Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 16, 2022
Greetings Sellwood Community,
It was great to see many of you at our Ice Cream Social this week. I would like to thank our wonderful PTA for helping to organize and for providing and distributing the ice cream. Also, a special thanks to Mr. Patterson de Tarr and his wonderful student musicians for preparing and presenting a few songs when school has been in sessions for less than two weeks! I know that was not easy to pull off, and I really look forward to seeing them again at the winter and spring concerts.
Two important things to note:
Picture day is Wednesday, September 28th.
Parents can now enter attendance directly into ParentVue. Please click on the link below for instructions.
Attendance Taking in ParentVue
Our next family event is Back-to-School Night on the evening of September 29th and I have included some information about B2S night below. I look forward to seeing you there in person!
Sincerely,
Jeandré Carbone
Sellwood MS Principal
BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT
Sellwood Middle School will hold our Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 29th, from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. Parents will enter through the entrance on Umatilla. Principal Carbone and partner organizations (PTA & Sellwood Foundation) will speak briefly and share information about school programs and the upcoming school year. At 5:50 we will start a schedule rotation, with parents following their student’s schedule for seven minutes. Families should utilize ParentVue on their personal devices to view and follow their students’ schedules.
YEARLY PARENT VERIFICATION IN SYNERGY DUE
Hello Sellwood Families! I'm Melissa Whiteside, SMS School Secretary. I'm really excited to begin this school year. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better and meeting all of you (someday, soon).
Your yearly verification of information is due now. Please login to ParentVue to make all changes and verify parent and student information. This is an online form that in previous years we have sent out on the first day of school to make necessary changes. You need to do all of this on a computer, your phone will not work. If you do not have a ParentVue account, want to have a paper verification form, or need help please email me at mwhitesi@pps.net
INTRODUCING NEW MATH TEACHER KATIE BRYARS
Hello Sellwood community! My name is Katie Bryars Wenner (the students know me as Ms. Bryars), and I'm teaching 8th grade Math and AVID. As a member of our school community, I’m committed to making Sellwood a welcoming and equitable learning environment for all of our staff and students. I have a B.A. in Biology from the University of Montana (go Griz!) and a M.A. in Teaching from Concordia University. In my free time, I enjoy gardening, camping, reading, and relaxing with my family (and two dogs). It’s wonderful to be here, and I look forward to getting to know our students and families this year.
PTANEWS
Sellwood PEAK Registration is Open!
The PEAK Program is a series of in-person after school classes open to all Sellwood students. Most classes run on a 8-10 week session schedule in the fall, winter, and spring, and require a fee. Scholarships are available as the PEAK goal is to include every SMS student.
Register for classes at https://tinyurl.com/
Scholarship request form is here: https://tinyurl.com/
Please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com with any questions.
Classes for registration now:
- Jewelry Making
- In this popular class, students will learn how to make their own jewelry pieces from mediums such as glass beads, clay, enamels, and plastic. They will make and take home several pieces which may include necklaces, earrings, bracelets, key fobs or zipper pulls.
- Choir
- Sing your heart out with the student leaders of the Cleveland High School choir.
- Speech and Debate
- The Cleveland High Speech and Debate team is one the largest and most successful programs at the school. Find out why these students love it so much, and build your own debate skills. You will practice speaking and debating skills in preparation for local middle school competitions. The Sellwood team will be coached by team captains from Cleveland.
Planned class (more info later):
- Red Cross Babysitter Training
- One-day training planned for November 4th (no school day)
- Designed for young people to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and responsibly give care to infants and children in a residential setting.
- Participants receive a certificate of completion for Babysitter’s Training
- Participants receive a two-year certification for Pediatric CPR/First Aid
First PTA Meeting
Our first PTA meeting will be held in person on 9/29 at 7pm. We will meet following Back to School Night as we are hoping many families will already be at SMS. Come join us and learn more about the SMS PTA! For any questions email us: sellwoodpta@gmail.com
Have you signed up for Konstella?
This is a great app where you can find the school directory, calendar of events and volunteer opportunities. Join with the link below!
SELLWOOD MIDDLE FOUNDATION UPDATE
LAST CALL FOR PETANQUE PARTY! THIS SATURDAY!
The Sellwood Middle Foundation's Pentanque Party fundraiser is this weekend. Forgot to buy tickets? No problem! You can come on down to the Portland Petanque Club on Saturday from 2-6 pm and buy your tickets at the door. This is a great way to meet other parents, spend an afternoon in the sun, and raise much-needed funds for our school. We hope to see you there!
Portland Pentanque Club
7535 SE 23rd Ave, Portland
2 - 6 pm, $40 per ticket
CLIMATE TEAM/SITE COUNCIL
We are looking for a family liaison to be on our Climate Team and Site Council. This team is all about creating an environment at our school where students, educators and families feel a sense of belonging and connection with each other and our school community. If you are interested in joining, please reach out to dcollins@pps.net.
MAIN OFFICE:
The best way to reach us is by email.
- Melissa Whiteside (mwhitesi@pps.net) is our school secretary.
- Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) is our principal’s secretary.
- Our Sellwood website (pps.net/sellwood) has many “Quick Links” to help you immediately.
The Office Phone Number
- The office phone number is 503-916-5656.
- When prompted, press 4 for Melissa (“Records/Registration”) or press 3 for Claire (Principal’s Secretary)
- When prompted, press 2 for any “Attendance” matters. It’s a designated line just for attendance.
- You can also press 0 for the front counter where often students help us answer the phone and direct communication. This is not a private line and confidential messages should not be left in this voice box.
Secured Building
- Sellwood is 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:
- Please email both Melissa and Claire for student pick up, a student arriving late, or any other matter that may require meeting a parent/guardian at the front door or getting a message to a student. Advance notice is strongly recommended since the office is very busy throughout the day.
Guides to Help you:
- For questions about your student’s absence: Log into ParentVue.
- 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
- September 17: Petanque – Foundation Fundraiser 2-6PM, Petanque Club, 7535 SE 23rd
- September 26: Picture Day
- September 29: Back to School Night 5:30-7:00PM (planned to be in-person this year)
- September 29: PTA Meeting 7:00 PM (also in person)
- November 21 & 22: Parent Teacher Conferences
- December 8: Winter Band Concert 7:00 PM
- May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
