TUBMAN TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT Please join us for Back to School Night on Thursday, September 15, 5:30p - 7p. The event will provide you with an opportunity to learn about things happening at Harriet Tubman Middle School. The night will begin with an all-school presentation beginning promptly at 5:30pm in the cafetorium. At 6pm, families will attend grade level presentations in the library (6th grade), gym (7th grade) and cafetorium (8th gr). The event will conclude with families having the opportunity to meet our community partners, vote for site council community representatives, provide feedback and collaborate on technology in the classrooms, and meet staff and teachers. A light meal will be provided. We look forward to seeing you Thursday!

SITE COUNCIL* - REQUEST FOR NOMINATIONS HTMS is seeking parent, student, and staff representatives for the 2022-2023 Site Council. This is a once-monthly commitment, with the opportunity to help provide input into the life of the school and to help increase student achievement. If you’d like to nominate yourself or someone else, please complete the HTMS Site Council Form or email Toni Smith-Myles at csmithmyles@pps.net to express your interest. Individuals who have previously submitted a nomination will be included on the voting ballot, but are welcome to complete the nomination form again. Nominations for Site Council will be accepted until 11:59pm, Wednesday, September 14. All parent and community nominations for Site Council will be placed on a ballot, which will include the individual’s name and their biography/interest. Voting will take place at Back to School Night, Thursday, September 15 from 5:30p - 7p. One ballot per adult will be accepted.

CHROMEBOOK DISTRIBUTION Technology distribution of Chromebooks, including charging cord and protective case will take place Friday, September 9 - 7th & 8th grade students, and Monday, September 12 - 6th grade students. Chromebooks are considered a required school supply. Students are expected to bring their devices fully charged to school each day. Please review the HTMS 1:1 Parent/Student Agreement and have your student return a signed copy to their 4th period teacher by Friday, September 16. 

PICTURE DAY Pictures were Monday, September 12. All students present took a picture to receive their school identification card and have their photograph updated in Synergy. Individual picture packages can be selected and paid online. Order School Photos Online 

LUNCH DELIVERY HTMS is a closed campus and students are restricted to the school grounds during the school day. For the safety of our entire community, food deliveries - direct (dominos, pizza hut) or 3rd party (DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.) - for students are not permitted. If your child is not eating school lunch, please make sure to send food with them before school starts. Families who would like to bring their student food, please deliver their lunch to the office, prior to their designated lunch. Food brought to the school after the student’s lunch will be given to the student at the end of the day. Students who leave the school grounds without permission will be considered truant and appropriate discipline will be administered.

FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH Each day scholars are able to receive 2 free meals, breakfast and lunch. Grab & Go breakfast is available to pick up at the Flint entrance from 8:50am - 9:10am. Students arriving late due to PPS transportation will be given the opportunity to pick up breakfast in the cafeteria, upon arrival. Hot and cold meal options are served during grade level lunches in the cafeteria.

HTMS WEBSITE CALENDAR & IMPORTANT DATES

SEPTEMBER 12 Picture day

15 Back to School Night

23 No school

30 Progress Reports (mid-term)

OCTOBER 14 Inservice day - no school

Many of you picked up Technology Agreements at our meet & greet, or from our school office. 

We're happy to report that the district has decided to waive the $20 Chromebook fee! Just sign and complete the Technology Agreement, and return it to your classroom teacher or the office, no money required.

Welcome Principal Greer!

PPS Communications has just announced that Trevor Greer will be the new principal of Harriet Tubman Middle School!

Trevor Greer comes to Portland Public Schools from the Parkrose School District, where he excelled as a leader for equity, serving as a high school Assistant Principal and middle and high school Dean of Students. Principal Greer also served as a middle school technology teacher at Parkrose, an educational assistant in special education, and a baseball coach for eight years. Additionally, Trevor was the lead for the ninth grade success team at Parkrose, where the school decreased disproportionate exclusionary discipline and increased the number of ninth graders on track to graduate from high school.

A native of Portland, Principal Greer is excited to serve the Harriet Tubman community. He is a visionary leader and is looking forward to working with the staff and community in creating a collective vision of student success.

Principal Greer has a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Concordia University. He also received his administrative credentials from Concordia University. 

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Wednesday, September 28th from 6-7:30 pm.

Learn more about your child's upcoming year in SEI! Food is provided from 5:30 to 6 pm. Tour the SEI building, meet your coodinators, learn about SEI, participate in a Q & A session. Event open to all SEI parents.

Dear PPS Community,                                                        

I am pleased to announce Christyn McCloskey as the new Secondary Schools Area Senior Director with a focus on Middle Schools and Dual Language Immersion programs.  Christyn returns to Portland from the Houston Independent School District in Texas where she was Principal of Stevenson Middle School serving historically underserved student populations.  While there, Ms. McCloskey prioritized the social and emotional learning of all students while continuing to drive student results through engaging, data-informed, and culturally-affirming instruction. Ms. McCloskey supported the growth of her staff through leadership development programs, building strong systems that encourage employee retention, and creating learning and development programs for all campus personnel.

Dear PPS Community,

This morning, the Oregon Department of Education publicly released this past spring’s summative assessment data. I’m pleased to share that PPS avoided significant setbacks, but the data nonetheless shows the negative impact of the pandemic.

Dear PPS K-12 students and families,  

PPS is partnering with OHSU to offer free weekly COVID-19 testing for students. Participation in this program is completely optional but encouraged. PPS students may participate in the program regardless of vaccination status. Participating students will submit spit samples in pre-labeled test tubes to their school on a designated day each week, regardless as to whether they have symptoms. Schools will begin collecting spit samples starting September 27th-29th.

Dear Familias, Students and Colleagues,

One of my favorite experiences in my nearly thirty-year educational career was in my first year teaching. I was a Spanish bilingual teacher, and I was happy and proud to be “el maestro” – a role that carried esteem and respect in the predominantly-Latino neighborhood where I lived and worked.