It's summer, so what are you going to do? Get some school supplies!

2022-23

Our media is flooded with images and stories coming out of Ukraine right now, and students may have questions, or need help thinking and talking critically about the information they are getting. These are general resources for engaging in conversations about harmful situations and news, with more specific resources to come as they are available. Our community is impacted on many levels by events around the globe, and yet it is important for us to help students understand that our neighbors are still our neighbors. The people of our community are still of our community, and it is our privilege and responsibility to look out for one another.

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

There's a new episode of JagsWired!: Ramadan 101. Learn about this important aspect of Islam from our own Jackson students!

Check out our new podcast highlighting the interests, accomplishments and personalities of our amazing Jackson students! 

Listen to Episodes 1 and 2: JagsWired

Want to tell your story? Sign Up here

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 Community, 

This summer, youth gun violence has increased throughout the country and in the city of Portland.    This year 729 shootings have occurred throughout the Portland area, impacting PPS students, families, and entire school communities. This is traumatic for all and we encourage you to support one another and anyone impacted by gun violence in our community.

Dear PPS Community,

A moderate to high heat risk forecast continues in effect for the Portland Metro area. Here are safety measures and resources to follow to prevent heat related illness:

• Multnomah County has four 24-hour cooling centers, plus libraries with air conditioning
• The Oregon Health Authority has tips to stay safe in heat
• Beat the Heat- these are tips to help you prepare for extreme heat and information on heat related illnesses
• OSHA/NIOSH Heat APP - a heat safety tool app user guide
• If you know someone in need of shelter or drinking water, please dial 2-1-1, or email help@211info.org

Dear PPS Community,

A moderate to high heat risk is forecast for the Portland Metro area starting Monday, July 25 through Thursday, July 28. During this week, we will make every attempt to make decisions about summer program pauses and schedule changes by early morning. The health and safety of our students, staff, and partners is our top priority.

Dear PPS Families,

Portland Public Schools is committed to providing all students with high-quality instruction that helps students in all grades achieve our Graduate Portrait. We are taking important steps for next school year to ensure high-quality teaching and learning in every classroom, every day. We are introducing new, culturally relevant curriculum materials and a new instructional framework to provide teachers the tools they need.