Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 27, 2020

Greetings Sellwood Community,

I apologize for the delay in getting this newsletter to you. I hope you enjoyed the beautiful weather yesterday.

This Friday, I will host my first Virtual Coffee with the Principal event.  It will be from 9-10:00 AM.  I plan to hold to hold the coffee with the principal event twice monthly, on the first and third Friday of each month.  As the year goes on, the frequency and time of the meeting may change, depending on participation and feedback.

Coffee with the Principal will take place as a Google Meet.  You can use this code to join:  meet.google.com/hoi-hsnb-dwa

If you have any particular questions or concerns you would like me to address, I ask that you email me in advance, so that I can make sure I have any relevant information on hand.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Also, you and your student should have received an email from me on Friday about our new internal website.  The site will be a convenient place where students can go to access the “Good Morning Sellwood” livestream, the Sellwood Website, the PPS Middle School Bell Schedule, all of their Google Meets, and more.  As this is an internal site, it is only accessible to students and staff logged in with their PPS emails.  Please watch the screencast below the “important dates” section to see how it works.

Please make sure your student has opened my email and bookmarked the site on their bookmark bar.

Many of you have shared questions and concerns about the PPS Middle School Bell Schedule.  I want you to know that I have shared those concerns with senior leadership.  Yesterday, you should have received an email from PPS Communications with clarifications regarding the middle school bell schedule.  In case you did not receive it, I have pasted the letter at the bottom of this newsletter. 

Finally, we are re-recording the all-school presentation from Virtual Back-to-School night and will share it tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 18, 2020

Greetings Sellwood Community,

The air is gradually clearing.  What a relief!  It is a blessing to be able to go outside and take a walk while breathing fresh air.

I would like to thank you for your patience as we begin the year while experiencing growing pains.  We are all learning so much!  We will be working over the next week to continue to streamline our process and work out the kinks in our schedule.  As I am sure you have noticed, there is a lot of flexibility and variability built into the PPS Middle School Schedule, which makes it challenging for students, teachers, parents, and administrators to navigate and communicate.   

We have an announcement regarding a staffing change.  Our health teacher, Mrs. Jardine, has decided to take on a new position as a library media specialist.  She is very excited about this new opportunity, and we wish her the best.  We have hired a wonderful new teacher, Walker Laws.  In order to ensure a smooth transition, Mrs. Jardine and Walker have been working together so that Walker will be ready to start on Monday.  Please read Mrs. Jardine’s farewell and Ms. Law’s introduction after my message.

I hope you get outside and get some relatively fresh air this weekend.

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

Sellwood Community,

I wanted to let you know that I accepted a position as a Library Media Specialist at another school in the District and will be starting in my new role on Monday, 9/21. While I am excited about the opportunity to return to a position that will utilize my eight years of experience as an English Language Arts teacher, I will certainly miss the community at Sellwood. I have enjoyed the many important health-related conversations I have had with your students and hope that my work with them has contributed to shaping healthy habits and decisions. Thank you for sharing your students with me. Best to all of you.  - Mrs. Jardine

Hello,

My name is Walker Laws and I will be Sellwood’s new health teacher for the 2020-2021 school year! I am a first year teacher with a Masters degree in Education, focusing on Health and English Language Arts. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and love to explore the beautiful landscape here. Being active and outside are a big part of my life. I also have a great love for music and pre-Covid was a jazz singer in the Portland and Vancouver areas. I am so excited to be joining the Sellwood Middle School Community and I look forward to working with you. - Walker Laws

Important Dates to Remember:

Monday, September 21: 1-4PM – 8^th-grade Special Materials & Chromebook/Hotspot Distribution (sign-up to volunteer below)

September 23: Virtual Back-to-School Meeting 6:30 to 8:00

September 24: 5-7PM – Special Materials & Chromebook/Hotspot Distribution (sign-up to volunteer below)

October 9: No school

November 6: End of 1^st quarter

November 11: No school – Veterans Day

November 23 &24: Parent/Teacher conferences

December 21-January 1: Winter Break

For Attendance – Please email Mellissa Whiteside mwhitesi@pps.net (no need to email Ms. Carbone J)

For Email/password assistance – Please email Mellissa Whiteside mwhitesi@pps.net (no need to email Ms. Carbone J)

PTA NEWS: 

Thank you to all the Sellwood teachers and staff for the hard work you are doing. You are appreciated!

Now that the smoke has cleared, please help the remaining students get their supplies! 

Monday, September 21st, 1-4PM, one hour shifts.

Thursday, September 24th,  5-7PM, one hour shifts.

Sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA4AD2DA7FA7-material

Although this year is extremely different, the PTA's priorities and commitment to the Sellwood Middle School community remain the same! There are still several ways to help:

Join the PTA

Everyone is welcome, we encourage family members, friends and neighbors to join.

Membership for one year is $20.00/person.

You can join online at  https://sites.google.com/view/sellwoodpta  and pay your dues online too with schoolpay https://www.schoolpay.com NOTE: This is separate from the Sellwood General Fees. PTA is under non-profit!. 

Attend a Sellwood PTA Meeting

Meetings are held on the 2^nd Wednesday of each month at 7pm.

Our first meeting will be Wednesday, October 14th at 7:00pm on Zoom. 

Join us at the Virtual Back-to-School Meeting on Wednesday, September 23 at 6:30 to hear about the upcoming year!

Volunteer to help organize a PTA sponsored event or fundraiser!

Please fill out a Volunteer Interest form on the PTA website  Sellwood PTA to let us know which events/fundraisers best fit your interests and schedule.  We are in need the following committee chairs:

PEAK Coordinator, Sellwood Dines Out, Book Fair, and Meals on Wheels. Email sellwoodpta@gmail.com if interested!

WE NEED YOU!

Look out for our Apple and Pear fundraiser COMING SOON!

Virtual Back-to-School Night, September 23rd, 6:30 PM.

This year's Back-to-School night will be quite different, due to its virtual nature.  We will begin at 6:30 with a live stream presentation for all.  This presentation will be recorded so that those unable to attend can view it when they are able.  In addition, the teachers' presentations for each class will be pre-recorded. Families will be able to select from a menu and view the presentations on Wednesday evening, or at a later time convenient to them.  This will allow families with more than one child at Sellwood to view all of the presentations.  A link to the LiveStream presentation will be posted on our website, shared in a Back-to-School Flyer, and also sent by email.

Special Material Distribution (We need volunteers to help!  Sign-up here)

Make-up date for materials distribution for 8^th-graders.  Monday, September 21^st, 1-4PM. 

• Math materials (mini-white board, graph paper)
• Art supply packet
• Textbook for Compacted Math 2
• Novel for 8th-grade language arts
• Chromebooks and HotSpots - We have HotSpots, but keep in mind that the number of HotSpots on hand are limited.  If you have not requested one yet, we may not have enough to accommodate you at this time.

Additional date – Thursday, September 24^th, 5-7PM

*We recommend picking up materials on Monday, September 21st, if possible.  On September 24th we will have only a skeleton crew, so there is a potential for longer lines.

Counseling Corner:

News from the Counseling Department:

Our Sellwood Counseling page is now active in Canvas and all students have been invited. Counselors will be holding weekly office hours that students can sign up for at this link. The survey will also be posted in Canvas along with regular updates of resources and announcements from the counseling department. 

Also, Here is a screencast showing how students can use the Google calendar feature on their email to keep track of their codes digitally and have a visual reminder of when they need to be in classes.

Main Office:

Just a friendly reminder the office is working remotely from home. Email is the best way to reach us. mwhitesi@pps.net or choward1@pps.net .While phone messages are being checked periodically, there will be a delayed response.

I hope everyone had a smooth "soft start". I want to thank parents for your patience while getting your students set up with email and passwords.  If by chance your student is having trouble logging in, please let me know so I can take care of it.

Parents if you are having trouble logging into ParentVue or you don't know your login credentials, please email me Melissa Whiteside.

If you need to excuse your child's attendance, please email Melissa Whiteside. (mwhitesi@pps.net) I will be more than happy to assist you. 

For matters concerning registration, enrollment, and ParentVue send emails to mwhitesi@pps.net .

The best way to enroll your student is by going to the PPS website: https://www.pps.net/Domain/182 .

To make changes to your student's registration in Synergy please log-in and use ParentVue.

If your ParentVue account has been disabled please email Melissa Whiteside mwhitesi@pps.net

Re: Student Activity Fee

Re: Student Activity Fee: These fees are collected yearly to provide necessary support to all Sellwood students

$20.00 Suggested Donation. 

Go on-line to School Pay, Select: School Activity Fee

How to get to School pay?  Go to Sellwood Middle School website, under "Quick Links" select School Pay.  Follow the directions.  

School pay accepts credit/debit cards or electronic checks.  No cash at this time please.   

In School Pay, you'll also notice that you can donate to additional school funds such as:

• Math account: Will offset some of the cost of graph paper and whiteboards distributed.
• Art account:  Will help offset the cost of art material kits distributed.
• Principal's Discretionary Account:  To help students as the principal sees fit.
• Chrome Books - Technology:  We can also use more!
• Marimba:  Great program.  Help keep with tuning or repair of instruments and more!
• Band:  Great program:  Help keep it amazing! 
• Library:  Love to Read?  The Library can always use support.

Browse the list... there's more ways to help!  

PARENT FACING PAGE ON ATLAS

Families have the opportunity to view PPS curriculum in Atlas by visiting https://pps-public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Public/View/Default

Race, Racism, and Racial Equity Resources

• “What is Systemic Racism?” videos from RaceForward

• “Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History” (Walidah Imarisha)

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 11, 2020

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Wow, that was a week.  Thank you all for your support, patience, and words of encouragement during the soft start to the 2020-21 school year.  It is always challenging to do things for the first time, but in the midst of a global pandemic, social unrest/change, and a storm of fires unlike any Oregon has seen, it has been a stretch.  To quote Winston Churchill, “If you are going through hell, keep going!” The Sellwood community has shown true grit, and the many conversations I have had with parents, teachers, and students give me great hope. 

My heart goes out to everyone on the West Coast impacted by the fires: power outages, Internet loss, hazardous air quality, stress, evacuation orders, loss of property, and even loss of life.  The tragedy continues and I am truly grateful for everything I have.

You will find lots of information in this newsletter, including an outline of the bell schedule, PTA news, some helpful links for parent "observer" access to thier child's Canvas courses, and more.

Finally, I would like to welcome new math teacher Harland Robison the Sellwood staff.  We are very excited to have Mr. Robison on our team; he brings a wealth of experience, skills, and good vibes to our school.  Some of you may have met Mr. Robison when he was helping out with our materials distribution to 7th-graders on Wednesday. We are very happy he will be starting with his classes on Monday. Please help me welcome Mr. Robison! 

I hope the week goes well,

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

Important Dates to Remember

Reschedule TBD – 8^th-grade: 1-4PM – Special Materials & Chromebook/Hotspot Distribution

September 14: Regular distance learning schedule begins

September 23: Virtual Back-to-School Meeting 6:30 to 8:00

October 9: No school

November 6: End of 1^st quarter

November 11: No school – Veterans Day

November 23 &24: Parent/Teacher conferences

December 21-January 1: Winter Break

For Attendance – Please email Mellissa Whiteside mwhitesi@pps.net - no need to email Ms. Carbone :-)

For Email/password assistance – Please email Mellissa Whiteside mwhitesi@pps.net - no need to email Ms. Carbone :-)

PPS Middle School Bell Schedule – Starting Monday, September 14^th

Below is an outline of the general schedule. I also wanted to provide a short description of a few elements in the schedule that may help you better understand what to expect next week.  In the attached schedule, you will see “small groups” mentioned between 1:00 and 1:45 and also during class periods on Wednesday, Thursday on Friday.  Small groups during class periods are intended to allow teachers the flexibility to work with smaller groups of students and to ensure support for students identified as needing additional or more individualized instruction.  As we are just starting the school year, we do not yet have “small groups” identified.  The small groups from 1 to 1:45 may also be used for clubs and affinity groups such as GSA, chess club, math club, leadership, or other groups.  Right now we do not yet have clubs or activities designated for those 1-1:45 times, with the exception of jazz band, which will be Monday and Wednesday.   In short, please ignore the term “small groups” for now.  Also, zero period is for advanced band that would have been meeting before school if we were doing in-person learning.   Most of you can ignore zero period as well.

During afternoon applied learning, students will work independently on projects assigned.  Examples include, watching a math video, writing an essay, reading a story, creating art, making a video, or doing PE activities.  Live classes will not be scheduled during afternoon applied learning times; it is meant to be as flexible or structured as each family needs.  Attendance will not be taken for applied learning in the afternoon.

During class periods from Wednesday through Friday, teachers will hold office hours, assign applied learning activities, or hold live classes.  Teachers will keep students informed of the planned activities/format by discussing the agenda for the week with students during the Monday or Tuesday Google Meet, and also in written form in a weekly agenda in Canvas.  Attendance will be taken for each class period Wednesday through Friday.  Attendance will be taken synchronously for attending a live class/participating in office hours, or asynchronously for submitting an applied learning assignment, taking a quiz, submitting a Google form, or communicating with the teacher in another way such as email or Remind text. 

Finally, we have decided to say good morning and welcome to the day, along with any brief announcements we may have, with a brief LiveStream from 9:20 to 9:25.  I will send the link to students in an email.  The link will be the same every day.

Monday, Sept 14

• 9:20- 9:25 Good Morning Livestream and Announcements (optional)
• 9:30 - 10:15 – Period 1 (live)
• 10:30 - 11:15 - Period 2 (live)
• 11:30 - 12:15 - Period 3 (live)
• 1:45 – 4:00 – Applied Learning (self-paced, independent work on projects/activities)

Tuesday, Sept 15

• 9:20- 9:25 Good Morning Livestream and Announcements (optional)
• 9:30 - 10:15 – Period 4 (live)
• 10:30 - 11:15 - Period 5 (live)
• 11:30 - 12:15 - Period 6 (live)
• 1:00 – 1:45 Zero Period (live) (if applicable)
• 1:45 – 4:00 – Applied Learning (self-paced, independent work on projects/activities)

Wednesday, Sept 16

• 9:20- 9:25 Good Morning LiveStream and Announcements (optional)
• 9:30 - 10:15 – Period 1 (Office hours, applied learning, or live class)
• 10:30 - 11:15 - Period 2 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 11:30 - 12:15 - Period 3 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 1:45 – 4:00 – Applied Learning (self-paced, independent work on projects/activities)

Thursday, Sept 17

• 9:20- 9:25 Good Morning LiveStream and Announcements (optional)
• 9:30 - 10:15 – Period 4 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 10:30 - 11:15 - Period 5 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 11:30 - 12:15 - Period 6 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 1:00 – 1:45 - Zero Period (OH, AL, or LC) (if applicable)
• 1:45 – 4:00 – Applied Learning (self-paced, independent work on projects/activities)

Friday, Sept 18

• 9:20- 9:25 Good Morning LiveStream and Announcements (optional)
• 9:30 - 10:15 – Period 1 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 10:30 - 11:15 - Period 2 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 11:30 - 12:15 - Period 3 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 1:00 – 1:45 – Period 4 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 1:45 – 2:30 – Period 5 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 2:30 – 3:15 – Period 6 (OH, AL, or LC)
• 3:15 – 4:00 – Zero period (OH, AL, or LC) (if applicable)

Canvas Parent Access
Parents can join their student’s canvas course as an “observer” but will first need to get a “join code” from their student. This helpful document will walk parents through this process. 

Canvas Community

Helpful Canvas resource for teachers, parents, students

PTA NEWS: 

Thank you to the volunteers that helped get chrome books and school supplies to our students!

Although this year is extremely different, the PTA's priorities and commitment to the Sellwood Middle School community remain the same! There are still several ways to help:

Join the PTA

Everyone is welcome, we encourage family members, friends and neighbors to join.

Membership for one year is $20.00/person.

You can join online at  https://sites.google.com/view/sellwoodpta  and pay your dues online too with schoolpay https://www.schoolpay.com. Click on Non-profit groups.  

Attend a Sellwood PTA Meeting

Meetings are held on the 2^nd Wednesday of each month at 7pm.

Our first meeting will be Wednesday, October 14th at 7:00pm on Zoom. 

Join us at the Virtual Back-to-School Meeting on Wednesday, September 23 at 6:30 to hear about the upcoming year!

Volunteer to help organize a PTA sponsored event or fundraiser!

Please fill out a Volunteer Interest form on the PTA website  https://sites.google.com/view/sellwoodpta to let us know which events/fundraisers best fit your interests and schedule.  We are in need the following committee chairs:

PEAK Coordinator, Sellwood Dines Out, Book Fair, and Meals on Wheels. Email sellwoodpta@gmail.com if interested!

WE NEED YOU!

Information on Sellwood Web Page

The Sellwood web page is also a great place to get information about the school start up.  Just look for the banner at the top where it says, “Here is all the information you need to start the school year!

Special Material Distribution

We held a few special materials distribution events at Sellwood for a few essential and hard to find materials. Due to poor air quality we had to postpone the 8th-grade distribution.  Please stay tuned for the new date(s).  Your optional donations to the SchoolPay math account and art account will help offset the cost of these materials to the school.  Finally, below the information about materials distribution, I have posted a general back-to-school supply shopping list.

Let’s Get Reading

Q:  What is the “Let’s Get Reading!” program? 

A:  A PPS ELA supported program to make sure students have access to physical books during distance learning. 

Q: How will we get books?

A: Pick up a bag of books from Ms. Beverly, SMS Library Assistant, at the side door by bus shelters on Thursday afternoons 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.  

Q:  How do we return books?  We still have some from last year! 

A:  You may return books at the same time as book bag pick-up on Thursday afternoons 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.  

Q:  How many books will we get?

A:  About 5 books at a time.

Q:  What kind of books will be in the book bag?

A:  The books will be grouped by genres, such as Fiction, Graphic Novels, Book Series, Non-Fiction, etc.  

Q:  Should we wait to return all the books at the same time? 

A:  That would be great.  However, if you want to get a new bag of books but have one you want to finish, it’s okay to keep that book and bring back the others to trade for another bag.

Q.  What should we do with the bag the books came in?

A:  Please save the book bag to return your books so we can reuse the book bag!

Q:  Can I request a specific title?

A:  We are not taking holds, or requests, on books at this time.  We will let you know if that changes.  

Q:  How will I know if there are any changes or new information?

A:  For changes or new information, please watch for school-wide announcements - or - check on SMS Library webpage which can be accessed through the SMS main website.  It’s right next to the Teachers/Staff. 

Q:  We lost a book, can we still get new books?

A:  Yes. There will be no penalties or fees during distance learning. If you find it later, bringit back!  We love putting lost books back into circulation!

Q:  Does this mean the building will be open on pick-up/drop-off days?

A:  No. The building is still closed. 

Q:  What is this program doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19? 

A:  We will be using the following guidelines to prevent spreading COVID-19:

1. Everyone in the pick-up/drop-off area must wear a mask covering their mouth and nose. 

2. Only one family at a time may approach the pick-up area. Waiting families should maintain at minimum of 6 feet of distance from other families. 

3. Returned books and book bags will be isolated for a full 4 day “rest” period between circulations. 

4. Increasing the number of books students can take home limits trips to school. 

Q:  I have more questions or need more information...

A:  Visit Ms. Beverly on pick-up/drop-off day:  Thursdays 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM 

Or, email either one of the SMS Library team:

Ms. Beverly at Bmangold@pps.net - or - Ms. Laura at Laxon@pps.net

Main Office: Just a friendly reminder the office is working remotely from home. Email is the best way to reach us. mwhitesi@pps.net or choward1@pps.net .While phone messages are being checked periodically, there will be a delayed response.

I hope everyone had a smooth "soft start". I want to thank parents for your patience while getting your students set up with email and passwords.  If by chance your student is having trouble logging in, please let me know so I can take care of it.

Parents if you are having trouble logging into ParentVue or you don't know your login credentials, please email me Melissa Whiteside.

If you need to excuse your child's attendance, please email Melissa Whiteside. (mwhitesi@pps.net) I will be more than happy to assist you. 

For matters concerning registration, enrollment, and ParentVue send emails to mwhitesi@pps.net .

The best way to enroll your student is by going to the PPS website: https://www.pps.net/Domain/182 .

To make changes to your student's registration in Synergy please log-in and use ParentVue.

If your ParentVue account has been disabled please email Melissa Whiteside mwhitesi@pps.net

Re: Student Activity Fee

Re: Student Activity Fee: These fees are collected yearly to provide necessary support to all Sellwood students

$20.00 Suggested Donation. 

Go on-line to School Pay, Select: School Activity Fee

How to get to School pay?  Go to Sellwood Middle School website, under "Quick Links" select School Pay.  Follow the directions.  

School pay accepts credit/debit cards or electronic checks.  No cash at this time please.   

In School Pay, you'll also notice that you can donate to additional school funds such as:

• Math account: Will offset some of the cost of graph paper and whiteboards distributed.
• Art account:  Will help offset the cost of art material kits distributed.
• Principal's Discretionary Account:  To help students as the principal sees fit.
• Chrome Books - Technology:  We can always use more!
• Marimba:  Great program.  Help keep with tuning or repair of instruments and more!
• Band:  Great program:  Help keep it amazing! 
• Library:  Love to Read?  The Library can always use support.

Browse the list... there are more ways to help!  

PARENT FACING PAGE ON ATLAS

Families have the opportunity to view PPS curriculum in Atlas by visiting https://pps-public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Public/View/Default

Race, Racism, and Racial Equity Resources

Race, Racism, & Racial Equity Resources 

• “What is Systemic Racism?” videos from RaceForward

• “Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History” (Walidah Imarisha)

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 4, 2020

Greetings Sellwood Community,

What a week!  This has been a huge learning experience for me, and I’m sure many of you feel the same.  I feel like this is the 100^th newsletter I have sent this week.  Sorry for the many emails, but with so many moving pieces it seemed necessary.  I now have the capability to mass email students directly, which should improve things 100%.  I can send them any links or information so they can access them with their PPS emails.

I want to make sure that everyone knows that step number 1 for distance learning is having a PPS email and knowing how to log-in with your password.  No links to Livestream or GoogleMeet classes will work without a PPS email.  If your student is having trouble logging in to their email account, please contact Melissa Whiteside at mwhitesi@pps.net.

Finally, I would like to share the new Sellwood Staff Video Welcome, and also give a shout out to our counselor and new video wizard, Katie Francis, for producing and editing the new video.  There will be more to come!

Enjoy,

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

Important Dates to Remember

September 7: No school – Labor Day

September 8, 1-4PM – 6^th-grade Special Materials & Chromebook/HotSpot Distribution

September 9, 1-4PM – 7^th grade Special Materials & Chromebook/Hotspot Distribution

September 10 – 8^th-grade: 1-4PM – Special Materials & Chromebook/Hotspot Distribution

September 14: Regular distance learning schedule begins

September 23: Virtual Back-to-School Meeting 6:30 to 8:00 (new date)

October 9: No school

November 6: End of 1^st quarter

November 11: No school – Veterans Day

November 23 &24: Parent/Teacher conferences

December 21-January 1: Winter Break

Soft Start – Schedule for next week:

Tuesday, Sept 8

• 9:30 - 10:30 SEL Lessons (Social Emotional Learning) with 3^rd period Teacher

• 10:40 - 11:10 - Period 1

• 11:20 - 11:50 - Period 2

Wednesday, Sept 9

• 9:30 - 10:30 SEL Lessons (Social Emotional Learning) with 3^rd period Teacher

• 10:40 - 11:10 - Period 3

• 11:20 - 11:50 - Period 4

Thursday, Sept 10

• 9:30 - 10:30 SEL Lessons (Social Emotional Learning) with 3^rd period Teacher

• 10:40 - 11:10 - Period 5

• 11:20 - 11:50 - Period 6

Friday, Sept 11

• 9:30 - 10:30 SEL Lessons (Social Emotional Learning) with 3^rd period Teacher

• 10:40 - 11:10 - Advanced Band - ZP

Information on Sellwood Web Page

The Sellwoood web page is also a great place to get information about the school start up.  Just look for the banner at the top where it says, “Here is all the information you need to start the school year!

PPS Middle School Bell Schedule – Starting September 14^th

Last week, the PPS School Board approved a common middle school bell schedule for all middle schools to use during distance learning.  A team consisting of district educational leaders, principals, assistant principals, and teachers created the schedule using the Oregon Department of Education’s guidelines on distance learning.  I will share a link to the schedule here.  In order to explain more about how the schedule works, I made a short screencast video, which is linked here.  The distance learning common schedule will begin September 14^th.

Special Material Distribution

We will be holding some special materials distribution events at Sellwood for a few essential and hard to find materials. Your optional donations to the SchoolPay math account and art account will help offset the cost of these materials to the school.  Finally, below the information about materials distribution, I have posted a general back-to-school supply shopping list.

Materials & Secong Chromebook/Hotspot Distribution Dates

6^th-grade – September 8, 1-4PM

7^th-grade – September 9, 1-4PM

8^th-grade – September 10, 1-4PM

Materials that will be distributed

For all students:

• Quad rule spirals – graph paper for math

• One mini-whiteboard

• Two whiteboard markers

For all students taking art

• One art kit with essential materials to be used for art during distance learning

A planner for those who still need one

A Chromebook or Hotspot for those who still need one or both (make sure you let me know so that we have enough)

Books from the Let’s Get Reading program described below

Textbooks for classes where used.

Back-to-School Supply Shopping List

17. 3-4 inch 3 ring binder

17.  6 tab binder dividers

17.  3-ring pencil pouch

17.  Pencils

17.  Highlighters

17.  Ballpoint pens: black, blue, red

17.  Small pencil sharpener

17.  Big eraser

17.  College-ruled notebook paper

17.  Scissors

17.  3 glue sticks

17.  Colored pencils

17.  100 sheet college-ruled composition book

17.  Scotch tape

17.  3X5 index cards

17. Ruler

Let’s Get Reading

Q:  What is the “Let’s Get Reading!” program? 

A:  A PPS ELA supported program to make sure students have access to physical books during distance learning. 

Q: How will we get books?

A: Pick up a bag of books from Ms. Beverly, SMS Library Assistant, at the side door by bus shelters on Thursday afternoons 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.  

Q:  How do we return books?  We still have some from last year! 

A:  You may return books at the same time as book bag pick-up on Thursday afternoons 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.  

Q:  How many books will we get?

A:  About 5 books at a time.

Q:  What kind of books will be in the book bag?

A:  The books will be grouped by genres, such as Fiction, Graphic Novels, Book Series, Non-Fiction, etc.  

Q:  Should we wait to return all the books at the same time? 

A:  That would be great.  However, if you want to get a new bag of books but have one you want to finish, it’s okay to keep that book and bring back the others to trade for another bag.

Q.  What should we do with the bag the books came in?

A:  Please save the book bag to return your books so we can reuse the book bag!

Q:  Can I request a specific title?

A:  We are not taking holds, or requests, on books at this time.  We will let you know if that changes.  

(More on back

Q:  How will I know if there are any changes or new information?

A:  For changes or new information, please watch for school-wide announcements - or - check on SMS Library webpage which can be accessed through the SMS main website.  It’s right next to the Teachers/Staff. 

Q:  We lost a book, can we still get new books?

A:  Yes. There will be no penalties or fees during distance learning. If you find it later, bringit back!  We love putting lost books back into circulation!

Q:  Does this mean the building will be open on pick-up/drop-off days?

A:  No. The building is still closed. 

Q:  What is this program doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19? 

A:  We will be using the following guidelines to prevent spreading COVID-19:

1. Everyone in the pick-up/drop-off area must wear a mask covering their mouth and nose. 

2. Only one family at a time may approach the pick-up area. Waiting families should maintain at minimum of 6 feet of distance from other families. 

3. Returned books and book bags will be isolated for a full 4 day “rest” period between circulations. 

4. Increasing the number of books students can take home limits trips to school. 

Q:  I have more questions or need more information...

A:  Visit Ms. Beverly on pick-up/drop-off day:  Thursdays 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM 

Or, email either one of the SMS Library team:

Ms. Beverly at Bmangold@pps.net - or - Ms. Laura at Laxon@pps.net

Main Office: Just a friendly reminder the office is working remotely from home. Email is the best way to reach us. mwhitesi@pps.net or choward1@pps.net .While phone messages are being checked periodically, there will be a delayed response.

I hope everyone had a smooth "soft start". I want to thank parents for your patience while getting your students set up with email and passwords.  If by chance your student is having trouble logging in, please let me know so I can take care of it.

Parents if you are having trouble logging into ParentVue or you don't know your login credentials, please email me Melissa Whiteside. 

For matters concerning registration, enrollment, and ParentVue send emails to mwhitesi@pps.net .

The best way to enroll your student is by going to the PPS website: https://www.pps.net/Domain/182 .

To make changes to your student's registration in Synergy please log-in and use ParentVue.

If your ParentVue account has been disabled please email Melissa Whiteside mwhitesi@pps.net

Re: Student Activity Fee

Re: Student Activity Fee: These fees are collected yearly to provide necessary support to all Sellwood students

$20.00 Suggested Donation. 

Go on-line to School Pay, Select: School Activity Fee

How to get to School pay?  Go to Sellwood Middle School website, under "Quick Links" select School Pay.  Follow the directions.  

School pay accepts credit/debit cards or electronic checks.  No cash at this time please.   

In School Pay, you'll also notice that you can donate to additional school funds such as:

Math account: Will offset some of the cost of graph paper and whiteboards distributed.

Art account:  Will help offset the cost of art material kits distributued.

Principal's Discretionary Account:  To help students as the principal sees fit.

Chrome Books - Technology:  We can also use more!

Marimba:  Great program.  Help keep with tuning or repair of instruments and more!

Band:  Great program:  Help keep it amazing! 

Library:  Love to Read?  The Library can always use support.

Browse the list... there's more ways to help!  

Race, Racism, and Racial Equity Resources

Guidelines for Being Strong White Allies https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/kivel3.pdf

Resources to Support Children’s Emotional Well-Being Amid Anti-Black Racism, Racial Violence, and Trauma, Published by ChildTrends, June 23, 2020 https://www.childtrends.org/publications/resources-to-support-childrens-emotional-well-being-amid-anti-black-racism-racial-violence-and-trauma

Good afternoon, Sellwood Community

On Wednesday, we will begin the 2020/21 school year with a “Soft Start” schedule.  6th-graders will begin on Wednesday, and 7^th and 8^th graders will begin on Thursday.  I would like to begin by thanking all of you for your patience and grace as we lead up to the first days of the soft start.  I know it can be unnerving when there are many uncertainties.

The purpose of the soft start is for all of us to get acquainted with one another and acclimated to new processes and technologies.  I know it seems hard now, but in a short time we will all be amazed at what experts we have become.  Last March, I had never heard of Google Meet or Zoom!

I know that many of you have expressed worry about being able to access Canvas and navigate your classes.  Canvas is a brand new platform for both students and teachers, and that is why the soft start is necessary.  During the soft start staff and students will be using Google Meet to connect with students.  Google Meet is familiar to most of us, and that will be our mode of communication during the soft start.  Students need time to learn about Canvas; parents and teachers too.  By the time we begin the regular distance learning schedule on September 14^th, everyone should be comfortable with Canvas, or at least pretty comfortable.

9:30 on Wednesday, we will kick things off with a LiveStream welcome for 6^th-graders.  6th-graders have received the link to the LiveStream, but I will post it again below.

At 9:30 on Thursday & Friday, we will host welcome LiveStreams for 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders.  Here are the links.

Wednesday, Sept 2 – 6^th grade only

• 9:30 – 10AM - LiveStream Welcome for 6^th-graders.
• 10:20 – 11:50 – Special WEB led activities for 6^th-graders (students received invitations to Google Meet)

Thursday, Sept 3 – All students

• 9:30 – 10AM  LiveStream Welcome for all Sellwood Students.
• 10:10 – 10:40 AM – Period 1 (Students will receive Google Meet invitations from their teachers)
• 10:50 – 11:20 AM – Period 2
• 11:30 to 12:00 PM – Period 3

Friday, Sept 4 – All students

• 9:30 – 10AM Friday - Livestream Message for all Sellwood Students
• 10:10 – 10:40 AM – Period 4 (Students will receive Google Meet invitations from their teachers)
• 10:50 – 11:20 AM – Period 5
• 11:30 to 12:00 PM – Period 6
• 2:30 to 3:00 PM – Advanced Band, ZP

Tuesday, Sept 8

• 9:30 - 10:30 SEL Lessons (Social Emotional Learning)
• 10:40 - 11:10 - Period 1
• 11:20 - 11:50 - Period 2

Wednesday, Sept 9

• 9:30 - 10:30 SEL Lessons (Social Emotional Learning)
• 10:40 - 11:10 - Period 3
• 11:20 - 11:50 - Period 4

Thursday, Sept 10

• 9:30 - 10:30 SEL Lessons (Social Emotional Learning)
• 10:40 - 11:10 - Period 5
• 11:20 - 11:50 - Period 6

Friday, Sept 11

• 9:30 - 10:30 SEL Lessons (Social Emotional Learning)
• 10:40 - 11:10 - Advanced Band - ZP

I look forward to seeing students this Wednesday and Thursday!

Jeandre Carbone

Sellwood Principal

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – August 28, 2020

Greetings Sellwood Community,

I hope this email finds you well.  In this newsletter, you will find the latest information regarding the PPS schedule for the “soft start” during the first two weeks of school, information about special materials distribution, supply list, the PPS Middle School Bell Schedule (with screencast video), the new PPS Reading program called “Let’s Get Reading”, and Chromebook or Hotspot delivery for those who were not able to pick-up their Chromebooks this week..

I am very happy to announce that Sellwood has a new assistant principal, Kirsten Letofsky.  Following the Important Dates to Remember section, please read the short introductory message from Mr. Letofsky (Mr. L). We are thrilled to add such a skilled and passionate educator to our team.  He is just getting started and eager to learn about all things Sellwood.

Join me in giving a hearty welcome to our new AP, Mr. Letofsky.

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

Important Dates to Remember

August 31 & Sept 1 – Chromebook and Hotspot Delivery

September 2: Soft Start - 6th-grade only jump start

September 3: Soft Start – First day of distance learning for 7th & 8th graders

September 7: No school – Labor Day

September 8, 9, & 10: 1-4PM – Special Materials Distribution

September 14: Regular distance learning schedule begins

September 23: Virtual Back-to-School Meeting 6:30 to 8:00 (new date)

October 9: No school

November 6: End of 1^st quarter

November 11: No school – Veterans Day

November 23 &24: Parent/Teacher conferences

December 21-January 1: Winter Break

Introducing New Sellwood Assistant Principal, Kirsten Letofski

My name is Mr. Kirsten Letofsky and I will be joining the Sellwood community this year as the new Assistant Principal. Go Panthers! I am a lifelong educator passionate about ensuring a just and equitable world. I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota but visited Oregon for over 20 years before making the move 5 years ago. I appreciate the landscape and love to spend as much time as possible walking along the coastal sand. I live with my husband Nathen, 19-year-old son Kaleb, a sophomore at PCC, 17-year-old daughter Isabella, a senior at Westview High School, and 2 pound Yorkie Rose; yes, she runs the house.

Professionally, I am currently working on a PhD from New Mexico State University’s online program in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Educational Leadership and Critical Pedagogy. I have worked in Portland Public Schools for 5 years. For the past two years, I was the K-8 Instructional Specialist at Lent K-8 and prior to that a K-8 District Literacy TOSA. In addition, I am an adjunct professor at Portland State University teaching courses to preservice and inservice teachers in the areas of literacy and culturally responsive instruction. In the past I was a classroom teacher and instructional coach in Minneapolis Public Schools and wrote science curriculum at the Lawrence Hall of Science.

I look forward to building relationships with all members of the Sellwood community. I am passionate about teaching and learning and can’t wait to collaborate with everyone to acquire the skills, mindsets, and actionable skills to be the change agents of a socially just future.

Soft Start – Schedules for the First Two Weeks of School:

Please note: September 2^nd, the first day of the school year, has been designated as a 6^th-grade only “jump start” orientation day.  7^th and 8^th graders will begin on September 3^rd.

Soft Start Schedule – September 2^nd to September 11^th.

On Monday, the district will send the “Family Modules for the Digital Toolkit”, which will provide information about how to log-in and use the digital tools and platforms. In addition, the school will send instructions and virtual invitations to class meetings for the opening events of the Soft Start Schedule.

PPS Middle School Bell Schedule

Earlier this week, the PPS School Board approved a common middle school bell schedule for all middle schools to use during distance learning.  A team consisting of district educational leaders, principals, assistant principals, and teachers created the schedule using the Oregon Department of Education’s guidelines on distance learning.  I will share a link to the schedule here.  In order to explain more about how the schedule works, I made a short screencast video, which is linked here.  The distance learning common schedule will begin September 14^th.

Special Material Distribution

Last week I shared with you the district’s plan to make “Home Classroom Supply Kits” available to all students in the district.  While I understand that these kits will still be created and distributed eventually, it may be some time before that comes to pass.  So, we have decided to hold some special materials distribution events at Sellwood for a few essential and hard to find materials. Your optional donations to the SchoolPay math account and art account will help offset the cost of these materials to the school.  Finally, below the information about materials distribution, I have posted a general back-to-school supply shopping list.

Materials Distribution Dates

6^th-grade – September 8, 1-4PM

7^th-grade – September 9, 1-4PM

8^th-grade – September 10, 1-4PM

Materials that will be distributed

For all students:

• Quad rule spirals – graph paper for math

• One mini-whiteboard

• Two whiteboard markers

For all students taking art

• One art kit with essential materials to be used for art during distance learning

A planner for those who still need one

A Chromebook or Hotspot for those who still need one or both

Books from the "Let’s Get Reading" program described below

Textbooks for classes where used.

Back-to-School Supply Shopping List

3-4 inch 3 ring binder

6 tab binder dividers

3-ring pencil pouch

Pencils

Highlighters

Ballpoint pens: black, blue, red

Small pencil sharpener

Big eraser

College-ruled notebook paper

Scissors

3 glue sticks

Colored pencils

100 sheet college-ruled composition book

Scotch tape

3X5 index cards

Ruler

Let’s Get Reading

What is Let’s Get Reading!?

Let’s Get Reading is a program designed by our PPS teacher-librarians with the goal to get physical books into the hands of students as quickly as possible. Some students may not have touched a physical book for over six months!

This program involves creating and loaning library bags of 5-10 books to each student to have at home to read with their families, friends, or even a pet!  At a designated time and location a family would pick up a book bag to enjoy, or in some cases, a bag could be delivered to a family.  A couple of weeks later, families would return their book bag and receive a new one. This process rotates each week:  pick up a bag, return it, pick up a new bag, return it, and on.

The types of books in the backs will initially vary, but over time can be created to respond to student requests and teacher-for-student requests. Library book bags will also include a Q&A about the process, a list of Conversation Starters, and an interactive handout on Genres to encourage reading engagement. These are the types of books a student might find in a bag:  
 

Grade 6 & Above

• Fiction book

• Nonfiction book

• Graphic novel 

• Biography 

• World languages (Bilingual book or a book in another language)

• Diverse book

• We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.         -- weneeddiversebooks.org 

Questions can be directed to the library staff in each building, or to 

PPS Library Services at ppslibraries@pps.net.  

Main Office:

Fall pictures and student IDs will be delayed until we resume in-person instruction.

Office support staff are working from home so the most efficient way to reach us is email. For matters concerning registration, enrollment, and ParentVue send emails to mwhitesi@pps.net

The best way to enroll your student is by going to the PPS website: https://www.pps.net/Domain/182 

To make changes to your student's registration in Synergy please log-in and use ParentVue.

If your Parentvue account has been disabled please email Melissa Whiteside mwhitesi@pps.net

We wish all of you a great "soft start" to the new school year.

Re: Student Activity Fee

$20.00 Suggested Donation.  

Go on-line to School Pay, Select: School Activity Fee

How to get to School pay?  Go to Sellwood Middle School website, under "Quick Links" select School Pay.  Follow the directions.  

School pay accepts credit/debit cards or electronic checks.  No cash at this time please.   

In School Pay, you'll also notice that you can donate to additional school funds such as:

• Math account: Will offset some of the cost of graph paper and whiteboards distributed.
• Art account:  Will help offset the cost of art material kits distributued.
• Principal's Discretionary Account:  To help students as the principal sees fit.
• Chrome Books - Technology:  We can also use more!
• Marimba:  Great program.  Help keep with tuning or repair of instruments and more!
• Band:  Great program:  Help keep it amazing! 
• Library:  Love to Read?  The Library can always use support.

Browse the list... there's more ways to help!  

Chromebook & HotSpot Distribution

If your student needs to check out a Chromebook or HotSpot, we will be delivering Chromebooks and HotSpots to homes on August 31^st and September 1^st.  If you have requested a Chromebook or HotSpot and did not pick one up during the distribution on Tuesday, I will be in touch about a good drop off time/day.

Race, Racism, and Racial Equity Resources

Guidelines for Being Strong White Allies https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/kivel3.pdf

Resources to Support Children’s Emotional Well-Being Amid Anti-Black Racism, Racial Violence, and Trauma, Published by ChildTrends, June 23, 2020 https://www.childtrends.org/publications/resources-to-support-childrens-emotional-well-being-amid-anti-black-racism-racial-violence-and-trauma