Hello Duniway Community! 

This is a special edition of the Duniway Newsletter highlighting events for the week.

• Dining for Duniway @ Holler - Tuesday, September 27th
• Back-To-School Night - Wednesday, September 28th
• Parent Office Hours with the TAG Department - Wednesday, September 28th

Dining for Duniway!

Tuesday, September 27, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Please help support our school on Tuesday, September 27th, by ordering take out or dining in at Holler (7119 SE Milwaukie Ave Portland, OR 97202) between 5-9 pm. Holler has generously offered to donate a portion of the sales back to Duniway! 

Duniway Back-to-School Night

Wednesday, September 28, 2022, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

We are looking forward to seeing our families for an in-person back-to-school night!

This event is designed for your student to lead you through their classroom and specials and describe what they are learning in school. A reminder that parents are to stay with and supervise their children at all times during the evening.

Enter the event from the entrances to the cafeteria

(The main entrance on SE Reed College Place will be locked.)

Schedule

6:00 - 7:15 Classroom Visits

Have your student take you on a tour of their homeroom class. Families are also invited to visit our specialists:

• Media with Ms. Boyd, Library
• Music with Ms. Adams, Room 12
• Physical Education with Mr. Donahoe,  North Gym
• Counseling with Ms. Jessy, Room 20
• Learning Center with Ms. Holly Ramstead, Room 21
• ESL/ELD with Ms. Betty, Room 27
• Speech with Ms. Rachel McMorris, Room 27B

6:15-6:30 Climate and Curriculum - Cafeteria

6:45-7:00 Climate and Curriculum - Cafeteria (Repeat)

Join Philip Rafferty, Principal, to learn about Duniway’s School Climate and Curriculum. 

7:00-7:15 TAG Presentation - Cafeteria

Join Sarah Erickson, Duniway TAG Coordinator, to learn more about the Talented & Gifted Program.

6:00-7:30 Duniway Foundation - Cafeteria

The Duniway Foundation will be selling Duniway beanies and answering any questions during Back To School Night from 6:00pm - 7:30pm. Beanies are $20, proceeds will go to The Duniway Foundation. Payments can be made by cash/check the night of. You can select your color and purchase online HERE, then pick up that evening. Supplies and colors are limited so order now! Please contact auction@duniwayfoundation.org if you have any questions!   

7:00-7:30 Duniway PTA - Cafeteria

The Duniway PTA will be on hand selling new Duniway gear for the kids from 7-7:30pm! 

Come by the Cafeteria and grab a t-shirt (and place an order for adult gear, too!)

Youth T-Shirts Available Sizes S-XL

Price: $12 Cash/Check/Venmo

Parent Office Hours with the TAG Department

Wednesday, September 28, 2022, 6:00-7:00 p.m. by Zoom

Ask questions and receive information related to TAG identification, services, processes, etc.

We will meet on Zoom, 6:00-7:00 PM on 9/28/22, 10/26/22, 11/30/22, 1/25/23, 2/22/23, 3/22/23, 4/26/23, and 5/31/23. Our first meeting will be Wednesday, September 28 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Zoom link for Parent Office Hours with the TAG Department. We look forward to seeing you!

• Calendar 
• Principal’s Message
• Back-To-School Night
• Parentvue and Yearly Verification
• Dining for Duniway
• Duniway Foundation

Calendar

• September 23: Schools Closed for Teacher Planning Day
• September 27: Dining for Duniway at Holler
• September 28: Duniway Back-to-School Night
• October 14: Schools Closed for Teacher Planning Day
• October 28: Picture Day
• November 4: Schools Closed for Teacher Planning Day
• November 11: Schools Closed for Holiday

Hello Duniway Community! 

The short week has flown by! Students are rocking and rolling this week, diving deep into the learning and immensely enjoying themselves. Kindergarteners are learning the routines of school, many having perfected “Wadaliacha” and learned about the Zones of Regulation. First graders are rocking the math games and diving into module 1 of Wit and Wisdom. Second and third graders are talking about mathematical thinking. I watched our amazing fourth graders dive into a discussion about “heart,” thinking about it both figuratively and literally. Last but not least, fifth graders read a meaty text this week about Lewis and Clark. As I walk around the building, I am so impressed with our students and fantastic staff; these are just a snippet of what happens daily.

Here are some updates from the principal's office: 

Back to School Night: We are thrilled to invite students and families next week to our yearly Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 28th, from 6:00-7:30 pm. Families are encouraged to bring their students to this event; you will find more information below.

Animals on Campus: Another friendly reminder that animals are not allowed on campus during school hours, including during drop off and pick up. Your critters are cute, but we can not have them here, nor can we have them interact with students for safety reasons. Thank you for helping to maintain a safe environment for our students. 

Best. 

Philip

Duniway Back to School Night

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

We are looking forward to seeing our families for an in-person back-to-school night!

Parentvue and Yearly Verification DEADLINE 10/28/2022

Parentvue is a secure website and mobile app which offers families access to school messages, attendance, class schedules, and much more. Each year parents/guardians are asked to review and update the information on file for their students. This is very important and all families need to complete this every year.This must be done by October 28, 2022 otherwise you will be locked out of ParentVue. When entering the ParentVue site you are to select “2022-2023 Yearly Verification” (Not “Online Registration New Students”) in the drop down menu. See screenshot below.

Dining for Duniway!

Please help support our school on Tuesday, September 27th by ordering take out or dining in at Holler (7119 SE Milwaukie Ave Portland, OR 97202) between 5-9 pm. Holler has generously offered to donate a portion of the sales back to Duniway! 

Duniway Foundation

The Duniway Foundation will be selling Duniway beanies and answering any questions during Back To School Night Wednesday, Sep 28 6:00pm - 7:30pm. Beanies are $20, proceeds will go to The Duniway Foundation. Payments can be made by cash/check the night of. You can select your color and purchase online HERE, then pick up that evening. Supplies and colors are limited so order now! 

Duniway Auction Kick off Party - Maeve 10/6 at 7pm

Looking for a way to get involved at Duniway? Join us Thursday, October 6th at 7pm to find out about opportunities to help with this year’s fundraising auction. This is Duniway’s biggest fundraiser and there are plenty of ways to help out, both big and small. Stop by for a glass of wine and see what it’s all about and get a sneak peek at this year's super fun theme. See you there!

When: Wednesday October 6, 7-8:30 pm

Where: Maeve 6664 SE Milwaukie Ave, Portland, OR 97202

Hosted by: Andrea Angell and Alisa Hardy

RSVP: http://evite.me/TyTJC3QSXC

Please contact auction@duniwayfoundation.org if you have any questions!   

• Calendar
• Principal’s Message
• Student Supplies
• Parentvue and Yearly Verification
• Lunch and Breakfast
• Bus Survey
• OHSU COVID Screening Program
• Dining for Duniway
• Bottle Drop - PTA Fundraiser

Calendar

• September 23: Schools Closed for Teacher Planning Day
• September 28: Duniway Back-to-School Night
• October 14: Schools Closed for Teacher Planning Day
• October 27: Dining for Duniway at Holler
• October 28: Picture Day
• November 4: Schools Closed for Teacher Planning Day
• November 11: Schools Closed for Holiday

Hello Duniway Community! 

Another week in the books! Week three of the 2022-23 school year saw cooler temperatures and a deeper dive at Duniway into our super cool new Wit and Wisdom curriculum. Teachers are doing a fantastic job of engaging with this remarkable material; seeing students analyze great artists, look at texts together, and engage in Socratic discussions was beautiful. I also participated in our PTA meeting this week and met with our Foundation president, treasurer, and board member in preparation for next week's Foundation meeting. The commitment and support of these two groups are incredible, and I am so grateful for all of the community support at Duniway. Lastly, this week marked our first week of having parent volunteers in the cafeteria at Duniway for the school year. Thank you to everyone who volunteered. Have a great weekend, Duniway community. 

Here are some updates from the principal's office: 

Duniway Elementary is now on Instagram! Follow our school account @duniwayelementary

STOPPS Bus Safety/Bus Update: We had STOPPS bus safety training this week. The students learned how to leave the bus in case of emergency. We also sent out a Bus Survey. If your student takes the bus, complete the survey if you haven't so that we can ensure all students have tags reflecting the right stops. 

Duniway Foundation: The Duniway Foundation is an integral aspect of what makes Duniway such a high-quality educational environment and experience for our students. Did you know that Foundation contributions this year support the staffing of one classroom teacher, six educational assistants, and part of a student-facing support position? Our educational assistants are here for a combined 4800 hours this year! These fabulous folks help in and out of the classroom, including facilitating small group sessions and reviewing student assignments at every grade level to ensure that all students get a robust education and that each student has what they need. So, as we approach our Annual Campaign, please consider donating to our annual giving. If you want to learn more, please visit the Duniway Foundation webpage.

PTA/Volunteer Changes on Konstella: Thank you so much for all the support this week in the cafeteria. We will change next week's positions and move from four positions down to two for each shift. While it was fantastic to have a sea of grownups, we only need a server and student support position next week. Please see Konstella for the update and the volunteer slots. 

Back-to-School Night: Mark your calendar. Back to school is now on Wednesday, September 28th, 2022, from 6:00-7:30 pm at Duniway. Please bring your student with you as the night will be an opportunity for them to share their classroom with you and the school. At 7:00 pm, we will have folks migrate towards the cafeteria, where the PTA and Foundation will have tables providing information. 

Before/After School Student Drop-off/Pick-up: A few reminders regarding pick up and drop off. 

• Students are not allowed into the building before 8:45 am and as a result shouldn’t be dropped off much before that time. 

• There is no supervision outside during the time before the bell. Students arriving more than a few minutes late should check in with the main office. 

• Our school day ends at 3:00 pm. Please be prompt to pick up students at this time. 

• Dogs/animals are not permitted on school grounds during school hours, and this includes drop off and pick up. We love your little critters as much as you do but please keep them at home to keep everyone safe and our grounds clean of dog debris. 

Best. 

Philip 

Student Supplies

As with last year, there is no set supply list for the 2022-23 school year. Families can make an optional donation of $45.00 per student. Staff will use these funds to purchase all needed materials. Thank you to the more than 200 families that have already made a donation! If you haven’t already done so, you may pay using several different methods:

1. Konstella (preferred method)

2. School Pay

3. Check or cash

Put payment in an envelope labeled with your child's full name and teacher. Checks can be written to "Duniway”.

Parentvue and Yearly Verification DEADLINE 10/28/2022

Parentvue is a secure website and mobile app which offers families access to school messages, attendance, class schedules, and much more. Each year parents/guardians are asked to review and update the information on file for their students. This is very important and all families need to complete this every year. This must be done by October 28, 2022 otherwise you will be locked out of ParentVue.

When entering the ParentVue site you are to select “2022-2023 Yearly Verification” (Not “Online Registration New Students”) in the drop down menu. 

See screenshot below.

Lunch and Breakfast

• Last year, school meals were provided free of charge to all students. Unfortunately, this program has not been extended for the 2022-2023 school year. 
• For information about purchasing school meals, visit the district website. 
• For information about free and reduced meals, visit the district website to apply online.
• Cash or check can be given to Jennifer George, our Nutrition Specialist, in the Duniway cafeteria between 8:30-9:00am. 

Bus Survey

We are trying to ensure that we have the correct information regarding students who ride the bus and their correct routes to and from school.  

If your student rides the bus to and/or from Duniway, please fill out the following Parent Survey.

Thank you for your feedback!

Update on OHSU COVID Screening Program

PPS is partnering with OHSU again this year to offer free weekly COVID-19 testing for students. Participation in this program is completely optional, but encouraged, and is offered regardless of vaccination status. Participating students will drop off spit samples in pre-labeled tubes at Duniway on Wednesdays each week, starting Wednesday, September 28th. 

What’s new?

• Registration: Parents/Guardians can start enrolling their students through OHSU’s NEW Online Portal. If you are unable to enroll for any reason, please call OHSU support at (503) 418-8500.​
• Test Tubes: New, pre-labeled test tubes with a scannable barcode will be mailed directly to your mailing address and should arrive within a week of enrollment. Test kits from last year cannot be used, so please throw them away.
• Test Results: When the test results are available, you will receive an email telling you to log into the online portal www.labfinder.com/ohsu to view the results.

For more information about OHSU's K-12 Screening Program, visit their website at http://www.ohsu.edu/k12testing or contact the OHSU support team at k12covidtesting@ohsu.edu​ or (503) 418-8500​.

Dining for Duniway

We are bringing back Dining for Duniway this school year! This is a program in which we partner with a local restaurant around our neighborhood each month.  Families are encouraged to order take-out or dine in at a certain restaurant on a designated day and the restaurant generously donates a portion of the sales back to Duniway! We have partnered with Holler at 7119 SE Milwaukie Ave for Tuesday September 27th between 5-9 pm. Please consider ordering Holler and help us support Duniway.

Bottle Drop - PTA Fundraiser

Collect cans and bottles with a redemption value and earn money for Duniway. For information, click this link.

Calendar 

• September 13: Duniway PTA Meeting
• September 23: Schools Closed for Teacher Planning Day
• September 28: Duniway Back-to-School Night
• October 14: Schools Closed for Teacher Planning Day
• October 28: Picture Day

Hello Duniway Community! 

What a terrific second week of school at Duniway! Our kindergarten rocked it with four whole days of their entire class. I watched various Wit and Wisdom literary lessons where students drew evidence from the text and discussed “essential questions” and “inferences.” Our first fire drill of the year was a total success; students exited the building quietly and lined up facing away from the building in two minutes and forty-one seconds. Our week ended with a fantastic Field Day; thank you, community, for all of your support, and thank you, Mr. Donahoe, for pulling the event together and for fun!  Thank you, 4th and 5th graders, for participating with me in the whipped cream spray-bottle challenge; I was so impressed with how thorough a job the students did with spraying all of the whipped cream off my face! Well done. Field Day is such an awesome fall event here, and we were excited to see our families and community members supporting and engaging as a community. Thank you for making Duninway a special place!

Here are some updates from the principal’s office: 

Duniway Elementary is now on Instagram!

Follow our school account @duniwayelementary

Volunteer Opportunities on Konstella

The PTA is working hard, and we are grateful for them. They are posting volunteer opportunities on Konstella. We need volunteers to support lunch/recess and will have opportunities to help in the library, our Lunch Buddy program, and other fun/awesome things. So please grab a spot; we’d love to see you at Duniway.  

Volunteer Background Checks

To volunteer at Duniway, please go through the PPS background check process. Visit pps.net/volunteer to begin the process. It is not lengthy, and the background check lasts for three years! We cannot welcome a volunteer who is not background checked. Thank you for working with us to ensure safety on campus. 

Lunch Update

A friendly reminder that students no longer receive free lunch. Please ensure funds are added to your student’s account on School Cafe. Students are responsible for their lunch cards, and no student will be denied access to food, but they will incur a fee each time they take lunch, even if no funds are available. Students receiving free and reduced lunch have a 30-day grace period if they have received free-and-reduced lunch in the last three years. If you believe you qualify for free and reduced lunch and your student doesn’t currently receive them, please begin the process today here.

Back-to-School Night

We are thrilled to welcome students and families to our back-to-school night on Wednesday, September 28th, from 6:00-7:30 pm. Students are welcome and encouraged to attend with families. Our event is casual in that families will be able to pop into classrooms and connect with the learning space and teachers throughout the time. In addition, Principal Rafferty will be in the library and share information about our district instructional framework and our new curriculum adoptions and answer any schoolwide questions just to connect.

PTA Meeting

This Tuesday, September 13th, 7:00-8:00 pm, we will host an in-person PTA meeting in the library at Duniway; Principal Rafferty will be in attendance. The meeting will be live-streamed on Youtube, and the link will be posted on Konstella. 

New Student Lemonade

Ms. Jessy and Ms. Rachel C. will host a new student lemonade next week during school hours for 1st grade and a second session for students in 2-5th grade. We are excited to offer this opportunity for new students to Duniway to connect and be with our amazing counselors.

Parentvue and Yearly Verification

Parentvue is a secure website and mobile app which offers families access to school messages, attendance, class schedules, and much more. Each year parents/guardians are asked to review and update the information on file for their students. This is very important and all families need to complete this every year. When entering the ParentVue site you are to select “2022-2023 Yearly Verification” (Not “Online Registration New Students”) in the drop down menu. See screenshot below.

Thank you for all you do, Duniway community. Please reach out if you have any questions or need to connect. 

• Calendar 
• Principal’s Message
• Duniway PTA
• Duniway Foundation
• Duniway Field Day
• Onsite Rapid Covid Testing

Calendar

• September 5: Schools Closed for Labor Day Holiday
• September 6: First Day of School for Kindergarten Students
• September 9: Duniway Field Day
• September 13: Duniway PTA Meeting
• September 23: Schools Closed for Teacher Planning Day
• September 29: Duniway Back-to-School Night
• October 14: Schools Closed for Teacher Planning Day
• October 28: Picture Day

Principal’s Message

What a wonderful week we've had at Duniway! Thank you, parents and students, for such a warm welcome. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this community. I've met many of you outside, in the morning or after school, always with a big smile and a kind word; thank you. I look forward to connecting with those I've not yet had the pleasure to meet. 

This week marks the first week back after two and a half years of strange school starts and complicated but necessary distancing procedures. It felt terrific to be back in school with community building and teaching and learning at the forefront. I've been in every classroom, many more than once, talking with students and getting to know them this week. Students have shared about summer adventures, near and far; in Ms. Morioka's class, students shared a few of their favorite things. In Mrs. Vogel's class, students talked about and listened to each other's favorite songs, to name a few of the fantastic things happening in classrooms. Throughout our building, there were tremendous opportunities for students to build community, smile, and get excited about the 2022-23 school year. The school is a buzz, and it is joy-filled. 

Here are some updates from the principal's office for the week ahead: 

Field Day: We are excited to host a September Field Day next Friday, September 9th. K-2 will engage in the fun from 10:00 - 11:00 am and 3-5th will have a blast from 1:30 - 2:30 pm. Thank you, Mr. Donahoe, for throwing this event.  

Site Council: We are excited to begin to form our Duniway Site Council. A Site Council is a group of administrators, teachers, and parents identifying ways to support the school community. By providing leadership, direction, and support, we define school priorities and implement ways to improve them. We are hopeful of getting a few parents to be on this team. We will meet four times a year. Please email me at prafferty@pps.net if you are interested and include: your student's grade, a brief statement of interest, and share a detail or two about your interest in our Duniway Community and your ideas for improving our school.

Fall Events/Back to School Night: We are so excited to fall into fall with in-person Back to School Night. Join us on September 29th from 6:00 to 7:30 pm to meet your student’s teachers, tour the school, and connect as a community. Please see the calendar above and visit Konstella for more information about other events on the horizon. 

Lunch Update: Oregon guidance says students must eat in a "congregate" setting for us to receive meal services; we need to have students eat in a single location (this was temporarily suspended during Covid). What this means is that we will have students eat inside this fall. Our cafeteria is extremely airy with all the windows open, and there is plenty of room for students to spread out. If you have health-related concerns, please message me directly, and we can work on a plan for your student. 

We are excited to create a leadership opportunity for our 3-5th grade students. Starting next week, students will have the chance to volunteer to serve lunch to their peers (for the first 5-10 minutes of their lunch). We are excited to make this the first of many leadership opportunities for students at Duniway. 

Overall, the week has been incredible. We have the best staff in PPS, possibly the world, and as I get to know these students, I don't think it is premature to say that we have the best students and community. I am so excited for our kindergarteners to start on Tuesday! They are such a great group of kiddos. Have a great three-day weekend and please reach out if you need anything. 

Best,

Philip

Duniway PTA and Duniway Foundation

Please click on the link for information about our Duniway PTA and Duniway Foundation. 

Duniway PTA

This year the PTA is very excited to be bringing back a number of fundraisers, activities and community building events that had been put on hold during the pandemic. In order to make these happen the PTA board is asking for parent volunteers to join the planning committees. Yesterday, committees were added to Konstella. Please check current openings and join a committee if you are able. 

Have you or your neighbor/family/friends ever considered having their home on the Duniway Holiday Home Tour? 2022 marks the 44th year of the home tour and the PTA is actively looking for Eastmoreland homes to feature. If you know of someone who would be interested please reach out to PTA President Melissa Ewbank for details ewbankmelissa@gmail.com.

Duniway Foundation

Thank you to the entire Duniway community for your incredible support of the Duniway Foundation last year. Because of your generosity, the Foundation will disperse more than $330,000 for teaching positions and educational assistant/student support positions for the 2022-2023 school year. Your donations also contribute to The Fund for Portland Public Schools, which benefits underserved students across the district. Thank you again for your generous support!

It's time for the annual election of the Foundation Board of Directors. We also invite you to complete a brief survey about our fundraising activities and the use of funds. We look forward to your comments.

Please click this link to vote to approve the board and participate in the short survey:

Votes will be tallied through Friday, September 9. Please contact Erin Gates at president@duniwayfoundation.org with any questions.

You can also copy and paste the link instead: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0FmSf3G6MK4owCn7lBsJ_aQ0YdS1hpzoqRA7mHxFr6xFV3g/viewform?usp=sf_link

Thank you!

The Duniway Foundation Board of Directors

Duniway Field Day

Field Day is an hour-long event each for K-2 and 3-5 grades. Students will take part in multiple activities on the field and playground, with everything from classic gunny sack races and tug o' war, to cornhole and challenges involving water.  Students can go to any activity they want at any time, but are asked to participate in every activity at least once. Please visit Konstella to review opportunities for volunteering at the event.

Friday, September 9th

K-2   10:00 - 11:00

3-5   1:30 - 2:30

Onsite Covid Rapid Testing

Welcome back to Duniway! We hope you had a great summer. 

Duniway's health room will continue to offer Binex rapid Covid testing to students this year. Please fill out and return a new permission slip if you wish your student to participate. Please be aware this is a separate program from the OHSU PCR spit test, and a separate permission form is required.

English https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/le3560e.pdf

Spanish https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/ls3560B.pdf

• Principal’s Message 
• Cafeteria Update
• Community Care Day
• Coffee with the Principal
  
• First Day of School
• Arrival and Dismissal
• Reporting Absences, Late Arrivals, and Early Pickups
• School Bus
• Student and Family Support

Principal’s Message

We have had an exciting and eventful week at Duniway. Our fantastic teaching staff started this week preparing classrooms, engaging in collective learning, and working together to prepare to meet students. I had the pleasure of sitting with each of our teachers to have a one-to-one conversation about Duniway and how I can best serve as the principal. Every single teacher, without exception, said the biggest strength of Duniway was our community and our students. I feel so privileged after this last month to work with you and this incredible teaching staff as we prepare for what I know will be a remarkable and joy-filled year. Below, in this message, you will find some specific updates from the principal's office, and below that, you will find all of the important information for the week. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me; I am eager to connect with you and meet your student. Please forgive me if I am not quick to respond in these first few weeks of school; I usually am.

Cafeteria Update

Students will eat in the cafeteria by individual grade level this year, with second and third sharing a lunch period. We will have the option for students to sit outside this fall on the blacktop area outside, if they choose, on mats. We want to ensure that students have the opportunity to distance themselves and eat outside for those who choose to do so. Students in grades 2-5 will also have a choice of seating during lunch, allowing them to sit next to friends who might not be in their class. We are excited to create this opportunity, as we move away from more strict Covid protocols, for students to socialize. 

Community Care Day

I am excited for us to come together tomorrow to work on beautifying our school grounds. We will meet tomorrow from 9 am-12 pm to work on spreading bark mulch and getting this beautiful school ready to open its doors on Tuesday. 

Coffee with the Principal

First through fifth-grade families, please join me right after drop-off on Tuesday, August 30th, from 9:00-9:15 am for coffee and socializing. I look forward to meeting folks and hearing about what excites you in the 2022-23 school year. Kindergarten families, we will have an opportunity to meet for a "Boo-hoo" coffee with the principal and wipe tears together on September 6th at 9:00 am in the cafeteria. Please enter through the cafeteria doors rather than inside the school for both events. 

Thank you to all the folks who reached out to me this week and our amazing staff. Duniway is a magical place, and we can't wait to see your kiddos next week. 

In partnership, 

Philip Rafferty, Duniway Principal, prafferty@pps.net 

First Day of School

We are looking forward to welcoming students in grades 1-5 on Tuesday, August 30th.

• The school day begins at 8:45 a.m. 
• The school day ends at 3:00 p.m. 
  • 8:30 a.m. Students who opt for breakfast at school enter through the cafeteria
  • 8:45 a.m. Teachers greet students at designated entrances
  • 8:50 a.m. Students arriving late enter through the main entrance on SE Reed College Place and sign in with staff in the main office
  • 10:45 to 11:25 Recess and lunch for kindergarten
  • 11:05 to 11:45 Recess and lunch for grade 1
  • 11:25 to 12:15 Recess and lunch for grades 2-3
  • 12:15 to 12:55 Recess and lunch for grade 5
  • 11:55 to 12:35 Recess and lunch for grade 4
• 3:00 p.m. Student Dismissal

Arrival and Dismissal

Review the school map to find the location of the arrival and dismissal entrance for your student’s teacher. This is where you will drop off your child in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. If your child arrives after the tardy bell rings, proceed to the main entrance on SE Reed College place, ring the doorbell, and we will get the student signed in and direct them to their class.

Reporting Absences, Late Arrivals 

There are several options for reporting your student’s absences and late arrivals:

• Email DuniwayAttend@pps.net. Leave your student’s first and last names, grade level, name of their teacher, and the date and reason for the absence or late arrival. All of this information, especially the reason, is required for us to accurately document your child’s attendance and enter an absence as “excused”. 

• Phone the Childwatch line at 503-916-3625. Leave your student’s first and last names, grade level, name of their teacher, and the date and reason for the absence or late arrival. All of this information, especially the reason,  is required for us to accurately document your child’s attendance and enter an absence as “excused.” This is a designated phone line you can call at any time of day or night! 

• ParentVue - new this year! Using your device, you can now report your student’s absence through your ParentVue account. Directions are outlined on this document.

Early Pickups

If you will need to pick up your child before the end of the day, please email their teacher and DuniwayAttend@pps.net beforehand. Ring the buzzer by the main entrance and we will phone the classroom for your child to come to the main office.

School Bus

Duniway will be serviced by two bus routes - 288DUN and 289DUN. Please note that these bus route numbers are different from last year’s number. Pickup and drop off times may have also changed. Visit the PPS website for all updates: https://www.pps.net/bus. Your child’s teacher will be giving out bus tags on the first day of school. Please fasten these to your student’s backpack.

Counselors Corner

Hello! My name is Rachel Connors and I am Duniway’s new part-time School Counselor on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I am looking forward to working alongside Jessy Gretzinger to support our students. Some of you may recognize me from DAS, where I spent the past 4 years as a teacher in the Pre-K and before & after care program. I completed my undergrad at the University of Connecticut and am currently finishing my masters degree in Counselor Education at Portland State University. I’m so excited to continue to be a part of the Duniway Community! Please visit the counseling team’s website to learn more! 

From the counseling team: Beginning of the School Year Transition

Student and Family Support 

Duniway is looking at ways to best support our students and families. Please click the link below and answer the questions to the best of your ability. You will have an opportunity to provide your contact information for us to contact you directly. If you need assistance filling out the questionnaire or have any further questions please email Jessy Gretzinger at jgretzinger@pps.net or Rachel Connors at rconnors@pps.net. 

Click here: Student and Family Support Survey

Welcome Duniway Families!

• Principal’s Message
• First Day of School
• Class Placement
• Daily Schedule
• Lunch and Breakfast
• School Supplies
• Parentvue and Yearly Verification
• Communication
• Daily Illness Self-Screening Checklist and COVID Safety Procedures
• Calendar
• Volunteers

Hello Duniway Students and Families, 

Welcome to the 2022-23 school year. My name is Philip Rafferty, and I am thrilled to join Duniway as your new principal. I come to Duniway from Arleta School, where I served as interim principal last year and have been a proud PPS employee since 2014 and educator since 2007. In my time so far, I have learned that the Duniway school community is an incredible one filled with students eager and motivated to learn, dedicated teachers who go the extra mile for all their students, and talented office and support staff. I have also had the pleasure of meeting and starting to work with passionate community members that take pride in and care for this special school. I look forward to learning more from you about your students, Duniway, and how I can best serve our school. 

The 2022-23 school year is an exciting turning point for us in PPS and students across the country. After two and a half years of navigating the pandemic and heaps of uncertainty, times filled with interruptions to learning and life, a sense of hope is on the horizon. While Covid is still present and something we will be mindful of, our central collective charge in PPS is now on our new Instructional Framework and the implementation of high-quality instructional materials. We are grateful for the support of the 2020 Portland Public School (PPS) Bond that makes this a reality. We are excited to share more as the year begins about your students' incredible new learning opportunities. 

The last few weeks have been busy for us here in the office at Duniway. We are excited to share that we have brought two new teachers onto the team who have a long-standing relationship with Duniway. Sarah Lewis will join us as a full-time staff member teaching kindergarten as Francis Clawson moves on to teach in Alaska. Sarah has been an education assistant at Duniway for the last four years, taught before that in England and Ethiopia, and is a Duniway parent. In addition, Jennifer Bamer joins our team as Lindsay Iverson moves on. Jen will be a permanent half-time 1st-grade teacher in a job-share with Sarah Erikson after serving last year as a temporary kindergarten teacher and before that as an educational assistant at Duniway. She brings a wealth of experience, and like Sarah, is also a Duniway parent. We are so lucky to have them both on the team! 

Below you will find the answers to many of your questions regarding the first day of school, class placement, our schedule, etc. We have Melinda Leong and Stephanie O'Malley to thank for their hard work on the information below. 

Lastly, I want to extend an invitation to you to connect with me. As a leader, I believe everyone has value and that every student deserves an excellent equity-based education. I facilitate this by modeling excellent communication, listening, and being highly approachable and credible. So, don't hesitate to call, email, or chat me up. I am excited to get to know you and hear about your students and your hopes for the years ahead at Duniway. 

On behalf of the entire Duniway staff, I want to again welcome you to an exciting year of in-person learning for 2022-23. The first day of school is always very special and I am excited to meet all students.

In partnership, 

Philip Rafferty, Principal

First Day of School

Grades 1-5:  Tuesday, August 30th

Kindergarten: Tuesday, September 6th

• Prior to the first day of school, kindergarten students will have a chance to come in for one full-day “warm up” on either Thursday, September 1 or Friday, September 2.
  • September 1: Students with the last names A-L will attend 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • September 2: Students with the last names M-Z will attend 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Reminder to Kindergarten Families: Please complete this questionnaire by August 20th.

Class Placement

Classroom placement will be communicated the week of August 22nd. If you are finding information in the system, please keep in mind that we are in the process of finalizing classrooms and there might be some changes. 

Placing students in classrooms is a complex and involved process. Teachers work hard in the spring to create cohorts and we consider a wide variety of factors when placing students. Please remember, specific teacher requests are never considered and except in extraordinary cases, there are no changes to class placements. The most important goal is to create classrooms that are a balance of academic, social, and behavioral characteristics of each student. We recognize that this process is not perfect and that some families might have envisioned being in one classroom and have been assigned a different one. Thank you for your understanding.

Daily Schedule

• The school day begins at 8:45 a.m. 
• The school day ends at 3:00 p.m. 
  • 8:30 a.m. Students who opt for breakfast at school enter through the cafeteria
  • 8:45 a.m. Teachers greet students at designated entrances
  • 8:50 a.m. Students arriving late enter through the main entrance on SE Reed College Place and sign in with staff in the main office
  • 10:45 to 11:25 Recess and lunch for kindergarten
  • 11:05 to 11:45 Recess and lunch for grade 1
  • 11:25 to 12:15 Recess and lunch for grades 2-3
  • 12:15 to 12:55 Recess and lunch for grade 5
  • 11:55 to 12:35 Recess and lunch for grade 4
  • 3:00 p.m. Student Dismissal

Lunch and Breakfast

• Last year, school meals were provided free of charge to all students. Unfortunately, this program has not been extended for the 2022-2023 school year. 
• For information about purchasing school meals, visit the district website. 
• For information about free and reduced meals, visit the district website to apply online.

School Supplies

• At Duniway, there is no set supply list for the 2022-23 school year. Instead, we ask families for a voluntary donation of $45.00 per student. Staff will use these funds to purchase all needed materials. Payment can be made online through Konstella: Link to Pay School Supply Fee
• If you haven't done so already, please join our community on Konstella. Konstella is a platform provided to us by the PTA to help connect parents, volunteer for school activities and keep up to date on community events and activities. Link to Join Konstella

Parentvue and Yearly Verification

Each year parents/guardians are asked to review and update the information on file for their students. This is very important and all families need to complete this every year. This information can be reviewed, edited and submitted online via PPS ParentVUE. When entering the ParentVue site you are to select 2022-2023 Yearly Verification.  Please DO NOT select new registration.  If you have any questions please contact Stephanie O’Malley at stomalley@pps.net.

Communication

Regular communication with our Duniway families will be electronic as we prioritize reducing the amount of paper we use at school. Families can expect to receive a weekly newsletter by email during the school year. Important information will also be posted on our website. This year, staff will also utilize the Remind app to send individual, class and school-wide messages to families. Please make sure you are signed up with Remind. You can visit this webpage for more information.  

Daily Illness Self-Screening Checklist and COVID Safety Procedures

• Portland Public School and the Oregon Health Authority align in their Communicable Disease Guidance for Schools. 
• To ensure the health of our school community, families and staff are asked to use the Self Screening Tool every day to screen for common symptoms of illness that may require you to stay home to get better. If a student has any of the symptoms listed on the self-screening checklist and is required to stay home, please report their absence and symptoms to the school by emailing DuniwayAttend@pps.net.
• School administrators are required to exclude staff and students from school if they are in the communicable stages of a school-restrictable disease (OAR 333-019-0010).
• Masking is by individual choice, though PPS continues to support it as an important prevention behavior.

Calendar

• Project Community Care, Saturday, August 27, 9am-12pm at Duniway

PPS will deliver bark chips and mulch to be spread around the building and playground. The PTA is asking for volunteers to help us beautify the school ahead of the new school year. Volunteer sign up will be posted on Konstella in August. More info here ---> https://www.pps.net/communitycare

• For up to date information on Duniway events and important dates, please visit the school and district websites.

Volunteers

We very much appreciate our Duniway volunteers! In order to volunteer at Duniway, you MUST have a CURRENT volunteer application and background check on file with PPS. Here is the link To Become a Volunteer.

If you are unsure of your volunteer status, please go to this link.  Click on the ORANGE Volunteer Online Application and Background Check bar listed in Step 3.  The personal information will take less than 1 minute to fill out. IF you are already active in the system, you will receive an immediate note letting you know that you are cleared to volunteer. If you are NOT currently active, it will direct you to continue the application process. This process of getting approved can take UP TO 4 WEEKS.  It is highly recommended that you get started ASAP if you would like to volunteer this school year.