2245 NE 36th Avenue•Portland, OR 97212•Ph (503) 916-5160•Fx (503) 916-2695
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Dear GHS Families,
Welcome back to the 2024-25 school year. This will be an exciting year filled with exciting games and memorable performances that will create lasting memories for our students. We are excited to announce new hires in our Counseling, English, Science, and Classified Departments. We’re also happy to welcome Jessika Magnett as our new Curriculum and instruction Vice Principal.
During this first week of the school year, we have enjoyed welcoming our 2,172 students. Many of these Grantonians have decided to participate in a sport, performing arts program and or Leadership. We Strongly encourage every student to be involved in at least one activity that helps connect them to Grant. Grant students thrive when they are actively involved at Grant. Stay tuned for Club Fair information coming soon.
Please encourage your student to attend every class period every day! Attendance is a top priority at Grant. Our data shows that when students miss classes they are less likely to succeed at Grant. Please try to schedule appointments and family vacations around the school schedule and calendar whenever possible to support student success.
Thank you to ALL of our families who support students and Grant in a variety of ways. We would not have been able to get all of our students through Gear Up Days without so many fabulous volunteers. We also want to thank our GHS PTA for providing an incredible Welcome Back lunch for our staff. The community support for our teachers is inspiring and appreciated. A huge thank you to our Grant Alumni Association for their support of our Grant High School 100th Birthday event scheduled for Friday, September the 13th.
Once again, I will be hosting my Principal’s Coffee Talk on the second Wednesday of each month starting in October at 8:45 - 9:30am for families who would like to learn a little more about Grant or have questions. We hope to see everyone at Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 18th, where families will be able to meet teachers and learn more about their students’ classes.
Here’s to a year of growth and learning.
James McGee, Principal
The Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center, the rather staid home to Portland Public Schools administrative staff, had a very different look on Monday evening when it hosted the world premiere of “The Return of Emergetron.”
The red carpet event was in celebration of a new film starring students – and for students – about the many emergency scenarios they might encounter in a typical school year.
Portland Public Schools’ Comprehensive School Psychology program was recently named the recipient of a prestigious $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for its proven track record of improving student well-being and academic performance.
The renewable, school-based mental health grant will be used to provide comprehensive school psychology services to 18 Title I schools across the district for the 2024-25 school year. This is up from 11 schools served in the previous year. Through the duration of the grant, 25 schools designated as Title I at the time of the grant award will receive comprehensive school psychology services.
When Beckham Weatherby picks up his tuba, the rest of the world falls away.
“I don’t get that nervous and I don’t get stage fright at all,” he said. “I guess I got lucky with how my body reacts to performing in front of crowds.”
Which is something the McDaniel High School junior has done quite a bit of lately. Not only is he a member of the prestigious Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) and the PYP conservatory orchestra, but he recently earned first prize in the tuba solo performance category at the Oregon State Solo Music Championships.
The first things you notice when you walk into Ellie Jensen’s classroom at Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elementary School are peace and warmth. Then you hear the laughter of children. Then you just might see two posters hanging on the walls that tell you a great deal about the kind of teacher she has been for the past 50 years. The posters simply say, “Leave a little sparkle wherever you go” and “Be a friend.”
Jensen, known as “Miss Ellie” to the hundreds of students she has taught in her half a century as a Portland Public Schools educator, can’t help but light up a room. And she is a friend to all children.
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM School Board - Policy Committee Meeting
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Fall Jazz Concert
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM School Board- Regular Meeting
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Fall Band/Strings Concert
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Choir Concert
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM School Picture Retake Day
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Fall Dance Showcase
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM School Board - Special Meeting or Work Session
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM School Board - Audit Committee