Student and Family News

Monday, October 19,  2020

Hello WHS Community!

We are very excited to have found a way to hold online Spirit Week this fall and are hoping to see lots of participation in our student body! The theme is Stay Home & Stay Safe. Listed below are the days as well as a short explanation for what they entail.

Monday: Lazy Day - Pjs, slippers, eye masks…wear the coziest thing in your closet!

Tuesday: Tone Up Tuesday! - Wear your favorite school appropriate work out clothes that have inspired you to get off the couch and be active during quarantine!

Wednesday: Wear a Mask Wednesday! - Sport your favorite face mask for the class! (You are not required to wear it all of class.)

Thursday: Throwback Thursday! - Quarantine sure has made us sentimental! So grab your favorite outfit from any decade to show off to the class.

Friday: Class Color Day! - Let’s show some school spirit Trojans! Freshman wear BLACK, Sophomores wear GREY, Juniors wear WHITE, and Seniors wear GREEN.

Share your school spirit on Instagram wilson_trojans Or to wilsonhsleadership@hotmail.com to be eligible for great prizes such as AirPods!  One winner per grade level!  -Wilson Leadership  

Virtual Club Fair, October 26-  Welcome back to another fall season at Wilson High School! We’ve been in school for a little over a month now, so hopefully, things are settling into a good routine for our students! Even though we are conducting school virtually, we are still hard at work trying to see what they can do to make this the best online year for our students. One incredibly important aspect of student life here at Wilson is the variety of amazing clubs that we offer. So, we are happy to announce that Wilson will be hosting our own Virtual Club Fair starting October 26th!

How will this work? Normally, our clubs would all be in the cafeteria with trifolds and information about their clubs and why people should join them. We can’t do that this year, so we have a virtual format similar to our Back-To-School-Night! On Monday, October 26th, we will share a document with information about the clubs we are offering this year, including the advisor email and when meetings are for each club. In addition, each club will share a short video about their club for students to watch if they are interested in learning a bit more about what the club is and figure out if they want to join. Students can feel free to watch these videos whenever they want and whenever they have the time to. Two days later, on Wednesday, October 28th, from 2:00 - 3:00 PM, clubs have the option to host virtual meetings where prospective members can swing by to ask any questions they may have or learn more about a certain club. Each club will have their own room open for the duration of the hour, so students will have time to visit multiple clubs. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to make friends, discover new interests, and get more involved in the Wilson community! Save October 26th and 28th on your calendars, and we hope that you will have a wonderful time at the first Virtual Club Fair!  -Student Leadership 

Advanced Placement Exam Registration and Payment -  Exam Payment for FIRST SEMESTER AP STUDENTS is due Nov. 2nd.  This is a HARD deadline coming from the College Board.  There will be a  $40 per exam late fee after this date. Please refer to the First Semester AP Student Checklist.

PTA Hospitality - The PTA's hospitality team is working on a small teacher appreciation / acknowledgement gift for distribution before Winter Break.  Planning a simple, non-perishable gift in lieu of any conference meals and the like.  We need $2,200 to include all teachers, at a cost of $25 per person.  To include all support staff, our need would be $3,300 total. If you'd like to contribute, please Venmo to @jchrist18 or message Jessica (jess_jon@msn.com).  If you use Venmo, please put Wilson in the subject line.  As of Friday afternoon, we were about 1/4 of the way to our goal.  It has been a wild ride, but our Wilson teachers and staff are hanging in there with us.  Let's show some

A Message from the Boosters-  It's that time of year! The Booster Club annual Christmas Tree sale is in full on planning mode. What can you do to help?  Sign up to volunteer for a shift.  All shifts are open to everyone so get a group of friends and pick a day/time that works for all of you. We need students and adults.  All Covid protocols will be in place to ensure a safe volunteer experience. Sign up today: https://signup.com/go/FTDoZtg

Picture Retakes and Student Bus Passes-  Mark your calendars for November 3rd and 4th between noon-4pm for our picture retake day and another opportunity to get a student ID card with trimet pass.  

Athletics Update - Greetings Sports Fans!  After careful deliberation and in conjunction with the OHA, Governor’s Office, ODE, and guidance from the OSAA, we are announcing an opportunity for our student-athletes to re-connect with our coaching staff in a safe, healthy, and productive way beginning October 20.  We will be adhering to the following protocols:

• Masks Required and worn at all times, coaches included.  If a student-athlete does not bring a mask, they cannot participate.

• Own Water Bottle

• 6ft social distancing

• Temperature Checks

• Attendance taken

• Check In/Out Tables

• Sanitation Stations

• Communication from each Wilson High School Program about where check in/out stations are located and pod identification.

• 1:25 Ratio per pod

• 1 zone per pod

• Student-Athletes must stay in the same pod for the week.

• Student-Athletes can share balls. Must be cleaned after use.

• Coaches will have the ability to use the Family ID app for data collection, communication, and attendance.

• Trainers will be on site in the afternoon/evening time slots.

• Thermometers will be provided by the District Athletic Office

• Students will enter the fields where designated by each X on the attached map.

• Coaches and assistants will be expected to take and record temperatures along with attendance.

Student-athletes will have to be registered on Family ID and have a valid physical on file with our office before participation. Please visit www.familyid.com to register for Season 1. 

In the Oregon School Activities Association’s current plan, “Season 2” would be a condensed winter sports season in January and February, “Season 3” would be a condensed fall sports season in March and April, and “Season 4”  would be a condensed spring sports season in May and June. These are all contingent on clearance by our State and local government officials as well as the Portland Public School leadership in order to ensure the safest possible conditions for our students. To learn more about the athletic calendar this year, you may review OSAA’s media release using this link. 

While this is a great opportunity for our community, we will need everyone’s full cooperation in the guidance and protocols presented here. You will be receiving an email from the head coach of each program that your student-athletes signed up for regarding drop off and pick up procedures and any other pertinent information specific to that sport. --Mike Nolan, Athletic Director

Conferences are Scheduled for November 23rd and 24th-  Starting this week our staff will be calling families who have students of concern to schedule a conference.   We call these scheduled conferences “priority conferences.”  We will be scheduling priority conferences between Oct. 21-Nov. 10th.  Beginning November 12th, we will open up our online conference scheduler for families to sign up for a 10 minute conference with each of their student’s teachers.  As always, if you have any academic concerns or questions, please contact your student’s teacher through email to schedule an appointment or ask a question.  

LIVE for PPS's Tools to Build Your Future district wide, virtual event featuring career talks and post-secondary planning workshops for ALL high school students on October 21, 2020 (10:00-3:20).

All PPS high school students will: 

• Explore two career pathways with industry professionals (Grades 9-12, Morning) 

and/or

• Participate in 3 different post-secondary workshops (Grades 11-12, Afternoon) including:

  • Financial Aid & Scholarships

  • Trades/Apprenticeships

  • HBCU, Tribal, and Hispanic serving colleges 

  • 2 and 4 Year College options

  • Job Corps, AmeriCorps, Gap Year options

  • First Generation & DACA supports

  • And more 

Students in 9th-11th can use this opportunity to earn a CRLE toward their graduation requirements. 

9th & 10th graders must attend the two morning sessions and complete an evaluation to earn a CRLE; 11th graders must attend all five sessions and complete an evaluation to earn a CRLE.

Please encourage your student to pre-register for their sessions. An instructional video on how to register is provided on the Tools to Build Your Future landing page. Registration is being managed by eventbrite. Students will receive a confirmation email as well as a link to add to their Google Calendar.

Why This? Why Now?

During remote learning, this event will take the place of many of the events individual high schools typically plan throughout the year including career fairs, college nights, and more. This event provides students with more comprehensive and diverse post-secondary planning than each individual high school has the capacity to offer. 

For questions or assistance, please contact Jessica Wade, WHS Career Coordinator, jwade1@pps.net 

A Note from the College Counselor, Kelly Milford-  Now you can sign up for virtual college visits in Maia Learning under Universities < Visits 

• You can look further ahead than 1 week, sign up and add to your calendar!

• Here is a list of schools visiting next week, log in to sign up!

A Note from our Nurse:  Parents should continue to provide the school with updated immunization information.  This information must be provided to the school for input into the district's immunization database so that the student's record will reflect they are up to date.  Letters are being mailed this month to parents whose children have incomplete immunization information.  Should a parent receive a letter, they need to provide the requested information as soon as possible.  The school nurse is available to address any questions parents have.  If assistance is needed in locating a healthcare provider or clinic site, please contact the school nurse.   Here are two more useful resources:  

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html

• https://multco.us/health/immunizations

 Mary Corcoran, BSN, RN 

(Pronouns She/Her/Hers)

Multnomah Education Service District (MESD), School Health Services 

Serving Wilson High School, PPS

Nurse Phone with voicemail: 971-229-6216, mcorcora@mesd.k12.or.us

Library Services Available During Building Closure-  Sora- Popular, Free eBooks and Audiobooks.  Download the Sora App or click on the image above to read free ebooks and audiobooks from your school and public libraries in one convenient app.

Let's Get Reading! at Wilson and Holds Pickup Mondays 1-3pm and Wednesdays 8:30-10:30

Let's Get Reading! features 2-3 books on a theme that can be picked up. If you want something more specific, you can fill out the "Lets Get Reading" Curation Request. We will do our best to choose a few books we think you would enjoy. If you want a specific title, you can put a hold on it and pick it up. If you cannot make these times, please email library staff to make arrangements. 

Textbook, Chromebook, and other Materials:  Mondays 1-3pm and Wednesdays 8:30-10:30.  Drop in textbooks, Chromebooks, and other materials on Mondays 1-3pm and Wednesdays 8:30-10:30. If you cannot make these times, please email Hilary Woodard at hwoodard@pps.net to make arrangements.

Password and Technology Drop in Help-  12:00-12:30 Mondays and Thursdays via virtual meetings. Check the library homepage for links and information https://www.pps.net/domain/4251

Yearbook Updates:

I’m sure you’re wondering how your student is going to have a picture in the 2021 yearbook (Yes, it’s still happening! Ordering instructions will be available sometime in the future, so stay tuned). We were worried about that too. Thankfully, our yearbook company, Balfour, has come up with a solution. 

 

This year we’ll be using EXPix to upload student portraits. Keep an eye out for an email from Balfour for sign up and submission instructions by the end of this week. We were only able to include one email address, so if you didn’t receive the email, please email whstroyanyearbook@gmail.com and request to receive an EXPix invite. 

 

Please submit your student’s photo (9th, 10th and 11th grades) NO LATER THAN November 2nd. While we suggest you follow the guidelines that Balfour provides for photo submissions (the photo is about 1" x 1.25" so it should be mostly head and shoulders), we only ask that the photo is school appropriate. Otherwise, we strongly encourage your student to use this, hopefully, once in a lifetime opportunity to submit a yearbook photo that is a unique expression of them. (Yes, pets can be included!)

 

Seniors should submit senior photos (also using EZPix) no later than December 18th.

 

If you have any questions or need any help, please contact the yearbook staff at whstroyanyearbook@gmail.com.

 

In other news, this year we’ll be reaching out to students about once a month with photo requests and opportunities to be interviewed for stories. If you have photos of your student that you would like to submit for our consideration, please see the attached instructions for Balfour ImageShare which allows you to upload photos.

 

If you’re curious what we’re currently looking for, please take a look below and encourage your student(s) to participate.

 

PHOTOS WE’RE LOOKING FOR: summer BLM protests (avoid faces other than your own), protest signs you made, socially distanced picnics and hangouts, new hobbies you took up (things you’ve made or you doing the hobby), summer trips or staycations, your Animal Crossing New Horizons island and/or avatar, ACNH art you made, first day of school, your something special item from the second day of school, your home classroom/workspace, smokey sky pictures from the fires.

 

STORIES WE’RE LOOKING FOR: people who supported Black Lives Matter in ways other than the big BLM protests; people who had big summer trips cancelled due to Covid-19; freshmen first day experience with online orientation; people who have terrible technical difficulty stories from the first week; people who were directly impacted by the fires (not just experiencing the smoke); people who would like to share their story of how life has changed during the first 6 months of quarantine. (If any of these situations apply to you, please email us at whstroyanyearbook@gmail.com and we’ll get back to you for an interview.)

 

If you have any questions or need any help, please contact the yearbook staff at whstroyanyearbook@gmail.com.

 

Thanks for your help! We look forward to your student’s school portrait and other photo submissions.  ImageShare_Instructions (1).png 

 

Keith Higbee

Yearbook Adviser

TBD High School

khigbee@pps.net

Community Response to Supporting our WHS Families in Need:  A huge thank you to everyone who has responded to our request to support Wilson families in need.  We continue to receive cash donations to our schoolpay.com student aid account, gift cards, and donations of cleaning supplies/shampoos/conditioner/soap/laundry detergent and other household items.  The generosity of our community is felt by our WHS families who need help during these difficult times.  

Have a great week!  

WHS

Student and Family News

Monday, October 12,  2020

Dear Wilson Students and Families,

Congratulations on finishing the first half of Quarter 1.  Progress Marks were posted on Friday and should be visible in Student/Parent Vue.  If you see that your student is not earning a passing grade, please contact your teacher to learn more.  Now that the school year is up and running, you can expect to see more assignment and assessment grades entered in the weeks to come.  Quarter 1 ends on November 5.

Here are a few announcements for the week ahead:

Site Council Parent Elections - Dear Wilson parent community,  We are recruiting for two open parent representative seats on the Wilson HS site council. The site council meets monthly (last available Wednesday of each month from 3pm to 5pm), sets and achieves goals designed to improve the academic environment and academic results for Wilson Students.  Please follow this link to learn more about WHS site council bylaws and submit your application for consideration.  The application will be open until Wednesday, 10/14.  Site council meetings are open to the public and anyone interested may attend.

Family Communication - Week of October 12-16th 

Registration is now LIVE for PPS's Tools to Build Your Future district wide, virtual event featuring career talks and post-secondary planning workshops for ALL high school students on October 21, 2020 (10:00-3:20).

All PPS high school students will: 

• Explore two career pathways with industry professionals (Grades 9-12, Morning) 

and/or

• Participate in 3 different post-secondary workshops (Grades 11-12, Afternoon) including:

  • Financial Aid & Scholarships

  • Trades/Apprenticeships

  • HBCU, Tribal, and Hispanic serving colleges 

  • 2 and 4 Year College options

  • Job Corps, AmeriCorps, Gap Year options

  • First Generation & DACA supports

  • And more 

Students in 9th-11th can use this opportunity to earn a CRLE toward their graduation requirements. 

9th & 10th graders must attend the two morning sessions and complete an evaluation to earn a CRLE; 11th graders must attend all five sessions and complete an evaluation to earn a CRLE.

Please encourage your student to pre-register for their sessions. An instructional video on how to register is provided on the Tools to Build Your Future landing page. Registration is being managed by eventbrite. Students will receive a confirmation email as well as a link to add to their Google Calendar.

Why This? Why Now?

During remote learning, this event will take the place of many of the events individual high schools typically plan throughout the year including career fairs, college nights, and more. This event provides students with more comprehensive and diverse post-secondary planning than each individual high school has the capacity to offer. 

For questions or assistance, please contact Jessica Wade, WHS Career Coordinator, jwade1@pps.net 

Library Services Available During Building Closure 

Sora- Popular, Free eBooks and Audiobooks

Download the Sora App or click on the image above to read free ebooks and audiobooks from your school and public libraries in one convenient app.

Let's Get Reading! at Wilson and Holds Pickup Mondays 1-3pm and Wednesdays 8:30-10:30

Let's Get Reading! features 2-3 books on a theme that can be picked up. If you want something more specific, you can fill out the "Lets Get Reading" Curation Request. We will do our best to choose a few books we think you would enjoy. If you want a specific title, you can put a hold on it and pick it up. If you cannot make these times, please email library staff to make arrangements. 

Textbook, Chromebook, and other Materials Mondays 1-3pm and Wednesdays 8:30-10:30

Drop in textbooks, Chromebooks, and other materials on Mondays 1-3pm and Wednesdays 8:30-10:30. If you cannot make these times, please email Hilary Woodard at hwoodard@pps.net to make arrangements.

Password and Technology Drop in Help

12:00-12:30 Mondays and Thursdays via virtual meetings. Check the library homepage for links and information.

Virtual College Visits Oct. 12-16th

Dear Juniors/Seniors,

Below please find the list of college visits for the week of October 12th-16th.

Next week we will be hosting:

These sessions are designed for students only.  Our recommendation to parents is to reach out to schools directly to learn more about parent opportunities by school.

Have a great week!  

WHS

Student and Family News

Monday, October 5,  2020

Dear Wilson Students and Families,

Here are a few announcements for the short week ahead:

Schedule This Week - We don’t have school on Friday!  As is the case with every 4-day week, we will not have our regular Wednesday schedule this week.  Instead, Wednesday and Thursday of this week will follow the typical Thursday and Friday schedule.  

Site Council Parent Elections - Dear Wilson parent community,  We are recruiting for two open parent representative seats on the Wilson HS site council. The site council meets monthly (last available Wednesday of each month from 3pm to 5pm), sets and achieves goals designed to improve the academic environment and academic results for Wilson Students.  Please follow this link to learn more about WHS site council bylaws and submit your application for consideration.  The application will be open until Wednesday, 10/14.  Site council meetings are open to the public and anyone interested may attend.

ASB Elections are this Week! - WHS Students - Reminder that you will be voting for ASB members in your classes this week! Stay tuned for more announcements on our instagram @wilson_trojans including a description of all of the ASB positions and candidate bios!  

Here are your candidates for ASB 2020/2021

From the WHS Foundation - Dear Wilson Community, As this unusual school year gets underway, we wanted to reach out about the importance of the Wilson Foundation. The mission of Wilson Foundation is to reduce class sizes by adding teachers and increasing elective choices for every student.  Now more than ever, Wilson needs your support.  

There are many ways you can show your support:

•  Donate directly to the foundation at The Fund for Portland Public Schools. Click on donate and follow the prompts. Be sure to designate Wilson in the drop down box. You can make a one-time donation or choose to spread out your giving by making a recurring monthly donation. Many local employers offer matching programs that could double your contribution.

• Join Wilson Foundation through SchoolPay. This year we have created a way to become a member of Wilson Foundation through  SchoolPay. After logging in, click on non-profit groups on the left. You can sign up for all three WHS groups (Foundation, PTA and Boosters) together or become a member of any group individually.

• Become a board member of Wilson Foundation!  We are looking for new members, especially parents with Freshman and Sophomore students.  While this is important work, it is not a big commitment. We would love to have a Communications Chair, Grant Specialist, and a Community Liaison. 

• Attend a Wilson Foundation meeting.  At our meetings, community members can learn more about the role of the Foundation at Wilson, learn about Wilson’s staffing needs, and add your input about how resources are allocated.  ** See meeting information below!

In past “normal” years, Wilson Foundation has hosted community fundraising events, including October House Parties and a spring All School Auction.  With the social distancing restraints in place at this time, these fun and community building social events have been put on “pause”.  Wilson Foundation’s mission remains the same - to support Wilson’s educational community and raise funds for FTE needs.    Please consider what you would potentially have contributed at a house party or a paddle raise and click on the donation link above.  

       The first meeting of the Wilson Foundation will be via Zoom meeting on Wednesday, October 7th at 6:30 p.m. - link is provided below:

       ———>  Join Zoom Meeting       https://pps-net.zoom.us/j/95525169764?pwd=UDJhMHF0Z05SL3F2enRLRk5aL0hEQT09

For more information about the Wilson Foundation, please contact Deb Cox at or Kathy Lommen.

Very Respectfully, 

Deb Cox

Foundation Chair

debcox33@gmail.com

Kathy Lommen

Foundation Treasurer

Kathy_lommen@yahoo.com

News from the College and Career Center

Interested in attending college in Canada?  EduCanada Virtual Fair - October 6th

NACAC Virtual College Fair  - This replaces the big fair NACAC usually has annually at the Convention center.  3 dates: Oct 12 and 13th, Nov 8th.  Different colleges will be available on different dates. Sign up and explore Here

Students, families, and counselors can attend the PNACAC College Fair! Representatives from colleges and universities nationwide will be in attendance at this free virtual event. See the PNACAC website for details on the daily schedule, schools attending, and registration. Oregon Week: October 5 - 8.  Washington Week: October 19-23. 

Alaska/ Idaho Week: October 26-29. 

PPS Tools to Build Your Future Event - Oct. 21st from 10 am -3:15 pm.  All students in grades 9-12 will choose two break out sessions dedicated to career exploration in the morning and in the afternoon, students in grades 11 and 12 will choose three postsecondary action planning sessions.   Sessions will include:

• Career awareness interactive presentations delivered by industry speakers representing a broad range of career pathways

• Information about advanced training and job readiness options

• Financial aid and scholarship options

• Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs

• 2 and 4 year colleges (including supports for first generation college students)

• College sessions for Black, Latinx and Native students

• College test preparation and updates

• Gap year programs

SCHOLARSHIPS

• Sign up for Going Merry - a different scholarship search - apply within the website to vetted scholarships, bundle applications, store your transcript to attach, auto-filled responses when possible! Sign up here:

https://www.goingmerry.com/c/kellym-deowl

• Oregon CIS (Career Information Systems) - a comprehensive college and career tool with the most up to date local scholarship list for Oregon students!  Sign in or sign up here: https://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/ select the Single Sign On button (right corner).

• Office of Student Access and Completion OSAC - Oregon has a commission that puts together a database of more than 500 scholarships that can be applied to with 1 application! Opens in November, Deadline March 1st.

• Wilson High School offers 3-5 scholarships each year with the help of community partners to graduating seniors.  These applications come out in the spring.

Seniors:  October is College Application Month - Get Prepared and Apply!

FAFSA Opens Oct. 1st! - Make sure you get in and file it as soon as you can HERE!  If you missed Jen Satalino’s Paying for College event find the Recording here.  Register and attend the Paying For College event en Espanol on September 30th at 6pm - Sign up HERE.  An additional English event will take place on October 21st at 6pm- note this on your calendar and look at The College Place for updates and links.

A Message from our Social Worker, Britni Locke:

Dear Wilson High School Community, 

I know it has been said what feels like millions of times over, but we are living in unprecedented times. The coronavirus pandemic alongwith the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Aumaud Aubrey, and the many black lives lost since and even before, have shed light on the inequities that exist in our local communities and in our world. 

I have now been in the role of Wilson’s school social worker for just over a month and already it is abundantly clear that many of our families are struggling to have their basic needs met. At the same time, I have received many emails from families asking how they can help, what they can donate and how. A need I have noticed thus far is for clothing. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, a lot of the clothing closets in the community are closed. Another need that has come up is the need for cleaning supplies and toiletries which we know cannot be purchased with EBT cards. 

Therefore, I am hoping for donations of the following items from the Wilson families who can do so: 

• Gift cards in varying amounts to: Fred Meyer, Target, Walmart, Winco, or other easy to access stores in the community (online or within close proximity).

• VISA gift cards in varying amounts, Gas Gift Cards in varying denominations

• To donate directly to our student aid fund, please visit this school pay link   

• Cleaning/House Supplies such as: Laundry detergent, Bleach, Sponges, Hand sanitizer, Lysol, Dish soap, All purposes cleaner, etc.

If you are able to donate, you can drop items and/or gift cards off at Wilson High School between the hours of 8AM and 3PM Monday through Friday. When dropping off, call the main office (503) 916-5280 and someone will meet you to gather your donations.  All donations can receive a tax deductible donation letter from Erica Caldwell, Business Manager, Wilson High School.

Additionally, if you are a family in need of support please connect with me via phone or email. 

Best,

Britni Locke, LCSW, LSSW 

she/her 

School Social Worker

Wilson High School

(971) 712-3621 

BLocke@pps.net