PPS Head Start is now accepting applications for children who will be 3 or 4 by September 1, 2021!

Head Start is a free preschool program that promotes the school readiness of children ages 3 to 5 from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Click here to enroll online.

State Program Offers Families Help to Pay for Food

It is Head Start’s goal to ensure a safe, positive learning environment for all children. Positive classroom climate contributes to positive behavior.  Head Start’s discipline philosophy approach consists of five basic components:

• High expectations for student behavior that are age appropriate;

• Supportive, secure relationships with adults;

• Clear, understandable, and predictable routines;

• Instruction focused on developing skills for self-regulation  and dealing with intense feelings; and

• Consistent response to student behavior.

In support of this philosophy and to ensure a safe and positive classroom environment, teachers will design and implement Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS), Tier 1 strategies that set clear limits, model appropriate behavior, redirect inappropriate behavior, and work with families to solve unique problems.

All discipline procedures will adhere to Head Start guidelines and Portland Public Schools policies. Teachers will teach expectations and routines that support students in ways to Be Safe, Be Friendly, and Be Ready to Learn. These expectations and routines will be retaught throughout the year.

Parents will be informed of classroom expectations and routines. They will be engaged as partners in developing additional supports as needed.

Note: The following was presented May 11 by the Community Budget Review Committee. We are thankful for the hard work and commitment shared by these volunteers.

Background and Purpose of the Community Budget Review Committee (CBRC)

The Community Budget Review Committee (CBRC) reviews, evaluates and makes recommendations to the Portland Public School Board of Education (Board) regarding the Superintendent's Proposed Budget and any other budgetary issues the CBRC or the Board identify. The CBRC also monitors and advises the Board on the allocation and expenditure of Local Option Levy funds, which will be completed under separate cover.

Dear PPS Community,

Portland Public Schools is in the process of developing and finalizing our 2021-22 budget for approval by the Board of Education, and we want to hear from you. Please join us for the 2021-22 Budget Focus Groups. Both opportunities are available to PPS students. 

Dear PPS High School Families,

This is a reminder that COVID-19 vaccinations are available again this Wednesday, May 12 at the Oregon Convention Center for students 16 and older and their family members. 

Dear Colleagues, 

As Teacher and School Administrator Appreciation Week comes to a close here at Portland Public Schools, I want to share an additional personal note of gratitude to all our hard-working and dedicated professional educators and school leaders. While your commitment to our students is always evident, this past year with all of its challenges was truly unlike any other in our careers. The impact of this pandemic, economic crisis, and racial uprising, has required incredible flexibility, adaptation, and perseverance on your part.