We're so excited to welcome you to our Open House and Community Resource Fair on Friday, August 26, from 1 to 4 p.m. 

The intent of this event is to launch our new school year, support our students and families in preparing for a successful school year and build strong relationships between our school community - especially our students - and our school team.

Among the things you can expect at our first family event of the year:

• As part of the Community Resource Fair happening in the gym, students and families will be able to receive a backpack and school supplies, get a hair cut, and access a variety of community resources, such as the Multnomah County Library Gregory Heights library, healthcare, employment opportunities, chiropractor services and much more. Also, students will receive a ticket for a free Kona Ice, which they can pick up outside in the playground area.

• Either before or after visiting the fair, students can also stop by and meet their new teacher! Teachers will be hosting tables under our covered basketball courts and are excited to meet their new students and families! Teachers will be at their tables from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Plan on stopping by and saying hello!

(Click this link to see the flyer in English, Spanish and Vietnamese): Jason Lee Open House and Community Resource Fair 

• 

Two exceptional PPS educators, Ricardo Barber and Hang Jones, were recently named OnPoint Educators of the Year for 2025.

As part of this prestigious honor, both teachers will have their rent or mortgage paid for an entire year, and their schools also receive a $2,500 donation. 

Ricardo Barber teaches third grade at Faubion, and Hang Jones serves as a social worker at Marysville Elementary. 

The OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education celebrates educators who embrace innovative teaching techniques that ignite enthusiasm in their students. 

Congratulations to Ricardo Barber and Hang Jones! And thank you both for everything you do to make a difference in the lives our students.

The assignment their teacher gave them was simple – make a short film that begins with a phone call and ends with someone hanging up. Benson first-year students Dylan Martinez-Torres and Dariel Soriano Zamora ran it all the way to a small city populated by two very big and rather iconic monsters – Godzilla and Hedora.

The result, Sorry, Wrong Number, is one of the more than 90 films entered into the annual Best of PPS Film Festival. The festival is a celebration of exceptional student filmmaking that includes a showcase at the historic Hollywood Theatre. 

The fourth annual installment of the festival took place on May 21 and included a screening of 13 standout films. The films came from all over PPS and ran the gamut from Dylan and Dariel’s monster short to documentaries, film noir, and broadcast journalism. 

If you are a passionate student or community member that wants to make a difference at PPS, apply to join the Climate Crisis Response Committee! This is a committee that reports to the PPS Board of Education.

On the committee you will learn about how PPS is making progress towards our climate justice and sustainability policies, provide input and recommendations to the PPS Board on how to better support PPS staff as we advance these policy goals, and connect with other passionate members of our PPS community from diverse backgrounds, knowledge areas, and lived experiences.

No previous professional experience in climate change or sustainability required! Students can apply via this form. Community members can apply here.

Deadline to apply: June 6. 

Earthstock 2025 was a huge success!

Each year, special education students from across the region gather at Portland's Crystal Ballroom for a truly unique and uniquely joyful high school dance. 

Earthstock began in 1992 at the request of a young student who was confined to a wheelchair and was disappointed he couldn’t attend the high school dances because of transportation issues. There were 60 kids at the first event. Earthstock now entertains more than 700 students, staff and volunteers, and is rapidly becoming one the largest events of its kind in the country.