Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 30, 2022

Greetings Sellwood Community,

Last night, we celebrated our first in-person Back-to-School Night in a few years.  It was great to see all of you, and I thank you for coming.  It was a really robust turnout!

While some things, such as parent/teacher conferences, work surprisingly well in a virtual format, Back-to-School Night is one hundred times better in-person.  It is impossible to get a sense of your child’s typical school day watching a video.  I was thrilled to see parents walking the halls again; having the opportunity to watch our caring, professional teaching staff in action.

Parent/teacher conferences will be coming up soon, November 21^st and 22^nd, and I ask everyone to complete the parent/teacher conference poll, if you have not yet done so.  Your input will help us create a schedule that works best for families and teachers.

Finally, the new COVID-19 bivalent booster is here, and I encourage all of those eligible to get it.  Below I have included information about the PPS vaccination clinic where you can get the bivalent booster at no cost.

Sincerely,

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

PPS COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC

We are pleased to announce that we will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority. The clinic will be open to all, and offer first, second and booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available. Additionally, this clinic will include access to the new bivalent vaccine (12+). The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older, and boosters for everyone 5 years and older.

We ask that you please wear a mask. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided at the door.

• What: COVID-19 Vaccine clinic
• When: Wednesday, October 5, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Where: PPS Headquarters - 501 N. Dixon St.
• Who: Anyone 6 months or older wanting a first, second or booster dose, including boosters for children ages 5-11. There is no charge for the vaccine.

Families can also search for vaccine opportunities at getvaccinated.Oregon.gov.

We encourage anyone who has not yet been vaccinated, or needs a booster, to take advantage of this opportunity.

Thank you.

CLEVELAND MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL

If you are interested in 2022 Fall middle school basketball, check out Cleveland High School’s flyer about fall basketball clinics.

VIRTUAL SELLWOOD PARENT TAG MEETING

Our annual parent TAG meeting will be virtual this year, October 12th, from 6:00 to 6:30PM.  We will share the link as the date approaches.

JACO CHALLENGE

This week we hosted a tug of war challenge between Jaco and students.  This was a fun way for students to meet Jaco, practice filling out the counselor request slip, and visit the counseling office.  The final tally was Jaco 15 to students 8.  

BIKE LOCKS

U-locks are the recommended bike lock for students. Please be aware that coil bike locks have been cut and student bikes have been stolen from the school campus. 

DISABLED PARKING SPACE ON UMATILLA

Please refrain from parking in the marked disabled parking spot located on the north side of Umatilla St. just east of 15th Ave.  This spot is reserved for residential parking. 

LATE PICTURE ORDERS 

If you have late picture orders there are two ways of ordering. You can order online at: mylifetouch.com The picture ID is EVTC98KN3 or you can bring in the order and money to the office. The deadline for bringing in orders to the office is Monday, October 3rd.

BEWARE THE “ONE CHIP CHALLENGE”

Please be aware that there is a new “challenge” out there called the one chip challenge.  The chip, made by Paqui, comes in a coffin shaped package and the challenge is to eat the chip, or part of it.  It contains an extreme level of heat, and is making kids sick.  We have had students vomit and go home sick.  I have heard that some students in the district have had to go to the hospital.  Do not buy this chip or allow your child to eat it.  The tell-tale sign of having eaten the chip is that the tongue turns blue.  The warning on the package says “keep out of reach of children.  See the image below.

P.E.A.K. AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT CLASSES

The PEAK Program is a series of in-person after school classes open to all Sellwood students. . Scholarships are available as the PEAK goal is to include every SMS student. The PEAK program is totally independent of Sellwood Middle School and is under the jurisdiction of PTA.  Classes typically start at 4:15 pm, after teachers and day students have left the building.  

Register for classes at  https://tinyurl.com/sellwoodpeakprogram  

If you are a first time user you will need to create an account for your student.  

Scholarship request form is here: https://tinyurl.com/PEAKScholarship 

Please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com with any questions.

Classes for registration now:

• Marimba
  • PEAK marimba is a once a week class (Thursdays from 4-5PM) that teaches students the basics of playing in a marimba ensemble. No experience is necessary. Instruments are provided. Students will learn to play music in a group setting.
• Choir
  • This is a free, student led choir class provided by the Cleveland Choir Department, and the Cleveland Youth Choir (CYC) team. With the support of Allison Bassett, the Cleveland Choir director, Cleveland Choir students will lead a class filled with  fun singing activities, practicing musicality skills, and learning about other cultures and stories through song! It is not only an educational opportunity, but a performance opportunity.  Students who participate will have an opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Choir at one of our events.
• French 1a Part 1
  • This class is the first in a 3-part series in which students will learn the basics of interacting in French, how to ask and answer basic questions to get to know others, and reflect on how to communicate and interact respectfully when meeting people from other cultures.  The class will be conducted 90% in French in order to promote language acquisition.
• 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

• Speech and Debate (full-waitlist available)
  • 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 soon):

• 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

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. Meetings are twice monthly, on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesdays from 8:15-9:00 AM. If you are interested in joining, please reach out to dcollins@pps.net. 

JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Parent Group

Please follow the link to the JEDI Newsletter for September 27, 2022

MAIN OFFICE:

The best way to reach us is by email.  

The Office Phone Number

Secured Building 

Parent/Student Requests:  

Guides to Help you:

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

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

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

October 12: TAG Parent Meeting – Virtual, 6:00-6:30 PM.

November 21 & 22: Parent Teacher Conferences

November 23-25: Fall Break

December 8: Winter Band Concert 7:00 PM

December 19 – January 2: Winter Break

May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM