PPS is hosting a series of events that focus on Belonging, Equity & Inclusive Practices where we will screen powerful, award-winning documentaries aimed at starting a productive conversation about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities. 

As part of this series, we are excited to welcome you to a live virtual event, Including Samuel, on Monday, October 28 at 5:30 PM at OMSI Empirical Theater. The event will include a screening of Dan Habib’s film, “Including Samuel,” and a conversation with him and his son, Samuel.

The Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center, the rather staid home to Portland Public Schools administrative staff, had a very different look on Monday evening when it hosted the world premiere of “The Return of Emergetron.”

The red carpet event was in celebration of a new film starring students – and for students – about the many emergency scenarios they might encounter in a typical school year.

Portland Public Schools’ Comprehensive School Psychology program was recently named the recipient of a prestigious $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for its proven track record of improving student well-being and academic performance. 

The renewable, school-based mental health grant will be used to provide comprehensive school psychology services to 18 Title I schools across the district for the 2024-25 school year. This is up from 11 schools served in the previous year. Through the duration of the grant, 25 schools designated as Title I at the time of the grant award will receive comprehensive school psychology services.

When Beckham Weatherby picks up his tuba, the rest of the world falls away. 

“I don’t get that nervous and I don’t get stage fright at all,” he said. “I guess I got lucky with how my body reacts to performing in front of crowds.”

Which is something the McDaniel High School junior has done quite a bit of lately. Not only is he a member of the prestigious Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) and the PYP conservatory orchestra, but he recently earned first prize in the tuba solo performance category at the Oregon State Solo Music Championships.

Hope to see you at Back-to-School Night tonight! Our SUN Information Night begins at 4:45 in the cafeteria, then our Community Connect at 5:30 out front. In the spirit of our school motto, “I am Because We Are,” we hope you will join us! Attending B2SN shows your child you value the place they spend a major amount of their time over the year and creates a connection to supporting students to attend school regularly. That in turn helps them feel better about themselves and school. One of our action steps toward all three of our school goals this year (Reading and Math Achievement and Sense of Belonging) is to improve our percentage of “regular attenders” -- last year our rate grew 6% and we want to build on that!  We ask you to strive for your child to miss no more than 9 days of school, and we’re committed to making school engaging, meaningful and differentiated for your child’s learning. Here is a handy tool for you: “Keep Track of Time.” We’ll have copies out on our “Office” Table (look for Nicole!) at Back to School Night; please stop by and pick up a copy!  On the back side you’ll find this collection of tips and facts. (This Back to School Google site with resources to support you with PPS digital tools, might be handy as well.)

National Hispanic Heritage Month starts on the 15th!  Another of our action steps toward our school goal of increasing a sense of belonging for every student is to create student-centered, culturally affirming celebrations and teaching by weaving equity throughout our students’ experience at Arleta over their six years with us. Fourth grade teachers, for example, have adapted the readings in their first literacy unit called A Great Heart to include Simone Biles and Dolores Huerta, intentionally including African American and Hispanic American history, story and voice. A parent (thank you Sheryl Moren!) recently shared the idea of adding Hmong or other culture's mythology into our 4th grade “Myth Making” literacy unit, which centers Greek Mythology, to compare their similarities and differences and how that may reflect their respective cultures, values and societies. We can benefit so much in our efforts through collaboration and learning with all of you parents: as you look at the B2SN slides for your child’s grade level, please let us know if you see connections to diverse perspectives we could work to integrate. 

A few other components to highlight for you: at three of our school-wide assemblies this year, K/1, 2/3, and 4/5 grade bands will present something meaningful they’ve been learning about as part of their grade level standards, also highlighting connections to various heritage, cultures or identities. Up first in October will be 2nd & 3rd grades. We’re also working on ways to showcase other cultures via performance groups at some of our family events or assemblies. And, last but not at all least- something fantastic about our Arleta PTA is our Inclusion Committee. Each month 5th grade parents Sheryl Moren and Melissa Sircy create meaningful, informative and thought-provoking displays in our main entry and cafeteria; be sure to check them out when you pass by. These are some of the ways we are striving to affirm our student’s own identities (creating mirrors) and also teach about identities different from one’s own (creating windows). 

See you tomorrow night!

Principal Hawking

August 19, 2024

Dear Arleta Families and Caregivers,

I hope this “week-before-the-first-week-of-school!” message finds you looking forward to a new school year ahead for your Arleta Dolphin(s). I’m excited to begin my third year as Arleta principal. It is my honor and commitment, in collaboration with our fantastic Arleta Staff, to ensure your child and family have a great year of learning and fun ahead. We are striving to create a culture where every student’s voice is affirmed and elevated and where they feel a sense of belonging and deep engagement in their learning. Within that, I’m eager for opportunities to listen to you. Please always feel welcome to reach out to talk. I’m happy to answer questions if I can, or do some research on your behalf if you bring me something new to learn. That’s what working with and on behalf of children is all about for all of us! 

Launching the year together with an Amazing Arleta Staff including 4 new staff: Click here for new staff introductory messages including our new 1st grade teacher Mr. Derek Nelson!

2024-2025 Classroom Teacher Staff 

Kindergarten:  Adora Arias, Karin Hedlund 

1st Grade:  Katherine Kayrouz, Derek Nelson

2nd Grade:  Caprial Sides, Maggie Moran

3rd Grade:  Joanne Havran, Karen Williams

3rd, 4th & 5th Grade SES:  Chantelle Patterson

4th Grade:  Jessica Doyle, Noah Johnson-Greenough

5th Grade:  Jackie Bidney, Kyle Cooke

Classroom Teacher Assignments:  

1st-5th grade classroom teacher assignments will be shared this morning, August 19 via ParentVue. (Kinder families, teacher assignments will be shared later this week and you’ll find further information below.) Please spread the word to anyone you know who isn’t yet accessing ParentVUE. Please call Arleta if you have trouble accessing your ParentVUE account. 

Friendships are such an important part of elementary school! But friends aren’t always in the same class. Sometimes students who are friends are not necessarily the best learning partners. Sometimes even if they are strong learning partners they won’t be in the same class because so many factors go into creating balanced classrooms. If your child was hoping a certain student would be in their class who isn’t, reminding them that they’ll see their friend at lunch, recess and other times whole grade levels come together will hopefully help. Within a few days of school children will have made new relationships in their class as they also maintain their current closest friends. 

Teachers are sending a letter home to their new students via US Mail that you should receive by this Saturday August 24. As school begins, our staff will be reaching out to connect with you, to learn your hopes for your child, and to learn from all you know and want us to understand about your child's strengths and learning.  

Welcome to our Incoming Kindergartners!  

Kindergarten enrollment is open. You can begin the enrollment process here.

To provide a welcoming and supported introduction to school before the first full day of Kindergarten with all students on Tuesday Sept. 3, all incoming Kinder students and families will receive:

•  A 1:1 family contact with their Kindergarten teacher (focused on relationship & connection… your hopes, dreams and goals for your child this year). These meetings will happen August 27 or 28.  Kindergarten Teachers or the office will call you later this week to schedule.

AND

• A full-day, half-class practice day for your child (orienting to Kindergarten staff, spaces, and routines).  This will be either August 29 or 30 (your child will have school one day and not the other.)

Staffing Updates  / Budget Reduction

Oregon is not adequately funding its public schools and as shared last spring, we’ve had some staffing reductions. This year we have reduced paraeducator support (our 3 Learning Center para positions were transferred to other schools who have students with 1:1 paraeducator support on their IEPs). I was not able to continue funding our reading intervention teacher, Library Assistants were cut district-wide and our Enrichment Specialists (music, art, PE hours are reduced. Specifically, it was and still is with a heavy heart I had to unassign the following positions and staff last spring or this summer as I worked with our budget cuts.)

• Ms. Rachael Gottgetreu, Reading Intervention. Ms. Jen Guzman, Library Educational Assistant.

  • Ms. Rachael and Ms. Guzman will both be subbing this year. 

• Ms. Luna Koenig, Paraeducator will be working at Marysville School this year.  

• Ms. Topanga Adanna is pursuing her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at PSU and will still be subbing for us when she can!

• Mr. Andrew Coltrin is taking a year leave of absence to be home with his baby.

• PE will be 4 days per week: Ms. Kianne Williams will be at another school on Mondays. 

• Art and Music will be 2 days each rather than 2.5 days each. The least senior staff in our district lost positions due to cuts, which means our wonderful Art Specialist, Ms. Sarah (Art) was unassigned from Arleta. She will be teaching Art at Woodmere this year. Ms. Joy’s position was temporary since she wasn’t hired until so late in the school year. Ms. Joy and all our above staff will be dearly missed and we thank them each for their service to our students and community.

The silver lining is that we have two wonderful Arts Specialists joining us from other schools.  Both Mr. Cunningham (Music) and Ms. Meyer (Art) were full time at other schools who also had reductions so will now work at two schools.  Warmest Arleta Welcome to our new Arts Specialists and other new staff.   Again, click right for new staff introductory messages.. 

Ms. DeNiro will be full time as .5 ELD (English Language Development) and .5 Academic Interventionist.

Following is some logistical information I hope you find helpful as the school year approaches.  In addition, our Arleta Family Handbook is linked on our website and contains additional important details and updates for this year, including updates to our cell phone policy, toys at school, a note on dogs and more. Please consider bookmarking the Handbook for future reference.  We will continue to update it throughout the year(s). 

School Hours Reminder! 

Our Arleta school day for students is from 8:00-2:30.  Please have your children to school at 7:53 so they can go in with the bell and be in class ready to learn when the tardy bell rings at 8 a.m. Students benefit greatly when they are at school on time to begin the day in sync with their classroom community. The bell that rings at 8:00 is the signal that all students should be in their classrooms (it’s a “tardy” bell).  

ARRIVAL PLAN 

Video example Arleta Arrival

The changes to be aware of with arrival are:  

1. Breakfast begins at 7:45 (last year that was 7:40. Teacher contract changes have led to some  time shifts.) 

2. 1st & 2nd graders enter school through the main annex doors rather than the doors by the cafeteria / under the Breezeway (or through the cafeteria if they eat breakfast and have class in the annex).

All Arleta and all PPS students can have breakfast and lunch at school free of charge as our school (and this year, all PPS)  receives the “Community Eligibility Provision” (CEP).  

Request when dropping students off at school

We ask families to say goodbye to their children outside the school building rather than walking them into the classroom, even kindergartners on the 1st day of school (with the exception of Soft Start Days where half the kindergarten class comes August 29 and the other half comes August 30).  

1. This allows teachers to focus fully on greeting all their students at the door every day, which is an important practice teachers are asked to follow across our school.  

2. It helps teachers get the school day going right on time.  

3. It is actually easier for children; we find there are fewer tears and clinging to parents, especially after the first few days, when families say goodbye outside. 

We want to connect with families! If you pick your child up, dismissal can be a good time to talk to teachers, especially once most students are dismissed.  Or, just call or email and we’ll call you back or set up a time to talk. Thank you for understanding! 

NEW DISMISSAL PLAN FOR KINDERGARTEN, 1st and 2nd GRADES

Dismissal begins at 2:30. 

Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students have new dismissal areas this year as seen on this map.  All students, K-5, will be dismissed out front this year.

Video example: Arleta Dismissal