5210 N Kerby Ave•Portland, OR 97217•Ph (503) 916-5180•Fx (503) 916-2698
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Welcome to Jefferson High School!
I am excited to welcome you to the 2025–26 school year at Jefferson High School! This year, we are carrying forward the district-wide goals of improving attendance, strengthening literacy and math, and continuing our important work around 9th Grade On-Track. These priorities guide our efforts to ensure every Demo has the support and opportunities they need to thrive.
This is also an exciting time for the Jefferson community. In May, we will begin our long-awaited modernization project, and there will be an announcement that Jefferson will return to a comprehensive high school and a true neighborhood school. We are entering a new chapter in our history, which is something our community is needing.
We look forward to creating more opportunities for community engagement and invite you to stay connected through our newsletter, Trivory, and the Jefferson website for updates and events.
Thank you for being part of the Demo community—I am confident this will be a great year for all of us.
Demos I Say!!!
Principal Drake Shelton
Congratulations to Lincoln High School students Richard Deng and Coral Platt! Both were awarded National Merit Scholarships of $2,500 toward their college studies.
They were chosen from more than 15,000 finalists nationwide. Richard plans to pursue a career in politics and Coral is looking at a future in the legal sector.
Two exceptional PPS educators, Ricardo Barber and Hang Jones, were recently named OnPoint Educators of the Year for 2025.
As part of this prestigious honor, both teachers will have their rent or mortgage paid for an entire year, and their schools also receive a $2,500 donation.
Ricardo Barber teaches third grade at Faubion, and Hang Jones serves as a social worker at Marysville Elementary.
The OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education celebrates educators who embrace innovative teaching techniques that ignite enthusiasm in their students.
Congratulations to Ricardo Barber and Hang Jones! And thank you both for everything you do to make a difference in the lives our students.
The assignment their teacher gave them was simple – make a short film that begins with a phone call and ends with someone hanging up. Benson first-year students Dylan Martinez-Torres and Dariel Soriano Zamora ran it all the way to a small city populated by two very big and rather iconic monsters – Godzilla and Hedora.
The result, Sorry, Wrong Number, is one of the more than 90 films entered into the annual Best of PPS Film Festival. The festival is a celebration of exceptional student filmmaking that includes a showcase at the historic Hollywood Theatre.
The fourth annual installment of the festival took place on May 21 and included a screening of 13 standout films. The films came from all over PPS and ran the gamut from Dylan and Dariel’s monster short to documentaries, film noir, and broadcast journalism.
If you are a passionate student or community member that wants to make a difference at PPS, apply to join the Climate Crisis Response Committee! This is a committee that reports to the PPS Board of Education.
On the committee you will learn about how PPS is making progress towards our climate justice and sustainability policies, provide input and recommendations to the PPS Board on how to better support PPS staff as we advance these policy goals, and connect with other passionate members of our PPS community from diverse backgrounds, knowledge areas, and lived experiences.
No previous professional experience in climate change or sustainability required! Students can apply via this form. Community members can apply here.
Deadline to apply: June 6.
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM School Board - Teaching, Learning, and Enrollment Committee
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM School Board - Policy Committee
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM School Board - Special Meeting or Work Session
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM PTSA Meeting
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM School Board - Teaching, Learning, and Enrollment Committee
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM School Board - Regular Meeting
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM School Board - Audit Committee
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM School Board - Policy Committee