The Connect to Kinder / Lottery Info Session on Thursday, May 15th has been canceled. The rescheduled date is TBD. 

Registrations for 2025 – 2026 Kindergarten are now open! Enroll online at Enrollment & Transfer. 

Want to know more about Buckman? Check out our presentation linked below.

Connect to Kindergarten Presentation

Volunteering @ Buckman & Portland Public Schools

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Buckman! ALL volunteers must have their background clearance completed PRIOR to volunteering, including when chaperoning for field trips. Please read on for details from the PPS website about the background clearance process.

To ensure a safe environment for our students, PPS requires volunteers to follow the steps below. Please review the Volunteer Code of Conduct (Step 1) and Mandatory Volunteer Training (Step 2) prior to completing the volunteer application (Step 3). In the online volunteer application, you will need to sign that you have reviewed these materials and agree to adhere to all the requirements. 

A person is considered a volunteer if they have the potential for unsupervised contact with PPS students during school hours, including chaperoning for field trips. Folks who have not been approved through the background check process may NOT join field trips regardless of location. 

To begin the process, please visit the PPS Volunteer page. This clearance is valid at any PPS school for three years.

New PPS Bookmobile

On Saturday, February 15, PPS is making literacy come alive with a Bookmobile packed with FREE books, fun activities, and a love for storytelling. We believe that every child deserves access to great books, and what better way to spark curiosity and imagination than by bringing books straight to the community?

Join us at these campuses: 9:00 - 10:30 AM | Rosa Parks Elementary | 8960 N Woolsey Ave, Portland, OR 97203 11:00 - 12:30 PM | Chapman Elementary | 1445 NW 26th Ave, Portland, OR 97210 1:00 - 2:30 PM | Faubion PK-8 | 2930 NE Dekum St., Portland, OR 97211 3:00 - 4:30 PM | Lionel Clegg Boys & Girls Club | 9330 SE Harold St, Portland, OR 97226

Dear families,

Instilling a lifelong love of reading is one of our main missions at Buckman. There are so many adventures, achievements, and acts of positive change that begin with books, and that is why I am thrilled 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.

Here’s how it works

PPS has partnered with the following literacy hubs to make the Golden Key Quest a reality.

Caldera Arts – 224 NW 13th Ave, Suite 304, Portland, OR 97209

Third Eye Books – 2518 SE 33rd Ave, Portland, OR 97202

Literary Arts – 716 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214

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! (No purchase necessary to participate.)

Reading is the spark that lights the fire of life-long learning. I hope that our students and families will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

Sincerely,

Lisa Ditto

Buckman Principal

If you are a passionate student or community member that wants to make a difference at PPS, apply to join the Climate Crisis Response Committee! This is a committee that reports to the PPS Board of Education.

On the committee you will learn about how PPS is making progress towards our climate justice and sustainability policies, provide input and recommendations to the PPS Board on how to better support PPS staff as we advance these policy goals, and connect with other passionate members of our PPS community from diverse backgrounds, knowledge areas, and lived experiences.

No previous professional experience in climate change or sustainability required! Students can apply via this form. Community members can apply here.

Deadline to apply: June 6. 

Earthstock 2025 was a huge success!

Each year, special education students from across the region gather at Portland's Crystal Ballroom for a truly unique and uniquely joyful high school dance. 

Earthstock began in 1992 at the request of a young student who was confined to a wheelchair and was disappointed he couldn’t attend the high school dances because of transportation issues. There were 60 kids at the first event. Earthstock now entertains more than 700 students, staff and volunteers, and is rapidly becoming one the largest events of its kind in the country. 

Students at Skyline school were recently treated to a visit from PPS teacher-turned-graphic novelist Aron Nels Steinke. 

Steinke is the award-winning author and illustrator behind the popular Mr. Wolf's Class series. He also taught at Skyline during the 2015-16 school year.

During his visit to Skyline, he opened up to a group of third, fourth, and fifth graders about how he got started as an author despite struggling to read and write in school. He also read a short excerpt from his newest book, Speechless. 

Speechless tells the story of Mira, a sixth grader who spends her first year of middle school finding herself and her voice. Skyline students were some of the book's first readers. We can't wait to see what Mr. Steinke writes next!

On May 2, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson delivered his first state of the city address at Franklin High School.

Members of the district and Franklin student councils had the chance to hear Wilson speak about his plans and vision for Portland’s future. Student Representative JJ Kunsevi opened the panel with a powerful question about education funding and the impact on students. 

It was an evening that put public education front-and-center and a chance for PPS student leaders to shine.