Robert Gray Middle School welcomes Jeff Waters as its new Assistant Principal. Mr. Waters returns to Portland Public Schools, where he spent his teaching career at Boise-Eliot/Humboldt K-8, after a two years as the Assistant Principal at Walter L. Kraxberger Middle School in the Gladstone School District. An educator, organizer and community justice advocate, Jeff focuses on engaging school communities in democratic dialogue and cycles of improvement to improve outcomes for students and families.

A first generation college student, Waters received an Associate of Arts degree from Lane Community College, went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science at the University of Oregon, and later graduated from Pacific University's teachers college with a MA in Teaching. He completed school administrator training at Portland State University and intends to complete a Doctorate in Education.

Waters is an engaged professional who is driven by relationships and data-driven cycles of improvement. He previously served on the Oregon Association of Student Councils Executive Board. His article, co-authored with Sitton Elementary School Assistant Principal Becky HenkleBerry, "The Most Gentrified City of the Century," was published in Teaching for Black Lives in 2018. Waters was recognized by Trillium Family Services as a 2019 Mental Health Hero for his work to destigmatize mental health conversations and improve student wellness.

In his personal life, Waters enjoys native landscaping, mountain climbing, camping, hiking and spending time training his dog, Dobby. Waters is due to be married in the Three Sisters Wilderness on August 24th, 2019. Joining Robert Gray is the perfect wedding present!

The school supply list for 2019-20 is here.

RGMS will implement a ban on personal electronic devices in the coming school year aligning with the policies of other PPS middle schools. More research emerges every year that brings out the harmful effects of these devices on children’s emotional health and brain development and we anticipate the new policy will be beneficial. We have considered all aspects of this change for several months and have created an FAQ sheet. RGMS families have been sent a link with a Google Form for input to help make this transition. We know this policy will require changes in many households and we appreciate your support.

We are super excited to be getting filtered water dispensers and fountains as a PPS pilot. This is in lieu of replacing the pipes, which would be much more expensive and would have not resulted in the beautiful units that will be installed. An FAQ page regarding this project is here. Please be sure your child has a water bottle for school. They are part of this pilot.

SUN Summer of Fun
Our SUN Community School is pleased to announce registration for the SUN Summer of Fun. Students currently in grades 5-7 are invited to attend.
9:00 AM-1:00 PM
Includes lunch.
Located at Stephens Creek Crossing, 6719 SW 26th
• June 24-27: Craft & Create ($120)
• July 1-3: Mad Scientists ($90)
• July 8-11: Imagineering ($120)
• July 15-18: Makerweek ($120)
The registration form can be downloaded from the MORE link below.

The Portland Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to extend PPS Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero's current contract by another two years during its Tuesday, June 25 meeting. Since he will be entering the third year of his original contract, the Board has committed to a total of five years through June 2022 with Guerrero at the helm. The approval came after board members offered a comprehensively positive review of his performance.

A public hearing will be held by the Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission on the budget approved by the Budget Committee for Portland Public School District 1J, Multnomah County, Oregon for the fiscal year July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. The hearing will be held in the Board Auditorium at the Blanchard Education Service Center (BESC), 501 North Dixon Street, Portland, Oregon, on the 25th day of June at 3 p.m.

Dear Colleagues,

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Liane Kehaulani O’Banion has accepted our offer to become Portland Public School’s Director of Title IX Policy, Training & Compliance.