Hello all...I hope this finds you well and healthy. We have had a couple different viruses hitting many folks at school the past few weeks...I have been hit hard and been out the past two days and I know many of you and your children have been ill,too. I so hope we are all on the collective mend as it is ZERO fun being sick. I truly miss my day starting with high fives from your awesome kids!

Please put next Thursday night from 6-8 on your calendar! It is our first ever Social Justice Night and we will be showcasing the amazing projects your students have been doing throughout the school year  to take local action. We will also be showcasing our Shadow Boxes made with the help of the amazing artist in residence, Nancy Judd. These boxes represent the work of taking local action through an artistic lens. We will also be showcasing our new "Vestal is Socially Just" song, which rocks.

Please come and join us for Pizza and the Showcase!

In summer news, it turns out that Vestal will be getting some work done this summer, which is extensive enough to close the school. Thankfully this will mean asbestos abatement and new windows, which are both great! The drawback is the school will be closed for SUN. BUT good news, SUN is still happening, just at a different location. Please see below:

There's still time to sign up for Summer SUN!

• July 8 - August 1
• Monday through Thursday
• 8:45am-12:30pm
• Bus provided (to Jason Lee because Vestal will be closed)
• Breakfast & Lunch provided
• Free for anyone in Vestal Community
• Info packets are outside of SUN office, or contact Ryan at ryanm@irco.org or 503-438-5119

Alrighty, we so hope you all stay healthy and enjoy these last few weeks of the school year!

Have a terrific long weekend...no school Monday (Memorial Day)

Sabrina Flamoe

sflamoe@pps.net

Hello all and welcome to a Fall feeling Spring Thursday!

Please take note os some important date changes/reminders-

May 23rd- Connect to Kindergarten 9:00-10:00 Tell your neighbors and friends with little ones!

May 27th- No School- Memorial day

May 30th- Please come to our 1st ever Social Justice Showcase Night- Pizza served for dinner!

June 11th- Field Day for K-5

June 11th- 5th Grade Promotion 6-7 (Please note it is Tuesday night!!)

June12th -Last day of school!

Social Justice News-

May 30th will be a celebration of our 1st year as a school focused on Social Justice! Students have been working on local action projects through out the year and they will be showcasing their project! Also, we have had a wonderful artist in residence teaching students how to express their work through shadowboxes. These will also be displayed on May 30th!

This school year, we have been working as a staff to understand the 5 domains of social justice. Next school year we will be focused on teaching the students about the 5 domains of our social justice. They are-

* Academic Engagement

* Individual and Family Identity

* Community Diversity

* Local Action

* Social Justice

Go Blazers!

Sabrina Flamoe

sflamoe@pps.net

PTA NOTES

Vestal Spring Spruce

Due to the forecast for wet weather this weekend, the Spring Spruce is being postponed to Saturday, June 1 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Vestal welcomes Vestal families and the greater Montavilla Neighborhood community to be a part of a mural project on our school playground. Nancy Murphy, parent volunteer and Vestal's resident artist, has created a beautiful peacock mural to represent Vestal's school community and values. Please put your artistic hat on and help us paint the mural. We recommend wearing old clothes that you don't mind getting paint on and bringing a water bottle. We hope you can join us in this community building experience! 

June 4 PTA Meeting - Volunteers Needed!!!

PTA Elections will take place at the next PTA meeting on Tuesday, June 4 at 8:15am in the Teacher's Lounge and new volunteers are needed! Terms are ending for three of our four PTA board members.  As you know, PTA is responsible for hosting community building activities and raising money to support students and teachers at Vestal.  Open positions include President, Secretary, and Volunteer Coordinator.  Please consider volunteering to help continue this important work!

And a big "Thank You" to everyone who volunteered their time to help show our school staff and faculty how much we appreciate them!

Hello all- Happy sunny and warm Thursday!

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the real Spring weather!

Our school is busy and active every single day...students and teachers are committed to learning and staying focused on academics!

Remember- every Friday is Vestal Spirit Day!

Please note-

Needle Felting Class Monday May 20th

If you won a needle felting class, at the school auction, please contact Ms. Connolly. wconnnolly@pps.net

The class will be held on Monday, May 20th, after school. Please come to Portable 1,  2:30-4

Snacks will be provided

Sabrina Flamoe

sflamoe@pps.net

Hello- Please see below for lots of important news and updates from PTA...I will keep my notes short:)

This week has been full of learning and sunshine (a great combo!) Every time I am in classrooms, i am amazed to see the progress of all of the kids learning and the amazing work of our teachers to engage and interact with students in such meaningful ways! Your kids are pretty amazing and we are always aware of the trust you give us each day!

Friday will be a busy day...the Talent Show starts at 12:05 (right after our last lunch) and will likely go until about 2:00...thanks to Ms. Finke and M.s Hutchinson for all of their amazing work pulling this show together...I, personally, am so excited to see our kids perform! Please remind your student that everyone participating is being very courageous by getting up on stage and that we, Vestal, will be a supportive, encouraging, appreciative audience!

Friday is also Vestal Spirit day...please wear Vestal gear, clothing with peace and justice message or...Blazer gear! Our Portland Blazers play tomorrow night! (Just so people know, I am really into the Blazers right now because my 15 year old is currently obsessed...plus it is pretty fun to cheer for the home team:)

Also, today and tomorrow are the last two days to VOTE for VESTAL through the OnPoint Community Credit Union Community Builder grant...please take a few minutes to vote for us on line if you can!

Please remember that there is no school next WEDNESDAY, MAY 8th.

OK...that is all for now! Enjoy the SUN,

Sabrina Flamoe

sflamoe@pps.net

In this week's PPS Pulse: Two Franklin High teachers win significant awards; Lincoln opens 50-year-old time capsule

Dear PPS Community,

It is with a sense of optimism and encouragement that I am sharing with you news about something I believe will have a lasting impact on the future of our school system and our ability to better serve our students. The Oregon Legislature has approved, and Gov. Kate Brown has signed, the Student Success Act, an investment package projected to provide public schools throughout the state with approximately $1 billion a year in additional funding.

Two teachers at Franklin High School have won significant awards for their service to students. Mercedes Munoz won an Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year Award, and Anne McHugh won a Presidential Innovation Award for the Pacific Northwest from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Over the last year there has been a groundswell of activity around improving student health and wellness in Portland Public Schools. Aided by partnerships that have resulted in PPS receiving three grants totaling about $3 million, the district’s Health Education and Student Support Services teams have been able to bring innovative programming and new staff to PPS’s health education efforts.