BIPOC Students Literally Just Vibing & Thriving is a space for Black, Brown, Indigenous and PoC Portland Public Schools students to heal collectively, hang out and hold eachother in fierce love

Facilitators: 

Dani Mandley, Des Bansille, Grace McMickens, Mims Rouse, J.D. Diaz, Enerst “Lorenzo” Lowe and Rick “Ricky” Soto 

What is the purpose of this group?

To provide a safe space for Black, Brown and Indigenous students of color to collectviely process feelings of trauma as a result of covid-19 isolation, the rise in attacks against communities of color by white supremacists and any other hardships experienced as Black and Brown bodies living in a colonized space. The intention of this group is to build a community based in solidarity where students learn to support and care for themselves and one another.

Who can join?

Any PPS student between the ages of 8-18 years old who identifies as Black, Brown, Indigenous and PoC. 

How do I sign up?

In order to join this group all youth must complete the sign up form here: https://tinyurl.com/bipocvibe 

Can parents be present during these sessions?

Parents are invited to join sessions 10 minutes prior to their start time in order to meet with facilitators and ask any clarifying questions. Once the meeting has begun, parents may be present but the space will be open for youth voices and facilitators only. This action is an effort to keep the space youth-centered. 

For more information contact browngirlrisepdx@gmail.com 

Dear Cleveland Families,

The Cleveland staff is excited to welcome our students back into the building! We had a successful freshman orientation with all of our academies and we have been busy at work preparing the building for staff and student return. I want to share some information for Monday, April 19.

Schedule

We will post the student bell schedule every week on our website so that cohorts will know which periods are meeting in the afternoons. Cohort A will need to attend periods 3 and 4 on Monday.

Hybrid Bell Schedule

Student Entrances

Students will enter the building at designated entrances. They should arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before class starts. There will be staff outside to direct students. 

Hybrid Student Entrances

Covid-19 Safety Protocols

The period 3 asynchronous lesson on April 14 was about our safety protocols while in the building. I am including the link to the slide show as well as to a video that the leadership students produced. The video will also be linked on our website. Students must wear masks at all times. We have masks at the school should your student forget theirs. Students must stay home if they are exhibiting any excludable symptoms. We would like students to bring the COVID-19 rapid test consent form to school. The form is linked below.

Cleveland Return to Healthy Schools Slideshow

Cleveland Return to Healthy Schools Video

Covid-19 Rapid Test Administration Consent Form

All-Gender Restroom

This school year our all gender, multi-stall restroom was completed. An all gender restroom is a restroom that may be used by anyone regardless of gender identity or expression. Members of our Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) produced a pamphlet with information that will be available to students when they come to school. The restroom is centrally located on the main floor across from our administrative office suite. It is clearly identified. Staff and students have worked together to bring this change about at Cleveland and I am proud of their work.

Restroom Map

Again, I look forward to working with students in the building. Our staff have been working hard to prepare the building and more importantly, our teachers have been working hard to prepare engaging lessons and activities for our students. We have an amazing staff. Finally, I want to thank the group of volunteers who came on Saturday, April 17 to clean-up the areas around the campus and the field and to paint the “wait here” dots on our sidewalks. Thank you to Melissa Toledo for stepping up as the point person for this tremendous effort. See you on Monday!

Jo Ann Wadkins,

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

First, I want to thank you for your support and patience this year as we have worked together during distance learning and are now making the transition together to in-person instruction. We look forward to welcoming students into Cleveland on Monday, April 19. I would like to share some important information about returning to school.

Safety Protocols

Your student will engage in asynchronous lessons this week. One of those lessons will be covering the safety protocols all students must follow while in the building. Importantly, students need to pre-screen themselves for symptoms before coming to school. No student should come to Cleveland if they - 

• have a fever (temperature over 100.4 degrees F/) or chills without having taken any fever reducing medications.
• have a new cough that has not been diagnosed or cleared by a healthcare provider. 
• have unexplained shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. 
• have a new loss of taste or smell.
• have any of these additional excludable symptoms of illness: vomiting, diarrhea or undiagnosed rash or sores.

In addition, students should pre-screen for potential exposure to COVID-19. They should not come to school if they - 

• have or someone in their household been diagnosed with COVID-19.
• have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person who has COVID-19 for at least 15 cumulative minutes in a day. 
• have been asked to isolate or quarantine at home by a medical professional or a local public health department.

Masks must be worn at all times while in the building. Students need to keep to the right while travelling in hallways or using the stairs. They may not share school supplies. They are not allowed to eat at school. Students may bring their own, filled water bottles. We will have stations where they may refill their water bottles. Nutrition services will be providing bagged breakfasts and lunches for the next day that students may pick up at the end of the school day to take home.

We have the ability to provide rapid Covid-19 tests to symptomatic students. We will need your permission to give your student the test. The test is self-administered under the guidance of a trained adult. We would like your student to bring the signed form to Cleveland when they come to school. We will also have hard copies of the form at the school.

COVID-19 Testing Consent Form

Schedule

We have made some adjustments to the in-person student bell schedule to add more consistency for students in the morning. The schedule will be posted on our website and we will start to follow this schedule on April 19. There will be a special schedule for the week of April 26 to accommodate SAT testing which we will send separately. The schedule linked below lists our regular two-week rotation. Cohort A students come to school in the afternoons on Mondays and Tuesdays and Cohort B students come to school on Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesday remains an asynchronous schedule for students.

In-Person Instruction Schedule

School Entrances

We have designated entrances for each of our grade levels to expedite getting students to classrooms. Students need to enter the building at their designated entrance. Once in-person classes are in session, all doors will be locked and the only entrance will be the main entrance on SE 26th Avenue for late arriving students. These entrances will be marked.

Seniors - enter at the door leading to the band room on the SE 28th Avenue side of the building

Juniors - enter at the door leading to the east wing on the SE 28th Avenue side of the building

Sophomores - enter at the main entrance

Freshmen - enter at the rear door facing the gym off of SE Franklin St.

Students will be receiving colored wristbands to indicate the cohort they are in and that they should remember to wear when coming to school. Cohort A will be designated by green or yellow wristbands  and Cohort B will be designated by pink or purple wristbands.

Finally, I cannot wait to meet your student in person at Cleveland. I know teachers and staff are equally excited. Please let me know of any questions or concerns.

Go Warriors!

Jo Ann Wadkins,

Principal 

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

I wanted to share the special Student Schedule we have for next week. The schedule is being adjusted for two reasons:

1. The administration of the SAT on Tuesday, April 13
   
   
2. Teacher Professional Development days to prepare for in-person instruction

The schedule will be posted on our website and put out on our social media. Here are highlights to consider:

1. Monday morning is synchronous learning in CDL with all 8 periods scheduled so that teachers can touch base with all of their students before the students enter asynchronous learning for the rest of the week.
   
   
2. Monday afternoon is asynchronous periods 1 and 2.
   
   
3. Tuesday is SAT day. Juniors assigned to take the SAT on that day will be at Cleveland. All other students will participate in an asynchronous day that matches our usual Wednesday schedule.
   
   
4. Wednesday-Friday is asynchronous learning all day with morning blocks and afternoon blocks. Attendance will be taken. The lessons will center on important topics to include COVID safety protocols.
   

View the Student Schedule for April 12 - April 16

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland families, 

PPS emailed a link to the High School Learning Choice Form on Thursday, March 18th. If you feel that you did not receive the link please follow these steps:

1. Check all of your inboxes and junk boxes for an email from research@pps.net 
2. The survey was sent to only one parent/guardian per student as not to overwrite answers submitted by another parent/guardian, so please also check the inbox of other caregivers whose email is also on file.
3. Check our website for the draft student schedule for Hybrid Learning: https://www.pps.net/Page/17379 

Jo Ann Wadkins,

 Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

Following the terrible news coming out of Georgia, the Cleveland staff and community mourn this loss of life and we denounce these acts of violence.  We stand in solidarity with the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities who continue to experience increased acts of racism.  We know these events are traumatizing and we want to offer support to our students. 

Support Meeting:

Cleveland is offering a safe space where students can drop in for support or just to check in with a counselor or social worker.  

Friday, March 19th from 1:00-2:00.  https://meet.google.com/cdt-srhy-dbj

Resources:

Please see the link below to a slideshow of resources to better understand the history, impact and recent increase in anti-asian hate crimes and how to interrupt them.

On Anti-Asian Hate

Signed,

Cleveland Admin Team: Jo Ann Wadkins, Kristy Mize, Sean Murray and Margaret Berrios-Brown

Cleveland Counseling Team: Heidi Tolentino, Neil Gibson, Nicholas Yoder, Amanda Weber-Welch, Jennifer Van Kopp and Social Worker, Michelle Hardaway

Cleveland Staff

Cleveland Families,

I would like to share some announcements and updates with you all. First, progress reports will be going out next week with teachers having until this Friday, December 11 to submit the progress grades. We know some students are struggling. Please know that we are actively using the feedback you gave us at parent teacher conferences and via email to implement strategies to support students in their learning. 

Second, the district has decided that we will not be giving the PSAT in January. This decision was made in consultation with school leaders and representatives from the district offices of testing and risk management. Here is a link to the announcement which outlines alternative ways for your student to qualify for the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program.

PSAT Guidance-English

PSAT Guidance-Spanish

PSAT Guidance-Russian

PSAT Guidance-Mandarin Chinese

PSAT Guidance-Vietnamese

PSAT Guidance-Somali

Lastly, I sent an email last week about the new attendance process that we are using that includes new attendance codes. Teachers now take positive attendance (marking a student present instead of absent) every day for that day’s classes. Teachers enter attendance by the end of the work day and attendance calls go out in the early evening. These calls are to remind families to have their students check into their classes which they may do on Canvas. Here are the new codes:

CS - Student checked into their synchronous class

CA - Student checked in asynchronously

UNV - teacher does not have record that the student has checked in by 3:45pm that day

If your student receives an UNV, that does not mean they will be marked absent but that as of 3:45 PM they have not checked into the period in question. We appreciate your patience as we roll out this new system. The data we receive helps us to better support students and allows you to know on the day of classes if your student has engaged rather than having you learn about it the following day.

Thank you for engaging with us. As always, feel free to reach out to any of our school staff if you have questions or concerns about your student. Please stay safe.

Dear PPS Families and Staff,

We are finalizing our health and safety protocols for the 2021-22 school year, which will include full-day, five-day, in-person learning. The Board of Education is taking part in a virtual work session with public health experts this week. We hope you can tune in:

Dear PPS Families & Community,

Thank you for your ongoing collaboration and support as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times. In our ongoing effort to support the needs of all our students, PPS is offering an Online Learning Academy (OLA) for students who cannot attend in-person due to COVID-19 related health reasons.

Dear PPS High School Families,

Yesterday, Multnomah County Health announced updated guidance for mask-wearing: Wear a mask when indoors around people you don’t live with, whether vaccinated or not. This update is in response to increases in Delta variant cases in Oregon and is consistent with evolving guidance from state and national public health agencies, including the CDC, which today will advise that vaccinated people who live in high-transmission areas wear masks in indoor public spaces and that K-12 schools require masks for all.

Yesterday, Multnomah County Health announced updated guidance for mask-wearing: Wear a mask when indoors around people you don’t live with, whether vaccinated or not. This update is in response to increases in Delta variant cases in Oregon and is consistent with evolving guidance from state and national public health agencies, including the CDC, which today advised that vaccinated people who live in high-transmission areas wear masks in indoor public spaces, and that K-12 schools require masks for all.