5800 SE Division Street•Portland, OR 97206•Ph 503-916-6333•Fx 503-916-2606
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February 7, 2025
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Atkinson families,
As the instructional leader of our school, it is my honor to support the teaching of literacy skills as a strategy to sustaining our democracy. Paulo Freire famously stated: “Reading the world always precedes reading the word, and reading the word implies continually reading the world.” I believe that it is our responsibility as educators to teach students to read the world as well as the word and that is why I'm excited to introduce you to a fun new literacy initiative spearheaded by our superintendent, Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong.
On Saturday, February 15, Portland Public Schools will be launching its first-ever Golden Key Quest, a citywide literacy scavenger hunt.
HOW IT WORKS
PPS has partnered with the following literacy hubs to make the Golden Key Quest a reality:
Students are invited to visit the hubs and look for golden keys hidden inside books. The lucky ones who find a Golden Key should scan the QR code on the key, which will take them to a webpage where they can claim their prize: free family tickets to OMSI!
I hope that our students and families will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.
Sincerely,
Debbie Armendáriz
Principal
Atkinson Elementary School
School Main Number: (503) 916-6333
darmenda@pps.net
7 de febrero de 2025
MENSAJE DE LA DIRECTORA
Queridas familias de Atkinson:
Como líder educativo de nuestra escuela, es un honor para mí apoyar la enseñanza de habilidades de alfabetización como una estrategia para sostener nuestra democracia. Paulo Freire afirmó: “ Leer el mundo siempre precede a leer la palabra, y leer la palabra implica leer continuamente el mundo ” . Creo que es nuestra responsabilidad como educadores enseñar a los estudiantes a leer el mundo además de la palabra y es por eso que estoy emocionado de presentarles una nueva y divertida iniciativa de alfabetización encabezada por nuestra superintendente, la Dra. Kimberlee Armstrong.
El sábado 15 de febrero, las Escuelas Públicas de Portland lanzarán su primer Golden Key Quest , una búsqueda del tesoro de alfabetización en toda la ciudad.
COMO FUNCIONA
PPS se ha asociado con los siguientes centros de alfabetización para hacer realidad la Golden Key Quest:
Se invita a los estudiantes a visitar los centros y buscar las llaves doradas escondidas dentro de los libros. Los afortunados que encuentren una llave dorada deberán escanear el código QR que aparece en la llave, que los llevará a una página web donde podrán reclamar su premio: ¡entradas familiares gratuitas para OMSI!
Espero que nuestros estudiantes y familias aprovechen esta maravillosa oportunidad.
Debbie Armendáriz
Directora
Escuela primaria Atkinson
Número principal de la escuela: (503) 916-6333
darmenda@pps.net
In meteorological terms, Portland’s first big weather event of 2024 was the definition of a perfect storm. Frigid temperatures and high winds combined with snow and ice to bring down tree limbs, close roads, scramble traffic, freeze pipes, and knock out power for tens of thousands of residents.
It was a metaphorical perfect storm for Portland Public Schools as well. Fallen trees cut power to multiple schools and others have suffered water damage from broken pipes. Lack of heat was also a problem, and impassable roads, paired with snowed-in and icy parking lots, made it impossible for buses to run safely. Those same conditions limited how the district’s facilities and operations teams can even assess the scope of the issues, let alone begin working on solutions. And icy sidewalks meant walkers have no safe route to school.
This week could bring similar conditions to the Portland area, and PPS’s School Closure Team is ready to meet the challenge. The team convenes regularly during inclement weather to take all of the above into careful consideration. By now, families are quite familiar with how the district communicates these decisions. What’s perhaps less known is how district leaders arrive at such decisions in the first place.
As part of our district's focus on events that center belonging, equity, and inclusion, we have been screening a series of films that we hope will challenge our perceptions about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities.
The next film in the series is “Champions,” which will screen on Saturday February 8th at 2:00 PM at Lincoln High School. This event will also include first-hand testimonials from PPS students.
This movie highlights the journey of a basketball coach who leads a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Through humor and heartfelt moments, the movie emphasizes the strengths, individuality, and value each player brings to the team and how inclusion enriches communities and creates positive, supportive environments.
Staff, families, and community members are all invited. Parking is free and light refreshment will be provided. We hope to see you there!
We’re thrilled to announce that two PPS teachers were recently awarded the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).
Krishnan Ranjani, a teacher of advanced mathematics and Career and Technical Education (CTE) computer systems at Lincoln High School and Nick Nohner, a computer sciences and data sciences teacher at Ida B. Wells High School, were both selected for the honor which is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The award recognizes outstanding educators for their contributions to the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Each awardee will receive a certificate signed by President Joe Biden and a $10,000 award from NSF. Awardees will also travel to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony at a future date.
Congratulations to these two exceptional teachers!
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM School Board - Special Meeting or Work Session
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM ATK Grade 3–5 Music Performance / Actuación musical de 3º a 5º grado
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM School Board - Policy Committee
8:10 AM - 9:10 AM ATK Principal's Coffee / Café con la directora
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM School Board- Regular Meeting
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM ATK Connect to Kindergarten / Conéctese a kinder
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM ATK PTA meeting / Reunión de la PTA