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PPS Pulse, Dec. 12, 2017
12/12/2017In this week's Pulse: Q&A with Portland's Rhodes Scholar; why teens need to get a physical
PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS | DECEMBER 12, 2017 Español | Tiếng Việt | 中文 | Русский | Soomaali JT Flowers with his mother, Jeana Woolley, in front of the Albina house he grew up in. Photo courtesy JT Flowers.
Rhodes Scholar JT Flowers talks about growing up in Albina, basketball, finding a focus at Yale
Last month, JaVaughn “JT” Flowers became one of 32 Americans awarded a 2018 Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most prestigious academic awards in the country. Flowers, 24, was born and raised in Portland’s Albina neighborhood and attended Lincoln High School as part of a language immersion program. Last week, Flowers –who will leave for a two-year stint at Oxford University in England next fall– sat down for an interview in the lobby of the 911 Federal Building, where he works in U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer’s office.
Where and how did you learn that you had earned a Rhodes Scholarship?
The way it works is, they announce it on the spot, immediately after all of the finalists have finished their interviews. Essentially the judges just walked into a room –the interviews were held in Seattle– lined 16 of the finalists up, and the seven (judges) walked in, said a few words, then announced the names of the two winners in alphabetical order. That’s it.
Natasha Butler, Harriet Tubman (left) and Kathleen Ellwood, Roseway Heights principals.
Harriet Tubman, Roseway Heights principals ready for challenge of opening new middle schools
As Portland Public Schools prepares to open Harriet Tubman and Roseway Heights, the middle schools’ principals are in high gear making sure everything is ready for the start of the 2018-19 school year. With dozens of community meetings, coordination with 26 departments within the district and the other logistics of opening schools, Natasha Butler of Harriet Tubman and Kathleen Ellwood of Roseway Heights are the steady hands in the middle of the whirlwinds.
Physicals, such as the one being giving by nurse Luz Brousseau, should be an annual event in every teen’s life. Photo courtesy Multnomah County Heath Centers.
Health pulse: 80 percent of teens are not getting an annual checkup
Each month, the Multnomah County Health Centers will offer health advice for students, with its nurse practitioners weighing in on a key issue. Today’s topic: annual checkups for teens.
It is recommended that teens, starting at age 12, see their medical provider for an annual checkup, yet approximately eight in 10 Oregon teens are missing this key preventative health milestone.
The new gym at Franklin High School will be the site of the inaugural PIL Holiday Classic.
Sports update: Benson, Grant girls basketball teams headline inaugural PIL Holiday Classic
The Portland Interscholastic League’s two powerhouse girls basketball teams will be featured in a new holiday tournament that will be played in the sparkling new Franklin High School gym. Benson and Grant, which shared the PIL title last season and figure to be among the state’s top teams, will be in the eight-team varsity field of the PIL Holiday Classic that will be played Dec. 21-23 at Franklin.
My Voice - Marlie
My Voice is a new forum where students from across the district speak their minds about issues they feel passionately about. Richmond fourth-grader Marlie Maffit-Schluter is on her school’s yearbook team. She enjoys taking action and candid photos of her classmates. She has a tip for taking better photos that everyone can use. We asked "What does 4th grade mean to you?", "What is Richmond’s story?" and "What do you like about taking photos for the yearbook?".
More than 70 guests gathered at Jefferson High School for a Title VI Indian Education program event. Photo by Beth Conyers.
Guests gather for Title VI Indian Education event at Jefferson
PPS’s Title VI Indian Education program hosted night of storytelling and craft-making at Jefferson High school. The program’s director, Angela Morrill, summed up the event:
“We had more than 70 guests for dinner, storytelling, we had gingerbread house making, Christmas card making, button making and Indian Dice for our guests,” she said. “We had Shoshone Bannock storyteller Ed Edmo perform his stories and Marcus Ball handed out stockings to all the kids and teenagers. We also had a drawing, all the adults were given tickets and when their number was called, they could choose a present from under the tree. It was a really fun night.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, December 12
Roseway Heights community meeting
CANCELED: Lincoln 8th grade info night
New date: January 8Wednesday, December 13
Lincoln Sesquicentennial (150th) Planning MeetingMonday, December 18
Start of winter break for students!Tuesday, December 19
Board MeetingFriday, December 22
PPS offices closedTuesday, January 2
First day back after winter breakSMART READERS AT MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Have you ever thought of volunteering at your local school? Whether in the classroom assisting a teacher or helping students read, hundreds of parents and community members are in our schools every day. Meet a group of mostly retired readers with SMART program, who are making a difference at Martin Luther King Jr School. More information on volunteering in schools.
CIVIC SCHOLARS ATTEND CONFERENCE AT STATE CAPITOL
Fourteen exceptional Portland Public Schools teachers were named Civic Scholars by state lawmakers. The teachers were recognized at the Oregon Civics Conference held at the state capitol Dec. 1.
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED: MATT GROENING, LINCOLN, 1972
Portland’s brilliant cartoonist and satirist, Matt Groening has celebrated his real life family (and perhaps a few teachers and schools) through hilarious depictions of Marge, Homer, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and Patty in nearly three decades of the highly-acclaimed television show “The Simpsons.” Groening has won 10 Primetime Emmy Awards for “The Simpsons” and “Futurama,” and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.
MEETING WITH PIONEER FAMILIES SET FOR WEDNESDAY
Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero announced plans earlier this month to relocate the Pioneer Special Schools Program as part of the ongoing effort to reshape educational offerings in Portland’s east side.
WE WANT YOUR IDEAS
Please feel free to submit story suggestions, links to the best stories on your school web site or newsletter, photos, videos and other items you think would have district wide interest. Email story ideas, images and documents to: ltrapp@pps.net.
PULSE CONTACTS
Coordinator
Lindsay Trapp
ltrapp@pps.netEditor
Mike Tokito
mtokito@pps.netStaff writer
Laura Hanson
lhanson1@pps.netStaff writer
Pamela Jordan
pjordan1@pps.netDesigner
Louise Tollisen
ltollisen@pps.netDesigner
Richard Martin
rmartin1@pps.netThe District is committed to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in all its educational and employment activities. The District prohibits discrimination based on race; national or ethnic origin; color; sex; religion; age; sexual orientation; gender expression or identity; pregnancy; marital status; familial status; economic status or source of income; mental or physical disability or perceived disability; or military service.
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