, positive learning environment for all children. Positive classroom climate contributes to positive behavior.  Head Start’s discipline philosophy approach consists of five basic components:

• High expectations for student behavior that are age appropriate;

• Supportive, secure relationships with adults;

• Clear, understandable, and predictable routines;

• Instruction focused on developing skills for self-regulation  and dealing with intense feelings; and

• Consistent response to student behavior.

In support of this philosophy and to ensure a safe and positive classroom environment, teachers will design and implement Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS), Tier 1 strategies that set clear limits, model appropriate behavior, redirect inappropriate behavior, and work with families to solve unique problems.

All discipline procedures will adhere to Head Start guidelines and Portland Public Schools policies. Teachers will teach expectations and routines that support students in ways to Be Safe, Be Friendly, and Be Ready to Learn. These expectations and routines will be retaught throughout the year.

Parents will be informed of classroom expectations and routines. They will be engaged as partners in developing additional supports as needed.

Dear PPS Community,

Saturday night, gunshots were fired outside of a district-wide basketball tournament held at Franklin High School. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and the suspect is now in custody, but if you have any information about the incident please call 503-823-3333 or utilize the SafeOregon tipline.

Dear PPS Families, 

As we prepare for the winter sports season, we want to share a few reminders for our spectators.  

Dear families, students, and colleagues,

It has been a joy to visit learning spaces over the past four months and see our students reengaged in their classroom learning and school activities. I am pleased to observe our students interacting with peers and diving into new curriculum materials. 

This has been a very productive time for Portland Public Schools. My appreciation to all the dedicated Team PPS members who work everyday to make our school system better and stronger.

Dear PPS Community,

Every single person in Portland Public Schools believes that our learning spaces must be safe, stable, and secure, and that we have a shared responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the students under our care. We recognize that recent events, both locally and nationally, have rattled our community.

Superintendent Guerrero issued a broader statement about gun violence and its impacts on our schools, but we also want to explain how we both keep schools safe, and keep you informed.