• Family Newsletter September 16th

    9/16/2023

    September 15, 2023 - Kelly Family Newsletter

    Together, we grow and thrive - Вместе мы растём и развиваемся.

     

    Dear Families,

    We encourage families to reach out directly to their child’s teacher with questions and/or concerns. Our website is updated with our teacher’s email addresses. That is the best way to contact your child’s teacher or through Remind. If you call the office or administration, we will often ask you to reach out directly to the teacher because they are better situated to respond to your questions.

     

    Student safety is our #1 priority. We have many vehicles during arrival and dismissal. Please follow all traffic signals including the stop signs on Cooper and at the intersection of 91st Avenue and Rural. Vehicles should not stop in the middle of the road for students to run across. Please pull up to a curb and cross the street to pick up your child. Be sure to not block our neighbors’ driveways when you are parking and please do not park in the Head Start loop or parking lot located on Rural. Please refer to this PDF for some helpful visuals and reminders.

    School Climate

    At Kelly Elementary, we show C.A.R.E. towards one another and our community. Please ask your child what the acronym stands for and what that means to them. You can also specifically ask them what C.A.R.E. looks like in the cafeteria or during recess.

    Community-Minded

    Always Safe and Respectful

    Responsible

    Engaged

    Attendance

    We are working this year to improve our attendance and tardy rates. Currently, 31% of our students have chronic, severe or acute tardiness. Most of the students arriving late are arriving between 8:45 and 9:10 a.m. Our tardy bell rings at 8:45 a.m. and instruction begins right at 8:45. It is important that students are here on time and can have a calm start to their instructional day. We’ve also noticed that many of our students arriving late are at Kelly as part of an out-of-district transfer. Please remember that students must meet certain attendance and behavior expectations to remain at Kelly on an out-of-district transfer.

    Caring School Community

    We use Caring School Community as our Social Emotional Learning curriculum, which “promotes positive behavior through direct teaching of responsibility, empathy, and cooperation, creating settings where students feel heard, known, and cared for. Students become intrinsically motivated to contribute productively to a community they feel invested in, and where they know they matter.” This week students in 2nd through 5th grade focused on “Taking Care of Our Classroom,” 1st graders focused on “Starting Class Jobs” and Kindergartners focused on “How We Want to Treat Each Other.”. Every morning, students gather in a circle and participate in a greeting and activity. 

    Important Dates: 

    September 15: Hispanic Heritage Month Begins

    September 20: PTA Meeting, 3:30

    September 21: Back to School Night, 5-7pm

    September 27: Lockdown Drill Practice, 10am

    September 29: PTA Popcorn Friday, 3pm

    October 4: Walk and Roll to School Day, 8am, Glenwood Park

    Arrival

    Our new arrival procedures are working well and helping to get students to class ready to learn on time! All students enter through our main doors beginning at 8:30am. Students in grades 3-5 should enter through the far left door while students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade should enter through the far right door. They then follow a similar pattern with the cafeteria doors and this helps with the traffic pattern so students can quickly get their breakfast and get seated. 

    Families, please say “goodbye” to your child at the front doors! 

    NEW!  The first bell will ring at 8:37. If your student arrives after 8:37 and does not want breakfast, they may go directly to class. The late bell rings at 8:45! If your child arrives after 8:45, please walk them into the office to sign in. 

    Dismissal

    Dismissal is at 3pm. Kindergarten through 2nd grade students are dismissed under the covered area. Third through fifth grade students dismiss out of the parking lot doors. The older students often meet up with families and siblings at a designated location. After 3:07pm, any remaining student is brought to the front of the school outside of the main entrance. The office closes at 3:30pm so all students MUST be picked up no later than 3:30. If you have an emergency and are going to be late, please call our office to notify them.

    How to Keep In Touch

    PTA

    PTA Meeting Join us on Sept. 20th for our first PTA meeting of the year. We will be meeting at 3:30pm in the Kelly Library. We will be discussing our plans for the year and sharing volunteer opportunities. Everyone is welcome to attend!
    Popcorn Friday Our first Popcorn Friday is September 29th. Come find us by the front entrance @ 3PM to purchase a bag of popcorn for $1 per bag. Bus riders are welcome to bring their dollars to school and will be called down before dismissal for an opportunity to purchase popcorn. These popcorn events are not possible without parent volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering to pop or sell popcorn, please sign up here: popcorn volunteer sign up form
    Fall in Love with Lents Fest & PTA Popcorn Fundraiser East Portland Collective is hosting a family friendly arts festival on Saturday, September 30th for 12-4pm at the Lents Masonic Lodge. Come out to enjoy music, performances, art vendors and support your neighborhood PTAs at the popcorn and hydration station. We would love to see you there!
    BottleDrop 

    Keep saving your cans and bottles for Kelly! Just fill your blue collection bag and drop it off at any BottleDrop location. Come see us at Back to School Night for a new bag.

    PTA important dates:

    9/20: Meeting, 3:30pm, Library
    9/29: Popcorn Friday, 3pm, Main Entrance

    9/30: PTA Popcorn Fundraiser @ Fall In Love with Lents Fest, 12-4pm, Lents Masonic Lodge
    10/4: WALK + ROLL to school, 8am, Glenwood Park
    Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for our latest info. Contact us at clintonkellypta@gmail.com

    Growing Gardens

    Teacher Cat will resume garden lessons at all grade levels by the end of September. Students will learn about nutrition as well as about plants and good gardening techniques.

    Latino Network

    SUN Afterschool Program

    Fall SUN session: October 2nd - November 17th.  Registration starts September 19 and closes on the 26th. Registration occurs online and in paper form.

    Registrations will be processed in the order received, with priority given to students who need wrap around services referred by school staff. Ultimately the registration will be left to the discretion of the SUN Manager.

    If you’re interested in leading one of our SUN activities, please reach out to Ms. Cristina: cristina@latnet.org or (503)780-9813    

    Family Resources:

    Weatherization Workshop on October 18, 6-8 p.m. and  Lead Poisoning Prevention Workshop on November 29, 6-8 p.m.- sign up at Back to School Night.

    If you need help with utilities, rent or other things, please contact Ms. Cristina: cristina@latnet.org or (503)780-9813  

    P3 Play and Learn: 

    These will resume in the Fall!

    AGES: 0-5 year-olds AND a parent/caregiver

    LOCATION:  Room #29 in Kelly Center HeadStart (9015 SE Rural St.)

    This is a facilitated play group for parents to come play and learn alongside their children and connect with other parents in a supportive environment. At least one adult must participate with each child. Snacks are provided. Feel free to register beforehand, or just show up! For more information, please call/text/email Emma Mauermann: 503-847-6742; emma@latnet.org

    Food Pantry 

    Our food pantry is open on Wednesdays, 12-1:30pm. Please do not line up until 12pm. 

    If you need assistance with food follow the link https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/   or call 211.

    Champions Before and After School Care

    Champions before- and after-school programs offer learning activities, homework help, healthy snacks, and a whole lot of fun – all within the safety and convenience of your child’s school. We’ve been meeting the needs of busy families by providing a fun and safe space where children can foster their love of learning and develop the skills necessary to succeed in school and life since the 1990’s.

    Champions starts as early as 6:30am and runs as late as 6pm. We offer flexible scheduling and foster the love of learning by creating engaging experiences for children to unlock their own potential. Plus, we can direct you to subsidy programs in the area that will cover most, if not all, of your tuition. Curious about Champions? You can visit discoverchampions.com to learn more or even sign up to attend a “try it out” day free of charge. Reach out to your Kelly Elementary Champions site director, Sarah, at (503) 705-9654.