PPS Head Start is now accepting applications for children who will be 3 or 4 by September 1, 2021!

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.

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 Families and Students,

We are pleased to share that more than 6,500 PPS staff have reported being fully vaccinated. As the first K-12 school district in the state of Oregon to announce vaccine requirements for all staff, we know the importance of everyone doing their part to end this pandemic by getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

Dear PPS Community,

Thanks to your feedback, we continue to make refinements to our COVID-19 Dashboard, making it even easier for PPS families to see the latest reports of students or staff who have been asked to isolate or quarantine.

Dear PPS Families,

Last week we shared with you a short survey that will help us know how many of our students (ages 12 and older) are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and/or desire to quickly access the vaccine for younger students  (age 5 to 11, once approved). As of Thursday morning (September 23) , more than 23% of students have completed the survey, with 94% reporting that they were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Dear PPS families,

As students need to quarantine and/or isolate due to a potential COVID-19 exposure, we want to provide you and your student with clarity on the guidance and the resources we are making available to teachers, schools and your family so that your student can continue learning from home if it is required.