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Kyle Holbrook, founder of Moving Lives of Kids (MLK Mural Project), has created over 150 Murals in Miami, nearly 400 murals in the Pittsburgh area, murals in every Borough of New York City, several in Phoenix, San Fransisco, London, Tokyo as well as in 43 countries and 49 states. His collaborative work focuses on galvanizing people through the power of art, with a specialty in working with adults and youth with special needs. Holbrook aims to show the true power of art to unite communities, champion causes, and beautify neighborhoods, thereby reducing criminal activity through the broken windows theory. He has also collaborated with police departments to improve community relations and created memorials and works for veterans, in addition to contributing to major events like the US Open, the World Cup, and the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

This Fall, Kyle Holbrook will be at Sitton painting a mural in celebration of our the work of our students, families and staff as Portland's First Neighborhood School! We are so excited and honored to work with Kyle. You can find more information about his other works at: https://www.mlkmural.com/

All September long you can "round up" your bill at St. John's Ace Hardware in support of Sitton students. 100% of proceeds from this fundraiser will go to support hands-on learning experiences, field trips and guest speakers. We are so grateful for the community support. Please tell your friends, family, and neighbors about this awesome opportunity. Thanks again to the Broadway Ace Hardware Group for their support in fostering engaging and joyful learning in our community. Go Falcons!  

The assignment their teacher gave them was simple – make a short film that begins with a phone call and ends with someone hanging up. Benson first-year students Dylan Martinez-Torres and Dariel Soriano Zamora ran it all the way to a small city populated by two very big and rather iconic monsters – Godzilla and Hedora.

The result, Sorry, Wrong Number, is one of the more than 90 films entered into the annual Best of PPS Film Festival. The festival is a celebration of exceptional student filmmaking that includes a showcase at the historic Hollywood Theatre. 

The fourth annual installment of the festival took place on May 21 and included a screening of 13 standout films. The films came from all over PPS and ran the gamut from Dylan and Dariel’s monster short to documentaries, film noir, and broadcast journalism. 

If you are a passionate student or community member that wants to make a difference at PPS, apply to join the Climate Crisis Response Committee! This is a committee that reports to the PPS Board of Education.

On the committee you will learn about how PPS is making progress towards our climate justice and sustainability policies, provide input and recommendations to the PPS Board on how to better support PPS staff as we advance these policy goals, and connect with other passionate members of our PPS community from diverse backgrounds, knowledge areas, and lived experiences.

No previous professional experience in climate change or sustainability required! Students can apply via this form. Community members can apply here.

Deadline to apply: June 6. 

Earthstock 2025 was a huge success!

Each year, special education students from across the region gather at Portland's Crystal Ballroom for a truly unique and uniquely joyful high school dance. 

Earthstock began in 1992 at the request of a young student who was confined to a wheelchair and was disappointed he couldn’t attend the high school dances because of transportation issues. There were 60 kids at the first event. Earthstock now entertains more than 700 students, staff and volunteers, and is rapidly becoming one the largest events of its kind in the country. 

Students at Skyline school were recently treated to a visit from PPS teacher-turned-graphic novelist Aron Nels Steinke. 

Steinke is the award-winning author and illustrator behind the popular Mr. Wolf's Class series. He also taught at Skyline during the 2015-16 school year.

During his visit to Skyline, he opened up to a group of third, fourth, and fifth graders about how he got started as an author despite struggling to read and write in school. He also read a short excerpt from his newest book, Speechless. 

Speechless tells the story of Mira, a sixth grader who spends her first year of middle school finding herself and her voice. Skyline students were some of the book's first readers. We can't wait to see what Mr. Steinke writes next!