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 school on their designated day each week, whether they have symptoms or not. Ockley Green will begin collecting spit samples starting September 27th and every Tuesday thereafter unless otherwise noted.

What’s new?

• Registration: Beginning today 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.

• Spit Samples: Spit tests can be collected either the night before or the morning of their school’s testing day. Please use this spreadsheet to know what day to drop off your student’s spit sample.

• 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.

• Additional drop-off locations: If you miss your weekly testing day, OHSU has added 3 drop-off sites around the Portland metro area.

  • Doernbecher Child Development Rehabilitation Center - 707 S Gaines Street, Portland, OR 97239

  • Primary Care Clinic at Gabriel Park - 4411 S Vermont Street, Portland, OR 97219

  • Richmond Family Health Center - 3930 SE Division Street, Portland, OR 97202

What stays the same?

• There is no cost to families to participate.

• OHSU uses highly accurate molecular testing, known as PCR.

• Students will continue to bring their spit samples to school on the designated testing day.

• OHSU nurses will call parents of all students who test positive or whose tests are  inconclusive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

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.

Dear PPS Community,

Saturday night, gunshots were fired outside of a district-wide basketball tournament held at Franklin High School. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and the suspect is now in custody, but if you have any information about the incident please call 503-823-3333 or utilize the SafeOregon tipline.

Dear PPS Families, 

As we prepare for the winter sports season, we want to share a few reminders for our spectators.  

Dear families, students, and colleagues,

It has been a joy to visit learning spaces over the past four months and see our students reengaged in their classroom learning and school activities. I am pleased to observe our students interacting with peers and diving into new curriculum materials. 

This has been a very productive time for Portland Public Schools. My appreciation to all the dedicated Team PPS members who work everyday to make our school system better and stronger.

Dear PPS Community,

Every single person in Portland Public Schools believes that our learning spaces must be safe, stable, and secure, and that we have a shared responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the students under our care. We recognize that recent events, both locally and nationally, have rattled our community.

Superintendent Guerrero issued a broader statement about gun violence and its impacts on our schools, but we also want to explain how we both keep schools safe, and keep you informed.

Hello Families & Partners -

Today we celebrated and recognized students that are demonstrating our Ockley Green Way Core Values of Care, Collaboration and Growth.  We held Grade-Level Assemblies throughout the afternoon and recognized our Teacher Choice and Student Choice awardees for Care, Collaboration and Growth, as well as recognition of students at each grade-level with a Trifecta Award for exhibiting all 3 Core Values.  We held our monthly Ockley Way Raffle and were entertained by various student groups, including our Ockley Dancers.  The energy in the assembly was uplifting and it was wonderful to see our students and staff building community together throughout the event!

Please see below for some important updates!

Successful Schools Survey  REMINDER

Each year the Portland Public Schools community has an opportunity to participate in the Successful Schools Survey.  We value this feedback and utilize it to inform our school improvement focus.

If viewing this via email, then click here:  Successful Schools Survey  or you can access via the QR code below.

The Successful Schools Survey window is January 23rd - February 28th.  More information coming soon for supported sessions at Ockley Green with computer access to complete.

Breakfast Now Served Before School  REMINDER

We started serving breakfast in the Cafeteria this week.  Starting at 8:50 AM, students can enter through the Ainsworth door on the SW corner of the building and remain in the Cafeteria until the 9:03 AM opening of school.  Please help us by communicating with your child that after picking up their breakfast, for safety reasons, students will not be able to return outside or enter the halls prior to 9:03 AM.  Additionally, with no trash cans located outside in the front of the school, this will also ensure students can be responsible for their garbage with access to the large garbage cans in the Cafeteria.

Upcoming Events @ SEI  REMINDER

Self Enhancement has multiple events coming in February as part of Black History Month.  See This is Our Story: RESILIENCE Flyer with information on a Black-Owned Vendor Resource Fair, Family Movie Night and a Family Paint Party.

Their Poetry Competition is currently open for submissions and closes on February 17, 2023.  More information here.

Important Dates

• February 10th: OG Dancers Performance @ the Blazer Game
• February 17th: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Inservice Day
• February 20th: NO SCHOOL - Presidents’ Day 
• March 22nd:  Spring Music Concert
• March 27th - 31st: Spring Break

Hello Families & Partners -

As a staff, we recognize that we are better able to serve our students and families when we harness the power of unity to strengthen our school community.  Seeing and hearing the many ways that our staff continue to show Care and to Collaborate with each other with a shared goal of Growth as a school community is exciting!  Some recent examples of this are: 

• Our Climate Team is bringing back grade-level assemblies as part of their larger plan to celebrate the brilliance of our students and create a positive learning environment.  This will be aligned to the roll out of our House of Dragons competition which will be focused on four areas: On Time & Ready; 2) Uplifting Language; 3) Check Your Tech; and 4) Activate Your Brain.  More info to come!
• Showcasing student work during Advisory time, staffing our 2-on-2 lunchtime basketball tournament and serving as advisors for our student Affinity groups.
• Our Student Intervention Team (SIT) is going strong with identifying and providing specific interventions to address students’ academic and behavioral needs.
• We will have our first school wide assembly this year for Black History Month at the end of February in celebration and recognition of Black Excellence.
• Planning is under way for our Community & Culture Night in late April, which is supported by our amazing Social Studies team and is in collaboration with our SUN Partnership.

Please see below for some important updates!

Breakfast Now Served Before School  NEW

Starting Monday, January 30th, students will be able to pick up breakfast in the Cafeteria, starting at 8:50 AM.  Students must enter through the Ainsworth door on the SW corner of the building and remain in the Cafeteria until the 9:03 AM opening of school.  Please help us by communicating with your child that after picking up their breakfast, for safety reasons, students will not be able to return outside or enter the halls prior to 9:03 AM.  Additionally, with no trash cans located outside in the front of the school, this will also ensure students can be responsible for their garbage with access to the large garbage cans in the Cafeteria.

Successful Schools Survey  NEW

Each year the Portland Public Schools community has an opportunity to participate in the Successful Schools Survey.  We value this feedback and utilize it to inform our school improvement focus.

If viewing this via email, then click here:  Successful Schools Survey  or you can access via the QR code below.

The Successful Schools Survey window is January 23rd - February 28th.  More information coming soon for supported sessions at Ockley Green with computer access to complete.

Upcoming Events @ SEI

Self Enhancement has multiple events coming in February as part of Black History Month.  See This is Our Story: RESILIENCE Flyer with information on a Black-Owned Vendor Resource Fair, Family Movie Night and a Family Paint Party.

Their Poetry Competition is currently open for submissions and closes on February 17, 2023.  More information here.

Important Dates

• February 10th: OG Dancers Performance @ the Blazer Game
• February 17th: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Inservice Day
• February 20th: NO SCHOOL - Presidents’ Day 
• March 22nd:  Spring Music Concert
• March 27th - 31st: Spring Break

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

Please see below for some important updates!

NO-NAME CALLING WEEK  NEW

Hello, Ockley Green families!  The week of January 23 - 26 will be Ockley's Ally and No-Name Calling week.  Earlier this week, students filled out surveys in their advisory classes to share their thoughts and feedback about language and bullying at our school.  The results of this survey will be discussed next week and the GSA will sponsor a table in the cafeteria at lunch on 1/25, where students and staff can sign pledges to become allies and supporters of our LGBTQ+, black and brown, indigenous and multicultural communities.  We hope that this will be part of an ongoing conversation about how we can ensure that all students and staff feel safe, supported and celebrated at our school.

If your child was out this week and did not have a chance to take the survey, then they can use the link below to access it this weekend.

SURVEY ABOUT NO-NAME CALLING WEEK AT OCKLEY

Successful Schools Survey - Coming Soon!!  REMINDER

Each year the Portland Public Schools community has an opportunity to participate in the Successful Schools Survey.  The Successful Schools Survey provides many benefits to our district and school community as it:

• Allows PPS to hear from students, staff, and families system-wide
• Gathers data which will help PPS/FHS understand experiences at our school/s
• Addresses school climate, which is a key component influencing outcomes for students
• Enables us to see improvements from last year to understand how our work in schools has changed perceptions
• Identifies areas of strength and areas for improvement

We value this feedback and utilize it to inform our school improvement focus.

The Successful Schools Survey window is January 23rd - February 28th.

Students will have an opportunity to take part in the survey in a designated class during this window.  Families will have the opportunity to take the survey through a link that will be provided in this weekly message and on the Ockley Green Website.

School Visitors in Classrooms  REMINDER

We are grateful for our partnerships with families and value that collective & consistent approaches to supporting students is powerful.  We ask that if you wish to provide support to your child by being present during a particular class, that you first contact the teacher.  Our teachers want to welcome you into their classroom and having at least a 24 hour notice of your intent to come in would be appreciated by them.

Respiratory Illnesses and Covid-19  REMINDER

As a reminder, families can obtain COVID-19, flu, and other vaccinations at:

• MCHD Student Health Centers by appointment
• Benson Wellness Center by appointment
• Community COVID-19 vaccination clinics - no appointment is necessary

The health and well-being of our students is extremely important to us. We are keeping close track of the trends in our state and on the local level. PPS will continue to take all the steps necessary to maintain a healthy environment for our students and staff in the coming months.

Route Changes  NEW

A change has been made to one or more bus route(s) servicing your students' school. Changes will go into effect on 01/23/2023. 

Please note changes below:

*Note: -A means AM, -P means PM and -AP means both AM and PM.

Please visit www.pps.net/bus to look at updated stop times if your student uses an impacted route. 

Please contact the Transportation department with any questions at (503) 916-6901 or transportation@pps.net. 

Important Dates

• January 27th: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Planning Day
• February 10th: OG Dancers Performance @ the Blazer Game
• February 17th: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Inservice Day
• February 20th: NO SCHOOL - Presidents’ Day 
• March 22nd:  Spring Music Concert
• March 27th - 31st: Spring Break

Hello Families & Partners -

This weekend brings celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  The lessons he has left us, and that we continue to learn from, strengthen our ability to create change towards a socially just world.  For me, Dr. King’s recognition that leaders must be in service to others, rather than to be served by others, is a lesson that is central to my leadership.  I feel fortunate to be part of a staff that also holds this central to how they support students.  I hope you find time this weekend to celebrate, reflect and offer service to others.

Please see below for some important updates!

Successful Schools Survey - Coming Soon!!  NEW

Each year the Portland Public Schools community has an opportunity to participate in the Successful Schools Survey.  The Successful Schools Survey provides many benefits to our district and school community as it:

• Allows PPS to hear from students, staff, and families system-wide
• Gathers data which will help PPS/FHS understand experiences at our school/s
• Addresses school climate, which is a key component influencing outcomes for students
• Enables us to see improvements from last year to understand how our work in schools has changed perceptions
• Identifies areas of strength and areas for improvement

We value this feedback and utilize it to inform our school improvement focus.

The Successful Schools Survey window is January 23rd - February 28th.

Students will have an opportunity to take part in the survey in a designated class during this window.  Families will have the opportunity to take the survey through a link that will be provided in this weekly message and on the Ockley Green Website.

SUN Registration Info  NEW

SUN School returns Tuesday January 17th with Gamer's Club during lunch in Portable 153.

Classes beginning on January 18th (after school)

• Chess For Success

• Choir

• Hair Braiding

• Homework Help

• Open Gym

• The Black Student Reading Club (lunch)

SUN Application located here 

Class Registration located here 

OG Community Pizza Night!  NEW

Come help support this OG Supporters fundraising event by grabbing pizza next Wednesday!  Either dine in or take it home and support both a great local business and Ockley Green.

Wednesday, January 18th

Mississippi Pizza

All day, dine in/carry out

10% of ALL sales donated to OG Supporters!

Menus, available here: https://www.mississippipizza.com/

Box of Tissues are Needed  NEW

We have been going through a lot of tissues recently and are having a hard time keeping up with the demand.  If you are interested in helping out, we would appreciate it if you could send a box with your child to drop off in the Front Office for our supply.

School Visitors in Classrooms  NEW

We are grateful for our partnerships with families and value that collective & consistent approaches to supporting students is powerful.  We ask that if you wish to provide support to your child by being present during a particular class, that you first contact the teacher.  Our teachers want to welcome you into their classroom and having at least a 24 hour notice of your intent to come in would be appreciated by them.

Roosevelt Baseball FUNDTRAINING Program  NEW

Check out information on this flyer.

Winter MAP Testing  REMINDER

The Winter Math MAP Growth testing starts the week of Monday, January 16, 2023.   Students will test with their English and Math teachers.  Please make sure that:

• Your student to brings their chromebooks to school charged and ready to work; and
• Encourage your student(s) to get enough rest the night before testing days

Unlike standardized tests, MAP Growth assessments are used during the course of a school year, and it adjusts to each student’s performance, rather than asking all students the same questions.  MAP Growth is designed to measure student achievement in the moment and growth over time, regardless of grade level, and gives quick feedback to teachers.The MAP testing is about teachers monitoring their students' growth in Reading and Math.  These tests are used to best meet the needs of students to ensure growth and progress in their learning.  These tests help teachers to determine how to deliver instruction and select class materials. It also lets teachers know if students need extra support or are meeting grade level in these two subject areas.   

Please visit the NWEA MAP Family Toolkit for more information. 

Respiratory Illnesses and Covid-19  REMINDER

As a reminder, families can obtain COVID-19, flu, and other vaccinations at:

• MCHD Student Health Centers by appointment
• Benson Wellness Center by appointment
• Community COVID-19 vaccination clinics - no appointment is necessary

The health and well-being of our students is extremely important to us. We are keeping close track of the trends in our state and on the local level. PPS will continue to take all the steps necessary to maintain a healthy environment for our students and staff in the coming months.

Important Dates

• January 16th: NO SCHOOL - Dr. MLK Jr Day
• January 27th: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Planning Day
• February 10th: OG Dancers Performance @ the Blazer Game
• February 17th: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Inservice Day
• February 20th: NO SCHOOL - Presidents’ Day 
• March 22nd:  Spring Music Concert
• March 27th - 31st: Spring Break

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

Welcome to 2023!  The new year brings a good time to reflect and make commitments…or in some cases recommitments!  Part of reflecting on our practice means we must be open to receiving feedback, thoughtfully reflect on it and use it to inform our work.  I have and continue to appreciate the feedback from families, students & staff.   This week I had the opportunity to join our OG Supporters monthly meeting and hear from family members.  Sharing these concerns, noticings and wonderings support me in being an advocate for our OG Community’s needs in order to best serve our students.  Thank you for your continued support of staff & students.  It is felt and appreciated.

Please see below for some important updates!

Winter MAP Testing  NEW

The Winter ELA MAP Growth Testing starts the week of Monday, January 9, 2023 and the Math MAP Growth testing starts the week of Monday, January 16, 2023.   Students will test with their English and Math teachers.  Please make sure that:

• Your student to brings their chromebooks to school charged and ready to work; and
• Encourage your student(s) to get enough rest the night before testing days

Unlike standardized tests, MAP Growth assessments are used during the course of a school year, and it adjusts to each student’s performance, rather than asking all students the same questions.  MAP Growth is designed to measure student achievement in the moment and growth over time, regardless of grade level, and gives quick feedback to teachers. The MAP testing is about teachers monitoring their students' growth in Reading and Math.  These tests are used to best meet the needs of students to ensure growth and progress in their learning.  These tests help teachers to determine how to deliver instruction and select class materials. It also lets teachers know if students need extra support or are meeting grade level in these two subject areas.   

Please visit the NWEA MAP Family Toolkit for more information.

Middle Grades Math Update  NEW

In case you missed the PPS email with the Middle Grades Math Update that was sent earlier today, please see below.  In particular, you may find the linked document helpful in providing more background information.  There are information sessions being offered next Monday & Wednesday (see below).

Dear middle grades families, 

We strive to provide a high-quality teaching and learning experience to every student and to ground that experience in research-informed best practices. A growing body of research suggests that students benefit from a later introduction to advanced math, and that middle grades are best spent laying a strong mathematics foundation. This has recently led some large urban districts to limit math acceleration before high school.

In light of this, we are taking two steps to strengthen how we sequence math concepts and set our middle grades students up for success.

First, we will evaluate our student performance data to understand the link between students’ performance in high school math and the concepts they learned or did not learn in middle school math. We will pay particular attention to students who took accelerated math courses to see if they missed learning key concepts.

Second, we are pausing plans to discontinue Compacted Math for the 2023-2024 school year. Rather, we will work with specific schools to field test the shift away from Compacted Math as we strengthen how we sequence certain math concepts across all grades. This will look different in different settings, and you can learn more here.

Our Math Specialists have identified office hours to discuss this shift with families, and we invite you to attend and learn more. Those will take place on Google Meets:

• January 9th, 11:30-12:00 – video link, or dial 252-696-1448‬ (PIN: ‪993 926 856‬#)
• January 11th, 2:30-3:00 – video link, or dial 601-552-3113‬ (PIN: ‪212 081 695‬#)

Sincerely,

Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong 

Chief Academic Officer

Ockley Green Dancers @ 2/10/23 Blazer Game

Please come join us at the 2/10/23 Blazer game to support our amazing Ockley Green Dancers.  They will be performing on the court 30 minutes PRIOR to the start of the game.  The order deadline for tickets is this Monday, 1/9!  See this flyer for more information.

Bus Route Change  Reminder

Here are route changes that will go into effect on 1/4.  

Respiratory Illnesses and Covid-19  REMINDER

As a reminder, families can obtain COVID-19, flu, and other vaccinations at:

• MCHD Student Health Centers by appointment
• Benson Wellness Center by appointment
• Community COVID-19 vaccination clinics - no appointment is necessary

The health and well-being of our students is extremely important to us. We are keeping close track of the trends in our state and on the local level. PPS will continue to take all the steps necessary to maintain a healthy environment for our students and staff in the coming months.

Important Dates

• January 16th: NO SCHOOL - Dr. MLK Jr Day
• January 27th: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Planning Day
• February 10th: OG Dancers Performance @ the Blazer Game
• February 17th: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Inservice Day
• February 20th: NO SCHOOL - Presidents’ Day 
• March 22nd:  Spring Music Concert
• March 27th - 31st: Spring Break

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

This week started with our Winter Concert, with performances by our Beginning and Advanced Bands, led by our new Band teacher Benson Truong.  It was a treat to watch and listen to our wonderful students in action.  As noted by Mr. Truong during the concert, not only are these students working on their own skills on their individual instruments, but they are learning to integrate their parts into a multi-layered piece of music!  They will again perform on Sunday at the Holiday Performances at the Square (see link under Important Dates below for more info).  In addition to our Advanced Band, our Ockely Green Dancers will also be performing.  Hope you are able to come and enjoy our students in action!

Please see below for some important updates!

Benson High School Information for 8th Grade Students  NEW

Please see message below from our 8th Grade Counselor, Ms. Stone

Attached, please take a look at Benson High School's information presentation for the class of 2027. Benson will spend one more year at the Marshall campus, before returning to its newly remodeled building in Fall 2024. Students and families who are interested in attending Benson are encouraged to enter the lottery; as you can always decline an offered spot. 

Applying to Benson for the 2023-24 School Year: Benson will be accepting applications for Benson from Tuesday, November 15 to Friday, December 16th. Students only have to complete one on-line application. The online application will be on the Enrollment website: https://www.pps.net/schoolchoice.    Students are usually informed of acceptance by the end of January/beginning of February. We will have an in person and online forecasting nights about mid February for students who have been accepted.

Although Benson's information night has passed, please reach out to Mrs. Stone for any questions and connections to Benson staff.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zhATW8Gj9OI5UWt6O6QmPwlVHuyAbs22SO_V0mLkbUo/edit?usp=sharing

Congratulations to our Honor Roll Scholars  NEW

209 Ockley Green students earned Honor Roll status for earning 3.5 or higher GPA during Quarter 1. The hard work and perseverance of these students is commendable! Our Honor Roll Scholars are recognized in the Main Hall, will be recognized in an assembly later this month and will be entered into a gift card drawing.  

• Gavin Elder, 6th
• Amani Johnson, 7th
• Cayden Barton, 8th
• Evelyn Guerrero, 8th
• Terryn Sanders, 8th

Toy Drive December 17th  NEW

Respiratory Illnesses and Covid-19  NEW

Please see message below that was sent out to all families from Jey Buno, Chief of Student Support Services

We continue to encourage families to remain up-to-date on all vaccinations, wash hands well, and stay home when ill. Within schools, the district is reinforcing mitigation measures that have been in place throughout the pandemic. In turn, we ask that families notify their school if their child develops symptoms of, or is diagnosed with communicable disease such as COVID-19, RSV, or the flu. Doing so allows PPS to gather important data that may indicate if an outbreak is occurring, notify the school community accordingly, and take any additional mitigation measures that may be required.

As a reminder, families can obtain COVID-19, flu, and other vaccinations at:

• MCHD Student Health Centers by appointment

• Benson Wellness Center by appointment

• Community COVID-19 vaccination clinics - no appointment is necessary

The health and well-being of our students is extremely important to us. We are keeping close track of the trends in our state and on the local level. PPS will continue to take all the steps necessary to maintain a healthy environment for our students and staff in the coming months.

2022-23 Yearbooks  REMINDER

*Contact Phyllis Harris, pharris@pps.net, for more information about School Yearbook Ads

Fall Family Feedback Survey  REMINDER

The Fall Family Feedback Survey will close Monday, 12/12/22.  If you have not yet taken it, then please take a moment to share your feedback.

Fall Family Feedback Survey

Important Dates

• December 11th: OG Dance & Band Performances 5:00 - 6:00 at Pioneer Courthouse Square
• December 14th: Site Council 5:00 - 6:00
• December 19th - January 2nd: Winter Break

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

In the fall of 2021, PPS rolled out a one-to-one take-home Chromebook program for all students in grades 3-12.  One-to-one technology provides anytime/anywhere learning and opens the doors to creativity, collaboration, community, communication, and critical thinking skills that students need to compete and contribute in our local and the global society.  Having this resource is due to the generosity of voters that supported the 2020 School Bond, but this resource has its limits.  As part of our ongoing work with assessing the resource needs in our building and putting systems in place to better monitor & care for our resources, we are preparing a retrieval plan for multiple assignments of Chromebooks to individual students.  Our goal is to ensure that all students have access to Chromebooks that will support their engagement with learning activities in all of their classes.  You do not need to wait for a notice to come home, if you see that your child has more than one Chromebook or Charger at home, we would appreciate you dropping the extra one off in the Front Office.  We appreciate your effort in helping us to maintain ample technology supplies for our students.

Please see below for some important updates!

Roosevelt 8th Grade Information Night  NEW

Thursday, December 8th, 6:00-8:00 PM
 

• 8th Grade Information Night Flyer 

• 8th Grade Information Night Flyer (Spanish)

2022-23 Yearbooks  NEW

*Contact Phyllis Harris, pharris@pps.net, for more information about School Yearbook Ads

Congratulations to our Honor Roll Scholars  NEW

209 Ockley Green students earned Honor Roll status for earning 3.5 or higher GPA during Quarter 1. The hard work and perseverance of these students is commendable! Our Honor Roll Scholars are recognized in the Main Hall, will be recognized in an assembly later this month and will be entered into a gift card drawing.  

Picture Retake Day on Monday 12/5  NEW

Lifetouch will be on campus from 9am to 11:45am in the Auditorium.

Each grade team has a designated period for pictures to be retaken, and there will be announcements to alert each grade team when to make their way to retakes. The schedule is as follows:

Period 1 (9:35-10:20) 6th Grade Team

Period 2 (10:24-11:08) 7th Grade Team

Period 3 (11:12-11:45) 8th Grade Team

Fall Family Feedback Survey  REMINDER

The Fall Family Feedback Survey will close Monday, 12/12/22.  If you have not yet taken it, then please take a moment to share your feedback.

Fall Family Feedback Survey

Important Dates

• December 5th: Picture Retake Day
• December 5th: Winter Band Concert
• December 8th: Roosevelt 8th Grade Information Night
• December 11th: OG Dance & Band Performances at Pioneer Courthouse Square
• December 14th: Site Council 5:00pm - 6:00pm
• December 19th - January 2nd: Winter Break

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

November 13-19, 2022 marks Transgender Awareness Week, providing a moment to honor, celebrate, and uplift our trans community.  This week of awareness leads into the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, 2022.  In support of creating a Sense of Belonging at Ockley Green, we are committed to using preferred pronouns and names to ensure that all our students are seen and valued as a part of our school community.  In an article from Parents, “Using a child's correct gender pronouns is the easiest way to show that you respect who they are—this can shape their mental health for the rest of their lives. For a caregiver to acknowledge their identity can make the world of difference. According to The Trevor Projects' Research Brief: Gender-Affirming Care for Youth, there is a 29% decrease in suicidal ideation and a 56% decrease in suicidal behavior for youth when their chosen name is used.”

This week our Gay Straight Alliance provided information and Trans support buttons during lunch to raise awareness and spread the word about available resources throughout the school community.  For more resources through PPS, you can go to www.pps.net/LGBTQ.

Fall Family Feedback Survey  NEW

Site Council is again supporting our Fall Family Feedback Survey.  This provides us information to help guide our work and appreciate you taking a moment to fill it out. 

Fall Family Feedback Survey

COVID-19 Screening Pause  NEW

We just learned that there will be no OHSU COVID-19 Screening Spit Specimen collection during Thanksgiving week (November 22nd-24th). Please reach out if you have questions.

Restaurant Fundraising  NEW

Tasty Fundraising Opportunity

Whether you're dining in or ordering take-out, this is a delicious way to make dinner easy, while simultaneously supporting an awesome local business AND Ockley Green!

Thursday, December 1st

Tamale Boy, Dekum location

11am to 9pm

15% of ALL sales donated to OG Supporters!

Menus, available here: https://www.tamaleboy.com/dekum-classic

Bus Route Change Info from Transportation  NEW

You should have received this information directly if it impacts you, but I wanted to share out here too.  There is a route change that will go into effect on 11/30.

Dental Sealants Extension  NEW

The dental sealant team will be returning to Ockley Green Middle School after the Fall Break, November 28th-29th.  We will continue to call students down that have signed up for this service.

Conferences  REMINDER

Ockley Green families will be using our conference website to schedule parent teacher conferences this year. They will be held in person on November 21 and online on November 22. If families choose to do their conferences online they will use the same conference website to login to their teacher’s digital meeting rooms. The website will go live at 5:00pm on Friday November 11. Please note the scheduling interface may look different for some teachers who have an older version of google. 

https://sites.google.com/pps.net/ockley-green-conferences

OG Supporters Wreath Sale REMINDER

Proceeds from the wreath sale will help fund efforts to sustain a positive environment for students and staff at OGMS. 

For students, this includes support of events and activities that foster a sense of pride, confidence, and belonging, including school dances (planned by 8th grade Leadership Class), and contributions to schoolwide cultural events. Wreath sale funds will also support Dragon Leader initiatives, which include planning and implementing team building and inclusivity activities to help 6th graders and new students feel connected to and supported within the OGMS community.

For staff, this includes a wide array of appreciation initiatives throughout the school year, including purchasing items to improve the staff room, recognizing staff during various job-specific appreciation events (such as National School Nurse Appreciation Day, Custodian Appreciation Day, etc.), supporting staff during conferences, and celebrating all staff each day during National Teacher Appreciation Week.

Important Dates

• November 21st (In-Person) & 22nd (Virtual): Conferences

• November 28th-29th: Multnomah County Dental Sealants

• December 5th: Picture Retake Day

• December 8th: Winter Band Concert

• December 11th: OG Dance & Band Performances at Pioneer Courthouse Square

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

This month we celebrate and honor the history, culture, traditions and many contributions of Native Americans.  

Conferences are just around the corner on November 21st & 22nd.  We appreciate the opportunity to partner with our families to support positive academic and social-emotional outcomes for students.  With our Ockley Green Core Value of Growth, we look forward to these conversations to be able to work together to support the ongoing growth of our students.  We have already set up our priority conferences, such as conferences needing the support of an Interpreter.  Teacher Conference appointments are now live and available (see below for link). See below for more specific information about Conferences.

Please see below for some important updates!

Conferences  NEW

Ockley Green families will be using our conference website to schedule parent teacher conferences this year. They will be held in person on November 21 and online on November 22. If families choose to do their conferences online they will use the same conference website to login to their teacher’s digital meeting rooms. The website will go live at 5:00pm on Friday November 11. Please note the scheduling interface may look different for some teachers who have an older version of google. 

https://sites.google.com/pps.net/ockley-green-conferences

Hallway & Re-Engagement Plan Update  NEW

This week, with the reset of Hall Pass expectations in our classrooms, we have begun the Re-Engagement Waves in the halls.  During these Waves, we collected 14 students over the course of the week that did not have permission to be in the hallways.  We shared with students that we want them in class and the importance of them being there to learn.  We either re-taught the expectation for hall passes or made a conference call home to a Parent/Guardian.  We were pleased that the majority of students had a hall pass and that they were doing what the hall pass indicated.

As a reminder, the Classroom Re-Engagement Waves use the following outcomes:

• Wave 1: Discussion and Warning

• Wave 2: Discussion with parent or family 

• Wave 3: Individual re-engagement plan with incentive created

• Wave 4: Student makes up work missed at a different time

• Wave 5: Parent/Guardian joins meeting with student at school

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic  NEW

We are pleased to announce that we will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in partnership with Costco Pharmacy. The clinic will be open to all, and offer first, second and booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available. Flu shots will also be available for those who have insurance (if you are a Kaiser member, you must access the flu vaccine through Kaiser).

We ask that you please wear a mask. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided at the door.

What: COVID-19 Vaccine clinic

When: Wednesday, November 16, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Where: Dr. Matthew Prophet Center - 501 N. Dixon St.

Who: Anyone 6 years old or older wanting a first, second or booster dose. Please bring your insurance card.

Families can also search for vaccine opportunities at getvaccinated.Oregon.gov.

Chromebook Expectations  REMINDER

We are experiencing a high volume of Chromebook repairs and students not bringing their Chromebooks to school.  In addition, we have a number of students with more than one device currently assigned to them.  In an effort to ensure that all students have working Chromebooks, we are beginning to contact students/families with more than one assigned Chromebook and requesting that the additional one be returned.  To help keep our inventory of Chromebooks in good working condition, please review the Student Responsible Use information with your child.

With the rainy weather upon us, many students are staying in the cafeteria and playing games on their computers.  We are reminding students that first shooter games are not appropriate during school hours.  Please help us in conveying that expectation, as well as reminding them to bring their chargers to ensure computers are charged up for class. 

OG Supporters Wreath Sale REMINDER

Proceeds from the wreath sale will help fund efforts to sustain a positive environment for students and staff at OGMS. 

For students, this includes support of events and activities that foster a sense of pride, confidence, and belonging, including school dances (planned by 8th grade Leadership Class), and contributions to schoolwide cultural events. Wreath sale funds will also support Dragon Leader initiatives, which include planning and implementing team building and inclusivity activities to help 6th graders and new students feel connected to and supported within the OGMS community.

For staff, this includes a wide array of appreciation initiatives throughout the school year, including purchasing items to improve the staff room, recognizing staff during various job-specific appreciation events (such as National School Nurse Appreciation Day, Custodian Appreciation Day, etc.), supporting staff during conferences, and celebrating all staff each day during National Teacher Appreciation Week.

PIL Youth Athletics - Winter Season Tryouts  REMINDER

Please see below for specific information on upcoming tryouts & practice times.  More information can be found at the PIL Athletics website.

ROOSEVELT - Cluster Coordinator: Jaeger Vega jvega@pps.net  

Boys Basketball Head Coach: Yusuf Leary yleary@pps.net 

Tryouts at Roosevelt HS

• November 12th

  • 2:15-3:45 6th grade

  • 4-5:30 7th grade

  • 5:45-7:15 8th grade

Girls Basketball  Head Coach: Nike Greene ngreene@pps.net 

Tryouts at Roosevelt HS

• November 12th

  • 9-10:30 6th grade

  • 10:45-12:15 7th grade

  • 12:30-2 pm 8th grade

JEFFERSON - Cluster Coordinator: Andre Lawrence alawrenc@pps.net  

Boys Basketball

Head Coach: Pat Strickland pstrickland@pps.net

Tryouts at Jefferson HS 

• November 12th

  • 6th grade 12pm - 1:30pm

  • 7th grade 1:45pm - 3:15pm

  • 8th grade 3:30pm - 5pm

• November 13th

  • 6th grade 12pm - 1:30pm

  • 7th grade 1:45pm - 3:15pm

  • 8th grade 3:30pm - 5pm

Important Dates

• November 11th: No School - Veterans Day

• November 14th-18th: Multnomah County Dental Sealants 

• November 21st (In-Person) & 22nd (Virtual): Conferences

• December 5th: Picture Retake Day

• December 8th: Winter Band Concert

• December 11th: OG Dance & Band Performances at Pioneer Courthouse Square

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

At the beginning of the school year, I shared, through the weekly newsletter, our staff’s commitment to putting our Ockley Green Core Values into action.  As I reflect over the 1st Quarter, I am inspired by the many ways these values are practiced in this community.  While there are many, I want to highlight some that surface for me as I reflect on the Ockley Green Way and our Core Values of Caring, Growth and Collaboration.

CARING

• Affinity Lunch Groups are running strong 

• Weeks of celebratory events for Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month

• Halloween Festivities organized by our Leadership students

• SUN afterschool program kicked off

GROWTH

• Staff supporting restorative conversations, both between peers and student-teacher

• Students engaged with intervention support 

COLLABORATION

• Coordinators and Mentors from SEI, Latino Network, Coalition of Black Men and Urban League partnering with our teachers, counselors & support staff to provide seamless support for students

• Staff attending a Student Intervention Team retreat to learn together and plan for intentional interventions for struggling students

• Site Council, OG Supporters and our Dragon Leadership Team engaging in problem-solving, planning and feedback to inform systems and practices that will positively impact student outcomes 

I am truly honored to work with an incredible team who are invested in the Ockley Green Way!

Please see below for some important updates!

Chromebook Expectations  NEW

We are experiencing a high volume of Chromebook repairs and students not bringing their Chromebooks to school.  In addition, we have a number of students with more than one device currently assigned to them.  In an effort to ensure that all students have working Chromebooks, we are beginning to contact students/families with more than one assigned Chromebook and requesting that the additional one be returned.  To help keep our inventory of Chromebooks in good working condition, please review the Student Responsible Use information with your child.

With the rainy weather upon us, many students are staying in the cafeteria and playing games on their computers.  We are reminding students that first shooter games are not appropriate during school hours.  Please help us in conveying that expectation, as well as reminding them to bring their chargers to ensure computers are charged up for class. 

Hallway & Re-Engagement Plan  REMINDER

We have seen improvement in our students arriving in classrooms on time.  However, as a staff, we are finalizing a reset for our hallways starting Quarter 2 to address students out with hall passes for too long or leaving class.  As part of this collaborative effort, we have met with students, listened to families and problem-solved together.  Our new Student Attendance Coach, Evan Martin, has already been working with students & families to set up plans of support aimed at helping students stay in class.  In addition to this, we will institute a change for a 3-minute passing time to a 4-minute passing time, which is based on strong student feedback.  The new Bell Schedule will be posted on the website at the start of Quarter 2 and this will not impact any instructional time.  We will also begin Classroom Re-Engagement Waves with the following outcomes:

• Wave 1: Discussion and Warning

• Wave 2: Discussion with parent or family 

• Wave 3: Individual re-engagement plan with incentive created

• Wave 4: Student makes up work missed at a different time

• Wave 5: Parent/Guardian joins meeting with student at school

OG Supporters Wreath Sale REMINDER & NEW LINK

Proceeds from the wreath sale will help fund efforts to sustain a positive environment for students and staff at OGMS. 

For students, this includes support of events and activities that foster a sense of pride, confidence, and belonging, including school dances (planned by 8th grade Leadership Class), and contributions to schoolwide cultural events. Wreath sale funds will also support Dragon Leader initiatives, which include planning and implementing team building and inclusivity activities to help 6th graders and new students feel connected to and supported within the OGMS community.

For staff, this includes a wide array of appreciation initiatives throughout the school year, including purchasing items to improve the staff room, recognizing staff during various job-specific appreciation events (such as National School Nurse Appreciation Day, Custodian Appreciation Day, etc.), supporting staff during conferences, and celebrating all staff each day during National Teacher Appreciation Week.

PIL Youth Athletics - Winter Season Tryouts  REMINDER

Please see below for specific information on upcoming tryouts & practice times.  More information can be found at the PIL Athletics website.

ROOSEVELT - Cluster Coordinator: Jaeger Vega jvega@pps.net  

Boys Basketball Head Coach: Yusuf Leary yleary@pps.net 

Tryouts at Roosevelt HS

• November 5th

  • 2:15-3:45 6th grade

  • 4-5:30 7th grade

  • 5:45-7:15 8th grade

• November 12th

  • 2:15-3:45 6th grade

  • 4-5:30 7th grade

  • 5:45-7:15 8th grade

Girls Basketball  Head Coach: Nike Greene ngreene@pps.net 

Tryouts at Roosevelt HS

• November 5th

  • 9-10:30 6th grade

  • 10:45-12:15 7th grade

  • 12:30-2 pm 8th grade

• November 12th

  • 9-10:30 6th grade

  • 10:45-12:15 7th grade

  • 12:30-2 pm 8th grade

Wrestling  Head Coach: Justin Hollingshead jhollingshead@pps.net; Youth Head Coach: Jake Bass jbass@pps.net; 

Practice beginning November 8th

• Roosevelt Mat Room

• Tuesdays and Fridays 6-8 pm

JEFFERSON - Cluster Coordinator: Andre Lawrence alawrenc@pps.net  

Boys Basketball

Head Coach: Pat Strickland pstrickland@pps.net

Tryouts at Jefferson HS 

• November 12th

  • 6th grade 12pm - 1:30pm

  • 7th grade 1:45pm - 3:15pm

  • 8th grade 3:30pm - 5pm

• November 13th

  • 6th grade 12pm - 1:30pm

  • 7th grade 1:45pm - 3:15pm

  • 8th grade 3:30pm - 5pm

Girls Basketball

Head Coach: Andre Lawrence alawrenc@pps.net

Tryouts at Jefferson HS 

• November 5th

  • 6th grade 12pm - 1:30pm

  • 7th grade 1:45pm - 3:15pm

  • 8th grade 3:30pm - 5pm

• November 6th

  • 6th grade 12pm - 1:30pm

  • 7th grade 1:45pm - 3:15pm

  • 8th grade 3:30pm - 5pm

Wrestling

Head Coach: Montral Brazile mbrazile@pps.net

Youth Head Coach: Hiag Brown hiagbrown@gmail.com 

Practice beginning November 7th

• 5:30-7pm in the Jefferson Mat Room

Important Dates

• November 11th: No School - Veterans Day

• November 14th-18th: Multnomah County Dental Sealants 

• November 21st (In-Person) & 22nd (Virtual): Conferences

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

It has been an exciting week here at Ockley Green.  Our Leadership students, with the direction of Ms. Halbig, have spent weeks preparing for Spirit Week, with a culminating Celebration at the end of the day on Friday.  Students had the option to dance, watch a movie, play games, read in the library or hang out in a quiet space.  Our OG Supporters provided popcorn, cookies and punch for students, which was a hit!  It was wonderful to see the excitement, laughter and amazing dance moves from our students.  It would not have been possible without all the support from staff & volunteers, so THANK YOU for everyone’s piece in creating some joy in our student community.  

Please see below for some important updates!

Hallway & Re-Engagement Plan  NEW

We have seen improvement in our students arriving in classrooms on time.  However, as a staff, we are finalizing a reset for our hallways starting Quarter 2 to address students out with hall passes for too long or leaving class.  As part of this collaborative effort, we have met with students, listened to families and problem-solved together.  Our new Student Attendance Coach, Evan Martin, has already been working with students & families to set up plans of support aimed at helping students stay in class.  In addition to this, we will institute a change for a 3-minute passing time to a 4-minute passing time, which is based on strong student feedback.  The new Bell Schedule will be posted on the website at the start of Quarter 2 and this will not impact any instructional time.  We will also begin Classroom Re-Engagement Sweeps with the following outcomes:

• Sweep 1: Discussion and Warning

• Sweep 2: Discussion with parent or family 

• Sweep 3: Individual re-engagement plan with incentive created

• Sweep 4: Student makes up work missed at a different time

• Sweep 5: Parent/Guardian joins meeting with student at school

OG Supporters Wreath Sale NEW

Proceeds from the wreath sale will help fund efforts to sustain a positive environment for students and staff at OGMS. 

For students, this includes support of events and activities that foster a sense of pride, confidence, and belonging, including school dances (planned by 8th grade Leadership Class), and contributions to schoolwide cultural events. Wreath sale funds will also support Dragon Leader initiatives, which include planning and implementing team building and inclusivity activities to help 6th graders and new students feel connected to and supported within the OGMS community.

For staff, this includes a wide array of appreciation initiatives throughout the school year, including purchasing items to improve the staff room, recognizing staff during various job-specific appreciation events (such as National School Nurse Appreciation Day, Custodian Appreciation Day, etc.), supporting staff during conferences, and celebrating all staff each day during National Teacher Appreciation Week.

Lost & Found  NEW

Our Lost & Found, located in the Cafeteria, is too much for us to continue to store. Please have your child check it this coming week.  We will take a load of clothing either to the Clothes Closet or the Goodwill on Friday, November 4th.

PIL Youth Athletics - Winter Season Tryouts  REMINDER

Please see below for specific information on upcoming tryouts & practice times.  More information can be found at the PIL Athletics website.

Harvest Fest at SEI - October 31st  REMINDER

See here for more information about the Harvest Fest Event hosted by Self Enhancement, Inc.  It is open to everyone!

Important Dates

• November 4th: No School - Teacher Planning Day

• November 11th: No School - Veterans Day

• November 14th-18th: Multnomah County Dental Sealants 

• November 21st (In-Person) & 22nd (Virtual): Conferences

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

It has been a busy week!  Part of the busyness resulted from an amazing opportunity for our 8th Grade students to go on a Field Trip downtown where they spent time at the Portland Art Museum, Portland State University and Oregon Historical Society.  We appreciate not only the efforts of our 8th Grade teachers and staff, but also the many additional volunteers that helped support as chaperones in making this trip possible for our students.

We also experienced the unexpected impact of a lengthy power outage.  For those of you that were also impacted at home with this, I hope that you managed okay.  Here at Ockley Green, we had a staff huddle to prepare for the arrival of our students, who were already on route via buses, walking or family drop off.  While we worked with our Central staff, Facilities & Senior Leadership, to gather information from PGE about restoration, we began a building assessment to identify areas of concerns and either closed rooms or moved students to a safe space.  During this, we experienced a large group of students at about 30 minutes into the day begin to exit classrooms to check out for the day.  I will always prioritize student safety and, in this situation, it required all hands on deck to ensure student safety by confirming students had parent/guardian permission and accounting for them before they could leave.  Without our phones or internet online, it was a slow process to account for 500 students. I am incredibly appreciative of our staff and the high level of care they showed for our students throughout the morning. Thank you for your patience as we worked diligently to ensure each student could safely leave school.

Our team debriefed the situation and we will be putting together a specific Ockley Green response plan for Power Outages, similar to the response plans we have for other emergency situations.  We have appreciated the feedback on how we can improve our responsiveness that we have received from staff and families, so please don’t hesitate to share your suggestions with us.

Please see below for some important updates!

PIL Youth Athletics - Winter Season Tryouts  NEW

Please see below for specific information on upcoming tryouts & practice times.  More information can be found at the PIL Athletics website.

Boys Basketball Head Coach: Yusuf Leary yleary@pps.net; Youth AD: jvega@pps.net  

Tryouts at Roosevelt HS

• November 5th

  • 215-345 6th grade

  • 4-530 7th grade

  • 545-715 8th grade

• November 12th

  • 215-345 6th grade

  • 4-530 7th grade

  • 545-715 8th grade

Girls Basketball  Head Coach: Nike Greene ngreene@pps.net; Youth AD: jvega@pps.net  

Tryouts at Roosevelt HS

• November 5th

  • 9-10:30 6th grade

  • 1045-1215 7th grade

  • 1230-2pm 8th grade

• November 12th

  • 9-10:30 6th grade

  • 1045-1215 7th grade

  • 1230-2pm 8th grade

Wrestling  Head Coach: Justin Hollingshead jhollingshead@pps.net; Youth Head Coach: Jake Bass jbass@pps.net; Cluster Coordinator: Jaeger Vega jvega@pps.net  

Practice beginning November 8th

• Roosevelt Mat Room

• Tuesdays and Fridays

• 6-8pm

Harvest Fest at SEI - October 31st  REMINDER

See here for more information about the Harvest Fest Event hosted by Self Enhancement, Inc.  It is open to everyone!

Updated Picture Day Date  NEW

Picture Day has been rescheduled to take place on Thursday, October 27th 2022. We appreciate everyone's understanding, and look forward to capturing your amazing students on film! 

Dental Sealants Rescheduled

The dental sealant team will be coming to Ockley Green Middle School the week before Thanksgiving break, November 14th - 18th, and will return the following Monday, November 29th, after break if needed. If you are interested in your students getting free dental sealants, please fill out the forms below!

Greetings Parents/Guardians,

Multnomah County’s School and Community Oral Health Program is offering Free sealants and dental screening. A dental screening is a quick look inside your child’s mouth to check the overall health of their teeth, and sealants will be placed if needed.

This service is available for students in 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. 

What questions do you have? Please call us at 503-988-3905.

To use this FREE service please fill out the electronic permission slip at this link:

https://forms.gle/zhFNPFK1xnCU1ZxN8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saludos Padres/Tutores,

El programa de salud oral escolar y comunitaria del condado de Multnomah ofrece selladores y exámenes dentales gratuitos. Una revisión dental es un vistazo rápido dentro de la boca de su hijo/a para revisar la salud general de los dientes y se les aplicará los selladores. 

Este servicio está disponible para estudiantes de segundo, tercero, sexto, séptimo y octavo grado.

¿Necesitas ayuda? ¿Tiene preguntas? Llámenos al 503-988-3905

 Para usar este servicio gratis, complete este permiso electrónico:

https://forms.gle/kvkGM1kEkzrEy3a9A

Dr. Aaron Green-Mitchell has accepted another position outside of PPS.  We are excited for this next step in his career, but will certainly miss him in the halls of Ockley Green.  Please join me in wishing him the best as he transitions to his new role.

Our new Assistant Principal, Spencer Crum, had the opportunity to meet our staff this morning.  He will be here for a couple days this week to work with Aaron to ensure a smooth transition.  His first official day will be next Monday, October 31st.  I'd like to share part of the message sent out to staff in response to a podcast that Spencer participated with in 2017.  Please see below:

• One of our Ockley Green Core Values is Growth, which I believe can only be achieved when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to feedback and are self-reflective.  Over the past few months, I have had many opportunities to pause, listen and reflect on decisions that impact our community.  Along the way, I have appreciated the open dialogue with staff, students and families.  Please know that my door is always open and I welcome your noticings and wonderings.

  
  I want to take this opportunity to officially share that Spencer Crum will be joining our staff in the Assistant Principal position that is open due to Aaron’s departure.  He and Aaron will have time this week for some transition work, with Spencer starting at Ockley Green full-time on October 31st.  During this hiring process, I took time to pause and further reflect after the surfacing of a 2017 Sox & Sandals Podcast with host Emmanuel Williams, I’m Really Not Racist, which Spencer was a guest on.  I have taken the time to fully listen to the podcast and I was reminded that we are all evolving in our understanding of our racial identity and the role it plays in our work educating students.  In this transition, I have a hope that we will listen to each other, enter spaces with curiosity and that we have grace with each other in our growth as anti-racist educators.  I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Spencer better through the pause in his hiring and I believe he enters this work with compassion, commitment and a growth mindset.   I invite you to also take the time to get to know him and help him in getting to know the amazing things you are doing to support our students. 

Please join me in welcoming Spencer to this new role.  We look forward to continuing to partner with our students, staff and families to create a thriving community of learners here at Ockley Green.

Important Dates UPDATED

• October 27th: Picture Day

• November 4th: No Students - Teacher Planning Day

• November 14th-18th: Multnomah County Dental Sealants 

• November 21st & 22nd: Conferences

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

We are excited to be welcoming our new 7th Grade Language Arts/Creative Writing teacher, Sam Lehman this Monday.  Our 7th Grade LA/Creative Writing position is a result of additional staffing we received from PPS to relieve our large class sizes in 7th Language Arts and Electives.  Thus, we have made schedule changes in order to balance our 7th Grade Language Arts classes and to balance some of our electives. Our Counselors will also communicate with impacted students.  It is never easy for students to experience a schedule change after the year has started.  Our Leadership Team worked with Counselors to identify students for these moves.  Our goal was to make changes that were the least disruptive as possible, such as an easy swap of one period.  We also did not make moves if it required another class to have a teacher change, such as a change from one Math teacher to the other.  These changes take effect on Monday, October 17th, so please check StudentVue or ParentVue to see if there is a change.  If your student is interested in Creative Writing, then have them reach out to their Counselor to request a schedule change.

We are also welcoming our new Student Attendance Coach, Evan Martin, on Monday.  Evan will be focused on engaging students with school, attendance supports and implementing a data-driven support system to help improve student attendance.  He has experience with engagement through his many years as an SEI Coordinator and more recently with his work in East County and the REAP Program.

Please see below for some important updates!

Food Delivery Apps/Services During the School Day  REMINDER

We ask that students not use food delivery apps or services during the school day.  Students using such apps and or services (or contacting restaurants for delivery) is disruptive to classes and the overall school climate.  It also presents logistical issues for office staff and those supervising lunch.  Families may drop off items for their students for lunch and free hot lunch is available for all students.  Any food delivered by delivery app or from restaurants will be held in the office until the school day ends and then will be available to students at that time. 

Picture Day is Coming  REMINDER

Please go to mylifetouch.com or click on this link to place our orders for prints! The Picture Day ID needed to place orders for our school is EVTJHP83N .

The big day is Tuesday, 18 October 2022 in our auditorium. Direction for students on that day will be provided during Dragon Time (Advisory Period). Please call the main office at (503)916-5660, option 0 for any questions or further information.

Dental Sealants  NEW

Due to current staffing shortages, the dental sealants team will be rescheduling the October 17th dental sealants date to a date in November - December. We will share the new date with families once it has been determined by the dental sealants team.

Harvest Fest at SEI - October 31st  NEW

See here for more information about the Harvest Fest Event hosted by Self Enhancement, Inc.  It is open to everyone!

Important Dates

• October 18th: Picture Day

• November 4th: No Students - Teacher Planning Day

• November 21st & 22nd: Conferences

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

We have continued to experience wonderful moments of celebration and support for our students as we foster a sense of belonging for everyone at Ockley Green Middle School.  This week, students continued to have multiple opportunities to celebrate Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month.  

Our Lunch Clubs that provide Affinity spaces for students have been up and going for a few weeks.  We have staff and students involved with our Black Student Union (BSU), Lucha Club and our Gay Straight Alliance (GSA).  We will have our Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA) starting soon.  We appreciate the support of our many staff that are making these meetings possible, as well as our Club Organizer Extraordinaire, Tristan Trotter.

Please see below for some important updates!

Food Delivery Apps/Services During the School Day

We ask that students not use food delivery apps or services during the school day.  Students using such apps and or services (or contacting restaurants for delivery) is disruptive to classes and the overall school climate.  It also presents logistical issues for office staff and those supervising lunch.  Families may drop off items for their students for lunch and free hot lunch is available for all students.  Any food delivered by delivery app or from restaurants will be held in the office until the school day ends and then will be available to students at that time. 

November Conference Format Input Needed  NEW

We are looking forward to acting on our Ockley Green Way and our Core Value of Collaboration with our upcoming Family-Student Conferences in November.  This is a critical opportunity to continue to build a partnership in which the family, teachers, and school staff work collaboratively for the benefit of our students. Conferences allow us to further open the lines of communication between our school and families.  We would like to have you input on how our Conference structure can be set up to best meet your needs.  We have the option of being fully In-Person, fully Virtual or a combination of both.  Please complete this brief survey by October 13th.

Conference Format Input Survey

Picture Day is Coming  NEW

Please go to mylifetouch.com or click on this link to place your orders for prints! The Picture Day ID needed to place orders for our school is EVTJHP83N . If your preference is to use the picture packet, please ensure that your student brings that packet with them on Picture Day, the main office does not handle picture orders and cannot take money for pictures. 

The big day is Tuesday, 18 October 2022 in our auditorium. Direction for students on that day will be provided during Dragon Time (Advisory Period). Please call the main office at (503)916-5660, option 0 for any questions or further information.

COVID-19 Screening  REMINDER

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. Pick-ups of tubes have started and we have a new day this year.  Participating students will drop off spit samples in pre-labeled tubes at school Tuesday each week, whether they have symptoms or not. 

What’s new?

• Registration: Beginning today 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.

• Spit Samples: Spit tests can be collected either the night before or the morning of their school’s testing day. 

• 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.

• Additional drop-off locations: If you miss your weekly testing day, OHSU has added 3 drop-off sites around the Portland metro area.

  • Doernbecher Child Development Rehabilitation Center - 707 S Gaines Street, Portland, OR 97239

  • Primary Care Clinic at Gabriel Park - 4411 S Vermont Street, Portland, OR 97219

  • Richmond Family Health Center - 3930 SE Division Street, Portland, OR 97202

What stays the same?

• There is no cost to families to participate.

• OHSU uses highly accurate molecular testing, known as PCR.

• Students will continue to bring their spit samples to school on the designated testing day.

• OHSU nurses will call parents of all students who test positive or whose tests are  inconclusive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
   

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.

SUN School After School Programming  REMINDER

Fall registration is now open! Please make sure to fill out an application before signing up for programming. Enrichment classes are Monday - Thursday from 3:45 PM to 5:30 PM. Registration is first come, first served!

Class List 

• Chess For Success (Monday & Wednesday) 

• DJ’ing (Monday & Wednesday)

• Hair Braiding (Monday & Wednesday)

• Open Gym (Monday & Wednesday)

• Cooking (Thursday) 

• Friends of Baseball (Tuesday & Thursday) 

• Homework Help (Tuesday & Thursday) 

SUN Application located here 

Class Registration located here 

Important Dates

• October 14th: No School for PPS Students due to Inservice

• October 18th: Picture Day

• November 21st & 22nd: Conferences

Lastly, we will soon be transitioning to S’More for our Weekly Newsletter.  We are excited to offer this new format, as it provides the option of multiple languages.  Please keep an eye out for it!

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

Today, our students participated in our 1st Lockdown drill of the year.  Emergency preparedness drills can be difficult to experience and I truly wish that it was not a necessary part of our students’ lives.  We alerted our students during Advisory prior to the drill, see information here, and provided opportunities for students to ask questions.  Our staff’s care & compassion in preparing students for this important procedure, as well as support in practicing these steps, was amazing!  

Please remind and encourage your student that they can always talk with a trusted adult if they are feeling anxious or concerned as a result of this, or any, drill.  Our team debriefed after the drill and will respond to questions that arise from staff & students, which is important feedback to help us improve our response.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have regarding our safety & emergency practices.

Have a safe & restful weekend.

Please see below for some important updates!

COVID-19 Screening

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. Pick-ups of tubes has started and we have a new day this year.  Participating students will drop off spit samples in pre-labeled tubes at school Tuesday each week, whether they have symptoms or not. 

What’s new?

• Registration: Beginning today 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.

• Spit Samples: Spit tests can be collected either the night before or the morning of their school’s testing day. 

• 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.

• Additional drop-off locations: If you miss your weekly testing day, OHSU has added 3 drop-off sites around the Portland metro area.

  • Doernbecher Child Development Rehabilitation Center - 707 S Gaines Street, Portland, OR 97239

  • Primary Care Clinic at Gabriel Park - 4411 S Vermont Street, Portland, OR 97219

  • Richmond Family Health Center - 3930 SE Division Street, Portland, OR 97202

What stays the same?

• There is no cost to families to participate.

• OHSU uses highly accurate molecular testing, known as PCR.

• Students will continue to bring their spit samples to school on the designated testing day.

• OHSU nurses will call parents of all students who test positive or whose tests are  inconclusive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
   

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.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic

We are pleased to announce that we will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority. The clinic will be open to all, and offer first, second and booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available. Additionally, this clinic will include access to the new bivalent vaccine (12+). The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older, and boosters for everyone 5 years and older.

We ask that you please wear a mask. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided at the door.

What: COVID-19 Vaccine clinic

When: Wednesday, October 5, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Where: PPS Headquarters - 501 N. Dixon St.

Who: Anyone 6 months or older wanting a first, second or booster dose, including boosters for children ages 5-11. There is no charge for the vaccine.

Families can also search for vaccine opportunities at getvaccinated.Oregon.gov.

Breakfast Service

Starting Monday, October 3rd, Breakfast pick-up will be in the Cafeteria.  Students wishing to have breakfast are expected to pick it up before 9:10 and proceed to their Period 1 class.

SUN School After School Programming 

Fall registration is now open! Please make sure to fill out an application before signing up for programming. Enrichment classes are Monday - Thursday from 3:45 PM to 5:30 PM. Registration is first come, first served!

Class List 

• Chess For Success (Monday & Wednesday) 

• DJ’ing (Monday & Wednesday)

• Hair Braiding (Monday & Wednesday)

• Open Gym (Monday & Wednesday)

• Cooking (Thursday) 

• Friends of Baseball (Tuesday & Thursday) 

• Homework Help (Tuesday & Thursday) 

SUN Application located here 

Class Registration located here 

Dental Sealants Coming Soon

Greetings Parents/Guardians,

Multnomah County’s School and Community Oral Health Program is offering Free sealants and dental screening. A dental screening is a quick look inside your child’s mouth to check the overall health of their teeth, and sealants will be placed if needed.

This service is available for students in 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.

What questions do you have? Please call us at 503-988-3905.

To use this FREE service please fill out the electronic permission slip at this link:

https://forms.gle/zhFNPFK1xnCU1ZxN8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Saludos Padres/Tutores,

El programa de salud oral escolar y comunitaria del condado de Multnomah ofrece selladores y exámenes dentales gratuitos. Una revisión dental es un vistazo rápido dentro de la boca de su hijo/a para revisar la salud general de los dientes y se les aplicará los selladores. 

Este servicio está disponible para estudiantes de segundo, tercero, sexto, séptimo y octavo grado.

¿Necesitas ayuda? ¿Tiene preguntas? Llámenos al 503-988-3905

Para usar este servicio gratis, complete este permiso electrónico:

https://forms.gle/kvkGM1kEkzrEy3a9A

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September is Suicide Prevention Month

When mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention and awareness across the country.  Suicide Prevention Month provides a dedicated time to come together with collective strength around an important topic and educate ourselves on how we can help those who may be struggling in our schools.

Please make sure you have these important contacts for Crisis Support.

• Multnomah County Crisis Line

  • Mental Health Crisis Line for youth and adults 503-988-4888

  • Crisis Line - Text “HOME” to 741-741 to connect with a mental health counselor by text

• Youthline ALL youth in crisis  https://oregonyouthline.org/

• Trevor Project - LGBTQ+ Crisis Resource

  • 866-850-8078 (866-4-U-TREVOR)

  • https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Important Dates

• October 14th: No School for PPS Students due to Inservice

• October 18th: Picture Day

• November 21st & 22nd: Conferences

Lastly, we will soon be transitioning to S’More for our Weekly Newsletter.  We are excited to offer this new format, as it provides the option of multiple languages.  Please keep an eye out for it!

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

Our Partners are critical in creating a sense of belonging for our students and supporting their development of skills, both academically and social-emotionally.  We are fortunate to be partnering with amazing Community Partners:

Students that are served by these Partners have the opportunity to connect with mentors/coordinators during the school day.  Partners are also collaborating with our teacher and support teams to coordinate services.  See below for more information about our SUN Afterschool Programming, which starts October 10, 2022.

SUN School 

Fall registration is now open! Please make sure to fill out an application before signing up for programming. Enrichment classes are Monday - Thursday from 3:45 PM to 5:30 PM. Registration is first come, first served!

Class List 

• Chess For Success (Monday & Wednesday) 

• DJ’ing (Monday & Wednesday)

• Hair Braiding (Monday & Wednesday)

• Open Gym (Monday & Wednesday)

• Cooking (Thursday) 

• Friends of Baseball (Tuesday & Thursday) 

• Homework Help (Tuesday & Thursday) 

SUN Application located here 

Class Registration located here 

Dental Sealants Coming Soon

Greetings Parents/Guardians,

Multnomah County’s School and Community Oral Health Program is offering Free sealants and dental screening. A dental screening is a quick look inside your child’s mouth to check the overall health of their teeth, and sealants will be placed if needed.

This service is available for students in 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.

What questions do you have? Please call us at 503-988-3905.

To use this FREE service please fill out the electronic permission slip at this link:

https://forms.gle/zhFNPFK1xnCU1ZxN8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saludos Padres/Tutores,

El programa de salud oral escolar y comunitaria del condado de Multnomah ofrece selladores y exámenes dentales gratuitos. Una revisión dental es un vistazo rápido dentro de la boca de su hijo/a para revisar la salud general de los dientes y se les aplicará los selladores. 

Este servicio está disponible para estudiantes de segundo, tercero, sexto, séptimo y octavo grado.

¿Necesitas ayuda? ¿Tiene preguntas? Llámenos al 503-988-3905

Para usar este servicio gratis, complete este permiso electrónico:

https://forms.gle/kvkGM1kEkzrEy3a9A

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September is Suicide Prevention Month

When mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention and awareness across the country.  Suicide Prevention Month provides a dedicated time to come together with collective strength around an important topic and educate ourselves on how we can help those who may be struggling in our schools.

Please make sure you have these important contacts for Crisis Support.

• Multnomah County Crisis Line

  • Mental Health Crisis Line for youth and adults 503-988-4888

  • Crisis Line - Text “HOME” to 741-741 to connect with a mental health counselor by text

• Youthline ALL youth in crisis  https://oregonyouthline.org/

• Trevor Project - LGBTQ+ Crisis Resource

  • 866-850-8078 (866-4-U-TREVOR)

  • https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Important Dates

• September 23rd:  No School for PPS Students due to Inservice

• October 18th: Picture Day

• November 21st & 22nd: Conferences

New Attendance Line 

Email: attendance-ockleygreen@pps.net

We are excited to offer an additional method for sharing with our Front Office when your child will be absent.  We appreciate you considering making use of this form of communication for absences as it will help our staff get attendance updated and out to our teachers more efficiently.  We hope it will be a more convenient method for you since you can email prior to the beginning of the school year.  Please include the following in the email:

• Full Student Name (Last, First)

• Student ID, if available

• Date of Absence

• Reason for Absence

If you call in to report an absence, you will soon be able to select Option 3 to quickly jump to the line to leave a message.

Lastly, we will soon be transitioning to S’More for our Weekly Newsletter.  We are excited to offer this new format, as it provides the option of multiple languages.  Please keep an eye out for it!

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

Yesterday began the celebration of Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month, which offers an opportunity to honor, recognize, and celebrate Latino contributions to our community, state, and country.  Over the next month, our students will have the opportunity to further understand the unique history and contributions of Latinos in Portland and across our country.  We have activities planned, such as a lunchtime movie & discussion forum, crafts and games. 

We enjoyed connecting with all the families and students that were able to join our Back to School Night on Thursday night this last week.  This event was a good reminder of how wonderful it is to not only welcome our students back into the building this year, but to also have our families in the building.   If you were not able to make it, then here are the slides shared at the beginning of the evening.  If you would like any information specific to one of your child's classes, then please feel free to reach out to their teacher.

I want to thank you for your patience with our large classes this year.  I am happy to share with you that we have secured additional staffing and are in the process of interviewing for an additional teacher that will provide some relief of our large 7th Grade classes, as well as provide some more Elective offerings in support of bringing some of those class sizes down.  With this, any time a significant Master Schedule change occurs during the school year, it will impact students as we work to further balance classes.  Schedule changes will primarily impact our 7th grade students and I will keep you informed about when you might see some of these changes.

Please see below for some important updates!

Important Dates

• September 23rd:  No School for PPS Students due to Inservice

• October 18th: Picture Day

• November 21st & 22nd: Conferences

New Attendance Line 

Email: attendance-ockleygreen@pps.net

We are excited to offer an additional method for sharing with our Front Office when your child will be absent.  We appreciate you considering making use of this form of communication for absences as it will help our staff get attendance updated and out to our teachers more efficiently.  We hope it will be a more convenient method for you since you can email prior to the beginning of the school year.

Please include the following in the email:

• Full Student Name (Last, First)

• Student ID, if available

• Date of Absence

• Reason for Absence

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

As the school year opened, I shared with you our team’s renewed focus on our Ockley Green Core Values, Caring, Growth and Collaboration.  In the area of Growth, our staff are putting this into action through a focus on Interventions for academic growth and Restorative Practices to support student growth in the skills and processes that help build, maintain and repair relationships.

Our goal is to increase the utilization of Restorative Practices as preventative measures to proactively help our students & staff prevent or respond to conflict in the moment in order to diffuse a potential escalation of the conflict.  It also provides opportunities for students to empower themselves as part of a community committed to building a sense of belonging for all students.

We are fortunate to have Rocio Miranda Alarcon, Restorative Justice Coordinator, as a new member of our staff.  She has been building relationships with students, working with students to resolve conflict and co-leading, with our Climate Team, Professional Learning for our staff.  We are encouraging staff to grow their own skills in the area of Restorative Practices by starting to make use of Community Circles, with Agreements, to foster the development of a caring community of learners in the classroom.  

Please see below for some important updates!

Important Dates

• September 15th: Back to School Night 

• September 23rd:  No School for PPS Students due to Inservice

• October 18th: Picture Day

• November 21st & 22nd: Conferences

Back to School Night

We look forward to seeing you at Back to School Night on Thursday, September 15th, 6pm - 7:30pm.  We will also be hosting our ESL Family Meeting and TAG Informational Session prior to Back to School Night, @ 5:30 PM.  During the evening, you will have the opportunity to connect with some of our School Partners, like SEI and SUN, as well as meet our Support Team staff. 

New Attendance Line  NEW

Email: attendance-ockleygreen@pps.net

We are excited to offer an additional method for sharing with our Front Office when your child will be absent.  We appreciate you considering making use of this form of communication for absences as it will help our staff get attendance updated and out to our teachers more efficiently.  We hope it will be a more convenient method for you since you can email prior to the beginning of the school year.

Please include the following in the email:

• Full Student Name (Last, First)

• Student ID, if available

• Date of Absence

• Reason for Absence

Substitutes

We appreciate those of you that have reached out regarding our staffing.  We are continuing to look for candidates to take the positions full time for the duration of the year and we’ve been very fortunate to secure long term substitutes with backgrounds appropriate to the subject matter and that have ties to the OG community.  I’m pleased to report that we are in the process of hiring our 6th Grade LA teacher and hope to introduce them soon to our 6th Grade students & families.

Water Bottles

We have water filling stations at our drinking fountains and encourage students to bring reusable water bottles to school.  Staying hydrated, especially on our hot days, helps students to stay healthy and ready to learn.

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

It was wonderful to welcome our students back this week.  Throughout the week, students have had the opportunity to build community with their classmates and review expectations across the school, as well as to begin to co-create expectations in the classroom. The halls, classrooms and recess area were filled with excitement as students reconnected with friends and staff.  Our 6th Grade students were well taken care of by their Dragon Leader on their first day at Middle School.  This support continued beyond Tuesday as I witnessed many acts of kindness by our Dragon Leaders throughout the week, from helping students find their class, finding their bus or words of encouragement.  We are fortunate to have the leadership of our Counselors, Ms. Galen and Ms. Jillian, and WEB Teacher Leader, Rebecca Halbig to support this amazing student mentorship program.

I want to thank all of the folks that came out this last weekend for Community Care Day.  I found inspiration from one of our 7th Grade students, Sammy, who brought his Dad because he wanted him to help make the Basketball courts playable again.  They were the first to start to tackle the courts and soon were joined by a range of people, from returning families & students, new families & students and even the Bakery Assistant from New Seasons.  Sammy even convinced a couple more of his friends to come out and help clean up our campus.  By lunchtime, Sammy and one of his friends were playing one-on-one basketball.  Their joy was evident with their laughter, smiles and celebrations of their made shots!  I truly appreciate the care shown during this annual clean-up event.  Please know our students also appreciate your efforts.

Whether it was our Dragon Leaders, the many volunteers at Community Care or the building of communities in classrooms, our Ockley Green Value of Caring was alive and well this last week! 

Please see below for some important updates!

Important Dates

• September 15th: Back to School Night 

• October 18th: Picture Day

• November 21st & 22nd: Conferences

Back to School Night

Back to School Night will be Thursday, September 15th, 6 - 7:30.  Please be on the lookout on our website for more information soon.

Breakfast Service

Breakfast is available every morning in the Main Hallway, after students enter the building at 9:03.  Classes start at 9:10, so we ask that students wanting Breakfast pick it up upon entering the building.

Substitutes

We appreciate those of you that have reached out regarding our staffing.  We are continuing to look for candidates to take the positions full time for the duration of the year and we’ve been very fortunate to secure long term substitutes with backgrounds appropriate to the subject matter and that have ties to the OG community.

• Mr. Pasto, our 6th Grade ELA substitute has a background in literature and has worked with OG as a substitute teacher for many years;

• Ms. Robles, our DLI and World Language substitute, similarly has subbed at OG previously and is bilingual (Spanish); and 

• Ms. Crafton, our 8th Grade PE/Health substitute, who worked with OG students during our Summer Acceleration Academy and has a background in health and fitness.

We were very fortunate to have each of them in their respective roles and appreciate their commitments to stay with us and our students while we work with our HR department to find and recruit candidates in these hard-to-fill positions. 

Water Bottles

We have water filling stations at our drinking fountains and encourage students to bring reusable water bottles to school.  Staying hydrated, especially on our hot days, helps students to stay healthy and ready to learn.

Counselor Chat

If a student needs to connect with their Counselor, then they can stop by the Main Office to fill out a Counselor Chat slip and put it in their mailbox.

COVID Updates

Please share with your student that face coverings can be worn by anyone wishing to wear them.  We will continue to ask students to be respectful and considerate of others, to continue to be aware of their spacing with others and to let an adult know if they are experiencing any symptoms of illness.  Please see this Self-Screening Tool for guidelines for keeping students at home or when to notify the school of symptoms. 

Cell Phone Update

Per the OG Schoolwide Expectations:

• Teachers can use electronic devices for learning activities in the classroom. The teacher will clearly let students know when the phone or other device is expected to be out and what it should be used for and when it may be a distraction for the teacher, the student's classmates, or may be detrimental to the students' full participation and engagement in class activities. If students are not following the expectations, the teacher should consult with the student as to why that is happening and then follow up with the grade level team and or family as needed.

Please support us with conversations with your child about their plan for having phones away during class time.  Teachers will let students know if they can have a phone out to participate in a learning activity.  

If you haven’t done so already, then please take a moment to find and bookmark our school website to become more familiar with programs and information.  We have been busy making updates and have prioritized a thorough review and update of Ockley Green information this school year.

Again, we look forward to entering this coming school year and to the many new experiences we will share with our families and students.

In Partnership,

--

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School

Hello Families & Partners -

This last week, we welcomed our teachers back for Inservice and Planning time.  During our staff-wide professional learning time, we focused on our Ockley Green Core Values: Caring, Growth and Collaboration and the actions needed to make these values a lived reality for our community. 

Our value of Caring will be evident through our commitment to increase the Sense of Belonging that our students feel.  This will be a theme throughout the year for our professional learning, our students will continue to have Social-Emotional Learning opportunities and we are committed to elevating Student Voice in our classrooms through shared agreements and student feedback.  Growth brings a focus on reviving our Restorative Practices, both as part of Community Building and Disciplinary Processes.  We will grow our shared vision of Collaboration beyond the partnership with our families & students, to also include how we, as a staff, partner with each other to disrupt the predictability of academic and behavioral outcomes by race, ability, language and gender.  As we welcome students back next week, we look forward to having you as part of this journey of putting Caring, Growth and Collaboration into action.

In addition to our staff, a group of 32 8th Grade Students were on campus this week to develop their skills as mentors to our 6th Grade Students through our Dragon Leaders WEB Program.  Over their two days together, they worked with our Counselors, Jillian Stone & Galen Dickstein, and WEB Teacher Rebecca Halbig to prepare for their new role as Dragon Leaders.  Students were highly engaged throughout their learning, they built community with each other and are excited to welcome our 6th Grade students next week.

Please see below for some important updates!

2022-23 Bell Schedule

Click here for the updated 2022-23 Bell Schedule.  This is also available on our website under the Quick Links.  For the District School Year Calendar, available in multiple languages, click here.

School Supplies

Please check out the General School Supply recommendation for students.  Please note that teachers may have additional supply requests specific to their class that they will share with students in the opening week of school.

6th Grade Jump Start

August 30th will be the First Day of School for 6th Grade Students only.  Our 7th & 8th Grade Students will start back on August 31st.  Here are some details about the 6th Grade Jump Start:

COVID Updates

See below for a message from PPS regarding COVID.

We are excited to have our students back to the new school year! At PPS, we are committed to promoting a safe and healthy learning environment so that high-quality and joyful teaching and learning can happen in schools all year long.

We’ve learned a lot in the last two years about COVID-19, communicable diseases, and respiratory illnesses. From the beginning of this global pandemic, we’ve been guided by advice from public health experts, made adjustments based on new data and updated science, and applied what we’ve learned to guide our response. As a result, we are in a better place today as a community with more ways to protect ourselves and each other from COVID-19 and other communicable diseases, including vaccinations, boosters, access to testing, and availability of high-quality masks, and improved ventilation.

This school year, we plan to use layered health and safety measures and strategies, like testing availability, required COVID-19 vaccination for staff and volunteers, and continuing to communicate public health recommendations to students, staff, and families.

Please click here for our updated health and safety information:

Español | Tiếng Việt | 中文 | Русский | Soomaali

Please share with your student that face coverings can be worn by anyone wishing to wear them.  We will continue to ask students to be respectful and considerate of others, to continue to be aware of their spacing with others and to let an adult know if they are experiencing any symptoms of illness.  Please see this Self-Screening Tool for guidelines for keeping students at home or when to notify the school of symptoms.

PPS COVID Vaccine Clinic

PPS is hosting a Back-to-School vaccine clinic in the foyer of the BESC (501 N. Dixon St.), Monday, Aug. 29, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  

The clinic will be open to all, and offer first, second and booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older, and boosters for everyone 5 years and older. The clinic is a partnership with Oregon Health Authority.  We ask that you please wear a mask. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided at the door.

What: COVID-19 Vaccine clinic

When: Monday, Aug. 29, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where: BESC foyer - 501 N. Dixon St.

Who: Anyone 6 months or older wanting a first, second or booster dose, including boosters for children ages 5-11. There is no charge for the vaccine.

Families can also search for vaccine opportunities at getvaccinated.Oregon.gov.

Important Dates

• August 27th: Community Care Day
• August 30th: Jump Start for 6th Grade - More details to come on the website
  • 6th Grade Students only
  • 8th Grade Dragon Leaders will support students with an orientation to the building, community building activities and practicing their new 7-Period schedule.
  • Family Meeting with Admin Team
• August 31st: All students attend
• September 15th: Back to School Night
• October 18th: Picture Day
• November 21st & 22nd: Conferences

Please take a moment to find and bookmark our school website to become more familiar with programs and information.  We have been busy making updates and have prioritized a thorough review and update of Ockley Green information this school year.

Again, we look forward to entering this coming school year and to the many new experiences we will share with our families and students.

In Partnership,

Julie Rierson

Pronouns: she/her

Principal

Ockley Green Middle School