As part of reopening Portland Public Schools in the 2021-22 school year, the district must submit a plan to the Oregon Department of Education. As part of the requirement, PPS is asking for feedback on the plan.

Dear PPS Families,

The 2021-22 school year is fast approaching, and we continue to prepare to safely reopen our schools for in-person learning. We want to make sure you are aware of upcoming opportunities to receive a COVID-19 vaccine during registration at our nine comprehensive high schools.

Dear PPS Students, Families and Staff,

As we finalize our last Back to School FAQ sections, we wanted to share with you a couple of updates. First, the district’s Office of Internal Performance Audit recently presented to the Board of Education its audit of our health and safety practices for hybrid learning last spring. We are pleased and proud to say that auditors reported no findings. From last week’s presentation:

Dear Colleagues,

The public health guidance is clear--vaccines are the best way to prevent the spread and the severity of COVID. Today we are announcing a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for all PPS staff.

In this email:

Dear parents, caregivers and community,

As summer comes to a close, we hope your break was restful and safe. We know these upcoming weeks of preparing for school may be a little stressful, so we want to help make your commute to school safe and efficient! Thank you for adapting to so many changes during this time. Safe Routes to School is here to support healthy back to school travel options. 

With gratitude,
Safe Routes to School Team | Dana, Janis, Abra, Lale, Xao, Shaina & Corrine

• #DriveLikeIt, a regional safety campaign
• Consider a new way to travel to school
• Back to School: Text & Win Campaign
• 2021 Metro Safe Routes Back to School Mini-Grants
• Additional resources

#DriveLikeIt, a regional safety campaign

The Portland Bureau of Transportation, in partnership with Metro and other Safe Routes practitioners in the region, launched "Drive Like It," a safety campaign aimed toward drivers this past spring. With fall just around the corner, students will be returning to classrooms in a few weeks and you can expect to see more students walking and rolling on Portland streets throughout the day. 

The campaign includes graphics in multiple languages for Facebook, Instagram, virtual meeting backgrounds, and more to help you encourage people in your networks to make Portland streets safer. You can find the campaign materials to share out on the Oregon Safe Routes to School website. 

Consider a new way to travel to school

This fall is a great time to try out new ways to travel to school. School bus capacity is limited, and it may mean more families will be driving to school. We need your help to reduce congestion near schools. Please consider a new and more active way to get to school! 

Back to School: Text & Win Campaign

Back to school will look different this fall. Due to hybrid and remote learning, many students have not traveled regularly to campus in over a year. We have all had to adjust our routines (more than once!) Thinking ahead can help make our first days back less stressful.   

Let us share some simple ideas for a fresh start to you and your child's 2021 school year, like packing bags the night before or making sure your bike tires have air. Signing up is simple, and automatically enters you into drawings for grocery gift cards and other fun prizes! 

• (Grades PK-5) Parents and caregivers: text SCHOOL to 888-520-0526  
• (Grades 6-12) Students or caregivers: text BACKPACK to 888-520-0526

2021 Metro Safe Routes Back to School Mini-Grants

All public K-12 schools are eligible to apply for one of 25 mini-grants ($500/school) to support a Safe Routes Back to School strategy at their school. The eligible strategies include:

• Walking School Bus or Bike Train: An organized group of students who walk or bike to school together with adult supervision, following a designated route with stops where students join the group. 
• Park & Walk: Developing an off-site location for parents to drop their children off and walk to the school site to reduce idling, congestion, and increase student physical activity
• School site amenities: Examples include: temporary traffic playground, additional bike/scooter storage, other ‘tactical urbanism’ on school site to enhance safety for walking/rolling
• School choice!: Requires review by Metro SRTS Coordinator for eligibility, but we encourage unique and creative ideas to support kids in walking and rolling to school safely.

Apply now for a 2021 Safe Routes Back to School mini-grant!

Please visit the application page for more details on eligibility and requirements.

Noel Mickelberry, Metro Safe Routes to School Coordinator

noel.mickelberry@oregonmetro.gov

Additional resources

• CDC guidance about carpooling

• Paid film workshop for Parkrose Students! Hosted by Historic Parkrose NPI (HPR NPI) and Outside the Frame for Parkrose youth ages 14-20, who are interested in ending gun violence. $250 stipend for each youth & 1/2 Elective Credit at Parkrose High School. Reach out to HPR NPI Youth Coordinator Lillyanne Pham at lillyanne@historicparkrose.com with the subject line , "film workshop." Due Mon, Aug 30. 

• Hollaback is offering free sessions of their Stand Up Against Street Harassment for Youth workshops that covers all the tools discussed in the Times article and more. Click here to register yourself or the youth in your life today! The next session is August 25th at 6pm.  
  
  
• WomenStrength, a self-defense program for girls and female-identifying youth ages 13 and older, is coming back to in-person programing in October. For more information check out their website. GirlStrength, a program for female-identifying youth ages 10-17, is on pause and set to roll out this fall. 
  
  
• Portland Traffic and Transportation Class - A transportation-themed online class with an emphasis on land use, mobility, social justice and racial equity starts September 30th.  Apply to participate as a student - Applications are due August 29th, 2021.
  
  
• Portland Welcoming Week September 10 to 19 - Join the Immigrant and Refugee Program at the City of Portland to celebrate and support the incredibly diverse immigrant and refugee population in Portland.
  
  
• The Office of Civic Life helped to create two free zines for all Portlanders, and they were specifically written for the age groups of 16-21.
  • This is Your Portland speaks to the many different ways people can become civically engaged with Portland city government and includes an explanation of Portland’s commissioner form of government. The zine is in English and has also been translated into 10 different languages, available on the website. 
  • A Dream Rezoned acknowledges how discriminatory practices have harmed communities of color by excluding them from homeownership and wealth-building opportunities. The zine introduces important urban planning terms and explains how a local Portland family was impacted by the racist city planning practices. It is Civic Life's hope that this resource will help inspire communities to participate in the City’s public processes, from public involvement to civic leadership.

Learn more at saferoutesportland.org

The City of Portland is committed to providing meaningful access. To request translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, or other auxiliary aids or services, contact 503-823-1171, Relay: 711.

Welcome Letter for Kinder Families

August 19, 2021

Dear Kindergarten Families, 

We are so excited to welcome your child and family to the Abernethy Community! This year is going to be extra-special as we return to full-day schooling, five days per week. We are kicking things off on Thursday August 26th with a meet and greet kinder which will be closely monitored by parents/staff to ensure a safe and socially distanced event on our school playground at 6pm! We hope you can join us!!!!

Schedule for the First Week of School
This year, we will be hosting “Ramp Up” days for our Kindergarten (and First Grade) students and families. The goal of having ramp up days is to give teachers, students, and families time to get to know each other and become comfortable with the school day. The Ramp Up Days are described below. 

Kindergarten
September 1-2: Your child’s teacher will send you a link to sign up for an individual conversation with them at the school. In this conversation, teachers are hoping to learn about your child. Students will not be coming to school during these days. Please think about how you will answer the following questions. 

• What are your hopes and dreams for your child this year?
• What do you most want me to know and understand about your child?
• What questions can I answer that will help your family feel ready for Kindergarten?

September 3 and 7: Your child will be invited to attend one of these days for a full day of learning. Only half of the class will be attending each of these two days. The purpose of these days is to allow children to learn school routines, and start developing the close relationships they are bound to create in Kindergarten. We will let you know which day they will be invited to attend soon. 

September 8: This will be the first full day of Kindergarten. All Kindergarten students will come to school on this day.

Teacher Assignments
Teacher Assignments will be posted by Friday at 3 pm in ParentVue. You can view your students' Teacher assignment on ParentVue. Below are instructions on how to view the information. 

1. Either open Browser on a Computer https://www.pps.net/Page/2341 or Download/Open the App on a mobile device 
2. Sign-in or create an account (You may need an ACTIVATION KEY to open the APP/Website - if this is the case, email Christine Olsen - colsen1@pps.net)
3. Once logged in, click either "CLASS SCHEDULE" or in the APP, click "GRADE BOOK", you will see your students teacher name listed here. 

If you are having trouble logging in, please email Christine for assistance (colsen1@pps.net). 

We know how exciting and overwhelming it is for any child to start school.This year, these feelings are likely to be even stronger than at any time in the past. One of our PPS librarians at Capitol Hill Elementary School, Mrs. Wutzke, recorded a read aloud of a cute story that we hope you will share with your child. The story is perfect for easing the fear that little ones have about their first days at school. We hope you enjoy this read aloud together. We are looking forward to seeing you this Thursday August 26th and at the start of the school year. 

While we are excited to return to full time in-person learning, I want to take a moment to acknowledge PPS’s Safety Protocols around Covid-19 and let you know that we at Abernethy, take our safety precautions very seriously and work hard at continued enforcement of these protocols. Last Spring, during our Hybrid Model (in-person school for 2 hours a day), we had 3 students who tested positive for Covid while they were off campus, however thanks to our Parents and our Staff’s vigilance, these cases never resulted in exposure to other students or staff, and furthermore never resulted in a classroom or cohort quarantine. We will continue to follow our approved Safety Plan Protocols which AES received auditors commendations and positive feedback from OHSU staff members as well. More information to come on Monday , 8/23 regarding Arrival and Dismissal as well as lunch procedures for our school. In the meantime, please familiarize yourself with the following slides that summarize our safety protocols. 

PPS 2021 Health and Safety Guidelines AES

Please know that I will have more information to share with you soon, however, I hope this brief overview helps you begin planning. I will be in touch soon with more information to address your many questions like lunch for example. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. 

It's a joy to serve our school community,

Dr. Christie M. Petersen

Principal

503-916-6190

cpetersen@pps.net

Equipping Our Students for Success in Their Next Learning Experience!

Welcome Letter for 1st Grade Families 

August 19, 2021

Dear First Grade Families, 

We are so excited to welcome your child and family back on Campus in less than 2 weeks! This year is going to be extra-special as we return to full-day schooling, five days per week.  

Schedule for the First Week of School
This year, we will be hosting “Ramp Up” days for our First Grade students and families. The goal of having ramp up days is to give teachers, students, and families time to get to know each other and become comfortable with the school day. The Ramp Up Days are described below. 

First Graders
September 1-2: Your child will be invited to attend one of these days for a full day of learning. Only half of the class will be attending each of these two days. The purpose of these days is to allow children to learn school routines, and start developing the close relationships they are bound to create. We will let you know which day they will be invited to attend soon. 

September 3: This will be the first full day of first grade. All first grade students will come to school on this day.

While we are excited to return to full time in-person learning, I want to take a moment to acknowledge PPS’s Safety Protocols around Covid-19 and let you know that we at Abernethy, take our safety precautions very seriously and work hard at continued enforcement of these protocols. Last Spring, during our Hybrid Model (in-person school for 2 hours a day), we had 3 students who tested positive for Covid while they were off campus, however thanks to our Parents and our Staff’s vigilance, these cases never resulted in exposure to other students or staff, and furthermore never resulted in a classroom or cohort quarantine. 

We will continue to follow our approved Safety Plan Protocols which AES received auditors commendations and positive feedback from OHSU staff members as well. More information to come on Monday , 8/23 regarding Arrival and Dismissal as well as lunch procedures for our school. In the meantime, please familiarize yourself with the following slides that summarize our safety protocols. 

PPS 2021 Health and Safety Guidelines AES

Please know that I will have more information to share with you soon, however, I hope this brief overview helps you begin planning. I will be in touch soon with more information to address your many questions like lunch for example. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have.  

It's a joy to serve our school community,

Dr. Christie M. Petersen

Principal

503-916-6190

cpetersen@pps.net

Equipping Our Students for Success in Their Next Learning Experience!

Welcome Letter for 2nd-5th Grade Families

August 19, 2021

Dear Second - Fifth Grade Families, 

We are so excited to welcome your child and family back on Campus in less than 2 weeks! This year is going to be extra-special as we return to full-day schooling, five days per week.  

Schedule for the First Week of School

Second - Fifth Graders

September 1: All second through fifth graders will have a full first day of school!! 

If you have not accessed your ParentVue Account to learn who your child’s teacher is, please do so now. This information can be found under GRADE BOOK (in the mobile app) and CLASS SCHEDULE in the browser version. If you are having trouble with ParentVue, please contact colsen1@pps.net for assistance. 

While we are excited to return to full time in-person learning, I want to take a moment to acknowledge PPS’s Safety Protocols around Covid-19 and let you know that we at Abernethy, take our safety precautions very seriously and work hard at continued enforcement of these protocols. Last Spring, during our Hybrid Model (in-person school for 2 hours a day), we had 3 students who tested positive for Covid while they were off campus, however thanks to our Parents and our Staff’s vigilance, these cases never resulted in exposure to other students or staff, and furthermore never resulted in a classroom or cohort quarantine. We will continue to follow our approved Safety Plan Protocols which AES received auditors commendations and positive feedback from OHSU staff members as well. More information to come on Monday , 8/23 regarding Arrival and Dismissal as well as lunch procedures for our school. 

In the meantime, please familiarize yourself with the following slides that summarize our safety protocols. 

PPS 2021 Health and Safety Guidelines AES

Please know that I will have more information to share with you soon, however, I hope this brief overview helps you begin planning. I will be in touch soon with more information to address your many questions like lunch for example. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. 

It's a joy to serve our school community,

Dr. Christie M. Petersen

Principal

503-916-6190

cpetersen@pps.net

Equipping Our Students for Success in Their Next Learning Experience!