August 31, 2018
Welcome Back to School Markham Families,
Once again I was met with smiles of excitement on the first day of school. Our 1st through 5th graders came ready for the new year. Three days later I greeted our youngest Eagles and welcomed them to their first day of kindergarten. We are off to a great start! It takes many hands to get a school year started, and we are never at a shortage for helping hands.
I would like to thank Annaliese Dolph for overseeing Community Care Day. In addition to Community Care Day, our student learning garden in the courtyard was marvelously transformed. Kaleb H., who is a Wilson High School student and an older sibling of a current Markham student, took on this job as his Eagle Scout Project. Kaleb planned, organized and supervised more than 50 parishioners from his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Thank you to all our Markham families and volunteers who helped to spruce up our school.
I cannot thank our PTA volunteers enough for all of their efforts in getting our first day packets stuffed and sent to classrooms along with their help in getting bus tags completed and put on backpacks. They also assisted with Supplies Drop-Off, Kindergarten Welcome and New Staff Meet and Greet.
Many thanks Markham PTA! A big appreciation for our former Markham students, who are now at Jackson, and gave the guided tours to our new families.
Please join me in welcoming staff new to Markham: Grace Groom is our reading support teacher for grades 1st – 3rd. Muna Arafat is our halftime ESL teacher. John Payne is our additional 1 day a week PE teacher. Katherine Greenfield is our additional halftime Learning Center teacher. Christina Hugo and Amanda Wagaman are our Para-educators in the ISC classrooms. Kim Erickson is our School Secretary who was formerly Markham’s School Secretary. Mark Adkins joins our custodial evening crew. Our School Nurse is Alisa Pallister and our School Health Assistant is Michelle Kerriga. Nurse Alisa is at Markham on Wednesdays. Her email is apallister@mesd.k12.or.us. Health Assistant Michelle is here M-F. Her email is mkerriga@mesd.k12.or.us.
Rochelle Von Ahn is now at Rigler and Marysville teaching ESL. Allison Schierholtz and Kristen Conicelli are now at Jackson Middle School assisting students in their Para-educator roles. Walter Bridges is a Para-educator at Sitton. Samantha Rupasinghe is a Para-educator at Bridlemile. Marzouk Ibrahim from our evening custodial crew no longer works for PPS. I would like to thank each of them for their time at Markham and giving so much of themselves for our students. I am wishing them a wonderful school year.
Correction for our October School Calendar
Sunday the 28th was left out making the last week off by a day. Monday, October 29th is Teacher Planning Day; no school for students. Tuesday, October 30th is Picture Retake Day and Wednesday is October 31st.
Back to School Night is Thursday, September 20th from 6:30 to 8:00. We will begin in the auditorium and then dismiss for classroom visits. This is a parent only event due to limited space in the auditorium and limited time for classroom visits. Teachers will share important information specific to their classroom which you will need to better partner with them and support your child in having a successful school year. You will have the opportunity to sign-up for fall conferences happening in November. Please remember that this is a time for teachers to share important classroom information regarding curricula, activities and expectations. If you are needing to meet with the teacher to discuss your child’s progress or other information, please contact your child’s teacher to set up an appointment.
A message from the Nutrition Services Department
Starting this school year, the kitchen will be offering each student the opportunity to purchase one breakfast and one lunch per day. Students will not be able to purchase additional meals or milk.
This new process supports the District’s wellness policy, as well as Portland’s sustainability efforts. Students are encouraged to bring beverages from home to support the school community’s desire to reduce milk carton waste. This new policy will also help reduce confusion around use of school meal funds on the student’s account (for example, charging additional meals and/or milk without parent knowledge and approval). We will continue providing cups for water and unlimited fruits and veggies for students purchasing school lunch.
Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to seeing you in the cafeteria this school year.
The Nutrition Services Department: nutritionservices@pps.net, 503-916-3399.
And while we are on the subject, I would like to give big shout outs to two Markham students, Emmitt B. and Liam B. whose artwork is displayed in our district meal calendar for the months of January and May. Congratulations and nice artwork!
For a second year, A Miracle Foundation has supplied our two ISC classrooms with backpacks stocked with school supplies and water bottles. For more information on this foundation, please go to: https://amiraclefoundation.org. Please except our many heartfelt thanks for your support and generous donation.
Also for a second year, our parent, Ms. Reynoso, has given a total of $812.00 to Markham from her employer, Wells Fargo. These funds will go into the Principal’s Discretionary Fund for future student supplies and curriculum.
Please see the attached information from the district regarding Markham’s water fountains and sinks.
Again, we are off to a fantastic start, and it could not be possible without all of us working together. This is an amazing community, and I am always overtaken with joy by the sincere commitment to the students.
Welcome back,
Shawn Garnett
Principal
Dear Markham Elementary School Community,
The district is pleased to let you know that water tests for Markham Elementary have been completed. The test results show that the quality of the water coming from the drinking faucets is now better than the EPA recommendations for schools. Therefore, the district is turning the drinking faucets back on in your school’s common areas (hallways, cafeteria and/or gym).
Water Test Results Are On-line
The new water test results for your school can be found at the PPS Healthy and Safe Schools website. Go to https://www.pps.net/Page/5378, scroll down to your school and click on the 2017 results PDF. Please be aware that some water test results are not posted online yet. We are currently updating the site and they will be available before the start of school on Monday.
Signage Will Be Provided to Show Which Water Fixtures Are Approved for Drinking
Signs will be placed on fixtures to signify which ones are available for drinking and which ones are not to be used. Sinks and other fixtures may be in operable condition but not to be used for drinking, and signs will make that clear. Drinking fixtures that require more lead remediation will be turned off and not returned to service until that work is completed at a later date.
In-Classroom Drinking Fixtures Will Be Replaced as Needed.
In an effort to reduce bottled water use, PPS crews will accelerate the plan to return in-classroom drinking fountains to service. Re-testing of these fixtures is now underway and will continue as the school year begins. If the in-classroom drinking fountains test results show that the quality of the water coming from the faucets is below the PPS action level of 15ppb, they will be returned to service. If they fail, they will remain shut off until plumbing crews return to the school and replace them. After replacement, they will be retested and returned to service if the results come in under the PPS action level. The district plans to have this work finished by January of 2019.
Kitchen area drinking fixtures
Food preparation faucets and sprayers have also been replaced, tested and may now be used without restriction. Please note that this applies to the kitchen fixtures specifically signed as “For Food Preparation Only”.
Bottled Water to be Phased Out
With the common area water fixtures turned on, there is reduced need for bottled water in schools. The district will review each school on a case by case basis and begin removing bottled water in the coming weeks.
Water filters are not being used on the repaired drinking fixtures
In the past many PPS drinking fixtures used a filtering system. PPS is moving away from this approach because most of our water quality issues can be solved without a filtered system.
PPS Is Replacing Only Drinking Water Fixtures
PPS defines a drinking fixture as drinking fountains and kitchen food preparation fixtures. Drinking fountains include bubblers, coolers, and bottle fill stations in both common areas and classrooms (See above section on In-Classroom drinking fixtures). Kitchen food preparation fixtures include kitchen faucets, sprayers, and ice makers, faucets in career and technical education (CTE) classrooms, and faucets in staff lounges or lunch rooms.
