10/22/2021 Friday Flyer PDF

For students who were absent on picture day or who would like to have a new picture taken- retakes will be held on Wednesday November 10th from 8:30am-11:15am.

In our continued effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, Bridlemile will participate in a weekly COVID-19 Screening Testing Program, a partnership between the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and PPS. Screening testing provides early detection of COVID-19, even when individuals have no apparent COVID-19-like symptoms.  

 If you are interested in having your student(s) participate in this free weekly COVID-19 screening testing program, please be sure to return a signed copy of the opt-ins provided to your student earlier this week. 

 If I enroll my student in this testing program, what should I expect?

1. Families who wish to participate in the testing program must fill out the consent forms and health authorization forms we sent with your student on Friday, September 24, 2021 or Monday, September 27, 2021.
   
   
2. Our school will receive testing kits and labels to send home every Thursday.
   
   
3. We ask you that every Friday morning, your student spit into the test tube. We encourage you to watch this 4 minute video on how easy it is to collect a spit sample.
   
   
4. Please return the spit samples that same morning. Dropboxes will be located at the Bridlemile front/main entrance. Samples will be collected by OHSU for transportation to the lab for testing.
   
   
5. OHSU will share the results within 48 hours of the specimen being dropped off at school. You will receive a secure email with your child's results. Please note: PPS will not receive the results of your student’s test. 

 If it is a positive (or inconclusive) result, we ask that you keep your student home from school. Please call us immediately and we will follow the guidance provided by our partners at the Multnomah Health Department. 

 We know that this is an important tool in our effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It’s also important to remember that despite the availability of this program, the best tools to protect individuals against COVID-19 are vaccination for those eligible, physical distancing, masks, proper ventilation and airflow, hand hygiene, and staying home if ill or exposed to someone with COVID-19. 

 We are excited for the launch of this screening testing program, helping us make more informed decisions about our students safety and health. 

Jerome Townsend - Principal

Bridlemile Elementary

jtownsend@pps.net

These paper documents will be sent home Friday, September 24th or Monday, September 27th.  For your convenience, here they are electronically:  

Letter to families:  Bridlemile Letter - English        Bridlemile Letter-Spanish

OHSU Testing Program Intro Handout:   English     Spanish

OHSU Opt-in Form:    English     Spanish

OHA Opt-in Form (under 15):    English     Spanish

OHSU Spit Test Instructions:     English     Spanish

2021-22 Grade Level/Teacher Recommended School Supply List

Per state requirements, schools and children’s facilities are required to share their immunization and exemption numbers for each vaccine, along with the county’s immunization numbers. This information is typically provided in the Spring following Exclusion Day. At the time this was being prepared to go out, school closures occurred. Now that the school year has started, we are posting this information. Please click this link: Bridlemile Spring 2020 Immunization Rates to access the data for Bridlemile.

For more information please visit:  Student Success and Health Dept Immunization Rates

Following is a statement from Portland Public Schools (PPS) Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero:

"Last night, the PPS Board of Education was scheduled to meet in person for their regular meeting. A student vaccine requirement discussion on the agenda drew a large number of attendees, many without a shared concern for the health and safety of our collective community. Some of those attendees entered the PPS building masked, then took their masks off and refused to comply with PPS requests for all attendees to adhere to the statewide mask requirement. After failure to comply, Board Chair Michelle DePass suspended the Board meeting and moved it online shortly thereafter. Even after the board meeting resumed, unmasked attendees remained inside the building.

PPS wants to hear from you to weigh the impacts of requiring all students 12 years and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We heard that Saturday is a better day for Spanish-speaking families to attend this session. This session will be conducted via Zoom.  

The state of Oregon’s requirement that all school employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 will have a minimal impact in Portland Public Schools classrooms and campuses. As of the state deadline of Monday, October 18, more than 96% of the district’s employees were fully vaccinated.

Dear PPS Families,

As the PPS Board of Education considers a requirement that students (ages 12 and older) be vaccinated against COVID-19, we are providing you a quick summary on the timeline for a possible decision: