We're off for the summer now, but we are looking forward to getting to know ALL of our new families in August! 

If you are wondering about our academics, our facility or what to expect in middle schooll we have four Open Houses planned for August to answer questions and tour the building. 

Save these dates!

August 10   3:30-4:30

August 13   3:30-4:30

August 17    9:00-10:00

August  19   4:30-5:30

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!

I am thrilled to be joining Jackson Middle School this year, and we are all quite excited about the first days of school. If you haven’t had a chance to see what students need this year, the school supply list is available on the Jackson Middle School website. This year we will be giving every student a Jackson planner, but we are asking families to include a three-inch binder in their back to school purchasing (unless you choose to purchase it from the school). These binders are important tools for students to learn how to manage the materials and deadlines for six classes each semester. Core teachers will be setting aside time each week for students to regroup and reorganize their work, and to build those organizational habits.

When your student arrives on Wednesday, or Thursday, they will see workers still on site. Construction will continue through the end of September. Outside, we have new sidewalks, as well as new roofs on the shop and the front of the building. Inside there are new railings, new water fountains, and classroom modifications in some rooms. We also get to welcome new staff in administration, art, special education, and 8th grade. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Karl Newsome (Assistant Principal), Ms. Jessica Hickey (Art), Ms. Mary Ventura and Ms. Carol Lam (Resource Center), and Ms. Rhonda Brennan and Ms. Courtney Baker (8th grade)!

And, a quick school tip:

Sixth grade parents: supervision looks different at middle school. The doors open at 8:55 and students are welcome to have breakfast in the cafeteria or spend a few minutes with their friends. We do not have staff outside prior to the doors opening, so understand that students are both unsupervised prior to 8:55 and they are on school property and are expected to comply with school and district policies. That level of independence can be hard, because students are still developing the capacity to fully understand cause and effect. If you have flexibility within your family, this is a place to exercise it.

Thank you, families, for everything you do to support our students. Have a great week, everyone!

Susan Kosmala
Principal

All of us at Portland Public Schools are mourning the loss of Paul Edward Coakley Sr., a beloved educator who passed away on July 18, 2021. He was 67.

Portland Public Schools, thanks to the generosity of voters, has a head start on preparing for instruction in a post-pandemic world, an article in EdTech Magazine reports.

Dear PPS Families,

Due to the continued and unprecedented extreme heat in the region, we are pausing student programs in PPS school buildings on Tuesday, June 29. This pause includes grab-and-go meal service at PPS sites, child care, and summer enrichment programs. However, we are distributing free meals at the following parks on Tuesday:

As we have repeatedly shared with families and the public, Portland Public Schools expects to fully reopen schools to full-day, five-day, in-person learning this fall. We maintain those expectations today in light of the Oregon Department of Education announcement of the Resiliency Framework for the 2021-2022 school year.