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Chief Joseph Elementary
A strong, diverse and respectful community
where we make learning creative and fun

2409 N. Saratoga St.•Portland, OR 97217•Ph (503) 916-6255•Fx (503) 916-2618

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Chief Joseph
School News

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Principal's Message

  • Dear Families,

     

    Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! As a staff, we are excited for the upcoming school year and are eagerly looking forward to building memories and relationships, as well as developing the skills and knowledge to be critical thinkers and change agents in our community.

     

    School doors will open at 8:37, and school will begin at 8:45, dismissing at 3:00 pm. Students in grades 1-2 will enter through the doors near the library.  Students in grades 3-5 will enter the doors near the gym.  Fifth grade students will go directly to the classroom on the first day of school.  Following that, they will drop off items in the classroom, and proceed to their 1st period specials class.

     

    The school day begins with a community circle, and we are making it our goal to start the school day when the bell rings at 8:45.  Please try to arrive in time for students to get to class and put away belongings, so they are ready to join the community circle at 8:45.

     

    Again this year, both 4th and 5th grades will be departmentalizing, with one teacher focusing on the math, science and health portions of the content and the other teacher focusing on reading, writing and social studies. This change allows teachers to strengthen their expertise by narrowing the content bands they are required to teach. It will also allow students diversity in their teachers and begin preparing them for middle school.  

     

    We have had a few shifts in positions; staffing for the 2023-24 school year is as follows:

    Kindergarten:  Ms. Cooper, Ms. Larsen

    1st Grade:  Ms. Peake, Ms. Pepper

    2nd Grade:  Ms. Ferguson, Ms. Pearson

    3rd Grade:  Ms. Michels, Mr. Wolfe

    4th Grade:  Mr. Ibrahim, Ms. Ferguson

    5th Grade:  Ms. Brislin, Mr. Brown

    PE: Ms. Mazur

    Music: Ms. Ray

    Media: Ms. Hall (½ time)

    Art: Mr. Gostovich 

    Counselor: Ms. Weed

    Reading Intervention: (½ time)

    Ms. Hall & Jennifer Pettit

    ELL: Ms. Routtenberg

    Social Worker: TBD

    School Climate Coach: Ms. Whitaker

    Learning Center: Ms. Lopez

    Speech Pathologist: Ms. LeMeune

    Paraeducator: Ms. Thompson, Ms. Filko

    School Psychologist: Mr. Backner

    Instructional Specialist: Ms.Fogg

    Educational Assistant: Ms. Newton

    Library Assistant: Ms. Woodward

    School Secretary: Ashley Gale

    Principal’s Secretary: Michelle Rowley 

    Custodian: Ms. DeWeese, Walter Bennett

     

     

    I am extremely excited for the upcoming year and look forward to continuing to build community, advance social justice issues and improve learning.

     

    Sincerely,

    Amber Gerber

    Principal, Chief Joseph Elementary School

    agerber@pps.net

    971.284.7108

District News

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  • Harrison Park Embraces Its Inner Panther

    11/27/2023
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    Harrison Park, which transitioned from a K-8 to a middle school this fall, recently held a school-wide vote for a new mascot. According to Principal Leah Dickey, these first few months as a middle school have been pivotal for students as they navigate the new exciting normal and establish an identity as a school and community. Picking a mascot has been an important part of that journey.

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  • Roseway Heights Principal Honored for Commitment to Equity

    10/27/2023
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    Principal Phu Dao is many things to the students and staff of Roseway Heights Middle School: mentor, role model, champion, friend. Ask anyone who has learned from and worked with him and they will tell you that he has dedicated his entire career to advocating for students, families, and educators. And now he’s being honored for that dedication.

    Courageous Conversation, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that works with individuals and institutions to address racial disparities through sustained, fruitful dialogue, has named Principal Dao this year’s recipient of the Dr. Charles Hopson Racial Equity Principal Leadership Award. 

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  • The Sky's the Limit for Skyline's C.A.S. Clubs

    10/27/2023
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    Instructor with students outside

    Bird watching, Lego robotics, gardening, mindful art, coding, running and walking, the high-stakes world of self-governance. It’s all in a morning’s work for the students of Skyline K-8, where every Wednesday begins with participation in one of the school’s many C.A.S. clubs.

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  • Update on the Seventh Day of Mediation

    10/25/2023

    We need our community and PAT’s bargaining team to recognize that we are not unwilling to accept their proposal: we are unable. Even the proposal we have made will require at least $45 million in structural budget cuts over the next three years.

    Read More
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