April 8, 2022

Dear Rieke Rocket community,

It was wonderful to eat outside again today, an ever safer and easier lunch environment for both students and staff. And tomorrow it looks even nicer before the return of rain this weekend and next week. Starting next week we will no longer use assigned seating at lunch though we will continue to use distancing in the cafeteria. Thus far since the week before spring break we have not had confirmed COVID cases or spread on the Rieke campus. There is no school this Friday, April 8th, as teachers work on report cards. Report cards will go home with students at the end of next week. Since there is no school Friday we are sending home COVID OHSU spit tests today. If you are part of that program, please send them back tomorrow with students.

The newest Rieke Video News is soon to publish on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo1DSdAKW_0G1UBn2rOtUPw This week again highlights our kindergarten program and outreach as we prepare for our Connect to Kindergarten event at Rieke Thursday April 21st in the evening. Please reach out to friends and neighbors with incoming Kindergarten students to join us and enroll early for 2022-23 at https://www.pps.net/domain/1226

The Rieke Auction is coming up on April 30th at the MJCC. From the PTA Rapper, “It’s almost time for the annual Rieke Auction! Join us to mingle and meet other Rieke parents, nosh on great food, bid on silent and live auction items, view and buy raffle tickets for Classroom Art Projects, purchase wine form the Wine Wall and participate in a paddle raise with proceeds supporting extra staffing at Rieke.”  Snag your tickets here!

Rieke Elementary Science Fair 2022 is only 7 weeks away!

After choosing a topic, the next step for many science projects is to make a hypothesis.  A hypothesis is a best guess about how something in your topic works.  Then, in the following steps, this hypothesis will be tested against what you find out.  By completing one small piece at a time, this science project will come together, in no time!

Please visit our webpage for more details and ideas and to register your project when you are ready.

www.riekepta.org/2022-rieke-science-fair

Volunteers!!  We are still looking for 10 or so additional parent volunteers to help out on the evening of Thursday, 5/19/22.  Contact Bryan Danforth for more information, via the Science Fair webpage.

I am excited to announce the return of Rieke Art Night! Please save the date for the evening of Thursday, May 26. We will celebrate our students' creativity with art displays and art activities for the whole family to enjoy. If you are able to volunteer to prepare for this show or help on the night of the event, please email Miss Jill at jmitchell@pps.net.

Cheers!

Jon Jeans-Principal

May is Mental Health Awareness Month: Information and Resources from PPS Student Support Services

While focusing on mental wellness is essential every month, May has been designated as Mental Health Awareness Month. Portland Public Schools is committed to uplifting wellness and to supporting all of our students to stay healthy, mentally and physically. 

Dear PPS families and staff, 

This week, Multnomah County health officials made an announcement about masking, due to the current COVID-19 surge.   The Health Department is asking people to wear masks indoors until new coronavirus case counts and hospitalizations start to fall, and strongly recommend that people wear masks in schools. The current increase in COVID-19 cases is expected to peak in mid-June, when PPS’s school year ends. 

On National School Nurse Day, we salute the four dozen nurses who serve Portland Public Schools.

Our school nurses have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, taking on responsibility for a wholly different level of care and an illness that remains a mystery in many ways, even after two years.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Portland Public Schools recognizes the important contributions of Asian Americans Pacific Islander.