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Principal Message 4/29/22
4/29/2022April 29, 2022
Weekly OGMS Family Communication
OGMS Families,
We had a busy week that started with our OSAS (Oregon State Assessment System) science testing for 8th graders on Tuesday, April 26th. Our students and social sciences teachers are working hard in preparing for our upcoming Culture and Community Night on Thursday, May 5th from 5:30- 8:00 p.m. Be sure to RSVP so we have enough food for all. Our 6th grade students will be going on a field trip to the Oregon Jewish Museum on May 3rd or May 4th. It is important that all 6th graders attend as it is part of our language arts curriculum. If your student needs another permission slip, please reach out to their 6th grade language arts teacher. We will continue with our state testing the week of May 9th as we will be taking the OSAS reading test in grades 6 - 8. Please share with new families that on May 11th from 6 - 7 p.m. we will be hosting a Incoming 6th grade Family Night. We will be sharing our schedule, taking a tour of the building, seeing live performances from our dance, band and drama as well as learning about our RESJ partners.
Dr. Tania McKey
Interim Principal - Ockley Green
Resources for Families
“Fake & Fatal: What Parents & Teens Need to Know”
Presented by Oregon’s Vibrant Future Coalition
Wednesday, May 4 at 7-8:30pm PST
FB link: https://www.facebook.com/641640045902887/posts/5375996065800571/?d=n
Register and get the zoom link: tinyurl.com/fake-fatal
**VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Teacher Appreciations and 8th Promotional Celebrations**
Lots happening as we head into these final weeks of school. Here are the minutes from the April OG Supporters meeting: http://shorturl.at/hDPX8 There's lots of great news, updates, and happenings included in the minutes!
Upcoming events and volunteer/support needs:
Teacher Appreciation Week is NEXT WEEK!
Here's what's needed:
5/2 Monday: breakfast food donating/purchasing/delivery, set up and clean up
5/4 Wednesday: Pizza/Salad pick up and delivery, lunch food donating/purchasing/delivery, set up and clean up
5/6 Friday: Dessert donations, end of week clean up
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0545A8A929A6FE3-teacher1
May 5th Culture and Community Night!
We need volunteers for the following: Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0545A8A929A6FE3-culture
May 11th last meeting -will be LIVE in person at OGMS in the library 7-8pm to follow 5th grade welcome night. Hope to capture incoming 6th grade families/caregivers to get them involved at OG, we will also need to discuss transitioning leadership tasks/responsibilities for next year. Still looking for a treasurer! Just need some minimal accounting know how (are you good with adding and subtracting?) Very minimal time commitment! Sue Dearborn can train you :)
June 9th Noon-2pm is 8th grade BBQ at Peninsula Park: OG Supporters will be planning/hosting this very popular end of year BBQ for students. We need help, especially from 7th and 6th grade families/caregivers. This BBQ is a much loved tradition. We will need food donations, volunteers for day of to assist with cooking (including grills), serving and managing chaos (aka herding cats). This is always a fun way to send our students off after promotion practice before the big event that night! If you are interested in helping with planning, or want to volunteer now for a specific need please reach out to me at president@ogsupporters.org More specific volunteer/supply/food needs will be communicated in the near future.
Warmly,
Kari Powers
Repeated
A Message about Ockley Green Culture & Community Night from the OG Social Studies Team
Dear Ockley Green Families,
Please join us for Ockley Green Culture & Community Night, Thursday, May 5, 5:30-8:00 PM. Your students are hard at work preparing displays, videos, and performances to share with the Ockley Green Community what is important or interesting to them about Culture & Community. We will also have community organizations present to share information and opportunities relevant to the OG Community.
We will also be serving dinner from multiple vendors and cultures. So, we need accurate numbers for attendance.
Please fill out the following RSVP Form by Sunday 4/24 to let us know if you and your family can attend or not: https://tinyurl.com/OGCCRSVP22
Looking forward to learning and celebrating with you all,
The OG Social Studies Team
Ockley Green Plant Sale
We're excited to offer vegetables and flowers from New Leaf Greenhouse—
You can place orders through Mayday Sunday (May 1st, 2022) at 5 PM. Pick up from the school (Ainsworth side) on Friday May 6th 12:00-5:00. Feel free to reach out to arrange a different pickup time or to inquire about a local North Portland delivery.
Proceeds from the sale will support our Ockley Green Middle School 8th grade graduation and end of the year activities. Email muriahg@hotmail.com with any questions.
Many thanks for supporting our school community! https://ockleygreensupportersplantsale.company.site/
Dragon Swag Sale - MORE ADULT SIZES IN STOCK (2XL-5XL on request)!
Hooded Sweatshirts are $20, T-Shirts are $10, and the comfort and smiles that come from wearing and representing our school community with pride are free! We have youth sizes Large to X-Large, and adult sizes Small to 5X-Large.Please contact the front office (530)916-5660 to place your orders today!
SAVE THE DATE!!!
8th Grade Promotion: Thursday 9 June 2022 at Roosevelt High School (Times and Program TBA)
Counseling Corner: Roosevelt High School Freshman Preview
Hosting an in-person family and student event May 18th from 6:30-7:30 on campus. Flyer in the front office at Ockley and will be sent home with students.
Summer Opportunities for Rising 9th graders: Leap Into 9th Grade
Website with information: https://www.pps.net/Page/13685
Application:
Reach out to you child’s school counselor with any questions.
Jillian Stone, jstone@pps.net
Galen Dickstein, gdickstein@pps.net
AIRWAY SCIENCE FREE MEAL PROGRAM
When:
Every Friday from 3:30pm-6pm
Who: Parents and guardians can pick up food boxes with five meals, fruit, veggies, and activities for all children up to 18 years old in their household.
Where:
3710 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227
Vandalism and graffiti update
This week we’ve again noted a small handful of instances in which hate speech or symbols were written or drawn at our school. Staff worked quickly to remove the offending messages and symbols and documented them in accordance with district protocols. We will be reviewing and augmenting our supervision and educational efforts. If you or your student have any information, you can report it to Dr. Tania McKey tmckey@pps.net, a trusted staff member or anonymously to SafeOregon. If your student does not feel safe and you would like them to speak to a caring adult, please contact:
- Amelia Cates, School Climate Specialist acates@pps.net
- Galen Dickstein, Counselor gdickstein@pps.net
- Jillian Stone, Counselor jstone@pps.net
- Avy Harris, Social Worker rharris@pps.net
Student safety and inclusion is the District’s core value. Hate is not tolerated nor accepted in our community. These incidents are an affront to our core values of Racial Equity and Social Justice, Respect, Honesty and Integrity. We value and respect everyone in our school community and understand that our diversity makes us stronger. Everyone is welcome at Ockley Green and everyone belongs. Every student deserves a positive educational experience where they feel safe, secure and a sense of belonging
Attention 8th grade families!
Leap into 9th Grade
June 27-July 15, 2022, Monday – Friday, 9 am – 12:30 pm
Prepares students to excel in high school and get a head start in working with their teachers and peers. Students will receive a daily bus pass and earn a 0.5 high school elective credit upon successful completion of the program.
The program will be available to all students, but prioritized for incoming 9th grade students identified as Academic Priority, or students who would benefit from additional supports. Space is limited due to staffing.
Tutoring with Ms. Kate
If a student needs extra help, they are welcome to come in early to Ms. Kate's classroom (213) before the beginning of school each day. Any grade and subject area help is available. If you plan to come, please text Ms. Kate and let her know so she can let the student in the building. (248.891.9903)
Morning Breakfast Routine Notice
Breakfast is available on campus for all students every day beginning at 8:45am, and is served until 9:03am when the opening bell of the day sounds. Student’s have until 9:10am to enjoy their breakfast, and are expected in class, fed and seated for learning once the 9:10am bell has rung for the beginning of the first class of the day. Breakfast will not be available after 9:10am. Please ensure that your student understands this timetable so that we have all students safe, accounted for, and learning.
OPTIONAL MASKING
Beginning on Monday, March 14, PPS will transition to optional masking for all staff and students across every PPS building. This is aligned with the new public health guidance released by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Multnomah County Public Health.
Here is why we are making this decision:
- This week, ODE/OHA and Multnomah County public health both released updated guidance that mirrors and complements the CDC’s new guidance and COVID-19 Community Levels tool. This tool helps us–PPS and each one of us as individuals–take preventative steps based on the latest local COVID-19 data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in our community.
- Currently, Multnomah County is classified as having a “low COVID-19 community level.” Based on this — and with no new variant on the horizon — Multnomah County will not be implementing a local mask mandate at this time.
- The latest data by the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) indicates that less than 14 percent of Oregonians are currently susceptible to COVID-19. The rates of vaccinations and boosters in Multnomah County are high. In addition, the number of individuals who were infected with the Omicron variant is widely believed to provide a level of community protection against COVID-19 for at least the next three months.
In addition to transitioning to optional masking, we will continue the pause of general contact tracing and quarantining in schools. At this time, public health affirms contact tracing and quarantine to be ineffective at slowing the spread of a virus that moves as quickly as an omicron.
Based on the lessons of the last two years, and to prepare for future and possible COVID-19 surges or variants, we will continue to:
- Stress handwashing;
- Use MERV 13 HVAC filters and will replace filters in each of our portable air purifiers;
- Closely monitor illness among staff and students and require that all persons stay home when sick with COVID-19 symptoms;
- Provide the OHSU weekly screening testing program and school-based rapid resting for individuals who might become symptomatic while at school;
- Inform families and staff if an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 was on-site during their contagious period.
SUNSchool Attendance Policy
Students who are enrolled in our SUNSchool after-school program are required to remain in the building and proceed directly to the cafeteria once the final class of the day has ended. There is no re-entry for students once the school day has ended. Thank y’all for working to keep our campus secure and our students safe and accounted for!
Volunteering at Ockley Green Middle School; A message from our Parent Volunteer Coordinator
Hi OG Community,
As a parent volunteer "volunteer" coordinator, I'm reaching out to see if you might be able to support our community in a few simple ways. We created a volunteer survey based on the needs of teachers and staff at Ockley and would love it if you could fill it out and share more about what you might be able to help out with within the school day, if possible. The needs range anywhere from a 20 minute Safety Patrol block to small group work or helping out in the hall or at lunch. Your presence makes a difference for students. I started doing safety patrol once a week and it's clear that having a friendly adult presence is a nice way for students to start their day and makes people feel safer on busy Ainsworth as well.
The survey can be found here: Volunteering at Ockley Green.
Warmly,
Anna Marquez
Together we make our community stronger! Please use the form linked below to express interest in volunteering during the school day and events outside of school hours. Our school communities keep our Dragons flying! https://www.pps.net/domain/66
Student Pick-up Reminder
Parents and Guardians, please be advised that students are unable to be sent home early during lunch times. If you need to pick-up your student from Ockley Green before the end of the school day, please make sure that it is any time before or after the times listed below to ensure that we can quickly find your student(s) and send them out promptly to you.
Monday Lunch: 11:46am-12:16pm; Tuesday-Friday Lunch: 12:10pm-12:40pm
Biased Language and Sexual Harassment Lessons and Protocol
We has seen a rise in the use of biased language and sexual harassment this school year. To address these issues, each subject area will be engaging students across grade levels in a series of 10 lessons to support students learning pro-social skills and build healthy friendships with each other. The lessons will cover the following topics: power of language, defining sexual harassment and biased language, reporting biased language and sexual harassment, reflecting on data from Ockley Green, school appropriate physical contact and asking permission from someone, metacognition, interupting harassment and biased language, decision making, healthy friendships, and restorative justice.
Teachers and staff have also been trained in an intervention protocol from Learning for Justice called Speak up. We will be using it school wide to educate students on the impact of biased language and harassment and to intervene when they happen at school.
Resources for Families/SUN School Request for Assistance
Families can use this form to request assistance with rent, utilities, or food - this form is a one-stop shop.
OGMS Cell Phone Contract
We started our cell phone reset this week and have seen a sharp decrease in the use of phones in disruptive ways. We will continue next week with the rest and the cell phone contract below.
This contract outlines the conditions of a student’s use of a cell phone while at Ockley Green Middle School. Cell phones can be used as a tool for learning or they can act as a distraction. Our goal is for students to learn how to appropriately use a cell phone. These guidelines and consequences will support all students to use cell phones to build positive relationships and succeed academically. Students must follow these guidelines in order to have continued access to a cell phone at Ockley Green Middle School.
- I can use my cell phone before school starts, at lunch and recess, and after the school day is over.
- My phone is off and away during class time and in the hallways.
- I can leave my phone with my teacher for the class period to help me focus on my school work.
- If my family needs to talk to me or I need to talk to them, at lunch or recess I can call or text them. Any other time I can ask my teacher to use the classroom phone, call from the front office or get permission to contact my family through my cell phone. My family can call the front office at any time to talk to me.
- Starting February 1st, there will no longer be warnings for having my cell phone out without permission. I will have to immediately leave it with an adult or turn it in to the front office for pick up at the end of the day.
- If I refuse to leave my phone with an adult or the front office, my family will be contacted and I will need to check my phone into the front office for a day.
- The second time I have to turn in my phone, someone from my family will have to come pick it up from the front office.
- The third time I have to turn in my phone, my family will be contacted and for a week I will have to check in my phone to the front office at the beginning of the day or leave my phone at home.
- After the third time, my family and I will have a meeting with an administrator to create a plan around access to my phone at school. I could lose the right to have my phone at school at all.
- When a guest teacher is teaching, I will follow classroom expectations and not have my cell phone out for any reason.
- My teacher will explain when and how I can use my cell phone in their class. When I use my cell phone with my teacher’s permission, I must put it away before I leave the classroom.
Student support team and counselors are here to help! For check-ins, mental health support, or just to chat email, call, or text. We are available during school hours to connect:
- Jillian Stone(Counselor A-K): jstone@pps.net; 971-231-5058
- Galen Dickstein (Counselor, L-Z): gdickstein@pps.net; 971-231-4976
- Avy Harris (Social Worker) rharris@pps.net; 503-729-0634
- Amelia Cates (School Climate Specialist) acates@pps.net; 971-238-7483
If you need immediate assistance in a crisis please see phone #’s below:
- Multnomah County Crisis Line - Mental Health Crisis Line for youth and adults 503-988-4888
- Crisis Line - Text resource to connect with a mental health counselor by text
- Text “HOME” to 741-741
- Youthline ALL youth in crisis
- Trevor Project - LGBTQ+ Crisis Resource
- 866-850-8078 (866-4-U-TREVOR) - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
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Community Resources
- Emergency Rental Assistance: The impacts of Covid-19 continue to impact many families financially. If you are at risk of eviction or behind on rent, programs may be available to help. Please contact School Social Worker Avy Harris (rharris@pps.net; 503-729-0634) to see if you qualify.
- Asistencia de Emergencia Para el Alquiler: Los impactos de Covid-19 continúan afectando financieramente a muchas familias. Si tiene un alquiler atrasado, es posible que haya programas disponibles para ayudarlo. Comuníquese con la trabajadora social de la escuela Avy Harris (rharris@pps.net; 503-729-0634)
Chromebook Care
Many of the student Chromebooks are having issues that require repair. Families are not charged for repairs, but please discuss proper care of Chromebooks with your students. They should not be slammed shut or treated roughly, but they are expected to come to school each day fully charged.
available for all students. Any food delivered by delivery app or from restaurants will be held in the office until the school day ends and then will be available to students at that time.
Community Resources
- Emergency Rental Assistance: The impacts of Covid-19 continue to impact many families financially. If you are at risk of eviction or behind on rent, programs may be available to help. Please contact School Social Worker Avy Harris (rharris@pps.net; 503-729-0634) to see if you qualify.
- Asistencia de Emergencia Para el Alquiler: Los impactos de Covid-19 continúan afectando financieramente a muchas familias. Si tiene un alquiler atrasado, es posible que haya programas disponibles para ayudarlo. Comuníquese con la trabajadora social de la escuela Avy Harris (rharris@pps.net; 503-729-0634)