Click here to watch Odyssey's First Day of School Pictures

Gosh darn technology!  Here is our welcome back assembly.  Sorry if you missed the live session, but here is the gist of our welcome.  

We are going to have a great year and sometimes the technology doesn't work, but we adapt and flex with the moment.  :)

https://youtu.be/5ipvm93kOiM

Dear Odyssey Families, 

Friday updates for you all.  I am looking forward to seeing all your faces soon even if it is on the computer screen for now!  

Wednesday September 2nd---School Starts!!! 

Welcome Back Assembly @ 8:15 Wednesday

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83451938834?pwd=WjlRQUlqNU9CR3h0aTZyZFIwam11UT09

Meeting ID: 834 5193 8834

Passcode: mN9mNS

 

Soft start information:  

You will receive a letter from your teacher by end of day with links to the soft start meetings and more information.  There will be several trainings for parents & students during soft start from our librarian Louise Chambers.  Please stay tuned for a schedule of those sessions.  For family information regarding distance learning platforms and tools, please visit https://www.pps.net/fall2020 frequently.  

 

School Supply Kit Pick Up Information: 

Due to the soft start schedule for 678, the supply pick up will be extended until 1:00 PM next week.  Here is the schedule for supply pick up again:

 

Wednesday, Sept. 2nd * A - C:  10 am - 11 am D - H:  11 am - 12 pm   (A-Z:   678 until 1:00 PM) Thursday, Sept. 3rd * J - M:  10 am - 11 am N - S:  11 am - 12 pm   (A-Z:   678 until 1:00 PM) *Also make-up for Chromebook pick up

 Friday, Sept. 4th *

T - Z:   10 am - 11 am

Make up:  11 am - 12 pm  

(A-Z:  678 until 1:00 PM)

Tuesday, Sept. 8th *

Make up:   10 am - 1:00 PM

 

Call for paper bags!  If you have paper bags to donate to library, please bring to supply pick up and drop off outside

Please note:  We are going to be doing traffic control so cars can go in the out driveway and out the in.  If it sounds confusing, don’t worry.  We will have signs and traffic control helpers. Please remember to wear your masks and stay socially distant.

 

Last Year's Student Belongings - FINAL call for all student belongings from their mailbox, classroom and projects.  Please ask for your student's bag of items while you are here to pick up their Supply Kit.  We will throw away everything that remains on Wednesday, Sept. 9th. 

 

Verification of your student's registration information (such as your contact info, emergency contacts, etc.):  This is now online via ParentVUE!  Please take a moment to verify your student's information is current: https://www.pps.net/Page/2341 .  Your user ID would be your email address.  If you haven't activated your ParentVUE account in past years, contact Angela at ahoffart@pps.net .

 

PPS Connect to Kindergarten

Monday, August 31, 6:30-7:30 pm

Please join PPS on a virtual, districtwide information session for all families of PPS

kindergarten students.  Refer to the attached flyer for the link and information. District Connect To Kindergarten Meeting 

 

We are very excited for the school year to start and still want to acknowledge that we are all sad that we cannot be in person, but looking forward to the structure and tools provided for the new year.  Our motto this year is to support our students, support our families, and support one another.  We will do this together!

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Berg

 

A message from the Library

Hello Odyssey Students & Families!

 

Even though we will be starting the year in the distance learning format, the Library Ladies want to get library books into your hands!

WHO:

The Library Ladies and YOU!

WHAT:

Let's Get Reading checkout program

WHEN:

Sept. 2-4: Return any library books you may still have from last year.

Sept. 7-11: Start requesting types of books via the Odyssey Library website request form & placing holds for specific titles via the Odyssey Destiny Discover catalog. More information and how-to videos coming soon...

Sept. 14-18: Program begins.

WHERE:

Pick-up and return site for book bags will be the Cafeteria door leading out to the playground. Procedures will be similar to those for the Chromebook distribution. More information coming soon... 

Please read the Odyssey Let's Get Reading Program Q&A document for more detailed information. Questions after reading? Email Laura at ljones@pps.net.

Looking forward to this year!

The Library Ladies

(aka Louise Chambers & Laura Jones)

Dear Odyssey Community,

I want to update you all on a few items.  Please do read through carefully and also please know that more specific information from your teachers is forthcoming.

Soft Start Schedule: Wednesday September 2nd through Friday September 11th (1st day of Kindergarten September 8th)

Soft start schedule for grades 1-8 begins on Wednesday September 2nd.  That is the official first day of school!  We will be following the district guidelines sent out last Friday regarding the soft start schedule.  This means that all students K-8 will receive one social emotional learning (SEL) session with their teacher (live) each day of the soft start.  

K-5 Soft Start SEL 8:30 AM each day. Teachers will be doing professional development and family engagement during the rest of each day.  They will reach out to families separately to schedule.  Kindergarten will start on the 8th of September with the same schedule.  Please note that Susan Gregoire is the kindergarten teacher and will be reaching out to kinder families separately.

678 Soft Start SEL 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM. Connections activities and introduction to 678 from 10:30 AM-12:00 PM each day. Teachers will be doing professional development the rest of each day.  Details coming soon. 

Regular School Programming: September 14th 

On September 14th the regular Odyssey online learning begins.  

School will run the regular Odyssey hours.

8:00 AM to 2:15 PM K-5 (8:00 AM to 8:30 AM student preparation)

8:00 AM to 2:30 PM 678  (8:00 AM to-8:30 AM student preparation)

During the school day your student will have sessions of live instruction from teachers and sessions of independent practice and activities.  Your child will have specials during the week and those will happen both live and independently.  Each day will begin with a social emotional lesson for 30 minutes live with their teacher at 8:30 AM. Lunch will be from 11:15-12:00 PM for all students.  This includes eating & movement time.  

We are still working as a staff to finalize schedules as we pivot each day with new information from the district and the state regarding the teachers contract and required hours for learning times.  As every year, you will get the finalized schedule with specials from your teacher once school starts.  I know that some of you have special circumstances and that you may have questions.  We understand that there will be a need for some flexibility for child care, parent schedules, etc. Once school starts, please reach out to your teacher(s) with those circumstances.  Attendance will be taken (specifically how and when coming soon) and we do want students to learn how to login and work with their class and teacher independently.  We also encourage parents to practice the technology ahead of time.  Here is the link to the student portal. Here is the link for parent information.  

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION COULD CHANGE WITH ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FROM STATE AND DISTRICT LEADERS

Teacher & Class Information:

This year we are starting with our K-5 in grade level classes.  The breakdown is as follows:

Sue Gregoire: Kindergarten

Edith Howard: 1st Grade

Meredith Jue: 2nd Grade

Heather Mankowski: 3rd Grade

Dede Marron: 4th Grade

Katy Wilebski: 5th Grade 

Please note that we are starting at grade level due to the demands of virtual learning.  This is not a normal situation and we care deeply about the Odyssey foundation and pedagogy.  Students will have an opportunity in their clusters to interact and work with mixed grade levels to build community.  This will be organized by the teachers. 678 will run more traditionally like Odyssey with teachers leading any team times & organizing by grades for other subjects.

Teachers officially start back Thursday August 27th and will be in training for the first few days of work.  We know families have lots of questions.  Teachers will spend time during the soft start training students and families on the technology and expectations.  Please understand that we are all working together to build the best virtual Odyssey world possible.  

The links and more specific information about soft start will be sent Friday by your grade level teacher.

In this Edition

Message From Dr Berg: Below

K12 Update: Below

345 Update: Below

678 Update: Below

8^th Grade Spanish Update: Below

Coach Payne Update: Below & Attached

Greetings From The Library Ladies: Below

Hats Off To Odyssey Families From School Counselor Stephanie: Below

Mr Z Art Class Update: Below

Online Enrollment for 2020-2021 Kindergarteners: Below

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Upcoming Events

8th Grade Promotion! (Via Zoom): Tuesday, June 9, 5-6pm

Item Drop Off At School: Monday - Thursday, June 8 -  June 11

Iem Pick Up At School: Wednesday & Thursday, June 10 & 11

 

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Message From Dr Berg

 

Hello Odyssey Families,

 

I hope that you are all doing well this week as we finalize our last few days of school and get ready to celebrate the end of the year.  This will be our final all cluster update for the year as teachers are done next Thursday and hopefully will spend the summer relaxing and staying away from computer screens!  I think everyone is as burned out as I am with staring at my computer.  

 

I look forward to seeing many of you next week as you return materials and pick up any items left at school.  Here are the final instructions again if you missed them earlier this week:

End of year item returns & Misc:

Next week the Odyssey teachers will be in the building packing up their classrooms for the summer. Due to Covid19, we are unable to have anyone in the building except staff. Any leftover student belongings from teacher classrooms will be packed up and labelled with student names.

On Wednesday and Thursday (June 10 & 11) items will be available for pick up outside of the school.  Staff will be available from 9-2 for pick up.

We will also be able to display lost and found and sign out unused medication to parents. Items that are not picked up next week will be recycled or if it is valuable, saved for next year.

Currently it looks like we just have miscellaneous student work, but we will pack up and have it available next week. Unfortunately, I cannot specifically let you know what exactly will be available because we haven't been in the building, but teachers are guessing that it is mostly art and student work.

We need students to return:

Calculators for Brinks-Dexter

Spanish Textbooks for Sénor Rainey

Lit Novels

Any library books you still have

Those can be returned Monday through Thursday of next week.  You can knock on the door to return Monday or Tuesday and drop boxes will be available Wednesday and Thursday.
Thank you!

Dr. Berg

Principal, Odyssey Program

She/ Hers/ They (Why?)

 

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K12 Update

 

Hello K/1/2 Families,

 

We have mixed feelings about our year coming to an end. We are SO proud of our kiddos for staying so strong, focused and flexible as we all figured out a new way of learning. We also want to give a huge shout out to our parents for being patient and amazing with their children by guiding and teaching them! We have missed the children and families so much but are looking forward to seeing you all again very soon. We hope that you all have a restful and fun filled summer!

 

P.S. We will hopefully see the whole K/1/2 on Wednesday at 12:30 for our "Summer Sendoff". Parents should have gotten an email with some instructions for the kids.

 

Ms. Gregoire, Mrs. Wilebski and Mrs. Howard

 

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345 Update

 

Hello from the 345 Cluster!

 

The students in 345 have been working hard to wrap up their assignments this week as we approach summer vacation. We wrapped up our Sailing Simulation and the majority of the expeditions made it to the New World. Sadly, a few teams are lost at sea forever! Projects were presented this week and we are constantly blown away by the talents of our students. 

 

We will be returning to school on Monday to prepare our classrooms for summer. We will be sorting and gathering students’ items as best we can. If there is anything in particular you’d like us to locate for you, please let us know and we will do our best to find them. 

 

As we wrapped up final team meetings today, we felt a number of mixed emotions and think our students did too: sadness, pure joy, and excitement for what’s to come. Even though this has been a difficult endeavor, our students have come through this period of online schooling with resiliency and grace. We appreciate their persistence!

 

Next week, we are excited to celebrate with our students via an all group virtual meeting, where we will share a special presentation. We have a few tricks up our sleeves to send our 5th graders onto the next cluster! 

 

Have a great weekend!

The 345 Team

 

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678 Update

 

Dear 678 Families,

 

Our most unusual school year ever is coming to a close. We feel so fortunate that our students and community have been so adaptable, capable, and supportive in our distance learning journey this year. We look forward to a time in which we can all safely see each other again. Some end-of-the-year info for you:

 

Final Projects/Virtual Museum Visits:

678 students have been hard at work getting their virtual museums ready for their classmate visitors. For the final week of the school year, students will be invited to visit the museums of a few of the other Odyssey teams. They will then take notes on what they saw, and what they learned about different ancient civilizations during their museum visits. We are also welcoming parents to visit the museums of the 678 students. We will share links to the students’ work next week.

 

Odyssey Promotion:

We would like to invite the families of Odyssey’s Class of 2020 to our virtual promotion which will be held on Tuesday, June 9 from 5pm to 6pm. Please join us for farewell messages from the Odyssey faculty, speeches from students, and the presentation of 8th grade awards from the 678 teachers. Here is the invitation (via Zoom):

 

 

8th Grade Students:

The end of your time at Odyssey is here, and the community would like to send you off with a farewell gift. Please plan on stopping by Odyssey on Wednesday or Thursday 1-2pm to collect your gifts and field study bag as well as to safely say goodbye to the 678 teachers. Look for the table outside of the gym in the parking lot.

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8^th Grade Spanish Update

 

This week in Spanish was the introduction of "The Past Tense"..one of the most important concepts to learn.  It sets our first-year students up for what will be 

strong practice with "preterite proficiency" in year 2.

 

I want to take this op to express to you parents how pleased I have been with this year's 8th grade class of Spanish.  What a wonderful group of kids, always eager to learn and ready to work and practice the language. Only wish I could be their teacher for the second level.  They now have a strong base and will be successful adding all the more to it during their high school years.

 

Sr. Rainey

 

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Coach Payne Update

 

Hey Everyone,

 

I want to thank everyone for their cooperation and patience through this weird time! I am happy to be a part of such a loving and strong community! On Monday of next week, I will be having a guest speaker during my office hour from 12pm-1pm. Her name is Lauren Rood (see her photo, attached!). She used to play for the U-17-20 Women's National Team and is now a 2X National Champion soccer player for Stanford University. I know how much our students love soccer, so make sure they come ready with some good questions!

 

Thank you!  Coach Payne

 

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Greetings from the Library Ladies

 

The past couple weeks have been heartbreaking and difficult for our community and nation. We are committed to racial and social justice for all individuals and believe in the power of books and stories. The following resources are a starting place to assist families in building the understanding and empathy we all need for this important work to be successful. 

 

· We Stories (engages White families to change the conversation about and build momentum towards racial equity in St. Louis).  Includes a picture booklist.

Talking to Kids About Protesting:  https://bit.ly/3051Oyr

· Education with an Apron: blog written by a Black educator.  Includes links to purchase her books: The POC Families’ Guide to Discussing Racism  and Teaching Your Child to be an Anti-racist: a Guide for White Families to Talk About Racism

https://educationwithanapron.com/blog/

· The Conscious Kid (The Conscious Kid is an education, research and policy organization dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity development in youth). Booklist from picture books to YA celebrating Black boys: https://www.theconsciouskid.org/black-books-matter-childrens-books-celebrating-black-boys

· Brain Lair Books (Bookshop dedicated to developing empathy and building community with inclusive books).  Booklist of 100 anti-racist titles for all age ranges:

https://bookshop.org/lists/this-list-is-anti-racist

· Resources compiled by a public children’s librarian in Illinois.  Includes videos, podcasts, articles and websites: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2020/06/02/antiracist-resources-and-reads-lists-for-all-ages/

· Multnomah County Libraries: they have purchased a limited term UNIVERSAL ACCESS license for Me and white supremacy in both ebook and audiobook formats. Direct links to both below:

Ebook version

Audiobook version

Link to instant library card app to Multco's digital collection

 

Local Connections:

· Race Talks hosts presentations on historical and current topics of ethnicity and race in Oregon. Speakers include survivors of racism and others who have knowledge of the topic, and provide an opportunity to learn our forgotten and hidden history.

· Vanport Mosaic is a memory-activism platform based in Portland. We amplify, honor, present, and preserve the silenced histories that surround us in order to understand our present, and create a future where we all belong.

· Standing Up for Racial Justice - PDX Chapter was founded in 2012 by a small group of white people who, having heard from many people of color in our lives, identified a need for consistent ongoing racial justice organizing by white folks, in contrast to short-lived issue specific campaigns.

 

Our hearts and thoughts are with you all, our city, and our nation.

 

Louise Chambers & Laura Jones

lchambers@pps.net

ljones2@pps.net

 

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Hats off to Odyssey Families from Counselor Stephanie!

 

Almost overnight you went from classroom learning to distance learning from inside the walls of your home.  New schedules, new technology and so much more.  I too delivered social emotional learning in different ways and some I will even take with me back to brick and mortar school.  I am overjoyed to be assigned to Odyssey full-time next year and I hope that nothing stands in that path.  

 

I am so excited for our graduating eighth grade students!  My time with them was brief, but powerful.  They taught me what it is to be an Odyssey student and the pride associated with that distinction.  I feel in my heart that they will accomplish their goals and serve as role models for others to do the same.  

 

Looking toward the future and in light of recent events I feel compelled to promise you that I will continue my racial equity learning.  I am only in the early stages of grasping how my work as a white school counselor impacts students, staff and families.  I am committed to my own personal growth in this area as I serve students of color and as we all work together to advocate for positive social change.   Thank you for choosing to share with me if I can do something in a more culturally competent or relevant way for you or for your child.  

(I will check my email this summer scox@pps.net)

 

The American School Counselor Association has a valuable new resource page.  

Race Relations Resources | American School ... - ASCA

                                                                    

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Mr Z – Art Class Update

 

Hello, Odyssey students and families!

 

Let me first say with a resounding voice, THANK YOU! This year has been quite the wild ride and as a first-year teacher, I could think of no other community to weather the storm with than this one. The compassion, understanding, empathy, and supportiveness of our Odyssey family bring me so much joy and it comes in at the most pertinent time. 

 

I have absolutely loved spending my days within the school with all of you. Being in the classroom with you all gives me hope for a better world we are all fighting for right now. Your ideas, openness, creativity, humor, resourcefulness, and vigor are unmatched! I have learned so much from being with you all and I am so excited to continue to teach and learn with you in the years to come. 

 

I hope you have enjoyed our virtual art, it will stay in google classroom so if you get some free time this summer and are looking for some inspiration take a look! 

 

Have a wonderful summer. 

 

Be safe and have fun... In that order!

 

Mr. Z

 

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Online Enrollment for 2020-2021 Kindergarteners

 

Register for Kindergarten Online!

 

If you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 1, please register for kindergarten! To register, go to pps.net/kinderenroll. The process takes 20-30 minutes and school staff will follow up with you later in the summer. With schools closed, online registration is the easiest option, but paper options will be available soon. You don’t need to register if your child attends a PPS Head Start or Pre-Kindergarten program. Children with IEPs need to register using a paper form. 

 

Click here to access this blurb translated into the 5 supported languages

 

Paper registration packets will be available in multiple languages at meal sites starting Wednesday, May 27th.

Coming soon: The Early Learner Programs team is developing a family-centered kindergarten transition plan. We know families are worried about the start to school, especially kinders. We’re planning on a slower, more family-friendly approach this year. Early registration will ensure that families stay in the loop on updated plans for the start of school.

In this Edition

Message From Dr Berg: Below

K12 Update: Below

345 Update: Below

678 Update: Below

Greetings From The Library Ladies: Below

School Counselor Stephanie Update: Below

8^th Grade Spanish Update: Below

Online Enrollment for 2020-2021 Kindergarteners: Below

 

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Message From Dr Berg

 

Hello Odyssey Families,

 

I hope you are well and taking care of yourself.  As we enter into the memorial weekend and our last few weeks of school, I want to recognize that this journey has been quite the challenging and interesting one for many of us.  I certainly never went into education so I could run a virtual school.  I know that we have all learned things about ourselves and I am sure that when we return to school (and restaurants and movies . . .) that we have all had some moments of perspective that have changed us and made us better.  I am certainly grateful for all that I have learned from you, staff, and students.  

 

Our teams met this week and the teachers are working on ways to make the last few days of school special and recognize our students.  We certainly wish that we could be in person to celebrate our 8th graders moving on.  Many of our families have been with Odyssey since Kindergarten and the transition from Odyssey into High School is a meaningful and important step.  We celebrate you and though our year was cut short, the little I got to know of you gives me much hope for a future.  What a hardworking and engaged group of students.  

I know many of you have questions about what school will look like next year, as do we.  We will be working together with each other and the district to stay up to date on what the plans will be and will certainly work together to plan accordingly when we know more.  I will keep you up to date as we learn more from our state and city leaders.  

 

Finally, thank you for all you do to support students and teachers.  I love seeing glimpses of parents in the background when I pop into virtual classes to say hi to students.  I miss you all.

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Berg 

 

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K12 Update

 

Hello K/1/2 Families,

We continue to be energized and renewed each day that we get to meet with your wonderful smiling children! Thank you for guiding them through our class meet ups each week. Some of us are adding more meeting days which has been fun. The Kindergarteners have been reading to each other in our small book groups. Their reading fluency has come such a long way since September! The First graders have spent time learning about beginning sentences to grab our attention in writing. We have also all been having conversations about our worries and fears, which ones we can control and which ones we can't, like the weather. The teachers have been discussing how we will be celebrating the year and sending your children off to the summer so stay tuned for details!

 

Take care,

Ms. Gregoire, Mrs. Wilebski and Mrs Howard

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345 Update

 

Ahoy from the 345 Cluster!

 

This week in 345 students have been busy doing identity portraits, studying navigation of early explorers, and examining the impact of the Columbian exchange on native populations during the 15th and 16th centuries. 

 

Did you know that many (if not all) PPS high schools and Portland area private schools have used Google Classroom as a learning platform for years? Learning how to navigate Google Classroom now will give our students a head start on high school learning. Is it a steep learning curve? Yes! Can our 345 students become adept at Google Classroom? Absolutely! We have been super impressed with our students for rocking this new, unfamiliar learning platform. Thank you parents for having patience, and for supporting your student as they master this new territory.

 

Have a great long weekend!

The 345 Team

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678 Update

 

Hello 678 Families,

 

By the end of this week you will receive a progress report for your student.  Most students are doing well and on track to receive a Pass in online learning classes.  If there is a specific issue regarding your students academic standing we will let you know what your student can do to bring their class work to passing levels.  As always,   please feel free to reach out by email with questions or concerns.  

 

As always, stay safe and well and enjoy the long weekend with your family.

Best Wishes from The 678 Team,

 

Kristina Rothwell, Harmony Brinks-Detzer and Alan Damon

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Greetings from the Library Ladies!

 

From Ms. Jones -

 

Author Josh Funk’s website: https://www.joshfunkbooks.com/stuff-for-kids

He wrote How to Code a Sandcastle as well as some other great picture books and his website has some fun activities and book trailers.

 

Capstone Kids: http://www.capstonekids.com/index.aspx a free resource for science experiments, crafts and other activities as well as nonfiction books.  How to make a mousetrap car, origami, card tricks - just too many projects to list!  Lots of fun!

 

Ms. Jones is collecting videos and pictures for an Odyssey Family Newsletter.  Have you learned to play the ukulele, did you make a chalk design on the sidewalk that you're really proud of, just want to say hi to Odyssey families or tell a funny joke?  Send whatever you'd like to share to Ms. Jones at ljones2@pps.net with Odyssey Family Newsletter in the subject line.  

 

REMINDER:

I now have K-5 Office Hours on every Monday from 1:00-3:00. Sign up here: https://calendly.com/lcchambers/odyssey-k-5-office-hours

 

K-1-2  News:

The art and poetry work students have been turning in for the Art & Library Unit has been so wonderful! Next week we will be focusing on digital citizenship and incorporating Flipgrid to share our thoughts on the lesson and facilitate discussion.

 

3-4-5 News:

I’ve been blown away by the incredibly thoughtful responses to the Art & Library Unit activities! On Monday there will be two activities posted. One will be some resources on a Padlet to use for Mr. Z’s art lesson. The other will be focusing on digital citizenship and incorporating Flipgrid.

 

6-7-8 News:

Please remind your student(s) to make sure they review my email from May 14th for important information about the research projects. Projects are due Tuesday, May 26th, feedback will be given by the evening of Thursday, May 28th, and revised projects are due no later than Sunday, May 31st. Online Gallery Walks will be facilitated June 1st-7th. If your student needs any help, please have them sign up for a 15 minute appointment slot during either the Tuesday 2:00-3:00 Office Hours or Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Office Hours through the Calendly link. https://calendly.com/lcchambers/office-hours

 

We continue to be here to support all students and families with login and technical support as well as reading recommendations. Don't hesitate to reach out at anytime. :)

 

Be well, be safe, and read lots!

 

All our best,

Ms. Chambers & Ms. Jones

lchambers@pps.net

ljones2@pps.net

 

 

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Greeting from Stephanie, School Counselor

 

As we maneuver distance learning I look forward to checking my Google Classroom to see who has viewed my videos and left a comment.  I’m also pleased that kids are joining my Google Meets and I so enjoy saying hi to families on the phone.

8th Grade Note - If your child has completed a non PPS online course any earned credit will appear on their transcript.  I also notify their 9th grade high school counselor.  

I have had many requests for parenting book recommendations.  Below are a few to check-out.

• Explosive Child:  A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross W. Greene
• Parenting a Child Who Has Intense Emotions by Pat Harvey
• Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
• Helping Your Anxious Child by Rapee, Wignall, Spence, Cobhamand, and Lyneham
• Why Do I Have to Do This? by Laurie Leventhal-Belfur

And a website for social emotional learning activity books Big Life Journal.com 

Email me at scox@pps.net

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8^th Grade Spanish Update

 

This week in our Spanish program, we practiced "The City Center Shopping Experience" in Spanish, by practicing how we would shop for articles of clothing, colors, fit .....and indicating which items we prefer.

We practiced relevant dialogues between Sales Staff and Customers, with exchanges covering a usual store scenario and normal conversation between the two.

 

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Coming soon: The Early Learner Programs team is developing a family-centered kindergarten transition plan. We know families are worried about the start to school, especially kinders. We’re planning on a slower, more family-friendly approach this year. Early registration will ensure that families stay in the loop on updated plans for the start of school.

In this Edition

Message From Dr Berg: Below

Direct Giving Information: Below

Odyssey Family Showcase – Please Send YOURS!: Below & Attached

K12 Update: Below

345 Update: Below

678 Update: Below

8^th Grade Spanish Update: Below

Coach Payne Update: Below

School Counselor Stephanie Update: Below

Greetings From The Library Ladies: Below

SafeOregon Tipline: Below

Run For The Arts Student Design Contest: Below

Odyssey Facebook Page: Below

Online Enrollment for 2020-2021 Kindergartners: Below

PTA Reimbursements: Below

Census Fact Sheet: Attached

 

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Upcoming Events

Monday May 11, 11:00 am: Pajama Day!

Tuesday May 12, 12:00 pm: Costume Day-dress up with your favorite costume

Wednesday, May 13 9:30 am: Waffle Wednesday-I will be making waffles, what will you have for breakfast?

Thursday, May 14 12:00 pm: Wear your Odyssey gear and get ready for some fun Friday jokes and a little dance party

 

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Message From Dr Berg

 

Hello Odyssey Families,

As you all know, the district will be going to a four day work week starting this week with Friday May 8th being the first furlough day for staff.  We know that many of you (including teachers) have gotten in the groove of online learning and this messes up your schedule.  I know it's hard to make yet another shift but I also know that you can all do it with the grace and hope that you do everything else.  

 

In an effort to have a little fun, we are going to do some short assemblies next week.  They will be themed and we invite all participants to join in on the themes.  I will send the links out Monday morning.  Here are the times:

 

Monday 11:00 AM (Pajama Day!)

Tuesday 12:00 PM (Costume Day-dress up with your favorite costume)

Wednesday 9:30 AM (Waffle Wednesday-I will be making waffles, what will you have for breakfast?

Thursday 12:00 PM (Wear your Odyssey gear and get ready for some fun Friday jokes and a little dance party)

 

We will have some fun Odyssey students and I will record to post for later if anyone cannot make it.  We will hopefully also have some special guest stars, so please join us!!!!

Thinking of all of you,

Dr. Berg 

 

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Direct Giving Information

 

Dear Odyssey Community,

While this has been a very difficult season as we’ve moved from the energetic halls of East Sylvan to the new experience of distance learning, we’re so encouraged to see the spirit of the Odyssey Community is still very much alive.  The PTA Board would like to let you know how you can help extend that spirit into the 2020/2021 school year.

 

Many of the experiences that make Odyssey so special are funded by the Direct Giving families contribute each year. From performances to Field Study, there are many features of our program that can’t happen without funding beyond what is provided by the district. With the transition to distance learning, we will not be utilizing all of those funds and the PTA budget has about $85,000 remaining – about half of our annual income. 

 

The PTA Board recognizes that every family is being impacted differently by this crisis and we want to ensure that you are aware of your options for funds that have been previously donated.  Below are your options:

 

1.     No Changes – Leave your Direct Giving contribution as is, and it will be kept in the fund to be used to serve the Odyssey Community during the 2020/2021 school year including hardship support and school improvements. 

 

2.     Credit – Receive a credit for the portion of your 2019/2020 Direct Giving contribution that has not yet been utilized (approximately 50%).   This credit will go towards your suggested contribution for Direct Giving in the 2020/2021 school year.

 

3.     Refund – Receive a refund of the portion of your 2019/2020 Direct Giving contribution that has not yet been utilized (approximately 50%). 

 

Notes:

·       Receiving a refund may create a tax liability for those who have claimed the donation as tax-deductible.

·       If you utilized corporate match, you need to contact your employer regarding their policies for refunded donations.

 

When possible, donating your 2019/20 Direct Giving will make a huge difference in keeping Odyssey financially healthy and ensuring that we’re able to support all the families who may need hardship assistance in the upcoming school year.

 

If you are requesting a refund or have any questions, please email directgiving@odysseyprogram.org by Friday, May 15^th.  If you’d like to donate your funds or take a credit, no action is needed at this time. All Direct Giving information is strictly confidential. 

 

Together we will overcome these challenges and emerge stronger. We hope all of you are staying healthy. Thank you for your support during these uncertain times.

Our warmest wishes,

Odyssey PTA Board

 

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Odyssey Family Showcase – Please Send YOURS Today!

Odyssey is a creative and fun community even when we're apart.  Here's what some of you have been up to lately:

 

Cora in K12 has been very busy!  Look at the masks for her stuffed animal friends and sidewalk chalk math - way to be creative Cora!  See  the 4 attached photos!

 

Noomi in K12 wrote a beautiful "I Am" Poem in April for National Poetry Month. The world needs more poetry and we loved reading yours!  The poem is attached as a Word document.

Ronan in 678 has been perfecting his cooking skills (photos attached - look at these pretzels!) and has even made some how-to videos!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz8f-jFXeR0&app=desktop

If you want to share some of the fun things you have been doing please send to Laura Jones at ljones2@pps.net

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K12 Update

 

Hello Odyssey K-1-2 Families,

 

We have been physically out of school for 9 weeks now. That is unbelievable! Our virtual classrooms have been up and running for 6 weeks now. We never thought that this would become our way to teach the rest of the year. We miss you and your children everyday. 

 

A new schedule change for some of our Google Meetings has begun. Mrs. Howard personally had to change a Friday meeting to Thursday mornings. The invites went out Wednesday as soon as she heard from the district office that the furloughs passed the vote at the board meeting. Flexibility, is the word of the day! We will adjust and keep on rolling along this virtual highway of teaching.

 

This week we have talked with our groups about our powerful feelings that we are experiencing. Ms. Gregoire did one on how it is ok to talk and share with friends about being left out. Mrs. Howard did a lesson on the sadness we are feeling about not seeing each other at school anymore. We want them to know that it is ok to tell your friends your feelings. We have been working hard on Opinion writing for these few weeks and reading Fiction Books and having conversations on the theme/lessons, details and important parts in the stories. Lots of great responses on all the activities the students are doing on Seesaw! 

 

Mrs. Wilebski is recovering from her surgery on her broken arm that she had on Wednesday. We all wish her a speedy recovery. Both Ms Gregoire and Dr Berg ran her other 2 meetings this week. A big Thank you to both of them!

 

Thank you to all of you as we go through this together. Keep reading together as a family and have a great weekend with this amazing weather. Happy Mother's Day to all our moms out there.

Stay safe, Stay Healthy and Stay Strong!

 

Edie Howard, Sue Gregoire and Kate Wilebski

Your Odyssey K-1-2 Teachers

 

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345 Update

 

Ahoy from the 345 cluster!

 

Your 345 teaching team would like to express how sad we are with the PPS’ decision to shorten teachers’ work week. We hope that with this furlough, many jobs for next year can be saved. With the teacher furlough, it’s time for us to trim our sails!

 

Although we will no longer be available on Friday’s, we’ve come up with some creative ways for our ship to stay afloat! We’ve identified three of our most important content areas for online learning that we are going to make a priority: Social Emotional Learning (check-ins, Office hours, Homeroom Team Meetings, and live lessons - we care about how our students are

doing during this time of crisis!), Literature, and Math. We will be putting our greatest efforts into these areas and they will remain the bulk of our program.

That doesn’t mean that History, Simulation, and Science are vanishing completely! We understand that our students love these areas. They are what sets the Odyssey Program  apart from other schools. We will be assigning smaller, mini lessons. They will be fun and interesting, but less time/effort consuming. Sort of like your favorite condiment… hot sauce anyone?

 

Take care,

The 345 Team

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678 Update

 

Hello 678 families,

 

The 678 teachers have been scheduling small group meetings with history teams, checking in on teaming, discussing assignments and introducing the units culminating project.  By now most of our teams have chosen their ancient civilization and teams are preparing to become experts on their own culture as they continue to learn about other ancient cultures and what exactly differentiates a social group from a civilization.  For our final project we are asking each team to create a “virtual museum” dedicated to their own civilization, which showcases the five key elements in their culture which defined them as a “civilization”.  Students will both create a museum and have a chance to pay virtual visits to other team museums to broaden their cultural understanding of a variety of ancient cultures.  We are very excited to see what our creative student teams showcase and share!

In addition to the final project we have also been working to adjust our schedules to accommodate our shorter work week.  We are meeting with each other and our students to create an adjusted schedule for the remainder of the school year.  We will share our updated schedule with you as soon as we have firmed up all our meeting times.  Thank you for your patience as we navigate our four day work week and look for communication from us in the next day or two. 

As always, we hope you are all well.  We miss you and look forward to continuing success in our online learning environment!

Best Wishes,

Krisina Rothwell, Harmony Brinks-Detzer and Alan Damon

 

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8^th Grade Spanish Update

 

This week in Spanish, we commemorated ¨Cinco de Mayo¨ and the historic battle in Puebla, México, as on May 5, 1862, the Mexican Army defeated the invading French army, thus enabling México to thwart a potential takeover. 

 

In class, we practiced interactively in the oral segments, with emphasis on physical and personal characteristics which we are currently learning in Spanish. We practiced those both in relation to family members as well as to ¨Odyssian Amigos¨.

 

In the assignment segment, new section vocabulary cards and story translations rounded out our week.

 

Sr. Rainey

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Coach Payne Update

 

Hi everyone!

If you liked the online yoga and would like to possibly do a session or two a week, shoot me an email! Jpayne2@pps.net!
Thank you, John Payne

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School Counselor Stephanie Update

Greetings from Stephanie, School Counselor,

 

As I sit here at my computer screen and gaze out the window it has been nice to see those glimmers of sunshine.  Hopefully you are finding time to get out and enjoy a walk or  an activity to soak up some Vitamin D.  This week I’ve had the privilege of dropping in on virtual classrooms to say hello and to see some familiar smiles.  I also have a Google Classroom and I post on the Seesaw platform.  I am excited to start facilitating visits via Google Hangouts with small groups of students.  We will engage in some social emotional learning, chat and catch-up with one another.  If you would like me to include your child(ren) shoot me an email and I will send an invitation.  (scox@pps.net)

Each week I will share a couple of my favorite resources.  Here ya' go…

PPS Virtual Calming Room 

https://sites.google.com/pps.net/pps-virtual-calming-room/visual-relaxation

Gender Spectrum Resources for Supporting LGBTQ Students , Families and Professionals

https://www.genderspectrum.org/articles/blog-covid-resources

Have a great long weekend! 

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Greetings from the Library Ladies!

 

K-1-2 News:

The voting for the winners of the 2020 K-1-2 and 3-4-5 Mock Caldecott units will close on Sunday night. Keep them coming in and Ms. Chambers will share the results in a special video announcement that will be shared via email next Monday evening!

 

Ms. Chambers and Mr. Z are enjoying collaborating on our Art & Media Unit together. We have several fun multimedia activities planned for the rest of May that build on one another. At the end of each cluster’s unit, Ms. Chambers will compile student work into one document and share them via email.

 

6-7-8 News:

More completed research projects are coming in from the 6-7 Library/Media students and the learning shared is so interesting! Remember Ms. Chambers has weekly office hours and is happy to support students in their research and creation processes!

 

Ms. Jones is collecting videos and pictures for an Odyssey Family Newsletter.  Have you learned to play the ukulele, did you make a chalk design on the sidewalk that you're really proud of, just want to say hi to Odyssey families or tell a funny joke?  Send whatever you'd like to share to Ms. Jones at ljones2@pps.net with Odyssey Family Newsletter in the subject line.  

 

We continue to be here to support all students and families with login and technical support as well as reading recommendations. Don't hesitate to reach out at anytime. :)

 

Be well, be safe, and read lots!

 

All our best,

Ms. Chambers & Ms. Jones

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SafeOregon Tipline

Keeping with our commitment to student safety, PPS joined school districts across the state a couple years ago in using the SafeOregon Tip Line. We want to remind you about this important resource.

SafeOregon was funded by the Oregon Legislature as part of a statewide effort to
improve school safety. It provides a secure means for anyone to anonymously report suspicious or imminently unsafe situations that may occur either in person or online.

Examples of suspicious or imminently unsafe situations include: threats of
violence/access to weapons, fights, substance use, bullying/harassment, discrimination, intimidation, suicidality, self-harm, bias/hate crimes, and hate speech that is intended to insult, offend, or intimidate based on the attributes of an individual or a group (including disability, gender, gender identity, race/ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation).

Anyone, from students to parents to community members, can access the system in a variety of ways:

● The “Report unsafe behavior” button found on every PPS school’s website
● The SafeOregon website 
● A live call/text (844-472-3367)
● An email to tip@safeoregon.com
● The mobile app that can be downloaded from your Smart Phone via iTunes or
Google Play

Trained staff are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to respond.
Please be sure to share this information with your friends and family. Remind your
students: If you see or hear something, say something – immediately.

Let’s work together to keep our community safe.

 

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Run for the Arts Annual Student Design Contest

Over the last 40 years, Young Audiences Run for the Arts has helped schools raise nearly $18 million dollars for arts education and has become an established Northwest tradition.

One of the most exciting parts of this program is the yearly student-designed t-shirt, poster, and other printed materials! Please help us continue this wonderful creative tradition by encouraging your students to submit a design to our Run for the Arts Design Contest, and they could win:

· $350 cash prize

· Their design featured on Run for the Arts t-shirts, posters and publications

· Meet with a professional graphic designer

· Tour the shirt printing facility

You can learn more about the contest and download printable entry forms on our website.

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Odyssey Facebook Page

Please“like” the Odyssey Facebook page. This is a place where parents can share information and resources – the more, the better, especially while we're practicing safe social distancing!  Do you have a question that other parents might be able to answer?  Want to share a great online learning resource or cool DIY videos of activities you can do at home with your kids?  Or maybe you just want to share a funny photo? This is a great vehicle or staying in touch and supporting one another. 

 

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Online Enrollment for 2020-21 Kinders

PPS has implemented online registration for kinders!  Odyssey families - follow the link below to get your kindergartener registered.  Please specify your neighborhood school.  After the lottery process is completed and you receive and accept an offer for a lottery slot, the registration will be transferred to Odyssey.  Click here to learn and start the registration process:  https://www.pps.net/Page/14787 , then Select the “Enroll Online” tab.

 

Thank you,

Angela Hoffart

Principal’s Secretary

 

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PTA Reimbursements

 

Need to be reimbursed by the PTA? Please fill out the required information (and attach your receipts!) at our online link: https://form.jotform.com/92175022001137. We no longer use paper reimbursement forms. Contact Dan Soltesz (dan.soltesz@odysseyprogram.org) if you have any questions.

 

Thanks,

Dan Soltesz, PTA Treasurer

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Dear Odyssey Families,

I hope this week of online learning was successful for you and your children.   I know as time goes on and we adjust to our new "normal" that you know how much we are thinking about you and missing you.  At staff meetings every Monday I ask staff to invite me to their meetings with students so that I can pop on and see the students' smiling faces.  It has been a delight to see them navigate this world of online learning and while online learning does NOT replace our teachers and students in action in classrooms, I am grateful for the small amount of connectedness it brings.  

I hope that these weekly newsletters give you a sense of the work that staff is doing to keep us on the Odyssey path.  I know that it is easy to lose sight of the big picture of our school when we are all isolated in our homes but please know that our vision for Odyssey and the philosophy of learning remains intact and we are all looking forward to a time when we can resume.  Our teachers will be or have sent a survey out to their families this week to find out how you are doing with online learning.  Please take a moment to fill that out if you haven't already.  Please continue to reach out and send photos and work that your students do. I love them and we want to continue to feature them for our community.  Thank you for being such an inspiring and committed group of families.  

Best,

Dr. Berg

From our K-2 Team:

Odyssey K-1-2 News

Greetings to our families,

It is so much fun to see so many of your children in our Google Meetings. They are sharing more and it’s exciting to hear about their adventures around the house. We have had some glitches with these meetings but all of you have been flexible and resilient, as we are learning as we go. 

Looking at their work on Seesaw has made us all feel so proud and yes even smile and laugh. Some as they read a book aloud put in a little extra joy or laugh into their voice. Others with a hello and goodbye as they sign off after explaining their thinking.  Sharing their work either with a photo, typing or writing their answers has given them opportunities to learn new computer skills and practice them. Of course, good old pencil and paper are best for writing and creating their pictures. They could make their own books too!

This is far from being in our classrooms which is where we would rather be teaching your children. The amount that you all have to take on is very stressful and frustrating at times for families. By the way, You Rock!  We do understand this pressure and want you to remember learning comes in many different ways. Playing with your children, having conversations, exercising together and even watching a show or movie are all worthy learning experiences to share with them. Please take time for yourselves as well. You all deserve a break no matter how small or long it needs to be. 

Stay safe, stay strong and stay healthy,

Sue Gregoire, Edie Howard, and Kate Wilebski

The K-1-2 Team

From our 3-5 Team:

Ahoy from the 345 cluster!

Our focus this week has been on maintaining connections and learning new tools to help us keep in touch. Our students continue to impress us with their technological skills and ability to adapt. We’ve added Google Hangouts to our repertoire of ways to communicate in this time of social distancing. Nothing is going to stop this group of learners from satisfying their thirst for knowledge!

Round 2 of our Exploration and Conquest Sailing Simulation was very exciting! Ships were sunk! Captains got scurvy! Navigators fell asleep at the helm! Pumpkins rotted! So much drama! Once again there are two teams tied for the lead: Gilbert Expedition and Raleigh Expedition. Our students are also learning about what life was like on the high seas. They are creating very cool research projects to share their knowledge on the topic. We’ve enjoyed all of the video demonstrations, drawings, and graphic organizers that we have received. 

Our current focus in History is on John Cabot who after setting sail in May 1498 for a return voyage to North America, never returned. It is a mystery what happened. Students are watching a PBS video about him using graphic organizers to take notes.  Also this week students have completed their first distance learning writing focus!  They were given options to work alone, work with a friend, or connect with a team member.  Many discovered a mistake in the writing focus and reached out to ask for help!!  Way to go.   

Teams have completed the first Science Writing Focus since we left school! It was a challenge to get team members functioning together, but our captains did fine work being community organizers. In addition, we have added a new section to our Google Classroom called, “Science All Around Us” where we share interesting Science activities and explorations.  Our current focus is on bees and the science behind Coronavirus. 

We’ve begun circulating a parent survey to gain feedback from parents about their families’ online schooling experience. This information is important to us as we chart the course in this new, and uncertain direction. On the whole, we’ve received very positive feedback. The resilience of our Odyssey families is a major factor in our students’ success. Thank you parents, for working with our team. You rock! 

Take care,

The 345 Team

From our 6-8 Team:

Hello Odyssey Families,

By now, your students should be developing a routine with their distance learning. We are seeing great attendance in our live meetings in math and literature. Students are also innovating and finding ways to work with their teammates remotely. This week, teachers have started to hold short check-in meetings with teams. This is a great opportunity to connect in a small group and discuss successes and challenges in learning, in technology, and in self-isolation. Please check-in with your child to see if they have either met with a teacher or if they have a meeting scheduled. We are very proud of our students’ adaptability, patience, and resilience. We also remain committed to supporting our students’ academic and personal growth. Please reach out to let us know how we as teachers and members of the Odyssey community can support your child and your family by emailing us or completing the Odyssey Family Survey.

Your 678 Teachers,

Alan Damon, Harmony Brinks-Detzer, and Kristina Rothwell

From Mr. Z:

Hello Odyssey families!

This week in art has been fantastic! More students are uploading their work day by day and I am receiving pictures of extra artworks that students and families have been doing in their down time. It is heartwarming to see the creativity and hard work that goes into all you create! 

Next week, we are going to be doing a new weekly sketch, finishing up projects that were posted in Google Classroom and preparing for a library/art cross curricular project. 

Early next week there will be a supply list detailing what you will need for our projects for the following week. As always, if anyone has any problem finding these supplies or are running low please let me know and I will get it to you.

Thank you, students and parents, for all of the wonderful responses I see in our virtual classrooms. This is truly a special community and we will be stronger and closer once we get back to normal. 

Stay home, stay safe, and as always, be safe and have fun... in that order!

-Mr.Z

From Coach Payne:

Hi everyone!

We had a really good week this week! We got even more people on our google classroom and had some good numbers for our live yoga sessions! I understand this is all very different and can be overwhelming so I try to make my assignments simple and fun. If you are feeling overwhelmed and can’t get to my assignment for the week I understand but I would like to know what you are doing to say physically and mentally healthy as these are very important aspects to living a happy life! Thank you all for your effort and patience!

Coach Payne out!

From Laura Jones and Louise Chambers (the library ladies):

Greetings from the Library Ladies!

The Mock Caldecott units for K-5 are wrapping up this week. We love the photos and videos that students are submitting to share their thoughts and ideas about our last couple of books. It makes Ms. Chambers very happy to see your faces and hear your voices since she misses spending time with you each week! Ballots for the K-1-2 and 3-4-5 divisions were posted in our library Google Classrooms this week and we are excited to see which book wins in each division. Stay tuned for the big announcements on Monday, May 11th!

More completed research projects are coming in from the 6-7 Library/Media students and the learning shared is so interesting!

Ms. Jones is collecting videos and pictures for an Odyssey Family Newsletter.  Have you learned to play the ukulele, did you make a chalk design on the sidewalk that you're really proud of, just want to say hi to Odyssey families or tell a funny joke?  Send whatever you'd like to share to Ms. Jones at ljones2@pps.net with Odyssey Family Newsletter in the subject line.  

We continue to be here to support all students and families with login and technical support as well as reading recommendations. Don't hesitate to reach out at anytime. :)

Be well, be safe, and read lots!

All our best,

Ms. Chambers & Ms. Jones

From Senor Rainey:

This week in our Spanish class, we worked on 2-person dialogues re: The Family Members (immediate and extended family) along with new verbs which correspond.

We learned ¨possessives¨ too (his/her, your, my) which enable students to talk about what belongs to whom.

Additionally, we learned the right way to ask such a personal question as ¨who do you like¨ in your family (of course everyone could only find members they ¨like¨, ahem, among their families).   

Señor Rainey

Hello out there Odyssey Families,

It is Friday and I cannot believe that we have been out of school for over a month.  I miss everyone but I do enjoy all the emails and pictures that I get from all of you!  I know that this is not always easy, but you are all showing grace out there and I appreciate all the support you give me and the Odyssey teachers.  

I appreciate everyone who participated in the poetry month challenges.  It was really fun to see what you all came up with and I even sent it to the PPS communications department to feature the work we are doing while we are all stuck in our houses away from one another.  

There have been several questions about grades and credit.  Currently we are not expecting to give grades for K-8 students for quarters 3 or 4.  As far as the 8th graders taking classes for HS credit, the guidance from the ODE and PPS is thus: Students will receive credits for the spring semester on a Pass/Incomplete basis based on the essential learning teachers are providing this spring through PPS-HD and work completed through March 13.  We will continue to update as we have more guidance.  

I hope to see some of the parents at PTA meeting next week and as we roll into better weather for the spring, we hope to figure out an Odyssey way to do some sort of parade or celebration so that we can continue with our school spirit which is so important at a critical time like this.  

Below is an update from the clusters.  I want you to know that each week I get to meet with the teachers as a whole and in small learning communities and I am so excited for the work they are doing together and individually to support students.  

At staff meeting last Monday I compared our stay at home journey to a journey across the ocean (Odyssey-get it!) and how sometimes we will have rough waters and sometimes we will have beautiful days with smooth sailing.  It's all part of the journey and we are all in it together.

Thanks for being you, Dr. Berg

 

**************

 

From Coach Payne:

Hi everyone! 

We had a much better week this week and more students at starting to get into their google classroom! Whoever doesn’t submit their assignment by the end of the today will receive an email from me to see if there is a problem accessing google classroom. Lastly, this weeks assignment will be a little different and we are going to be doing a Yoga session as a class! I will give you more details on Monday! Have a great weekend! 

Thank you,

John Payne

 

From Senor Rainey:

This week in Spanish, we introduced The Family chapter and are learning family titles, how to share names and ages and the verbs which correlate.

Upcoming sessions, we will focus on how to share our family origins and where extended family live and work. (Be sure your child is attending the Live Class Sessions)

 

From Counselor Stephanie:

Hi Odyssey Families , 

I miss you and I hope that you are well and enjoying some family time.

Some of you have had the opportunity to watch videos on my Google Classroom.

I will now be posting on the Seesaw platform as well.

I understand that our students are busy with their online learning.  If your child(ren)

would like to connect in a different way than I encourage you to email me.  I can video

chat with them or just say hello over the phone.

Feel free to send me photos, writing, art, or anything else creative that is happening in 

your house.  I will thoroughly enjoy it and I will be sure to send a response.

I know that our 8th grade students are anticipating their high school journey.  As I

Receive transition resources I will post those here.

Celebrate Earth Day with Stephanie  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_JZ0FbrtgPAhr1eMDqX-lMzT0IZcUffQ

(Reach me at scox@pps.net)

From the Library Ladies:

K-1-2 and 3-4-5: This week students have been sharing their noticings and ideas about a new Mock Caldecott contender book title. We are LOVING their thoughtful responses. The discussion of themes and lessons from the books that students have identified and how the illustrations depict them has been very exciting!

6-7-8: The Library/Media students are continuing to work on the research and project creation for their assignment. A few students have finished and submitted their projects and they are wonderful! One student already sent in a lovely Extended Studies Reading Buddy video sharing poetry with the K-1-2 students.

Remember we are always happy to support with tech issues and would love to assist with book recommendations at any time. :)

Miss you all and best wishes! Ms. Chambers & Ms. Jones

 

From K-2 Cluster:

It's been great to see how many kiddos are attending our meetings each week. They are participating in discussions and we love seeing all the work they are doing on See Saw and Google Classroom. The district is beginning to roll out some Social Studies and Science lessons so we will be integrating those into our weekly activities. Be on the look out. Keep up the good work K/1/2!

K/1/2 Teachers

 

From 3-5 Cluster:

Ahoy from the 345 cluster!

This week we have been busily setting sail in our teams and embarking on simulation, science, and history adventures! 

Our Exploration and Conquest Sailing Simulation has launched! It’s a very exciting race between 17 different expeditions (teams) to be the first to reach the New World. This week, Sir Francis Drake and Vasco Nunez de Balboa are tied for the lead. Our students are also learning about ship equipment and navigational tools through researching and creating projects.

Our current focus in History is on Christopher Columbus and his famous voyage to the “New World”. Students are using graphic organizers to take notes about this important expedition.

In Science, our teams have been putting together slide shows about Earth and space.  We will be traveling further and further away from planet Earth in our studies as the quarter progresses.

Students have been enjoying seeing each other online in our Google Meet sessions. We have meetings during our office hours, math lessons, and literacy lessons. Thank you so much parents for helping your children stay connected!

We love the patience and persistence that our parents and students have shown during this difficult time. Keep up the great work… we’ve got this!

Take care,

The 345 Team

From 6-8 Cluster:

Hello 678 Odyssey Families,

Students have officially started their studies on Ancient Civilizations with their teams! This week teams will begin exploring the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and ask the question “What makes a civilization?” Next week with their teams, they will also start science - our unit is on plate tectonics. There will not be a separate science class on Google Classroom. Instead, each week students will receive a team assignment that consists of their history, science, and simulation work. These assignments will be designed so that students can work asynchronously, and individuals who do not complete their parts of the team assignments will not negatively affect the success of their teammates who do complete their work. 

The teachers held a captains’ meeting this week to discuss teaming expectations and how to lead a team virtually. We are (again) in brand new territory, so captains were able to share concerns and frustrations. We heard stories of success where captains set up bi-weekly check-ins with their team to discuss their learning, and struggles as teams found it difficult to connect with some team members. We feel that the tools our students are developing during this time - working with a team remotely - can be a valuable skill in their futures (although we hope never during school again!!). Next week, teachers will also be scheduling Google Meet check ins with individual teams. These will be short meetings designed to discuss struggles, successes, and studies.

Finally, we wanted to clarify workload expectations for the 678 cluster. We know that it is a difficult transition for our students to work at home - especially since students usually do most of their learning and working while in school each day. The teachers have greatly retooled and calibrated our curriculum to account for this. Each week, your student should see roughly:

• 2 - 3 hours of math (depending on the student’s level)

• This includes 1-2 live meetings, working with a math team, and independent work

• 2 - 3 hours of literature

• Students will be responsible for 1 writing focus per week, work to create discussion points for a literature conference, and attend 1 live meeting

• When your student is working on writing an essay, they may have a different schedule

• 2- 3 hours of teaming (history/simulation/science)

• Designed to be done asynchronously, though virtual meetings and check-ins are encouraged

 This schedule is designed to help our students continue to learn and grow. We cannot make up for the valuable classroom time our students are missing out on due to the current circumstances. We respect each family’s own decisions regarding their child’s learning and understand that this schedule may not work for all of our students. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Your 678 Teachers, Alan Damon, Harmony Brinks-Detzer, and Kristina Rothwell

From Angela:

For Parents of Odyssey 8th Grade Students Who've Applied To Private School(s),

I've heard some private schools are starting to notify families of application results.  Please email me when/if you commit to a private school, indicating the school name.  I can then enter this decision into our student information system so our public high schools won't expect your student, as well as know who will be sending me records requests.  :-)

Thank you, Angela Hoffart Principal's Secretary 

 

 

In this Edition

The Doctor Is In! Message from Dr Berg & Survey Due Monday! Below

Odyssey Parents with Incoming Students Next Year – Must Enter Lottery & Attend Info Session: Below

The Green Routine – Lunchroom Revolution & Student Green Team! Below

Notes From & About the Odyssey Library: Below

Parenting & Sexuality – Speaker & Discussion, 3/12: Below &Attached

Lincoln Cluster Sports Are Here! Below

Wilson High School Regarding PPS Bond Measure: Below

“A Healthy Me is Substance Free” PPS Talk, 2/27 at Grant HS: Attached

 

-------------------------------

Upcoming Events

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SURVEY BY Monday 2/24: https://forms.gle/ShN5SCp2JEGgfGed8

“A Healthy Me is Substance Free” PPS Talk: Thursday, 2/27 at Grant HS

Student Green Team Meeting: Friday 2/28, 2:15-3:30 pm

Odyssey Information Session: Friday, 3/6, 9:00-10:0 am

Parenting & Sexuality – Speaker & Discussion, 3/12 at Odyssey

 

-------------------------------------------

The Doctor Is In!

 

Hello Sunshine!

 

It’s been so nice this past week getting a break from the cold and the rain.  I continue to receive accolades for our 345 Performance and I just want to thank all our students, teachers, and families that made this performance possible.  The excitement that these students have for learning is infectious and I love how busy our hallways with activities and learning.

 

As part of our work this year we have formed a site council which is composed of teachers, administrators, and parents.  As due diligence the site council has asked that parents complete a survey about childcare and school beginning/ending times.  This collected information will be used to develop our schedule for next year and to also give the PTA a better idea of how to move forward with after school classes in the future.  Please take a moment to complete the survey.  PLEASE COMPLETE BY Monday February 24th.  https://forms.gle/ShN5SCp2JEGgfGed8

 

Important note about our playground, according to PPS Policy, Dogs on leash are also welcome visitors except during school hours (generally 8:30-4:15) as long as owners scoop the poop.  Dogs off-leash are not allowed on PPS school grounds at any time.  We are hopeful that the school communities will help to inform visitors of these rules as we continue to work toward keeping our schools clean and safe for our students and the community.  This has increasingly been an issue at Odyssey as often our students are stepping in dog poop and tracking it inside and on their clothes.  We ask everyone to please help keep our playground clean.  We will be installing a dog bag station thanks to the generous funding of the PTA and this will also hopefully help our efforts in keeping our playground clean.  Please do not bring your dog into the building.

 

Please also remember that we open the doors at 7:45. There is no supervision outside of the building before this time.  If students are waiting for the doors to open, we ask that they wait quietly and patiently and that students refrain from climbing on the building or railings.  There is a staff member in the auditorium from 7:45 to 7:55, but please remind your child that this is not a time for tag or boisterous games.  We need all students to help us keep each other safe.

 

I have so appreciated all the parents that step up to volunteer for all of our different events.  If you want to be involved and cannot come during the school day, please connect with the PTA about other opportunities.  It was great last night to have so many of our parents come help with info night and several visitors complimented us on our parent involvement.  It is so beneficial to our program and kids to have you all so committed to our program.  Thank you!

 

As we roll into March, we all are looking forward to the 678 performance.  I cannot wait!  

 

Dr. Eryn Berg 

she/her or they/theirs (what is this?)

Principal, Odyssey K-8

 

“I truly believe the only way we can create global peace is through not only educating our minds, but our hearts and our souls.”

Malala Yousafzai 

 

------------------------------------------

!! Odyssey Parents With An Incoming Student Next Year!!

 

Existing Odyssey families receive priority in the lottery, however you will need to attend a parent information meeting and submit an online lottery application. Apply here:  pps.schoolmint.net 

The lottery opens Feb. 5^th and closes March 6^th. 

 

Upcoming Information Meeting:

Friday, March 6th, 9:00-10:0 am (This meeting is primarily designed for parents who cannot attend the evening meeting and/or don’t care to have a school tour. Teachers or administration will not be present at the March 6th meeting and there will be no classroom visitation available.) Students are welcome to attend with parent; however, childcare is not provided.

 

Thank you,

Angela Hoffart

Principal’s Secretary

The Odyssey Program

     at East Sylvan

P:  503.916.6310

F:  503.916.2124

-------------------------------------------

The Green Routine

 

We need at least one parent volunteer everyday to make our Lunchroom Revolution a success – join us! For just one hour from 11-12, you can see your kid at lunch and do something great for the environment! Won’t you consider “being the change?” SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION.

 

Is your 3^rd – 8^th grade student interested in being a part of our Student Green Team? With the mentorship of Parent Green Team volunteers, we are inviting earth-loving students to join us in planning Earth Month/Day activities and getting involved in school sustainability initiatives. Beginning this month, the Student Green Team will meet on the last Friday of every month after school for one hour from 2:30-3:30 in the Library. Parent Green Team Volunteers will meet 345 kids at 2:15pm and provide snacks. Please sign your student up here to participate in the Ody Student Green Team.

 

Do you have a Bottle Drop Account? Instead of redeeming your recyclable cans and bottles for change, you can donate that change Odyssey. Click here to learn how to donate to Odyssey with your Bottle Drop account! We will also have a Bottle Drop center at school to collect redeemable bottles and cans to raise money for Odyssey sustainability initiatives!

 

Our Trex Challenge has collected over 100 pounds of soft plastic waste since beginning mid-January. Keep it up! Thank you to our volunteers for collecting our Trex collections!

 

Odyssey Eco-Events:

·      Lunchroom Revolutions: Collective actions have more impact than individual choices! Help our community collectively make big improvements to our environmental impact through composting and better recycling in our school cafeteria. Follow the link to be a part of our modeling conservation behaviors to the next generation.

·      Friday February 28, 2:15-3:30 Student Green Team Meeting! Your child can join with other earth-loving students to plan Earth Day/Month activities and support campus sustainability initiatives. Click here to RSVP for your child. 3-8 graders only

 

Weekly Eco-Tip:

 

Can you believe it’s looking like spring outside already and it’s only the middle of February?! Yikes. Admittedly, though, I’m not complaining too much about the gorgeous sunshine, and the daffodils and snow-drops popping up all over the place. I even splurged on a bouquet of locally-grown, pesticide-fee tulips wrapped in some straight-up brown craft paper. Fresh flowers do wonders to help your mood, especially if you suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder, which I do FOR SURE unless I take a ton of Vitamin Ds). Before you splurge on a bouquet for yourself or a loved-one, get the not-so-pretty facts about the cut flower industry:

-       Almost 80%of the 6.8 billion stems of flowers sold annually in the US are imported.

-       The majority of cut-flowers in the US are greenhouse grown in Columbia or Ecuador, and use a large amount of water, pesticides, and refrigeration.

-       Workers toiling away in Columbian greenhouses are often displaced people from guerilla warfare and rural poverty. Many workers are women and children as young as 9 years old, toiling for long hours in sub-par conditions. Children 11+ work upwards of 46 hours a week in all areas of the farms.

-       Flower-industry workers are exposed to nearly 147 different chemicals and pesticides, with exposure causing higher rates of miscarriages, premature births and babies with congenital defects. 20% of these chemicals are actually restricted from use in the US, but not from arriving on your bouquet.

-       Any environmental controls for water and chemical usage are self-regulating, with only half of farms participating.

-       Most flowers come in non-recyclable cellophane floral wrap, many with those little plastic water tubes that get capped on the flower stems – also not recyclable.

-       The estimated 100 million roses sold on Valentine’s Day alone produce 9,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (this probably doesn’t include the amount of methane non-composted flowers produce once they wither and are thrown out to landfill.)

 

So, what’s a flower-girl to do? Look for “naked” stems without plastic-wrap, and shop local flowers grown in season. Choose “organic” “sustainable” or “fair-trade” flowers, or blooms with Veriflora, Florverde, or USDA certifications (but remember these are self-reporting, so local is better). In the Pacific Northwest, native blooms and successful imports like tulips are starting to appear, and these would have a much lower environmental impact as well as contribute to our natural ecosystems, feed the bees, and have a much smaller carbon footprint.

 

Don’t be trashy: #buylocal

 

-------------------------------------------

Message From & About Odyssey Library

 

Information you may find helpful:

 

·      When students are using technology in the classroom, the expectation is that they are using it for classroom assignments only. A new tool was rolled out to teachers by the district this year which enables them to see the screens of students on their monitor in real time. This allows the teacher to redirect students who get off task. Your student’s classroom may or may not be using it yet as staff is still receiving training. Individual teachers will decide when or if to use it in their classrooms.  Students receive a pop-up message when a teacher opens this tool and then students will confirm that they are sharing their monitor.

·      The district uses a service to provide internet safety (filters, malware protection, etc) which works when students are at school and logged on to the PPS network.  This protection is dependent on students being on the PPS network; it is not attached to their Google Classroom account. If your student logs into their Google Classroom account while on your home network the only filters or protections they will have are whatever you have on your home network.  

·      The personal version of the PPS service is called OpenDNS if you are interested in investigating this to use at home.  This is one possible cloud-based security system you might consider purchasing for home use, but there are others.  

·      Want more information on internet safety for your child?  https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ is widely recommended source for parents to keep up on the latest media their child might be consuming.  Recent topics include cyberbullying, apps to look out for and how to set parental controls on Netflix. 

 

A Note on Digital Citizenship Curriculum During Library:

·      Throughout the year, Ms. Chambers is teaching digital citizenship curriculum lessons. The main resource used is the free curriculum from Common Sense Media, which is recommended by the PPS Library Services department. 

·      Each grade level has age-appropriate lessons covering a range of topics. Some topics include safety when online, respecting the intellectual property of others, cyberbullying, and identifying fake or unreliable sources of information.

·      Ms. Chambers also incorporates digital citizenship topics into other library/media units of study. Examples include research project units and technology creation projects.

 

Dr. Eryn Berg 

she/her or they/theirs (what is this?)

Principal, Odyssey K-8

 

-------------------------------------------

Parenting & Sexuality - Speaker & Discussion: Wednesday, 3/12

 

Odyssey and Hayhurst PTAs will be presenting on March 12 at 6:15pm in the Odyssey auditorium a parent only evening discussion of parenting and sexuality. Our guest speakers, Renee Caballero from Conscious Family Solutions and Nathan Moore will address topics such as gender identity vs. sexuality, terms, statistics, supports, student voices, questions and answers, and resources.  Plus, snacks.

-------------------------------------------

Lincoln Cluster Sports Are Here!

 

Spring Sports Season is here! Please follow this link for information about Lincoln Cluster spring sports https://lincolnyouthathletics.weebly.com/spring-sports.html: 

 

Baseball

Girls Lacrosse (grades 3–12)

Boys Lacrosse (grades 6–12)

Softball (ages 5–14)

Track & Field (grades 6–8)

 

-------------------------------------------

Message from Wilson High School Regarding Bond Measure

 

Dear Wilson Neighborhood Community,

 

Now is the time to let the PPS School Board know that Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland should be included on the 2020 Bond! 

 

A modernized Wilson would provide students with state-of-the-art learning facilities for generations to come.  While much has changed since 1957, Wilson facilities have not.  It is time to ensure that all PPS high schools, including Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland, provide students with 21^st century learning opportunities.

 

These are some highlights from preliminary modernization plans for Wilson High School:

• Wilson students will stay in the current building while the new building is constructed. 
• New building will include modernized classrooms, science labs, career-and-technical education spaces, fine and performing arts facilities, athletic facilities, and more.
• The Wilson pool can remain on camps.
• No expenditures are needed for bussing and temporary classrooms - money can be directly invested in the new facilities.
• The 2020 bond will keep the current tax levels unchanged.

 

Please contact PPS School Board members and share this simple message: The time has come to modernize Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland.

 

Andrew Scott (Wilson)- anscott@pps.net

Michelle DePass (Jefferson) - mdepass@pps.net

Amy Kohnstamm (Board Chair) - akohnstamm@pps.net

Rita Moore (Vice-Chair) - rmoore5@pps.net

Scott Bailey - sbailey@pps.net

Julia Brim-Edwards - jbrim-edwards@pps.net

Eilidh Lowery (Cleveland) - elowery@pps.net

 

Erica Caldwell

Business Manager
Wilson High School

office:  503-916-5280 Ext 75211
cell:  541-521-8282

ecaldwell@pps.net
http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/wilson/

In this Edition

Staffing Announcement from Dr Berg: Below

A Note From Scrip Corner: Below

Guidelines for Teacher Gifts: Below & Attached

Odyssey Parents with Incoming Students Next Year – Must Enter Lottery & Attend Info Session: Below

“A Healthy Me is Substance Free” PPS Talk, 2/27 at Grant HS: Attached

Parenting & Sexuality – Speaker & Discussion, 3/12: Below & Attached

Girls on the Run at Odyssey: Below

The Green Routine – Lunchroom Revolution & Student Green Team! Below

It’s Time For It To Go! Volunteer Needed To Remove Items From Library: Below

Wilson High School Regarding PPS Bond Measure: Below

 

-------------------------------

Upcoming Events

Scrip Orders Due: Monday, 2/17

Odyssey Information Session: Thursday, 2/20, 6-7:30 pm

“A Healthy Me is Substance Free” PPS Talk: Thursday, 2/27 at Grant HS

Student Green Team Meeting: Friday 2/28, 2:15-3:30 pm

Odyssey Information Session: Friday, 3/6, 9:00-10:0 am 

 

 

-------------------------------------------

Staffing Announcement from Dr Berg

 

Hello Odyssey Families,

 

I know you all received the district announcement earlier this week regarding the increase of staffing to support our students.  As Odyssey transitions from a program to a school, we have received our staffing as if we are established as a school.  The official process is still underway and we will announce when that will go to the board for approval.  As we look at our staffing for next year we have some exciting additions to our program to announce.

 

Due to the Student Success Act we will be staffed next year with a part time QHMP (Qualified Mental Health Professional).  This person will be able to work with students at a more therapeutic level and their role will be mental health support.  We are also pleased to announce that Stephanie Cox will be joining us full-time next year as our counselor.  

 

We will also be able to increase our Art teacher (Alex Zimmerman) to three full days next year.  Library will stay the same with a part time librarian and a part time library assistant so we have library open five days a week.   We hope to continue with both Louise Chambers and Laura Jones who have worked in concert to make our library a vital and working library.  Coach Payne will be able to join us full time next year as our PE/Health teacher.  We will also be able to hire a part time educational assistant who will serve in an instructional capacity to help support students.  Our SPED teacher will remain half time and Esther Fischer will remain in that position.  

 

Since Annie Adams has joined us in a temporary role this year, Kate Wilebski will switch up to 3,4,5 next year and join that team.  We will have a K12 opening and will interview candidates in March.  We cannot express enough thanks for the shoes that Annie has filled this year.  She has been a loving and caring addition to our team and has worked hand in hand with Heather and Dede to support and instruct our students.  We want to thank her officially for her service and as she will stay with us for the rest of the year, make sure that she continually knows how much gratitude we have for her. 

 

Working with this staff here at Odyssey has been a privilege and as we continue with this year I want to thank both staff and community for their dedication, thoughtfulness, and support.  I am really looking forward to all of our exciting changes and additions for the 20-21 school year.  

 

Dr. Eryn Berg 

she/her or they/theirs (what is this?)

Principal, Odyssey K-8

 

-------------------------------------------

Note From Scrip Corner

 

The order deadline for our next shipment of physical gift cards is Monday, February 17th!!  Since this falls on a no school day, I'll plan on checking the scrip box for check orders at drop-off on Tuesday, the 18th, before I place our order.  Thanks so much for shopping Scrip!  It's a valuable fundraising tool for our school.  It's never too late to get started!  

 

Ready to sign up for Scrip?  https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/  

Enrollment Code: 768EL71F53LL6

 

Genevieve Fu, gfu@aya.yale.edu

 

-------------------------------------------

Guidelines for Teacher Gifts

 

Please see the attached guidelines for gifts for our teachers.  We appreciate the support that Odyssey receives for our teachers and really want to make sure that we show our teachers how much we appreciate their hard work and effort.  Please join us when we do teacher appreciation week in May and please continue to volunteer and offer your support.  We need our parents and this community shows their dedication every single day.

 

Dr. Eryn Berg 

she/her or they/theirs (what is this?)

Principal, Odyssey K-8

 

 ------------------------------------------

!! Odyssey Parents With An Incoming Student Next Year!!

 

Existing Odyssey families receive priority in the lottery, however you will need to attend a parent information meeting and submit an online lottery application. Apply here:  pps.schoolmint.net 

The lottery opens Feb. 5^th and closes March 6^th.  J

 

Information Meetings (attend one of the following):
Thursday, February 20^th, 6-7:30 pm

Friday, March 6th, 9:00-10:0 am (This meeting is primarily designed for parents who cannot attend the evening meeting and/or don’t care to have a school tour. Teachers or administration will not be present at the March 6th meeting and there will be no classroom visitation available.) Students are welcome to attend with parent; however childcare is not provided.

 

Thank you,

Angela Hoffart

Principal’s Secretary

The Odyssey Program

     at East Sylvan

P:  503.916.6310

F:  503.916.2124

 

-------------------------------------------

Parenting & Sexuality - Speaker & Discussion: Wednesday, 3/12

 

Odyssey and Hayhurst PTAs will be presenting on March 12 at 6:15pm in the Odyssey auditorium a parent only evening discussion of parenting and sexuality. Our guest speakers, Renee Caballero from Conscious Family Solutions and Nathan Moore will address topics such as gender identity vs. sexuality, terms, statistics, supports, student voices, questions and answers, and resources.  Plus, snacks.

 

-------------------------------------------

Girls on the Run at Odyssey

 

Good day GOTR families!
Great news!  We now have TWO amazing coaches for our Girls on the Run team!  Ideally we would have three but can proceed with two:) yeah!   Please know that the coaches will be reaching out to those that are registered by next week with an introductory email and important information!  Practices will run mon/wed 2:15-3:45 beginning the week of March 2nd:) any questions for now please feel free to reach out to me at ktdill78@gnail.com.  After next week I will be handing off communication to the coaches, exciting!   Thanks to all who worked so hard to get us our coaches... it will be a great season at Odyssey!
-katie dill
Site liaison

 

-------------------------------------------

The Green Routine

 

Odyssey’s Lunchroom Revolution is in full swing! With the help of parent and student volunteers we have saved approx. 300lbs of food and 600 milk cartons from landfill in just two short, four day weeks! Amazing! We can’t do this without the help of parent volunteers. For just one hour from 11-12, you can see your kid at lunch and do something great for the environment! Won’t you consider “being the change?” SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION.

 

Is your 3^rd – 8^th grade student interested in being a part of our Student Green Team? With the mentorship of Parent Green Team volunteers, we are inviting earth-loving students to join us in planning Earth Month/Day activities and getting involved in school sustainability initiatives. Beginning this month, the Student Green Team will meet on the last Friday of every month after school for one hour from 2:30-3:30. Parent Green Team Volunteers will meet 345 kids at 2:15pm and provide snacks. Please sign your student up here to participate in the Ody Student Green Team.

 

Do you have a Bottle Drop Account? Instead of redeeming your recyclable cans and bottles for change, you can donate that change Odyssey. Click here to learn how to donate to Odyssey with your Bottle Drop account! We will also have a Bottle Drop center at school to collect redeemable bottles and cans to raise money for Odyssey sustainability initiatives!

 

Our Trex Challenge has collected over 100 pounds of soft plastic waste since beginning mid-January. Keep it up! Thank you to our volunteers for collecting our Trex collections!

 

Odyssey Eco-Events:

·      Lunchroom Revolutions: Collective actions have more impact than individual choices! Help our community collectively make big improvements to our environmental impact through composting and better recycling in our school cafeteria. Follow the link to be a part of our modeling conservation behaviors to the next generation.

·      Friday February 28, 2:15-3:30 Student Green Team Meeting! Your child can join with other earth-loving students to plan Earth Day/Month activities and support campus sustainability initiatives. We will meet in the library, snack provided. Click here to RSVP for your child. 3-8 graders only

 

Weekly Eco-Tip:

 

Are you a wishful or aspirational recycler? When you have some questionable packaging that you think should be recyclable, but you’re not sure, do you throw it into your curbside blue bin with hope in your heart? I don’t want to squash your optimism, but you are probably doing more harm than good. When unrecyclable things end up in our recycling sort systems, they contaminate the whole batch, causing recyclable items get thrown into the landfill. These contaminants can also injure employees and damage machinery.

 

Metro has a fun “Recycle or Not” campaign to help you be a better recycler. Take their online quiz to find out how much of a wishful recycler you may or may not be. And remember, when in doubt, throw it out – or just give Metro’s super knowledgeable, master recycler hotline folks a ring. It just takes a moment to get the info you need! AskMetro@oregonmetro.gov or
503-234-3000

 

Don’t be trashy: #reducereuserecycle

 

------------------------------------------

It’s time for it to go!..... 

 

Looking for someone to haul a medium sized fabric chair from our library and a few other smaller items.  Please contact Angela if you can transport these items to a charitable organization.  Thank you!  J

 

Thank you,

Angela Hoffart

Principal’s Secretary

 

-------------------------------------------

Message from Wilson High School Regarding Bond Measure

 

Dear Wilson Neighborhood Community,

 

Now is the time to let the PPS School Board know that Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland should be included on the 2020 Bond! 

 

A modernized Wilson would provide students with state-of-the-art learning facilities for generations to come.  While much has changed since 1957, Wilson facilities have not.  It is time to ensure that all PPS high schools, including Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland, provide students with 21^st century learning opportunities.

 

These are some highlights from preliminary modernization plans for Wilson High School:

• Wilson students will stay in the current building while the new building is constructed. 
• New building will include modernized classrooms, science labs, career-and-technical education spaces, fine and performing arts facilities, athletic facilities, and more.
• The Wilson pool can remain on camps.
• No expenditures are needed for bussing and temporary classrooms - money can be directly invested in the new facilities.
• The 2020 bond will keep the current tax levels unchanged.

 

Please contact PPS School Board members and share this simple message: The time has come to modernize Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland.

 

Andrew Scott (Wilson)- anscott@pps.net

Michelle DePass (Jefferson) - mdepass@pps.net

Amy Kohnstamm (Board Chair) - akohnstamm@pps.net

Rita Moore (Vice-Chair) - rmoore5@pps.net

Scott Bailey - sbailey@pps.net

Julia Brim-Edwards - jbrim-edwards@pps.net

Eilidh Lowery (Cleveland) - elowery@pps.net

 

Erica Caldwell

Business Manager
Wilson High School

office:  503-916-5280 Ext 75211
cell:  541-521-8282

ecaldwell@pps.net
http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/wilson/

Si usted necesita ayuda en traducir este mensaje, llame al 503-916-3582 para español.

In this Edition

The Doctor is In! Message From Dr Berg: Below

All School Spirit Week – Next Week! Below

February Restaurant Night Wednesday 2/12: Below

Odyssey Parents with Incoming Students Next Year – Must Enter Lottery & Attend Info Session: Below

Join Our Class - Disabled: Below

The Green Routine – Lunchroom Revolution & Student Green Team! Below

Odyssey Information Nights – Need Volunteers: Below

It’s Time For It To Go! Volunteer Needed To Remove Items From Library: Below

Wilson High School Regarding PPS Bond Measure: Below

Parenting & Sexuality – Speaker & Discussion: Below

 

-------------------------------

Upcoming Events

Spirit Week – Monday, 2/10 – Friday, 2/15

Special PTA Meeting: Wednesday, 2/12, 6:30pm

February Restaurant Night at Von Ebert Brewing: Wednesday, 2/12 – ALL DAY!

Odyssey Information Session: Thursday, 2/20, 6-7:30 pm

Student Green Team Meeting: Friday 2/28, 2:15-3:30 pm

Odyssey Information Session: Friday, 3/6, 9:00-10:0 am 

Parenting & Sexuality – Speaker & Discussion: Wednesday 3/12, 6:15pm – Hayhurst

 

-------------------------------------------

The Doctor Is In! Message From Dr Berg

 

Odyssey Families,

As February begins and we start our month long celebration of Black History Month, I would like to take the opportunity to share my own deep appreciation of sense of respect for not only our Black Americans from the past who have contributed so much to our deep tapestry of American History, but also a recognition of all of the recent and current black Americans who are contributors and heroes in our lives.  We of course honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who gave his life for the struggle for Civil Rights.  Rosa Parks and Ruby Bridges both stand as heroes for the fight for equality and justice.  I also want to do is recognize the deep and real contributions of the current fighters for justice and heroes of equality.  Barack Obama and his legacy will stand as a man who eloquently and patiently spoke for freedom and equality and whose example I hope to emulate as a barometer of dignity for years to come.  The list is endless and the time is ripe for us to take a moment and recognize and notice and be thankful for the work that has been done by Black Americans both historically and in the present.  I recently found a short video that examines the history of Black History Month and which I found helpful to share with my children and discuss around the dinner table.  That link will be included at the bottom of this message.

What I also want to emphasize is how we have worked as a staff to integrate into our classrooms daily the richness of multicultural perspectives and the value of honoring differing experiences and viewpoints.  All year long, our teachers work as teams to plan lessons, units, and materials that give a voice to those who have historically been underrepresented in school curriculum.  We have asked that while we celebrate February as Black History Month, that we also have a consistent eye and heart towards always valuing and integrating multiple perspectives.  Please reach out to your teacher to ask how they include and honor multiple perspectives and provide a culturally relevant curriculum.  

Thank you,

Eryn Berg

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month/videos/origins-of-black-history-month?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Dr. Eryn Berg 

Principal, Odyssey K-8

 

“I truly believe the only way we can create global peace is through not only educating our minds, but our hearts and our souls.”

Malala Yousafzai 

 

-------------------------------------------

All School Spirit Week

(In honor of the completion of the 345 Mahopa Performance)

February 10th-14^th

345 is wrapping up the end of their Mahopa Unit and getting ready to form new teams for the next unit. Let’s celebrate with an all school spirit week! (As always, please make sure that you are following our school’s dress code and making appropriate choices.)

 

Monday: Roll Out Of Bed Day

The 345 is exhausted from Sunday’s Performance! Come to school in your PJs and best bed hair. Brushing your teeth is highly recommended, though!

 

Tuesday: Pattern Day 

Wear your brightest patterned clothing for a day of mismatched fun. Bonus: the more patterns you wear, the better!

 

Wednesday: Favorites Day

Have a favorite t-shirt, pair of shoes, or item you love to wear? Wear your favorite pattern (stripes, polka dots), your favorite team’s gear, your favorite color, and so on! 

 

Thursday: Dress To Impress Day (Captain Speeches)

345 potential captains will give their speeches today, so put on your best outfits! Shine your shoes, iron your best shirt, and come to school looking like a million bucks!

 

Friday: Valentine’s Colors

Wear your favorite Valentine’s colors--reds, pinks, white.  Dress with hearts, cupids, and unicorns!  Come full of your most lovely Valentine spirit!

 

 ------------------------------------------

February Restaurant Night – Wednesday 2/12!

 

We have three restaurant nights left in the year, and we've already raised $2,350 for our school so far! Please join us at Von Ebert Brewing on Wednesday, February 12 for a 15% donation to our school, with flyer or mention of our fundraiser. This fundraiser runs all day, so lunch is an option too, if you happen to be in town that part of the day! Bring friends and colleagues! Von Ebert is a big space, with plenty of parking in the New Seasons structure across the street.

 

Von Ebert Brewing 

131 NW 13th Avenue, Portland 97209

 ------------------------------------------

!! Odyssey Parents With An Incoming Student Next Year!!

Existing Odyssey families receive priority in the lottery, however you will need to attend a parent information meeting and submit an online lottery application. Apply here:  pps.schoolmint.net 

The lottery opens Feb. 5^th and closes March 6^th. 

 

Information Meetings (attend one of the following):
Thursday, February 20^th, 6-7:30 pm

Friday, March 6th, 9:00-10:0 am (This meeting is primarily designed for parents who cannot attend the evening meeting and/or don’t care to have a school tour. Teachers or administration will not be present at the March 6th meeting and there will be no classroom visitation available.) Students are welcome to attend with parents; however, childcare is not provided.

Thank you,

Angela Hoffart

Principal’s Secretary

The Odyssey Program

     at East Sylvan

P:  503.916.6310

F:  503.916.2124

 

-------------------------------------------

Join Our Class - Calendar Disabled

 

Going forward we will no longer be using Join Our Class for school calendar items or volunteer signups.  You can still access the directory there for those who have registered.  The Odyssey PPS calendar is available here: https://www.pps.net/Page/9151#calendar12600/20200207/month  

 

Thank you,

Katie Hoffman, katie.hoffman@odysseyprogram.org

 

-------------------------------------------

The Green Routine

Odyssey’s Lunchroom Revolution is in full swing! With the help of parent and student volunteers we have saved approx. 300lbs of food and 600 milk cartons from landfill in just two short, four day weeks! Amazing! We can’t do this without the help of parent volunteers. For just one hour from 11-12, you can see your kid at lunch and do something great for the environment! Won’t you consider “being the change?” SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION.

Is your 3^rd – 8^th grade student interested in being a part of our Student Green Team? With the mentorship of Parent Green Team volunteers, we are inviting earth-loving students to join us in planning Earth Month/Day activities and getting involved in school sustainability initiatives. Beginning this month, the Student Green Team will meet on the last Friday of every month after school for one hour from 2:30-3:30. Parent Green Team Volunteers will meet 345 kids at 2:15pm and provide snacks. Please sign your student up here to participate in the Ody Student Green Team.

Do you have a Bottle Drop Account? Instead of redeeming your recyclable cans and bottles for change, you can donate that change Odyssey. Click here to learn how to donate to Odyssey with your Bottle Drop account! We will also have a Bottle Drop center at school to collect redeemable bottles and cans to raise money for Odyssey sustainability initiatives!

Our Trex Challenge has collected over 100 pounds of soft plastic waste since beginning mid-January. Keep it up! Thank you to our volunteers for collecting our Trex collections!

Odyssey Eco-Events:

·      Lunchroom Revolutions: Collective actions have more impact than individual choices! Help our community collectively make big improvements to our environmental impact through composting and better recycling in our school cafeteria. Follow the link to be a part of our modeling conservation behaviors to the next generation.

·      Friday February 28, 2:15-3:30 Student Green Team Meeting! Your child can join with other earth-loving students to plan Earth Day/Month activities and support campus sustainability initiatives. We will meet in the library, snack provided. Click here to RSVP for your child. 3-8 graders only

 

Weekly Eco-Tip:

Are you a wishful or aspirational recycler? When you have some questionable packaging that you think should be recyclable, but you’re not sure, do you throw it into your curbside blue bin with hope in your heart? I don’t want to squash your optimism, but you are probably doing more harm than good. When unrecyclable things end up in our recycling sort systems, they contaminate the whole batch, causing recyclable items get thrown into the landfill. These contaminants can also injure employees and damage machinery.

Metro has a fun “Recycle or Not” campaign to help you be a better recycler. Take their online quiz to find out how much of a wishful recycler you may or may not be. And remember, when in doubt, throw it out – or just give Metro’s super knowledgeable, master recycler hotline folks a ring. It just takes a moment to get the info you need! AskMetro@oregonmetro.gov or
503-234-3000

 

Don’t be trashy: #reducereuserecycle

------------------------------------------

Odyssey Information Nights – Need Volunteers!

Odyssey information events for new K-5 students are quickly approaching and we’ll need your help volunteering to make it a success.  The event dates/times are February 20th 6-7:30pm, and March 6th 9-10am.

There are several volunteer opportunities for you to consider:

• Marketing: Help distribute flyers at your neighborhood coffee shops, community centers, churches, libraries, etc. throughout Portland; spread the word about Odyssey information events on your favorite social media platform, with Facebook and Nextdoor serving as obvious ones.  If you belong to or are networked within an underrepresented community in Portland, your help would be especially appreciated here.

• Event logistics on 2/20 and 3/6: help set up/take down chairs, hand out information packets about the school as guest arrive, help answer questions from prospective new parents and students, and pass out a questionnaire at the end of the events before guests leave. (3-5 volunteers for each event are needed).

If you are able to volunteer for any of these opportunities, please contact me directly

and feel free to reach out with questions. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank You!

Devin McKenna

devinmc@gmail.com

 

------------------------------------------

It’s time for it to go!..... 

Looking for someone to haul a medium sized fabric chair from our library and a few other smaller items.  Please contact Angela if you can transport these items to a charitable organization.  Thank you! 

Thank you,

Angela Hoffart

Principal’s Secretary

 

-------------------------------------------

Message from Wilson High School Regarding Bond Measure

 

Dear Wilson Neighborhood Community,

 

Now is the time to let the PPS School Board know that Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland should be included on the 2020 Bond! 

 

A modernized Wilson would provide students with state-of-the-art learning facilities for generations to come.  While much has changed since 1957, Wilson facilities have not.  It is time to ensure that all PPS high schools, including Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland, provide students with 21^st century learning opportunities.

 

These are some highlights from preliminary modernization plans for Wilson High School:

• Wilson students will stay in the current building while the new building is constructed. 
• New building will include modernized classrooms, science labs, career-and-technical education spaces, fine and performing arts facilities, athletic facilities, and more.
• The Wilson pool can remain on camps.
• No expenditures are needed for bussing and temporary classrooms - money can be directly invested in the new facilities.
• The 2020 bond will keep the current tax levels unchanged.

 

Please contact PPS School Board members and share this simple message: The time has come to modernize Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland.

 

Andrew Scott (Wilson)- anscott@pps.net

Michelle DePass (Jefferson) - mdepass@pps.net

Amy Kohnstamm (Board Chair) - akohnstamm@pps.net

Rita Moore (Vice-Chair) - rmoore5@pps.net

Scott Bailey - sbailey@pps.net

Julia Brim-Edwards - jbrim-edwards@pps.net

Eilidh Lowery (Cleveland) - elowery@pps.net

 

Erica Caldwell

Business Manager
Wilson High School

office:  503-916-5280 Ext 75211
cell:  541-521-8282

ecaldwell@pps.net
http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/wilson/

Si usted necesita ayuda en traducir este mensaje, llame al 503-916-3582 para español.

-------------------------------------------

Parenting & Sexuality - Speaker & Discussion: Wednesday, 3/12

 

Odyssey and Hayhurst PTAs will be presenting on March 12 at 6:15pm in the Odyssey auditorium a parent only evening discussion of parenting and sexuality. Our guest speakers, Renee Caballero from Conscious Family Solutions and Nathan Moore will address topics such as gender identity vs. sexuality, terms, statistics, supports, student voices, questions and answers, and resources.  Plus, snacks! 

In this Edition

Anchor Awards – Message From Dr Berg: Below 

PTA – Searching for K12 In-Class Volunteer Coordinator: Below

Coffee Cart: Below

The Green Routine – Odyssey’s Lunchroom Revolution! Below

Lincoln Free Boys LAX Clinic Saturday 2/1: Below

Message from Wilson HS – Lunar New Year Celebration: Below 

Wilson High School Regarding PPS Bond Measure: Below

 

-------------------------------

Upcoming Events

Green Team Meeting: Wednesday, 2/5, 7pm at Level Brewing

WHS Lunar New Year Celebration: Thursday, 2/6

Odyssey Coffee Cart: Friday, 2/7

February Restaurant Night at Von Ebert Brewing: Wednesday, 2/12

 

-------------------------------------------

Anchor Awards: Message From Dr Berg

 

Dear Parents,

 

All Odyssey students had an assembly today where we revealed our new Anchor Award program.  I wanted to share that presentation with you so you can see what your students are working towards.

 

Enjoy your weekend.

Eryn

 

Dr. Eryn Berg 

Principal, Odyssey K-8

 

“I truly believe the only way we can create global peace is through not only educating our minds, but our hearts and our souls.”

Malala Yousafzai 

 

-------------------------------------------

Search for New K12 In-Class Volunteer Coordinator

 

Our amazing K12 In-Class Volunteer Coordinator Genevieve Fu will be passing the torch after this school year, so the position is up for grabs for the 2020-21 school year!  This is ideally a 2–3 year commitment.  The new volunteer who fills this role will coordinate with the K12 teachers, communicate their needs to the K12 community, schedule regular weekly volunteers, assist with volunteer training, and make sure the K12 volunteer program runs smoothly throughout the school year.  The bulk of this work is done in September and October, then it's little bits of communication here and there through May.  It would be great to get this new volunteer on board soon for shadowing/training with Genevieve!  This is a great way to get acquainted with the K12 community and is an essential part of our K12 program. 

 

-------------------------------------------

Coffee Cart

 

Enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a chance to chat on Friday, February 7th right after drop-off.  Did you know that the coffee served during Coffee Cart is brewed and delivered by Odyssey parents Brian Winters and Robin Chung?  So grateful for their commitment to keeping us caffeinated!

 

-------------------------------------------

The Green Routine

 

Odyssey’s Lunchroom Revolution is in full swing! With the help of parent and student volunteers we have saved 100 lbs of food and 625 milk cartons from landfill in just two short, four day weeks! Amazing! We can’t do this without the help of parent volunteers. For just one hour from 11-12, you can see your kid at lunch and do something great for the environment! Won’t you consider “being the change?” SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION.

 

Do you have a Bottle Drop Account? Instead of redeeming your recyclable cans and bottles for change, you can donate that change Odyssey. Click here to learn how to donate to Odyssey with your Bottle Drop account! We will also have a Bottle Drop center at school to collect redeemable bottles and cans to raise money for Odyssey sustainability initiatives!

 

Our Trex Challenge has collected over 100 pounds of soft plastic waste since beginning mid-January. We took in 77 pounds for recycling this month! Keep it up! Thank you to our volunteers for collecting our Trex collections!

 

Odyssey Eco-Events:

·      Wednesday, February 5, 7pm @ Level Beer in Multnomah Village: Green Team meeting! We’ll discuss student mentor opportunities, Field Study sustainability, Earthday/Month planning, and any other sustainability initiatives members want to see happen at school! Join us! Please RSVP to ezahniser@gmail.com

·      Lunchroom Revolutions: Collective actions have more impact than individual choices! Help our community collectively make big improvements to our environmental impact through composting and better recycling in our school cafeteria. Follow the link to be a part of our modeling conservation behaviors to the next generation.

 

Weekly Eco-Tip:

There’s nothing trendy about fashion that ends up in a landfill. Didn’t you hear? All the cool kids (and adults) are wearing second-hand clothes this season! What makes fashion one of the worst industry polluters in the world? The answers are more numerous than the plastic sequins on the racks at Target, but here’s a few unstylish reasons fashion has a devastating effect both environmentally, and socially.

 

·       The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter in the world, right after oil industry.

·       Fashion contributes to about 5 percent of the world’s global greenhouse gas emissions – more than the whole country of Russia.

·       The toxic wastewater from garment production is major polluter to the countries that make our fast fashion. Plus, making clothes uses a shed-ton of resources. It can take 1500 gallons of water to manufacture just one pair of jeans. That’s enough water to support a human’s life for 13 years.

·       Garment manufacturing doubled between 2000 and 2014 globally. In 2014 we exceeded 100 billion new garments.

·       Americans throw away 32 billion pound of textiles per year.

·       To keep up with demand, clothing manufacturers use cheaper, synthetic (read: made out of petroleum) fabrics and low-quality production. The consumer life of products shortened by 50 percent between 1992 to 2000.

·       If you’re only paying $4.99 for a new garment, how much of that do you think the maker was paid? Fashion is a major contributor to child labor, extreme poverty, and other humanitarian abuses. Check out the movie, The True Cost, for a shocking behind-the-scenes look at the industry responsible for most of the new clothing on racks today.

 

How can you break up with environmental and socially-destructive fashion?

 

·       Buy second hand! Give great clothes a second life by making them your own. This is especially great for kids, that grow out of clothing quickly. The stigma of second-hand is quickly fading away for these generations what harmful effects our years of crazy consumerism have done. Locally, check out consignment and thrift stores. Online, try Thred-Up and Poshmark.

·       If you must buy new (and let’s face it, second-hand underwear is not a thing anyone wants), then go quality over quantity when you can.

·       Choose natural fabrics over synthetic ones. Synthetic clothes are made out of petroleum. They are non-renewal, non-biodegradable, and wear out more quickly. Synthetic clothes shed micro-plastics into our water every time you wash them. Try a Guppyfriend Washing Bag to help cut down on your micro-plastic waste.

·       The average consumer now buys 60 percent more clothing items a year and keeps them for only half as long as they did 15 years ago. Consider investing in less, better quality items, or go second hand!

·       Extending the life of your clothing by just three months, reducing carbon, water and waste footprints of that garment by up to 10 percent. Consider mending, alterations, and washing less to extend garment life.

·       Host a clothing swap with your friends! Get some new duds, get rid of some old duds.

·       Try renting when you have an event that requires a special outfit. From services like Rent-the-Runway, to this fabulous lady right in Portland, the options are endless.

·       Donate unwanted clothing that is clean and in good repair. But keep in mind, with so much excess clothing already out there, the pile-up of used clothing is creating its own pollution problem.

·       Do your research! Buy from environmentally and ethically responsible brands. Check out the app Good On You for their easy-to-use rating system.

 

Check out Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality’s campaign “Make Every Thread Count” for more great ideas!

 

Don’t be trashy: #iquitfastfashion

 

------------------------------------------

Lincoln LAX Event

 

Lincoln Boys Youth Lacrosse will be running a small free clinic next Saturday 2/1 from 3-430pm to get new kids/families a feel for the game.  See attached flyer for more information.

 

------------------------------------------

Wilson High School – Lunar New Year Celebration

 

Dear Wilson Cluster:

 

The Asian Pacific Islander Club and Allied Wilson Advocates for Racial Equity (AWARE) would like to invite the K-12 Wilson Cluster to our Lunar New Year Celebration.

 

The event will be catered, and attendees are also welcomed to bring something from their family new year tradition as well in an educational context.

 

The event will be Thursday, February 6 in the cafeteria from 5-7 PM. Featured will be a Lion Dance, catered dinner and craft and activity stations.  Our photography teacher has also offered to set up a portrait studio for families and groups.

 

Attached is our event flyer.

 

Happy 2020 and we look forward to ushering in the Year of the Rat with you!

 

Aloha,

Jamie

jsuehiro@pps.net

 

-------------------------------------------

Message from Wilson High School Regarding Bond Measure

 

Dear Wilson Neighborhood Community,

 

Now is the time to let the PPS School Board know that Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland should be included on the 2020 Bond! 

 

A modernized Wilson would provide students with state-of-the-art learning facilities for generations to come.  While much has changed since 1957, Wilson facilities have not.  It is time to ensure that all PPS high schools, including Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland, provide students with 21^st century learning opportunities.

 

These are some highlights from preliminary modernization plans for Wilson High School:

• Wilson students will stay in the current building while the new building is constructed. 
• New building will include modernized classrooms, science labs, career-and-technical education spaces, fine and performing arts facilities, athletic facilities, and more.
• The Wilson pool can remain on camps.
• No expenditures are needed for bussing and temporary classrooms - money can be directly invested in the new facilities.
• The 2020 bond will keep the current tax levels unchanged.

 

Please contact PPS School Board members and share this simple message: The time has come to modernize Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland.

 

Andrew Scott (Wilson)- anscott@pps.net

Michelle DePass (Jefferson) - mdepass@pps.net

Amy Kohnstamm (Board Chair) - akohnstamm@pps.net

Rita Moore (Vice-Chair) - rmoore5@pps.net

Scott Bailey - sbailey@pps.net

Julia Brim-Edwards - jbrim-edwards@pps.net

Eilidh Lowery (Cleveland) - elowery@pps.net

 

Erica Caldwell

Business Manager
Wilson High School

office:  503-916-5280 Ext 75211
cell:  541-521-8282

ecaldwell@pps.net
http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/wilson/

In this Edition

The Doctor Is In – Message From Dr Berg: Below

Direct Giving Tax Receipts & Update: Below

Notes From Scrip Corner - Order Due Monday 1/27: Below

Searching for Next Year’s Restaurant Night and Scrip Card Coordinators : Below

When To Keep Your Student Home for Illness: Below

Odyssey Student is a Semifinalist in the NASA “Name the Rover Contest”! Below

The Green Routine –Zero Waste Lunch! Below 

Message from Wilson HS – Lunar New Year Celebration: Below

Wilson High School Regarding PPS Bond Measure: Below

 

-------------------------------

Upcoming Events

No School – In-Service Work Day: Monday, 1/27 

Scrip Orders Due: Monday, 1/27

WHS Lunar New Year Celebration: Thursday, 2/6

February Restaurant Night at Von Ebert Brewing: Wednesday, 2/12

 

-------------------------------------------

The Doctor Is In: Message From Dr Berg

 

Hello Odyssey Families,

 

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to meet with a group of parents to talk about Odyssey Emergency & Earthquake Preparedness and how we can work together in the event of an emergency.  As one of our action steps, I wanted to send the Odyssey Emergency Operations Plan so that everyone is aware of our trained response for these types of situations.  First and foremost, all staff are trained in emergency drills and procedures and we have fire drills once a month and hold frequent earthquake and other drills throughout the year.  The very first thing that I would ask families to do is to create an emergency plan with their children.  Please make sure that you have someone to come pick them up as quickly as possible in the event of an earthquake and add this person to your emergency contact list.  Attached is a guideline for families to help you create a plan.

 

In the event of an earthquake or other evacuation we will be exiting the school as soon as it is safe and assembling in the grassy area behind the baseball diamond.  This is our primary evacuation spot and where we will hold our reunification.  Our secondary evacuation spot is the giant parking lot by Starbucks on the corner of SW Skyline and SW Westgate Drive. We have staff that are trained in first-aid and we also have emergency buckets for each classroom which hold minimal supplies.  If we are evacuated from the school, parents will be notified as soon as possible to come and pick up their students.  If communication systems remain functional, PPS would inform families about how students will get home. Otherwise, families are expected to get students from school as soon as possible.  We will of course triage first aid and get students as comfortable as possible while we wait for parents to arrive.  A controlled release will be set-up at Odyssey to allow parents to be reunified with their student. Parent/Guardians should keep in mind that reunification is a process that protects both the safety of the students and provides for an accountable change of custody from the school to a recognized custodial parent or guardian.  Parent/Guardians can expect the reunification process will take several hours.  We ask that parent/guardians have identification readily available when picking up students. Students will not be allowed to re-enter buildings until they have been inspected by a damage assessment team.

 

Parent/Guardians are expected to pick students up from school as soon possible.  All Odyssey families should have a family reunification plan that includes how and who will pick up students in the event of a large disaster. When a parent/guardian can't immediately get to the school site the family plan should have pre-identified individuals who can pick up the student and those persons must be on the emergency contact list. Otherwise, the school will hold students until parents can pick up their child.

Plan your route to school using Portland Maps.  The new Portland Maps can help you identify your route to pickup your students post disaster.  The maps contain FEMA information on hazards and other public safety resources.

 

We realize that this is nerve-wracking to think of an emergency.  We appreciate your partnership in working together to create a plan for your child in the case of an emergency and we are planning on holding a parent reunification drill in late spring to practice our skills and make it less overwhelming to think of.  Thank you for your support.

 

You may have noticed our Odyssey Anchors bulletin board in the front hallway.  It is still under construction but staff has spent time this year creating an anchor system of awards for students that are exemplifying the Odyssey 8 core competencies of: curiosity  creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, compassion, composure, and citizenship.  For each of these areas students have the option of completing tasks to earn them their anchor award (a button).  Our goal is for each student to earn at least one anchor award by the end of the year.  More information coming soon and this will be rolled out to the students soon.

 

We are also working with the district to get additional lighting and cameras on the outside of the building to cut down on the vandalism and graffiti.  This is great news and hopefully when the weather clears we can also start to plan a wonderful Odyssey mural.  Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for all you do!

 

Dr. Eryn Berg 

Principal, Odyssey K-8

 

“I truly believe the only way we can create global peace is through not only educating our minds, but our hearts and our souls.”

Malala Yousafzai 

 

-------------------------------------------

Direct Giving Tax Receipts and Update

 

2019 Odyssey Charitable Contribution Receipts were sent via email last weekend.  I have a few receipts to deliver by hand or mail and some bounced emails.  If you have not received your 2019 tax receipt or you believe there are errors on the one you did get, please contact me at: directgiving@odysseyprogram.org so I can get you squared away for tax season.

 

Direct Giving makes up more than 75% of funding for the PTA and all payments are fully tax deductible.  If you have not filled out a Direct Giving Commitment form, it can be found here:  https://form.jotform.com/92068330354151

 

You can make Direct Giving contributions at any time either:

 

Online: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?contribution=odyk8 . Please put children’s name(s) in the Notes section.

 

Check: Made payable to Odyssey PTA. Please put your children’s name(s) in the Comments section of your check along with Direct Giving and deliver payments to the PTA collection box in the office or by mail to: Odyssey Program, 1849 SW 58thAve, Portland, OR 97221.

 

 

Thank again for your contributions to PTA!

 

Ben Riggsby

Direct Giving Coordinator

 

-------------------------------------------

Notes from Scrip Corner

 

Hello from Scrip Corner, it's been a while!  Our next gift card order deadline is coming up on Monday, January 27th.  This is a no school day, so I'll check the Scrip Order Box in the office at drop-off on Tuesday.  Please get your check and on-line physical gift card orders in by then.  

 

TIP:  Here's a tip to earn a little fast $$$ for our school!  Purchasing an Amazon Prime Membership via the Scrip program earns $10 for our school.  New memberships work, and so does extending existing memberships for a year.  It's magic!  Search under "Prime" for the item in the on-line store.   

 

Ready to sign up for Scrip?  https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/  

Enrollment Code: 768EL71F53LL6

 

Genevieve

gfu@aya.yale.edu

 

-------------------------------------------

PTA – We Are In Search Of…

 

Restaurant Night Coordinator

Restaurant Nights are a great way to build community while raising funds for our school. The role of Restaurant Night Coordinator is open for the 2020-21 school year. This is ideally at least a two year commitment. Responsibilities include scheduling and promoting monthly restaurant fundraisers, and all necessary communications with the restaurants hosting our events. The McMenamin's Friends & Family Night has already been granted to us for next year, so we're on track for another year of making $3,000 plus for our school through this program. We can return to our other hosts from this year, or you can mix it up! The sky's the limit! Let's dine together! Do you have questions or interest? Please contact Genevieve Fu at: gfu@aya.yale.edu.

Search for Scrip Gift Card Coordinator

The Scrip Gift Card program earns money for our school when families purchase gift cards. The Scrip Program Coordinator position is also open for the 2020-21 school year. Responsibilities include getting people signed up for and promoting the scrip gift card fundraising program, running the holiday giving scrip card event, and placing and distributing orders once every few weeks. Scrip is a great way of redirecting some of the money we're already spending back to the school. Do you have questions or interest? Please contact Genevieve Fu at: gfu@aya.yale.edu.

 

-------------------------------------------

When To Keep Your Student At Home For Illness

 

 

Student’s Symptoms / Diagnosed Illness	Student May Return to School When
Strep throat diagnosed by health care provider	Must have been on antibiotics for 24 hours. If no antibiotics given, call school nurse before  child can return to school.
Fever greater than 100.5 degrees (orally).	Temperature below 100 degrees (orally) for a Minimum of 24 hours without the use of Tylenol or other fever-reducing medicine.
Rash or rash with fever – new or sudden onset.	Rash disappears. Written or phone consent from doctor to school nurse.
Eyes: Colored drainage from eyes; brown / green drainage from nose with fever of greater than 100.5 degrees; skin lesions that are “weepy” (fluid or pus-filled)	Discharge must be gone or student must have been on antibiotics for 24 hours and have a written or phone consent from doctor to school nurse.
Vomiting	Symptom-free for 24 hours
Diarrhea	Symptom-free for 24 hours

 

-------------------------------------------

Odyssey Student is a Semifinalist in the NAS “Name The Rover” Contest!

 

Please see the below message about Odyssey’s very own Truman.  Congratulations Truman!

Dr. Eryn Berg 

 

**********

Hello:

 

Truman Stonestreet, a student at your school/district, has been selected a semifinalist for the Mars 2020 “Name the Rover” contest. Truman’s name will enter the next round of consideration to become the official name of the Mars 2020 rover.

 

This student’s entry was selected as Oregon’s winner in the middle school category. The suggested name, Perspective, and Truman’s essay can be viewed at https://www.futureengineers.org/nametherover/gallery/32474.

Congratulations to Truman and to your school! We have sent pitches to reporters and media outlets identified by students. However, we encourage you to make your own outreach to local media.

 

NASA’s feature on the selection of the “Name the Rover” semifinalists is included below or here.

 

The Mars 2020 Rover has entered the final stages of preparation for launch. The currently unnamed Mars 2020 Rover is a robotic scientist weighing more than 2,300 pounds. It will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet's climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth, and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet. The spacecraft is targeted for a July 2020 launch and is expected to touch down on Mars in February 2021.

Battelle and Future Engineers of California were selected to conduct the Mars 2020 “Name the Rover” contest in partnership with NASA. The student contest is part of NASA’s efforts to engage the public in its missions to the Moon and Mars.

If you have questions about the Mars 2020 mission or naming contest, please reach out to the NASA’s media representatives: Alana Johnson (alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov) and DC Agle (david.c.agle@jpl.nasa.gov). For questions about Future Engineers, please contact Deanne Bell deanne.bell@futureengineers.org. For questions about Battelle, please contact TR Massey MasseyTR@battelle.org or myself.

 *********

Jan. 13, 2020

NASA's Mars 2020 Rover Closer to Getting Its Name

NASA's Mars 2020 rover is one step closer to having its own name after 155 students across the U.S. were chosen as semifinalists in the "Name the Rover" essay contest. Just one will be selected to win the grand prize — the exciting honor of naming the rover and an invitation to see the spacecraft launch in July 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

 

The currently unnamed rover is a robotic scientist weighing more than 2,300 pounds (1,000 kilograms). It will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet's climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.

 

"This rover is the first leg of a round-trip mission to Mars that will advance understanding in key science fields like astrobiology," said Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division. "This contest is a cool way to engage the next generation and encourage careers in all STEM fields. The chosen name will help define this rover's unique personality among our fleet of Martian spacecraft."

With more than 28,000 essay submissions received from K-12 students, NASA recruited volunteer contest judges from every U.S. state and territory. Nearly 4,700 eligible judge volunteers were selected from a diverse pool of educators, professionals, and space enthusiasts and were instrumental in selecting the semifinalists.

The next phases of judging will reduce the competition to nine finalists, and the public will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite name online in late January. The results of the poll will be a consideration in the final naming selection.

 

The nine finalists will talk with a panel of experts, including Glaze, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, NASA JPL rover driver Nick Wiltsie and Clara Ma, who proposed the name for the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, as a sixth-grade student in 2009. The grand prize winner will be announced in early March 2020.

 

For complete contest and prize details, including a full listing of the 155 state/territory semifinalists, visit: https://www.futureengineers.org/nametherover 

The naming contest partnership is part of a Space Act Agreement in educational and public outreach efforts between NASA, Battelle of Columbus, Ohio, and Future Engineers of Burbank, California.

 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages rover development for the agency. The Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for launch management.

 

Mars 2020 is part of a larger program that includes missions to the Moon as a way to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. Charged with returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, NASA will establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028 through NASA's Artemis lunar exploration plans.

 

For more information about the mission, go to: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/

For more about NASA's Moon to Mars plans, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars

-end-

Grey Hautaluoma / Alana Johnson

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-0668 / 202-358-1501

grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov / alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov

 

DC Agle

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

818-393-9011

david.c.agle@jpl.nasa.gov

 

-------------------------------------------

The Green Routine

 

Odyssey’s Lunchroom Revolution is in full swing! With the help of parent and student volunteers we are collecting food scraps and milk cartons for recycling. That equates to about 125 lbs of food waste and 250 milk cartons diverted from landfill EVERY WEEK. This is a huge win for our environment! Want to be a part of the solution to climate change? Get involved with sustainability initiatives at Odyssey. SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION.

 

Do you have a Bottle Drop Account? Instead of redeeming your recyclable cans and bottles for change, you can donate that change Odyssey. Click here to learn how to donate to Odyssey with your Bottle Drop account! We will also have a Bottle Drop center at school to collect redeemable bottles and cans to raise money for Odyssey sustainability initiatives!

 

Join the Trex Challenge! Please bring your soft plastics to collect at school and we may win a bench for our playground from Trex. See the attached flyer for what types of plastics can be sent to Trex for recycling/reuse. There are two in the entry, and one downstairs in the K12 hallway. If you live near a Trex collection site (Fred Meyer or New Seasons), you can drop off your waste directly to those collections and email me (ezahniser@gmail.com) how much it weighed to count toward our Odyssey challenge. We’ve already collected over to 100 lbs of plastic waste!

 

 

Odyssey Eco-Events:

·      Wednesday, February 5, 7pm @ Level Beer in Multnomah Village: Green Team meeting! We’ll discuss student mentor opportunities, Field Study sustainability, Earthday/Month planning, and any other sustainability initiatives members want to see happen at school! Join us! Please RSVP to ezahniser@gmail.com

·      Lunchroom Revolutionaries: Collective actions have more impact than individual choices! Help our community collectively make big improvements to our environmental impact through composting and better recycling in our school cafeteria. Follow the link to be a part of our modeling conservation behaviors to the next generation.

 

Weekly Eco-Tip:

Cutting down on your waste is easy with simple swaps for pack lunches. Try these simple steps for a zero-waste school day lunch:

1.     Go reusable! If you can, invest in sturdy reusable lunch and beverage containers. The initial investment in some stainless steel containers will pay off in time for your checkbook and the planet. 

2.     Choose “real” cutlery. No matter how you slice it, plastic and plastic-looking disposable spoons and forks are landfill bound. Odyssey doesn’t have durable cutlery, so if your kiddo is grabbing a yogurt, they’re also grabbing a plastic spoon. Grab some cheap durable cutlery from Goodwill and you won’t have to worry about losing the occasional fork.

3.     Consider a cloth napkin. At school, no paper napkins or paper waste are allowed in the compost, so napkins are landfill-bound. Bandanas make a great school lunch napkin that’s washable.

4.     Buy in bulk! If it’s a dry snack your kid is craving, it probably comes in bulk (check out great bulk sections at New Seasons Market or Winco). Bulk snacks can be bought in re-usable containers, and served in reusable containers, cutting out a lot of landfill bound waste.

5.     Go for homemade food, instead of pre-packaged food if you can. All those snack wrappers really add up! Check here for some great zero-waste lunch food ideas.

6.     Pre-plan. Sigh, it’s true. Starting your week with a rough menu plan for school lunches and prepping some items will help cut down on waste generated by last minute convenience foods.  

7.     Don’t overpack. Little tummies probably need less than you think. Middle schoolers, now that’s a different animal.

 

Check out the fun attached flyer from Ontario’s Eco School Network for more tips to reduce your lunchtime trash!

 

Don’t be trashy: #zerowastelunch

 

------------------------------------------

Wilson High School – Lunar New Year Celebration

 

Dear Wilson Cluster:

 

The Asian Pacific Islander Club and Allied Wilson Advocates for Racial Equity (AWARE) would like to invite the K-12 Wilson Cluster to our Lunar New Year Celebration.

 

The event will be catered, and attendees are also welcomed to bring something from their family new year tradition as well in an educational context.

 

The event will be Thursday, February 6 in the cafeteria from 5-7 PM. Featured will be a Lion Dance, catered dinner and craft and activity stations.  Our photography teacher has also offered to set up a portrait studio for families and groups.

 

Attached is our event flyer.

 

Happy 2020 and we look forward to ushering in the Year of the Rat with you!

 

Aloha,

Jamie

jsuehiro@pps.net

-------------------------------------------

Message from Wilson High School Regarding Bond Measure

 

Dear Wilson Neighborhood Community,

 

Now is the time to let the PPS School Board know that Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland should be included on the 2020 Bond! 

 

A modernized Wilson would provide students with state-of-the-art learning facilities for generations to come.  While much has changed since 1957, Wilson facilities have not.  It is time to ensure that all PPS high schools, including Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland, provide students with 21^st century learning opportunities.

 

These are some highlights from preliminary modernization plans for Wilson High School:

• Wilson students will stay in the current building while the new building is constructed. 
• New building will include modernized classrooms, science labs, career-and-technical education spaces, fine and performing arts facilities, athletic facilities, and more.
• The Wilson pool can remain on camps.
• No expenditures are needed for bussing and temporary classrooms - money can be directly invested in the new facilities.
• The 2020 bond will keep the current tax levels unchanged.

 

Please contact PPS School Board members and share this simple message: The time has come to modernize Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland.

 

Andrew Scott (Wilson)- anscott@pps.net

Michelle DePass (Jefferson) - mdepass@pps.net

Amy Kohnstamm (Board Chair) - akohnstamm@pps.net

Rita Moore (Vice-Chair) - rmoore5@pps.net

Scott Bailey - sbailey@pps.net

Julia Brim-Edwards - jbrim-edwards@pps.net

Eilidh Lowery (Cleveland) - elowery@pps.net

 

Erica Caldwell

Business Manager
Wilson High School

office:  503-916-5280 Ext 75211
cell:  541-521-8282

ecaldwell@pps.net
http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/wilson/

In this Edition

PTA Meeting Cancelled: Below

Message from Wilson HS – Lunar New Year Celebration: Below

PTA Nominating Committee for 2020/2021 – Respond by 1/22: Below

Wilson High School Regarding PPS Bond Measure: Below

Girls On The Run: Below

The Green Routine – Composting! Below

-------------------------------

Upcoming Events

No School – MLK Day: Monday, 1/20

PTA Meeting CANCELLED: Tuesday, 1/21

No School – In-Service Work Day: Monday, 1/28

WHS Lunar New Year Celebration: Thursday, 2/6

February Restaurant Night at Von Ebert Brewing: Wednesday, 2/12

 

-------------------------------------------

January PTA Meeting Cancelled

 

Attached is the PTA Agenda with updates from the Board members. The PTA meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 21 is cancelled. If you have questions, please email the appropriate Board member. The next PTA meeting is Tuesday, March 3. Thank you.

 

peace & courage, 

Jim Shikany, PTA President

 

-------------------------------------------

Wilson High School – Lunar New Year Celebration

 

Dear Wilson Cluster:

 

The Asian Pacific Islander Club and Allied Wilson Advocates for Racial Equity (AWARE) would like to invite the K-12 Wilson Cluster to our Lunar New Year Celebration.

 

The event will be catered, and attendees are also welcomed to bring something from their family new year tradition as well in an educational context.

 

The event will be Thursday, February 6 in the cafeteria from 5-7 PM. Featured will be a Lion Dance, catered dinner and craft and activity stations.  Our photography teacher has also offered to set up a portrait studio for families and groups.

 

Attached is our event flyer.

 

Happy 2020 and we look forward to ushering in the Year of the Rat with you!

 

Aloha,

Jamie

jsuehiro@pps.net

 

-------------------------------------------

PTA Nominating Committee

 

Hello Odyssey Community,
The PTA will have open positions for next year, and it’s time for us to form a Nominating Committee to get those positions filled. Please email me by Wednesday 1/22 if you’d like to be on the committee.

And.....if you ever wanted to be on the PTA board, now is your chance, the following positions will need to be filled:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
678 Coordinator

Please email me with any questions or further information! See you on Tuesday!
Jamie Clary
Jamieclary@outlook.com                                       

 

-------------------------------------------

Message from Wilson High School Regarding Bond Measure

 

Dear Wilson Neighborhood Community,

 

Now is the time to let the PPS School Board know that Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland should be included on the 2020 Bond! 

 

A modernized Wilson would provide students with state-of-the-art learning facilities for generations to come.  While much has changed since 1957, Wilson facilities have not.  It is time to ensure that all PPS high schools, including Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland, provide students with 21^st century learning opportunities.

 

These are some highlights from preliminary modernization plans for Wilson High School:

• Wilson students will stay in the current building while the new building is constructed. 
• New building will include modernized classrooms, science labs, career-and-technical education spaces, fine and performing arts facilities, athletic facilities, and more.
• The Wilson pool can remain on camps.
• No expenditures are needed for bussing and temporary classrooms - money can be directly invested in the new facilities.
• The 2020 bond will keep the current tax levels unchanged.

 

Please contact PPS School Board members and share this simple message: The time has come to modernize Wilson, Jefferson, and Cleveland.

 

Andrew Scott (Wilson)- anscott@pps.net

Michelle DePass (Jefferson) - mdepass@pps.net

Amy Kohnstamm (Board Chair) - akohnstamm@pps.net

Rita Moore (Vice-Chair) - rmoore5@pps.net

Scott Bailey - sbailey@pps.net

Julia Brim-Edwards - jbrim-edwards@pps.net

Eilidh Lowery (Cleveland) - elowery@pps.net

 

Erica Caldwell

Business Manager
Wilson High School

office:  503-916-5280 Ext 75211
cell:  541-521-8282

ecaldwell@pps.net
http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/wilson/

Si usted necesita ayuda en traducir este mensaje, llame al 503-916-3582 para español.

 

-------------------------------------------

The Green Routine

 

It’s a new year, y’all! Are you ready to take a big stand for our environment? Reducing and composting your food waste is a big way you can cut down on your environmental impact. At Odyssey we are beginning our “Lunchroom Revolution” NEXT WEEK on Tuesday, January 21. We will be collecting and cleaning milk cartons for recycling as well as composting all our food waste. We are part of only five schools allowed to pilot this plan and we need your help! Please consider spending a few days assisting our students to adopt this new, earth-friendly process. SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION.

 

Join the Trex Challenge! Please bring your soft plastics to collect at school and we may win a bench for our playground from Trex. See the attached flyer for what types of plastics can be sent to Trex for recycling/reuse. There are two in the entry, and one downstairs in the K12 hallway. If you live near a Trex collection site (Fred Meyer or New Seasons), you can drop off your waste directly to those collections and email me (ezahniser@gmail.com) how much it weighed to count toward our Odyssey challenge. We’ve already collected close to 100 lbs of plastic waste!

 

Last week our recycling drive collected two truckloads of styrofoam, and nearly 50 lbs of plastic cling. A big thank you also, to Green Team volunteers who turned out to manage the recycling and install a Little Free Library for Odyssey.

 

Odyssey Eco-Events:

·     Lunchroom Revolutions: Collective actions have more impact than individual choices! Help our community collectively make big improvements to our environmental impact through composting and better recycling in our school cafeteria. Follow the link to be a part of our modeling conservation behaviors to the next generation.

 

Weekly Eco-Tip:

 

In case you missed it last week, food waste is big, big contributor to global warming. Landfills are the second largest human source of methane emissions, and food rotting in landfills is the largest source of these emissions. The gas rotting food emits, methane, has 24 times the impact on the climate as CO2. In the US alone, we send over 50 million tons of food waste to landfills each year. The production of lost or wasted food generates the equivalent of 37 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The USDA estimates 30-40 percent of our food goes to waste. So what can you do?

 

·       Buy only what you need – especially when it comes to perishables.

·       Plan ahead before you hit the grocer – having a weekly meal plan goes a long way toward making use of what you have before it goes off or out of date.

·       Get creative with leftovers – discover recipes for common leftovers here!

·       Store food properly – Guess what? Lots of produce stores longer when NOT in plastic – check out these techniques to help your lettuce last.

·       Use your freezer! Save leftovers you don’t want to revisit just yet and discover batch-cooking for fast and waste-free weekday meals.

·       Pack a low-waste lunch – know how much your kiddo needs and don’t overpack. Go even more low-waste a lunch with reusable containers and cutlery (no single use plastic baggies!)

 

And the big one: Compost! If you live in Metro Portland, you can compost all food, including meat, right at your curbside. The benefits of composting are vast. Here’s a list of composting benefits from the EPA:

 

·      Compost reduces, and in some cases eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers.

·      Compost promotes higher yields of agricultural crops.

·      Compost can help aid reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by improving contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils.

·      Compost can be used to remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste in a cost-effective manner.

·      Compost can provide cost savings over conventional soil, water and air pollution remediation technologies, where applicable.

·      Compost enhances water retention in soils.

·      Compost provides carbon sequestration.

 

In this Edition

The Doctor Is In! Below

Rescheduled Restaurant Night – MONDAY & TUESDAY! Below

Wilson High School – Lunar New Year Celebration: Below

Girls On The Run: Below

Thank You From Pioneer School: Below

Request for Help – Hauling Away Chair: Below

Message from Wilson HS: Below

The Green Routine – Composting! Below

2020 Lincoln Youth Boys Lacrosse Registration Open: Below

Message from Wilson High School: Below

-------------------------------

Upcoming Events

Post-Holiday Recycling Drive: Saturday, 1/11

Little Free Library Installation: Saturday, 1/11

January Restaurant Night at Pastini: Monday, 1/13

January Restaurant Night at Pastini: Tuesday, 1/14

NO SCHOOL - MLK Day: Monday, 1/20

NO SCHOOL - In-Service Day: Monday, 1/27

WHS Lunar New Year Celebration: Thursday, 2/6

February Restaurant Night at Von Ebert Brewing: Wednesday, 2/12

NO SCHOOL - Presidents Day: Monday, 2/17

 

-------------------------------------------

The Doctor Is In

 

Hello Odyssey Community,

 

I have been thinking about the message that I want to share with the community as we enter the new year and are back at school in the swing of things.  As you all probably have experienced, once we get back from winter break, time seems to fly and we have so many fun events upcoming this year.  

 

As you know, as a school leader I strive to always have a vision for equity and be an anti-racist leader who models acceptance and understanding.  This is a journey that I have been on for 25 years and I know that I will continue to learn and grow in my own knowledge and skill.  I have asked teachers and parents to join me on this journey and so far this year, it has been rewarding to work with the parents to start to form our equity group and work with the teachers to sharpen our equity lens and look at ways in which we can enrich and develop our curriculum and our learning and conversations with students.  Another part of my work is to listen to parents, students, and teachers when they bring issues to me and help to resolve these issues in a way that is centered on growth and development and which builds relationships.  My door has been open for anyone to stop by and share with me their journey and their story and I appreciate all of you that have given me a glimpse into you and who you are and who are students are as well.

 

This week I was able to jump between presentations in K-2 and see some of the speeches from our students on the theme of we come from everywhere.  As I was thinking about what I saw and learned, it really made me reflect on those conversations and situations that I have had the opportunity to be part of and how in our little community, we do indeed come from everywhere.  We all have a history and a perspective that shape how we move in the world and that shapes how and why we interact with others.  Sometimes we do and say things that are harmful to others and sometimes others do and say things that are harmful to us.  Luckily, in my position I am able to work with students and families when these incidents happen to process, listen, learn, and grow and facilitate that growth for students.  I know that as part of my own journey, I have had to have some difficult conversations both at school and at home as I try and develop my own consciousness and facilitate that learning in others.  Many times parents ask for resources to enrich their conversations at home and because I want to make sure that everyone has access to resources, I am including at the bottom of this email a link to a webpage that helps parents have conversations about race with their kids and gives several different resources.  

 

What I ask of the Odyssey community as we continue in our adventure here together is that all of us, including me, listen more and welcome more multiple perspectives and experiences.  Take the time to listen to each other’s stories and the stories our children are developing as they grow up in a world that is literally at our fingertips.  We are in a new modern electronic age which brings us many benefits but also makes all the news of the world very immediate and sometimes very scary.  This is a time where not only do we need to stand together as anti-racist and anti-discriminatory, but also with a view towards how we create a world together that is kinder and better.  Thanks for always listening and my door is open.  

 

Dr. Berg 

 

https://www.readbrightly.com/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-race-books-and-resources-that-can-help/

 

Dr. Eryn Berg 

Principal, Odyssey K-8

 

-------------------------------------------

Rescheduled Restaurant Night – 1/13 & 1/14

 

Our January Restaurant Night has been rescheduled for two nights next week!  Dine at Pastini Cedar Hills Crossing on Monday, January 13 or Tuesday, January 14 and they'll donate 20% of your check to our school, with mention of the fundraiser!  Flyer attached.  

 

Thank so much for participating in restaurant nights this year.  We've earned over $2,000 for our school so far, and we've had a lot of fun!  I'm looking for my replacement for next year.  Would you like to be the next Restaurant Night Coordinator?  

 

Genevieve

gfu@aya.yale.edu

 

-------------------------------------------

Wilson High School – Lunar New Year Celebration

 

Dear Wilson Cluster:

 

The Asian Pacific Islander Club and Allied Wilson Advocates for Racial Equity (AWARE) would like to invite the K-12 Wilson Cluster to our Lunar New Year Celebration.

 

The event will be catered, and attendees are also welcomed to bring something from their family new year tradition as well in an educational context.

 

The event will be Thursday, February 6 in the cafeteria from 5-7 PM. Featured will be a Lion Dance, catered dinner and craft and activity stations.  Our photography teacher has also offered to set up a portrait studio for families and groups.

 

Attached is our event flyer.

 

Happy 2020 and we look forward to ushering in the Year of the Rat with you!

 

Aloha,

Jamie

jsuehiro@pps.net

 

-------------------------------------------

Girls On The Run

 

Attention 345 families! If you have a daughter interested in Girls On the Run this spring please see below!

 

Participant Registration 

·       Online Registration: Online registration for girls will open Wednesday Jan 15th at 9:00am on the GOTR website.

Registration will close on January 21st. They will run the lottery on jan 21st and the girls who were not selected by the lottery, will be placed on the waitlist. Girls will move off the waitlist in a first come- first served manner

https://www.girlsontherunpdx.org/

 

https://www.girlsontherunpdx.org/Program-Registration

We are so excited to be hosting girls on the Run at ODYSSEY THIS YEAR!!   Practices will begin the week of MARCH 2nd days of the week TBD upon coach availability.  We are in need of 3 coaches this year that are willing to donate their time two days/week for ten weeks... I know it’s a lot and a huge commitment but it is incredibly rewarding! This is a great opportunity if a few moms want to team up together and/or you May know some college students/nannies that may be interested in volunteer work? 

 

See link below for coach requirements.

https://www.girlsontherunpdx.org/Coach?fbclid=IwAR3V5jbfGuWuKBIK096NW3fsPZgSUKKtwqSf20e5MI6d8JwrklpdwrTXzio

 

Questions?  I’m happy to answer any questions you may have!  I have 4 years experience as a parent of a GOTR participant and as a running buddy and I’m a huge supporter for this program:).  This program is not just about running but also focuses on self awareness, self control, how to have healthy relationships and self empowerment!

 

If you are in need of a scholarship there are both payment options available and a reduced price if you qualify for free/reduced lunch.  

 

Here is the link again... mark your calendars to register!

https://www.girlsontherunpdx.org/

 

Thanks all!

Katie Dill 

GOTR Site liaison 

                                                                                

-------------------------------------------

Thank You From Pioneer School

 

Hello Odyssey Community, 

 

I just wanted to thank you for the generous support given to the families at the Pioneer Program for holiday giving this year.  I have worked as a social worker for PPS's Pioneer program for a number of years now.  Pioneer serves kids (and families) from anywhere in our district with particularly high special education and behavioral needs. The gift cards that were bought and donated to some of the families were greatly appreciated!  This definitely helped reduce their holiday stress.

Thank you again,

Julie Jorgensen (mom of Anya--7th)

 

-------------------------------------------

Request for Help – Hauling Away Chair

 

It’s time for it to go!...Looking for someone to haul the fabric chair in our library.  Please contact Angela if you can load and deliver to a charitable organization.  Thank you!  J

 

Angela Hoffart

Principal’s Secretary

 

-------------------------------------------

Message from Wilson High School

 

Dear Wilson Community,

 

Earlier this week the PPS School Board decided to place a construction bond on the November Ballot.  The Board has not determined yet how big the bond should be or which schools should be included on the bond.  Wilson is one of three remaining PPS high schools that is not modernized or is not in the process of being modernized.  For those of you who have spent any time in our building you probably know our facilities have not changed much since 1957.  Please join me in encouraging district leaders and school board members to include Wilson on the 2020 Bond   We have done some preliminary work to determine what a modernized Wilson could look like.  We welcome your ideas and suggestions as well.  We also need your support.

 

With Gratitude,

Filip Hristić, Ed.D.

Principal, Wilson High School

 

-------------------------------------------

The Green Routine

It’s a new year, y’all! Are you ready to take a big stand for our environment? Reducing and composting your food waste is a big way you can cut down on your environmental impact. At Odyssey we are beginning our “Lunchroom Revolution” on Tuesday, January 21. We will be collecting and cleaning milk cartons for recycling as well as composting all our food waste! We are part of only five schools allowed to pilot this plan and we need your help! Please consider spending a few days assisting our students to adopt this new, earth-friendly process. SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION.

 

Join the Trex Challenge! Please bring your soft plastics to collect at school and we may win a bench for our playground from Trex. See the attached flyer for what types of plastics can be sent to Trex for recycling/reuse. There are two in the entry, and one downstairs in the K12 hallway. We’ve already collected close to 30 lbs of plastic waste!

 

Odyssey Eco-Events:

·      Friday & Saturday, 1/10 + 1/11: Post-holiday recycling drive! Save your holiday packaging Styrofoam, dead Xmas tree string lights and dead batteries. Bring them up to school and your Green Team will collect them for delivery to specialty recycling centers! Friday 1/10 after school 2:15 – 3:15, and Saturday 1/11 10:30-11:30

·      Saturday, 1/11:  Help us install the Little Free Library! Old library books will get another life in our community Little Free Library. Help us install it during our post-holiday collection drive from 10:30-11:30. We need post-hole diggers, concrete mixers, and creative folks to make it look snappy! Email ezahniser@gmail.com if you’d like to help.

 

Weekly Eco-Tip:

 

Food waste is big, big contributor to global warming. Landfills are the second largest human source of methane emissions, and food rotting in landfills is the largest source of these emissions. The gas rotting food emits, methane, has 24 times the impact on the climate as CO2. In the US alone, we send over 50 million tons of food waste to landfills each year. The production of lost or wasted food generates the equivalent of 37 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The USDA estimates 30-40 percent of our food goes to waste. So what can you do?

 

·       Buy only what you need – especially when it comes to perishables.

·       Plan ahead before you hit the grocer – having a weekly meal plan goes a long way toward making use of what you have before it goes off or out of date.

·       Get creative with leftovers – discover recipes for common leftovers here!

·       Store food properly – Guess what? Lots of produce stores longer when NOT in plastic – check out these techniques to help your lettuce last.

·       Use your freezer! Save leftovers you don’t want to revisit just yet and discover batch-cooking for fast and waste-free weekday meals.

·       Pack a low-waste lunch – know how much your kiddo needs and don’t overpack. Go even more low-waste a lunch with reusable containers and cutlery (no single use plastic baggies!)

 

And the big one: Compost! If you live in Metro Portland, you can compost all food, including meat, right at your curbside. The benefits of composting are vast. Here’s a list of composting benefits from the EPA:

 

·      Compost reduces, and in some cases eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers.

·      Compost promotes higher yields of agricultural crops.

·      Compost can help aid reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by improving contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils.

·      Compost can be used to remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste in a cost-effective manner.

·      Compost can provide cost savings over conventional soil, water and air pollution remediation technologies, where applicable.

·      Compost enhances water retention in soils.

·      Compost provides carbon sequestration.

In this Edition

Scrip Corner: Below

WHS Lunar New Year Celebration: Below & Attached

The Green Routine – Upcoming Speaker, Post-Holiday Recycling Drive & More: Below & Attached

January Restaurant Night Cancelled - Upcoming Restaurant Nights: Below

2020 Lincoln Youth Boys Lacrosse Registration Open: Below

Message from Wilson High School - Incoming Freshmen: Below

-------------------------------

Upcoming Events

Winter Break: Friday, 12/20 – Monday, 1/6

Scrip Orders Due: Monday, 1/6

WHS Incoming Freshman Event: Thursday, 1/9

“Zero Waste At Home” Speaker: Friday, 1/10, 9:15 am

Post-Holiday Recycling Drive: Friday 1/10 & Saturday, 1/11

Little Free Library Installation: Saturday, 1/11

WHS Lunar New Year Celebration: Thursday, 2/6

February Restaurant Night at Von Ebert Brewing: Wednesday, 2/12

 

-------------------------------------------

Scrip Corner

 

Thank you to all who participated in the SCRIP Holiday Giving this year!  Our sales were boosted by your generosity, and we added a little holiday cheer for some of our families, and some families at Pioneer!  

 

Scrip will be enjoying some time off over the holidays, but will be back up and running as soon as we return from break!  The next deadline for physical gift card orders is Monday, January 6th!  Please have your checks in by the end of the day on the 6th, or complete your on-line orders by midnight on the 6th.  

 

Genevieve

gfu@aya.yale.edu

 

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Wilson High School – Lunar New Year Celebration

 

Dear Wilson Cluster:

 

The Asian Pacific Islander Club and Allied Wilson Advocates for Racial Equity (AWARE) would like to invite the K-12 Wilson Cluster to our Lunar New Year Celebration.

 

The event will be catered, and attendees are also welcomed to bring something from their family new year tradition as well in an educational context.

 

The event will be Thursday, February 6 in the cafeteria from 5-7 PM. Featured will be a Lion Dance, catered dinner and craft and activity stations.  Our photography teacher has also offered to set up a portrait studio for families and groups.

 

Attached is our event flyer.

 

Happy 2020 and we look forward to ushering in the Year of the Rat with you!

 

Aloha,

Jamie

jsuehiro@pps.net

 

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The Green Routine

 

The Adult Green Team had a meeting this week to confirm details of what we are coining “The Lunchroom Revolution.” Our Lunchroom Revolution is slated to begin January 21 when we’ll start separating our cafeteria waste into compost and recycling. We’ll need parent volunteers to monitor the process for a few weeks and oversee kid volunteers. Keep your eyes out for a sign-up sheet if you want to be a part of this eco-revolution!

 

Our Trex Challenge Boxes have arrived! Please bring your soft plastics to collect at school and we may win a bench for our playground from Trex. See the attached flyer for what types of plastics can be sent to Trex for recycling/reuse. There are two in the entry, and one downstairs in the K12 hallway. We’ve already collected over 17 lbs of plastic waste!

 

Odyssey Eco-Events:

·      Friday, 1/10: Join us after coffee cart at 9:15 am to learn how to go “zero-waste” at home with trash-talking expert, Jeanne Roy, founder and education director of the Center for Earth Leadership, and the Eco-School Network. [See attached flyer for more info]

·      Friday & Saturday, 1/10 + 1/11: Post-holiday recycling drive! Save your holiday packaging Styrofoam, dead Xmas tree string lights and dead batteries. Bring them up to school and your Green Team will collect them for delivery to specialty recycling centers! Friday 1/10 after school 2:15 – 3:15, and Saturday 1/11 10:30-11:30

·      Saturday, 1/11:  Help us install the Little Free Library! Old library books will get another life in our community Little Free Library. Help us install it during our post-holiday collection drive from 10:30-11:30. We need post-hole diggers, concrete mixers, and creative folks to make it look snappy! Email ezahniser@gmail.com if you’d like to help.

 

Odyssey Goes Green:

·      We are participating in the local and national Trex School Challenge to collect plastic film waste. Save items like plastic bread bags, zip locks, and produce bags at home, then bring them up to school and drop them off in our Trex collection boxes! [See attached Trex info sheet for what to collet]

·      Classrooms now have a designated area to collect plastic felt-tipped markers for recycling. Feel free to send in your old markers, highlighters and Sharpies for collection! When our boxes are full, we can send those Crayola for a second life.

 

Weekly Eco-Tip:

 

Thinking about making some New Year’s resolutions around reducing your family’s environmental impact? Making some small habit changes at home, can help assuage your eco-anxiety and start your family on a journey to a conservation mindset. It may even be a gateway to getting involved in larger advocacy issues around climate change. Change begins at home, right? Here’s a few dos and don'ts on getting started on a low-waste lifestyle.

DO: Start small
Just start. Unplug from the disposable culture and build some new habits around less stuff and more joy.

DO: What's affordable 
Swapping out some products for others can be too expensive. Do what you can, and don’t feel guilty about what you can’t.

DON'T: Forget shipping
Some #zerowaste and #plasticfree ideas on the internet look good in theory but don't necessarily equate to being earth friendly once you factor in shipping and packaging.

Click through to for nine ways to reduce your environmental impact right in your own home.

Don’t be trashy: #lowwastelifestyle

 

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Odyssey Restaurant Nights

 

January's Restaurant Night is CANCELLED!

 

Due to a corporate reorganization, our January Restaurant Night at Papa Murphy's is cancelled.  Sorry this event won't be happening this year.  

 

Mark your calendars for the following restaurant nights!

 

FEBRUARY 15% Donation

Wednesday, February 12 All Day

Von Ebert Brewing 

131 NW 13th Avenue, Portland 97209

 

MARCH

Wednesday, March 11 All Day 20% Donation with Flyer

Verde Cocina

5515 SW Canyon Ct, Portland 97221

APRIL 20% of Day’s Sales

Tuesday, April 14^th, All Day

Pizzicato

6358 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland 97239

 

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2020 LINCOLN YOUTH BOYS LACROSSE REGISTRATION IS LIVE !

FASTEST GAME ON TWO FEET

·  Our site is now accepting registration for the 2020 Spring Season! Here’s the link (scroll to the bottom to start)

·  We field teams for grades 1-8 grades with a season starting in March and ending in early June (1/2 starts a month later). There will be Select teams for 5/6 and 7/8 this year.

·  $150 for 1/2 and $300 for 3-8 ($325 after 1/31/2020 for 3-8)

·  Sibling and Corporate Matching discounts available.

·  Our seasons includes 4-6 games as well as 2-3 tournaments per team.

·  Interested in trying Lacrosse before committing? Try this $35 one day clinic on January 5th

·  Any questions please feel free to reach out at: youth@lincolnlacrosse.club

 

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Wilson High School Message for Incoming Freshmen & Families

 

Dear Parents of Wilson Incoming 9th Graders-

 

Please join WHS counselors and elective teachers at Wilson on Thursday, January 9th from 8:15-9:07am in the Wilson Gym to learn more about elective offerings next school year.  This event is designed to encourage students to look closely at their forecasting options and make informed decisions when choosing their courses for next year.  Incoming Freshmen and their parents are invited to attend.

 

Also, mark your calendars for the 8th Grade Visit to WHS on Friday, May 15th from 9:00am-11am.  Eight-graders are invited to Wilson to attend a special preview event.  Students at Gray, Jackson, and Odyssey will attend with their 8th grade class.  Students at other schools who plan to attend WHS as 9th graders are encouraged to attend as well.

 

Please note that these dates are different from the dates on the postcard that was mailed out to all 8th grade families in October.  If you have any questions, please contact WHS Business Manager, Erica Caldwell, ecaldwell@pps.net with any WHS related questions.

 

Thank you,

WHS

 

Erica Caldwell

Business Manager 
Wilson High School

office:  503-916-5280 Ext 75211
cell:  541-521-8282

ecaldwell@pps.net
http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/wilson/