01/14/22 School Messenger
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• School News (NEW)
• Upcoming Dates (NEW)
• Websites to Know (NEW)
• Reminders
• Safe Parking and Driving (NEW)
• 5th Grade Safety Patrol Volunteers Needed
• Request From the Cafeteria
• Wanted: Games for Middle School Classroom
• Missing: Butterfly Ring
• Child Care Family Satisfaction Survey
• Please Send Water Bottles with Students Every Day
• From Garden to Kitchen
• SES PTSA News

School News (NEW)
Hello Sunnyside Community,

What a delight to end this week with a little sunny weather and some lovely treats from parents. Thank you!

As you know, I have been working on contact tracing for the district and family notification as our MESD service district is about a week and a half behind in attending to our paperwork. We have had several positive cases and we have been working with our school team to notify and contact trace. I know that this has been a very anxiety inducing time and I share the frustration with lack of testing and resources around testing for families. I want you to know that we will continue to work with the district to provide Sunnyside families with up to date information. I know you have seen the closures at some of the district schools and I want to let you know that currently we are fully staffed at Sunnyside and have no intention of closing. That said, we will continue to monitor the situation and notify you immediately if anything changes. Please continue to notify the school if your child is absent and PLEASE err on the side of caution with your child's symptoms and health.

And for the good news: We are getting tents! After lots of advocacy on our part, facilities will be here next Tuesday and Wednesday to put up tents for Sunnyside students to eat outside. We are so grateful for your continued support and we still need lunch volunteers to help us for lunch, so please sign up on Sign Up Genius.

Have a wonderful weekend. As we enter into Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend I just wanted to share this video of John Lewis doing a MLK Jr. tribute. As we all grapple with the fear and anxiety of our time, remembering those who fought bravely for justice and equity feels like a little balm for a hard time.

Thank you Sunnyside Community for all you do and thank you for your students.
Eryn 

Upcoming Dates (NEW)
View the full SES calendar here.

Websites to Know

• Can My Child Go to School Today?
• COVID-19 Exclusion Guidance for K-12 (NEW)
• OHSU K-12 COVID-19 Screening Program information
• 2021-22 8th Grade Information Page
• SES attendance form
• SES Lost & Found submission form and photo gallery
• Lunch volunteer signup
• SES PTSA 2021 Back-to-School Ask
• Sunnyside School Page
• SES PTSA website and SES PTSA meeting link

Reminders
To help keep things working smoothly, here are some gentle reminders from the front office:

• Please have your students wear coats and bring an extra change of clothes.

• Please do not park in no-parking zones or crosswalks.

• Please walk or carry anything wheeled while on school grounds.

• Please volunteer during lunch to help keep kids distanced.

• Please do not idle your car engine while waiting to pick up students.

• Please come to the front door and buzz if your student arrives late or leaves early.

Safe parking and driving (NEW)
Once again, we remind adults to not idle or park in crosswalks. Since our safety patrol began, we’ve seen firsthand how many close calls result from school and neighborhood traffic, as well as from anger (and RAGE) at drivers, pedestrians, and even at the students on safety patrol.

Please do not block traffic to let your students out of your idling car. There is always plenty of parking a block or two from school; please park safely and walk.

5th Grade Safety Patrol Volunteers Needed
SES 5th graders will begin improving the safety of intersections at SES in the coming weeks, and we need adult volunteers (of kids in any grade) to supervise three intersections during dropoff (8:20-8:45am) and pickup (2:50-3:15pm). This is an important service opportunity for students, as well as a valuable offering to the Sunnyside neighborhood. If you are interested in learning more or in volunteering, please email Jess Oskin at joskin@pps.net.

Request From the Cafeteria
Christina in the Cafeteria requests donations of silverware. If you’ve any cutlery to share, please bring it to the office.

Wanted: Games for Middle School Classroom
If you can donate any of the following games, please bring them to the SES office:

• Bananagrams
• Bananagrams (with big letters)
• Taboo

Missing: Butterfly Ring
If you have found a butterfly ring, please bring it to the SES office. It is of great sentimental value to its owner.

Child Care Family Satisfaction Survey
Portland Public Schools is interested in learning about your children's experiences in before- and after-school care. Please complete the survey linked below by Friday, February 18, 2022. For best results, complete one survey for each child. This survey is completely anonymous and results are shared with the child care provider and school principal for program improvement and continued student and family support.

English | Español | Tiếng Việt | 中文 | Русски | Soomaali

Please Send Water Bottles with Students Every Day
Good news! Sunnyside’s water fountains and water bottle stations will soon be replaced with filtered systems. During the transition, students will have access to temporary water dispensers. Please make sure to send a water bottle with each student every day; in the past, we’ve struggled to keep up with providing cups to students … as well as keeping empty cups from hallways, trash cans, and the playground.

From Garden to Kitchen
Steph will be teaching cooking classes this winter in our "community kitchen" while the cold winds blow outside. Can you please help for two hours on any of these winter weekdays? There is a SIGN-UP where you will see which classes are attending, but it need not be your child's class. Volunteers do not need prior experience, only the standard PPS background check and proof of vaccination. Volunteers are critical to monitor safety at stoves and with knives, assist students with their questions and to assist kids in cleaning up. You also get to sample creations :) Please email Steph with questions: sunnysidesustainability@gmail.com.

SES PTSA News
Please check here for any new information from our incredibly supportive PTSA.

• Wednesday, January 19, 6:30pm: PTSA Board meeting (open to all)
  Please join us at our virtual PTSA meeting on Wednesday, January 19 at 6:30pm. It's a great way to find out more about what the PTSA does and how you can get involved. Use this Google Meet link, or the link on our calendar at sesptsa.org.

Dear Sunnyside Community,

As many of you know, we are heading into fall and to the rainy season. I have worked with the Sunnyside Safety Team to update our indoor lunch plan to adhere to the latest guidelines.

I have made sure that we have six feet apart in the school cafeteria, in the hallway, and in the auditorium for students to eat inside if necessary. In addition, I have two air filters running in each of these spaces, fans, and windows/doors open. We will have lunch volunteers who will be helping to supervise these spaces and we can make available spaces outside for students to sit if you do not want your student eating inside. Please note, if you do not want your student inside, please let them know that they need to choose on their own to go outside and eat under the supervision of the volunteers. With the amount of supervision that is needed by school personnel, we cannot track individual requests and students will need to choose to go outside on their own. If you choose to pick your student up because it is raining, please do so by 11:00 AM so that school staff can all help supervise lunch and recess as needed.

I will try to watch the rain and if we can go outside and eat without it pouring, we will do so. Please use your best judgement as a parent to decide whether or not to pick your child up. Please send your child in warm and rain appropriate gear.

If you have further questions or questions about our COVID safety plan, please reference the COVID presentation and the Back to School Night Presentation. Both are attached below.

I know that there are many concerns about COVID and safety in our schools. Please rest assured that I consider those concerns when making a plan and any instances or reports of COVID exposure will be investigated and reported to our team of nurses at the MESD and appropriate notifications will be made.

In partnership,
Dr. Eryn Berg
Principal, Sunnyside Environmental School
https://www.pps.net/sunnyside
Sunnyside BTSN slides
She/ Hers/ They (Why?)

Every corner of my heart loves you

In a field of fields you are the largest field
In a field of moons you are the most moons

~ Anis Mojgani
  The Piano Farm

Hello families!

We look forward to seeing you all tonight at Back to School Night (virtually). Classroom teachers have emailed you their zoom or google meet links; here's a reminder of the schedule:

• 6pm: All School Welcome Via Zoom-Alix and Eryn
  https://pps-net.zoom.us/j/82127272256?pwd=VkhUbDBsSWJZVlJCQzBFVXB5SlZuUT09
  
• 6:15-6:45pm: Grades K-2 meet with your student’s teacher
  
  
• 6:45-7:15pm: Grades 3-5 meet with your student’s teacher
  
  
• 7:15-7:45pm: Middle School classes meet with your student’s core teacher

Specialists:

• PE: meet.google.com/ttv-nwcv-ufo
  6:30-7:00 for Middle School, 7:00-7:30 for K-5
  
  
• Art: meet.google.com/kdp-dunn-rmm
  6:30-7:00 for Middle School, 7:15-7:45 for K-5
  
  
• Library: meet.google.com MEET CODE: sunnysidereads
  6:30-7:00 for Middle School, 7:15-7:45 will be for K-5 

SPED staff: https://meet.google.com/dzb-bnjn-eoe
6:30 - 7:45
Adrianne / Eva / Ellen / Megan

Counselors: https://meet.google.com/fjv-yecw-bci

• Grades 3-5 6:20 - 6:45
• Middle School 6:50 - 7:15
• Grades 1-2 7:20 - 7:45

Can't wait to see you soon!
Alix and Eryn

Dear PPS Families,

On September 24, 2021, we expect some PPS students to participate in a Climate Strike. Students are planning to walk out of class and gather at the Oregon Convention Center at 11:00 am and then march to city hall to share their concerns related to climate change and climate justice.

PPS is not sponsoring this event, but we do recognize students’ constitutional right to freedom of expression. We also recognize that:

This student-led event involves learning opportunities that align with the spirit of the PPS Board of Education's approved Climate Justice Resolution #5272.

Our district vision, PPS reImagined, includes a graduate portrait that describes expectations for student growth in their understanding of racial equity and climate justice issues.

The subject matter aligns with both our district policies and core curriculum.

Please talk with your student about this event. Once students leave our campus for unsponsored events, Portland Public Schools can no longer guarantee their safety. We ask you to please discuss your family's expectations with your student about their participation, safety during walkout and demonstrations, expectations regarding COVID-19 prevention strategies (masks, physical distancing, etc), and communication with you if they choose to leave school during the day.

For our high school students: Consistent with Oregon law and district policies, students must make arrangements with their teachers or principals for addressing any missed school assignments (including quizzes, tests). High school students must make arrangements and have parent/guardian permission with their teachers in order to receive an excused absence if they choose to take part in local climate strike activities. Staff will not be able to supervise students after they leave campus.

For our high school student athletes: Additionally, student athletes who choose to participate in activities on September 24 must communicate with teachers prior to participating in the walkout to talk about missed work and have a parent/guardian or the student give advance notice to their school’s athletic director of their participation in the strike. If these actions are taken, student athletes will be eligible to play in games or practices that afternoon/evening.

For our elementary and middle school students: Elementary and Middle School students will be asked to remain in the building. Parents may choose to sign their students out and participate with them. If parents plan for an adult other than parent/guardian to check out their student, you will need to update the school that another adult is authorized to pick up your student.

Students who are not in class will be marked absent, and regular attendance phone calls will be made through our standard notification system. Once students leave school grounds we cannot ensure their location or their safety. Additionally, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we encourage limiting large gatherings to avoid possible spread. Please discuss with your student your family’s expectations for the day. Please reach out to your principal with any questions or concerns.

Finally, per PPS reImagined, our district vision, we recognize that student leadership and advocacy is an important part of the educational experience:

PPS Climate Justice Youth Advisory Group: We encourage students to join the PPS Climate Justice Youth Advisory Group, which serves to advise PPS senior leaders on the future of climate justice efforts in our school district. For details, please contact Yian Saechao, PPS’ Youth Engagement Specialist at yisaechao@pps.net.

Climate Crisis Response Policy Survey: We also encourage your students and you to provide feedback via this survey on our emerging Climate Crisis Response Policy, a set of policy strategies the PPS Board of Education is considering to reduce PPS’ greenhouse gas emissions and build a culture of learning, responsibility, and resilience around climate justice.

Thank you.

Please join me in welcoming our new Spanish teacher, Peter Gawronski.

Mr. Gawronski comes to us with a wealth of talent, experience, education and enthusiasm. He has taught Spanish at every level from 1st grade through 3rd year college. The former owner of Gawronski Tutoring & Translating, he also speaks German, French and Japanese. When not teaching Spanish, Mr. Gawronski can be found spending time with his family, doing housework to become "inspection ready," or engaging in wholesome recreational activities.

Please give him a warm welcome, bienvenido, youkoso, welcomen or bienvenue!
Eryn

Dear PPS Community,

The PPS Board of Education will consider a resolution at an upcoming meeting to make Monday, January 31 into a school climate work day for school staff, with no classes held for students. 

Dear PPS Community,

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD) released new contact tracing and notification requirements for K-12 schools today:

Dear PPS Families,

Effective today, Thursday Jan 13, 2022, PPS will implement changes to athletics and a variety of activities in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 across our community:

Dear McDaniel Community,

We are so pleased to inform you that McDaniel will return to in-person classes on [date]. We realize that closing the campus and moving to temporary distance learning created challenges for families, but the dramatic rise in absences of staff and students fueled by the omicron variant of COVID-19 made it too difficult to keep the campus open safely.