Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 29, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

We enjoyed hosting all of you at Back-to-School night on Tuesday evening.  It is such a pleasure to have families in the school building again, and seeing many new and returning faces.  The PTA meeting was also well-attended and it is wonderful that so many parents are choosing to become involved.

I want to make sure that everyone knows that Wednesday, October 4^th will be a two-hour late opening for all PPS middle schools.  Staff will be engaging in Social Emotion Learning professional development that morning.  The building entry bell will ring at 11:05 and period 1 will begin at 11:15.  Buses will run on the two-hour late opening schedule.

I also would like to alert you to the TAG Parent meeting which will take place on October 3^rd, from 6:30 to 7:15 PM.  The meeting will be virtual on Google Meets.

I hope you all enjoy the return of sunshine and crisp fall weather this weekend :-)

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

Mark your October calendar!

1. Fruit Sale starting next week!

Our annual fall fundraiser starts soon.  We will be selling apples and pears from Kiyokawa Orchard.  This delicious healthy fundraiser raises important funds to support our school. 

2. Sellwood Dines Outs; October 17th.

Our first Sellwood Dines Out will be with Portland Bottle Shop!  Great day for lunch or dinner, grab a gift, or stock up for the holidays!

3. Next PTA meeting; October 24th; 7pm.

We are excited to welcome a guest speaker at our October meeting.

                ‘Navigating social media for the middle school parent’

Dr. Craigan Usher

Professor of Child Psychiatry, OHSU

This will be an interactive session for parents to give practical advice to support your child to a safe and supportive use of social media.

4. Important links

Join the PTA: www.schoolpay.com/link/sellwoodpta 

Join Konstella: https://www.konstella.com/cd/AXC2Z9

Instagram: @sellwoodmiddlePTA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SellwoodMiddleSchoolPTA/

PEAK AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM

Sellwood PEAK Classes Start Soon! Registration Still Open

The PEAK Program is a series of in-person after school classes open to all Sellwood students.  The PEAK program is totally independent of Sellwood Middle School and is under the jurisdiction of PTA. Most classes run on a 8-10 week session schedule in the fall, winter, and spring, and require a fee. Partial scholarships are available as the PEAK goal is to include every SMS student.  

Register for classes at  https://tinyurl.com/sellwoodpeakprogram  If you are a first-time user you will need to create an account for your student.  

Scholarship request form is here: https://tinyurl.com/PEAKScholarship 

Please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com with any questions.

Classes open for registration now:

• Clowning and Physical Comedy
  • We will explore multiple clown characters through games and physical comedy exercises. Each student will develop their own unique clown character. Together we will observe and learn current and traditional physical theater practices and stage combat skills like falls, bonks and safely slamming into walls with no physical repercussions! We will develop individual and group composition pieces to perform for an invited audience at the culmination of the class. Come play with us and discover your inner clown!
• Choir
  • This is a student-led choir class provided by the Cleveland Choir Department, and the Cleveland Youth Choir (CYC) team. With the support of the Cleveland Choir director, Cleveland Choir students will lead a class filled with fun singing activities, practicing musicality skills, and learning about other cultures and stories through song! It is not only an educational opportunity, but a performance opportunity. Students who participate will have an opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Choir at one of our events. 
• Speech and Debate
  • The Cleveland High Speech and Debate team is one the largest and most successful programs at the school. Find out why these students love it so much, and build your own debate skills. You will practice speaking and debating skills in preparation for local middle school competitions The Sellwood team will be coached by team captains from Cleveland. 
• Python Coding - FULL
  • Python is versatile, easy-to-learn, and one of the world's most powerful programming languages! Widely used by software developers, scientists, and data analysts, Python can be used for everything from medical research to rocket engineering. The Python pathway teaches students core programming concepts and how to build interactive games using this popular coding language.

SELLWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL FOUNDATION UPDATES
https://www.sellwoodmiddlefoundation.org/blue-bags

We invite you to join our year-long fundraising initiative --**Blue Bag BottleDrop**! Last year, Blue Bag BottleDrop contributed over $6,000 to our school, making a significant impact on our programs.

 **What's Blue Bag BottleDrop?** 
Blue Bag BottleDrop is a simple and effective way to support our school. Collect cans, bottles, or any deposit-marked containers in the Blue Bags provided. These bags are convenient and versatile – use them at home, the office, sports events, or any gathering with bottled or canned beverages.

 **Easy Drop-Off Locations** 
No more waiting in line for payment slips! You can drop off your filled Blue Bags hassle-free at various local BottleDrop locations, including New Season's, Trader Joe's, and QFC.

 **Get Your Blue Bag** 
Pick up your Blue Bags at the Main Office or designated locations within the neighborhood (https://www.sellwoodmiddlefoundation.org/blue-bags). Look out for the SMS Foundation Board at the upcoming Back to School Night – we will be distributing Blue Bags and answering any questions you might have.

Let's make this year's Blue Bag BottleDrop program an even greater success! Thank you for your continued support in enhancing our school's opportunities and experiences.
 

SOCK-TOBER!!

Leadership, taught by Ms. Souther, is collecting sock donations for Blanchet House, which is a non-profit organization that distributes meals and clothes to the un-housed. October 1-27, please donate new (in the packaging) adult socks, one of the most requested items on their website. Warm, plain socks are great! 

Collection boxes will be available around the school every morning.

We’ll also incorporate Fun Sock Fridays!  Each Friday (and one Thursday) in October, students will be challenged to wear their most FUN socks. 

SELLWOOD YEARBOOKS FOR ALL

Who wants a yearbook at the end of the year?  It turns out, pretty much everybody wants one!  Each year, we set aside some time for students to commemorate the end of the school year with a yearbook signing ritual.  However, not everyone orders a yearbook, often because they are busy and don’t realize until after the ordering deadline.  Sometimes students don’t think they want a yearbook, but when they see them, they realize they really do want one.  The truth is, there are many reasons why families don’t order yearbooks, and we never have enough yearbooks for everyone who wants one.  We do not like to disappoint students and families.  So, what if we ordered yearbooks for every student?    In fact, if we order more yearbooks, the price per book will go down.  We envision the last day of school when every student has a yearbook to sign!  However, we will need your support in order to make this sustainable.  We are requesting a suggested $20 donation to our Sellwood Yearbook Donation account in School Pay (the price for a yearbook was $25 last year).  You can donate more, especially if you have more than one child at Sellwood.  We hope that our “Yearbooks for All” plan will make for a more enjoyable and equitable end of the year experience for all.  Thank you for your support.

Here's the link to SchoolPay.  If you need assistance with SchoolPay, the SchoolPay parent help phone number is 833-731-2600.

CLEVELAND CHEER CLINIC
Youth Cheer Clinic October 2nd-5^th, with a half time performance at the Homecoming Football game on the 6th. Practices will be held at the Cleveland track. 

Students will learn a dance and some cheers that they will perform at halftime of the homecoming game. We are also asking all the participants to cheer with us down on the track, for the first half of the game. 

Grades: 4th - 8th

Fee:  $50 - it includes a t-shirt and a bow.

Registration: Sign up is located on the Cleveland High School Athletic website under fall sports - cheer. Below is the google doc form. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2VNQwACezncLt0IGXfOpKCpNfyyKm3Lmdlbn6REW2BfHwRg/viewform?usp=sf_link

HOW PARENTS CAN LOG IN TO CANVAS

Parents, if you would like to support your student by logging into Canvas, here is a link and a step-by-step guide.

PARENTS/Guardians

• You will need to create a Canvas account using a student pairing code. 
• Accounts can be created by going to https://lms.pps.net/
• Review this guide to learn more.

COUNSELING CORNER

Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB – akennybrew@pps.net

Students with last names M-Z:  Ms. Katie – kfrancis@pps.net

MAIN OFFICE

The best way to reach us is by email.  

• Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) is our school secretary and registrar.  
• Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) is our principal’s secretary and bookkeeper.
• Our Sellwood website (pps.net/sellwood) has many “Quick Links” to help you immediately.   

The Office Phone Number

The office phone number is 503-916-5656.  

When prompted:

• press 4 for Melissa;
• press 3 for Claire 
• press 2 for all Attendance matters. 
• press 5 for Records, Registration.
• press 0 for the front counter; however, students may answer this line.  Do not discuss anything confidential or leave any confidential messages.  

Secured Building 

Sellwood is a locked and secure building.  

Please ring the doorbell to the right of the main doors to reach the office.  We will guide you accordingly.

Parent/Student Requests:  

Please email both Melissa and Claire for student pick up or if you must get a message to a student.  For student pickup, advance notice is strongly recommended to minimize classroom interruptions. No pickups/dismissals will be allowed after 3:30 pm.

Guides to Help you:

To access your student’s attendance in Synergy: Log into ParentVue. 

To make changes to your student’s registration in Synergy:  ParentVue/StudentVue

Please email Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

• Passwords:  If you have forgotten your password, have been locked out of your account, or do not have login credentials
• ParentVue (if your account has been disabled).   

Please email Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) for:

• School Pay/Bookkeeping/accounting issues.
• Administrative Support:  Messages or matters of support to the principal or assistant principal.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• September 26: TAG Parent Meeting 6:30 - 7PM (Virtual)
• October 3: Picture Day
• October 4: Two-hour late opening.  Entry bell rings at 11:05 AM
• October 13: No School – State In-service Day
• October 25: Cleveland Arts Assembly
• November 2: End of Quarter 2
• November 3: No School for Students
• November 8: Picture Retakes
• November 10: No School – Veteran’s Day
• November 20-21: Parent Teacher Conferences
• November 22-24:  Fall Break
• December 12: Band Winter Concert
• December 18-22: Winter Break

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 22, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

The school year is well underway and going very smoothly.  Checking in with students and staff, I have noted a lot of smiles and positive responses.  I have been made aware of one bus that is consistently late in the mornings.  My apologies about the bus.  I have reached out to Transportation for an explanation, but it seems the issue has not yet been resolved.  Over the past two weeks we have also experienced the challenges of an aging school building.  Sellwood Middle School was built in 1914, and while it is a beautiful old building, this week it has been showing its age.  On Tuesday, deep in the rooms under our building, one of our older building fans burned out.  While there was no fire, smoke, or actual danger, the fan pushed a burning odor into the school’s main areas, alarming students and staff and prompting an evacuation.  The fan is being replaced.  It took a bit of time to uncover the source of the odor, but I wanted to share its origin, as I had heard rumors being passed around about a gas leak (not true at all).  In addition to the old fan burning out, the water station nearest the main office has a clogged drain.  While we have closed the water station (as well as the station above it) until it is repaired, I want to reassure everyone that there is not a problem with the water quality, which is highly filtered and has been tested.  The water station can’t be used because the water has no place to go, due to the drain blockage.  It should be fixed in the next few days, but I ask for your patience.  I am very much looking forward to the day when Sellwood has its turn for school modernization.

Speaking of school modernization, I am sure you know that Cleveland High School is in line for redesign.  PPS is currently putting together the Cleveland Comprehensive Planning Committee (CPC).   Most Sellwood students will attend Cleveland as their neighborhood high school, and the work of the CPC will have great impact on current Sellwood students and families.  Below, under Help Us Create A Modernized Cleveland High School there is a description of the CPC’s work and an invitation to apply and a link to the CPC application.  They are interested in current Sellwood families and students.  I encourage you to get involved in this exciting work!

Finally, a reminder that next Tuesday evening Sellwood will host Back-to-School Night from 5:30 to 7PM, followed by the first PTA Meeting in the library from 7:00 to 8:30. The schedule and details are outlined below.  We hope to see you there!

Enjoy the weekend :-)

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

1.        First PTA Meeting Tuesday, 9/26 7pm at Back to School Night

Please join us for our first PTA meeting of the year.  We will meet from 7-8:30pm in the SMS library after Back to School Night events.  We would love to see you!  Principal Carbone will be sharing information about the new roles at Sellwood such as the Restorative Justice Coordinator and School Climate Specialist.  She will also be discussing the changes in the Advisory curriculum this year. 

2. Don’t forget to sign up for the PTA!

We have had 23 people join the PTA so far.  Our goal is 50. Please join the PTA and help make this a great school year for our kids and SMS community.  Here is the link to join! www.schoolpay.com/link/sellwoodpta 

3. Are you on Konstella? 

The PTA uses the Konstella app to keep the parent community up to date with scheduled events, the school calendar, volunteer sign ups and PTA announcements. Here is the link to join!  Already on Konstella?  Please update your student’s grade.

https://www.konstella.com/cd/AXC2Z9
 

4. Find us on social media!

Instagram: @sellwoodmiddlePTA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SellwoodMiddleSchoolPTA/

SELLWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL FOUNDATION UPDATES

https://www.sellwoodmiddlefoundation.org/blue-bags

We invite you to join our year-long fundraising initiative --**Blue Bag BottleDrop**! Last year, Blue Bag BottleDrop contributed over $6,000 to our school, making a significant impact on our programs.

 **What's Blue Bag BottleDrop?** 
Blue Bag BottleDrop is a simple and effective way to support our school. Collect cans, bottles, or any deposit-marked containers in the Blue Bags provided. These bags are convenient and versatile – use them at home, the office, sports events, or any gathering with bottled or canned beverages.

 **Easy Drop-Off Locations** 
No more waiting in line for payment slips! You can drop off your filled Blue Bags hassle-free at various local BottleDrop locations, including New Season's, Trader Joe's, and QFC.

 **Get Your Blue Bag** 
Pick up your Blue Bags at the Main Office or designated locations within the neighborhood (https://www.sellwoodmiddlefoundation.org/blue-bags). Look out for the SMS Foundation Board at the upcoming Back to School Night – we will be distributing Blue Bags and answering any questions you might have.

Let's make this year's Blue Bag BottleDrop program an even greater success! Thank you for your continued support in enhancing our school's opportunities and experiences.

See you at Back to School Night!

BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT

On Tuesday, September 26^th, we will welcome families to our annual Back-to-School Night.  We will start at 5:30 PM with a brief presentation in the gym, followed by a shortened bell schedule where parents will follow their children’s schedules and get to meet their teachers and hear about their classes.  We will not be handing out paper copies of students’ schedules, so please make sure you can access your child’s schedule through ParentVue on a mobile device.  Student leaders will be posted in hallways to help direct families.  Here is the schedule for the evening.

• 5:30-5:50 – Parent Presentation in Gym
• 5:55-6:02 - Period 1
• 6:06-6:13 - Period 2  
• 6:17-6:24 - Period 3 or 4 
• 6:28-6:35 - Period 5 
• 6:39-6:46 - Period 6
• 6:50-6:57 - Period 7

We hope to see you there!

HELP US CREATE A MODERNIZED CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL

Dear Cleveland High School & Cleveland Cluster Families,

The comprehensive planning process for the modernization of historic Cleveland High School is getting underway. PPS is seeking a diverse range of engaged citizens who can positively contribute to the process of creating a next generation high school through the Cleveland Comprehensive Planning Committee (CPC).  View the Cleveland CPC flyer here |Español |Tiếng Việt | Русский | Soomaali | 中文

Cleveland Comprehensive Planning Committee Mission
The goal of the Cleveland CPC is to develop an equitable and integrated comprehensive plan for a modernized Cleveland High School through authentic community engagement. It will include students, parents, teachers, alumni, administrators, PPS staff, partners, community representatives and a school board member.

The CPC collects and synthesizes community-wide input and collaborates around the evolving project details with other members in the Cleveland community. While CPC members are not tasked with making final decisions, their input is crucial in creating a comprehensive plan that the entire community can be proud of.  

Apply to the Cleveland Comprehensive Planning Committee (CPC)
To apply please visit the Cleveland Modernization website at https://www.pps.net/ClevelandBond Applications are available in all PPS supported languages. Paper applications will also be available at Cleveland High School and upon request. Interested candidates should plan on meeting about once a month in the evenings for about 5 to 6 months.  The CPC application process will remain open until the 28th of September, but please get them in as soon as you can. The first meeting will take place in early October.

Other Engagement Opportunities
If you are unable to join the CPC, you will still have opportunities to make your voice heard at upcoming Design Workshops and Open Houses. Dates will be announced on the website.

Cleveland Modernization Schedule
Planning and Design is set to begin in early fall of 2023 with the development of a Cleveland Comprehensive Plan. The Planning and Design phase will continue over the next two years. Funding for the construction of a modernized Cleveland would need to come from a future bond measure.

Get involved and stay informed
The Cleveland modernization website will keep you updated on the latest developments and provide a list of upcoming engagement opportunities. You can also join the Cleveland Modernization project mailing list at CHSBond@pps.net.  Thank you for helping us create a modernized Cleveland High School for the 21^st century.

SELLWOOD YEARBOOKS FOR ALL

Who wants a yearbook at the end of the year?  It turns out, pretty much everybody wants one!  Each year, we set aside some time for students to commemorate the end of the school year with a yearbook signing ritual.  However, not everyone orders a yearbook, often because they are busy and don’t realize until after the ordering deadline.  Sometimes students don’t think they want a yearbook, but when they see them, they realize they really do want one.  The truth is, there are many reasons why families don’t order yearbooks, and we never have enough yearbooks for everyone who wants one.  We do not like to disappoint students and families.  So, what if we ordered yearbooks for every student?    In fact, if we order more yearbooks, the price per book will go down.  We envision the last day of school when every student has a yearbook to sign!  However, we will need your support in order to make this sustainable.  We are requesting a suggested $20 donation to our Sellwood Yearbook Donation account in School Pay (the price for a yearbook was $25 last year).  You can donate more, especially if you have more than one child at Sellwood.  We hope that our “Yearbooks for All” plan will make for a more enjoyable and equitable end of the year experience for all.  Thank you for your support.

Here's the link to SchoolPay.  If you need assistance with SchoolPay, the SchoolPay parent help

phone number is 833-731-2600.

CLEVELAND CHEER CLINIC
Youth Cheer Clinic October 2nd-5^th, with a half time performance at the Homecoming Football game on the 6th. Practices will be held at the Cleveland track. 

Students will learn a dance and some cheers that they will perform at halftime of the homecoming game. We are also asking all the participants to cheer with us down on the track, for the first half of the game. 

Grades: 4th - 8th

Fee:  $50 - it includes a t-shirt and a bow.

Registration: Sign up is located on the Cleveland High School Athletic website under fall sports - cheer. Below is the google doc form. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2VNQwACezncLt0IGXfOpKCpNfyyKm3Lmdlbn6REW2BfHwRg/viewform?usp=sf_link

HOW PARENTS CAN LOG IN TO CANVAS

Parents, if you would like to support your student by logging into Canvas, here is a link and a step-by-step guide.

PARENTS/Guardians

• You will need to create a Canvas account using a student pairing code. 
• Accounts can be created by going to https://lms.pps.net/
• Review this guide to learn more.

COUNSELING CORNER

Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB – akennybrew@pps.net

Students with last names M-Z:  Ms. Katie – kfrancis@pps.net

MAIN OFFICE

The best way to reach us is by email.  

• Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) is our school secretary and registrar.  
• Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) is our principal’s secretary and bookkeeper.
• Our Sellwood website (pps.net/sellwood) has many “Quick Links” to help you immediately.   

The Office Phone Number

The office phone number is 503-916-5656.  

When prompted:

• press 4 for Melissa;
• press 3 for Claire 
• press 2 for all Attendance matters. 
• press 5 for Records, Registration.
• press 0 for the front counter; however, students may answer this line.  Do not discuss anything confidential or leave any confidential messages.  

Secured Building 

Sellwood is a locked and secure building.  

Please ring the doorbell to the right of the main doors to reach the office.  We will guide you accordingly.

Parent/Student Requests:  

Please email both Melissa and Claire for student pick up or if you must get a message to a student.  For student pickup, advance notice is strongly recommended to minimize classroom interruptions. No pickups/dismissals will be allowed after 3:30 pm.

Guides to Help you:

To access your student’s attendance in Synergy: Log into ParentVue. 

To make changes to your student’s registration in Synergy:  ParentVue/StudentVue

Please email Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

• Passwords:  If you have forgotten your password, have been locked out of your account, or do not have login credentials
• ParentVue (if your account has been disabled).   

Please email Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) for:

• School Pay/Bookkeeping/accounting issues.
• Administrative Support:  Messages or matters of support to the principal or assistant principal.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• September 26: Back to School Night 5:30-7:00 PM
• September 26: PTA Meeting 7PM
• September 27: Picture Day
• October 4: Two-hour late opening.  Entry bell rings at 11:05 AM
• October 13: No School – State In-service Day
• October 25: Cleveland Arts Assembly
• November 2: End of Quarter 2
• November 3: No School for Students
• November 8: Picture Retakes
• November 10: No School – Veteran’s Day
• November 20-21: Parent Teacher Conferences
• November 22-24:  Fall Break
• December 18-22: Winter Break

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 17, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

I apologize that you did not receive my newsletter last Friday.  I sent it late in the afternoon, but unfortunately I accidently sent it only to myself and just realized that today.  I guess I am still getting back in the swing of things.

It was wonderful to see all of you at our Ice Cream Social Tuesday night.  It was an enjoyable, relaxed opportunity to connect with fellow parents and Sellwood staff.

On Tuesday, September 26^th, we will welcome families to our annual Back-to-School Night.  We will start at 5:30PM in the gym, followed by a shortened bell schedule where parents will follow their children’s schedules and get to meet their teachers and hear about their classes.  I will send more details later, but here is the schedule for the evening.

• 5:30-5:50 - Presentation in Gym
• 5:55-6:02 - Period 1
• 6:06-6:13 - Period 2  
• 6:17-6:24 - Period 3 or 4 
• 6:28-6:35 - Period 5 
• 6:39-6:46 - Period 6
• 6:50-6:57 - Period 7

We hope to see you there!

Enjoy the weekend :-)

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

1. Volunteers needed for PPS Clothing Closet

Thursday 9/28

We need 3 more volunteers to help on Sellwood’s assigned day at the PPS Clothing Closet.  Please help us with this important cause.  Sign ups are in Konstella.

2. Don’t forget to sign up for the PTA!

Please join the PTA and contribute your voice to the conversation on making this a great school year for our kids and SMS community.  Here is the link to join! www.schoolpay.com/link/sellwoodpta

3. Are you on Konstella? 

The PTA uses the Konstella app to keep the parent community up to date with scheduled events, the school calendar, volunteer sign ups and PTA announcements. Here is the link to join!  Already on Konstella?  Please update your student’s grade.

https://www.konstella.com/cd/AXC2Z9

4. First PTA Meeting Tuesday, 9/26 7pm

Please join us for our first PTA meeting of the year.  We will meet from 7-8:30pm in the SMS library after Back to School Night events.  We would love to see you!  Principal Carbone will be giving school updates and talking about the new staff positions.

5. Volunteers need to support PEAK program

The PTA is looking for volunteers to help coordinate our after school clubs and programs.  We have parents who have supported this program for the last couple years and laid the groundwork for future volunteers to keep the program running.  Please reach out if you are interested in learning more.  sellwoodpta@gmail.com

6. Find us on social media!

Instagram: @sellwoodmiddlePTA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SellwoodMiddleSchoolPTA/

SELLWOOD YEARBOOKS FOR ALL

Who wants a yearbook at the end of the year?  It turns out, pretty much everybody wants one!  Each year, we set aside some time for students to commemorate the end of the school year with a yearbook signing ritual.  However, not everyone orders a yearbook, often because they are busy and don’t realize until after the ordering deadline.  Sometimes students don’t think they want a yearbook, but when they see them, they realize they really do want one.  The truth is, there are many reasons why families don’t order yearbooks, and we never have enough yearbooks for everyone who wants one.  We do not like to disappoint students and families.  So, what if we ordered yearbooks for every student?    In fact, if we order more yearbooks, the price per book will go down.  We envision the last day of school when every student has a yearbook to sign!  However, we will need your support in order to make this sustainable.  We are requesting a suggested $20 donation to our Sellwood Yearbook Donation account in School Pay (the price for a yearbook was $25 last year).  You can donate more, especially if you have more than one child at Sellwood.  We hope that our “Yearbooks for All” plan will make for a more enjoyable and equitable end of the year experience for all.  Thank you for your support.

Here's the link:  Sellwood Yearbook Donation

SELLWOOD FOUNDATION

Please check out the flyer for our Bottle Drop Fundraiser.

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL SERVICE DOG MONTH

Jaco is so excited to be back at work and in honor of September being National Service Dog Month we wanted to share more about Jaco's life before joining the Sellwood staff. 

Jaco was raised by a volunteer puppy raiser for 18 months before going to "Doggie College" in Santa Rosa, CA to finish his professional training and getting matched with his handler Ms. Katie!  His puppy raiser is now raising her 5th puppy for Canine Companions, Jaco's cousin, Jib to become a working dog just like Jaco!  You can follow his journey on instagram @jibccpuppy you can also see Jaco in action at Sellwood @jacothecounselingdog

The human-canine bond is powerful, and Canine Companions is leading the way to provide more service dogs to children, adults and veterans with disabilities.  If you are interested in learning more about the organization or are interested in volunteering to raise a future service dog like Jaco. Click here!

LINCOLN HIGH YOUTH DANCE CLINIC

The Lincoln Dance Team is hosting our annual youth clinic on October 14th and 15th with the opportunity for participating students to perform at halftime during a Lincoln football game. We are reaching out to our local middle schools in hopes that you will share our event with your parents and students. If you could help us advertise by including the Google doc I have attached below in your next newsletter, email, or announcements, etc that would be amazing! We have attached our flyer and registration link below. 

LINCOLN CLINIC REGISTRATION

LINK TO GOOGLE DOC WITH FLYER

Thank you for helping us spread the word, 

Coach Breaunna, Lincoln High School

HOW PARENTS CAN LOG IN TO CANVAS

Parents, if you would like to support your student by logging into Canvas, here is a link and a step-by-step guide.

PARENTS/Guardians

• You will need to create a Canvas account using a student pairing code. 
• Accounts can be created by going to https://lms.pps.net/
• Review this guide to learn more.

COUNSELING CORNER

Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB – akennybrew@pps.net

Students with last names M-Z:  Ms. Katie – kfrancis@pps.net

TRAVEL OPPORTUNITY FOR CURRENT 6TH AND 7TH GRADE STUDENTS

We’re going to Ecuador in Summer 2025, and your student is invited! 

My name is Ronda Hall-Ramírez and I am the Spanish teacher at Sellwood MS.  I'm excited to tell you more about this trip to Ecuador during an in-person informational meeting on Tuesday, October 3 at 6:30pm in the Sellwood MS cafeteria.  Please enter through the courtyard and I hope to see you there!

Please note this is a non-school sponsored trip.

MAIN OFFICE

The best way to reach us is by email.  

• Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) is our school secretary and registrar.  
• Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) is our principal’s secretary and bookkeeper.
• Our Sellwood website (pps.net/sellwood) has many “Quick Links” to help you immediately.   

The Office Phone Number

The office phone number is 503-916-5656.  

When prompted:

• press 4 for Melissa;
• press 3 for Claire 
• press 2 for all Attendance matters. 
• press 5 for Records, Registration.
• press 0 for the front counter; however, students may answer this line.  Do not discuss anything confidential or leave any confidential messages.  

Secured Building 

Sellwood is a locked and secure building.  

Please ring the doorbell to the right of the main doors to reach the office.  We will guide you accordingly.

Parent/Student Requests:  

Please email both Melissa and Claire for student pick up or if you must get a message to a student.  For student pickup, advance notice is strongly recommended to minimize classroom interruptions. No pickups/dismissals will be allowed after 3:30 pm.

Guides to Help you:

To access your student’s attendance in Synergy: Log into ParentVue. 

To make changes to your student’s registration in Synergy:  ParentVue/StudentVue

Please email Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

• Passwords:  If you have forgotten your password, have been locked out of your account, or do not have login credentials
• ParentVue (if your account has been disabled).   

Please email Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) for:

• School Pay/Bookkeeping/accounting issues.
• Administrative Support:  Messages or matters of support to the principal or assistant principal.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• September 4: Labor Day – No School
• September 12: Ice Cream Social 5 – 6:30 PM
• September 26: Back to School Night 5:30-7:00 PM
• September 26: PTA Meeting 7PM

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 8, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

We are very much looking forward to seeing you at our first Sellwood Middle School community event next Tuesday, September 12^th @5PM.  Our PTA sponsors the Ice Cream Social, and it will be a fun and casual event.  Come and meet other Sellwood parents and students while enjoying some tasty ice-cream.  One half of the field will be reserved for families to set up picnic blankets and/or camp chairs.  You can even bring a picnic dinner if you desire.  The other half of the field will be reserved for students (and parents) who have the energy to run around. Soccer balls and other recess equipment will be available.  The weather forecast looks to be ideal for an end of summer community event. 

We hope to see you there!

Enjoy the weekend :-)

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

1. Volunteers needed for PPS Clothing Closet

Thursday 9/28

We need 3 more volunteers to help on Sellwood’s assigned day at the PPS Clothing Closet.  Please help us with this important cause.  Sign ups are in Konstella.

2. Don’t forget to sign up for the PTA!

Please join the PTA and contribute your voice to the conversation on making this a great school year for our kids and SMS community.  Here is the link to join! www.schoolpay.com/link/sellwoodpta 

3. Are you on Konstella? 

The PTA uses the Konstella app to keep the parent community up to date with scheduled events, the school calendar, volunteer sign ups and PTA announcements. Here is the link to join!  Already on Konstella?  Please update your student’s grade.

https://www.konstella.com/cd/AXC2Z9

4. First PTA Meeting Tuesday, 9/26 7pm

Please join us for our first PTA meeting of the year.  We will meet from 7-8:30pm in the SMS library after Back to School Night events.  We would love to see you!

5. Volunteers need to support PEAK program

The PTA is looking for volunteers to help coordinate our after-school clubs and programs.  We have parents who have supported this program for the last couple years and laid the groundwork for future volunteers to keep the program running.  Please reach out if you are interested in learning more.  sellwoodpta@gmail.com

6. Ice Cream Social Tuesday 9/12; 5:00-6:30 pm

This is a family event for Sellwood families. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, etc. and enjoy an informal evening at Sellwood.  The PTA will provide ice cream and popsicles to celebrate the start of the year!

7. Find us on social media!

Instagram: @sellwoodmiddlePTA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SellwoodMiddleSchoolPTA/

SELLWOOD YEARBOOKS FOR ALL!

Who wants a yearbook at the end of the year?  It turns out, pretty much everybody wants one!  Each year, we set aside some time for students to commemorate the end of the school year with a yearbook signing ritual.  However, not everyone orders a yearbook, often because they are busy and don’t realize until after the ordering deadline.  Sometimes students don’t think they want a yearbook, but when they see them, they realize they really do want one.  The truth is, there are many reasons why families don’t order yearbooks, and we never have enough yearbooks one the last day for everyone who wants one.  We do not like to disappoint students and families!  So, what if we ordered yearbooks for every student?  In fact, if we order more yearbooks, the price per book goes down.  We envision the last day of school where every student has a yearbook to sign!  However, we will need your support in order to make this sustainable.  We are requesting a suggested $20 donation to our Sellwood Yearbook Donation account in School Pay (the price for a yearbook was $25 last year).  You can donate more, especially if you have more than one child at Sellwood.  We hope that our “Yearbooks for All” plan will make for a more enjoyable and equitable end of the year experience for everyone.  Thank you for your support.

Here's the link:  Sellwood Yearbook Donation

SELLWOOD FOUNDATION

Please check out the flyer for our Bottle Drop Fundraiser.

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL SERVICE DOG MONTH

Jaco is so excited to be back at work and in honor of September being National Service Dog Month. We wanted to share more about Jaco's life before joining the Sellwood staff. 

Jaco was raised by a volunteer puppy raiser for 18 months before going to "Doggie College" in Santa Rosa, CA to finish his professional training and getting matched with his handler Ms. Katie!  His puppy raiser is now raising her 5th puppy for Canine Companions, Jaco's cousin, Jib to become a working dog just like Jaco!  You can follow his journey on instagram @jibccpuppy. You can also see Jaco in action at Sellwood @jacothecounselingdog

The human-canine bond is powerful, and Canine Companions is leading the way to provide more service dogs to children, adults and veterans with disabilities.  If you are interested in learning more about the organization or are interested in volunteering to raise a future service dog like Jaco. Click here!

HOW PARENTS CAN LOG IN TO CANVAS

Parents, if you would like to support your student by logging into Canvas, here is a link and a step-by-step guide.

PARENTS/Guardians

• You will need to create a Canvas account using a student pairing code. 
• Accounts can be created by going to https://lms.pps.net/
• Review this guide to learn more.

COUNSELING CORNER

Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB – akennybrew@pps.net

Students with last names M-Z:  Ms. Katie – kfrancis@pps.net

MAIN OFFICE

The best way to reach us is by email.  

• Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) is our school secretary and registrar.  
• Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) is our principal’s secretary and bookkeeper.
• Our Sellwood website (pps.net/sellwood) has many “Quick Links” to help you immediately.   

The Office Phone Number

The office phone number is 503-916-5656.  

When prompted:

• press 4 for Melissa;
• press 3 for Claire 
• press 2 for all Attendance matters. 
• press 5 for Records, Registration.
• press 0 for the front counter; however, students may answer this line.  Do not discuss anything confidential or leave any confidential messages.  

Secured Building 

• Sellwood is a locked and secure building.  
• Please ring the doorbell to the right of the main doors to reach the office.  We will guide you accordingly.

Parent/Student Requests:  

• Please email both Melissa and Claire for student pick up or if you must get a message to a student.  For student pickup, advance notice is strongly recommended to minimize classroom interruptions. No pickups/dismissals will be allowed after 3:30 pm.

Guides to Help you:

• To access your student’s attendance in Synergy: Log into ParentVue. 
• To make changes to your student’s registration in Synergy:  ParentVue/StudentVue

Please email Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

• Passwords:  If you have forgotten your password, have been locked out of your account, or do not have login credentials
• ParentVue (if your account has been disabled).   

Please email Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) for:

• School Pay/Bookkeeping/accounting issues.
• Administrative Support:  Messages or matters of support to the principal or assistant principal.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• September 4: Labor Day – No School
• September 12: Ice Cream Social 5 – 6:30 PM
• September 26: Back to School Night 5:30-7:00 PM
• September 26: PTA Meeting 7PM

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 1, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

It has been a joyous first week of school, with 6^th-graders starting on Tuesday with a “Jump Start” orientation.  I would like to thank all of our wonderful 8^th-grade WEB leaders who made the orientation day a success.  Our counseling team, Ms. Katie and Mr. KB, provided WEB leaders with training that helped them prepare for the event.  7^th and 8^th graders returned to school with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and I can tell it is going to be a great year.  Sellwood’s PTA decorated our sidewalks and courtyard with inspirational chalk art that welcomed all students back to school. Thank you to staff, students, and families for the amazing kick-off.  We are all happy to hear childrens’ voices ring in the hallways once again.

As of today, most 6^th-graders are able to navigate the school and find their way to all of their classes.  We have spent a lot of time providing locker support, and almost all students are able to confidently open their lockers.  We will continue to help fix any remaining locker challenges next week.

I wanted to re-share two important documents.  The Sellwood Student & Family Handbook 2023-24 and the PPS Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook 2023-24.

Here are a few photos of new staff members so when you see them, you will be able to say hello.

Maria Fuhrmann – 7^th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher

Maia Kirkelie – ESL Teacher

Kate Canfield – Restorative Justice Coordinator

Matthew Mortensen – School Climate Specialist

Kasey Bond – Instructional Coach (you may remember Kasey as a Sellwood math teacher)

Garrett Hampton – Campus Security Associate

Don't forget, on September 12th, from 5 - 6:30 PM, we will be hosting Sellwood's Ice Cream Social (Thank you PTA!).  We look forward to seeing you there in person!

Enjoy the three day weekend,

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

General Building entry

After the first day, students will use one of 4 entrances based on how they came to school: by bus, drop-off, walking, biking, or skating.  Remember that during arrival and dismissal times we do not allow drop offs or pickups on 15th Avenue or in the staff parking lot due to safety concerns.  The parent drop-off area is on Umatilla, 16th, or Sherrett.  Please refer to the map below.

PTA NEWS

The SMS PTA Board welcomes you and your student to the new school year!  We are excited to continue to support the SMS staff and our school community. 

Join the PTA!

Please join the PTA and contribute your voice to the conversation on making this a great school year for our kids and SMS community.  Here is the link to join! www.schoolpay.com/link/sellwoodpta

Join Konstella! 

The PTA uses the Konstella app to keep the parent community up to date with scheduled events, the school calendar, volunteer sign ups and PTA announcements. Here is the link to join!  Already on Konstella?  Please update your student’s grade. https://www.konstella.com/cd/AXC2Z9

First PTA Meeting Tuesday, 9/26 7pm

Please join us for our first PTA meeting of the year.  We will meet from 7-8:30pm in the SMS library after Back to School Night events.  We would love to see you!

Volunteers need to support PEAK program

The PTA is looking for volunteers to help coordinate our after school clubs and programs.  We have parents who have supported this program for the last couple years and laid the groundwork for future volunteers to keep the program running.  Please reach out if you are interested in learning more.  sellwoodpta@gmail.com

Ice Cream Social Tuesday 9/12; 5:00-6:30 pm

This is a family event for Sellwood families. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, etc. and enjoy an informal evening at Sellwood. 

Find us on social media!

Instagram: @sellwoodmiddlePTA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SellwoodMiddleSchoolPTA/

SELLWOOD FOUNDATION

We're thrilled to kick off another exciting school year and invite you to join our year-long fundraising initiative --**Blue Bag BottleDrop**! Last year, Blue Bag BottleDrop contributed over $6,000 to our school, making a significant impact on our programs.

 **What's Blue Bag BottleDrop?** 
Blue Bag BottleDrop is a simple and effective way to support our school. Collect cans, bottles, or any deposit-marked containers in the Blue Bags provided. These bags are not only convenient but also versatile – use them at home, the office, sports events, or any gathering with bottled or canned beverages.

 **Easy Drop-Off Locations** 
No more waiting in line for payment slips! You can drop off your filled Blue Bags hassle-free at various local BottleDrop locations, including New Season's, Trader Joe's, and QFC.

 **Get Your Blue Bag** 
Pick up your Blue Bags at the Main Office or designated locations within the neighborhood. Look out for the SMS Foundation Board at the upcoming Ice Cream Social and Back to School Night – they'll be distributing Blue Bags and answering any questions you might have.

Let's make this year's Blue Bag BottleDrop program an even greater success! Thank you for your continued support in enhancing our school's opportunities and experiences.

See you at the Ice Cream Social and Back to School Night!

FROM INSTRUCTIONAL COACH, MS. BOND

BUS ROUTES

Here is a link to Sellwood Bus Routes In order to find your bus, you will need to click on the various bus routes and find the bus stop nearest your house, along with the pick-up or drop-off time.

COUNSELING CORNER

Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB – akennybrew@pps.net

Students with last names M-Z:  Ms. Katie – kfrancis@pps.net

MAIN OFFICE

The best way to reach us is by email.  

• Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) is our school secretary and registrar.  
• Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) is our principal’s secretary and bookkeeper.
• Our Sellwood website (pps.net/sellwood) has many “Quick Links” to help you immediately.   

The Office Phone Number

The office phone number is 503-916-5656.  

When prompted:

• press 4 for Melissa;
• press 3 for Claire 
• press 2 for all Attendance matters. 
• press 5 for Records, Registration.
• press 0 for the front counter; however, students may answer this line.  Do not discuss anything confidential or leave any confidential messages.  

Secured Building 

• Sellwood is a locked and secure building.  
• Please ring the doorbell to the right of the main doors to reach the office.  We will guide you accordingly.

Parent/Student Requests:  

Please email both Melissa and Claire for student pick up or if you must get a message to a student.  For student pickup, advance notice is strongly recommended to minimize classroom interruptions. No early pickups/dismissals will be allowed after 3:30 pm.

Guides to Help you:

• To access your student’s attendance in Synergy: Log into ParentVue. 
• To make changes to your student’s registration in Synergy:  ParentVue/StudentVue

Please email Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

• Passwords:  If you have forgotten your password, have been locked out of your account, or do not have login credentials
• ParentVue (if your account has been disabled).   

Please email Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) for:

• School Pay/Bookkeeping/accounting issues.
• Administrative Support:  Messages or matters of support to the principal or assistant principal.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• September 4: Labor Day – No School
• September 12: Ice Cream Social 5 – 6:30 PM
• September 26: Back to School Night 5:30-7:00 PM
• September 26: PTA Meeting 7PM
• September 27: Picture Day
• October 4: Two Hour Late Opening
• October 13: No School - Oregon State in-service Day
• November 2: End of Quarter 1

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – August 25, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

I hope everyone has enjoyed as lovely and restful a summer as I did. Next week we start the 2023-24 school year.  At Sellwood, teachers and staff have been working hard to get everything prepared for students, and we are fired up and ready to go!

I have lots of news.  We have a few new teachers and some brand-new staff members in brand-new positions.  Please welcome the following new Sellwood staff.

• Maria Fuhrmann – 7^th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher
• Maia Kirkelie – ESL Teacher
• Kate Canfield – Restorative Justice Coordinator
• Matthew Mortensen – School Climate Specialist
• Kasey Bond – Instructional Coach (you may remember Kasey as a Sellwood math teacher)
• Garrett Hampton – Campus Security Associate

We are thrilled and excited about our additional team members and we are confident they will have a positive impact on student well-being. 

This year, Sellwood, along with other PPS middle schools, will be implementing the Wayfinder Curriculum (SEL, or Social Emotional Learning) during advisory period.

By partnering rigorous academic learning, a more robust student support staff, and a coordinated approach to social emotional learning, we will ensure Sellwood is a school that lives up to our mission statement below.

Sellwood creates a safe and inclusive learning environment where students build their confidence, practice positive social interaction, challenge racial inequities, and explore their academic interests.

Finally, please be aware that there is some sidewalk replacement work near the gym that has been temporarily halted while the project managers create an alternative plan to complete the work without harming the tree(s) in the sidewalk's path.  The area will be cordoned off for student safety.  Please be patient while this work continues with these environmental considerations. Thank you to family and community members expressing concern for the tree's welfare.

I can’t wait to greet and welcome students and family members to Sellwood next week.  2023-24 is going to be an amazing year!

Enjoy the weekend,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GET TO SCHOOL

Drop offs

Please drop students off on SE Umatilla, SE 16^th Avenue, or SE Sherrett (green).  Please do not drop students off or pick them up on SE 15^th Avenue, which is reserved for buses (red).  Also, please do not drop students off or pick them up by driving through the staff parking lot.  This is for everyone’s safety. 

General Building entry

After the first day, students will use one of 4 entrances based on how they came to school: by bus, drop-off, walking, biking, or skating.  Please refer to the map below.

August 29^th

6^th-GRADERS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

6^th-graders will have a special “jump-start” orientation on August 29^th.  The “jump start” will be led by a team of friendly 8^th-grade students called WEB Leaders.  WEB = Where Everyone Belongs.  6^th-graders will learn how to: find their way around the school, open their lockers, and follow their schedules.  They will also meet their teachers, office and support staff, and learn about Sellwood’s policies, procedures, and ways of doing things.  Of course, they will have a chance to see old friends from elementary school, and also make new friends!

Please do not bring backpacks with school supplies to 6^th-grade jumpstart (unless it is a very small backpack where you can carry your water bottle, lunch, and other personal items).  DO bring a water bottle.  Also, bring lunch, or you may purchase lunch in the cafeteria.  Plan to arrive between 8:55 and 9:10 AM, and head to the courtyard, where our team will be waiting to welcome you.  You will get a fresh hard copy of your schedule then.

AUGUST 30^th

7^th-8^th GRADERS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (All students attend)

August 30^th will be a regular bell schedule day, with no advisory period.  Re-orientation to Sellwood will be built into each period of the day.  Please head to the outdoor basketball court near the gym, where we will greet you and give you a fresh hard copy of your schedule.  Welcome back!

PTA NEWS

The SMS PTA Board welcomes you and your student to the new school year!  We are excited to continue to support the SMS staff and our school community. 

1. Join the PTA!

Please join the PTA and contribute your voice to the conversation on making this a great school year for our kids and SMS community.  Here is the link to join! www.schoolpay.com/link/sellwoodpta 

2. Join Konstella!

The PTA uses the Konstella app to keep the parent community up to date with scheduled events, the school calendar, volunteer sign ups and PTA announcements. Here is the link to join!

https://www.konstella.com/cd/AXC2Z9

3. First PTA Meeting 7pm 9/26 

Please join us for our first PTA meeting of the year.  We will meet from 7-8:30pm in the SMS library after Back to School Night events.  We would love to see you!

4. Volunteers need to support PEAK program

The PTA is looking for volunteers to help coordinate our after-school clubs and programs.  We have parents who have supported this program for the last couple years and laid the groundwork for future volunteers to keep the program running.  Please reach out if you are interested in learning more.  sellwoodpta@gmail.com 

HOW TO CHECK YOUR SCHEDULE ON STUDENTVUE

Please review the student created presentation demonstrating how students can check their own schedules in StudentVue.

If you need assistance logging into ParentVue or StudentVue please contact Melissa Whiteside @mwhitesi@pps.net.

SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST 2023-24

SCHOOL LUNCH

Below you will find prices for school meals, and instructions for using School Café to purchase meals.  Here is the link to Nutrition Services school meal page.  Here is the link to the Free and Reduced-Price Meal page where you can submit an online application.  More information about the Free-and Reduced Price Meal Program is available here.

2023-24 Menu Prices

Grades

Breakfast

Lunch

PK-8

$1.60

$3.00

9-12

$1.60

$3.50

Adult

$3.00

$5.50

Milk

$0.50

$0.50

SCHOOLCAFÉ

• SchoolCafé is a safe, secure online payment system that can be used to fund student and adult meal accounts with a debit or credit card. You can make one-time payments, setup autopay and low balance alerts, monitor transactions and even submit/track a free and reduced meal application for students in the household. 

SchoolCafé is:

• Easy: Staff can provide their employee ID# (or assigned PIN) or provide their name. Students provide their 6-digit student ID#.
  NOTE: Currently, SchoolCafé does not accept American Express.
• Convenient: Once the account is established, you can check balances and add funds from your computer or mobile app.
  NOTE: SchoolCafé charges a 5% fee per online transaction with a $15 minimum payment              

NOTE: If you have issues with the mobile app on the iPhone, try uninstalling it and reinstalling it the following day. If that doesn't work, download Google Chrome. For additional support questions, please contact SchoolCafé at 1.855.PAY-2EAT (1.855.729.2328) or email customercare@schoolcafe.com. Hours: M-F, 6AM-6PM CST.

BUS ROUTES

Here is a link to Sellwood Bus Routes In order to find your bus, you will need to click on the various bus routes and find the bus stop nearest your house, along with the pick-up or drop-off time.

COUNSELING CORNER

Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB – akennybrew@pps.net

Students with last names M-Z:  Ms. Katie – kfrancis@pps.net

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• August 29: First day of the 2023-24 school year for 6^th-graders
• August 30: First day of the 2023-24 school year for 7^th & 8^th graders
• September 4: Labor Day – No School
• September 12: Ice Cream Social 5 – 6:30 PM (typo in date/time last newsletter)
• September 26: Back to School Night 5:30-7:00 PM
• September 26: PTA Meeting 7PM, Sellwood Library

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – August 22, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

The 2023-24 school year is fast approaching and I would like to welcome all of you Sellwood Middle School!  We are excited about the upcoming school year for many reasons, but for me the most exciting part is more opportunities for in-person events, face-to-face interactions, and community celebrations! I would love the opportunity to meet each and every one of you, in real life.

I plan to send out my first official newsletter on Friday, but I wanted to make sure to get some preliminary information out today.

Please read on to find the answer to your most urgent questions.

• What school supplies does my child need?
• When is the first day of school for my child?
• How do I check my schedule if it has changed or I lost it?
• What is the daily schedule?
• What is Sellwood’s cell phone policy, and how can I support it?
• How do I buy school lunch?

Also, I wanted to share Sellwood’s 2023-24 Family & Student Handbook.

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST 2023-24

August 29^th

6^th-GRADERS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

6^th-graders will have a special “Jump-Start” orientation on August 29^th.  The “jump start” will be led by a team of friendly 8^th-grade students called Web Leaders.  WEB = Where Everyone Belongs.  6^th-graders will learn how to: find their way around the school, open their lockers, and follow their schedules.  They will also meet their teachers, office and support staff, and learn about Sellwood’s policies, procedures, and ways of doing things.  Of course, they will have a chance to see old friends from elementary school, and also make new friends!

AUGUST 30^th

7^th-8^th GRADERS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

August 30^th is a regular bell schedule day.  Re-orientation to Sellwood will be built into each period of the day.  Welcome back!

HOW TO CHECK YOUR SCHEDULE ON STUDENTVUE

Please review the student created presentation demonstrating how students can check their own schedules in StudentVue.

If you are having trouble logging into StudentVue or ParentVue, please email Melissa Whiteside at mwhitesi@pps.net.

SCHOOL LUNCH

Below you will find prices for school meals, and instructions for using School Café to purchase meals.  Here is the link to Nutrition Services school meal page.  Here is the link to the Free and Reduced-Price Meal page where you can submit an online application.  More information about the Free-and Reduced Price Meal Program is available here.

2023-24 Menu Prices

Grades

Breakfast

Lunch

PK-8

$1.60

$3.00

9-12

$1.60

$3.50

Adult

$3.00

$5.50

Milk

$0.50

$0.50

SCHOOLCAFÉ

• SchoolCafé is a safe, secure online payment system that can be used to fund student and adult meal accounts with a debit or credit card. You can make one-time payments, setup autopay and low balance alerts, monitor transactions and even submit/track a free and reduced meal application for students in the household. 

SchoolCafé is:

• Easy: Staff can provide their employee ID# (or assigned PIN) or provide their name. Students provide their 6-digit student ID#.
  NOTE: Currently, SchoolCafé does not accept American Express.
• Convenient: Once the account is established, you can check balances and add funds from your computer or mobile app.
  NOTE: SchoolCafé charges a 5% fee per online transaction with a $15 minimum payment.
• Able to go where you go. The mobile app can be downloaded in:

NOTE: If you have issues with the mobile app on the iPhone, try uninstalling it and reinstalling it the following day. If that doesn't work, download Google Chrome. For additional support questions, please contact SchoolCafé at 1.855.PAY-2EAT (1.855.729.2328) or email customercare@schoolcafe.com. Hours: M-F, 6AM-6PM CST.

To enroll, go to www.schoolcafe.com/pps or download the SchoolCafé mobile app. 

BELL SCHEDULE 2023-24

All PPS Middle Schools start at 9:15 and end at 3:45. Please follow the link to access Sellwood’s bell schedule for 2023-24.

CELL PHONE POLICY & FAMILY/STUDENT SUPPORT

Sellwood Middle School has an "Away all day" policy for cell phones. This means, all cell phones and personal electronic devices are to be away from 9:05 to 3:45. They are not to be used or visible at any time, including lunch. All Sellwood staff will clarify and reinforce this policy.  If a student is found with their cell phone out, a Sellwood staff member will take it away and store it in the school office. The first time it is taken away, the caregiver will be called and the student can pick it up in the office at the end of the school day. If a cell phone is confiscated a second time or more, the student’s caregiver must pick it up from the office.  

Student/caregiver communication during school hours can be done through the main office. Please refrain texting or calling your student’s cell phone during school hours. 

Earbuds

Sellwood Middle School Earbud policy is that students can only use them in the classroom with educator permission. Otherwise, earbuds need to be out of ears and away-- this includes lunch time and hallway passing time. 

Thank you in advance for supporting our students in making healthy and safe choices at school. 

To this end, we request that families and students show their support and understanding by completing and submitting the SMS Cell Phone Agreement.

CROSS COUNTRY

Love to run? 

Or  

Does your soccer/Lacrosse/football coach say you need more conditioning?  

Or 

Do you want to be active and social without the weird, competitive team dynamics?

Or 

Do you just want to be prepared for the zombie apocalypse? 

Cross country may be for you!*

Come check out our supportive environment and get started in a sport that can last a lifetime!

Practices are Mondays and Wednesdays beginning August 22 from 4pm to 5:30pm at Sellwood MS and you can still register here:  https://www.familyid.com/organizations/cleveland-youth-sports

Meets begin mid-September, most are held on Thursdays and are 2k or 3k distances.  There is transportation to and from the meets if needed

Parent volunteers/guest runners are encouraged to join us as often as you like! It’s great to have more adults as not all kids run at the same pace. We accept run/walk folks and cyclists as well so don’t worry about being a professional runner!
 

Hope to see you there and Contact Ronda Hall-Ramirez (rhall@pps.net) if you have any questions.

*A note to all:  Cross country is ONLY running long distance (2-3 miles average) over uneven terrain; if you want to do sprints, run on a track, high jump, long jump, javelin, shot put, etc. that would be track and it begins in the Spring.  

COUNSELING CORNER

Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB – akennybrew@pps.net

Students with last names M-Z:  Ms. Katie – kfrancis@pps.net

MAIN OFFICE:

• Open Monday to Friday, School Hours 8:30AM-4:30PM

The best way to reach us is by email.  

• Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) is our school secretary.  
• Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) is our principal’s secretary.  

The Office Phone Number

• The office phone number is 503-916-5656.  
• When prompted, press 4 for Melissa or “Attendance”; press 3 for Claire.  
• You can also press 0 for the front counter where often students help us answer the phone and direct communication.

Secured Building 

• Sellwood is now a locked and secure building.  
• Please ring the doorbell to the right of the main doors to reach the office.  We will guide you accordingly.

Parent/Student Requests:  

• Arrangements can be made with the office staff for student pick up, a student arriving late, or any other matter that may require meeting a parent/guardian at the front door. If you know of such needs in advance, please email either Melissa or Claire.   Please do not request an early pick-up during the last 15 minutes of the school day.

Guides to Help you:

• For questions about your student’s absence: Log into ParentVue. 
• To make changes to your student's registration in Synergy: ParentVue/StudentVue

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

• Attendance:  If you need to excuse your child's attendance. 
• Passwords:  If you have forgotten your password, have been locked out of your account, or do not have login credentials.
• Registration, Enrollment.
• ParentVue (if your account has been disabled).   

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

• School Pay. 
• Bookkeeping/accounting issues.
• Administrative Support:  Messages or matters of support to the principal or assistant principals.  

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• August 29: First day of the 2022-23 school year for 6^th-graders
• August 30: First day of the 2022-23 school year for 7^th & 8^th graders
• September 4: Labor Day – No School
• September 11: Ice Cream Social 4 – 5:30 PM
• September 26: Back to School Night 5:30-7:00PM

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – June 16, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

On the last week of this school year, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the journey we've been on together. It has been a year filled with challenges, growth, and most importantly, a strong sense of community. 

First and foremost, I would like to thank our wonderful Sellwood families for their partnership throughout the year.  Your dedication to our school community has been remarkable, and we are truly fortunate to have you as our valued partners.

I also want to express my gratitude to our amazing students. Your resilience, adaptability, and commitment to learning have been truly inspiring. Despite the obstacles that came our way, you continued to show up, ready to engage, and eager to make the most of every opportunity. Your enthusiasm and dedication have made this school year great.

Next, I want to extend my appreciation to our exceptional teachers. You have gone above and beyond, navigating uncharted waters and finding innovative ways to keep our students engaged and connected. Your tireless efforts have made a significant impact on our students' academic and personal growth.

I would also like to give a special shout-out to our incredible PTA. Your dedication and support have been instrumental in creating a positive and enriching environment for our students. Your efforts in organizing events, fundraising, and advocating for our school community have not gone unnoticed. We are grateful for your commitment to enhancing our students' educational experience.

Additionally, I want to express our sincere gratitude to the Foundation for their invaluable support. Through their generous funding, we have been able to provide a wide range of elective classes, such as French, technology, and cooking. These opportunities have allowed our students to explore their passions and interests, fostering a love for lifelong learning. The Foundation's contribution has truly enriched our school community, and we are immensely grateful for their partnership.

Looking ahead, please be on the lookout for individual student schedules, which will be mailed to you in mid-July.

Bidding farewell to our 8th graders, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes as they embark on their high school journey. They have grown into remarkable individuals, and we have no doubt that they will continue to thrive and achieve great things. We will miss them dearly and are grateful for the lasting impact they have made on our school community.

To our 6th and 7th graders, we eagerly await your return on August 30th. The new school year will bring fresh opportunities, new friendships, and a chance for further growth and exploration.

Finally, as we enter the summer break, I wish each and every one of you a safe, relaxing, and joy-filled summer. May this time be an opportunity for rest, rejuvenation, and creating cherished memories with your loved ones. Thank you for your continued partnership, support, and trust in our school. It is truly an honor to serve as your principal, and I look forward to the great things we will accomplish together in the future.

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

THE SELLWOOD FOUNDATION

As we head into summer I just wanted to take a moment to thank the Sellwood Middle School Community for your generous support of the Foundation. This year we held two in person events and ran the Annual Giving Campaign.  After two years of not gathering, it was so fun to be able to socialize as a community while simultaneously raising money at the Petanque tournament and Drag Queen Bingo.  Together we raised over $95,000 that Principal Carbone will be able to use to hire additional teaching staff for the 2023-2024 school year.  We could not have done this without you and your support, so thank you very much! I also want to extend a big heartfelt thank you to the Foundation Board.  Without their work and volunteer hours, none of these events would have taken place.  Thank you to Trisha Highland, Trina Fowler, Molly Terpack, Janan Anderson, Britt Dawkins, Ashley Schmidt, and Katka Howland.  You are an inspiring group, and it has been my absolute pleasure to have worked with you all this year! 

I wish everyone a restful, restorative, fun and safe summer break!  

Amy Bourne

CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP

June 20-22, 10am – 1 pm, Grades 6-8, FREE

Contact rmarchello@pps.net, aroddis@pps.net, kiera95gabaldon@gmail.com

CLEVELAND SUMMER BASKETBALL CAMP FOR BOYS

Last Chance to register!

CHS Basketball Camp for Incoming 7th-9th Grade Boys

SUMMER YOUTH CAMP 

June 19-22 

10:30-1:00pm 

Cleveland High School

A unique opportunity for RISING 7th-9th grade boys to be mentored by the CHS JV & VARSITY players themselves, under the direction of Head Varsity Coach, Sam Glasgow. Space is limited!

Complete details and registration on the Cleveland Boys Basketball Website. 

GO WARRIORS!!

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL DAY CAMP OPPORTUNITIES THIS SUMMER

Warrior Camp @ CHS, rising 5-8 grade, June 19-22, 1:30-4:30pm 

https://sites.google.com/apps4pps.net/www-clevelandwbb-com/campstrainingclinics?authuser=0

Nike camp @ UP, ages 8-13, July 17-20 and 24-27

https://www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/nike/nike-girls-basketball-camp-university-of-portland

COGNIZART 360 SUMMER ARTS CAMP

Check out the flyer for more information.

MAIN OFFICE: WILL BE CLOSED FROM JUNE 23 THROUGH AUGUST 11

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• August 29 – 1^st day of School 2023/24 (6^th-graders)
• August 30 – 1^st day of School 2023/24 (7^th/8^th-graders)

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – June 9, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

It was wonderful to see some of you last Sunday at the fabulous PTA Garden Tour, which was a huge success.  You can read more about the Garden Tour in the PTA section below.  It was very well organized, enjoyable, and full of inspirational ideas for our own garden.  I'm already looking forward to next year's tour. 

I also had the opportunity to talk with many during Wednesday's Showcase Night.  What a fun event with so much to see and hear!  A good time was had by all, and I have to say that after the COVID restrictions of the past years, it is a joy to be able to host evening community events!  Thank you to Sellwood teachers for working hard to display student work and plan performances, and a special thanks to 8th-grade teacher Lisa Souther for her extra efforts to organize the program and secure the food trucks!

It is hard to believe, but today is the last Friday of the 2022/23 school year. A short re-cap of the events planned for next week:

Monday will be our whole-school field trip to OAKS Park.  We will be taking attendance in first period, and students will walk to Oaks Park with their first period classes.  At about 2PM, staff and students will begin walking back to school.  After arriving at the school, at about 2:45 everyone will enjoy a staff vs. 8^th graders volleyball match, outdoors on the field.

Tuesday will be a normal schedule for 6^th and 7^th graders.  For 8^th graders, after lunch/recess they will practice for their promotion ceremony.  At 2:15 we will hold the ceremony on the field, followed by cake and photos in cafeteria and courtyard.

Wednesday will be a normal school day schedule. 

If your child will be absent any of those days, for example, missing Oaks Park on Monday, or an 8^th-grader staying home on Wednesday, please enter the absence on ParentVue or contact the main office.

Next Friday, I will be sending my final newsletter for this school year, although you will receive individual student schedules and other information in July.

Have a great weekend,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

SELLWOOD GARDEN TOUR SUCCESS!

 We had almost 500 people buy tickets and come through the gardens.  We couldn't have done it without the help of the garden tour committee and volunteers.  The garden tour raised $17,000 for our school!  From this success we plan to create a curriculum enrichment grant for the school to fund more “extras” such as assemblies, field trips, theater, music and arts support as well as continue to fund electives, teacher support and classroom supplies.  Not only did we raise money for our middle school kids; but we also gave the community a great experience.  Many thanks to the garden tour committee; Phoebe Maloney, Tasha Bartley, Gina Benzien, Sarah Lewis, Allison Joy, Brian Kerr, Karen Hansen.

PTA SHOUT OUTS!

I am very grateful for the team of parents who have kept the PTA going this year.  Middle school is a time of change for our students and supporting them and the staff of SMS is important.  Our Board and committee leads have worked all year long to help support our school and raise money for gaps in school funding.  I appreciate them finding time in our busy lives to make a difference.

Many thanks to this year’s PTA Board; Mindy Parker, Erin Black-Mitchell, Melisa Pierson, Liz Super, Katka Howland, Megan Perkins, Micah Chu, Tasha Bartley, Phoebe Maloney, Karen Hansen  

Also a special thank you for our committee leads; 

• Staff Appreciation: Rachel McDonald, Alison Eshel, Cathy Ma
• PEAK after school program: Seth English-Young, Sharon Jueneman, Shannon Bishop, Grace Phillips
• Sellwood Dines Outs: Micah Chu
• Fall Fruit Sale: Amy O’Conner
• Clothing Closet: Rachel McDonald
• JEDI: Bridget Geraghty
• Konstella: Megan Perkins
• 8th Grade Promotion: Liz Super, Trisha Highland

Congratulations to all the 8th grade students and parents!  I hope everyone has a great summer and I look forward to continuing to connect with our school community in the fall.

With gratitude, Karen Hansen, SMS PTA President

FROM SELLWOOD’S LIBRARY

Please Bring Back the Books!

All library books are due on Friday, June 2, 2023.  We always welcome late books.  If you think a book is lost, please talk to us before paying.  And, please, do not purchase replacements.  Thanks in advance, Sellwood families!

OAKS PARK FIELD TRIP, MONDAY JUNE 12TH

Here are the details of the field trip.  

• When:  Monday, June 12^th, 2022, 9:30am – 2:00pm  
• Transportation:  We will be walking both to and from the park.  Make sure to wear comfortable shoes!  All students will return to Sellwood for school dismissal; no exceptions. 

• Cost: $17.00 will include Adrenalin Peak Roller Coaster, Go-Karts, Atmosphere (new ride). 
  • Preferred payment on-line with School Pay. 
  • If this presents a financial hardship, scholarships are available. 

• Lunch:  Students may: 1. Bring a sack lunch, 2. Request a Sellwood sack lunch, or 3. purchase lunch at OAKS Park.  We have reserved a Picnic Area (students can leave their lunch here during the day).
• Other Costs:  Students can bring extra money for snacks, games. etc.

• Due Date for Permission Slips: Friday, June 1st.  
• Expectations: In order to make sure this experience is safe and enjoyable for everyone, students attending Oaks Park are expected to be on their best behavior and must be responsive to adult direction.  We are also expecting that as we come closer to the end of the year, that students will continue to meet behavior expectations while at school.
• If a student were to receive a serious stage 2-3 referral that would merit suspension, between now and the end of the year, that student may be suspended from attending Oaks Park with their class.  Examples of incidents that may merit suspension: fighting, serious disruptive conduct, bullying and harassment, physical attack/harm, property damage/graffiti, etc. 

THE SELLWOOD FOUNDATION

Turn Your Summer Refreshments into Support for Sellwood Middle School!

Transform your summer beverages into a valuable contribution to our school! Visit the office at any time until the end of the year to pick up blue bags for BottleDrop.

In case you happen to exhaust your supply of blue bags during your backyard parties this summer, there's no need to worry! Our generous SMS community members have a stash on their porch. Keep this newsletter bookmarked to easily locate blue bag access points near you:

- 6924 SE 19th Ave. (close to SE Bybee & 19th)

- 7929 SE 34th Ave. (close to SE Crystal Spring Blvd & SE 34th)

- 4032 SE Henderson St. (close to SE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd & SE Henderson)

- 7408 SE 46th Ave. (close to SE Flavel Drive & SE 46th)

Return your bags to the nearest BottleDrop location. Exciting news! You can now conveniently drop off your bags at Trader Joe's, located at 4715 SE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Ashley Schmidt at ashleyrschmidt@yahoo.com or call 503-267-0146.

We sincerely appreciate your support for the Sellwood Middle School Foundation!

CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP

June 20-22, 10am – 1 pm, Grades 6-8, FREE

Contact rmarchello@pps.net, aroddis@pps.net, kiera95gabaldon@gmail.com

8TH-GRADE PROMOTION, JUNE 13TH

We invite all 8^th-grade families to help honor and celebrate the culmination of 8^th-graders middle school years at Sellwood, giving them a joyous send off to high school.

Here are the basic details for promotion:

Date: Tuesday, June 13th

Time: 2:15 PM

Place: On the Sellwood Field. Bring low chairs or blankets for sitting.  (in case of bad weather - the event will move to Sellwood's gym)

Sellwood's Jazz Band will perform and the ceremony will be followed by cake and photos.

CLEVELAND SUMMER BASKETBALL CAMP FOR BOYS

Last Chance to register!

CHS Basketball Camp for Incoming 7th-9th Grade Boys

SUMMER YOUTH CAMP 

June 19-22 

10:30-1:00pm 

Cleveland High School

A unique opportunity for RISING 7th-9th grade boys to be mentored by the CHS JV & VARSITY players themselves, under the direction of Head Varsity Coach, Sam Glasgow. Space is limited!

Complete details and registration on the Cleveland Boys Basketball Website. 

GO WARRIORS!!

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL DAY CAMP OPPORTUNITIES THIS SUMMER

Warrior Camp @ CHS, rising 5-8 grade, June 19-22, 1:30-4:30pm 

https://sites.google.com/apps4pps.net/www-clevelandwbb-com/campstrainingclinics?authuser=0

Nike camp @ UP, ages 8-13, July 17-20 and 24-27

https://www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/nike/nike-girls-basketball-camp-university-of-portland

COGNIZART 360 SUMMER ARTS CAMP

Check out the flyer for more information.

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH:  Don't Erase Me:  The Modern Arab American.  An illuminating TED Talk by Jeremiah Stinnett who speaks out against the erasure of Arab-American identity.

READ: The Other Americans by Moroccan American Laila Lalami

Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• June 12: Oaks Park – All Grades, followed by volleyball on the field at 2:45 pm.
• June 13 - 8th-grade Promotion – 2:15 PM – On the Sellwood Field.
• June 14 – Last day of school
• August 29 – 1^st day of School 2023/24 (6^th-graders)
• August 30 – 1^st day of School 2023/24 (7^th/8^th-graders)

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – June 2, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

The end of the school year is fast approaching!  We have some fun events scheduled and we want to get as many members our community involved as possible.

This Sunday, we have the wonderful PTA Garden Tour.  It is a drop-in event form 11AM to 4PM.  Last year it was a very well attended and enjoyable event.  My husband and I got a lot of great ideas for our own garden and plan to take many pictures this year for potential "borrowing".  See below for more details.

Showcase Night happens next week on Wednesday evening, June 7^th, between 5:30 and 7:30.  It is a fun-filled drop-in event for all, with an art show, student work and science displays, along with some rotating performances from Sellwood’s band and drama skits, an Egg Drop activity with the “dropping of the eggs” at 6:45, food trucks for refreshments, and more.  We hope to see you there!

Monday, June 12^th, will be our whole-school field trip to Oaks Park. All teachers and students in all grades will be attending, so we will not be holding classes.  Please make sure to turn in the OAKS Park permission form.  The details of the trip are listed below and the cost is $17, however, we do not want the entry fee to be a barrier for any student, so just let us know and we will happy to arrange a scholarship.

Finally, on June 13^th, Sellwood will host our 8^th-graders and their families for our 8^th-grade promotion ceremony, congratulating them and wishing them well as they head off to high school.

Enjoy the weekend, and I hope to see you at the PTA Garden Tour.

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

FROM SELLWOOD’S LIBRARY

Please Bring Back the Books!

All library books are due on Friday, June 2, 2023.  We always welcome late books.  If you think a book is lost, please talk to us before paying.  And, please, do not purchase replacements.  Thanks in advance, Sellwood families!

OAKS PARK FIELD TRIP, MONDAY JUNE 12TH

Here are the details of the field trip.  

• When:  Monday, June 12^th, 2022, 9:30am – 2:00pm  
• Transportation:  We will be walking both to and from the park.  Make sure to wear comfortable shoes!  All students will return to Sellwood for school dismissal; no exceptions. 

• Cost: $17.00 will include Adrenalin Peak Roller Coaster, Go-Karts, Atmosphere (new ride). 
  • Preferred payment on-line with School Pay. 
  • If this presents a financial hardship, scholarships are available. 

• Lunch:  Students may: 1. Bring a sack lunch, 2. Request a Sellwood sack lunch, or 3. purchase lunch at OAKS Park.  We have reserved a Picnic Area (students can leave their lunch here during the day).
• Other Costs:  Students can bring extra money for snacks, games. etc.

• Due Date for Permission Slips: Friday, June 1st.  
• Expectations: In order to make sure this experience is safe and enjoyable for everyone, students attending Oaks Park are expected to be on their best behavior and must be responsive to adult direction.  We are also expecting that as we come closer to the end of the year, that students will continue to meet behavior expectations while at school.
• If a student were to receive a serious stage 2-3 referral that would merit suspension, between now and the end of the year, that student may be suspended from attending Oaks Park with their class.  Examples of incidents that may merit suspension: fighting, serious disruptive conduct, bullying and harassment, physical attack/harm, property damage/graffiti, etc. 

PTA NEWS

SELLWOOD GARDEN TOUR THIS SUNDAY 11AM to 4PM!

The Sellwood Garden Tour is the biggest fundraiser for the PTA.  Funds from this tour support gaps in funding for SMS electives, classrooms, teacher support and many extras the school needs.  This is also a great community event.  

 How can you help?

• Buy tickets and come see 7 stunning neighborhood gardens.

https://www.schoolpay.com/parent/mip/Me3D 

• Volunteer for a shift to help the tour run smoothly

https://www.konstella.com/app/school/5bfd8b99e4b0dcc4a18cb003/signups/6467acee47fcebc536fc3c32

• Gone this weekend? 
  • Tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers about the tour
  • Buy tickets for a family member or friend
  • Give tickets to a teacher as a thank you
  • www.sellwoodgardentour.com 
  • See 7 unique landscapes at the Sellwood Garden Tour fundraiser - oregonlive.com 

JOIN THE SELLWOOD FOUNDATION BOARD!

Looking for an easy way to make a big difference in your child's education? Join the Sellwood Middle School Foundation board! We're a small group of volunteers organizing fundraising events for SMS. We need a couple of generous community members to help plan fundraiser parties for the 2023-2024 school year. We meet once a month for an hour to prioritize events. 

Past fundraisers like Bingo, Petanque, and a 5K run/walk raised enough money to fund French and Cooking electives, and to employ additional staff. Being a board member lets you meet new people, improve classrooms, and flex your party-planning skills! Interested? Contact Mollymarie@comcast.net or find us on Instagram/Facebook. If you know someone who might be interested, feel free to share the information with them! Increasing the number of dedicated volunteers can help the Foundation Board accomplish even more for the school.

GLOBAL READERS FIELD TRIP FROM TINI MAIER, SELLWOOD LIBRARIAN

On June 1, the wonderful WALLACE BOOKS welcomed our 6th grade “global readers,” students sporting travel leis and flashing filled passports. Staff gave us a tour of the store and let us eat snacks on their porch. Thank you to the Sellwood PTA for the snacks! And thanks to the kind WALLACE BOOKS staff, who were all so welcoming and helpful. What a great store! Our students had such a good time exploring the books, I needed to remind them about snacks. :-D When asked, students also showed me some good books to consider for our library next year.   See the linked document for some great photos.

8TH-GRADE PROMOTION, JUNE 13TH

We invite all 8^th-grade families to help honor and celebrate the culmination of 8^th-graders middle school years at Sellwood, giving them a joyous send off to high school.

Here are the basic details for promotion:

Date: Tuesday, June 13th

Time: 2:15 PM

Place: On the Sellwood Field. Bring low chairs or blankets for sitting.  (in case of bad weather - the event will move to Sellwood's gym)

Sellwood's Jazz Band will perform and the ceremony will be followed by cake and photos.

SELLWOOD SPRING SHOWCASE NIGHT, JUNE 7^th

Save the date for Sellwood’s Annual Student Showcase on June 7^th.  The Showcase is a fun, drop-in event with displays of student work throughout the school, plus music and drama performances.  We will have an art show, science displays, math & games, language arts and social studies projects, and food carts.  Please see the attached postcard for more details.

CLEVELAND SUMMER BASKETBALL CAMP FOR BOYS

Last Chance to register!

CHS Basketball Camp for Incoming 7th-9th Grade Boys

SUMMER YOUTH CAMP 

June 19-22 

10:30-1:00pm 

Cleveland High School

A unique opportunity for RISING 7th-9th grade boys to be mentored by the CHS JV & VARSITY players themselves, under the direction of Head Varsity Coach, Sam Glasgow. Space is limited!

Complete details and registration on the Cleveland Boys Basketball Website. 

GO WARRIORS!!

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL DAY CAMP OPPORTUNITIES THIS SUMMER

Warrior Camp @ CHS, rising 5-8 grade, June 19-22, 1:30-4:30pm 

https://sites.google.com/apps4pps.net/www-clevelandwbb-com/campstrainingclinics?authuser=0

Nike camp @ UP, ages 8-13, July 17-20 and 24-27

https://www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/nike/nike-girls-basketball-camp-university-of-portland

COGNIZART 360 SUMMER ARTS CAMP

Check out the flyer for more information.

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH:  Don't Erase Me:  The Modern Arab American.  An illuminating TED Talk by Jeremiah Stinnett who speaks out against the erasure of Arab-American identity.

READ: The Other Americans by Moroccan American Laila Lalami

Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• June 7: Showcase Night – 5:30 – 7:30 PM
• June 12: Oaks Park – All Grades
• June 13 - 8th-grade Promotion – 2:15 PM – On the Sellwood Field
• June 14 – Last day of school

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – May 26, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Happy Friday to all!  The weather is shaping up for a lovely, moderately warm weekend!  I know all of us could use some well-deserved rest and relaxation!

Enjoy the three-day weekend,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

Sellwood Garden Tour

The Sellwood Garden Tour is the biggest fundraiser for the PTA.  Money from this tour supports gaps in funding for electives and classrooms.  This is also a great community event.  We are below ticket sales from last year and need your support.

   How can you help?

• Buy tickets and come see 7 stunning neighborhood gardens
• Volunteer for a shift to help the tour run smoothly
• Gone that weekend? 
  • Tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers about the tour
  • Buy tickets for a family member or friend
  • Give tickets to a teacher as a thank you
  • Lots of ways to support our school.
  • www.sellwoodgardentour.com 
  • See 7 unique landscapes at the Sellwood Garden Tour fundraiser - oregonlive.com 

PARTY WITH THE SELLWOOD FOUNDATION BOARD!

Looking for an easy way to make a big difference in your child's education? Join the Sellwood Middle School Foundation board! We're a small group of volunteers organizing fundraising events for SMS. We need a couple of generous community members to help plan fundraiser parties for the 2023-2024 school year. We meet once a month for an hour to prioritize events. 

Past fundraisers like Bingo, Petanque, and a 5K run/walk raised enough money to fund French and Cooking electives, and to employ additional staff. Being a board member lets you meet new people, improve classrooms, and flex your party-planning skills! Interested? Contact Mollymarie@comcast.net or find us on Instagram/Facebook. If you know someone who might be interested, feel free to share the information with them! Increasing the number of dedicated volunteers can help the Foundation Board accomplish even more for the school.

FROM SELLWOOD’S LIBRARIAN, TINI MAIER

Sellwood Library Walking Field Trip

On May 18, 2023, nine Sellwood 7th and 8th graders could be spotted wearing travel leis, and jaunting off campus with Ms. Tini from the library for some fun! These students are “global readers“ who completed a travel itinerary to read ALL around the world. They were celebrating their achievement with a field trip and party at the Sellwood branch public library!

This involved a scavenger hunt, snacks, and 3 free books each from the wonderful Multcolib Youth Librarian, Amy Fellows. When our students whipped through the scavenger hunt in no time, she indulged them in an interactive story time, after requests and chanting on their part!

All had fun, and some are considering taking part in the public library’s “tween council”.

Beyond these nine and at least another five students from the 6th grade, MANY more Sellwood students traveled through reading to experience various regions of the world. 

All students still at Sellwood next year will again have the chance to fill their Read the World travel itinerary, achieve “global reader“ status, and join in the celebratory fun in the Spring.

Some of our “global reader“ world travelers will be available to show off their passports, answer questions, and show you around the library during the Sellwood Showcase from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on June 7.

We are looking forward to it! Thank you to ALL our world traveling readers!!

Please see the link for some fun photos of Sellwood students on the trip.

PLEASE TURN IN PERMISSION SLIPS OAKS PARK & SUMMER CHROMEBOOKS

6th & 7th grade students should have brought home a permission form to keep their Chromebook at home. Please sign and return this to your student's Advisory class. (all 8^th-graders will be turning Chromebooks in at the end of the year, but 6^th & 7^th graders should keep them over summer).

All students should have brought home a permission slip for our end of year Oaks Park trip.

There is a correction to the price of the trip; it is $17.

Here are the details of the field trip.  

• When:  Monday, June 12^th, 2022, 9:30am – 2:00pm  
• Transportation:  We will be walking both to and from the park.  Make sure to wear comfortable shoes!  All students will return to Sellwood for school dismissal; no exceptions. 

• Cost: $17.00 will include Adrenalin Peak Roller Coaster, Go-Karts, Atmosphere (new ride). 
  • Preferred payment on-line with School Pay. 
  • If this presents a financial hardship, scholarships are available. 

• Lunch:  Students may: 1. Bring a sack lunch, 2. Request a Sellwood sack lunch, or 3. purchase lunch at OAKS Park.  We have reserved a Picnic Area (students can leave their lunch here during the day).
• Other Costs:  Students can bring extra money for snacks, games. etc.

• Due Date for Permission Slips: Friday, June 1st.  
• Expectations: In order to make sure this experience is safe and enjoyable for everyone, students attending Oaks Park are expected to be on their best behavior and must be responsive to adult direction.  We are also expecting that as we come closer to the end of the year, that students will continue to meet behavior expectations while at school.
• If a student were to receive a serious stage 2-3 referral that would merit suspension, between now and the end of the year, that student may be suspended from attending Oaks Park with their class.  Examples of incidents that may merit suspension: fighting, serious disruptive conduct, bullying and harassment, physical attack/harm, property damage (intentional), etc. 

8TH-GRADE PROMOTION

We invite all 8^th-grade families to help honor and celebrate the culmination of 8^th-graders middle school years at Sellwood, giving them a joyous send off to high school.

Here are the basic details for promotion:

Date: Tuesday, June 13th

Time: 2:15 PM

Place: On the Sellwood Field. Bring low chairs or blankets for sitting.  (in case of bad weather - the event will move to Sellwood's gym)

Sellwood's Jazz Band will perform and the ceremony will be followed by cake and photos.

YOUTH ADVOCACY SUMMIT

The Youth Advocacy Summit, YAS!, is happening on Saturday, June 10th from 8:45am to 3:30pm. It is FREE to attend. Registration is required. Register here: Students must use their PPS account to register. This day is about being in joyful community for LGBTQ2SIA+ identified students across Portland Public Schools. YAS will have 3 workshop blocks (self-expression, community time, and skill building), breakfast, lunch, snacks, and entertainment. We are partnering with community-based organizations like: SMYRC, Bridge 13, Multnomah County Library, PSU's Queer Resource center, PFLAG, and House of Ada to name a few. We will send a follow up to all registered participants with workshop choices and location information the week of the event. 

SELLWOOD SPRING SHOWCASE NIGHT, JUNE 7^th

Save the date for Sellwood’s Annual Student Showcase on June 7^th.  The Showcase is a fun, drop-in event with displays of student work throughout the school, plus music and drama performances.  We will have an art show, science displays, math & games, language arts and social studies projects, and food carts.  Please see the attached postcard for more details.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL DAY CAMP OPPORTUNITIES THIS SUMMER

Warrior Camp @ CHS, rising 5-8 grade, June 19-22, 1:30-4:30pm 

https://sites.google.com/apps4pps.net/www-clevelandwbb-com/campstrainingclinics?authuser=0

Nike camp @ UP, ages 8-13, July 17-20 and 24-27

https://www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/nike/nike-girls-basketball-camp-university-of-portland

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH:  Don't Erase Me:  The Modern Arab American.  An illuminating TED Talk by Jeremiah Stinnett who speaks out against the erasure of Arab-American identity.

READ: The Other Americans by Moroccan American Laila Lalami

Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 7: Showcase Night – 5:30 – 7:30 PM
• June 12: Oaks Park – All Grades
• June 13 - 8th-grade Promotion – 2:15 PM – On the Sellwood Field
• June 14 – Last day of school

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – May 12, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

We are coming up on the last month of school!  Please read below about several end-of-year events, such as state testing, Showcase Night, the Oaks Park field trip, Chromebook collection, and 8^th-grade Promotion.

I hope you stay cool on a warm weekend. 

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

OREGON STATE ASSESSMENT BEGINS NEXT WEEK

Oregon State Assessments starts next week!  Scheduled dates are:  May 16th and 17th for Language Arts and May 23rd for Math.  Please make sure your student gets a good night's rest the night before, a hearty breakfast the morning of, and comes to school with a fully charged Chromebook.  Thank you:)

PERMISSION SLIPS COMING FOR OAKS PARK & SUMMER CHROMEBOOKS

On May 17^th, during Advisory, 6th & 7th grade students will receive a permission form to keep their Chromebook at home. Please sign and return this to your student's Advisory class. (all 8^th-graders will be turning Chromebooks in at the end of the year, but 6^th & 7^th graders should keep them over summer).

There is a correction to the price of the trip; it is $17.

On May 17^th, during Advisory, all students will be receiving the Oaks Park permission form to sign. Here are the details of the field trip.  

• When:  Monday, June 12^th, 2022, 9:30am – 2:00pm  
• Transportation:  We will be walking both to and from the park.  Make sure to wear comfortable shoes!  All students will return to Sellwood for school dismissal; no exceptions. 

• Cost: $17.00 will include Adrenalin Peak Roller Coaster, Go-Karts, Atmosphere (new ride). 
  • Preferred payment on-line with School Pay. 
  • If this presents a financial hardship, scholarships are available. 

• Lunch:  Students may: 1. Bring a sack lunch, 2. Request a Sellwood sack lunch, or 3. purchase lunch at OAKS Park.  We have reserved a Picnic Area (students can leave their lunch here during the day).
• Other Costs:  Students can bring extra money for snacks, games. etc.

• Due Date for Permission Slips: Friday, June 1st.  
• Expectations: In order to make sure this experience is safe and enjoyable for everyone, students attending Oaks Park are expected to be on their best behavior and must be responsive to adult direction.  We are also expecting that as we come closer to the end of the year, that students will continue to meet behavior expectations while at school.
• If a student were to receive a serious stage 2-3 referral that would merit suspension, between now and the end of the year, that student may be suspended from attending Oaks Park with their class.  Examples of incidents that may merit suspension: fighting, serious disruptive conduct, bullying and harassment, physical attack/harm, property damage (intentional), etc. 

PTA NEWS

1. 2023/2024 PTA Board Slate Elections

The following slate of parents are running for PTA board positions next year.  Elections will be at our 5/17 meeting.  Anyone can run for these positions so please let us know if you would like to be included.  Nominations can also be made at the May meeting.

Co Presidents: Emily Quast, Karen Hansen; Vice president: Katka Howland

Secretary: Melisa Pierson; Treasurer: Bayra Garfield

 Members at Large: Megan Perkins, Micah Chu, Liz Super, Tasha Bartley, Mindy Parker, Allie    Koleno, Betsy Roberts, Carrie Spiteri

2. Last PTA Meeting of the Year; 5/17 Virtual 

Please join us to vote on next year's board and budget as well as hear end of year school updates. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6088364064 

3. SMS Dines Out; Tuesday 5/16 PDX Sliders

Mark your calendars!  Many thanks to PDX Sliders for supporting SMS!

4. 8th Grade Graduation Yard Signs

Yard signs to celebrate your 8th grade graduate will be available to purchase soon!

5. Staff Appreciation - THANK YOU!

Many thanks to the amazing Rachel McDonald and all parent volunteers for helping our staff feel appreciated!

6. Sellwood Garden Tour Tickets- Great Mother’s Day gift!

Check out our website to buy tickets. Please help us spread the word! www.sellwoodgardentour.com 

7. Volunteers Needed During State Testing; 5/16, 5/17, 5/23

Teachers are asking for parent support during these 3 days of OSAS state testing.  Parents will be helping make sure the hallways stay quiet and students are supported when needed.  Sign-ups are in Konstella.

8TH-GRADE PROMOTION

We invite all 8^th-grade families to help honor and celebrate the culmination of 8^th-graders middle school years at Sellwood, giving them a joyous send off to high school.

Here are the basic details for promotion:

Date: Tuesday, June 13th

Time: 2:15 PM

Place: On the Sellwood Field. Bring low chairs or blankets for sitting.  (in case of bad weather - the event will move to Sellwood's gym)

Sellwood's Jazz Band will perform and the ceremony will be followed by cake and photos.

YOUTH ADVOCACY SUMMIT

The Youth Advocacy Summit, YAS!, is happening on Saturday, May 20th from 8:45am to 3:30pm. It is FREE to attend. Registration is required. Register here: https://forms.gle/nBmuMM12Zx8JbF4m6. Students must use their PPS account to register. This day is about being in joyful community for LGBTQ2SIA+ identified students across Portland Public Schools. YAS will have 3 workshop blocks (self-expression, community time, and skill building), breakfast, lunch, snacks, and entertainment. We are partnering with community-based organizations like: SMYRC, Bridge 13, Multnomah County Library, PSU's Queer Resource center, PFLAG, and House of Ada to name a few. We will send a follow up to all registered participants with workshop choices and location information the week of the event. 

SELLWOOD SPRING SHOWCASE NIGHT, JUNE 7^th

Save the date for Sellwood’s Annual Student Showcase on June 7^th.  The Showcase is a fun, drop-in event with displays of student work throughout the school, plus music and drama performances.  We will have an art show, science displays, math & games, language arts and social studies projects, and food carts.  Please see the attached postcard for more details.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL DAY CAMP OPPORTUNITIES THIS SUMMER

Warrior Camp @ CHS, rising 5-8 grade, June 19-22, 1:30-4:30pm 

https://sites.google.com/apps4pps.net/www-clevelandwbb-com/campstrainingclinics?authuser=0

Nike camp @ UP, ages 8-13, July 17-20 and 24-27

https://www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/nike/nike-girls-basketball-camp-university-of-portland

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH:  Don't Erase Me:  The Modern Arab American.  An illuminating TED Talk by Jeremiah Stinnett who speaks out against the erasure of Arab-American identity.

READ: The Other Americans by Moroccan American Laila Lalami

Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 7: Showcase Night – 5:30 – 7:30 PM
• June 12: Oaks Park – All Grades
• June 13 - 8th-grade Promotion – 2:15 PM – On the Sellwood Field
• June 14 – Last day of school

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – May 5, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Thank you to all the parents who continually step up to support and honor Sellwood’s hardworking staff.  Next week is staff appreciation week, which has been extended to a second week to make sure we include our wonderful 6^th grade team. Next week, they will be heading off to Outdoor School with our 6^th-graders, and we did not want them to miss out on the fun.  With our wonderful PTA coordinating (I am looking at you, Rachel) and many parent volunteers, Sellwood teachers and staff will enjoy breakfast, a crockpot lunch, and then a pizza party.  We are happy we can enjoy these events together and in-person, after a few years when we were not able to hold in-person meetings or eat together as a staff. 

Speaking of Outdoor School, we are so excited that the overnight camping experience is back this year.  Families of 6^th-grade students should have received lots of information to get prepared, but as a reminder, students will be gathering at Sellwood at 2:30 PM this Sunday.  Bon Voyage!

I hope everyone has a great weekend,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PERMISSION SLIPS COMING FOR OAKS PARK & SUMMER CHROMEBOOKS

On May 17^th, during Advisory, 6th & 7th grade students will receive a permission form to keep their Chromebook at home. Please sign and return this to your student's Advisory class. (all 8^th-graders will be turning Chromebooks in at the end of the year, but 6^th & 7^th graders should keep them over summer)

On May 17^th, during Advisory, all students will be receiving the Oaks Park permission form to sign. Here are the details of the field trip.  

• When:  Monday, June 12^th, 2022, 9:30am – 2:00pm  
• Transportation:  We will be walking both to and from the park.  Make sure to wear comfortable shoes!  All students will return to Sellwood for school dismissal; no exceptions. 

• Cost: $15.00 will include Adrenalin Peak Roller Coaster, Go-Karts, Atmosphere (new ride). 
  • Preferred payment on-line with School Pay. 
  • Option 2: Checks payable to Sellwood Middle School. 
  • Option 3: Cash in the exact amount (no change provided). 
  • If this presents a financial hardship, scholarships are available. 

• Lunch:  Students may: 1. Bring a sack lunch, 2. Request a Sellwood sack lunch, or 3. purchase lunch at OAKS Park.  We have reserved a Picnic Area (students can leave their lunch here during the day).
• Other Costs:  Students can bring extra money for snacks, games. etc.

• Due Date for Permission Slips: Friday, June 1st.  
• Expectations: In order to make sure this experience is safe and enjoyable for everyone, students attending Oaks Park are expected to be on their best behavior and must be responsive to adult direction.  We are also expecting that as we come closer to the end of the year, that students will continue to meet behavior expectations while at school.
• If a student were to receive a serious stage 2-3 referral that would merit suspension, between now and the end of the year, that student may be suspended from attending Oaks Park with their class.  Examples of incidents that may merit suspension: fighting, serious disruptive conduct, bullying and harassment, physical attack/harm, property damage (intentional), etc. 

PTA NEWS

1. 2023/2024 PTA Board Slate Elections

The following slate of parents are running for PTA board positions next year.  Elections will be at our 5/17 meeting.  Anyone can run for these positions so please let us know if you would like to be included.  Nominations can also be made at the May meeting.

Co Presidents: Emily Quast, Karen Hansen; Vice president: Katka Howland

Secretary: Melisa Pierson; Treasurer: Bayra Garfield

 Members at Large: Megan Perkins, Micah Chu, Liz Super, Tasha Bartley, Mindy Parker, Allie  Koleno, Betsy Roberts, Carrie Spiteri

2. Last PTA Meeting of the Year; 5/17 Virtual 

Please join us to vote on next year's board and budget as well as hear end of year school updates.

3. SMS Dines Out; Tuesday 5/16 PDX Sliders

Mark your calendars!  Many thanks to PDX Sliders for supporting SMS!

4. 8th Grade Graduation Yard Signs

Yard signs to celebrate your 8th grade graduate will be available to purchase soon!

5. Staff Appreciation Crock Pot Lunch Date Moved

As some teachers and staff are at Outdoor School next week we are moving the staff appreciation crock pot lunch to 5/17.

6. Sellwood Garden Tour Tickets

Check out our website to buy tickets. Please help us spread the word! www.sellwoodgardentour.com 

7. Volunteers Needed During State Testing; 5/16, 5/17, 5/23

Teachers are asking for parent support during these 3 days of OSAS state testing.  Parents will be helping make sure the hallways stay quiet and students are supported when needed.  Sign ups are in Konstella.

SELLWOOD SPRING SHOWCASE NIGHT, JUNE 7^th

Save the date for Sellwood’s Annual Student Showcase on June 7^th.  The Showcase is a fun, drop-in event with displays of student work throughout the school, plus music and drama performances.  We will have an art show, science displays, math & games, language arts and social studies projects, and food carts.  Please see the attached postcard for more details.

8^TH-GRADERS - INTERESTED IN THE CLEVELAND DANCE TEAM

The Cleveland High School Dance Team tryouts are coming up on May 8th and 10th for all incoming Freshman to Cleveland! Tryout packets and info sheets available in the school office, at CHS, or via email at clevelandtenacitydance@gmail.com. All dancers and skill levels are welcome!

Dance Team Packet

Dance Team Info Sheet

Dance Team Flyer

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH:  Don't Erase Me:  The Modern Arab American.  An illuminating TED Talk by Jeremiah Stinnett who speaks out against the erasure of Arab-American identity.

READ: The Other Americans by Moroccan American Laila Lalami

Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• March 27 – 31: Spring Break
• April 7: End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10: No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 7 – 12: Outdoor School 6^th-graders
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 7: Showcase Night – 5:30 – 7:30 PM
• June 12: Oaks Park – All Grades
• June 14 - 8th-grade Promotion – 2PM – On the Sellwood Field
• June 14 – Last day of school

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – April 28, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

It feels like we have gone directly from March to June, skipping over April and May entirely. 

Next week, we will be communicating the details about Sellwood’s end-of-the-year events. Look for information about our Showcase Night on June 7^th, permission slips and logistics for our trip to Oaks Park on June 12^th, and details about 8^th-grade promotion on June 14^th.

8^th-grader families, please make sure you have completed the field trip form (below) for our upcoming visit to Cleveland High School.  Even if your child plans to attend a different high school, they are welcome on the trip and it may still be a worthwhile and memorable event for them.

For now, let’s all enjoy the warm summer-like weather while it lasts!

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

Volunteers Needed!!

There are many current volunteer needs at Sellwood.  Please see Konstella for dates, times and to sign up. You can also email the PTA and we can help you with more information.  Thank you for supporting our amazing school!

sellwoodpta@gmail.com 

1. Staff appreciation week 5/8

Help us show our appreciation for the middle school staff during staff appreciation week!

2. Support during upcoming state testing: 

1 hour shifts 5/16, 5/17, 5/23

Provide students and teachers support during school wide testing.

3. Hall monitors: 1 hour shifts

Provide additional adult presence in halls and outside bathrooms.

4. 8th grade promotion 6/14

Day of event help 

CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL VISIT - 8th-GRADE, MAY 5th

Hello 8th grade families!

Sellwood students will have the opportunity to visit Cleveland High School on Friday May 5th. Please fill out this permission form by May 1st so we have an accurate count to ensure we have a solid student to chaperone ratio.

CHS 8th Grade Visit 5/5- Permission Form

NW CYBER CAMP – SUMMER OPPORTUNITY FOR 8^th-GRADE

Announcing NW Cyber Camp 2023, the premier cybersecurity summer camp in Oregon! This year's camp (July 24-28) includes co-ed and girls-focused classes, scenario-based hands-on learning, and expert guest speakers from the cybersecurity industry. Join us at Portland Community College- Sylvania, Mt. Hood Community College, or OSU, for an exciting week of exploring cybersecurity concepts and building real-world skills that can propel your academic and career goals. Thanks to our cybersecurity industry sponsors, the camp is FREE for all students this year. Learn more and register today at www.nwcyber.camp.

Video

The camp also just released a short video, with testimonials from several of the founding students, and a brief overview. The camp created this at the request of teachers/counselors at PPS who wanted something they could show in class. You can watch it here. https://youtu.be/i8Jp7dVLzvA.  

8^TH-GRADERS - INTERESTED IN THE CLEVELAND DANCE TEAM

The Cleveland High School Dance Team tryouts are coming up on May 8th and 10th for all incoming Freshman to Cleveland! Tryout packets and info sheets available in the school office, at CHS, or via email at clevelandtenacitydance@gmail.com. All dancers and skill levels are welcome!

Dance Team Packet

Dance Team Info Sheet

Dance Team Flyer

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH:  Don't Erase Me:  The Modern Arab American.  An illuminating TED Talk by Jeremiah Stinnett who speaks out against the erasure of Arab-American identity.

READ: The Other Americans by Moroccan American Laila Lalami

Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• March 27 – 31: Spring Break
• April 7: End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10: No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 7 – 12: Outdoor School 6^th-graders
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 7: Showcase Night – 5:30 – 7:30 PM
• June 12: Oaks Park – All Grades
• June 14 - 8th-grade Promotion – 2PM – On the Sellwood Field
• June 14 – Last day of school

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – April 21, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Believe it or not, spring is eventually coming to Portland.  Due to the relentlessly wet, windy, chilly weather and a muddy field, up till now, we have been allowing some students to remain in the cafeteria for indoor recess.  However, the days of drier, 60ish degree weather will be here before we know it.  We believe it is healthy for students to spend time outside, especially after such a long string of bad weather when students have been cooped up indoors.  We plan to end indoor recess in the cafeteria soon and have all students go outside for recess when they have finished eating.  Looking at the weather report, outdoor recess for all will likely start next Tuesday, April 25^th.  Students will still be permitted to go to the library, and of course if we experience rainy, cold weather, we will hold indoor recess.

I would like to express my gratitude again to the parents who have been volunteering as monitors outside our bathrooms in the afternoon.  We have seen a cooresponding drop in vandalism and graffiti incidents, and an increase in responsible bathroom behavior.  We appreciate you!

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

Volunteers Needed

There are many current volunteer needs at Sellwood.  Please see Konstella for dates, times and to sign up. You can also email the PTA and we can help you with more information.  Thank you for supporting our amazing school!  sellwoodpta@gmail.com

1.  Hall monitors: 1-hour shifts

Provide additional adult presence in halls and outside bathrooms. 

2.  8th grade promotion

Day of event help 

3.  Support during upcoming state testing: 1 hour shifts 

Provide students and teachers support during school wide testing

4.  Staff appreciation snacks

Send snacks in with your student for the staff lounge on Wednesdays

CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL VISIT - 8th-GRADE, MAY 5th

Hello 8th grade families!

Sellwood students will have the opportunity to visit Cleveland High School on Friday May 5th. Please fill out this permission form by May 1st so we have an accurate count to ensure we have a solid student to chaperone ratio.

CHS 8th Grade Visit 5/5- Permission Form

NW CYBER CAMP – SUMMER OPPORTUNITY FOR 8^th-GRADE

Announcing NW Cyber Camp 2023, the premier cybersecurity summer camp in Oregon! This year's camp (July 24-28) includes co-ed and girls-focused classes, scenario-based hands-on learning, and expert guest speakers from the cybersecurity industry. Join us at Portland Community College- Sylvania, Mt. Hood Community College, or OSU, for an exciting week of exploring cybersecurity concepts and building real-world skills that can propel your academic and career goals. Thanks to our cybersecurity industry sponsors, the camp is FREE for all students this year. Learn more and register today at www.nwcyber.camp.

Video

The camp also just released a short video, with testimonials from several of the founding students, and a brief overview. The camp created this at the request of teachers/counselors at PPS who wanted something they could show in class. You can watch it here. https://youtu.be/i8Jp7dVLzvA.  

8th-GRADERS - INTERESTED IN THE CLEVELAND DANCE TEAM

The Cleveland High School Dance Team tryouts are coming up on May 8th and 10th for all incoming Freshman to Cleveland! Tryout packets and info sheets available in the school office, at CHS, or via email at clevelandtenacitydance@gmail.com. All dancers and skill levels are welcome!

Dance Team Packet

Dance Team Info Sheet

Dance Team Flyer

HEALTHY CHOICES BULLETIN APRIL 2023

The Healthy Choices Bulletin is a monthly summary of substance use prevention resources for families.  Healthy Choices Bulletin April 2023

STUDENT HEALTH CENTER APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE

Please check out this article about Student Health Center services that help students stay healthy, in school, and ready to learn.

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH:  Don't Erase Me:  The Modern Arab American.  An illuminating TED Talk by Jeremiah Stinnett who speaks out against the erasure of Arab-American identity.

READ: The Other Americans by Moroccan American Laila Lalami

Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• March 27 – 31: Spring Break
• April 7: End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10: No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 7 – 12: Outdoor School 6^th-graders
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 12: Oaks Park – All Grades
• June 14 - 8th-grade Promotion – 2PM – On the Sellwood Field
• June 14 – Last day of school

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – April 14, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

A quick shout out to the Sellwood Stars Dance Team!

The Sellwood Stars spent the weekend in Pendleton OR competing in the Oregon Junior Dance Team Championships. They competed in the Junior High Jazz division and won 1st place. Their advanced pom routine placed 2nd in the Open division. The Stars almost had a clean sweep in drill taking home 9 of the 10 spots. Drill down winners were, Allyssa, Ivy, Willa, Harper, Maya, Saoirse, Ava, Phoebe and  Sylvie.

Enjoy the sunshine this weekend,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

Looking to help improve school safety now?

SMS is looking for parents to volunteer as hall monitors to help prevent bullying, unrest, and disruption.  Positive adult presence is welcome!  We’d love to see you in the hallways supporting the best environment conducive to learning.  Sign up for an hour shift as a hall monitor.  Parents will be stationed in the cafeteria and in hallways. You can work or play, while you stay.  Go to Konstella to sign up, and make sure your PPS volunteer clearance is up to date through pps.net.  

Sellwood Garden Tour Sponsors and Ticket Sales

Do you know of a local business who would be interested in sponsoring the garden tour?  The garden tour is a major fundraiser for the school.  Sponsors are printed on all tour advertising and signage.  All sponsorship money is a donation to the school.  Please reach out with any leads.

And check out our new website to buy a ticket!

www.sellwoodgardentour.com 

Next Year PTA Board

Our middle school needs your support.  Please reach out if you are interested in joining the 2023/2024 board.  Positions of President, Vice President and Treasurer are open; as well as members at large.  This is a great opportunity to make a difference. sellwoodpta@gmail.com 

Staff Appreciation Wednesday Snacks

Thank you to all who have sent in snacks. The teachers and staff are so grateful.  Some tell us it’s the only chance they get for a quick bite during the school day.  Please continue to help!

SQUAD – CLEVELAND PEP RALLY FUNDRAISER

Squad! Join Our Warrior Team! We would like to invite the communities of our middle schools to join the fun. It is a free pep rally-themed fundraiser event that we hope parents and students will come on Friday, April 28 from 5:30-7pm at the CHS gym. Here is the link to the event info: 

https://mailchi.mp/8cb80ed484ba/register-for-the-chs-foundations-spring-fundraiser-free-to-attend?e=2168c85e40

8^TH-GRADERS - INTERESTED IN THE CLEVELAND DANCE TEAM

The Cleveland High School Dance Team tryouts are coming up on May 8th and 10th for all incoming Freshman to Cleveland! Tryout packets and info sheets available in the school office, at CHS, or via email at clevelandtenacitydance@gmail.com. All dancers and skill levels are welcome!

Dance Team Packet

Dance Team Info Sheet

Dance Team Flyer

BENSON HS TECH SHOW APRIL 20 & 21

Benson's Tech Show is coming .... April 20th and 21st, from 6-9 pm at the Marshall Campus. We are trying something new this year and having a special information session just for 7th grade families at 7:00 pm.

Attached is the postcard sent to all PPS 7th grade families encouraging them to come and learn more about Benson.  Please help us spread the word. If you have any questions, let us know. 

Amy Henry (she/her)

Counselor

Benson Polytechnic High School at Marshall Campus

STEM CAMP FOR PDX MIDDLE SCHOOLS

PSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship is offering a free summer camp for Portland area Middle School students.  They are partners with the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program and offer a free 3-week STEM focused summer program.  Students will learn design thinking, 3D printing, augmented reality, and social entrepreneurship.

They provide supplies, lunch, and transportation.  See the flyer for more information.

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH:  Don't Erase Me:  The Modern Arab American.  An illuminating TED Talk by Jeremiah Stinnett who speaks out against the erasure of Arab-American identity.

READ: The Other Americans by Moroccan American Laila Lalami

Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• March 27 – 31: Spring Break
• April 7: End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10: No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 7 – 12: Outdoor School 6^th-graders
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 12: Oaks Park – All Grades
• June 14 - 8th-grade Promotion
• June 14 – Last day of school

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – April 7, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Time is going by very quickly.  Next week we will begin the fourth quarter of the 2022/23 school year.  We will also be conducting forecasting for our 6^th-graders (rising 7^th-graders) and 7^th-graders (rising 8^th-graders).  To give parents a preview of the elective courses students will be choosing from, I am linking our 2023/24 Elective Guide for you to review.

I would like to thank all of the wonderful parent volunteers who have spent time with us this week, adding adult presence outside our bathrooms.  We appreciate it so much, and I can tell you that students have noticed :-)

I wish you a wonderful weekend,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

Looking to help improve school safety now?

SMS is looking for parents to volunteer as hall monitors to help prevent bullying, unrest, and disruption.  Positive adult presence is welcome!  We’d love to see you in the hallways supporting the best environment conducive to learning.  Sign up for an hour shift as a hall monitor.  Parents will be stationed in the cafeteria and in hallways. You can work or play, while you stay.  Go to Konstella to sign up, and make sure your PPS volunteer clearance is up to date through pps.net.  

Sellwood Garden Tour Sponsors

Do you know of a local business who would be interested in sponsoring the garden tour?  The garden tour is a fundraiser for the school.  Sponsors are printed on all tour advertising and signage.  All sponsorship money is a donation to the school.  Please reach out with any leads.

Net Year PTA Board

Our middle school needs your support.  Please reach out if you are interested in joining the 2023/2024 board.  Positions of President, Vice President and Treasurer are open; as well as members at large.  This is a great opportunity to make a difference. sellwoodpta@gmail.com 

Staff Appreciation Wednesday Snacks

Thank you to all who have sent in snacks. The teachers and staff are so grateful.  Some tell us it’s the only chance they get for a quick bite during the school day.

Please continue to help!

PEAK SPRING SESSION NEEDS MORE PARTICIPANTS

Registration is Open!

Register for classes at  https://tinyurl.com/sellwoodpeakprogram  

Scholarship request form is here: https://tinyurl.com/PEAKScholarship
Please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com with any questions.

The PEAK program is totally independent of Sellwood Middle School and is under the jurisdiction of PTA.
 

Classes for registration now:

• Choir

This is a free, student led choir class provided by the Cleveland Choir Department, and the Cleveland Youth Choir (CYC) team. With the support of Allison Bassett, the Cleveland Choir director, Cleveland Choir students will lead a class filled with  fun singing activities, practicing musicality skills, and learning about other cultures and stories through song! It is not only an educational opportunity, but a performance opportunity.  Students who participate will have an opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Choir at one of our events.

• Marimba

PEAK marimba is a once a week class (Thursdays from 4-5PM) that teaches students the basics of playing in a marimba ensemble. No experience is necessary. Instruments are provided. Students will learn to play music in a group setting.

• Create a miniature world with fairies, gnomes and sprites

In this whimsical class, we’ll paint, sew, and glue to build a miniature world where fairies, gnomes, and sprites live and a child's imagination can thrive.  Ms. Monica will give ideas and demonstrate techniques. Students can create at their own pace.  Hand-sewing skills will be a big plus, but not required. Note: if your child has taken this class previously, they can simply add what they make to their previous collection.  All supplies are included in the price of the class.

• Mobile Apps: My First App

Take your first step into the world of mobile apps! In this course, you will learn the basics of designing and creating mobile apps through block-based coding. You will learn basic programming concepts, such as Variables and Functions. You will apply these concepts to create your own app projects, such as a Bug Catcher game, Asteroid Dodging, and a Paint application. By the end of the course, students will be able to build simple apps and live test them on phones or phone simulators on a computer.

• Speech and Debate

The Cleveland High Speech and Debate team is one the largest and most successful programs at the school.  Find out why these students love it so much, and build your own debate skills. You will practice speaking and debating skills in preparation for local middle school competitions  The Sellwood team will be coached by team captains from Cleveland.

• French

The full year program consists of three sessions: fall, winter and spring. You may join at any time.This class is the third in a 3-part series in which students will learn about family life and traditions in Francophone cultures while learning to exchange information about their own family and home life.  Students will be able to indicate family relationships using possessive adjectives and the verb to have, describe family members using adjectives, express information about their homes, and ask each and answer questions about their families.  The class will be conducted 90% in French in order to promote language acquisition.

8^TH-GRADERS - INTERESTED IN THE CLEVELAND DANCE TEAM?

Cleveland Dance Team tryouts for incoming 9th graders will be May 8th and 10th.

Questions? email Clevelandtenacitydance@gmail.com

BENSON HS TECH SHOW APRIL 20 & 21

Benson's Tech Show is coming. April 20th and 21st, from 6-9 pm at the Marshall Campus. We are trying something new this year and having a special information session just for 7th grade families at 7:00 pm.

Attached is the postcard we sent to all PPS 7th grade families encouraging them to come and learn more about Benson.  Please help us spread the word. If you have any questions, let us know. 

PS You are also invited to come! 

Amy Henry (she/her)

Counselor

Benson Polytechnic High School at Marshall Campus

FAMILY EMERGENCY PLANS

If you haven't already, now is a great time to ensure you and your family have a plan in place for emergency situations. You'll find the links to the Emergency Plan template below in blue:

• English
• Spanish
• Japanese
• Chinese
• Vietnamese
• Somali
• Russian

PUBLIC ALERTS

PublicAlerts is an opt-in alerting system for the Portland Metro Region and run by our partners including Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM). The different types of alerts received could include hazard information relative to wildfire, earthquakes, winter weather, power outages, flooding, infectious disease, and other hazards which may impact our community.

Alerts can go out via text message, phone call (cell or landline), and email. Use of this tool can help to empower you to take action and get lifesaving information in emergency situations.

Preparedness is everyone's responsibility. Please enroll in this service today!

STEM CAMP FOR PDX MIDDLE SCHOOLS

PSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship is offering a free summer camp for Portland area Middle School students.  They are partners with the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program and offer a free 3-week STEM focused summer program.  Students will learn design thinking, 3D printing, augmented reality, and social entrepreneurship.

They provide supplies, lunch, and transportation.  See the flyer for more information.

CLEVELAND YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL

This spring Cleveland Youth Football is excited to offer an inaugural Flag Football League. This league will allow our youth to maintain their fitness as well as learn and develop football skills and fundamentals. This is a no cut sport and all future Cleveland students are welcome.

• Weekly Skill Development: April 4-June 1 Tu-Th’s 5:30 pm -7:30 pm at Hosford Middle School
• Weekly games are Saturday mornings between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. (April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20, and June 3)

Registration will be through Family Id: Cleveland Youth Flag Football Registration

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: trsmith@pps.net or Bryan Buck at bryan.s.buck@gmail.com

You can follow us on instagram: @clvwarriorsfootball

Have a great week and go Warriors!

Sincerely,

Trevor Smith

Head Football Coach

Cleveland High School

SELLWOOD YEARBOOK NEWS 2022/23

Order your yearbook on SchoolPay for $25 per book. If you want to remember all of the good memories your kids at Sellwood have made this year, we suggest that you order a yearbook before spring break. Delivery in June. If you have questions, contact lsouther@pps.net 

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” – Beyonce

READ:  From The Smithsonian, 12 Black Women To Know: https://womenshistory.si.edu/stories/twelve-black-women-know

WATCH: Women of color could save the world.  Here's how we help them do it.

Did you know that women of color will be the majority of women in the United States by the year 2050? So how do we effectively tap the creativity and leadership potential of this important population? In this honest and illuminating talk, activist and entrepreneur LC Johnson shows us one possible way forward.

LISTEN:  Our Body Politic is a podcast created and hosted by journalist Farai Chideya.  Our Body Politic is centered on reporting how women of color experience the major political events of today, and how they're impacting those very issues. Weekly episodes feature conversations about the economy, health, politics, education, the environment—because all issues are women's issues.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• March 27 – 31: Spring Break
• April 7: End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th: No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 14 - 8th-grade Promotion
• June 14 – Last day of school

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – March 24, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

I wanted to give a quick shout out to Sellwood’s brilliant Speech & Debate Team.  They have been honing their skills in the PEAK afterschool program, led by Cleveland HS students.  On March 10^th they competed in the Speech & Debate Middle School Tournament at Cleveland.  Each of the students walked away with 1-3 certificates and placed in 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd place.  Way to go, Speech & Debate Team!  We celebrate your accomplishments!

Next week, Spring Break gives us all an opportunity to rest and recharge, and hopefully have some fun.  Checking the weather report this morning I noticed the forecast has improved.

Have a great week and enjoy the break!

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

PTA Spring Fundraiser: See’s Candy; LAST DAY TODAY

https://www.yumraising.com/secure/sellwoodmsp_sellwood_middle_school_pta_spring83/MegPer6757/

Great option for Easter gifts or guilty pleasure treats.  See’s will give 20-50% of sales to our school.  Candy is shipped directly to you.  

New School Logo

Calling student artists! A new Sellwood Middle School logo design is in the works.  All students have the opportunity to submit their drawings.  The logo will be used for this Spring’s spirit wear sale.  Please submit entries to Art teacher Anna Noel by April 1st.

Looking to help improve school safety now?

SMS is looking for parents to volunteer as hall monitors to help prevent bullying, unrest, and disruption.  Positive adult presence is welcome!  We’d love to see you in the hallways supporting the best environment conducive to learning.  Sign up for an hour shift as a hall monitor.  Parents will be stationed in the cafeteria and in hallways. You can work or play, while you stay.  Go to Konstella to sign up, and make sure your PPS volunteer clearance is up to date through pps.net.  

Garden Tour Sponsors

Do you know of a local business who would be interested in sponsoring the garden tour?  Sponsors are printed on all tour advertising and signage.  All sponsorship money is a donation to the school.  Please reach out with any leads.

Next Year PTA Board

Our middle school needs your support.  Please reach out if you are interested in joining the 2023/2024 board.  Positions of President, Vice President and Treasurer are open; as well as members at large.  This is a great opportunity to make a difference. sellwoodpta@gmail.com 

PEAK SPRING SESSION STARTING SOON! REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Register for classes at  https://tinyurl.com/sellwoodpeakprogram  

If you are a first time user you will need to create an account for your student.  

Scholarship request form is here: https://tinyurl.com/PEAKScholarship
Please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com with any questions.

The PEAK program is totally independent of Sellwood Middle School and is under the jurisdiction of PTA.
 

Classes for registration now:

• Choir
  • This is a free, student led choir class provided by the Cleveland Choir Department, and the Cleveland Youth Choir (CYC) team. With the support of Allison Bassett, the Cleveland Choir director, Cleveland Choir students will lead a class filled with  fun singing activities, practicing musicality skills, and learning about other cultures and stories through song! It is not only an educational opportunity, but a performance opportunity.  Students who participate will have an opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Choir at one of our events.
• Marimba
  • PEAK marimba is a once a week class (Thursdays from 4-5PM) that teaches students the basics of playing in a marimba ensemble. No experience is necessary. Instruments are provided. Students will learn to play music in a group setting.

• Create a miniature world with fairies, gnomes and sprites
  • In this whimsical class, we’ll paint, sew, and glue to build a miniature world where fairies, gnomes, and sprites live and a child's imagination can thrive.  Ms. Monica will give ideas and demonstrate techniques. Students can create at their own pace.  Hand-sewing skills will be a big plus, but not required. Note: if your child has taken this class previously, they can simply add what they make to their previous collection.  All supplies are included in the price of the class.

• Mobile Apps: My First App
  • Take your first step into the world of mobile apps! In this course, you will learn the basics of designing and creating mobile apps through block-based coding. You will learn basic programming concepts, such as Variables and Functions. You will apply these concepts to create your own app projects, such as a Bug Catcher game, Asteroid Dodging, and a Paint application. By the end of the course, students will be able to build simple apps and live test them on phones or phone simulators on a computer.
• Speech and Debate
  • The Cleveland High Speech and Debate team is one the largest and most successful programs at the school.  Find out why these students love it so much, and build your own debate skills. You will practice speaking and debating skills in preparation for local middle school competitions  The Sellwood team will be coached by team captains from Cleveland.
• Chess Club
  • We play chess after school on Mondays! We improve our chess skills by playing as much as possible, solving puzzles, and learning basic strategies. Our after-school program focuses on basics but we hope to develop a more competitive program. We meet on Mondays that school is in session. Note that this is a year-long club–spring is a prorated fee.

COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING FOR FAMILIES

Parents: Tired of the meltdowns, nagging, yelling, and constant power struggles between you and your child? Is challenging behavior tearing your family apart? If behavior charts, rewards, and punishments aren’t working, we know why! Research shows kids with challenging behavior lack the skill, not the will, to behave. There is a training through Think Kids to help you navigate this with your kids. 

STEM CAMP FOR PDX MIDDLE SCHOOLS

PSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship is offering a free summer camp for Portland area Middle School students.  They are partners with the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program and offer a free 3-week STEM focused summer program.  Students will learn design thinking, 3D printing, augmented reality, and social entrepreneurship.

They provide supplies, lunch, and transportation.  See the flyer for more information.

CLEVELAND YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL

This spring Cleveland Youth Football is excited to offer an inaugural Flag Football League. This league will allow our youth to maintain their fitness as well as learn and develop football skills and fundamentals. This is a no cut sport and all future Cleveland students are welcome.

• Weekly Skill Development: April 4-June 1 Tu-Th’s 5:30 pm -7:30 pm at Hosford Middle School
• Weekly games are Saturday mornings between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. (April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20, and June 3)

Registration will be through Family Id: Cleveland Youth Flag Football Registration

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: trsmith@pps.net or Bryan Buck at bryan.s.buck@gmail.com

You can follow us on instagram: @clvwarriorsfootball
 

Have a great week and go Warriors!

Sincerely,

Trevor Smith

Head Football Coach

Cleveland High School

SELLWOOD YEARBOOK NEWS 2022/23

Order your yearbook on SchoolPay for $25 per book. If you want to remember all of the good memories your kids at Sellwood have made this year, we suggest that you order a yearbook before spring break. Delivery in June. If you have questions, contact lsouther@pps.net 

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” – Beyonce

READ:  From The Smithsonian, 12 Black Women To Know: https://womenshistory.si.edu/stories/twelve-black-women-know

WATCH: Women of color could save the world.  Here's how we help them do it.

Did you know that women of color will be the majority of women in the United States by the year 2050? So how do we effectively tap the creativity and leadership potential of this important population? In this honest and illuminating talk, activist and entrepreneur LC Johnson shows us one possible way forward.

LISTEN:  Our Body Politic is a podcast created and hosted by journalist Farai Chideya.  Our Body Politic is centered on reporting how women of color experience the major political events of today, and how they're impacting those very issues. Weekly episodes feature conversations about the economy, health, politics, education, the environment—because all issues are women's issues.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• March 27 – 31: Spring Break
• April 7: End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th: No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 14 - 8th-grade Promotion
• June 14 – Last day of school

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – March 19, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

I apologize for the late newsletter.  Last week, I was on the East Coast caring for my mother who is unwell.

I wanted to give a shout out to the Sellwood Stars - Friday the 10th, Sellwood took home 1st place at PIL for the Jazz Routine. Anna, Ellison, Allyssa, Saoirse and Sylvie won the drill down in a clean sweep taking all of the top 5 spots.

Saturday the 11th the Sellwood Stars competed in Tigard's first ever Middle School Competition. They took home 2nd for their Pom routine and 3rd for their Jazz routine. In the drill down they took home 7 out of 10 spots. Winners in drill were Maya, Addie, Ivy, Willa, Eowyn, Anna, and  Saoirse. 

Also, the winning team of Sellwood’s Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) competition was the 6^th-grade team “The OBOBcats” (Naomi Eshel, Ramona Freeman, Lily Palandri, Sylvie Shi Lyons, and Lela Whitehead) and they will be representing Sellwood at the Regional Competition on March 18.

Congratulations to the Sellwood Stars and the OBOBcats!

Finally, PPS has confirmed that due to the two snow days in February the school year will be extended by one day.  The last day of school will be Wednesday, June 14^th.  

Have a great week!

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

Next Year PTA Board

Our middle school needs your support.  Please reach out if you are interested in joining the 2023/2024 board.  This is a great opportunity to make a difference. sellwoodpta@gmail.com 

PTA Meeting 3/22; 7pm SMS Library 

Mark your calendar for our next PTA meeting.  Both of the school counselors will present information about how they work with our students on peer mediation and suicide prevention.  Please join us to hear about this important work.  Ms. Carbone will also be at the meeting to answer any questions or concerns.  Great time to connect with our school!

PTA Spring Fundraiser: See’s Candy; One Week Left

https://www.yumraising.com/secure/sellwoodmsp_sellwood_middle_school_pta_spring83/MegPer6757/

Great option for Easter gifts or guilty pleasure treats.  See’s will give 20-50% of sales to our school.  Candy is shipped directly to you.  

PEAK AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM - SPRING

PEAK Spring Session Starting Soon! Registration is Open!

Register for classes at  https://tinyurl.com/sellwoodpeakprogram  

If you are a first time user you will need to create an account for your student.  

Scholarship request form is here: https://tinyurl.com/PEAKScholarship
Please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com with any questions.

The PEAK program is totally independent of Sellwood Middle School and is under the jurisdiction of PTA.
 

Classes for registration now:

• Cleveland Youth Choir
  • This is a free, student led choir class provided by the Cleveland Choir Department, and the Cleveland Youth Choir (CYC) team. With the support of Allison Bassett, the Cleveland Choir director, Cleveland Choir students will lead a class filled with fun singing activities, practicing musicality skills, and learning about other cultures and stories through song! It is not only an educational opportunity, but a performance opportunity.  Students who participate will have an opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Choir at one of our events.

• Create a miniature world with fairies, gnomes and sprites
  • In this whimsical class, we’ll paint, sew, and glue to build a miniature world where fairies, gnomes, and sprites live and a child's imagination can thrive.  Ms. Monica will give ideas and demonstrate techniques. Students can create at their own pace.  Hand-sewing skills will be a big plus, but not required. Note: if your child has taken this class previously, they can simply add what they make to their previous collection.  All supplies are included in the price of the class.

• Mobile Apps: My First App
  • Take your first step into the world of mobile apps! In this course, you will learn the basics of designing and creating mobile apps through block-based coding. You will learn basic programming concepts, such as Variables and Functions. You will apply these concepts to create your own app projects, such as a Bug Catcher game, Asteroid Dodging, and a Paint application. By the end of the course, students will be able to build simple apps and live test them on phones or phone simulators on a computer.
• Speech and Debate
  • The Cleveland High Speech and Debate team is one the largest and most successful programs at the school.  Find out why these students love it so much, and build your own debate skills. You will practice speaking and debating skills in preparation for local middle school competitions  The Sellwood team will be coached by team captains from Cleveland.
• Chess Club
  • We play chess after school on Mondays! We improve our chess skills by playing as much as possible, solving puzzles, and learning basic strategies. Our after-school program focuses on basics but we hope to develop a more competitive program. We meet on Mondays that school is in session. Note that this is a year-long club–spring is a prorated fee.

STEM CAMP FOR PDX MIDDLE SCHOOLS

PSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship is offering a free summer camp for Portland area Middle School students.  They are partners with the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program and offer a free 3-week STEM focused summer program.  Students will learn design thinking, 3D printing, augmented reality, and social entrepreneurship.

They provide supplies, lunch, and transportation.  See the flyer for more information.

CLEVELAND YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL

This spring Cleveland Youth Football is excited to offer an inaugural Flag Football League. This league will allow our youth to maintain their fitness as well as learn and develop football skills and fundamentals. This is a no cut sport and all future Cleveland students are welcome.

• Weekly Skill Development: April 4-June 1 Tu-Th’s 5:30 pm -7:30 pm at Hosford Middle School
• Weekly games are Saturday mornings between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. (April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20, and June 3)

Registration will be through Family Id: Cleveland Youth Flag Football Registration

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: trsmith@pps.net or Bryan Buck at bryan.s.buck@gmail.com

You can follow us on instagram: @clvwarriorsfootball
 

Have a great week and go Warriors!

Sincerely,

Trevor Smith

Head Football Coach

Cleveland High School

SELLWOOD YEARBOOK NEWS 2022/23

Order your yearbook on SchoolPay for $25 per book. If you want to remember all of the good memories your kids at Sellwood have made this year, we suggest that you order a yearbook before spring break. Delivery in June. If you have questions, contact lsouther@pps.net 

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• March 27 – 31: Spring Break
• April 7: End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th: No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 14 - 8th-grade Promotion
• June 14 – Last day of school

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – March 10, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Last weekend, we had a great time at the Sellwood Foundations BINGO fundraiser.  It was wonderful to see all of you there, and we are grateful to all for participating in a very fun event that is also for a great cause – Sellwood Middle School staffing!

I would like to give a shout out to our Band Director Gavi Patterson de Tarr and the Sellwood Advanced Band who achieved the highest possible score of Outstanding from the judges at the PPS Middle School Band Festival on March 9th.  Congratulations – Sellwood’s band program is truly amazing!

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

Next Year PTA Board

Our middle school needs your support.  Please reach out if you are interested in joining the 2023/2024 board.  This is a great opportunity to make a difference. sellwoodpta@gmail.com 

Sellwood Dines Out 3/15; Reverends BBQ

Mark your calendar for our March Dines Out!  

PTA Meeting 3/22

Mark your calendar for our next PTA meeting.  More information on the featured topic/speaker to come.

Sellwood Garden Tour; Garden in Garthwick Needed

The Sellwood Garden Tour is both a fundraiser and community event on June 4th for SMS.  Tickets are sold for individuals to take a self guided tour of local private gardens or outdoor spaces.   

Any leads are appreciated! 

PTA Spring Fundraiser: See’s Candy

https://www.yumraising.com/secure/sellwoodmsp_sellwood_middle_school_pta_spring83/MegPer6757/

Great option for Easter gifts or guilty pleasure treats.  See’s will give 20-50% of sales to our school.  Candy is shipped directly to you.  

CLEVELAND YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL

This spring Cleveland Youth Football is excited to offer an inaugural Flag Football League. This league will allow our youth to maintain their fitness as well as learn and develop football skills and fundamentals. This is a no cut sport and all future Cleveland students are welcome.

• Weekly Skill Development: April 4-June 1 Tu-Th’s 5:30 pm -7:30 pm at Hosford Middle School
• Weekly games are Saturday mornings between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. (April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20, and June 3)

Registration will be through Family Id: Cleveland Youth Flag Football Registration

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: trsmith@pps.net or Bryan Buck at bryan.s.buck@gmail.com

You can follow us on instagram: @clvwarriorsfootball

Have a great week and go Warriors!

Sincerely,

Trevor Smith

Head Football Coach

Cleveland High School

SELLWOOD YEARBOOK NEWS 2022/23

Order your yearbook on SchoolPay for $25 per book. If you want to remember all of the good memories your kids at Sellwood have made this year, we suggest that you order a yearbook before spring break. Delivery in June. If you have questions, contact lsouther@pps.net 

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

“Race doesn't really exist for you because it has never been a barrier. Black folks don't have that choice.”

― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah

READ: Americanah, by Chimamanda Adiche parallels some of her own experience as a Nigerian coming to America for the first time to attend college. A poignant, funny, sometimes scathing look at the reality of being a new immigrant in the United States, especially from an African perspective.

Order Here:  https://www.powells.com/book/americanah-9780307455925

WATCH: TED Talk: Invisible Girl: The American Outlier

In today’s society, black girls have been positioned as outliers, and in many ways have taken on an invisible role compared to other racial groups. For black girls to be included into the makeup of society, cultural sensitivity has to be placed at the forefront to create an inclusive environment that will help bridge the gap of racial and gender disparities.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• March 16 – 5^th-grade Family Info Night 6-7:30 PM - in the gym
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school?
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – March 3, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Happy Friday!  Last week’s snow has melted, but we have not yet heard whether our two unexpected snows will impact our end of year dates.  I know many of us would like to make summer plans, so I will be certain to pass the word along as soon as I know anything.

Don’t forget that this Saturday evening is Sellwood Middle School Foundation’s Drag Queen BINGO fundraiser.  The details are posted below.

Hope to see you there!

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

SELLWOOD MS FOUNDATION NEWS

DRAG QUEEN BINGO THIS WEEKEND!

It’s the Bingo you love with the Chassé you want!

Get your tickets now!

SMS teachers play free with community sponsorship!

https://donorbox.org/events/409314

The Sellwood Middle School Foundation is proud to bring back a timeless BINGO tradition with a new slay. Portland’s own Queen Coco Jem Holiday is bringing her fierce glam to Westmoreland’s Union Manor, Saturday, March 4 at 7pm. 

All funds raised at the event will help fund teachers, course variety, and smaller class sizes at Sellwood Middle School. This event is open to the community! Please share the link to invite your neighbors, friends and anyone (21+) who wants to support our school and win awesome prizes including a 2-night hotel stay on the Coast! 

Queen Coco Jem Holiday will be calling numbers 

Doors open at 7

First BINGO called at 7:20

Westmoreland’s Union Manor

6404 SE 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97202

$25 first card, $5 for each additional card per individual. 

Beer, Wine & Soda for sale!

Questions? Text Trisha Highland at (503) 830-6018

PTA NEWS

Sellwood Garden Tour; 2 More Gardens Needed For Tour

The Sellwood Garden Tour is both a fundraiser and community event on June 4th for SMS.  Tickets are sold for individuals to take a self guided tour of local private gardens or outdoor spaces.   

Do you or your neighbor have an outdoor space they may be willing to showcase?  We are looking for gardens in Eastmoreland, Woodstock, Garthwick, Sellwood or Westmoreland.  We have 4 gardens for the tour but would love a couple more.  Any leads are appreciated! 

PTA Meeting 3/22

Mark your calendar for our next PTA meeting.  More information on the featured topic/speaker to come.

Sellwood Dines Out 3/15; Reverends BBQ

Mark your calendar for our March Dines Out!  

PTA Spring Fundraiser: See’s Candy

https://www.yumraising.com/secure/sellwoodmsp_sellwood_middle_school_pta_spring83/MegPer6757/

Great option for Easter gifts or guilty pleasure treats.  See’s will give 20-50% of sales to our school.  Candy is shipped directly to you.  

8th Grade Graduation 

Please reach out if you are interested in helping organize this year’s 8th grade promotion.

Next Year PTA Board

Our middle school needs your support.  Please reach out if you are interested in joining the 2023/2024 board.  This is a great opportunity to make a difference. sellwoodpta@gmail.com 

CLEVELAND YOUTH TRACK

Cleveland Youth Track will begin practicing March 6. Registration is now open on Family ID. Click this link to begin registration. Registration will close once we reach our max capacity, which is 250 athletes. practices will be at the CHS track on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:00 - 6:30 pm and meets will be on Thursdays starting after Spring Break.

The Cleveland Youth Track program is looking for more parent volunteers to help us support the large number of athletes that we have on our team. You do not have to have special knowledge of any specific track or field discipline, just a desire to wrangle children and be active! If you or someone you know are interested in helping out on Mondays, Wednesdays, or both, please contact head coach and coordinator Meghan Eigo at meigo@pps.net.

DONATION & VOLUNTEER REQUEST FROM SMS COUNSELORS

Backpacks, tote bags, non-perishable foods and Friday volunteers!

The SMS counselors are working to bring back our food backpack program! In the past we have partnered with several local community members to ensure all of our students have access to food over the weekends.  We have struggled to build these consistent partnerships back up since COVID. 

We are looking for new or slightly used backpacks and tote bags to help students transfer the food they receive on Friday afternoons home. If you have questions or would like to participate in the backpack program please email or call Katie Francis at kfrancis@pps.net or 503.916.5656 X70616.

If you are interested in helping pack backpacks on Friday afternoons that would be greatly appreciated as well!

You can drop donations off in the main office.  We are also happy to take hygiene products and non-perishable food donations as well i.e.- shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, tooth brushes, tooth paste,  cereal, granola bars, trail mix, juice boxes, fruit cups, etc.  

Thank you for your support!

-

Katie Francis, Licensed School Counselor

SELLWOOD YEARBOOK NEWS 2022/23

Order your yearbook on SchoolPay for $25 per book. If you want to remember all of the good memories your kids at Sellwood have made this year, we suggest that you order a yearbook before spring break. Delivery in June. If you have questions, contact lsouther@pps.net 

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

“Race doesn't really exist for you because it has never been a barrier. Black folks don't have that choice.”

― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah

READ: Americanah, by Chimamanda Adiche parallels some of her own experience as a Nigerian coming to America for the first time to attend college. A poignant, funny, sometimes scathing look at the reality of being a new immigrant in the United States, especially from an African perspective.

Order Here:  https://www.powells.com/book/americanah-9780307455925

WATCH: TED Talk: Invisible Girl: The American Outlier

In today’s society, black girls have been positioned as outliers, and in many ways have taken on an invisible role compared to other racial groups. For black girls to be included into the makeup of society, cultural sensitivity has to be placed at the forefront to create an inclusive environment that will help bridge the gap of racial and gender disparities.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• March 16 – 5^th-grade Family Info Night 6-7:30 PM - in the gym
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school?
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – February 17, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

I was happy to see so many of you at the PTA meeting on Wednesday.  The Moms Demand Action presentation provided some excellent information about the scourge of gun violence plaguing our nation and schools, stimulated impassioned conversation, and left us with a powerful call to action in the fight to keep our children safe.  Please visit their website to learn more about their organization and how you can make a difference in ending gun violence.

We also learned about the Be SMART framework, which is designed to help adults take action that can prevent child gun injuries and deaths and hold conversations with one another around gun safety. SMART is an acronym for Secure all guns, Model responsible behavior around guns, Ask about the presence of guns in other homes, Recognize the role of guns in suicide, Tell your peers to be SMART.  Your family may or may not have a gun in your home, but many children in the US live in a home with at least one loaded, unlocked gun.  Normalizing conversation and questions about the presence of unsecured guns is essential to keeping children safe.  Please visit the Be SMART for Kids website for resources and information.

Additionally, there was a request for me to repost the steps to becoming a volunteer at PPS.  We welcome volunteers at Sellwood, and are especially interested in volunteers to sit at a table near student restrooms.  The volunteers could work on their laptops, knit, or do other activities.  Added adult presence near bathrooms would help to discourage bathroom graffiti and vandalism.  Here is the PPS webpage with information about becoming a volunteer.

Standing with you in the fight for student safety,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

SELLWOOD MS FOUNDATION NEWS

DRAG QUEEN BINGO! March 4 @7pm

Get Your Tickets now for Bingo Night! 

TEACHERS get their first Bingo card FREE!

https://donorbox.org/events/409314

Join the Sellwood Middle School Foundation Saturday, March 4, for a night of DRAG QUEEN BINGO! All funds raised at the event will help fund teachers, course variety, and smaller class sizes at Sellwood. 

This event is open to the community! Please invite your adult neighbors, friends and anyone who wants to support our school and win great prizes!

Queen Coco Joy Holiday will be calling numbers. 

Doors open at 7:00 pm.

First BINGO! called at 7:20

Westmoreland’s Union Manor

6404 SE 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97202

$25 first card, $5 for each additional card per individual. 

Questions? Text Trisha Highland at #503-830-6018

PTA NEWS

Sellwood Garden Tour; June 4th

The Sellwood Garden Tour is both a fundraiser and community event for SMS.  Tickets are sold for individuals to take a self guided tour of local private gardens or outdoor spaces.   

Do you or your neighbor have an outdoor space they may be willing to showcase?  We are looking for gardens in Eastmoreland, Woodstock, Garthwick, Sellwood or Westmoreland.  Any leads are appreciated!

PTA Meeting

Thank you to all who attended last night's PTA meeting.  We are grateful for the speakers from Mom’s Demand Action and our thoughtful community conversation on safety at SMS.  We are planning future PTA meetings to have speakers on cyberbullying, student conflict resolution and suicide prevention.

8th Grade Graduation 

Please reach out if you are interested in helping organize this year’s 8th grade promotion.

Next Year PTA Board

Our middle school needs your support.  Please reach out if you are interested in joining the 2023/2024 board.  This is a great opportunity to make a difference.

Many Thanks To Eastbank Appliance

We are very thankful to Eastbank Appliance for donating a fridge to the school for the cooking class.

CLEVELAND YOUTH TRACK

Cleveland Youth Track will begin practicing March 6. Registration is now open on Family ID. Click this link to begin registration. Registration will close once we reach our max capacity, which is 250 athletes. practices will be at the CHS track on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:00 - 6:30 pm and meets will be on Thursdays starting after Spring Break.

The Cleveland Youth Track program is looking for more parent volunteers to help us support the large number of athletes that we have on our team. You do not have to have special knowledge of any specific track or field discipline, just a desire to wrangle children and be active! If you or someone you know are interested in helping out on Mondays, Wednesdays, or both, please contact head coach and coordinator Meghan Eigo at meigo@pps.net.

DONATION & VOLUNTEER REQUEST FROM SMS COUNSELORS

Backpacks, tote bags, non-perishable foods and Friday volunteers!

The SMS counselors are working to bring back our food backpack program! In the past we have partnered with several local community members to ensure all of our students have access to food over the weekends.  We have struggled to build these consistent partnerships back up since COVID. 

We are looking for new or slightly used backpacks and tote bags to help students transfer the food they receive on Friday afternoons home. If you have questions or would like to participate in the backpack program please email or call Katie Francis at kfrancis@pps.net or 503.916.5656 X70616.

If you are interested in helping pack backpacks on Friday afternoons that would be greatly appreciated as well!

You can drop donations off in the main office.  We are also happy to take hygiene products and non-perishable food donations as well i.e.- shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, tooth brushes, tooth paste,  cereal, granola bars, trail mix, juice boxes, fruit cups, etc.  

Thank you for your support!

Katie Francis, Licensed School Counselor

SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY

Dear Sellwood Families:

It's the Successful Schools Survey time of the year!  This survey allows us to gather data to make informed decisions about school climate and culture and takes from 15 to 30 minutes. The survey is linked below and is available in Español | Tiếng Việt | 中文 | Русский | Soomaali languages.  

Family/Community voice is important and we want to hear from you!   

LINK TO SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY ENGINEERING CLUB

Oregon State University has a program called Girls’ Empowerment, Engineering, and Outreach (GEEO). One of their missions as a club is to increase community access to the University and empower young students in STEM education.

This winter, they are starting a new outreach project: GEEO STEM-inars. STEM-inars is a virtual session that students can join and perform a science experiment with OSU STEM students. Their first STEM-inar will be held March 2, from 6-6:45 PM. This lesson is designed for 6th through 8th grade students.

FLYER

GIRLS ON THE RUN

Girls on the Run participant registration is now open! Girls on the Run is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that focuses on empowering youth through research-based lessons that incorporate physical activity. An after-school program like no other, they seek to provide safe, empowering spaces for girls and nonbinary youth of all abilities in grades 6th-8th. Register today for 10 weeks of fun, friendship and movement! The season starts March 6^th and ends May 20^th with a 5K celebration. Financial aid is available for all families who need it via a sliding scale in the registration. Follow this link to learn more: https://www.gotroregon.org/programs

Girls on the Run Flyer

The spring season runs from 3/6 - 5/20. Practices will take place Tues/Thurs, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m., at Sellwood MS. Please visit www.gotroregon.org to register.

Y.E.S. (YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SKATEBOARDING)

Learn about the Y.E.S. program from the Skate like a Girl nonprofit organization.  All genders welcome.

YES FAQs

YES FLYER

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH/READ/THINK: Side by Side Learning:  You’re invited to view/interact with the Black History Slides shared with our students February 8th.  

The slides are located here:  Advisory Feb 8th .  These slides explore the impact of racist policies and practices here in Portland as well Black musicians Jimi Hendrix and his cousin Tyrone Hendrix who lives here in Portland and will be performing at the Feb. 23rd Black History Week assembly.  

SELLWOOD YEARBOOK NEWS 2022/23

Order your yearbook on SchoolPay for $25 per book. If you want to remember all of the good memories your kids at Sellwood have made this year, we suggest that you order a yearbook before spring break. Delivery in June. If you have questions, contact lsouther@pps.net 

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• February 20 – No school – President’s Day
• March 16 – 5^th-grade Family Info Night 6-7:30 PM - in the gym
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – February 10, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

I hope you had a great week and enjoyed a little bit of sunshine.  In case you missed it, please check out the video and article from KOIN news about facility dogs in schools, featuring Sellwood’s own canine companion Jaco and his person, counselor Katie Francis.  We are very lucky to have Jaco as a member of our school community.

Therapy dogs help create connection with Portland students.

Read on to find out more about the Sellwood Foundation’s BINGO fundraiser, the PTA meeting next Wednesday, Cleveland Youth Track, Girls on the Run, fentanyl resources for parents, school vaccination exclusion day, a request for support from Sellwood counselors for our food backpack program, and more.

Have a great weekend,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

SELLWOOD MS FOUNDATION NEWS

DRAG QUEEN BINGO! FAMILY NIGHT!

Get Your Tickets!!  Foundation Bingo Night – March 4 at 7pm 

https://donorbox.org/events/409314

Join the Sellwood Middle School Foundation Saturday, March 4, for a night of DRAG QUEEN BINGO! All funds raised at the event will help fund teachers, course variety, and smaller class sizes at Sellwood. 

This is a family event! Kids in 5th grade and higher are welcome to try their luck at Five-In-A-Row or hitting Four Corners.  Let’s make it a Sellwood Middle School night to remember!

This event is open to the community! Please invite your neighbors, friends and anyone who wants to support our school and win great prizes!

Queen Coco Joy Holiday will be calling numbers. 

Doors open at 7:00 pm

First BINGO! called at 7:20

Westmoreland’s Union Manor

6404 SE 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97202

$25 first card, $5 for each additional card per individual. 

OPEN TO FAMILIES WITH KIDDOS IN 5TH GRADE AND ABOVE.

Questions? Text Trisha Highland at #503-830-6018

PTA NEWS

February 15th PTA Meeting: School Safety Focus

Please join us next Wednesday (7pm in school library) for discussion on school safety at SMS.  A speaker from Mom’s Demand Action will be speaking.  Principal Carbone and counselor Katie Francis (and Jaco) will also be available for discussion.  This is a great time to have your questions answered!

Please also consider joining us prior to the meeting (5:30) at Lava Room for additional time to connect with our school community.

8th Grade Graduation 

Please reach out if you are interested in helping organize this year’s 8th grade promotion.

Next Year PTA Board

Our middle school needs your support.  Please reach out if you are interested in joining the 2023/2024 board.  This is a great opportunity to make a difference.

Staff Room Snacks Needed

Let's fill the staff break room with treats on Wednesdays!  Easy way to support the SMS staff!  Sign-ups are in Konstella.

Thanks so much!  The staff love it!

New Cooking Class Elective; Fridge Still Needed

SMS is in need of a donated fridge; apartment size or larger for student use in the new cooking class elective.  Please email the PTA if you can help!

Sellwood Garden Tour; June 4th

Plans are underway for this year’s garden tour.  This was a huge success last year for our school, both as a fundraiser and community event.  We are looking for gardens to showcase and/or interest in joining the planning committee.  Please reach out if you can help!

CLEVELAND YOUTH TRACK

Cleveland Youth Track will begin practicing March 6. Registration is now open on Family ID. Click this link to begin registration. Registration will close once we reach our max capacity, which is 250 athletes. practices will be at the CHS track on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:00 - 6:30 pm and meets will be on Thursdays starting after Spring Break.

The Cleveland Youth Track program is looking for more parent volunteers to help us support the large number of athletes that we have on our team. You do not have to have special knowledge of any specific track or field discipline, just a desire to wrangle children and be active! If you or someone you know are interested in helping out on Mondays, Wednesdays, or both, please contact head coach and coordinator Meghan Eigo at meigo@pps.net.

DONATION & VOLUNTEER REQUEST FROM SMS COUNSELORS

Backpacks, tote bags, non-perishable foods and Friday volunteers!

The SMS counselors are working to bring back our food backpack program! In the past we have partnered with several local community members to ensure all of our students have access to food over the weekends.  We have struggled to build these consistent partnerships back up since COVID. 

We are looking for new or slightly used backpacks and tote bags to help students transfer the food they receive on Friday afternoons home. If you have questions or would like to participate in the backpack program please email or call Katie Francis at kfrancis@pps.net or 503.916.5656 X70616.

If you are interested in helping pack backpacks on Friday afternoons that would be greatly appreciated as well!

You can drop donations off in the main office.  We are also happy to take hygiene products and non-perishable food donations as well i.e.- shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, tooth brushes, tooth paste,  cereal, granola bars, trail mix, juice boxes, fruit cups, etc.  

Thank you for your support!

Katie Francis, Licensed School Counselor

Sellwood Middle School

FENTANYL RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

• Fentanyl Awareness video from Vancouver BC School District
• Staying Healthy and Safe (6th-8th grade lesson)
• Prescription and Other Opioids (PPS health curriculum)
• Multi-Lingual Prevention Strategies and Healthy Decision Making 
• Invitation to Change Group for Family and Friends

A free, virtual 12-week group for family members and friends impacted by a loved one's substance use.

• Talk, they hear - SAMSHA’a national substance use prevention campaign and resources for parents, caregivers, educators and community members.
• Hable. Ellos escuchan. La campaña nacional patrocinada por SAMHSA para la prevención del consumo de alcohol entre menores de edad ayuda a los padres y a los cuidadores para que puedan empezar la conversación con sus hijos acerca de los peligros del alcohol.

SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY

Dear Sellwood Families:

It's the Successful Schools Survey time of the year!  This survey allows us to gather data to make informed decisions about school climate and culture and takes from 15 to 30 minutes. The survey is linked below and is available in Español | Tiếng Việt | 中文 | Русский | Soomaali languages.  

Family/Community voice is important and we want to hear from you!   

LINK TO SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY

SCHOOL EXCLUSION DAY IS FEB 13TH

School Immunizations Required!

The Multnomah County Student Health Centers are standing by to help families catch up on school immunizations at all of our PPS clinics. 

Shots are required by law for all children in schools, preschools and child care facilities in Multnomah County. If your child’s vaccination records are incomplete, you will have received a letter. To avoid missing school or child care, get your child up to date on their vaccinations as soon as possible. Make a vaccine appointment now, as there may be a long wait.

For more information go to: multco.us/health/news/catch-now-school-vaccines

PPS EXCLUSION FLYER

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE AND HEALTH ASSISTANT

Free Community Vaccination Clinic

Flyer in English

Flyer in Spanish

GIRLS ON THE RUN

Girls on the Run registration is now open! This middle school program considers the whole person – body, brain, heart, spirit and social connection. Heart & Sole offers an inclusive place of belonging, where participants feel supported and inspired to explore their emotions, cultivate empathy and strengthen their physical and emotional health. At the end of the season, all program participants complete a 5K.

Girls on the Run Flyer

The spring season runs from 3/6 - 5/20. Practices will take place Tues/Thurs, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m., at Sellwood MS. Please visit www.gotroregon.org to register.

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH/READ/THINK: Side by Side Learning:  You’re invited to view/interact with the Black History Slides shared with our students February 8th.  

The slides are located here:  Advisory Feb 8th .  These slides explore the impact of racist policies and practices here in Portland as well Black musicians Jimi Hendrix and his cousin Tyrone Hendrix who lives here in Portland and will be performing at the Feb. 23rd Black History Week assembly.  

SECURLY INTERNET FILTERING FOR PARENT CONTROL

PPS uses Securly to help families set internet filtering rules for their children when using school devices and accounts at home. 
As a parent or guardian, you can use Securly to stay on top of your child’s online activity in real-time from anywhere, with the SecurlyHome App. Securly will also send parents/guardians weekly email reports with a snapshot of their student’s internet activity. This report is a wonderful opportunity for parents and guardians to open a dialogue with their students about their digital lives.

Please see the PPS Securly webpage for more information about how you can use Securly for improved online safety, monitoring, and control.

https://www.pps.net/securly

SELLWOOD YEARBOOK NEWS 2022/23

Order your yearbook on SchoolPay for $25 per book. If you want to remember all of the good memories your kids at Sellwood have made this year, we suggest that you order a yearbook before spring break. Delivery in June. If you have questions, contact lsouther@pps.net 

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• February 17 – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• February 20 – No school – President’s Day (potential snow day make-up day)
• March 16 – 5^th-grade Family Info Night 6-7:30 PM - in the gym
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – February 3, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

I would like to give a shout out to the wonderful Sellwood Stars Dance Team!  Last Saturday, the Sellwood Stars won 2^nd place in the junior high division.  Ally, Saoirse, and Sylvie all placed in the top 10 for Drill Down competition.  Congratulations Sellwood Stars!

Next week is School Counseling Week.  Please join me in expressing gratitude to our hard-working counselors, Ms. Katie and Mr. KB.  We greatly appreciate everything they do to support Sellwood students day in and day out.  If you have an opportunity to reach out and thank them, I encourage you to do so.  Also, students are encouraged to let their counselors know how much they are appreciated.

Please tune in to KOIN News tonight at 4, 5, and 6PM, and at various times this weekend.  They are doing a special story on facility dogs in schools, and our very own facility doggo Jaco and counselor Ms. Katie will be featured!

Have a great weekend,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

SELLWOOD MS FOUNDATION NEWS

DRAG QUEEN BINGO!

Get Your Tickets!!  Foundation Bingo Night – March 4 at 7pm 

https://donorbox.org/events/409314

Join the Sellwood Middle School Foundation on Saturday, March 4 at 7:00 pm at  Westmoreland’s Union Manor for a night of DRAG QUEEN BINGO! All funds raised at the event will help fund teachers, course variety, and smaller class sizes at Sellwood. 

This is a community event! Please invite your adult neighbors, friends and anyone who wants to support our school and have a great time!

Queen Coco Joy Holiday will be calling numbers 

Doors open at 7:00 pm

First BINGO! called at 7:20

Westmoreland’s Union Manor

6404 SE 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97202

$25 first card, $5 for each additional card per individual. 

B*4 We Bingo We Need Some Vino!

An SMS Foundation Rep will be outside the school Friday, February 10 @ 9AM collecting wine donations!  Please consider donating a bottle, 6 bottles, or a case!

Questions? Text Trisha Highland at #503-830-6018

PTA NEWS

February 15th PTA Meeting: School Safety Focus

Please join us in February for discussion on school safety at SMS.  A speaker from Mom’s Demand Action will be speaking.  Principal Carbone and counselor Katie Francis will also be available for your questions.

Pizzeria Stellina February 6th; Sellwood Dines Out

Great night for pizza!  10% of sales will go to SMS.

8000 SE 13th Ave; 4:30-8:00pm

Staff Room Snacks Needed

Let's fill the staff break room with treats on Wednesdays!  Easy way to support the SMS staff!  Sign ups are in Konstella.

Thanks so much!  The staff love it!

New Cooking Class Elective; Fridge Still Needed

SMS is in need of a donated fridge; apartment size or larger for student use in the new cooking class elective.  Please email the PTA if you can help!

Sellwood Garden Tour; June 4th

Plans are underway for this year’s garden tour.  This was a huge success last year for our school, both as a fundraiser and community event.  We are looking for gardens to showcase and/or interest in joining the planning committee.  Please reach out if you can help!

Many Thanks to Portland Bottle Shop

Our recent Sellwood Dine’s Out raised $550.  Thank you for supporting our local business and SMS PTA!

SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY

Dear Sellwood Families:

It's the Successful Schools Survey time of the year!  This survey allows us to gather data to make informed decisions about school climate and culture and takes from 15 to 30 minutes. The survey is linked below and is available in Español | Tiếng Việt | 中文 | Русский | Soomaali languages.  

Family/Community voice is important and we want to hear from you!   

LINK TO SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY

SCHOOL EXCLUSION DAY IS FEB 13^TH

School Immunizations Required!

The Multnomah County Student Health Centers are standing by to help families catch up on school immunizations at all of our PPS clinics. 

Shots are required by law for all children in schools, preschools and child care facilities in Multnomah County. If your child’s vaccination records are incomplete, you will have received a letter. To avoid missing school or child care, get your child up to date on their vaccinations as soon as possible. Make a vaccine appointment now, as there may be a long wait.

For more information go to: multco.us/health/news/catch-now-school-vaccines

PPS EXCLUSION FLYER

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE AND HEALTH ASSISTANT

Free Community Vaccination Clinic

Flyer in English

Flyer in Spanish

JEDI (JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION)

Upcoming JEDI Meeting

The JEDI team meets next by zoom on Thursday February 9th from 7-8pm.  We will be discussing guardians' concerns about students' experiences of harassment at SMS.  We will share with you SMS's clear disciplinary policy.  We will also share efforts taken by the administration to prevent harassment and address it when it occurs.  We encourage you to bring your thoughts about it and any other concerns about justice, equity, diversity and inclusion that you would like to raise.  
 

February is Black History Month!

Understanding Black History is a centrally important part of understanding American History. Read a little about the history of this month in which we recognize Black history specifically, in our JEDI Newsletter. 

Every year, Black History Month has a theme. The theme for Black History Month 2023 is Black Resistance. 

Learn more about it and get ideas for how to celebrate Black History Month here.  

Or here’s an idea:  This year, try watching one of these excellent movies that are linked here, with your kids. The choices we make determine whether we elevate our children's understanding of the Black experience in America.  When everyone’s historical truth is known to all of us, we can move toward a world where we appreciate each other and thrive as a community of fellows.  

Let’s educate our kids so they can carry forward the change we wish to see in the world.

Let us strive toward a future where Black history is understood and cherished and appreciated every day as American History. 

• Summer of Soul (Hulu)
• Let The World See (Hulu)
• The 1619 Project (Hulu)
• More Than A Month (PBS)
• The Loving Story (HBO) 
• Freedom Riders (PBS)
• 13th (Netflix)
• Who Killed Malcolm X? (Netflix)
• Is That Black Enough For You? (Netflix)

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH/READ/THINK:  Side by Side Learning:   You’re invited to view/interact with the Black History Slides shared with our students this past week Advisory Feb 1st  The slides address the origins of Black History Month as well as Oregon’s Racist Past.

SECURLY INTERNET FILTERING FOR PARENT CONTROL

PPS uses Securly to help families set internet filtering rules for their children when using school devices and accounts at home. 
As a parent or guardian, you can use Securly to stay on top of your child’s online activity in real-time from anywhere, with the SecurlyHome App. Securly will also send parents/guardians weekly email reports with a snapshot of their student’s internet activity. This report is a wonderful opportunity for parents and guardians to open a dialogue with their students about their digital lives.

Please see the PPS Securly webpage for more information about how you can use Securly for improved online safety, monitoring, and control.

https://www.pps.net/securly

SELLWOOD YEARBOOK NEWS 2022/23

Order your yearbook on SchoolPay for $25 per book. If you want to remember all of the good memories your kids at Sellwood have made this year, we suggest that you order a yearbook before spring break. Delivery in June. If you have questions, contact lsouther@pps.net 

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• February 17 – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• February 20 – No school – President’s Day (potential snow day make-up day)
• March 16 – 5^th-grade Family Info Night 6-7:30 PM - in the gym
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – January 26, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Next week is the first week of second semester, so I decided to repost an informative presentation showing how students can check their own schedule using StudentVue.  I am also re-posting information below about the Internet filtering app Securly.  I encourage everyone to use Securly to help monitor and limit your child’s online activities, in case you are not already using it.

Also, the Sellwood Foundation is bringing back BINGO Night as a fundraiser, but this year it will be Drag Queen BINGO.  I have attended similar events at a venue in my neighborhood, and the professional entertainers hosting Drag Queen BINGO have made the night very lively.  Details about BINGO Night are posted below, and I hope to see you there.

Also in this newsletter you will find a link to the Successful Schools Survey.  Please let us know what you think.  Your input is very important to us.

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

SECURLY INTERNET FILTERING FOR PARENT CONTROL

PPS uses Securly to help families set internet filtering rules for their children when using school devices and accounts at home. 
As a parent or guardian, you can use Securly to stay on top of your child’s online activity in real-time from anywhere, with the SecurlyHome App. Securly will also send parents/guardians weekly email reports with a snapshot of their student’s internet activity. This report is a wonderful opportunity for parents and guardians to open a dialogue with their students about their digital lives.

Please see the PPS Securly webpage for more information about how you can use Securly for improved online safety, monitoring, and control.

https://www.pps.net/securly

SELLWOOD MS FOUNDATION NEWS

BINGO NIGHT!!

General event Info

Drag Queen BINGO!

Saturday, March 4

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Doors open at 7:00 pm. First BINGO! called at 7:20 pm.

Westmoreland’s Union Manor

6404 SE 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97202

$25 first card, $5 for each additional card per individual. 

Save the Date - Foundation Bingo Night – March 4

Join the Sellwood Middle School Foundation on Saturday, March 4 at 7:00 pm at Westmoreland's Union Manor for a night of BINGO! All funds raised at the event will help fund teachers, more course variety, and smaller class sizes at Sellwood. We will share the ticket link and more details in the coming weeks. 

Bingo Prize Donations – We are looking for donated items we can use as prizes for BINGO!  Donations could be: a gift card, new item, event tickets, etc. valued at around $25. 

If you have something to donate, please text Trisha Highland at #503-830-6018. 

Wine Donations – We also need wine for the event. Consider donating a bottle, 6 bottles, or a case! There will be a Foundation Representative at the front doors of the school on Friday, February 10, 17, and 24 at 9:15 a.m. to collect any donated wine. Thank you!

USING STUDENTVUE TO CHECK 2ND SEMESTER SCHEDULES

A few years back, Sellwood discontinued the practice of printing paper schedules at the start of each new quarter or semester.  Students have the ability to check their own schedules using StudentVue, and we encourage this practice as it helps them be more independent.  Most students know how to check their schedule, but in case they need a refresher, here is a short student made presentation that shows how to do it.  The process is similar for ParentVue.

Checking your schedule in StudentVue

LITTLE WARRIORS CHEERLEADING CAMP

Cleveland High School would like to invite all 4th-8th graders to attend our Little Warriors Cheer Camp. It will be February 3rd-6th with a performance during half time at the Girls Varsity basketball game on February 7th.

Please refer to the flyer/registration form to register for the camp.
If there are any questions please feel free to reach out to Deasia Daugherty: ddaugherty@pps.net

PTA NEWS

February 15th PTA Meeting: School Safety Focus

Please join us in February for discussion on school safety at SMS.  A speaker from Mom’s Demand Action will be speaking.  Principal Carbone will also be available for your questions.

Staff Room Snacks Needed

Let's fill the staff break room with treats on Wednesdays!  Easy way to support the SMS staff!  Sign-ups are in Konstella.  Thanks so much!  The staff love it!

PPS Clothing Closet

The clothing closet is in need of new socks and underwear.  We will be bringing donations on 1/30; donations can be dropped off in the school office.

New Cooking Class Elective; Fridge Needed

SMS is in need of a donated fridge; apartment size or larger for student use in the new cooking class elective.  Must be Energy Star compliant.  Please email the PTA if you can help!

Sellwood Garden Tour; June 4th

Plans are underway for this year’s garden tour.  This was a huge success last year for our school, both as a fundraiser and community event.  We are looking for gardens to showcase and/or interest in joining the planning committee.  Please reach out if you can help!

Many Thanks to Dick’s Primal Burger

Our recent Sellwood Dine’s Out at Dick’s raised $600.  Thank you for supporting our local business and SMS PTA!

SELLWOOD YEARBOOK NEWS 2022/23

Order your yearbook on SchoolPay for $25 per book. If you want to remember all of the good memories your kids at Sellwood have made this year, we suggest that you order a yearbook before spring break. Delivery in June. If you have questions, contact lsouther@pps.net 

SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY

Dear Sellwood Families:

It's the Successful Schools Survey time of the year!  This survey allows us to gather data to make informed decisions about school climate and culture and takes from 15 to 30 minutes. The survey is linked below and is available in Español | Tiếng Việt | 中文 | Русский | Soomaali languages.  

Family/Community voice is important and we want to hear from you!   

LINK TO SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE AND HEALTH ASSISTANT

Free Community Vaccination Clinic

Flyer in English

Flyer in Spanish

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle”

• Dr. Martin Luther King

READ:  LA Times Essay: Martin Luther King Day should make you uncomfortable.  A thought provoking and bold way of thinking about MLK Day written by Los Angeles Times essayist Jamil Smith.

WATCH: As we approach Black History Month, Origins of Black History Month is an informational and educational video about how Black History Month came to be.  We will be showing excerpts of this video to Sellwood students as part of our Black History Month Feb 1st Advisory period.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• January 26 – End of 1^st semester
• January 27 – No school for students - Teacher planning day
• February 17 – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• February 20 – No school – President’s Day (potential snow day make-up day)
• March 16 – 5^th-grade Family Info Night 6-7:30 PM - in the gym
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – January 20, 2022

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Next week marks the end of the first semester.  Time is flying by!

Read on for news from the PTA, a bit about Outdoor School, an upcoming Sellwood band performance, how to order a yearbook, and more.

Enjoy the weekend, it looks like we may see a bit of the sun :-)

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

February 15th PTA Meeting: School Safety Focus

Please join us in February for discussion on school safety at SMS.  A speaker from Mom’s Demand Action will be speaking.  Principal Carbone will also be available for your questions.

Staff Room Snacks Needed

Let's fill the staff break room with treats on Wednesdays!  Easy way to support the SMS staff!  Sign-ups are in Konstella.  Thanks so much!  The staff love it!

PPS Clothing Closet

The clothing closet is in need of new socks and underwear.  We will be bringing donations on 1/30; donations can be dropped off in the school office.

New Cooking Class Elective; Fridge Needed

SMS is in need of a donated fridge; apartment size or larger for student use in the new cooking class elective.  Must be Energy Star compliant.  Please email the PTA if you can help!

Sellwood Garden Tour; June 4th

Plans are underway for this year’s garden tour.  This was a huge success last year for our school, both as a fundraiser and community event.  We are looking for gardens to showcase and/or interest in joining the planning committee.  Please reach out if you can help!

Many Thanks to Dick’s Primal Burger

Our recent Sellwood Dine’s Out at Dick’s raised $600.  Thank you for supporting our local business and SMS PTA!

OUTDOOR SCHOOL FOR 6TH-GRADERS, MAY 7-12

All 6th graders will be attending Outdoor School May 7th - 12th. It is expected to be overnight camp this year! Students will find out which class and camp they will be attending soon. More detailed information will be shared with families of 6^th-graders as well. This is an incredible opportunity for 6th graders to experience the outdoors with their classmates and other 6th graders from the Portland Metro area. For more information, check out the ODS website.

SELLWOOD ADV. BAND PERFORMING @ PPS BOARD MEETING, JAN 24

The Sellwood Advanced Band is performing at the PPS School Board meeting on January 24 at 5:45 PM at the Matthew Prophet Education Service Center (501 N Dixon Street). Sellwood was selected by the PPS Visual and Performing Arts department to perform as part of the presentation of their Master Arts Education Plan to the school board. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed by PPS.

SELLWOOD YEARBOOK NEWS 2022/23

Order your yearbook on SchoolPay for $25 per book. If you want to remember all of the good memories your kids at Sellwood have made this year, we suggest that you order a yearbook before spring break. Delivery in June. If you have questions, contact lsouther@pps.net 

CLEVELAND HS MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL NIGHTS

The Cleveland HS booster club is hosting middle school basketball nights at the high school. Girls - January 26 and boys - February 14.  Check out the flyer below for details.

Cleveland Boosters Middle School Nights

General CHS Program information:

https://sites.google.com/apps4pps.net/www-clevelandwbb-com

SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY - COMING SOON

Our district values your feedback! In a few weeks, we will be asking you to take a brief survey to tell us about your experience with Portland Public Schools and Sellwood.  To ensure we continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college and career, we need your feedback. We want to know what you think.

The survey will begin on January 23rd and close on February 28th.  During that time, you will be able to take the survey online at home.  More information to come!

We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact Regina Sackrider, Assistant Principal at 503.916.5656.

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE AND HEALTH ASSISTANT

Free Community Vaccination Clinic

Flyer in English

Flyer in Spanish

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle”

• Dr. Martin Luther King

READ:  LA Times Essay: Martin Luther King Day should make you uncomfortable.  A thought provoking and bold way of thinking about MLK Day written by Los Angeles Times essayist Jamil Smith.

As we approach Black History Month, Origins of Black History Month is an informational and educational video about how Black History Month came to be.  We will be showing excerpts of this video to Sellwood students as part of our Black History Month Feb 1st Advisory period.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• January 26 – End of 1^st semester
• January 27 – No school for students - Teacher planning day
• February 17 – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• February 20 – No school – President’s Day (potential snow day make-up day)
• March 16 – 5^th-grade Family Info Night 6-7:30 PM - in the gym
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – January 13, 2022

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Next week will be a four-day week, as we celebrate the life and work of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Dr. King is well known for advancing civil rights through nonviolent activism and civil disobedience, his famous speech “I have a Dream” at the Lincoln Memorial, and winning the Nobel Peace Prize.  We honor his legacy and sacrifice.  However, there is always more to learn about our leaders, so here are a few resources:  A short video: 6 Things You Didn’t Know about Martin Luther King, Jr.  This History.com article also shares a few other lesser known facts: 10 Things You May Not Know about Martin Luther King, Jr.

I hope you enjoy the three-day weekend.

Stay safe and healthy!

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

OREGON BATTLE OF THE BOOKS (OBOB)

LAST CHANCE!  Register teams for Sellwood Middle School's Oregon Battle of the Books by this Monday, January 16th!  To register a team, complete this form.  Each team should be registered once by the coach; we do not need individual team members to register.  If your kiddo would like to participate but you do not yet have a full team for them, you can complete this form instead.   

TECH YOUTH PROJECTS WINTER SPORTS CLINIC – Feb 18@BENSON

Check out this sports clinic that may interest your child. Pre-registration is required and clinic size is limited so act quickly if you want to participate.

• Tech Youth Project Winter Sports Clinics 2022-2023
                 

SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY - COMING SOON

Our district values your feedback! In a few weeks, we will be asking you to take a brief survey to tell us about your experience with Portland Public Schools and Sellwood.  To ensure we continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college and career, we need your feedback. We want to know what you think.

The survey will begin on January 23rd and close on February 28th.  During that time, you will be able to take the survey online at home.  More information to come!

We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact Regina Sackrider, Assistant Principal at 503.916.5656.

LAST DAY OF OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR 2023 HEALTH COVERAGE (Jan 15)

Jan. 15 is the last day of open enrollment for private health insurance in Oregon’s health insurance marketplace. Open enrollment is the only time when anyone who is not offered insurance from a job or a public program like the Oregon Health Plan or Medicare can enroll in health coverage through OregonHealthCare.gov, often with financial help.

Health insurance covers essential health benefits critical to maintaining individual health and treating illness and accidents. Health insurance helps to reduce medical and prescription drug costs, making health care more affordable and thus more accessible.

For more information, see this How to Get Health Insurance flyer.

JOB OPENING - SCHOOL HEALTH ASSISTANT (VARIOUS SCHOOLS)

Multnomah Education Services District (MESD) is looking for School Health Assistants (SHA) to support various PPS schools. The SHA provides health care services to students including first aid, administering medications, and managing health-related emergencies. No medical experience is required. Training will be provided. SHAs work 6 or 7 hours each day (site dependent). If you have experience working or volunteering with children, or if you know of anyone who may be interested in becoming a PPS SHA, visit the MESD website for more information and to access the online SHA job posting and application.

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE AND HEALTH ASSISTANT

Free Community Vaccination Clinic

Flyer in English

Flyer in Spanish

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

“To know your future you must know your past”― George Santayana

READ: Rosewood, Florida, marks 100 years since race massacre. Here’s what happened  2023 marks the 100 year anniversary of the Rosewood, Florida massacre.  It is a very dark and tragic event in our history and an important one for us to acknowledge, learn about, and ensure never happens again. 

READ: The Price We Have Paid for Not Confronting Race is a compelling New York Times Opinion piece which explores the need for us, as a society, to confront and address racial inequalities in our past and present.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• January 16: No school - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• January 26 – End of 1^st semester
• January 27 – No school for students - Teacher planning day
• February 17 – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• February 20 – No school – President’s Day (potential snow day make-up day)
• March 16 – 5^th-grade Family Info Night 6-7:30 PM - in the gym
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – January 6, 2022

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Happy New Year!  I hope that you and your family had an enjoyable winter break.  I have heard that some families had their holiday travel plans disrupted (as mine were), by the terrible weather.  Many in Portland lost power, and the wind and ice storms caused even more disruption.  Regardless of how you spent the winter break, I hope it was filled with cheer and that you were able to stay cozy, warm, and safe.

Enjoy the weekend,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

COMPACTED MATH IN 2023-24

As you may or may not know, PPS has been reviewing the Compacted Math programming at the middle school and for several reasons, had been planning to phase out the Compacted Math program, starting with the school year 2023-24.  However, today you should have received an email from PPS Communications that they are pausing the plan to phase out Compacted Math in order to provide time for further study.  You can read the district’s letter here, in case you missed it. 

The letter also states that there will be a few schools participating in a field test for the phasing out of Compacted Math next year.  Those schools have already been identified, and Sellwood is not included in these field-testing plans.

In short, Compacted Math will continue at Sellwood without any changes, at least for next year.

OREGON BATTLE OF THE BOOKS (OBOB)

Reminder!  Register teams for Sellwood Middle School's Oregon Battle of the Books by January 16th!  To register a team, complete this form.  Each team should be registered once by the coach; we do not need individual team members to register.  If your kiddo would like to participate but you do not yet have a full team for them, you can complete this form instead.  

Thank you!

Amanda & Monica

PEAK AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM WINTER REGISTRATION

PEAK Classes Starting Soon! Registration is Open!

Register for classes at  https://tinyurl.com/sellwoodpeakprogram  

If you are a first-time user you will need to create an account for your student.  

Scholarship request form is here: https://tinyurl.com/PEAKScholarship
Please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com with any questions.

Classes for registration now:

• Red Cross Babysitter Training - 1/16 & 2/20 
  • Registration will open on Saturday 1/7 at 8am
  • Two one-day training sessions: 1/16/23, 2/20/23, 9am-4:30pm 
  • Designed for young people to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and responsibly give care to infants and children in a residential setting. 
  • Participants receive a certificate of completion for Babysitter’s Training
• French 1a - Winter
  • This class is the second in a 3-part series in which students will build on skills learned in the fall. They will compare life at an American school to student life in a Francophone country by learning to present information about their own life at school and investigating elements of school life and aspects of time in Francophone cultures. The class will be conducted 90% in French in order to promote language acquisition.
• Chess Club
  • We play chess after school on Mondays! We improve our chess skills by playing as much as possible, solving puzzles, and learning basic strategies. Our after-school program focuses on basics but we hope to develop a more competitive program. We meet on Mondays that school is in session. Note that this is a year-long club.
• Marimba
  • PEAK marimba is a once a week class (Thursdays from 4-5PM) that teaches students the basics of playing in a marimba ensemble. No experience is necessary. Instruments are provided. Students will learn to play music in a group setting.

• Choir
  • This is a free, student led choir class provided by the Cleveland Choir Department, and the Cleveland Youth Choir (CYC) team. With the support of Allison Bassett, the Cleveland Choir director, Cleveland Choir students will lead a class filled with  fun singing activities, practicing musicality skills, and learning about other cultures and stories through song! It is not only an educational opportunity, but a performance opportunity.  Students who participate will have an opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Choir at one of our events.

• Speech and Debate
  • The Cleveland High Speech and Debate team is one the largest and most successful programs at the school.  Find out why these students love it so much, and build your own debate skills. You will practice speaking and debating skills in preparation for local middle school competitions.  The Sellwood team will be coached by team captains from Cleveland.

• Coding for Kids - Python: Intro
  • Ready to learn one of the most widely used programming languages in the world? Then this is the class to sign up for! Python is a very versatile and easy-to-learn starter language that is widely used by software developers, scientists and data analysts, from medical research to applications at NASA. Through the games they create, students will learn and practice core coding concepts and learn Python-specific concepts and syntax. Projects range from trivia quizzes to competitive two-player games and everything in between. 

SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS SURVEY - COMING SOON

Our district values your feedback! In a few weeks, we will be asking you to take a brief survey to tell us about your experience with Portland Public Schools and Sellwood.  To ensure we continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college and career, we need your feedback. We want to know what you think.

The survey will begin on January 23rd and close on February 28th.  During that time, you will be able to take the survey online at home.  More information to come!

We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact Regina Sackrider, Assistant Principal at 503.916.5656.

8th-GRADERS – CLEVELAND FORECASTING STARTING NEXT WEEK

Soon you will begin choosing your classes for your freshman year of high school.  Can you believe it? So exciting!  Next week, counselor Katie Francis will be visiting 8^th-grade science classes to talk about forecasting and how to choose your classes.  We will be sending 8^th-graders and families more detailed information about Cleveland forecasting next week.

JOB OPENING - SCHOOL HEALTH ASSISTANT (VARIOUS SCHOOLS)

Multnomah Education Services District (MESD) is looking for School Health Assistants (SHA) to support various PPS schools. The SHA provides health care services to students including first aid, administering medications, and managing health-related emergencies. No medical experience is required. Training will be provided. SHAs work 6 or 7 hours each day (site dependent). If you have experience working or volunteering with children, or if you know of anyone who may be interested in becoming a PPS SHA, visit the MESD website for more information and to access the online SHA job posting and application.

SELLWOOD COMMUNITY HOUSE (NOT SPONSORED BY SELLWOOD MS)

Youth Theater Audition Notice: Monday, Jan. 9th, 4pm at Sellwood Community House.

Audition for a children's theater production of King Arthur's Quest, presented by Sellwood Community House and the Missoula Children's Theatre travelling company. FREE, no experience necessary and open to all Portland K-12th youth. This is a one-week production, with performances Saturday, Jan. 14th at 3 and 530pm. More details at sellwoodcommunityhouse.org or info@sellwoodcommunityhouse.org.

Youth Theater Audition Notice: Tuesday, Jan. 17th, 4pm at Sellwood Community House.

Audition for a children's theater production of King Arthur's Quest, presented by Sellwood Community House and the Missoula Children's Theatre travelling company. FREE, no experience necessary and open to all Portland K-12th youth. This is a one-week production with performances Saturday, Jan. 21st at 3 and 5:30pm. More details at sellwoodcommunityhouse.org or info@sellwoodcommunityhouse.org.

Rogue Pack Youth Theatre classes begin next week!

Acting for the Camera: Thursdays at Moreland Presbyterian Church, 1814 SE Bybee Blvd, 5-6:30pm. Register at sellwoodcommunityhouse.org

Taught by "Wild" and "Grimm" actor Randy Schulman, Acting for the Camera I will foster a nurturing, positive environment for beginners and those seeking to advance their skills in acting for TV and film. Both aspiring and seasoned actors are welcome, along with those who are interested in taking an acting class for the first time. There will be a showcase for friends and families on the final day.

Improvisational Comedy, Mondays, 5-6:30pm, Moreland Presbyterian Church, 1814 SE Bybee Blvd. Register at sellwoodcommunityhouse.org.

Learn to play together as a team, create comedy as a cast, and discover how much fun the theater can be! Through a series of short form improv games, we'll grow together and laugh together in the process. We will set the groundwork for healthy technique in all disciplines and work together to learn how to build a cohesive ensemble. Participants will perform their own Improv show at the culmination of the course!

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE AND HEALTH ASSISTANT

Free Community Vaccination Clinic

Flyer in English

Flyer in Spanish

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

"It's up to all of us — Black, white, everyone — no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out."     — Michelle Obama

Read: Sign up for CNN’s Race Deconstructed newsletter at https://www.cnn.com/specials/race-deconstructed  

I appreciate how this newsletter helps us gain insight into current events and American history through analyses and on the role that race plays in culture, politics and our communities.

Watch: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Danger of a Single Story TED Talk.   Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.  We really cannot understand our world without examining multiple perspectives/voices.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• January 16: No school - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• January 26 – End of 1^st semester
• January 27 – No school for students - Teacher planning day
• February 17 – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• February 20 – No school – President’s Day (potential snow day make-up day)
• March 16 – 5^th-grade Family Info Night 6-7:30 PM - in the gym
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – December 16, 2022

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Happy Holidays! Today is the last day of school before our two-week winter break.  Students and staff are very ready for some relaxation, fun, and definitely some extra sleep!

This week was also a difficult week, with the horrific shooting of a student right outside Cleveland High School.  Fortunately, the student who was shot will recover, but the damage inflicted by acts (and threats) of gun violence harm everyone.  Students and staff are traumatized, whether they are witness to the incident or have to hide in a dark, locked classroom, wondering whether they will be ok.  Persistent gun violence is a terrible reality in our country, and not just in schools.  I hope everyone impacted has a chance to heal and find some comfort over the next few weeks.

Enjoy the winter break and stay safe.

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

OREGON BATTLE OF THE BOOKS (OBOB)

Sellwood Middle School's Oregon Battle of the Books program is now accepting team registrations!  To register a team, complete this form  by January 16th.  Each team should be registered once by the coach; we do not need individual team members to register.  If your kiddo would like to participate but you do not yet have a full team for them, you can complete this form instead.  Email OBOBatSellwood@gmail.com if you're interested in being added to the mailing list or if you need more information.    Please tentatively hold 6pm on Friday, February 24th for the Sellwood Middle School OBOB competition which will be held at Sellwood Community House (a huge thank you to our SCH for their partnership and donation of space!).  

PEAK AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM WINTER REGISTRATION

Sellwood PEAK Winter Registration is Open!

The PEAK Program is a series of in-person after school classes open to all Sellwood students. Scholarships are available as the PEAK goal is to include every SMS student.

Register for classes at  https://tinyurl.com/sellwoodpeakprogram   

Scholarship request form is here: https://tinyurl.com/PEAKScholarship
Please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com with any questions.

Classes for registration now:

• Chess Club

We play chess after school on Mondays! We improve our chess skills by playing as much as possible, solving puzzles, and learning basic strategies. Our after-school program focuses on basics but we hope to develop a more competitive program. We meet on Mondays that school is in session. Note that this is a year-long club.

• Marimba

PEAK marimba is a once a week class (Thursdays from 4-5PM) that teaches students the basics of playing in a marimba ensemble. No experience is necessary. Instruments are provided. Students will learn to play music in a group setting.

• French 1a - Winter

This class is the second in a 3-part series in which students will build on skills learned in the fall.  They will compare life at an American school to student life in a Francophone country by learning to present information about their own life at school and investigating elements of school life and aspects of time in Francophone cultures. The class will be conducted 90% in French in order to promote language acquisition.

• Choir

This is a free, student led choir class provided by the Cleveland Choir Department, and the Cleveland Youth Choir (CYC) team. With the support of Allison Bassett, the Cleveland Choir director, Cleveland Choir students will lead a class filled with  fun singing activities, practicing musicality skills, and learning about other cultures and stories through song! It is not only an educational opportunity, but a performance opportunity.  Students who participate will have an opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Choir at one of our events.

• Speech and Debate

The Cleveland High Speech and Debate team is one the largest and most successful programs at the school.  Find out why these students love it so much, and build your own debate skills. You will practice speaking and debating skills in preparation for local middle school competitions  The Sellwood team will be coached by team captains from Cleveland.

• Coding for Kids - Python: Intro

Ready to learn one of the most widely used programming languages in the world? Then this is the class to sign up for! Python is a very versatile and easy-to-learn starter language that is widely used by software developers, scientists and data analysts, from medical research to applications at NASA. Through the games they create, students will learn and practice core coding concepts and learn Python-specific concepts and syntax. Projects range from trivia quizzes to competitive two-player games and everything in between.

• Stitch a Stuffie

In this class, students will learn the valuable life skill of hand sewing while they create an adorable Owl Stuffie.  Threading a needle, tying a knot, and a variety of stitches will be taught. This is a relaxing class where students work at their own pace and can make more than one owl. All supplies are provided.  Owl Stuffies measure approximately 10" high and are made from high-quality wool felt.

JOB OPENING - SCHOOL HEALTH ASSISTANT (VARIOUS SCHOOLS)

Multnomah Education Services District (MESD) is looking for School Health Assistants (SHA) to support various PPS schools. The SHA provides health care services to students including first aid, administering medications, and managing health-related emergencies. No medical experience is required. Training will be provided. SHAs work 6 or 7 hours each day (site dependent). If you have experience working or volunteering with children, or if you know of anyone who may be interested in becoming a PPS SHA, visit the MESD website for more information and to access the online SHA job posting and application.

WINTER BREAK RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

As Winter Break approaches, we are compiling resources for families who may need extra resources:

• Here is a condensed list of resources compiled by Funded Programs, including Mental Health Resources, Food Pantries/Banks, Housing/Shelters, and Clothing Resources.
• Included this folder are fliers with information about specific Food Box resource options available over Fall Break and Winter Break from Sunshine Division.
• The PPS McKinney Vento Resource Page has more resources for families.
• You can always reference ppsfamilysupports.com for additional resources.

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE AND HEALTH ASSISTANT

Free Community Vaccination Clinic

Flyer in English

Flyer in Spanish

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

"It's up to all of us — Black, white, everyone — no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out."     — Michelle Obama

Read: Sign up for CNN’s Race Deconstructed newsletter at https://www.cnn.com/specials/race-deconstructed  

I appreciate how this newsletter helps us gain insight into current events and American history through analyses and on the role that race plays in culture, politics and our communities.

Watch: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Danger of a Single Story TED Talk.   Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.  We really cannot understand our world without examining multiple perspectives/voices.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• December 19 – January 2: Winter Break
• January 16: No school - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• January 26 – End of 1^st semester
• January 27 – No school for students - Teacher planning day
• February 17 – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• February 20 – No school – President’s Day (potential snow day make-up day)
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – December 9, 2022

Greetings Sellwood Community,

The weather is turning colder, and we have seen our first snowflakes this year.  It’s hard to believe there is just one week until winter break!

The mornings have also been quite rainy, so please make sure your children are dressed for the weather in case they need to be outside in the Oregon elements for a few minutes.

Just a reminder, next Monday, we are holding our Winter Band Concert and our Art Show.  We hope to see you there!

Enjoy the weekend,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

ON TIME AND READY TO LEARN

When students are on time to class, it makes the class run smoother not only for them, but also their classmates and teacher. Otherwise, they are missing key instruction that sets up learning for the class period. Tardiness can impact their overall understanding of the content and ultimately, their grade. 

This year, our bell schedule features a five minute passing period.  Previous to the pandemic, our schedule allowed only four minutes to transition from one period to another.  We feel that five minutes is sufficient time to get to class without feeling frantic.

We have been examining our schoolwide data for student tardiness to class.  The good news: the large majority of Sellwood students have had zero unexcused class tardies for the entire school year so far!  Bravo Sellwood students ????

On the other hand, we do have a number of students who are frequently late for class.  I encourage you to review your child's attendance data in ParentVue to see if your child has been marked tardy-unexcused during the school day.  We know unintentional lateness is something that we have all experienced, however, there is not a reason for regular, frequent, unexcused tardiness.

As a staff, we have decided to increase our attention to on-time behavior and provide more frequent communication with parents about tardiness.  For students who are frequently tardy to class, we will be looking for interventions and support to help them get to class on time.  We look forward to partnering with parents in our efforts to get all students “on time and ready to learn”!

SELLWOOD PEAK WINTER REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

The PEAK Program is a series of in-person after school classes open to all Sellwood students. Scholarships are available as the PEAK goal is to include every SMS student.

Register for classes at  https://tinyurl.com/sellwoodpeakprogram   

Scholarship request form is here: https://tinyurl.com/PEAKScholarship
Please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com with any questions.

Classes for registration now:

Chess Club

We play chess after school on Mondays! We improve our chess skills by playing as much as possible, solving puzzles, and learning basic strategies. Our after-school program focuses on basics but we hope to develop a more competitive program. We meet on Mondays that school is in session. Note that this is a year-long club.

Marimba

PEAK marimba is a once a week class (Thursdays from 4-5PM) that teaches students the basics of playing in a marimba ensemble. No experience is necessary. Instruments are provided. Students will learn to play music in a group setting.

French 1a - Winter

This class is the second in a 3-part series in which students will build on skills learned in the fall.  They will compare life at an American school to student life in a Francophone country by learning to present information about their own life at school and investigating elements of school life and aspects of time in Francophone cultures. The class will be conducted 90% in French in order to promote language acquisition.

Choir

This is a free, student led choir class provided by the Cleveland Choir Department, and the Cleveland Youth Choir (CYC) team. With the support of Allison Bassett, the Cleveland Choir director, Cleveland Choir students will lead a class filled with  fun singing activities, practicing musicality skills, and learning about other cultures and stories through song! It is not only an educational opportunity, but a performance opportunity.  Students who participate will have an opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Choir at one of our events.

Speech and Debate

The Cleveland High Speech and Debate team is one the largest and most successful programs at the school.  Find out why these students love it so much, and build your own debate skills. You will practice speaking and debating skills in preparation for local middle school competitions. The Sellwood team will be coached by team captains from Cleveland.

Red Cross Babysitter Training - 12/19 & 12/21. Note we are planning additional training sessions throughout the year.

Two One-day training sessions: 12/19, 12/21, 9am-4:30pm 

Designed for young people to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and responsibly give care to infants and children in a residential setting. 

Participants receive a certificate of completion for Babysitter’s Training

Coding for Kids - Python: Intro

Ready to learn one of the most widely used programming languages in the world? Then this is the class to sign up for! Python is a very versatile and easy-to-learn starter language that is widely used by software developers, scientists and data analysts, from medical research to applications at NASA. Through the games they create, students will learn and practice core coding concepts and learn Python-specific concepts and syntax. Projects range from trivia quizzes to competitive two-player games and everything in between.

Stitch a Stuffie

In this class, students will learn the valuable life skill of hand sewing while they create an adorable Owl Stuffie.  Threading a needle, tying a knot, and a variety of stitches will be taught. This is a relaxing class where students work at their own pace and can make more than one owl. All supplies are provided.  Owl Stuffies measure approximately 10" high and are made from high-quality wool felt.

PTA NEWS 

Sellwood Dines Out; Wednesday 12/14 

The Portland Bottle Shop will be donating 10% of ALL sales next Wednesday.  Easy way to support the school!  Dinner? Holiday Gifts? Gift Cards? Hours are 11am-9pm.

Staff Room Snacks

Let's fill the staff break room with treats next Wednesday for the last week before the break.  Sign-ups are in Konstella.  Thanks so much!  The staff love it!

Winter PEAK Classes Sign Ups OPEN

Chess Club, French, Speech and Debate, Sewing, Choir, Coding for Kids, Marimba.  Scholarships available for all PEAK classes.

https://tinyurl.com/sellwoodpeakprogram 

Red Cross Babysitting Classes

New dates open 12/19; 12/21! More class dates will be coming in 2023!  

http://tinyurl.com/sellwoodpeakprogram 

WINTER ART SHOW - MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 6-7:30 PM, CAFETERIA

This year we will be showcasing artwork from 1st semester students before the band concert on December 12th. Come see what students have been creating in art class! All are welcome. 

JOB OPENING - SCHOOL HEALTH ASSISTANT (VARIOUS SCHOOLS)

Multnomah Education Services District (MESD) is looking for School Health Assistants (SHA) to support various PPS schools. The SHA provides health care services to students including first aid, administering medications, and managing health-related emergencies. No medical experience is required. Training will be provided. SHAs work 6 or 7 hours each day (site dependent). If you have experience working or volunteering with children, or if you know of anyone who may be interested in becoming a PPS SHA, visit the MESD website for more information and to access the online SHA job posting and application.

WINTER BREAK RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

As Winter Break approaches, we are compiling resources for families who may need extra resources:

• Here is a condensed list of resources compiled by Funded Programs, including Mental Health Resources, Food Pantries/Banks, Housing/Shelters, and Clothing Resources.
• Included this folder are fliers with information about specific Food Box resource options available over Fall Break and Winter Break from Sunshine Division.
• The PPS McKinney Vento Resource Page has more resources for families.
• You can always reference ppsfamilysupports.com for additional resources.

SELLWOOD COMMUNITY HOUSE (NOT A SELLWOOD MS EVENT)

Perform with a professional children's theater! Sellwood Community House hosts the Missoula Children's Theatre travelling company for two week-long productions of King Arthur's Quest and Aladdin this January! 

All Portland K-12 youth are invited to audition, rehearse and perform for free! Please fill out this interest form if your child is interested in auditioning. Please note: filling out this form does not ensure your child a role in the play, but will ensure you receive all relevant production communications.

Workshop Flyer

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE AND HEALTH ASSISTANT

Free Community Vaccination Clinic

Flyer in English

Flyer in Spanish

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

"It's up to all of us — Black, white, everyone — no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out."     — Michelle Obama

Read: Sign up for CNN’s Race Deconstructed newsletter at https://www.cnn.com/specials/race-deconstructed  

I appreciate how this newsletter helps us gain insight into current events and American history through analyses and on the role that race plays in culture, politics and our communities.

Watch: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Danger of a Single Story TED Talk.   Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.  We really cannot understand our world without examining multiple perspectives/voices.

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• December 12: Art Show 6:00 – 7:30PM
• December 12: Winter Band Concert 7:00 PM
• December 14: Sellwood Choir Concert – Cleveland HS Auditorium 7-8:30 PM
• December 19 – January 2: Winter Break
• January 16: No school - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• January 26 – End of 1^st semester
• January 27 – No school for students - Teacher planning day
• February 17 – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• February 20 – No school – President’s Day (potential snow day make-up day)
• March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
• April 7 – End of 3^rd Quarter
• April 10^th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
• May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
• May 29: No school – Memorial Day
• June 13 – Last day of school
• June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – November 10, 2022

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Tomorrow, schools will be closed to honor veterans on Veteran’s Day.  We thank our veterans for serving our country with courage and honor.  My father served in the US army during World War II and was decorated for saving fellow soldiers from drowning while crossing a river in Germany.  If you know someone who has served in one of the US branches, past or present, please take a moment to share a few words or thoughts of gratitude.

A shout out to our Sellwood athletes who played on our regional PIL youth football team! 

Congratulations to our Cleveland Warrior 7/8 Football team! These young Warriors faced heat, smoke and torrential rain to qualify for the TVYFL playoffs this past weekend. This group had the courage to come out, the willingness to learn and improve as well as the perseverance to work through challenges. We are proud of our athletes and look forward to seeing what they can accomplish next season.

Information for next season will come out in the spring and registration will open in May of 2023.

Enjoy the three-day weekend ????

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

SELLWOOD MIDDLE FOUNDATION UPDATE

Annual Giving Campaign- It’s not too late to give!!

The Annual Giving Campaign, the largest fundraiser of the year, is wrapping up and we want to close out strong!! This fundraising effort is crucial to provide programs and staffing at our school, and with the help of a generous donor, every donation made during this fundraising campaign will be matched 100%!

Our goal is to raise $50,000 in the next two weeks to pay for more teachers, more course variety and smaller class sizes, which means our efforts positively impact every student at our school.

We invite all families to donate at the level they are comfortable. No amount is too small, as together we can make a difference! Please use the provided QR code:

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES

It is time to sign up for Sellwood Parent/Teacher Conferences!  They are coming up soon, on November 21st and 22nd.

The general schedule for each day is:

8:30AM-12:30PM

1:00-5:00PM

6:00-7:30PM

Please use the master document linked below for sign-ups.  There are both written instructions and video instructions to help you sign-up quickly and easily.

IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE YOUR APP-BASED CALENDAR ON YOUR PHONE OR TABLET TO SIGN UP;  IT MUST BE A WEB-BASED CALENDAR.  USE A DESKTOP COMPUTER OR LAPTOP FOR BEST RESULTS.

Conference Sign-up Master Document

We hope to see you there :-)

PTA NEWS

PTA Meeting 11/16

Please join us next Wednesday for our last PTA meeting of 2022.  We will meet in the school library.  We will also be hybrid streaming the meeting on Zoom.  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6088364064  Please join us in person or virtual!

Sellwood Dines Out; Holler 11/15

Next Tuesday, 11/15, Holler will donate 10% of sales to SMS!  Great day to let Holler do the cooking!

Fruit Sale Success

Our fruit sale raised over $4500 for our middle school!  Thanks to all for your support!  Special thanks to Amy Columbo for organizing!

Wallace Books SMS Book Fundraiser; 12/2-12/4

December 2-4th Wallace Books will donate 15% of sales to SMS.   Please help us support this local business and our school!  Great time to pick up holiday gifts! 

INFORMATION ON PICTURE RETAKES

Wednesday, November 9th was our picture retake day. If you were wanting to purchase pictures you can do so by going online to Lifetouch's website. Easier online ordering on mylifetouch.com with your Student's School ID or Picture Day ID: EVTB96TR7

CLEVELAND OPEN HOUSE FOR 8TH-GRADERS, DECEMBER 8

Save the date, families of 8^th-graders.  Cleveland High School’s Open House “Bridging the Gap” event will be in-person the evening of Thursday. Dec. 8, 2022, beginning at 6:30pm.  Cleveland looks forward to greeting the members of our class of 2027 next fall!

See the linked FLYER for more information.

PIL CLEVELAND YOUTH WRESTLING

If your student would still like to do a winter sport we would like to invite you to consider joining our wrestling program.  We are a no cut sport and a sport for "Any Body".  It doesnt matter what size you are because you will practice and compete against other people around your size.  Our team is open to all genders and we have one of the biggest girls teams in the state.  You can learn more about our program by clicking on the following link.  Please email me if you have any questions.

Cleveland MS Wrestling Information

Aaron Roddis-Cleveland Wrestling

aroddis@pps.net

FENTANYL 101, SPONSORED BY TRAUMA INFORMED OREGON

See here for an interactive workshop on November 16^th that will cover: what fentanyl is, community strategies, and how to talk with children and youth.

Mary Stevens-Krogh, Coordinator of Substance Use Supports, mkrogh@pps.net

SUPPORT GUIDE FOR FAMILIES OF LGBTQ+ STUDENTS

Middle school is a time for exploration of gender and when our young people start to form the foundations of their independent identities. Our young people and families learn a lot during this time. Here is an interactive support guide for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ young people that may support you in this process.

FROM OUR TAG FACILITATOR

TAG Referral Forms available now

If your student already qualifies for TAG, you do not need to refer again. That TAG designation will stay with them throughout their time in PPS. If you wish to refer your student for TAG (in a new area or for the first time), please follow these directions: 

• Go to https://www.pps.net/sellwood 
• Use the Academics tab, then select Talented and Gifted
• Links to referral forms are at the bottom of the page by language
• The deadline for this form is November 29

If you have questions, please contact our TAG Facilitator, Lisa Souther (lsouther@pps.net).

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE AND HEALTH ASSISTANT

Free Community Vaccination Clinic

Flyer in English

Flyer in Spanish

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

The Importance of Talking About Race 

“Our humanity is worth a little discomfort, it's actually worth a lot of discomfort.”

― Ijeoma Oluo, So You Want to Talk About Race

• Watch:  Color Blind or Color Brave?: This TED talk features finance executive Mellody Hobson who explains talking about race is like a "conversational third rail." And that's exactly why we need to start talking about it. In this engaging, persuasive talk, Hobson makes the case that speaking openly about race — and particularly about diversity in hiring -- makes for a better society.
• Read: So You Want To Talk About Race?  Author Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from police brutality and cultural appropriation to the model minority myth in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race, and about how racism infects every aspect of American life.
  • Order from Powell’s Books:  https://www.powells.com/book/so-you-want-to-talk-about-race-9781580058827#:~:text=In%20So%20You%20Want%20to,almost%20every%20impact%20of%20america 

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for: