Principal's Newsletter 4/8/2022

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – April 8, 2022

Greetings Sellwood Community,

We have arrived at the 4th-quarter of the school year and while we are not quite out of the woods with the pandemic, our collective school experience is approaching a feeling of normalcy.

We are currently planning our end-of-year in-person events.  Hooray!

Please read below for information about: Outdoor School for 6th-graders, Showcase Night, class trips to Oaks Parks, and 8th-grade Promotion.  Some details will still be forthcoming on these events, but the information should be helpful when planning your family’s end-of-year calendar.

Enjoy the weekend!

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

Earth Day Clean Up

Thank you so much to the parent volunteers who helped this Wednesday with the Earth Day school clean up.  The first group of kids did a great job helping clean up outside the school.  We are still needing volunteers for 4/13 and 4/20.  Please consider signing up via Konstella.  

Mark your calendars!

Sellwood Garden Tour benefiting our school will be May 22nd from 11-4.  5 homes in our community have offered to open their garden gems.  Great event to enjoy local gardens, get inspiration and support our school.  More information to come soon.

8th Grade Promotion is happening!

We are looking for parents to help start to plan this end of the year event.  Please reach out if you are willing to help.  sellwoodpta@gmail.com

OUTDOOR SCHOOL

On May 18th and 19th, 6th graders will be traveling to Outdoor school camps for the day. Students will attend with their Language Arts/Social Studies (LA/SS) class at 10 AM from school and will return at 5-5:30PM; transportation will be provided to and from the camp for both days. Unfortunately, students will not be staying overnight this year, but they will have a full ODS schedule, and will eat dinner before they leave camp for the day. A packet of materials will be coming home from school soon with more information, so be on the lookout for them. Questions? Reach out to your student's LA/SS teacher.

SHOWCASE NIGHT

We are pleased to announce the return of a long-standing Sellwood tradition, Showcase Night, Thursday, June 2nd, from 5:30-8:30.  Showcase Night is a drop-in event, where Sellwood students display their school projects from the year.  There will be displays of artwork, music, academic projects from science, social studies, math, English language arts, world languages and more.  We have more fun idea in the works such as: food carts, an egg drop game, a photo booth with props, etc.  It is a fun event for the whole Sellwood community.  Come spend a half-hour, an hour, or even three hours!  We hope to see you there.   

OAKS PARK TRIPS

This year, the end-of-year class trips for all grade levels will be Oaks Park.  (In past years, 8th-graders have gone to Bullwinkles, but this year Bullwinkles is only open in the evenings during the last week of school.) 

Here are some more details

  • When: 

8th-grade – Tuesday, June 7th, Time of Day TBD

  1. 9:30 – Noon (Reminder: Early dismissal at 12:30)
  • Transportation:  We will be walking both to and from the park.   Make sure to wear comfortable shoes!  All students will return to Sellwood for school dismissal; no exceptions. 
  • Cost: $15.00 will include Adrenalin Peak Roller Coaster, Go-Carts, Atmosphere (new ride). 
    • Preferred payment on-line with School Pay. 
    • Option 2: Checks payable to Sellwood Middle School. 
    • Option 3: Cash in the exact amount (Exact amount; no change provided). 
    • If this presents a financial hardship, scholarships are available. 
  • Lunch:  Students may: 1. Bring a sack lunch, 2. Request a Sellwood sack lunch or 3. purchase lunch at OAKS Park.  We have a reserved a Picnic Area (students can leave their lunch here during the day).
     
  • Other Costs:  Students can bring extra money for snacks, games. etc.

We will be in need of adult chaperones for the trips to Oaks Park, so please think about whether or not you might be able to volunteer.  There will be an opportunity to sign-up soon, probably through the PTA and Konstella.  Permission slips will be going home with students before the end of April.

8TH-GRADE PROMOTION

This year, we are excited to announce Sellwood’s in-person 8th-grade Promotion Celebration, at 10:30 AM on Friday, June 10th.  The promotion program will take place outdoors on the field, partly due to COVID concerns, and partly due to the gym not being large enough to accommodate 8th-graders and their families, even in pre-COVID times. 

In case of significant rain (more than a few sprinkles) the ceremony will be moved indoors to the gym, with a limit of two guests per 8th-grader.

Please bring a blanket or low concert chair for seating. 

We plan to have speeches, a certificate ceremony, cake or cupcakes, musical performances, photography, and more!

We will soon begin recruiting 8th-grade parent volunteers to help prepare for the celebration as well as 7th-grade parent volunteers to help out the day of the ceremony (so that 8th-grade parents can relax and enjoy the celebration with their families).  We think that 7th-grade parents helping out during 8th-grade promotion is a great rite-of-passage tradition, as their children are now rising 8th-graders.

8th-graders and families will receive more detailed information in the upcoming weeks.

REQUIRED SCHOOL IMMUNIZATIONS - FROM THE NURSE’S OFFICE

Two vaccine clinics scheduled at McDaniel Student Health Center on April 13th from 3:45-6:30, and at David Douglas Student Health Center on April 16th from 9am-2pm. See link and attached flyer for more information. 

IMMUNIZATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 20th

The deadline to submit proof of required vaccinations has been extended to April 20th. If your student is incomplete with a vaccination/s, the MESD immunization department will mail you a letter that states the exact one your student is incomplete on.  You can take that letter, that also comes with a CIS form, to your doctor to fill out and sign after they receive the vaccination. 

The easiest way for parents to give us that information, is to just bring in the CIS form/vaccination form or bring in a note from the doctor's office that states the vaccination is now up to date.  One of our secretaries will give the proof of vaccination to the health office.

OPPORTUNITIES, CAMPS, and CLASSES

YEARBOOK NEWS

Use Schoolpay to purchase the yearbook now. Students are working to capture our memories of this school year, and for $20, you can make sure you get a copy in June.

COUNSELING CORNER

The best way to schedule an appointment with us is by filling out the Counselor Check-In Request Form or emailing us directly.  Messages sent through Canvas are not always responded to promptly.  

RACE, RACISM, & RACIAL EQUITY RESOURCES 

MAIN OFFICE:

  • Open Monday to Friday, School Hours

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

  • The office phone number is 503-916-5656.  
  • When prompted, press 4 for Melissa or “Attendance”; press 3 for Claire.  
  • You can also press 0 for the front counter where often students help us answer the phone and direct communication.

Secured Building 

  • Sellwood is now a locked and secure building.  
  • Please ring the doorbell to the right of the main doors to reach the office.  We will guide you accordingly.

Parent/Student Requests:  

  • Arrangements can be made with the office staff for student pick up, a student arriving late, or any other matter that may require meeting a parent/guardian at the front door. If you know of such needs in advance, please email either Melissa or Claire. 

Guides to Help you:

  • For questions about your student’s absence: Log into ParentVue. 
  • To make changes to your student's registration in Synergy: ParentVue/StudentVue

Please email Melissa (mwhitesi@pps.net) for:

  • Attendance:  If you need to excuse your child's attendance. 
  • Passwords:  If you have forgotten your password, have been locked out of your account, or do not have login credentials.
  • Registration, Enrollment.
  • ParentVue (if your account has been disabled).   

Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:

  • School Pay. 
  • Bookkeeping/accounting issues.
  • Administrative Support:  Messages or matters of support to the principal or assistant principals.  

 

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

  • April 7 – End of 3rd Quarter
  • April 8 – No School for Students
  • May 12 – Ambassador Awards
  • May 17 – Spring Band Concert
  • May 18 & 19 – Outdoor School (Day Trips)
  • May 25 – Spring Marimba Concert
  • May 30 – Memorial Day – No School
  • June 2 – Showcase Night – 5:30-8:30 PM
  • June 7 – 8th-grade trip to OAKS Park
  • June 10 – Oaks Park – 6th & 7th graders, 9:30-12:30
  • June 10 – 8th-grade promotion, 10:30 AM
  • June 10 – Last Day of School (half-day ending at 12:30)
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