Principal's Newsletter 5/27/2022

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – May 27, 2022

Greetings Sellwood Community,

I apologize for the late newsletter.  Things were so hectic last week I put the newsletter together and forgot to send it out!

So sorry!

This week will be a busy one with Band Concert on Wednesday evening and Showcase Night on Thursday, from 5:30 to 8:00 PM.  Please follow the link for our Showcase Program which shows the times and locations of exhibits and events.  Thank you to 8th-grade block teacher Lisa Souther for her event organization and a great job creating the program.

Finally, I wanted to share a photo of Sellwood students standing together to protest gun violence.  With the horrendous recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas. our students are a beacon of hope in dark times.

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PTA NEWS

Garden Tour Success!

Many thanks to the entire team of garden owners and volunteers who made the garden tour a success.  We received great feedback from the community and raised over 12K for SMS!

Thank you to the tour organizers; Phoebe Maloney, Sarah Lewis, Tasha Bartley, Karen Hansen and Brian Kerr.  Thank you also to the PTA Board for your help; Erin Black-Mitchell, Mindy Parker, Shannon Moran, Bridget Geraghty and Maise Ponce.  

End of Year Volunteer Needs

Please look for announcements soon on how to support the 8th grade promotion and our last staff appreciation lunch. 

FOUNDATION NEWS

We are 1/4 of the way to our $10,000 goal.  Help us reach it, for our kids!

Did you miss the Foundation Fall Fundraiser? A generous donor offered to match up to $50,000 and we still have $10,000 available to be matched, so let's do this for our kids!  The money we raise this Spring will go to teacher staffing for the 2022-2023 school year.  We hope to raise enough to hire Educational Assistants who will help provide additional supports for students needing educational interventions, in addition to supporting the French/Technology and Culinary Arts electives.  When parents and caregivers like you give back to our school, the Sellwood Foundation is able to help expand opportunities for all students.   Every donation counts, and thank you to those who have already donated!

www.sellwoodmiddlefoundation.org/donate

CHROMEBOOK COLLECTION

Students will bring their Chromebook, charger, and case with them and they will be collected during Social Studies classes on the following dates:

8th grade June 6th

7th grade June 8th

6th grade June 9th

If your student wants to keep their Chromebook over the summer, fill out this permission form and they will turn it in on the Chromebook collection date.

NINTH GRADE COUNTS 2022 SUMMER PROGRAMS

Guide to free and low-cost summer transition programs for rising 9th graders in Portland and Multnomah County.  Guide.

OPPORTUNITIES, CAMPS, and CLASSES

YEARBOOK NEWS

We still have a few yearbooks available for sale! Check your "Order History" in SchoolPay* to see if you're on the list. Ordering will shut down when we run out. We will NOT have extras, but the Publishing class will make complimentary "Memory Books" available for students on the day we distribute yearbooks. 

*If you cannot use SchoolPay, contact Claire in the office to order with a check or cash. 

AMERICAN CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM

The ACEP will be running a 3-week program for High School students from Spain at International Special Programs at Portland State University and are looking for homestay families with middle and/or high school aged teenagers in the home. Here is the flyer of the homestay provider that is working with them.

COUNSELING CORNER

Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB – akennybrew@pps.net

Students with last names M-Z:  Ms. Katie – kfrancis@pps.net

Working with a variety of students:  Ms. Susan – sucook@pps.net

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

  • May 30 – Memorial Day – No School
  • June 1 – Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
  • June 2 – Showcase Night – 5:30-8:00 PM
  • June 7 – 8th-grade trip to OAKS Park
  • June 10 – 6th & 7th graders trip to OAKS Park 9:30 to 12:00 PM
  • June 10 – 8th-grade promotion 10:30 AM
  • June 10 – Last Day of School (half-day ending at 12:30)

 
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