Marysville Digital Literacy and Safety 

Click through the presentation to learn how social media and devices affect kids' brains. There are more sources of information at the end, as well as links to alternative devices to smart phones.

Almost all the information in the presentation was taken from the Wait Until 8th website that encourages families to have their children wait until the end of 8th grade to sign up for social media. From the Wait Until 8th website: "Once a grade at a school hits 10 or more pledges, the pledge is active!  At this point, Wait Until 8th will email the parents the list of families from their child’s grade who are delaying the smartphone! As more families join an active pledge, parents will continue to receive updates."

Go to the Gallery to check out pictures of the Back to School Night!

Kindergarten

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The Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center, the rather staid home to Portland Public Schools administrative staff, had a very different look on Monday evening when it hosted the world premiere of “The Return of Emergetron.”

The red carpet event was in celebration of a new film starring students – and for students – about the many emergency scenarios they might encounter in a typical school year.

Portland Public Schools’ Comprehensive School Psychology program was recently named the recipient of a prestigious $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for its proven track record of improving student well-being and academic performance. 

The renewable, school-based mental health grant will be used to provide comprehensive school psychology services to 18 Title I schools across the district for the 2024-25 school year. This is up from 11 schools served in the previous year. Through the duration of the grant, 25 schools designated as Title I at the time of the grant award will receive comprehensive school psychology services.

When Beckham Weatherby picks up his tuba, the rest of the world falls away. 

“I don’t get that nervous and I don’t get stage fright at all,” he said. “I guess I got lucky with how my body reacts to performing in front of crowds.”

Which is something the McDaniel High School junior has done quite a bit of lately. Not only is he a member of the prestigious Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) and the PYP conservatory orchestra, but he recently earned first prize in the tuba solo performance category at the Oregon State Solo Music Championships.

The first things you notice when you walk into Ellie Jensen’s classroom at Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elementary School are peace and warmth. Then you hear the laughter of children. Then you just might see two posters hanging on the walls that tell you a great deal about the kind of teacher she has been for the past 50 years. The posters simply say, “Leave a little sparkle wherever you go” and “Be a friend.”

Jensen, known as “Miss Ellie” to the hundreds of students she has taught in her half a century as a Portland Public Schools educator, can’t help but light up a room. And she is a friend to all children. 

From the school counselor: 

I know today we have come to school with a heavy heart after the traumatic and devastating news from the school shooting in Texas. The school counselor department and student success and health is working on compiling resources for educators and students.

 I do not want to overwhelm but also want to provide a few resources that might be of help throughout the week. If you, students, or families need support please reach out as I am happy to hold space for anyone who might need an outlet. 

Recovering emotionally from disaster

Managing stress

Talking to students about school shootings in the news

• Try and keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.

• Limit exposure to television and the news.

• Be honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.

• Listen to kids’ fears and concerns.

• Reassure kids that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things.

• Parents and adults need to first deal with and assess their own responses to crisis and stress.

• Rebuild and reaffirm attachments and relationships.