Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Esther Omogbehin has accepted our offer to join Portland Public Schools as a Regional Superintendent. Dr. Omogbehin has a long history of utilizing her leadership skills to create an environment that prioritizes the needs of all students and the health of the communities she serves.

In this week's PPS Pulse: Help plan futures of Cleveland, Jefferson, Wilson; program helps migrant families

In addition to the significant 2017 school improvement work now underway across the District, the 2017 Health Safety and Modernization Bond includes funding for the development of Conceptual Master Plans for Jefferson, Cleveland and Wilson High Schools. PPS is seeking community involvement to help create the Conceptual Master Plans for these schools.

If you wanted to find an event that is a great fit for Portland Public Schools, you would be hard-pressed to do better than International Walk + Roll to School Day. This year’s event will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

September is Suicide Prevention Month nationally, and the issue has particular relevance in Oregon. In statewide statistics gathered by the Oregon Health Authority, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Oregon residents ages 15-24. Amy Ruona, the Mental Health/Wellness Supports and Systems Senior Manager for Portland Public Schools, and Mila Rodriguez-Adair, Licensed School Social Worker, offered some insights and resources:

One of the most important functions Portland Public Schools has is handling its budget. Members of the PPS community who would like to be involved in that process are invited to apply for seats on the Community Budget Review Committee (CBRC).

In this week's PPS Pulse: Best of PPS Film Festival highlights student filmmaking; first day of kindergarten

Two teachers wanted to find a way to celebrate the filmmaking accomplishments of their students. That was the genesis of the first Best of PPS Film Festival that will be held Sunday starting at 4 p.m. at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd.).

This past Saturday a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the opening of the newly modernized Grant High School. Grant was completed after a two-year construction period and is the last project from the landmark 2012 School Improvement Bond. 

The health of students is one of the biggest priorities for Portland Public Schools, and thanks to partnerships with health organizations, all of our students have access to free medical services.

In this week's PPS Pulse: Grant High set to celebrate re-opening; a look back at summer happenings

After two years of construction and students relocating to another campus, Grant High School re-opened on Aug. 28. Thanks to the generosity of Portland voters who passed the 2012 School Building Improvement Bond, Portland Public Schools was able to create a Northeast Portland high school that, while keeping parts of the historic framework of a campus first built in 1923, now offers a fully modernized campus for learning in the 21^st century.