2409 N. Saratoga St.•Portland, OR 97217•Ph (503) 916-6255•Fx (503) 916-2618
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Register for Kindergarten Online!
If you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 1, please register for kindergarten right away! To register, go to pps.net/kinderenroll. The process takes 20-30 minutes and can be done entirely online. If you need a paper registration, please contact our front office at 503-916-6255 or call Enrollment & Transfer at 503-916-3205.
Dear Families,
Welcome to the 2022-23 school year. As a staff, we are excited for the upcoming school year and are anticipating the relationships, memories, and learning that we will build over the next nine months.
The first day of school for grades 1-5 is Tuesday, August 30th. School doors will open at 8:37, and school will begin at 8:45, dismissing at 3:00 pm. Students wanting to eat breakfast, should enter through the cafeteria doors, beginning at 8:15. Please give your students enough time to eat breakfast and be in class by 8:45. Students in grades 1-2 will enter through the doors near the library. Students in grades 3-4 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.
Many people are curious about staffing. We have the most changes in our office staff. Michelle Rowley is joining us as School Secretary. Ms. Pettit is approved for a leave through the end of October, so we are currently working on filling that position. Please direct all office questions to mirowley@pps.net. Unfortunately, the School Secretary position has been reduced to .75.
Over the summer, the school board voted to add an educational assistant to all TSI schools. I am in the process of filling this position, and will make this announcement when finalized. We are also in the process of hiring a new .5 School Social Worker, and I hope to make this announcement soon. Our PE position has also been reduced to .8, and is being filled by Julia Stevens.
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 2022-23 school year is as follows:
Kindergarten: Ms. Cooper, Ms. Larsen 1st Grade: Ms. Peake, Ms. Pinder 2nd Grade: Ms. Ferguson, Ms. Pearson 3rd Grade: Ms. Michels, Mr. Wolfe 4th Grade: Mr. Ibrahim, Ms. Shutt 5th Grade: Ms. Brislin, Mr. Brown PE: Ms. Stevens Music: Ms. Schrepping Media: Ms. Hall (½ time) Art: Ms. Duncan Counselor: Ms. Spiers Reading Intervention: (½ time) Ms. Bush, Ms. Lopez |
Math Intervention: Ms. Hall (½ time) ELL: Ms. Routtenberg Social Worker: TBD School Climate Coach: Ms. Whitaker Learning Center: Ms. Lopez (½ time) Speech Pathologist: Ms. LeMeune Paraeducator: Ms. DeRuiter Paraeducator: Ms. Thompson Educational Assistant: Ms. Newton, TBD Library Assistant: Ms. Woodward School Secretary: Ms. Rowley Principal’s Secretary: Ms. Pettit Custodian: Ms. DeWeese, Marc Jefferson |
School Supplies
The supply lists for in person learning are available on our website. If you need support in getting supplies, please contact Ms. Spiers at espiers@pps.net.
School Breakfast & Lunch:
Chief Joseph is a CEP school for the 2022-2023 school year, breakfast and lunch will be free for all students.
After School Plan: Please be sure to complete the attached “First Week of School After School Plan” and send it with your student on the first day of school.
Community Care Day:
I am extremely excited for the upcoming year and look forward to continuing to build a community, advance social justice issues and improve learning.
Sincerely,
Amber Gerber
Principal, Chief Joseph Elementary School
971.284.7108
Dear PPS Community,
Saturday night, gunshots were fired outside of a district-wide basketball tournament held at Franklin High School. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and the suspect is now in custody, but if you have any information about the incident please call 503-823-3333 or utilize the SafeOregon tipline.
Dear PPS Families,
As we prepare for the winter sports season, we want to share a few reminders for our spectators.
Dear families, students, and colleagues,
It has been a joy to visit learning spaces over the past four months and see our students reengaged in their classroom learning and school activities. I am pleased to observe our students interacting with peers and diving into new curriculum materials.
This has been a very productive time for Portland Public Schools. My appreciation to all the dedicated Team PPS members who work everyday to make our school system better and stronger.
Dear PPS Community,
Every single person in Portland Public Schools believes that our learning spaces must be safe, stable, and secure, and that we have a shared responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the students under our care. We recognize that recent events, both locally and nationally, have rattled our community.
Superintendent Guerrero issued a broader statement about gun violence and its impacts on our schools, but we also want to explain how we both keep schools safe, and keep you informed.
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Adventures in Spanish- Rm 10
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Youth Soccer in the Gym
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Black Parent Affinity group
3:10 PM - 4:10 PM Science Club
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM School Board- Work Session with Vote on a Consent Agenda
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Drama Club Rm 10
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Ukulele RM 6
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM Coffee with the Principal- Library
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM School Board- Audit Committee Meeting