In this Edition

The Doctor Is In! Message from Dr Berg & Survey Due Monday! Below

Odyssey Parents with Incoming Students Next Year – Must Enter Lottery & Attend Info Session: Below

The Green Routine – Lunchroom Revolution & Student Green Team! Below

Notes From & About the Odyssey Library: Below

Parenting & Sexuality – Speaker & Discussion, 3/12: Below &Attached

Lincoln Cluster Sports Are Here! Below

Wilson High School Regarding PPS Bond Measure: Below

“A Healthy Me is Substance Free” PPS Talk, 2/27 at Grant HS: Attached

 

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Upcoming Events

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SURVEY BY Monday 2/24: https://forms.gle/ShN5SCp2JEGgfGed8

“A Healthy Me is Substance Free” PPS Talk: Thursday, 2/27 at Grant HS

Student Green Team Meeting: Friday 2/28, 2:15-3:30 pm

Odyssey Information Session: Friday, 3/6, 9:00-10:0 am

Parenting & Sexuality – Speaker & Discussion, 3/12 at Odyssey

 

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The Doctor Is In!

 

Hello Sunshine!

 

It’s been so nice this past week getting a break from the cold and the rain.  I continue to receive accolades for our 345 Performance and I just want to thank all our students, teachers, and families that made this performance possible.  The excitement that these students have for learning is infectious and I love how busy our hallways with activities and learning.

 

As part of our work this year we have formed a site council which is composed of teachers, administrators, and parents.  As due diligence the site council has asked that parents complete a survey about childcare and school beginning/ending times.  This collected information will be used to develop our schedule for next year and to also give the PTA a better idea of how to move forward with after school classes in the future.  Please take a moment to complete the survey.  PLEASE COMPLETE BY Monday February 24th.  https://forms.gle/ShN5SCp2JEGgfGed8

 

Important note about our playground, according to PPS Policy, Dogs on leash are also welcome visitors except during school hours (generally 8:30-4:15) as long as owners scoop the poop.  Dogs off-leash are not allowed on PPS school grounds at any time.  We are hopeful that the school communities will help to inform visitors of these rules as we continue to work toward keeping our schools clean and safe for our students and the community.  This has increasingly been an issue at Odyssey as often our students are stepping in dog poop and tracking it inside and on their clothes.  We ask everyone to please help keep our playground clean.  We will be installing a dog bag station thanks to the generous funding of the PTA and this will also hopefully help our efforts in keeping our playground clean.  Please do not bring your dog into the building.

 

Please also remember that we open the doors at 7:45. There is no supervision outside of the building before this time.  If students are waiting for the doors to open, we ask that they wait quietly and patiently and that students refrain from climbing on the building or railings.  There is a staff member in the auditorium from 7:45 to 7:55, but please remind your child that this is not a time for tag or boisterous games.  We need all students to help us keep each other safe.

 

I have so appreciated all the parents that step up to volunteer for all of our different events.  If you want to be involved and cannot come during the school day, please connect with the PTA about other opportunities.  It was great last night to have so many of our parents come help with info night and several visitors complimented us on our parent involvement.  It is so beneficial to our program and kids to have you all so committed to our program.  Thank you!

 

As we roll into March, we all are looking forward to the 678 performance.  I cannot wait!  

 

Dr. Eryn Berg 

she/her or they/theirs (what is this?)

Principal, Odyssey K-8

 

“I truly believe the only way we can create global peace is through not only educating our minds, but our hearts and our souls.”

Malala Yousafzai 

 

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!! Odyssey Parents With An Incoming Student Next Year!!

 

Existing Odyssey families receive priority in the lottery, however you will need to attend a parent information meeting and submit an online lottery application. Apply here:  pps.schoolmint.net 

The lottery opens Feb. 5^th and closes March 6^th. 

 

Upcoming Information Meeting:

Friday, March 6th, 9:00-10:0 am (This meeting is primarily designed for parents who cannot attend the evening meeting and/or don’t care to have a school tour. Teachers or administration will not be present at the March 6th meeting and there will be no classroom visitation available.) Students are welcome to attend with parent; however, childcare is not provided.

 

Thank you,

Angela Hoffart

Principal’s Secretary

The Odyssey Program

     at East Sylvan

P:  503.916.6310

F:  503.916.2124

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The Green Routine

 

We need at least one parent volunteer everyday to make our Lunchroom Revolution a success – join us! For just one hour from 11-12, you can see your kid at lunch and do something great for the environment! Won’t you consider “being the change?” SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION.

 

Is your 3^rd – 8^th grade student interested in being a part of our Student Green Team? With the mentorship of Parent Green Team volunteers, we are inviting earth-loving students to join us in planning Earth Month/Day activities and getting involved in school sustainability initiatives. Beginning this month, the Student Green Team will meet on the last Friday of every month after school for one hour from 2:30-3:30 in the Library. Parent Green Team Volunteers will meet 345 kids at 2:15pm and provide snacks. Please sign your student up here to participate in the Ody Student Green Team.

 

Do you have a Bottle Drop Account? Instead of redeeming your recyclable cans and bottles for change, you can donate that change Odyssey. Click here to learn how to donate to Odyssey with your Bottle Drop account! We will also have a Bottle Drop center at school to collect redeemable bottles and cans to raise money for Odyssey sustainability initiatives!

 

Our Trex Challenge has collected over 100 pounds of soft plastic waste since beginning mid-January. Keep it up! Thank you to our volunteers for collecting our Trex collections!

 

Odyssey Eco-Events:

·      Lunchroom Revolutions: Collective actions have more impact than individual choices! Help our community collectively make big improvements to our environmental impact through composting and better recycling in our school cafeteria. Follow the link to be a part of our modeling conservation behaviors to the next generation.

·      Friday February 28, 2:15-3:30 Student Green Team Meeting! Your child can join with other earth-loving students to plan Earth Day/Month activities and support campus sustainability initiatives. Click here to RSVP for your child. 3-8 graders only

 

Weekly Eco-Tip:

 

Can you believe it’s looking like spring outside already and it’s only the middle of February?! Yikes. Admittedly, though, I’m not complaining too much about the gorgeous sunshine, and the daffodils and snow-drops popping up all over the place. I even splurged on a bouquet of locally-grown, pesticide-fee tulips wrapped in some straight-up brown craft paper. Fresh flowers do wonders to help your mood, especially if you suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder, which I do FOR SURE unless I take a ton of Vitamin Ds). Before you splurge on a bouquet for yourself or a loved-one, get the not-so-pretty facts about the cut flower industry:

-       Almost 80%of the 6.8 billion stems of flowers sold annually in the US are imported.

-       The majority of cut-flowers in the US are greenhouse grown in Columbia or Ecuador, and use a large amount of water, pesticides, and refrigeration.

-       Workers toiling away in Columbian greenhouses are often displaced people from guerilla warfare and rural poverty. Many workers are women and children as young as 9 years old, toiling for long hours in sub-par conditions. Children 11+ work upwards of 46 hours a week in all areas of the farms.

-       Flower-industry workers are exposed to nearly 147 different chemicals and pesticides, with exposure causing higher rates of miscarriages, premature births and babies with congenital defects. 20% of these chemicals are actually restricted from use in the US, but not from arriving on your bouquet.

-       Any environmental controls for water and chemical usage are self-regulating, with only half of farms participating.

-       Most flowers come in non-recyclable cellophane floral wrap, many with those little plastic water tubes that get capped on the flower stems – also not recyclable.

-       The estimated 100 million roses sold on Valentine’s Day alone produce 9,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (this probably doesn’t include the amount of methane non-composted flowers produce once they wither and are thrown out to landfill.)

 

So, what’s a flower-girl to do? Look for “naked” stems without plastic-wrap, and shop local flowers grown in season. Choose “organic” “sustainable” or “fair-trade” flowers, or blooms with Veriflora, Florverde, or USDA certifications (but remember these are self-reporting, so local is better). In the Pacific Northwest, native blooms and successful imports like tulips are starting to appear, and these would have a much lower environmental impact as well as contribute to our natural ecosystems, feed the bees, and have a much smaller carbon footprint.

 

Don’t be trashy: #buylocal

 

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Message From & About Odyssey Library

 

Information you may find helpful:

 

·      When students are using technology in the classroom, the expectation is that they are using it for classroom assignments only. A new tool was rolled out to teachers by the district this year which enables them to see the screens of students on their monitor in real time. This allows the teacher to redirect students who get off task. Your student’s classroom may or may not be using it yet as staff is still receiving training. Individual teachers will decide when or if to use it in their classrooms.  Students receive a pop-up message when a teacher opens this tool and then students will confirm that they are sharing their monitor.

·      The district uses a service to provide internet safety (filters, malware protection, etc) which works when students are at school and logged on to the PPS network.  This protection is dependent on students being on the PPS network; it is not attached to their Google Classroom account. If your student logs into their Google Classroom account while on your home network the only filters or protections they will have are whatever you have on your home network.  

·      The personal version of the PPS service is called OpenDNS if you are interested in investigating this to use at home.  This is one possible cloud-based security system you might consider purchasing for home use, but there are others.  

·      Want more information on internet safety for your child?  https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ is widely recommended source for parents to keep up on the latest media their child might be consuming.  Recent topics include cyberbullying, apps to look out for and how to set parental controls on Netflix. 

 

A Note on Digital Citizenship Curriculum During Library:

·      Throughout the year, Ms. Chambers is teaching digital citizenship curriculum lessons. The main resource used is the free curriculum from Common Sense Media, which is recommended by the PPS Library Services department. 

·      Each grade level has age-appropriate lessons covering a range of topics. Some topics include safety when online, respecting the intellectual property of others, cyberbullying, and identifying fake or unreliable sources of information.

·      Ms. Chambers also incorporates digital citizenship topics into other library/media units of study. Examples include research project units and technology creation projects.

 

Dr. Eryn Berg 

she/her or they/theirs (what is this?)

Principal, Odyssey K-8

 

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Parenting & Sexuality - Speaker & Discussion: Wednesday, 3/12

 

Odyssey and Hayhurst PTAs will be presenting on March 12 at 6:15pm in the Odyssey auditorium a parent only evening discussion of parenting and sexuality. Our guest speakers, Renee Caballero from Conscious Family Solutions and Nathan Moore will address topics such as gender identity vs. sexuality, terms, statistics, supports, student voices, questions and answers, and resources.  Plus, snacks.

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Lincoln Cluster Sports Are Here!

 

Spring Sports Season is here! Please follow this link for information about Lincoln Cluster spring sports https://lincolnyouthathletics.weebly.com/spring-sports.html: 

 

Baseball

Girls Lacrosse (grades 3–12)

Boys Lacrosse (grades 6–12)

Softball (ages 5–14)

Track & Field (grades 6–8)

 

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Message from Wilson High School Regarding Bond Measure

 

Dear Wilson Neighborhood Community,

 

Now is the time to let the PPS School Board know that Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland should be included on the 2020 Bond! 

 

A modernized Wilson would provide students with state-of-the-art learning facilities for generations to come.  While much has changed since 1957, Wilson facilities have not.  It is time to ensure that all PPS high schools, including Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland, provide students with 21^st century learning opportunities.

 

These are some highlights from preliminary modernization plans for Wilson High School:

• Wilson students will stay in the current building while the new building is constructed. 
• New building will include modernized classrooms, science labs, career-and-technical education spaces, fine and performing arts facilities, athletic facilities, and more.
• The Wilson pool can remain on camps.
• No expenditures are needed for bussing and temporary classrooms - money can be directly invested in the new facilities.
• The 2020 bond will keep the current tax levels unchanged.

 

Please contact PPS School Board members and share this simple message: The time has come to modernize Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland.

 

Andrew Scott (Wilson)- anscott@pps.net

Michelle DePass (Jefferson) - mdepass@pps.net

Amy Kohnstamm (Board Chair) - akohnstamm@pps.net

Rita Moore (Vice-Chair) - rmoore5@pps.net

Scott Bailey - sbailey@pps.net

Julia Brim-Edwards - jbrim-edwards@pps.net

Eilidh Lowery (Cleveland) - elowery@pps.net

 

Erica Caldwell

Business Manager
Wilson High School

office:  503-916-5280 Ext 75211
cell:  541-521-8282

ecaldwell@pps.net
http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/wilson/

Dear Odyssey Community,

I am honored to have been chosen as the new Odyssey principal.  Since starting my teaching career in Florida almost twenty five years ago, I have been committed to transformational learning and am excited to move to Odyssey and the embrace of experiential learning.  

I spent the bulk of my teaching career in Brooklyn teaching high school and it was during that time that I was part of forming 9th grade institutes which committed themselves to interdisciplinary learning and team work.  It is with great excitement that I look forward to more of this work at Odyssey.

During my time as an administrator I have served at high school, k-5, and k-8 levels and am looking forward to returning to the k-8 world.  This is truly a journey that I am honored to be on and looking forward to meeting all of you and getting to know the students, teachers, staff, and families.

I grew up here in the PNW and my two sons are enrolled in PPS.  I will have a 7th grader and 9th grader next year and truly understand how important it is that our schools provide opportunities for our children to grow academically and emotionally.  Critical thinking is key and I truly believe that by being self-reflective and choosing empathy and understanding, we can prepare ourselves for engagement in the world around us.  

I am excited to get to know you and please do not hesitate to introduce yourselves and stop by and say hi once we get the new school year up and running.  Looking towards a great year together!

Best,
Dr. Eryn Berg

eberg@pps.net 

Dear PPS Families and Staff,

After much urgent collaboration and planning, today leadership from Portland Public Schools and the Portland Association of Teachers shared with all of our PPS educators the outline for how teachers will begin working online next week. This outline represents our upcoming efforts to most effectively phase in supports for our students and teachers during the extended closure of our schools. We appreciate your patience while we, like other school districts, adapt our instructional delivery model virtually overnight. Next week we will share with you a detailed, multi-week plan for home-based learning for your students. Please stay tuned for that.

Dear PPS Families and Staff,

We want to continue to provide you with the latest updates and information. Work continues around the clock to provide academic and social emotional supports as well as meals to students during the statewide school closure, which per Governor Brown’s Executive Order, will extend through April 28.  

Families of PPS,

As the coronavirus situation continues to develop, we are looking at a number of ways to deliver the best possible experiences for students during the extended break, and we want to make sure all of our students can remain connected to their peers, teachers, and schools and have regular access to learning opportunities and curriculum materials.