To families enrolled in the OHSU Covid-19 testing program:

The first round of kits will be sent home with students this Thursday, Nov 4th. If participating, your student should have the following items in their backpack:

• One Test kit.
• Instructions for collecting a saliva sample. 
• Spit Test Instructions in English.  You can also watch this 4 minute video to see how easy it is to collect a spit sample.
• Labels to use for the next 12 weeks. You will use two labels each week. One label will adhere to the test vial, and the other label should be attached to the plastic bag. 

Important information for this week:

In order to participate in testing, your student(s) must return their kit to their first period teacher the morning after distribution.  (Week 1 pickup is scheduled for Monday, Nov 8th.) We will not accept any late samples.

Not all families who've signed up to participate will get a test kit this week. OHSU is running behind schedule. New students will be added weekly. You can opt-out or opt-in at any time.

Please keep the instructions and extra labels in a safe place. You will need them each week. We do not have extra labels at school. If you lose your labels, we will have to order new ones from OHSU. That could take a few weeks.

How to enroll for future testing:

It's not too late to participate in the free weekly COVID-19 screening testing program. To sign up, please return signed copies of the opt-ins forms. You can access them now using the links below:

• OHSU Opt-In Form: English. 
• OHA Opt-In Form: English.

Both the OHSU and OHA Opt-In Forms are required.

Additional program details:

If I enroll my child in this testing program, what should I expect?

1. Families who wish to participate in the testing program must fill out the consent forms and health authorization forms. Print, sign, and return the forms to the MLC office.
2. Our school will receive testing kits to send home every week.
3. Every "test return" morning, your student will spit into the test tube.  (Test return days will mostly be the next morning after distribution, but distribution days will vary based on OHSU's availability and MLC closure days.)
4. Please return the spit sample that same morning to your first period teacher. Samples will be collected by OHSU for transportation to the lab for testing.
5. OHSU will share the results within 48 hours of the specimen being dropped off at school. You will receive a secure email with your child's results. Please note: PPS will not receive the results of your student’s test. 

If there's a positive (or inconclusive) result, we ask that you keep your student home from school. Please call us immediately and we will follow the guidance provided by our partners at the Multnomah Health Department. 

If you have questions about this program, please contact the office at MLC by calling 503-916-5737.

Thank you!

PPS Tech Help and Other Supports for Students and Families
August 26, 2020
English | Español | Tiếng Việt | 中文 | Русский | Soomaali

Dear PPS Families,

At Portland Public Schools, we are continuing to work to ensure students and families have the support they need to start the 2020-21 school year online. We want to share a number of resources available to you:

PPS Fall 2020 Resource Page
We continue to update our Fall 2020 webpage, pps.net/Fall2020. This week we added a section that lays out the web platforms and tools that students will need as we begin the school year with online learning until at least November 5. The section includes guides and videos for our main platforms and apps: Seesaw, Canvas, Remind, Google Meet and Clever. The resources for families are presented in the six PPS-supported languages.

PPS Technology Help Desk
The PPS Technology Help Desk operates from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on school days to provide support to parents, guardians, students and families about navigating school online. We will answer your questions and share information and helpful tips about our distance learning technology platforms, apps, internet connection and other important resources for your student. 

• Call 503-916-3375 or email support@pps.net

PPS Multilingual Family Line
The PPS Multilingual Family Line is a service for parents or guardians (in all PPS-supported languages) to communicate with schools regarding meals, tech help for online classes, special instruction, talking to your teacher, COVID resources and information, etc. Please call these numbers:

• Español: 503-916-3582
• 中文：503-916-3585
• Tiếng Việt: 503-916-3584
• Soomaali: 503-916-3586
• Русский: 503-916-3583

We hope you take advantage of the resources above if you have any questions about the learning technology your student will soon be using. We are here to help!

With the holidays upon us, we’re getting into the coldest time of the year, when snow becomes a greater possibility. It’s a good time for a reminder on how we keep you informed on school closures when inclement weather brings life in Portland to a halt. Here are the ways we get that information to you:

The Grant High School girls soccer team made history Saturday, winning the first state championship in program history. In a back-and-forth game in the Class 6A final at Hillsboro Stadium, senior Elle Frazier scored 5 minutes, 19 seconds into overtime to give the Generals a 4-3 win over Beaverton.

As we get deeper into the 2021-22 school year, we continue to take and promote measures to keep our students, families and staff safe from COVID-19. Here is a roundup of those resources.

Portland Public Schools students who are in their final year of middle school, along with their families, will be able to learn about their future high schools at the annual information nights that begin later this month.