Hello Senators, 

We expect to have more detailed information regarding several of the topics going into the weekend. Today we wanted to provide what new information we do have as of today. Many of our staff have been meeting virtually to start collaborating on how we can support our students post Spring Break. 

Our top priority is to support students and families in our community who need Food Support and Mental Health Support. If you have a concern or are hearing of concerns please send an email to askyles@pps.net. 

If it is an emergency please contact 911. 

PPS also has set up a Google Form in multiple languages where families and students can send in questions. The form can be found https://www.pps.net/Page/15080  on the right-hand side of the site under Questions & Concerns?

 Please note that the updated information below is in red.

1. Seniors and Graduation: We are still waiting for an announcement from ODE regarding graduation.  The Oregon Department of Education will be making an announcement in the next several days that will provide clarity for families and schools. Once this announcement is made we will have a clearer picture of how PPS and Madison will proceed. Questions regarding credit recovery for current seniors and all students are being worked on, but nothing is finalized yet.  

2. School After Spring Break: We should have more info before we head into the weekend. I know this is a major question and concern for many. The district is still in the planning process. Questions around: access to the internet, access to technology, how students receiving Special Education and/or English Language Learner services will be supported, AP testing, Dual Credit students, will be addressed in the District-wide plan that is being developed.  

3. Teacher Communications and Enrichment activities: Some communications from staff could be a check-in to just say hello, a reminder of assignments that have been given pre March 23, 2020, enrichment activities, and/or study reminders for the current curriculum that was being covered. Students can email their teachers directly. Please note that the assignments are not being graded at this point in time and there are no extra credit options. 

3. Food Resources: Please Check: https://www.pps.net/Page/15080 for the most updated information regarding Food Resources. Madison (at the Marshall Campus) will continue to serve as a food hub. We will be closed for Spring Break but will reopen March 30th and stay open Monday-Friday from 11am - 1pm  until April 28th. More information can be found at pps.net regarding other Food Hubs in the district. Scott and Rigler are schools providing the same services in NE Portland. The Oregon Food Bank will also be using Madison (Marshall Campus) as a distribution site. We will send out future dates and times.   

4. School year being extended: There is no concrete information regarding the school year being extended at this time. Once I receive information directly from the Oregon Department of Education and  PPS District Office I will pass that along.  

5. Prom: We have a new date reserved for Saturday, May 23rd. 

6. School Events, Spring Sports and Activities: The OSAA is still in the planning process. All school events have been suspended until after April 28th. I do not have specifics regarding any event at this time. We will begin to work with staff in April to look at what events can be rescheduled and possible dates. We will also send out a list of events that unfortunately will not be rescheduled.  

7. AP Exams: The College Board is finalizing the AP exam plan. Madison AP teachers have been tracking this and will be meeting as a team virtually to plan together how we will support our AP students. The details are still being worked out. Once there is a final decision Madison will work to ensure we are supporting our students. If you have a student who is in an AP class they should be using the online recourse to continue to prepare. If they have questions they should contact their teacher directly. Here is a link to The College Board website: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/

9. Mental Health Support: 

          Click Here

10. Tips For Social Distancing, and talking to students about COVID-19: 

          Multiple Languages: Click Here

          Click Here

11. If you need to borrow a computer or need assistance with internet access:Click Here

12. Volunteer and Donation options: (we will add to this list as more options become available)

      The Fund for Portland Public Schools

      Oregon Food Bank

13. Child Care Resources:

    Click Here

Please take the time to look through the entire site created by PPS for more information on current supports and the most updated information on PPS’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.pps.net/coronavirus (Multiple Languages) 

Google created a COVID-19 information site: https://www.google.com/covid19/

If you have specific questions and or need support please let me know.  

Adam Skyles

Principal 

Madison High School

askyles@pps.net

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfR9vU1RGTJigjBOlpYQwi4DHLNbZVJ07PdhAsj3c13VeqMxQ/viewform

Families call these numbers to connect with a PPS Language Access Team Member in the following languages:

Dear Senators,

We know that many families depend on schools not only for their students’ education but also for meals, child care, access to health services and other supports. We are working quickly to identify ways to provide services to students and families during the closure. 

Madison will send out a daily communication with updates via Email, text, and school website. Please also check the school website and https://www.pps.net/coronavirus for updated information.  

The Multnomah County Health Center located at Madison High School Marshall Campus will be open this week 3/16-3/20.

Meals

Breakfast and lunch will be provided to children in the community ages 1-18. Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, March 20, and Monday, March 30 and Tuesday, March 31. Meals will be available for pickup outside the school from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the following locations:

• Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elementary - 620 N Fremont Ave
• César Chávez Elementary - 5103 N Willis Blvd
• George Middle School - 10000 N Burr Ave
• Harrison Park School - 2225 SE 87th Ave
• Lent School - 5105 SE 97th Ave
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary - 4906 NE 6th Ave
• Rigler Elementary - 5401 NE Prescott St
• Rosa Parks Elementary - 8960 N Woolsey Ave
• Scott Elementary - 6700 NE Prescott St
• Sitton Elementary - 9930 N Smith St
• Woodmere Elementary - 7900 SE Duke St
• Markham Elementary - 10531 SW Capitol Hwy
• Madison at Marshall - 3905 SE 91st Ave
• Franklin High School - 5405 SE Woodward St

For more information about access to food for families, please call 211 or visit oregonfoodfinder.org. Free Food Portland:  BROCHURE

Curriculum and Enrichments

We encourage students and their families to stay engaged academically during this time off. We encourage parents to read with their pre-K and elementary school children. Many teachers are also sending workbooks, printed materials, and grade-appropriate readers for their students to use during the break.

Printed instructional resources for language arts and mathematics will be available to students and families at the schools sites where we will be providing meals to children. These printed resources will be distributed on Tuesday, March 17 and Thursday, March 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We encourage students and families to take advantage of these resources.

Digital learning applications and websites are valuable resources to use during this time. We are creating a “Virtual Learning Opportunities” portal that will be made available at pps.net/coronavirus. PPS staff will continue to update the portal throughout our closure.

Click Here for Child Care Information 

Health Centers
Multnomah County will keep some Student Health Center locations open during the break. The Multnomah County Health Center Located at Madison High School Marshall Campus will be open this week 3/16-3/20. 

Health services are available for all K-12 students in Multnomah County over spring break (March 23-27) at:
Parkrose Student Health Center
12003 NE Shaver St
503-988-3392
Spring Break Flyer (English/ Spanish)

 
This is an unprecedented time in our community, and we hope that some of the services and supports described above will be helpful to families over the closure. During the closure we encourage everyone to follow recommended practices by avoiding large gatherings, washing hands frequently and covering mouths when coughing or sneezing. Those experiencing symptoms of a cold or flu should stay at home until symptom-free for 72 hours. If you are concerned about symptoms, please consult with a doctor. You can find much more information and additional resources by clicking pps.net/coronavirus.

Hello, Spring athletics families,
We are following the guidelines set by both the Oregon School Activities Association and PPS regarding athletics practices and games in the coming weeks. The directions from the OSAA are (paraphrased):

• OSAA SUSPENDS PRACTICES AND CONTESTS THROUGH APRIL 28.
• Athletes and teams must heed the Governor’s “Stay Home. Save Lives.” Executive Order which remains in effect until terminated by the Governor.
• The closure of schools and school properties through April 28 includes a prohibition on students/community members using school properties, athletic fields, and playgrounds.
• We realize it is tempting for our high school athletes to have informal workouts together at parks, etc., but we discourage groups of students from getting together in alignment with local, state, and federal social distancing guidelines.
• COVID-19 continues to live for days on some surfaces, including playground/athletic equipment and public seating areas. 

UPDATE: 3/13/20 

During the extended closure, students can access online resources to continue their learning prior to the AP exams scheduled for May. PPS has not received any notification from the College Board regarding an adjusted test schedule at this time.

Link to online AP exam resources

...time for a reminder on how to stay updated on school closures!

 

 

Meteorologist Rod Hill of KGW recently issued a winter forecast that projected 8 to 10 inches of snow, including possible early snow in November or December. If that turns out to be correct, that would be much earlier snow than last school year, when our first weather-caused disruption to the regular classroom schedule did not come until Feb. 5.

Whatever the accuracy of the forecast, it seems a good time for a refresher for the Portland Public Schools community about how we let you know about school closures and delays caused by weather, or school emergencies or other special events. Here are the ways we get that information to you:

School Messenger: You can get text alerts and auto-dialer calls on your cell phone with important news and updates. Text “Yes” or “Y” to 68453.

Website: Our website, www.pps.net, will have immediate updates. Look for a yellow bar across the top of the home page when there is an urgent situation or weather-related closures.

Twitter: We put out urgent communications on this social media platform. Simply follow our account to get updates.

Facebook: We also put urgent communications on Facebook. “Like” our account to get posts into your timeline.

Phone calls: Auto-dialer calls go to the primary numbers on the student registration form in all supported languages. Remember to update contact information with your school if your phone number changes.

The decisions about weather-caused closures and delays are made after a PPS transportation crew personally inspects roads starting at 2:30 a.m., and consultations with a large group of experts and district leaders. Read more about the process in a PPS Pulse story from March.

New Attendance Information! There’s a new way to report your student’s absence! You can now email the attendance office at madisonattend@pps.net .  You can email or call (503) 916-5220 option 2 -- twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week! 

Dear Madison Community,

It is with great pride and excitement that I write this letter of introduction to you as the new Principal of Madison High School. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead a school with a rich tradition of education and diversity! I have been dedicated to the field of education for more than 19 years. During my tenure at Madison High School I have served in various roles that will make this transition smooth; as a social studies teacher, football coach, athletic director, dean, and most recently as Vice Principal.

Along with Keylah, Travis, staff and teachers I will work hard to continue the legacy of success established by Madison by building strong relationships with parents, students and community partners.  I am excited and eager to bring my skills as an educational leader and work with you to ensure your student’s success.

The 2019-20 school year will be exciting as we continue to work hard to build and strengthen our programming to provide students with opportunities for both depth and breadth of offerings. Please make sure to visit the website at https://www.pps.net/madison to see updates, check out our course guide, and get the latest information about what is going on at Madison.

There are a few important event dates and times I would like to share with you before school starts. REMEMBER TO COME TO REGISTRATION AT THE MARSHALL CAMPUS IN THE CAFETERIA (see schedule below). This is the best opportunity to make sure that you are ready to go on the first day of school so don’t miss it!

August 15: Registration: Sophomores and Seniors, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM & 12:30 – 3:00 PM, closed for lunch.

August 16: Registration:  Juniors, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM & 12:30 – 3:00 PM, closed for lunch.

Students that are using Trimet to get to the Marshall campus:  Trimet has announced a new electronic fare card (Hop Pass) for TriMet’s transit system. This year, all Portland Public High School TriMet passes will be printed on cards compatible with Trimet’s electronic contact system “Hop”. This new card system means that all high school student ID’s will be printed at registration on an electronic card and the student will tap the card reader upon boarding every bus and entering any MAX platform. Students will no longer be able to just show their ID card to board transit, they will have to tap their student ID prior to every boarding. The tap validates their student pass for their ride.                                                    

This program is for 9th graders and their families only. This is a great opportunity to meet teachers, staff, and other families. You will learn more about Madison to get the very important first year of high school off to a great start.

3-5pm: Lifetouch Picture, Student ID and Registration

5-6pm: Light Snacks and ParentVUE/StudentVUE Schedules in the Cafeteria

6-6:30pm: Welcome assembly in the Auditorium

6:30-7:30pm: Students complete a Scavenger Hunt and Parents attend workshops 

August 28: The first day of school for all students

FRESHMEN:  Orientation starting in the auditorium from 8:30-10:25 am, instructional day begins at 10:30 am.

SOPHOMORES - SENIORS: Our instructional day for all students begins at 10:30 am.

INFORMATION ABOUT SCHOOL FEES/CONTRIBUTIONS:

All athletes participating in sports must pay athletics participation fees ($200 per sport/$400 annual maximum or $35 per sport/ $70 annual maximum for free and reduced lunch students). This can be done at registration. You may also pre-purchase your yearbook ($35), or pay for an all-seasons sports pass ($25 for all home games). These are not tax-deductible fees.

Additionally, students are asked for voluntary contributions of up to $25 toward general classroom supplies. Based on your class selections, you are also asked to contribute toward subjects that need additional support. These include art, science, engineering, computer science, and music. These contributions are needed to purchase the necessary resources for these courses. All contributions are tax-deductible (tax ID# 93-6000830) and we ask that you donate what you can. We can take payments by cash, check to Madison High School, or debit/credit card.

ATHLETICS:

Fall teams (soccer, volleyball, football, cross country) meet during the summer. Please see our Madison webpage at https://www.pps.net/madison for important registration information, forms, and summer workout times under the athletics tab. If your student wishes to participate in fall sports, tryouts begin August 19th. You must have a current sports physical to try out. The Athletics office reopens on Aug. 8. Email AD Tyler Kelleher at tkelleher@pps.net OR athletics secretary Kerry Graves at kgraves@pps.net if you have questions.

Don’t forget!

Please note that the bell schedule has slightly changed from the previous year.  All high schools will be on the same rotating A/B block schedule, with 4 class periods per day.  You’ll be able to pick up a calendar and bell schedule at registration and it will be posted on our website. You’ll notice that we have Extended Learning Time (ELT) for students the last hour of the day twice a week. This is an important time for students to receive support from teachers and complete homework. This is not considered an early release –all students are expected to be in school until 3:30pm every day. We anticipate having four two-hour early releases for professional development throughout the year. I will send reminders during the school year.  

Please follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/PPSMadisonHighSchool/.  I look forward to having our current students return and would like to extend a special welcome to any new students joining the Madison community.  See you all on August 15^th and 16^th and Freshmen on the 21^st!  

Sincerely,

Adam Skyles

Dear PPS Families,

As we go into the third week of our schools being closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, we are pleased to be able to offer meals to our students again, starting Monday, March 30. As we did during the first week of school suspension, we are making sacks of breakfast and lunch available for pickup outside of 15 of our schools. In addition, seven of these sites will now include once-a-week food pantry services for families that need groceries and other items that we previously offered at PPS school SUN sites.

Dear PPS Families and Staff,

After much urgent collaboration and planning, today leadership from Portland Public Schools and the Portland Association of Teachers shared with all of our PPS educators the outline for how teachers will begin working online next week. This outline represents our upcoming efforts to most effectively phase in supports for our students and teachers during the extended closure of our schools. We appreciate your patience while we, like other school districts, adapt our instructional delivery model virtually overnight. Next week we will share with you a detailed, multi-week plan for home-based learning for your students. Please stay tuned for that.

Dear PPS Families and Staff,

We want to continue to provide you with the latest updates and information. Work continues around the clock to provide academic and social emotional supports as well as meals to students during the statewide school closure, which per Governor Brown’s Executive Order, will extend through April 28.  

Families of PPS,

As the coronavirus situation continues to develop, we are looking at a number of ways to deliver the best possible experiences for students during the extended break, and we want to make sure all of our students can remain connected to their peers, teachers, and schools and have regular access to learning opportunities and curriculum materials.