Students wanting to request a locker, please complete the online form. Locker Requests

Please complete the PPS1:1 Parent/Student Agreement  if your student will be using a PPS issued Chromebook this year. All students that use a PPS issued Chromebook will need to complete this form. 

**We are no longer charging a technology fee. 

Thank you.

Check out this page for information on Cleveland Athletics and to register for sports.

https://www.clevelandwarriorathletics.com/

Dear Cleveland Families,

I hope everyone had a safe and warm couple of snow days. I wanted to give you a general update and share some celebrations with you.

Progress Reports

Teachers are submitting their progress reports for students by the end of the day today. Progress reports are specifically to alert you if your student is not doing well in class (earning a D or F). These are not grades that get put on the transcript which is the official record of your student’s credits earned and the official GPA. These reports should give you information about where your student may need support. Also remember, that all progress reports and grade reports indicate how a student is progressing on achieving the learning standards of the class for a given time period. We are early in the second semester and students have time to improve.

Forecasting

Currently, our students are forecasting for their classes for next school year. They will each meet with their counselor to review their choices to ensure they are choosing classes that they need for graduation as well classes that match their interests and desires. We use that information to build the schedule of classes for next year. 

IB Events

The IB Extended Essay Showcase event was canceled last week because of the weather. It has been rescheduled for March 8 from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM. The Extended Essay is written by IB full diploma candidates as part of their portfolio of work. This essay is a culmination of academic research that the candidates began in their junior year. They pick the topic, develop their question and work with a teacher advisor at the school to complete the writing. I learned so much last year from attending, and you will surely be impressed by the curiosity and deep learning that students bring to this work.

Our IB art students are presenting their exhibitions at Gallery 114 in the Pearl District. These students present a body of work curated by themselves. The work will be on display throughout the month of March. Emily Pratt, our IB art teacher, works with these students over the course of 2 years, and this exhibition is an integral part of their IB art evaluation. I have been deeply moved every year when I have seen the work produced by our students and read their artists' statements. It is also very exciting for them to show their work at a gallery.

Gallery 114

Security and Safety Update

In January, the PTA hosted a panel discussion with representatives from PPS security services, Portland Police Bureau and Portland Community Safety Division. Questions specific to the shooting incident in December were raised in addition to  questions about future actions. Although the question of School Resource Officers was raised, the decision about having that program is one that is made at the district level. District leadership has been having meetings with students and various employee groups to discuss safety. These discussions are just beginning. Many high school events have had additional police presence including our winter dance and some home basketball games. 

While Cleveland is not yet scheduled for modernization, we are receiving security upgrades. First, the fence around the campus is complete. This fence allows us to have a  more closed campus. The gates are locked during the school day. Additionally, we are one of the first wave of schools scheduled to get security cameras installed. This is a major structural upgrade, and the project will be managed by PPS. We have already participated in two walk-throughs to discuss placement of the cameras which will be both exterior and interior. 

One idea that was discussed in the January meeting resonated with me because the idea centered on community and the role it plays in neighborhood safety. We strive everyday to create a community at school where each student feels valued. We greet them every morning at the entrances when we check their IDs. We are working with our leadership classes in a safety campaign that focuses on our responsibilities to each other to keep our school safe. We have three Campus Safety Agents (CSAs) who build relationships and who center their work on safety. 

SE Powell Workgroup

This group, formed by State Senator Kathleen Taylor, is comprised of representatives from PBOT, ODOT, Tri-met, Bike Out Loud, The Street Trust, Oregon Walks, CHS, PTAs from CHS, Kellogg and Creston, and Titan Freight have been meeting to discuss safety upgrades to the inner SE Powell corridor. You will probably have noticed the changes that have already occurred at SE 26th and SE Powell. One proposal for SE 26th in front of the school is to add an enhanced crosswalk. PBOT is applying for a grant for the funding and could start construction as early as this summer.

Staff Parking

The parking lot in front of the school is designated for PPS staff and visitors only. Some of the signs have been defaced and may not be clear to read. Some of the spots are reserved for specific employees or employee groups. Other spots are numbered. We have had some days where staff could not park because the lot was full in part because students had parked there. No PPS school has designated parking spaces for students. Please remind your student if they drive to school to not park in the lot in front of the school. We will be reminding them as well.

Sports

The winter season is over and our athletes proved to be great competitors. Both the girls and boys basketball teams made it to the state playoffs. Although neither team made it to the elite 8 this year, I know you will see Cleveland in the Chiles Center in the future. It was wonderful to celebrate the seniors for both teams on the make-up game from the snow day. Our wrestling team brought home a 4th place plaque from the state tournament.  Our Ski team placed first in League and is headed to state competition. Practice is already well underway for spring sports. Let’s hope the weather cooperates to have a fun season!

Music

Our music program had a fabulous day of competition on May 4 at the PIL solo and ensemble contest hosted here at Cleveland. Gary Riler, our band director, commented that the event went smoothly and was managed very well by the music program student leadership team. Additionally, our school effectively swept the competition. In every category that we had an entry, we placed at least one student in the top 2 97% of the time. Congratulations to our music students and our band director and choir director, Alllison Cottrell. Now on to State!

Constitution Team

Our constitution team made it to State again this year in the We the People competition, and it was exciting to see them in action. Our students are amazing with their breadth of knowledge, poise and team work. We placed 4th in State. Our teacher, Sadie Adams, brought this program to Cleveland, and it continues to grow. She commented that she has over 50 students interested in being involved next year. 

Speech and Debate

From Coach Gonzales and Coach Fox:

Our Cleveland  Speech and Debate Team (The Cannibals) dominated the Winter Season. They grabbed the first place Sweepstakes Trophy at the big college invitationals: Lewis and Clark and at the University of Oregon. They even broke an in-house record sending 75 entries to the Reynolds High tournament. (The old record was set in 2014 with 56 entries at McMinnville.) The National Speech and Debate ranks the Cannibals as the number #1 team in the State with 267 points. 

National Merit Scholarship Finalists

Cleveland had 5 students who qualified to be National Merit Scholarship Finalists:

Stella Greenvoss

Hazel Saydak

August Shin

Benjamin Stevenson

Claire Yeates

Congratulations!

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Community,

Today was a stark and devastating reminder that, while our school works to provide a safe space for students, the epidemic of gun violence continues to impact our city. The Portland Police Bureau is continuing their investigation into the shooting incident outside of our campus where a student experienced non-life threatening injuries. They  issued a press release this afternoon.

Tomorrow, December 13, will be a non-instructional day for students. Classes will not be held. Teachers and staff will be meeting to plan for supporting students when they return to school.

We know students will be processing this event in different ways. If students are in need of in-person support tomorrow, they are welcome to come into school after 11:00 AM. Our Cleveland counseling and student support team will be on-hand to connect with students. 

A “to-go” lunch will be provided in the cafeteria at the normal lunch time of 11:41 AM-12:16 PM if your student would like to come get food.

We are working closely with our district and community partners to plan a trauma-informed return to school and will be in touch with you as we finalize details. Please see below for resources.

Thank you students, staff, and families for the strength and resilience you demonstrated today. As always, email me at jwadkins@pps.net if you have any questions. We are Cleveland!

Warmly,

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

​​​​​​​Resources

It is common for young people to have strong reactions after learning of and/or experiencing continuing gun violence in the community and today right outside of their school. 

If your child’s responses are severe or prolonged and interrupting their daily functioning, they might benefit from additional support. Please reach out to a trusted person, whether it be someone at school, someone in your spiritual community, your medical provider, a friend, neighbor, or family member.  

Please consider the following resources:

Multnomah County has mental health support for those impacted by gun violence.

Multnomah County's Gun Violence Impacted Families Behavioral Health Response Team has therapists of Color (African American, African-Immigrant, and Latinx) who will focus on supporting and uplifting the mental health of community members impacted by violence. To find out more about this program and how they can help, please reach out via phone at 503.988.4888 or via email at gvbhrt@mulco.us and express interest in this program.

Are you concerned your student is impacted or influenced by community violence?

City of Portland Office of Violence Prevention

Office of Violence Prevention 

• Trauma and Violence Impacted Family Program: This program accepts referral form connecting youth to identified prevention and intervention resources including targeted wraparound services for individuals impacted by community violence.
  • Youth Referral Form  
  • Point of Contact: Hiag Brown / hbrown@portlandoic.org  / (503)757-0250  
  • Additional agencies that provide these support and services are all culturally responsive and include POIC, NAYA, Latino Network, and IRCO
    
    

• Street Level Outreach (SLO) Program: SLOs build relationships with youth and their families with specific goals in mind: to reduce conflict and violence, to support and assist youth and their families in accessing social and educational services, while providing services as a mentor, life coach, positive role model, advocate, and mediator
  • SLO workers also attend and support school staff, admin, and athletic department at school events and activities (sports, fairs, safe passage, etc.) 
  • Contact for more information: 503-823-6521 

Racial Equity Support Line staffed by and for people of Color 

Youthline Teen Textline

Safe and Strong Warmline (available for anyone to reach out with mental health questions or concerns- you do not need to be in crisis-Interpretation Services Available)

Multnomah County Mental Health Call Center (24 hours a day 7 days a week-Interpretation Services Available).

Dear Cleveland Families,

It is with tremendous sorrow and frustration that we are again confronting the tragic effects of gun violence in our PPS community. I am painfully aware that this weekend’s tragedies hit very close to home for a number of our students, and it is my sincere hope that everyone impacted understands that we are here to help. Even with school out for the week, we are ready to support you and your family in any way we can. Tomorrow we have virtual conferences, and our staff will be working in the building. Please reach out if your student would like to connect with support in the building.

The following resources are available:

City of Portland Office of Violence Prevention (interpretation services available)

• Trauma and Violence Impacted Family Program: Wraparound services for youth and families impacted by community violence. Point of Contact: Hiag Brown, hbrown@portlandoic.org and (503) 757-0250. (Youth Referral Form.) 

• Street Level Outreach (SLO) Program: SLOs build relationships with youth and their families to reduce conflict and violence, to support and assist accessing social and educational services, providing the following services: mentors, life coaches, positive role models, advocates, and mediators. Call (503) 823-6521.

Multnomah County has mental health support for those impacted by gun violence. (interpretation services available)

Multnomah County's Gun Violence Impacted Families Behavioral Health Response Team has therapists to support and uplift the mental health of community members impacted by violence. To find out more about this program and how they can help, please call (503) 988-4888 or email  gvbhrt@mulco.us.

We all have a collective responsibility to maintain safe communities. If you see or hear anything that may pose a danger to student safety, please call the PPB non-emergency line at (503) 823-3333. You can also contact the SafeOregon tip line via text or phone at (844) 472-3367; by email at tip@safeoregon.com; or you can download the SafeOregon app.  

We are stronger as a community when we listen to and support each other. Feel free to contact me at jwadkins@pps.net  if there is anything I can do for you, your student, or your family.

Warmly,

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

Cleveland High School 

Dear Cleveland Families,

As we enter the second quarter of the semester, I want to highlight the academic support for students and activities that are happening at Cleveland.

Quarter 1 Grades
Teachers submitted their Quarter 1 grades on Monday and you should be able to see them in ParentVue. These grades do not appear on the transcript. Rather, these grades indicate the progress that your student has made in achieving the learning standards in each of their classes. Students have ample time to raise their grades before the end of the semester. Good communication with the teacher will always be an avenue for working on an academic plan to improve. I noticed on some teacher comments that students needed to complete a project or paper or make up a test to improve their grade. Our Flex periods allow students access to teachers to get that extra help or to work on assignments. Please encourage your students to use Flex and communicate with their teachers. In addition, we have tutoring opportunities on campus which are advertised throughout the school. Your student’s counselor is another great resource for students building an academic plan for success.

Attendance
We have noticed a dip in attendance as the school year has progressed. While we know students may need to be absent for appointments or illness, we also know that attending class is paramount to student success. One trend that occurs is students returning late from lunch. I hear students comment on the length of the lunch period. The school bell schedule is determined at the district level to ensure that all schools have the correct number of instructional hours per the requirements of the Oregon Department of Education. Our lunch period is the same length it was last year. When students are more than 23 minutes late to class, they are considered absent. If you see that trend in your student’s attendance with periods after lunch (periods 3 and 7), please consider working on a lunch plan with them to be to class on time. 

Fall Musical
Our fall musical, Zombie Prom, opened last night and there are still opportunities to come see it. The play runs tonight with a showtime of 7:00 PM. There are two showings on Saturday - a Matinee at 3:00 PM and an evening show at 7:00 PM. I get the privilege of hearing the rehearsals from my office, and I can assure you that the play will be fabulous. Tickets are sold at the door: $10 for adults and $5 for minors, cash only. There will also be concession sales.

Family Conferences
We are happy to host conferences this year with in-person options. Monday, November 21 will be in person with drop-in sessions available as well as scheduled times to meet with teachers. On this day, scheduled appointments are throughout the day with drop in options from 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM. Tuesday, November 22 will be virtual with meetings held with teachers using Google Meet. There will be three sessions of appointments each day: morning (8:30 AM - 12:00 PM), afternoon (1:00 - 4:30 PM) and evening (5:30 - 8:00 PM). We will publish the appointment sign-ups on Wednesday, November 16. These appointments will be ten minutes in length to allow both time to meet with the teacher and time for transition to the next appointment. Conferences are a great way to connect with your student’s teachers and discuss strengths as well as areas of growth for your student. The conference schedule simply does not allow enough appointment slots for every parent to meet with every teacher. Please think about which teachers you most want to connect with to support your student. Conferences are one opportunity to connect, but you can also reach out to teachers and counselors at any time to discuss your student’s academic needs.

Traffic Safety
Last month, a community safety forum was hosted in our auditorium to address pedestrian, cyclist and car safety at the intersection of SE 26th Ave. and SE Powell Blvd. Representatives from ODOT, PBOT, Trimet and PPS were available to present ideas and listen to feedback. State Senator Kathleen Taylor has formed a workgroup to monitor the progress of improvements. We have representatives from our staff, including me, and the PTA. Please continue to share any concerns you may have about the intersection with me, and I will be sure to bring them up at the workgroup meetings.

Hate Speech in the Neighborhood
Instances of the ‘n’ word are still occurring in the neighborhood around the school. While the instances have not recently occurred on our campus, we do clean the graffiti near the school campus when we see it and make a record of it. I know some of you have also been involved in cleaning the graffiti that you have found. Please continue to send me pictures of the graffiti which I will pass on to the police. I filed a police report earlier in the school year, and the case has been assigned to an officer with whom I am in contact. If you happen to witness the actual act of this hate speech being written or have an image from any exterior cameras you may have at your homes, please report those to the police or send them to me to give to the officer working on this investigation. The continuous onslaught of seeing this word harms our students and staff of color. We will continue our work to address this hate speech, and thank you for your vigilance and attention to reporting and cleaning it in our neighborhood.

Jo Ann Wadkins
Principal
Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

I hope everyone is well. This update is to highlight some activities that are coming up at Cleveland.

PSAT

This Wednesday, October 12, is PSAT day where we will be proctoring this exam for all sophomores and juniors who registered for it. Each year Cleveland has students who are recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program as commended students and semi-finalists based on their PSAT scores achieved in the junior year. It is a school day where attendance will be taken. The school officially ends at 1:30 PM. However, students taking the PSAT may leave after they finish their exam. Students not taking the PSAT may leave after lunch. Their activities for the day include some work to be completed at home.

Here is a breakdown of the day for the different classes:

• All 12th graders and 11th graders who DID NOT register for the PSAT will be coming to school at 8:30. Students will sign in on the 1st floor and attend three hour-long College and Career sessions. Students must pre-register for these sessions on Monday and Tuesday and will be able to do so through their PPS email. There are over 15 different organizations coming to provide information sessions and opportunities for students interested in exploring life after high school. Students will be able to complete CRLEs (Career Related Learning Experience) after the sessions are completed.
  • Students MUST register for sessions by filling out this Google form .
  • Here is a list of the available sessions.

• 11th graders who registered in September and ALL 10th graders are taking the PSATs. These students MUST arrive before 8 am. See additional information from our Special Events Coordinator, Jan Watt.
  • See this attached doc for where students should go: Student Room #s .
• 9th graders will be coming to school at 8:30 and meeting in their Academies. Each Academy has a unique half-day plan for students to engage in community-building activities. Academies will be meeting in different parts of the building and off campus. Look for specific details from Academy teachers on Monday and Tuesday of this week. 

Initial Meeting Place for Each Academy:

• Pacific: Franklin St Gym Entrance (8:45 departure)
• Stumptown: Field (SE 31st at 8:45)
• Tillamook: Auditorium (8:30)
• Trillium: Library (8:30)
• Wy’East: Portables on 28th Street (8:30)

Lunch will be available in the cafeteria for students from 11:30-12:30. Transportation for students in our Intensive Skills Program will receive pick up at 1:30 on Wednesday. 
 
Please email Sean Murray (smurray1@pps.net) with any questions or concerns about Wednesday.

Homecoming

Our homecoming week starts October 17. The advanced leadership class is planning a variety of events to include decorating the halls, making homecoming floats, and hosting a homecoming dance. The homecoming football game on October 21 against Ida B. Wells will start at 6:30 PM at the Cleveland stadium. The dance will be in the gym after the football game and will run from 9:00 -11:00 PM. The leadership class will be selling tickets before school, at lunch and after school starting next week. Students will be asked to sign a pledge about dance behavior. The theme of the dance is Starry Night. As is customary in PPS, our homecoming dance is open to all grades and is for our students only, with no outside guests. 

SE Powell Blvd. Community Safety Forum

Oregon State Senator Kathleen Taylor and State Representatives Rob Nosse and Karin Power are hosting a community safety forum on October 20 at 6:00 PM in the Cleveland Auditorium. Representatives will be there from ODOT, PBOT, Trimet and PPS to participate in the discussion. Please come to share your thoughts about safety on SE Powell Blvd.

Community Safety Forum Flyer

Student Supports

Last week we had trained volunteers from the trauma intervention program of Portland/Vancouver here to support students and staff after the tragic death of Sarah Pliner at the intersection of SE Powell Blvd and SE 26th Ave. For some who witnessed the event or responded to the event, the response to the trauma may take time to resolve. As I shared with students and staff on Wednesday of last week, some expected responses to any event of impact in a person’s life might include loss of appetite, being more irritable or grumpy, having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, or avoiding friends or enjoyable activities. Some of this is normal for a short period of time, but if it is impacting your student’s life functioning, please reach out to our counseling staff or any administrator so that we can help your student access the support they need. 

Jo Ann Wadkins
Principal
Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

It was a pleasure seeing you at Back to School Night. It has been three years since we were able to hold this event in person. I hope you were able to connect to the teachers that support your student and that you learned more about our academic program. 
I want to share some updates with you as we are finishing the first month of school.

Progress Reports

Next week is the end of our first progress report period. This first report falls half way through the first quarter. With this progress report, teachers are letting you know if your student is not on track to earn a C or better at the quarter. We are early in the school year, and we want students to develop those academic habits that will help them achieve the learning standards in their classes. Please encourage your student to reach out to their teachers when they need support. We have a variety of tutoring resources available, and the FLEX period is designed so that students can have another opportunity during the school day to interact with their teachers. Our academic calendar includes when we have FLEX periods, and next week we will have Flex periods on Wednesday and Thursday.

Friday, September 23-No School

There is no school tomorrow for students across PPS. This day is a professional learning day for teachers. It is also a non-work day for our support staff. We will have two more of these days this school year, and they are marked on our school calendar. 

Fall Sports

We are about half way through our fall season with over 402 students participating in athletics. Our cross country and football teams are growing by leaps and bounds. Our soccer teams will be finishing up non-league games this week and then they will be vying for the PIL title in league play. Volleyball is pursuing an aggressive schedule with tournament and league games. Here is the varsity schedule for the next couple of days. You can access the athletic schedule from our website under athletics. Come out and support our Warriors!

Thursday, September 22:

Volleyball at Jefferson HS at 7:00 PM

Girls Soccer at Delta Park vs. Central Catholic at 6:30 PM

Boys Soccer at the Cleveland Stadium vs. Hood River at 7:00 PM

Friday, September 23:

Football at the Cleveland Stadium vs. Roosevelt at 7:00 PM

Clubs and Activities

Athletics is one way for your student to be involved at Cleveland. We also have a rich array of student clubs and student racial affinity groups. If you were here at Back to School Night, you had the opportunity to meet some of the student leaders from the racial affinity groups. Their meeting times are posted around the school. The club fair next Wednesday, September 28, during the FLEX period is an opportunity for your student to learn about the clubs we have and to become involved. Please encourage your student to attend and ask them about the clubs they would like to join.

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

We are getting close to the start of the 2022-23 school year! Teachers are back, rooms are getting ready, and there is a buzz of excitement in the air. August 30 is a great opportunity for our freshmen and seniors to be set up for success. Here a few reminders for you and your student for that day:

• August 30 is a school day for freshmen and seniors ONLY!
• Freshmen report at 8:30 AM and will participate in community building and orientation activities until 11:30 AM. Lunch will be available in the cafeteria at 11:30 AM.
• Seniors report at 12:30 PM and will participate in activities that meet graduation requirements and have the opportunity to attend enrichment sessions until 3:30 PM.
• Attendance will be taken for both groups.
  • Freshmen will pick up hard copies of their schedule, and we will use unclaimed copies to mark students absent.
  • Seniors will pick up transcripts, and we will use the unclaimed ones to mark students absent.

Wednesday, August 31 is the first regular school day with all students attending. We will be following an ‘A’ day schedule. The bell schedule and school calendar are on our website. Students need to check StudentVue for their current schedule as we have been balancing classes and making some schedule changes. The schedule in StudentVue will always be the most up to date. Counselors will continue to work on schedule corrections for students who may be missing a class or are in the wrong level of a class. After the first week of school, counselors will have a process to meet with students who wish to make schedule changes for other reasons. Students must follow their schedule in StudentVue even if they think they will be getting a schedule change.

Tuesday and Wednesday of next week will be hot. Our school is not air-conditioned. Windows will be open and most rooms have fans. I would encourage students to bring water bottles that they can refill at school. We have five gallon water jugs throughout the school to use until our water fountains are operational. Our new water fountains have been installed but will not be operable until after the contractors test them. They will be marked as such until they are ready to use. 

We cannot wait to see all of our students next week!

Jo Ann Wadkins
Principal
Cleveland HS

Dear Cleveland Community!

We are so excited to welcome students to the 2022-23 school year. Our custodians have been working non-stop to make our classrooms and hallways shine. Kudos to Rob Ryan and the fantastic custodial crew for all of their hard work. I am happy to be returning with my wonderful administrative team for another year of learning together. While the pandemic is still part of our reality, we look forward to having a school year that allows many opportunities for us to come together to celebrate traditions and build new ones as we work to realize our vision of an inclusive school where students are empowered, inspired and honored. Please click the link below for more details about this school year. 

Principal's Back to School Letter

Dear Cleveland Students, Staff, and Families,

I want to provide you with an update to the graffiti and vandalism that occurred last Saturday here at Cleveland High School. The investigation is still open, and we have been working closely with law enforcement. We have been able to provide law enforcement additional information that has led to a possible suspect. I want to reassure you that there are no indications that any current Cleveland students were involved. We will continue to work with law enforcement throughout the investigation and will provide an update if additional information comes available.

This week we have been processing this incident as a community. On Monday, our second period teachers read a common message to all students and were provided resources about addressing hate speech and hate symbols. The parent equity group met Monday evening, and during that meeting, I shared with them information about the work we are doing. During our Student Equity Council meeting on Tuesday, the affinity groups voiced their concerns and their call to action in response to the incident. We heard clearly from the Jewish Student Union (JSU) that they feel very strongly about the role of education as a response to this incident. It is so important for our community to understand that antisemitism has existed for ages and still prevails today. Cleveland High School has had other incidents where a swastika has been posted on school property, and the JSU believes that educating our community is what will prevent future incidents. I received feedback from our JSU student leaders on this update so that I could ensure that their strong conviction was conveyed. I am happy that all of our students on the equity council shared with us how they felt and what they wanted to do. 

As much as everyone may be looking forward to Spring Break, we also know that being away from friends and predictable structures can lead to stress and anxiety. Our students have had a week where they have been navigating the new mask protocol and the hate speech incident in addition to the day-to-day interactions of being a teenager in high school. I know parents have been sent information alerting them to the dangers of fentanyl. The tragic story of the McDaniel students has been published in the news media and our hearts go out to that community and to the families. I wanted to provide parents with some resources to have conversations with their students and to remind everyone of the resources we have available.

Dangers of Fentanyl Lesson for Students and Families

A short lesson for parents and kids to open a discussion about the risks of overdose from fentanyl, as well as other drugs, signs of overdose and how to respond to save a life. 

CDC Stop Overdose page 

CDC page with information specific to Fentanyl and overdose as well as the dangers of mixing drugs, life saving Naloxone and how to access help.

Informational Video about Fentanyl

5 minute video that explains what Fentanyl is, why the risk of overdose is so high, who is at risk and what steps you can take to prevent an overdose and save a life.

Multi-lingual Flier about Fentanyl and Prevention Strategies

English

Español | Spanish

Tiếng Việt | Vietnamese

中文 | Chinese

Русский | Russian

Soomaali | Somali

Self Request for PPS Substance Use Counseling Services Google Form

If you think that your student would benefit from working with a PPS Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, CDAC, to address a pattern of substance use, you or your student can make a referral with the Google form linked above. CADCs can also support families with feedback, resources and referring students to outside treatment. 

Our students carry so much and are navigating a complicated world. I continue to be impressed with their empathy, thoughtfulness and keen desire to help our community. I wish each of you a restorative Spring Break. 

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

Next week I will send a celebration update to highlight the accomplishments of our students in recent weeks. Today, I wanted to share with you that we provided a resource for teachers to use in their classes today to facilitate a conversation about the change in the mask mandate. The resource emphasized empathy and the recognition that whatever decision a person makes is the right decision for that person. 

For school on Monday, masks will be optional. Students, staff and visitors decide their own risk level and whether or not they want to wear a mask. No individual classrooms will have separate rules about mask wearing. Only two spaces on campus will require students, staff and visitors to wear masks: the Student Health Center on the bottom floor and the nurse’s office/symptom space on the main floor. 

We will continue to notify the community when we have a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 and who was on campus during their infectious period. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will need to isolate per the guidelines provided by Multnomah County and you need to continue to notify the school if your student tests positive for COVID-19. 

I have linked the daily illness self-screening list. Students should continue to stay home if they have any primary symptoms of COVID-19. If they have any secondary symptoms, they should wear a mask. We will continue to have masks available for students. 

I know this is yet another change in our learning environment that we will need to navigate together. I know our students to be thoughtful and empathetic. They may experience anxiety as they try to decide what is best for them. We are here to support them. As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Daily Illness Self-Screening Checklist

PPS COVID-19 Safety and Protocols

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

We have a lot to celebrate in the month of March, and I want to share with you some of the events and how you can purchase tickets.

Basketball

Both our Boys and Girls basketball teams have made it into the State playoffs! Congratulations to the coaches, Dondrale Campbell for the Boys team and Poeko Waiwaiole for the Girls team, and all the players. I am very proud of both teams; they play with heart and integrity and are exciting to watch. Come cheer on our Warriors at the first round of play this week. 

Tuesday 3/1/2022

Boys vs. Century at Cleveland (50% capacity)

7:00pm Start,  Doors open at 6:15pm

500 tickets available through Presale for Warrior Families, Friends, and Fans. Make sure to add names to the tickets purchased. We will check in presale ticket fans with a list. 

Adult Presale: Boys Basketball Playoff Round 1 Adult Tickets $8.00 each

Student/Child Presale: Boys Basketball Playoff Round 1 Student/Child Tickets $5.00 each

Any remaining tickets will be sold at door, cash only. State Tournament Playoff games are not covered by student sports passes. Every fan coming to the game must have a purchased ticket as per the OSAA.

Wednesday 3/2/2020

Girls @ Mountainside (50% capacity)

7:00pm Start, Doors open at 6:30pm

Presale on OSAA: https://www.osaa.org/shop/tickets

Navigation steps

1. Basketball
2. Girls Basketball
3. 6A
4. Mountainside vs Cleveland
5. Get Tickets

Any remaining tickets will be sold at door, cash only.

PIL Titles for Winter Sports

Our Boys Basketball team clinched the PIL title this year. This is the first time that our Boys Basketball team has won the PIL championship since 1962. If you were in the gym at the Grant game, you witnessed history. 

Our wrestling team continued its winning streak this year by earning the PIL championship title for the 11th year in a row. Congratulations to Coach Zerba and the team. At the State traditional wrestling tournament, three of our wrestlers placed -

Logan Medford - 3rd Place State

Garret Cappalonga - 5th Place State

Sean Lee - 6th Place State

At the separate girls tournament, Haley Vann won her second State championship.

IB Visual Arts Exhibition

Every year the students who are participating in the IB assessment for the visual arts present an exhibition. Last year, it was virtual. Our IB artists produce amazing work, and I encourage everyone to come see the exhibition this year in person. The work of our IB artists is being featured at the High Low Gallery, 936 SE 34th Ave, March 1-31. The opening reception is this Saturday, March 5 from 5-7 PM. The closing reception is Saturday, March 26 from 5-7 PM. Congratulations to our IB art instructor, Emily Pratt, and all the wonderful IB Visual Art students.

Robotics

Our robotics team, Pigmice, has been actively building and programming the CHS 100-lb robot for competition. They have an upcoming event in Wilsonville March 11-12 and then will be preparing for the big tournament at the end of the month. 

Successful Schools Family Survey

Each year the district gathers feedback from families about their experiences with our schools. I receive the results of this survey for CHS. The feedback you share helps inform our school improvement planning and the programs we offer here. The survey takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. You can take it on a computer, a phone, or a tablet using the link below. The survey is open until March 4, and I hope you find time to let us know your thoughts. If you have a student in schools other than Cleveland, please fill out a survey for each school where you have a student.

surveys.panoramaed.com/portlandor/ppsfamily

Q3 Progress Reports

Progress reports will be coming out this week. Teachers are obligated to let families know if their student is in danger of not earning a passing grade for the quarter. You can use ParentVue and Canvas to see how your student is doing in class. We are very early in the semester and this is a good time to encourage good study habits and accessing resources for course help for your student. Flex period is a great time for students to connect with their teachers. Our Flex period is at the end of the day now, and we have more of them than we had in the first semester.

March 2 SEL day

Our special schedule for Wednesday is now complete with a robust list of sessions for students to attend. I want to remind you that Wednesday is a school day for all students. Second period teachers will be taking attendance for the day which ends at 11:30 AM for students. I know your student will find sessions that are meaningful for them. They signed up for sessions today, and we are excited to host our community partners who are coming here to spend time with our students. The Mental Health Advocacy Club has been a huge help in planning the day, and I want to recognize them for their hard work.

Black History Month

Our CARE leadership class put up one final piece of work celebrating the accomplishments of Black Portlanders. It is featured in the main hall. I appreciate the work that all of our students did this month to engage in conversations about race.

It is such a pleasure to work with your students. They continue to amaze me with their humor, intelligence, caring, and athleticism. We have great students, and it is a joy to celebrate their accomplishments.

Jo Ann Wadkins,

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy the wonderful weather this past weekend. We are now underway into the second semester with some changes to our schedule that will allow students more Flex periods to interact with their teachers. Our updated schedule is on our website and available on the Trivory app. If you and your student have yet to subscribe to Trivory, please sign-up now.. One other feature in our second semester schedule are 2 SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) days that are a half day for students. Our first one is March 2. Students will come to school from 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM and will attend sessions of their choice on a range of topics that include mental health, consent and racial equity. Our Mental Health Advocacy student group who is advised by Michelle Hardaway is helping to plan the day for students and we are bringing in a variety of community and district resources to host the sessions. 

Student Safety

I sent a message to students on Friday about an incident that occurred on the Max on Monday morning, February 7 that involved one of our students. This hate crime involved our student being subject to verbal abuse that included racial slurs. Our student was also physically threatened by the person, who was not a student. The incident has been reported to the police. This hate crime is an affront to our core values of Racial Equity and Social Justice, Respect, Honesty and Integrity. Every student has the right to feel safe coming to school whether that is walking in the neighborhood or taking public transportation. We care about the safety and wellbeing of all of our students.

I let students know that they can report any incident where a student is unsafe using SafeOregon. They can submit reports 24/7. I said that they should reach out to their counselors or our social worker if they were feeling unsafe. If they witnessed the incident they can come to me or any trusted adult in the building. They can also report it to SafeOregon. Another resource I recommend is the organization Portland United Against Hate (PUAH) which provides resources for reporting hate crimes in the community as well as resources to support victims of hate crimes. 

I use Canvas to email students to their PPS email addresses. Please encourage your students to check their student email on a regular basis.

I have also heard from you about the camp that surrounds our parking lot on SE 25th Ave. and SE Franklin St. First, the camp is not on PPS property. Our district security services department works with the city in addressing camps near schools. Our campus safety agents file reports to both the city and the district. I have asked specifically that this camp be addressed at the next meeting with the city which should be this week. You can use the link below to get more information about the reporting process.

Security Services/Campsite Reporting

Student Successes

I am proud to let you know of some recent student achievements.

Two of our students, Simone Guite and Ellie Howard, have been recognized by the National Speech and Debate Association for earning that organization’s Academic All American Award. For more than the 141,000 student members, fewer than 1% of students earn this award every year. Congratulations to these outstanding members of our Speech and Debate Team!

Victor Huynh has been named a candidate for the US Presidential Scholars Program. Students are chosen for outstanding performance on the ACT Assessment or the College Board SAT. I certainly feel Victor is the best candidate for this prestigious award and I am happy to support his application.

Our Cleveland Jazz Ensemble competed this past Saturday in the West Salem Jazz Festival where they placed third. A number of the ensemble won outstanding soloists awards:

Auden Koeneke - Alto & Soprano Sax

Liem Friel - Trombone

Maia Connelly - Trumpet

Jesse Broderick - Drums

Drew Sykes - Guitar

Jason Tran - Piano

Jo Ann Wadkins,

Principal,

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

We are concluding our first week back from Temporary Distance Learning (TDL) and I wanted to give you an update. I received a variety of feedback from parents about our return to in-person school. While we continue to get reports of COVID-19 positive individuals, that number has decreased. I feel students learn best in community with their peers and teachers. Please know that we are committed to supporting your student whether they are learning here in person or at home.

COVID-19 Protocol Changes

Isolation and quarantine timelines have changed to be in line with the CDC. Isolation is used to refer to individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 and quarantine refers to individuals who have been in close contact with a positive individual. For COVID-19 positive individuals, isolation periods will be 5 days from onset of symptoms. On day 6, individuals who have been isolating at home may return to activities outside of the home as long as they wear a well-fitting, multi-layer mask and are experiencing improving symptoms with no fever. They may lower their mask briefly to eat and drink. This guidance with a return date to school will be provided via email to parents and guardians of students who have tested positive. Please remember to let the school know if your student tests positive for COVID-19.

PPS will no longer notify close contacts who were not part of an onsite, high-risk, unmasked cohort that included an individual who tested positive for COVID-19. Close contact tracing will be conducted when the situation is indoors and masking is inconsistent or not possible. For high school that includes indoor sports such as wrestling, basketball and swimming. If a student who is on one of these teams tests positive for COVID-19, we will contact trace and notify individuals who were exposed. If the close contacts are fully vaccinated and are symptom free, they may continue to participate in normal activities at school. Fully vaccinated means having all the shots for which the individual is eligible. For students 17 years of age or younger, two doses of Moderna and Pfizer or one dose of Johnson and Johnson still constitute being fully vaccinated. For individuals aged 18 years or older, if they qualify for a booster shot, then they must have that dose to be considered fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated close contacts must quarantine and will follow the same timelines as a COVID-19 individual. The county is shifting their response to the pandemic to emphasize vaccinations and boosters and are not relegating resources to contact tracing because Omicron has a much shorter incubation period. By the time someone realizes they may be sick, gets tested and that test is reported, it is often too late for contract-tracing to interrupt disease transmission. We will only be sending notifications and guidance to COVID-19 positive individuals or identified close contacts. PPS will no longer be sending out community notifications.

Finally, if your student is experiencing any symptoms of illness, they need to stay home. I will emphasize once again the importance of wearing a well-fitting mask that is multi-layered. Cloth masks are not nearly as effective as surgical masks or medical grade masks. We have surgical masks for students at school. Wearing a cloth mask over it helps to keep it close fitting.

Schedule

The school board approved January 31 being a non-school day for students and a professional development and planning day for teachers in advance of the second semester. Below is a chart of our schedule for the next two weeks.

Finals

The end of a semester can bring stress to students as they are finishing up work and preparing for finals. The grades for the semester do go on the transcript and are used to calculate GPA and credits earned. Not all subject areas give content based final exams because of the nature of the subject. Students may have a final paper or project due. Each day of the finals includes a Flex period at the end of the day where students can meet with their teachers to get support in finishing up the semester. Please encourage your student to take advantage of these periods if they need help from a teacher to study for a test or to finish a project or paper. Please emphasize that learning is a journey and a single number does not represent the whole achievement of a student. Showing and appreciating growth is so important. I know that each of our students has grown in some way and that should be celebrated.

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

PPS sent a message last night about Cleveland moving to Temporary Distance Learning (TDL). This was a difficult decision to make. Our students, staff and families have been through many transitions in the last year and a half and I know that these changes bring anxiety and uncertainty. I want to assure you that we are committed to maintaining continuity of instruction for our students during this time.

TDL Logistics

Teachers are working today to prepare for distance learning. Your student should check the Canvas pages of their teachers this afternoon for instructions and links to the class meetings.

Canvas link

The login for Canvas is the student’s PPS username and password.

If your student needs a hotspot or their chromebook is not working, they may come to the school on Monday between 8:00 and 9:00 AM to get technical support. Please remind them to bring their non-working chromebook so that we can send it in to be repaired. They will be issued another chromebook to use.

We will follow our regular schedule next week. Below is a chart of the schedule for next week. 

Classes will meet virtually at the same times as the classes met in person. Students need to join the virtual meeting through the Google Meet link on the course Canvas page. Attendance will be taken based on the student being present on the Google Meet. Lessons will be structured so that students have time with their teachers and peers online as well as time allotted for independent work offline.

Teachers and students have worked hard this semester to build community and I know our teachers want to maintain that next week. It will be very helpful for students to have their cameras on while attending class virtually. Google Meet has an array of background filters that students can use if they only want their image to be available in the virtual classroom. Please encourage your students to keep cameras on during class. 

Meal service will be provided at Franklin High School and students may pick up food between 1:00 and 3:00 PM.

Extracurricular activities are paused for the week. Some events will move into a virtual setting and others will need to be rescheduled.

COVID-19 Safety Practices

Please continue to let the school know if your student tests positive for COVID-19. If your student’s symptoms are mild, they will be able to join their classes virtually while being quarantined at home. We will continue to contact trace for the cases we had here this week. Again, close contact students will receive an email if the close contact occurred in the classroom. We are also being assisted by contact tracers that have been hired by the district and you may receive a call from them to let you know that your student was a close contact at school other than in the classroom. 

I would encourage your student(s) to practice some of the same protocols we use at school to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Students should wear masks if they are socializing with people who are not in their household. A distance of 6 feet is recommended when congregating. Vaccinations are a key component in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and reducing the severity of symptoms should a person contract the virus. The student health clinic will remain open next week. If you have an appointment for a vaccine, you will be able to keep it.

Student Support

Our counseling staff, social worker and school psychologists will be available next week via email and virtual appointments. Do not hesitate to reach out if your student needs extra support. I want to assure you that our goal is to return to in person school safely so that our students get the support they need from their caring teachers and support staff. I already miss seeing students. I remain committed to having a safe and supportive environment for each and every one of our students.

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

Congratulations to all of our students who have completed Quarter 1 of this school year. This grading period marks the halfway point in the first semester. The grades on the report card indicate the progress your student is making in achieving the learning targets in their classes. This grade does not go on the permanent transcript of your student. Students have time in November, December and January to work with their teachers to improve. We know that grades can be stressful for students. Learning is a journey and this grading period is just a snapshot of where your student is right now. 

Parent teacher conferences can be a great way to connect with your student’s teachers as we move forward in the semester. Conferences are November 22nd and 23rd and will be virtual across all PPS schools. Conferences are scheduled and we are currently reaching out to schedule priority conferences for students who may be struggling in multiple subjects. On November 18, 2021 we will open up the scheduling tool for all parents to sign up for a virtual conference. We will send out a link to use to easily schedule a time and scheduling tool will be available until 10:00 PM on November 19, 2021. You can elect to meet with as many of your student’s teachers as you wish. Please recognize that there are a limited number of slots for each teacher across the 2 days. Please do not feel obligated to sign up for conferences if your student is doing well and is feeling supported at school. Also, do not hesitate to reach out to teachers, counselors or administrators at any time to partner in supporting your student.

I want to recognize the tremendous work of our students in the variety of sports and activities at the school: 

Our two soccer teams made it to the state playoffs this year. While the girls lost their first round match against number 2 ranked Lake Oswego, they played with great heart and scored 2 goals. Our boys team advanced to the quarter finals and lost against Grant HS in a match that went to penalty kicks. Our team showed great sportsmanship and skill. There was a great crowd supporting them this past Saturday.

The fall play, Antigone, opens tonight in our beautiful auditorium! Please come see the remarkable work that our students and theatre director, Michael Payne, have produced. The rehearsals have looked amazing and I am excited to see the play. The play is being performed tonight, Nov. 9, tomorrow, Nov.10 and Friday, Nov. 12. Please remember to bring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test when coming to see the play.

Our speech and debate program has been recognized by the National Speech and Debate Association as the leading chapter in the North Oregon District for the 2020-21 school year. 

Our CARE (Cleveland Alliance for Racial Equity) leadership class has started a mural project that celebrates Black empowerment. Here is what  the students said in their mural proposal:

“Our project is an uplifting mural that provides Black empowerment to every African/African-American student in Cleveland High School. It gives children of color something to look at and see themselves in when they are not getting that representation in a mostly white school. It's a way to make everyone feel great about themselves no matter what color they are and is group based to include everyone. C.A.R.E’s mission is to provide equality and safe spaces for voices that need to be heard the most, and this project represents that.”

We will be hosting a student forum tomorrow which will be an all eight period day. Our freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes will each get a chance to participate during designated periods. The student forum, organized and spearheaded by Arly Holzweissig, advanced leadership student, and Moxie Thompson, CARE leadership student, will give students an opportunity to share their experiences at CHS with the school admin team. I am looking forward to hearing from our students and working together to build community at CHS.

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

Cleveland HS

Dear Cleveland Families,

As always, I hope you are well. I have enjoyed seeing our students actively participate in events throughout the fall. We are looking forward to welcoming families to performances in our beautiful auditorium. Kudos to Gary Riler and the wonderful volunteers who made this year’s Play-a-Thon a success with $27,000 raised for the music program at Cleveland HS. Thank you to all of those who so kindly donated! Although the annual Play-a-Thon was live streamed, we will be hosting theater and musical productions in November and December where audiences will be welcome! 

I do want to remind all families that proof of vaccination for COVID-19 or a negative test for COVID-19 is required to attend any event in Portland Public Schools or to visit any campus for a period longer than 15 minutes. If you have a meeting on campus with school staff, you will check into the office as usual but will also need to show proof of vaccination or test status. Starting this week, we will be checking vaccination and test status at all home athletic events and all performances. This requirement is in line with state mandates and you should have received communication from PPS last week about the guidance for visitors at PPS campuses. 

New COVID-19 Guidance for Visitors

Athletics This Week - Cleveland Stadium

Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021- Boys Soccer Senior Night!

Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 - Football

Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 - Girl’s Soccer 

Safety

Both Oregon Live and KOIN published stories of recent car jackings that have occurred in our neighborhood. One happened last week at the corner of SE Franklin and SE 28th shortly after school. The suspects approach cars with lone drivers and use a tactic where they say something is wrong with your car to get the driver to get out of the car. I was disheartened to learn of the carjacking that affected a neighbor of Cleveland HS. I want us all to be safe. 

Picture Retakes

Lifetouch will be on campus on Thursday, Oct. 21 for picture retakes. Retakes are intended for students that did not get a picture taken during registration or received a packet of pictures they are not pleased with. Students must bring the original photo packet with them. Students will be released from class to go to the auditorium.

Graduation

We will be returning to Providence Park for graduation this year. Graduation will be held on June 7, 2022 at 5:00 PM. Currently, the last day for seniors is June 1, 2022. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Conferences will be held November 21st and 22nd and will be virtual. We will be using an electronic sign-up system like we did last year for you to schedule time with your student’s teachers. Alaina Langdahl, Vice Principal, will be organizing the event this year and she will share more details as we get closer to the date. 

Jo Ann Wadkins

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear Cleveland Families,

I know it is hard to believe that the beginning of the 2021-22 school year is just around the corner! We are excited to welcome back students to a full week of school in person. The class of 2025 looks to be our largest yet! I also know that we are starting this school year with some questions about the Delta variant of the Coronavirus and how that might impact what school looks like this year. You can expect regular communication from me and PPS regarding COVID-19 protocols. Currently, all students and staff are required to wear masks while in the building. Classroom furniture is being placed to allow three feet between students where possible. I would encourage students to self monitor for COVID symptoms and to stay home if they have a fever of 100.4 F or higher, shortness of breath, an unexplainable cough or a sudden loss of sense of taste or smell.

I would like to offer my gratitude to all of you for your continuing support of public education and your neighborhood school. Last year was challenging but we also grew and came together in new ways as a community to support our students. We have a dynamic, talented and dedicated staff who are excited for this coming school year. We cannot wait to laugh, learn and grow with your students as we work together with you to make it one of the best yet! 

Click here for important information that families and students will need as you prepare to return to school. 

Jo Ann Wadkins,

Principal

Cleveland High School

Dear PPS Community,

Saturday night, gunshots were fired outside of a district-wide basketball tournament held at Franklin High School. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and the suspect is now in custody, but if you have any information about the incident please call 503-823-3333 or utilize the SafeOregon tipline.

Dear PPS Families, 

As we prepare for the winter sports season, we want to share a few reminders for our spectators.  

Dear families, students, and colleagues,

It has been a joy to visit learning spaces over the past four months and see our students reengaged in their classroom learning and school activities. I am pleased to observe our students interacting with peers and diving into new curriculum materials. 

This has been a very productive time for Portland Public Schools. My appreciation to all the dedicated Team PPS members who work everyday to make our school system better and stronger.

Dear PPS Community,

Every single person in Portland Public Schools believes that our learning spaces must be safe, stable, and secure, and that we have a shared responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the students under our care. We recognize that recent events, both locally and nationally, have rattled our community.

Superintendent Guerrero issued a broader statement about gun violence and its impacts on our schools, but we also want to explain how we both keep schools safe, and keep you informed.