Rightsize. Right Support. Right for Students.
Portland Public Schools is undertaking a districtwide rightsizing process to better align our schools, programs, and resources with the needs of today’s students and the realities shaping our future.
*Note: This video was supported by Grant Number TP1AH000243-01 from the HHS Office of Population Affairs. Contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health and Human Services or the Office of Population Affairs.
Dr. Jenny Withycombe
pronouns: she/her
Assistant Director for Health & Physical Education PK-12
hape@pps.net
Quin Holliday
pronouns: they/them
Business Operations Specialist
Vanessa Peña-La Torre
pronouns: she/they
SAY Wellness Grant Program Manager
Anna Bledsoe
pronouns: she/they
SAY Wellness Grant Program Supervisor
Susannah Lightbourne-Maynard
pronouns: she/her
Grant-Funded TOSA
These documents outline key health topics and concepts that will be instructed across grade levels during the school year, including essential health knowledge, skills and behaviors that will be addressed at each grade level from Kindergarten to the 12th grade.
Please select your child's grade level below to see what lessons are taught during our Growth and Development + Violence Prevention Unit, as well as what standards they are aligned with.
The majority of our Growth and Development lessons come from Rights, Respect, Responsibility (3Rs) by Advocates for Youth and our violence prevention lessons that meet Erin's Law come from Second Step's Child Protection Unit. Questions can be directed to our team at hape@pps.net.
State law requires that comprehensive sexuality education be taught in each grade K-12. In PPS, most schools will teach these units during the spring.
Schools send parent notification letters home at least 2 weeks prior to when the CSE/Growth and Development unit begins. Letters must be returned to the students' school.
The Caregiver Support Guide is a resource for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth, aimed at those wanting to learn more about supporting the young person in their life who is or could be LGBTQ+ identified.
Children and youth are very curious about the world around them, and will commonly ask adults “hard-to-answer” questions. This handout was developed to help adults be there for their young person, in whatever way they need, by being an “askable adult”.
