Back to School Night is moving from September 5^th to September 18^th. We have heard from numerous families that holding this event later in September would be beneficial. We are sorry for any inconveniences that this change causes. Back to School Night will be 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on September 18^th. Besides an opportunity to meet teachers and staff we are also going to have community partner representatives on hand. More details will be coming soon.

Yesterday was our teacher's first day back and we are gearing up for the new school year with a lot of new and exciting changes. Here are a few reminders and updates.

• Saturday, Aug. 24th is our Community Care Day from 9am - 12pm. Help us get our building ready for our students and meet our two new administrators, Brenda Fox, principal, and Jason Breaker, assistant principal.

• Wednesday, Aug. 28th is the first day of school for 6th GRADE ONLY. Students may arrive starting at 8:50. There will be adults outside guiding students towards the back of the building where they will be able to get their schedules and be led inside the school to the Multi-purpose Room where we will congregate and do our Welcome. Parents and guardians may walk their students in but they will need to say goodbye after the welcome. Reminder: Sixth graders did not select electives because they are all doing introduction classes as part of the 6th grade elective wheels.

• Thursday, Aug. 29th all students are back at RHMS. Seventh and eight graders will be able to get their schedules in the multi-purpose room (MPR) as they arrive to school at 8:50 and on. Classes start at 9:15.

In this week's PPS Pulse: Best of PPS Film Festival highlights student filmmaking; first day of kindergarten

Two teachers wanted to find a way to celebrate the filmmaking accomplishments of their students. That was the genesis of the first Best of PPS Film Festival that will be held Sunday starting at 4 p.m. at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd.).

This past Saturday a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the opening of the newly modernized Grant High School. Grant was completed after a two-year construction period and is the last project from the landmark 2012 School Improvement Bond. 

The health of students is one of the biggest priorities for Portland Public Schools, and thanks to partnerships with health organizations, all of our students have access to free medical services.