Hello wonderful Vestal community-

This week feels  like we are in full swing! We have all of out students, Kindergarten through 5th grade here every day all day!

 A few notes-

• Today, we had out first fire drill and the students did an exceptional job! You may want to ask your child about the drill...it can be scary for our youngest students and it is certainly loud!

• SITE Council- Every school in PPS has a SITE council. This is a group of teacher, parents, and admin who meet once/month throughout the year to discuss Vestal's goals and vision. If you are interested in being on our SITE council, please email me. Our first meeting will be Oct. 11th from 2:30- 3:30. We’d LOVE to have you join us!

• YARD SIGNS will be available Friday afternoon! Please come take one from the grassy area by the front door! WE’d love to have them all throughout the neighborhood!

• TECHNOLOGY- After some new information from the district, we are now requesting that all students bring back the technology you used during last school year. Please return the computer and charger to your classroom teacher any day next week!

• We use our Facebook page for great pictures and reminders of big events. Starting NOW the facebook page will be marked private and you will need permission to access. Please request permission!

• Every Friday is Vestal Spirit Day! Wear your Vestal colors, tshirt, hat, or any clothes will social justice messages!

Vestal Peace, Sabrina Flamoe

NOTES from our Specialists!

Each week, a different specialist teacher (PE, ART, MUSIC, and LIBRARY) will have a note  in Community News. This week...it is PE!

This week in Physical Education: 

Hello amazing Vestal Families. This week in physical education we are starting the special superstars awards program where each class can earn a popsicle party for being a safe, kind learner while participating in their special areas classes. Ask your student to fill you in as they have been introduced to the new program. 

In Physical Education we have hit the ground running learning our daily warm up routine and progressing to playing a socially distanced game called extreme rock, paper, scissors.It is so great to see your students back in the gym. This game focuses on getting to know one another while we use different movement patterns to navigate a game board. Hand sanitizer as well as breathing zones and spots for a water break have been safely set up throughout the gym. Keeping your child safe is our number one priority. Be on the lookout for a spotlight each week with a focus on Art next week. Thanks so much! 

Coach C

Hello all! We have had a wonderful first two days back at school!

Each Thursday I will send out a Community News email with updates on the week and upcoming events. Starting next week, PTA will include information AND each week one of our four specialists (PE, MUSIC, LIBRARY and ART) will include information about their classes.

Each FRIDAY is Vestal Spirit Day...this is simply a day to celebrate our pride in our community! Kids and staff are encouraged to wear Vestal hats and t-shirts OR clothing with messages of social justice, hope, peace...and often rainbows!

One big message reminder today- PARKING and pick up time...it is quite crowded at pick up time. We need everyone to follow parking rules and this includes..

* NOT driving onto the playground anytime from 2:00-3:00....NOT AT ALL...please be courteous to staff if they need to remind you.

It simply isn't safe with so many people....mostly children, on the playground...so PLEASE NO moving cars!

* There are clearly marked no parking zones for the buses....please respect these guidelines...DO NOT PARK in bus zones. We had a car parked in an illegal spot that kept a bus from getting through....student shad to wait 40 minutes to get on their bus....it really matters.

* The whole goal is to keep kids safe...are we all need to work together...we are better together!

Thanks so very much!

Vestal Peace! Sabrina Flamoe

Hello all, I am writing on the evening of our last day of the school year.

It has absolutely been a year like none other.

There have been struggles and small victories throughout this past school year and certainly lots of growth.

I am hopeful that at some point in the future I might be able to reflect upon and write something that actually sort of captures the overwhelmingly of this past year.

However, that time is not yet...I can tell!

I'd like to simply say a huge and grateful thank you to everyone that has stuck with the Vestal Community throughout this year.

One goal at the beginning of this pandemic was that we were able to keep our school community a community- through distance, change, more distance, and more change...and so much uncertainty.

We remain a beautiful diverse, unique community and are already looking forward to the fall and re-connecting...putting the pieces back together into ONE WHOLE VESTAL VILLAGE.

For now, though, let's enjoy tomorrow and plan for lots of REST and lots of PLAY this summer!

With hope and in peace,

Sabrina Flamoe

A parent of a graduating 5th grader, Christine Spix, wrote this lovely Ode to Vestal today. It is a beautifully written reflection. I asked Chris if  could share, and thankfully she said YES!

An ode to Vestal ~ Before we knew you, you were just an old building sitting on the ever busy 82nd avenue. You seemed intimidating and mysterious. Yet when we walked your halls and began to explore what lay behind your hard brick exterior, we found something more then an education ~ we found community. Not a community that we personally crafted to fit our lifestyle, but one that truly reflected this eclectic neighborhood we call home  You taught us that learning does not just consist of books and facts to be memorized. Learning is what happens when we discover what is possible when we keep showing up to our community, everyday ~ every week~ every month & every year. The journey with you was not a lovely stroll, it was more of a climb with many switch backs and rocky terrain. Yet after 8 years of building & growing with you I can say the view from the top was worth every single step along the way. The lessons we learned being a part of the Vestal community will stay with us the rest of our lives and onward we will go with the Vestal values etched in our hearts. No longer are you just a building on a busy street ~ you are a constant daily reminder of what is possible when we believe in each other .

#vestalaschoolforsocialjustice 

Wonderful Vestal community-

For all the times I have sent out Community News late, I thought I'd try to balance that out and send this weeks news a day early!

WHY? You are wondering?? So that I can remind folks that we will be celebrating how incredible the Vestal students and families are at our Social Justice Showcase and Multicultural Night celebration tomorrow night!

As part of the celebrations, we are asking all the kids to wear Vestal gear and/or clothing with strong messages for social justice to school tomorrow...whether you are learning from home or at school! Just a reminder, hats are allowed at school:)

Tomorrow---Come to the Vestal campus around 5:00 for some live music and displays of social justice work done by our partners at PSU Artist as Citizen and Montavilla Jazz!

(Hope for sunshine)

Then head home and join us virtually for the showcase and celebrations!  LINK- meet.google.com/vez-isie-yoa    Starts at 6:00

From the attendance team- We just wanted to say how awesome all Vestal students have been with making it to CDL or hybrid class every day, including Wednesday for morning meetings! Keep up the amazing effort in your attendance & keep coming for the next 3 weeks that we have school and learning together !

This Friday- Packet pick up....PLEASE please pLEaSe return any and all library books! Ms. Hazen says "Thanks!"

Food pick up continues!

Reminder- No School Monday...Memorial Day.

In other, very sad news, I have just learned of the San Jose shooting and am yet again shocked and dismayed and really at a loss. I choose to believe and have hope that the children we are educating, teaching, and raising now will have the courage to advocate and create real local and national change. Your children show us every day that they know how to make great decisions, support their community, plan, and take local action...again, I remain hopeful that in so many ways they will lead us. Please give your young ones extra tight hugs tonight.

With hope and Vestal peace,

Sabrina Flamoe

Dear Families, Students and Colleagues,

Today begins Latino Heritage Month, an annual opportunity to celebrate and recognize the power of our multiracial Latinx community—past, present and future.

We wanted to remind you of the special Grand Opening Ceremony of the fully remodeled McDaniel High School on Saturday, September 18 at 11:00 a.m. at the front of the school (2735 NE 82nd Ave.). The ceremony will be followed by tours of the new campus.

Dr. Renard Adams, an accomplished educational leader with a history of using data to drive school support and district improvement, will join Portland Public Schools as Chief of Research, Assessment, & Accountability, Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero announced this week.

Dear PPS Students, Families and Staff,

With our ongoing commitment to keeping you informed, we have built an improved and more informative COVID-19 Monitoring Dashboard.