Virtual Principal's Coffee:  How to Join

 

Dear families,
I hope that you are healthy and well.  In this update, I’d like to point you to some resources.  Please read carefully and if you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out via email at darmenda@pps.net.

The PPS website dedicated to COVID-19 response will be the best source for timely information.  There, you will find updates on the following and more:

• Home learning during the extended break

• Student meal distribution centers 

• Food Pantry pick up sites

• Resources for families needing childcare

• Health Centers

• Volunteering

It is likely that Cesar Chavez School  (5103 N Willis Blvd)   is the closest food distribution center for Peninsula families.  

Meal Service - Tuesday 3/17  through Friday 3/20 & Monday 3/30 & Tuesday 3/31

·       Meals will be available for pickup outside the school from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. for students. 

·       Each student will receive 1 breakfast and 1 lunch.

·       Students can also pick up for a family i.e., 3 siblings in the household receive
        3 breakfasts and 3 lunches. 

·       Students will not be questioned, the idea is to keep our students fed. 

·       Students must come each day and cannot pick up a week’s worth of meals,
         per USDA regulations.

·       Meal distribution will be grab and go

·       Only PPS Nutrition Services staff will be distributing food

·       Each of the 14 sites will have the following staff: Lead Administrators (2),
        District Leadership staffers (2), Mental Wellness Provider, Curriculum Assistant,
        and Campus Security Agents.  

Curriculum & Enrichment Tables

·       Each site will have a curriculum table staffed by PPS Office of Teaching and Learning staff with work that students K-12 can do over the break

·        The work will not be graded

Health Services

·       Health services are available for all K-12th students in Multnomah County over Spring Break at the Parkrose Student Health Center.
        See this Spring Break Flyer (English/ Spanish) for more information.

 Volunteering at sites

·       The district is closely following the directives from State and City leadership and therefore have imposed certain protocols/procedures to reduce exposure to students, families and staff. Many of you have asked if you can volunteer, and I want to thank you for your willingness to assist. However, PPS is asking that employees/volunteers not assist and instead are encouraging employees/volunteers to stay home to reduce exposure.  Parties interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact the Oregon Food Bank and Meals on Wheels.

  PPS Fund

·       Help our Portland Public Schools respond to the needs of students, families, and school communities during this unprecedented school closure. While public dollars are currently covering the cost of maintaining basic nutrition services at a number of school sites, we know that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt more broadly across our school communities. Please consider making a donation. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email at darmenda@pps.net

In service to children,

Debbie Armendariz

Peninsula School Principal

Dear PPS Students, Families and Colleagues,

Today we celebrate and honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a hero of mine. As his influence is seen and felt in the ongoing movement for racial justice, I want to share this video created by the Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elementary School community. They found a creative way to unify their voices to bring us a unique reading of Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech of 1963, originally delivered to a crowd of almost a quarter million people at the March for Jobs and Freedom in Washington D.C. I think you will enjoy this collaboratively produced presentation of Dr. King’s words brought to life by a new generation of change-makers for justice at PPS.

Dear PPS Families,

We are so grateful to our educators and our community who have continued to support our students through these times of transition this year. The presidential election and its fallout, especially the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, have been disturbing and unsettling for all of us, and the feeling of unease continues as next week’s inauguration of Joe Biden nears. We know it can be an especially difficult time for our students and we remain optimistic about the power of democracy and education as they try to make sense of the events and issues.

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has issued adapted versions of its annual reports for every school and school district, including Portland Public Schools. The 2019-20 reports do not include data on statewide assessments, class size or attendance. That data is typically included but was not gatherable because classes were conducted online starting in March during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dear PPS Families,

I join all those in public education across the country who denounce the attack on the U.S. Capitol yesterday. The violent and ultimately failed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was traumatic to witness for all of us, including our students, but I remain optimistic about their future and our country’s.