On October 22, all Jackson students will recieve a brand new Chromebook from the district as part of a 1 to 1 technology initiative. Chromebooks will be distributed at school, and any borrowed devices will be collected at that time. 

Why PPS121? One-to-one technology provides anytime/anywhere learning and opens the doors to creativity, collaboration, community, communication, and critical thinking skills that students need to compete and contribute to our local and global society. The PPS121 program aims to provide all students, teachers, and schools with the technology tools needed at school and at home.

Why now? With voter approval for the 2020 School Bond last fall and as we return to in-person classroom learning, Portland Public Schools is able to realize a long-term goal of moving forward as a digitally literate, one device per student school district, ensuring every student, every family, and every teacher has the tools needed to learn in today’s classrooms.

When will my student receive their device? Jackson Middle School's distribution date is October 22, 2021. Every student in grades 3-12 will be assigned a device and schools will help students learn to care for and maintain that device throughout their time at the school. Students will return the device only when leaving the school for another (for example at the end of fifth or eighth grade) or when they will no longer be a student in PPS. Devices will also be collected at the end of twelfth grade. New students enrolling into a PPS school will receive a device from their new school. We encourage families to review the back side of this document with their student, discussing the care and proper use of their Chromebook.

Information about PPS 121

Students continue to be exposed to tragedy, with additional violence in Georgia and Colorado over the last few weeks. Students may have questions and worries. The links below are designed for difficult and emotionally laden conversations, and they are easily translated to parent-child discussions.

Curiosity and Questions: A presentation (and great dictionary of terms) from the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education

Helping Children Cope with Frightening News, a website from Child Mind Institute

When Bad Things are Happening, an article from Teaching Tolerance

Parent and Caregiver Resources, a toolkit from the ADL

9 Healthy Ways to Communicate, 9 strategies for sustaining and deepening conversation from educator and film maker, Lee Mun Wah

In compliance with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, Portland Public Schools must notify families and staff of the existence and location of our Asbestos Management Plan. Please see the accompanying memo:

Annual Notification

Curated lists of books and movies, and conversation prompts!

Greetings Families and Students!

We are so pleased to welcome you to Jackson for the 2021-22 school year, and there is much to think about as the new year approaches.  Similar to last year, there are plans and protocols to put in place to support student and staff health and wellness, and we don’t have all the answers yet. To stay informed, check email, social media (instagram@jacksonpps),or the web (jacksonpps@pps.net). Live meetings on instagram start Friday August 6 at 9:00 AM.

It is the mission of Jackson Middle School to provide a challenging, college-ready academic program attentive to the unique characteristics of adolescents ages 11 to 14. We strive for an accepting and safe environment that encourages personal expression and growth through Artful Learning. And, we are committed to inspiring every student to become a passionate lifelong learner and a responsible global citizen.

We know many of you have not been to Jackson, and still others haven’t been to Jackson during a “regular” school year. To help with some of the basics we put together a Family Handbook of basic school policies, school and district information, and building procedures, to supplement the information spread across our site. 

The first day of school this year is September 1, 2021. Some years we have held Jump Start for incoming new students prior to the start of school. That didn’t work out this year, so we are holding Jump Start for all 6th graders, 7th graders and “new-to-Jackson” 8th graders on September 1st. Most importantly, your 6th and 7th graders will start and end the day as a normal school day. Our veteran 8th graders will have a 2 hour late start.

 As an intentional part of giving students tools for independence, at Jackson we encourage students to take responsibility for dates and deadlines that impact their learning and/or participation in school activities and programs. Our intentions are to give your student room to grow as they take on these new responsibilities, but this also means you may hear less from classroom teachers than you are used to. You are always welcomed an encouraged to reach out to teachers and ask questions, and we also strongly encourage you to support this effort through utilizing the school website (www.jacksonpps@pps.net)  and making a routine at home to review your students’ assignments, attendance and academic progress through Canvas and on ParentVue, https://parent-portland.cascadetech.org/portland/PXP2_Login.aspx. But, here are some important dates to remember at the start of the school year.

August 20            Anticipated date that Studentvue/Parentvue will be activated

September 1       1st Day of School

September 6       Labor Day (and Rosh Hashanah)

September 22     Picture Day

September 29     Back to School Night 

As mentioned earlier, lots of start of the year information will be released over the next four weeks, and we will continue to share new items in as many formats as possible. I hope you are having a safe, active and relaxing summer and we look forward to seeing each of you in September.

Susan Kosmala, Principal                     

Jackson Middle School

Dear PPS Families and Community,

If you plan to visit a Portland Public Schools campus, you need to be aware of COVID-19 health and safety measures that will go into effect starting Monday, October 18.

PPS wants to hear from you to weigh the impacts of requiring all students 12 years and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Next week we will host a series of virtual listening sessions for students and families. They will be conducted via Zoom.  

Guadalupe Guerrero has been named the recipient of the national Superintendent of the Year Award by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS).

Superintendent Guerrero, who this month is celebrating his four-year anniversary in Portland Public Schools, will be honored Saturday in Washington D.C. at the ALAS 18th Annual National Gala Awards and Dinner.

Dr. Alfonso Garcia Arriola, a teacher at ACCESS Academy, will help explore and map the ocean floor as part of a fellowship with the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET). He earned one of 12 spots from a competitive pool of educators and communicators who applied.