April 23, 2020

Hello Grout Families,

Annie Tabshy, Principal                    971.712.6144

Denise Self, Assistant Principal       503.867.3289 

RESOURCES :

GROUT GARDEN SCHOOL AT HOME

Hello Grout Families! 

This is Miss Madeline, the Grow Portland School Garden Educator at Grout.

It's been my pleasure to teach your students in our garden classroom, and now I would like to support you as you guide their learning at home.

I'm excited to share with you the Grow Portland Google Classroom, where you will find garden-themed lessons and activities you can do with your child at home -- no garden required. I will be adding video updates of what's happening in the garden, and possibly some live meets in May!

All you need to access the classroom is a Google/Gmail account:

Go to:  https://classroom.google.com/

Click the plus sign (+) to join a class

Enter the class code: asibzjm 

The theme for April is Insects and Pollinators  . We will be adding more lessons through the end of May. 

You can also find more fun garden content on our website at: https://www.growportland.org/lessons-educational-resources  -or-

 https://www.instagram.com/growportland/ -or- https://www.facebook.com/growportland. 

Best,

Madeline

Madeline Miller, M.S.Ed. 

School Garden Educator 

Grow Portland

503-784-2492 

CHROMEBOOKS:

Chromebooks are still available at the BESC, 501 N. Dixon, from 9am to 1pm.  If you have one that is not working properly (broken keys etc.), you can exchange for a working chromebook.

Meal pickup locations:

Breakfast and lunch are still being served at Grout from 11 – 1 daily.

PPS Student page:  pps.net/student

Corona Virus:  pps.net/coronavirus

Food Finder:  oregonfoodfinder.org

If you need assistance with food, please reach out to Chelsea Kimura with SUN Chelsea.kimura@portlandoregon.gov, Mr. Frankunas dfrankun@pps.net, Principal Annie atabshy@pps.net, Ms. Self  deself@pps.net.   Grout PTA is also supporting assistance with food and has been in contact with us and Chelsea.

This Thursday, April 16, at 4 PM our Grout teachers and staff will be driving through our school’s neighborhoods to wave to our students that we miss so much.  Teachers and staff will be in their vehicles driving slowly past houses, parks, and apartment buildings. We’d love to see you and your family on our parade route!  We want you to stay safe around our vehicles by remaining on sidewalks and remembering to keep a distance of 6 feet between you and other families.  Teachers will leave Grout at 4pm and follow the map.  We hope to see you. 

April 2, 2020

Hello Grout Families,

I wanted to let you know that Mrs. Self and I have been meeting with our teaching staff and specialists this entire week helping support them as they gear up to start distance learning next week.  This week educators have been taking online classes to learn and enhance their knowledge of online platforms they will be using to work with your children.  As you can imagine, we are all at different levels of understanding technology and need to practice all of this new learning.

On Monday, March 30, 2020, a letter was sent to school districts stating the change in guidance from the Oregon Department of Education around expectations for student learning.  Our focus going in to the week was around social emotional learning and enrichment of curriculum already taught.  The focus has shifted to distance learning with Covid-19 putting the country at nearly a stand still.  Educators will be reinforcing what has already been taught and will also be introducing new learning.  

As we navigate online learning, students, families and educators are likely to hit some bumps along the way.  Many families have access to internet and technology while a large segment of Grout families do not.  The first wave of loaner Chromebooks are going out today to families who signed up for one.  The district is starting by getting Chromebooks into 4^th grade through high school student’s hands with high school being the first priority due to graduation requirements including credit recovery.  I also want you to be aware that the district is only offering one Chromebook per family which means your children will be sharing a device.  There will be a second wave of Chromebooks loaned out and a survey will be out soon.  The survey will be found online or at the Grout’s food distribution hub Monday through Friday from 11:00am to 1:00pm.

Educators have been emailing information to their families and will be able to make phone calls using a program called Remind.  When information about this is available, we will share it with you.  Staff will also be utilizing “Google Chat” to set up video conferencing with students and families.  Please check emails for correspondence from your child’s educator.

We also want you to know that breakfast and lunch will continue to be served, Monday through Friday from 11:00am to 1:00pm at Grout on the SE 32^nd side of the building.  For families that do not have internet access, there are a limited number of work packets for students available at the food hub.  Please ask for them when your child is picking up meals.  

As information becomes available, Mrs. Self and I will work diligently to get it to you.  One of the hardest things I am finding at this time is the unknown.  I like to have answers and, in some cases, right now there are no answers. 

Please know that we appreciate all of the outpouring of support the Grout Community has shown and know we are all thinking of you.  If you need anything, please email us or call.  My district phone is not working at this time so I’m providing you with an alternate number:

Annie Tabshy, Prinicpal:                         503.701.2792

Mrs. Self, Assistant Principal:                503.8673289

With care,

Annie Tabshy, Principal and Denise Self, Assistant Principal  

Corona Virus:  pps.net/coronavirus

Food finder:  oregonfoodfinder.org

If you need assistance with food, please reach out to Chelsea Kimura with SUN Chelsea.kimura@portlandoregon.gov, Mr. Frankunas dfrankun@pps.net, Principal Annie atabshy@pps.net, Ms. Self  deself@pps.net.   Grout PTA is also supporting assistance with food and has been in contact with us and Chelsea.

Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elementary - 620 N Fremont Ave 

César Chávez Elementary - 5103 N Willis Blvd 

George Middle School - 10000 N Burr Ave

Grout Elementary – 3119 SE Holgate Blvd 

Harrison Park School - 2225 SE 87th Ave 

Lent School - 5105 SE 97th Ave 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary - 4906 NE 6th Ave 

Rigler Elementary - 5401 NE Prescott St 

Rosa Parks Elementary - 8960 N Woolsey Ave 

Scott Elementary - 6700 NE Prescott St 

Sitton Elementary - 9930 N Smith St 

Woodmere Elementary - 7900 SE Duke St 

Markham Elementary - 10531 SW Capitol Hwy 

Madison at Marshall - 3905 SE 91st Ave 

Health Centers 

Multnomah County will keep some Student Health Center locations open during the break. You can find more information by visiting this website. 

Health services are available for all K-12 students in Multnomah County over spring break (March 23-27) at: 

Parkrose Student Health Center 

12003 NE Shaver St 

503-988-3392 

This is an unprecedented time in our community, and we hope that some of the services and supports described above will be helpful to families over the unexpectedly long break. During the break, we encourage everyone to follow recommended practices by avoiding large gatherings, washing hands frequently and covering mouths when coughing or sneezing. Those experiencing symptoms of a cold or flu should stay at home until symptom-free for 72 hours. If you are concerned about symptoms, please consult with a doctor. You can find much more information and additional resources by clicking pps.net/coronavirus. 

We wish everyone a safe and healthy extended break.

March 29, 2020

Dear Grout Families,

I have been thinking about all of our students, their families and our staff and am hoping you are all well during this unprecedented time.  Covid 19 has changed our lives completely including how we “do school.” I wanted to update our community about PPS’s plans moving forward. This week our educators will begin professional development to better understand how to offer school online and the different platforms available to use.  The following week, beginning April 6, we expect to have online lessons in English Language Arts and Math available for kindergarten through 5th grade.  

We want this to be as equitable as possible for all of our students.  We have families who do not have internet access. The district is working to identify hotspots that families can use.  Also, some families have devices to access online learning at home, but many of our families do not. A survey went out for families about their internet availability and potential need to borrow a Chromebook from PPS.  There has been a large demand. Therefore, the district will first offer Chromebooks for students in 4th – 12th grade.  After that demand has been met, the district will offer Chromebooks for students in kindergarten through 3rd grade.  If you would like to get a Chromebook, but have not yet completed the survey, please stay tuned.  The survey will open soon for the second round of distribution. When ready, surveys will also be available at food sites.  At this time, Chromebooks are only available to those who have previously completed the survey and the district has personally notified of distribution.  Schools are not able to issue Chromebooks to families who have not yet completed this process.  

Grout School will continue to be one of the schools offering breakfast and lunch starting up again on Monday, March 30th from 11 am – 1 pm through the planned closure.  Hard packets of grade level instructional material will also be available. 

I will be updating the Grout Community about online instruction starting the week of April 6th.  As Ms. Self and I work with staff this week, we will be gathering information from each classroom educator.  As soon as we have this pinned down, we will share more information and details with you.

Thank you in advance for your patience with Ms. Self, our educators and myself as we navigate unknown territory.  Our goal is to keep a strong connection between students and their educators and will be doing many activities to reinforce previous learning.  Educator’s lesson will initially focus on English Language Arts and Math. Learning in other areas, such as Social Studies and Science, will be added as available.  If virtual learning is not working for you at home, please do not add this to the stress you may already be under. We understand that access to learning is going to be different for every family and may be different day by day.  We are here to support and not to add more to your already full plates. 

If you need assistance with food, please reach out to Chelsea Kimura with SUN Chelsea.kimura@portlandoregon.gov, or Mr. Frankunas dfrankun@pps.net, Principal Annie atabshy@pps.net, or Ms. Self  deself@pps.net.   Grout PTA is also supporting assistance with food and has been in contact with us and Chelsea.

You may reach Principal Annie at atabshy@pps.net or (971) 201-9201 and Ms. Self at dself@pps.net or (503) 867-3289.

Thinking about our Grout Community,

Annie Tabshy, Principal and Denise Self, Assistant Principal  

Quick Links and information:

Information about the Corona Virus:  pps.net/coronavirus

Food finder:  oregonfoodfinder.org

Meals: 

Breakfast and lunch will be provided to children in the community ages 1-18. Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, March 20, and Monday, March 30 and Tuesday, March 31. Meals will be available for pickup outside the school from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the following locations: 

Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elementary - 620 N Fremont Ave 

César Chávez Elementary - 5103 N Willis Blvd 

George Middle School - 10000 N Burr Ave

Grout Elementary – 3119 SE Hogate Blvd 

Harrison Park School - 2225 SE 87th Ave 

Lent School - 5105 SE 97th Ave 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary - 4906 NE 6th Ave 

Rigler Elementary - 5401 NE Prescott St 

Rosa Parks Elementary - 8960 N Woolsey Ave 

Scott Elementary - 6700 NE Prescott St 

Sitton Elementary - 9930 N Smith St 

Woodmere Elementary - 7900 SE Duke St 

Markham Elementary - 10531 SW Capitol Hwy 

Madison at Marshall - 3905 SE 91st Ave 

Child Care 

Our licensed child care providers (YMCA, Champions, Camp Fire, etc.) will not be able to offer child care during canceled school days or during spring vacation in our buildings. If your children are registered for a spring break child care program, your provider will be contacting you with further information. 

SUN Service System 

Our SUN Service System Partners will not be able to offer programming during canceled school days or during spring break in our buildings. We are in communication with our partners and will provide additional information as we have it. 

Health Centers 

Multnomah County will keep some Student Health Center locations open during the break. You can find more information by visiting this website. 

Health services are available for all K-12 students in Multnomah County over spring break (March 23-27) at: 

Parkrose Student Health Center 

12003 NE Shaver St 

503-988-3392 

This is an unprecedented time in our community, and we hope that some of the services and supports described above will be helpful to families over the unexpectedly long break. During the break, we encourage everyone to follow recommended practices by avoiding large gatherings, washing hands frequently and covering mouths when coughing or sneezing. Those experiencing symptoms of a cold or flu should stay at home until symptom-free for 72 hours. If you are concerned about symptoms, please consult with a doctor. You can find much more information and additional resources by clicking pps.net/coronavirus. 

We wish everyone a safe and healthy extended break.

Dear PPS Families,

We hope you are enjoying a safe and healthy summer break. Thank you for sharing your feedback on the re-entry survey we recently sent to you. While there are still numerous details to finalize, we wanted to update you on where we are with our efforts to ensure healthy beginnings for the 2020-21 school year. 

Dear PPS Families,

We want to make sure you are aware of a change in meal distribution. For this week only, sacks of breakfast and lunch will be available Monday through Wednesday instead of the usual Monday through Thursday. Sacks of breakfast and lunch will be distributed outside 14 of our schools, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Dear PPS Community,

We wanted to remind you about opportunities to provide feedback on the 2020 School Bond Renewal, including one that is now open. The 2020 School Bond Renewal Survey is now available. The survey, which will allow you to share your input on priorities and approaches to funding, will be open until 5 p.m. on Friday, July 3: