Dear West Sylvan Families, 

On December 6, 2019, we expect a large number of PPS students to participate in a Global Climate Strike. Students are planning to walk out of class between 9:00-10:00 (depending on their proximity to the park) and gather at Shemanski Park at 10:30 and then march to Terry Schrunk Plaza at 12:00 to share concerns with city hall. Please note that Shemanski Park is 4.6 miles away from West Sylvan.

IMPORTANT: Consistent with Oregon law and district policies, we suggest students make arrangements with their teachers or principals for addressing any missed school assignments (including quizzes, tests). All high school and middle school students who leave school on December 6 for the Climate Strike will be given an excused absence if they pre-arrange the absence with their teacher(s) and notify staff when they leave. Those pre-arrange absence forms should be turned in to the office before 9:15 on Friday morning. We do not plan to have staff follow students who walk out on December 6. 

Please talk with your student about this event. Once students leave our campus for unsponsored events, Portland Public Schools can no longer guarantee their safety. We ask you to please discuss your family's expectations with your student about their participation, safety, and communication with you if they choose to leave school during the day.

PPS is not sponsoring this event, but we do recognize students’ constitutional right to freedom of expression. We also recognize that:

• This student-led event involves learning opportunities that align with the spirit of the PPS Board of Education's approved Climate Justice Resolution #5272. 
• Our district vision, PPS reImagined, includes a graduate portrait that describes expectations for student growth in their understanding of racial equity and climate justice issues. We believe this action by our students is a clear example of the learning and advocacy we hope for in all our students.
• The subject matter aligns with both our district policies and core curriculum. 

We are also encouraging middle and high school educators to use these tools for climate literacy education in their lessons next week to help students think critically about the science and sociology behind this important topic.

At all grade levels, we will do our best to support our schools, track who leaves school, and monitor the activity of student groups who choose to leave campus for the Climate Strike. Once students leave school grounds, however, we cannot ensure their location or their safety. Please reach out to your principal with any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Portland Public Schools and the West Sylvan Admin Team

Follow the West Sylvan FOUNDATION on 

INSTAGRAM:  @west.sylvan.foundation

FACEBOOK:   @westsylvanfoundation

Spirit wear will now be sold at the school store. 

Get Text alerts about school closures, delays,

emergencies and school events:

Text YES to 68453

In this week's PPS students receive "Beat the Odds" scholarships; meet PPS's new Programs Manager for Climate Change & Climate Justice

Replacing leaking and deteriorated roofs in Portland Public Schools has been a priority for voters since the 2012 School Building Improvement Bond. Twenty-one new roof projects were completed through the 2012 Bond, and that effort continues thanks to the 2017 Health and Safety Bond.

Four high school students from Portland Public Schools who have excelled academically despite hardships have been named Renaissance Scholars and recipients of $16,000 “Beat the Odds” college scholarships.

Earlier this year, Nichole Berg was scrolling through Facebook while visiting family when she came upon something that would change her life: a job description. The life-long Wisconsinite, then a vice principal at a Madison middle school, read about a position in Portland Public Schools she had never heard of before: Programs Manager for Climate Change and Climate Justice.