• Principal Message 5/13/22

    5/13/2022

    May 13, 2022

    Weekly OGMS Family Communication

     

    Resources for Families

      • LGBTQIA2S+ Support GUIDE: The SAY Wellness Health Education team at Portland Public Schools is excited to announce the development and release of a new parent and caregivers support guide. This resource was created especially for parents and caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ youth. It contains helpful information, journaling prompts, local and national resources, and many other gems designed to help parents better understand and support their LGBTQIA2S+ young person. This support guide was reviewed and contributed to by K-12 students at 8 different GSA's around our district. We hope it can be a helpful resource for many families in Portland and beyond! 
    • Hello PPS Students! We would like to invite you to the 2022 Student Summit!

    This is an opportunity to learn more about the District, and your role in it! Learn about important District policies like the Climate Change Response Policy, and participate in the Student Town Hall with district staff to make PPS a better place. We will be holding the Summit at OMSI on Monday, May 23rd from 10-2:30 pm. Transportation to the venue will be provided. Please RSVP with us using this form so that you can get summit updates and reminders. You can find the permission slips in this folder. We hope to see you there! Potential topics may include Title IX, RESJ & CCRP, Civic Engagement, Mascot Changes, and more. If you have any questions, please contact Yian Saechao at yisaechao@pps.net.



    End of School Year Chromebook Notices

    During the school year, your student has had access to a personally assigned Chromebook for use during the school day and at home.  When we inventory these devices it is very important that your student has their Chromebook AND charger with them at school. Inventory and collection (for 8th graders) will happen May 31, June 1, 2, and 3 in Math classes. 

     

    For 6th and 7th graders, a form will be coming home allowing you to give permission for your student to keep the device over the summer. If you would like your student to keep their Chromebook during the summer months, you will be providing a signature indicating you understand the rights and responsibilities of using a PPS-provided Chromebook.  

     

    For 8th graders, devices will be collected, cleaned, and ready to assign to our new 6th graders in the fall.  They must be returned with the charger.  If a student needs a loaner device for the summer, there will be a place on the form to indicate this.  Freshmen will receive a new device at their new school in the fall.

     

    If you have any questions, please email Amanda Graham at agraham@pps.net



    Promotion will be here soon! If you have not done so, please sign the field trip form for Oaks Park and have your student bring it back to Mr. Mohler.

     

    Promotion Activities Schedule

    Tuesday, June 7th: 8th grade field trip to Oaks Park

    Thursday, June 9th: 

    9:10 am-  Students arrive at regularly scheduled school time

    10:00 -11:45 am– Promotion practice

    12:00 pm- 2:00 pm– BBQ @ Peninsula Park

    2:15 pm-  Early release to prepare for promotion

    5:45 pm– Promotion Ceremony @ (starts at 6:00 pm)

    June 10th:  Last Day of School -8th graders are not required to attend

     

    20 Day Rule:

    In order to ensure that students are safe and successful on all promotion events, we are applying a 20 day rule. This is to help students stay accountable for their actions and have a successful end to their 8th grade year!

     

    Students could lose a promotion activity (BBQ, Field Trip)  if they are unable to meet these expectations: 

    1. Be on time to class. 
      • 4 or more tardies = 1 lost activity
    2. Be in class learning. 
      • Students who skip class or leave without permission.
    3. Use safe language and bodies. 
      • Bullying , harassment or fighting 
    4. Respect of school property
      • Graffiti or vandalism 

     

    We will meet with the families of any students who are unable to meet these expectations to determine how students can safely and respectfully participate.  

     

    Promotion Tickets:

    Every student will receive 4 tickets to promotion. Due to space constraints, we are requiring tickets to attend promotion. If your family needs more tickets, contact Kate Caleal at kacaleal@pps.net.

     

    Volunteers Needed!

    Help us celebrate your student!  We need parents to bring grills to the BBQ, help cook food at the BBQ, bring food for the BBQ and chaperone the promotion dance.   If you are interested, please contact Anna Marquez at anna@ogsupporters.org.

     

    Photographs for Promotion Slideshow:

    We are looking for baby photographs and group shots of our 8th graders from over the years for one of our promotion slide shows. If you have some photos you would like to be in the slideshow, email them to Amanda Graham at agraham@pps.net BY May 20th. Not all photographs will be used if there are a lot submitted.

     

     

     

     

    Friday Schedule Change:

    To support a smooth ending of the year, we will be shifting the schedule on Friday to facilitate choice activities in the afternoon. 

     

    New Friday Schedule:

    9:10 - 10:38 5th period

    10:42 - 12:10 6th period

    12:10 - 12:40 Lunch

    12:44 - 2:13 7th period

    2:17 - 3:00 Flex

    3:04 - 3:45 Advisory/Choice activities

    • This will start Friday, May 20th
    • This will be our schedule for May 20th, May 27th, June 10th
    • June 3rd we will have a shorten schedule with a dance at the end of the day
    • During Wednesday advisory, students will sign up for their choice activities
    • Students can change which activity they want to go to each week

     

    Youth Mental Health Forum

    Multnomah County Commissioner Meieran is hosting a Youth Mental Health Forum on Saturday, May 21st, at the DoubleTree in the Lloyd District. This will be an opportunity for youth to gather and share their experiences, needs, and challenges with regard to mental health. As this will likely inform many of Commissioner Meieran's priorities related to youth mental health, it's key that we have voices from all of Multnomah County represented. Event registration is now open for youth attendees and youth volunteers. 

     

    Below are direct links to the event page, social media graphics, and registration pages and attached are communications resources in both English and Spanish that include pre-packaged Facebook posts, Instagram stories/posts, etc. 

     

    In terms of structure, much of the event will be in large group and table-top discussions, but will also include affinity spaces for BIPOC and LGBTQIA2+ youth, a resource fair, as well as mental health professionals on site to support youth who may be triggered during the event. 

     

    All event information can be found here: multco.us/ymhf

    • Note: Event registration on website can be found here
    • Note: Downloadable social media graphics on website can be found here

    Summer SUN School

    Formulario de Registro Español: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=862f2ba227464c95a1c559c800b860f7

    English Registration Form:

    https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=5985bb0f58e244a8b72a36edc24f64de

     

    PPS Staff/Community Masking Recommendation

    On Wednesday, May 11, Multnomah County health officials made an announcement about masking, due to the current COVID-19 surge.  The Multnomah County Health Department is asking people to wear masks indoors until new coronavirus case counts and hospitalizations start to fall, and they strongly recommend that people wear masks in schools. The current increase in COVID-19 cases is expected to peak in mid-June, when PPS’s school year ends. 

     

    In alignment with this public health guidance, Portland Public Schools strongly recommends that all staff and all students wear masks at schools, in district office buildings and at other indoor events beginning Monday May 16th to the end of the school year. This recommendation includes masking at important end-of-year events such as prom, school performances, assemblies and indoor graduation events. 

     

    Remember: the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is to stay-up-to-date on your vaccinations and get boosted, practice good hand hygiene, and stay home when you are sick, even if it is not COVID.

     

    County officials have not set case or hospitalization thresholds for when they would consider mandating masks, nor have they set a threshold for lifting the recommendation. Multnomah County officials also suggested people who are at high risk of severe COVID-19 consider avoiding crowded indoor settings for the next few weeks.

     

    Repeated

     

    Adopting Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum: Ockley Green Needs Your Opinion!

    Ockley Green is one of the pilot schools participating in the PPS Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) program adoption process.  SEL is the process through which young people and adults acquire skills to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, establish supportive relationships, and make responsible caring decisions.  SEL can help address various forms of inequity and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.  

     

    You can participate in the selection process through our survey.  This survey asks that you watch a short video about each of the curriculums under consideration: Fly Five and Beyond Differences.  Thank you for taking the time to help us choose the best curriculum for Ockley Green! Please reach out to Pam Joyner (pjoyner@pps.net ) or Avy Harris (rharris@pps.net) with questions or comments.

     

    Astronaut Dr. Jose Hernandez Coming to PPS!

    We want to let you know of an exciting opportunity coming to PPS families and hope that you can help us share the opportunity with PPS students and families that you support. On May 20th and 21st at Jefferson High School, PPS will be hosting speaking events featuring Dr. Jose Hernandez, a NASA astronaut, STEM education advocate, engineer, and author. These events will be open to PPS students and families of all ages. Please note: The event on the evening of May 20th will be held in English with interpretation available in American Sign Language, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Somali, and Russian. The event on the morning of May 21st will be held in Spanish. This event is FREE to attend, open to all ages, and is sure to INSPIRE! We hope that you will be able to help us invite families from your school community to the appropriate event by identifying families and students whom you believe will benefit greatly from this opportunity. These may be STEM learners, English learners, migrant students, affinity group students, and/or others for whom a message of hope and perseverance will surely resonate! Space is limited and we hope you have some specific students and families in mind! Registration for families opens on Friday, May 6th and will remain open until the event is full. We encourage you and the families you invite to act quickly as these events are sure to fill up! You’ll find the event logistics below:

    Friday, May 20th (English with interpretation)

    Time: 6:00-8:00pm

    Location: Jefferson High School Auditorium

    Address: 5210 N. Kirby Ave., Portland, OR 97217 (map)

    Registration: see links below

    Saturday, May 21st (Spanish)

    Time: 9:00-11:00am

    Location: Jefferson High School Auditorium

    Address: 5210 N. Kirby Ave., Portland, OR 97217 (map)

    Registration: See links below

     

    Open Enrollment for Summer Acceleration Academy//Inscripción Abierta para la Academia de Aceleración de Verano

    Enrollment is still open for Summer Acceleration Academy.  Forms in English and Spanish are linked here: PDF forms.  Summer Acceleration Academy will be focused on teaching grade level standards and creating an enjoyable summer learning experience. La inscripción sigue abierta para la Academia de Aceleración de Verano. Los formularios en inglés y español están vinculados aquí: PDF forms . La Academia de Aceleración de Verano se centrará en enseñar estándares de nivel de grado y crear una experiencia de aprendizaje de verano agradable.

     

    Attention 7th grade families:

    Introducing our WEB Leadership Program: Ockley Green Dragon Leaders.  The WEB Program is new to Ockley Green this year. As you look at the slides we presented to students, please keep in mind  all of the photos of activities and programming are from other schools, where there are mostly white students. As we recruit students this year it is crucial our leaders represent our school's racially diverse student body. As our incoming 6th graders transition to middle school they  need to see themselves reflected in their mentors. We  look forward to next year's Dragon leader material showing many of our black  and brown students in leadership roles. Here is the link to the slides we shared with 7th graders with all the upcoming dates. 



    **VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - 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: 

    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



    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!

     

    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: 

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17d2Zj4l1Y6opBoLtTAT5dvv1FoY_RgWQ3cRnJWIlI4M/viewform?edit_requested=true

     

    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: 

    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.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    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)

     

    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 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:

     

    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

     

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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)