Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – November 10, 2022
Greetings Sellwood Community,
Tomorrow, schools will be closed to honor veterans on Veteran’s Day. We thank our veterans for serving our country with courage and honor. My father served in the US army during World War II and was decorated for saving fellow soldiers from drowning while crossing a river in Germany. If you know someone who has served in one of the US branches, past or present, please take a moment to share a few words or thoughts of gratitude.
A shout out to our Sellwood athletes who played on our regional PIL youth football team!
Congratulations to our Cleveland Warrior 7/8 Football team! These young Warriors faced heat, smoke and torrential rain to qualify for the TVYFL playoffs this past weekend. This group had the courage to come out, the willingness to learn and improve as well as the perseverance to work through challenges. We are proud of our athletes and look forward to seeing what they can accomplish next season.
Information for next season will come out in the spring and registration will open in May of 2023.
Enjoy the three-day weekend ????
Sincerely,
Jeandré Carbone
Sellwood MS Principal
SELLWOOD MIDDLE FOUNDATION UPDATE
Annual Giving Campaign- It’s not too late to give!!
The Annual Giving Campaign, the largest fundraiser of the year, is wrapping up and we want to close out strong!! This fundraising effort is crucial to provide programs and staffing at our school, and with the help of a generous donor, every donation made during this fundraising campaign will be matched 100%!
Our goal is to raise $50,000 in the next two weeks to pay for more teachers, more course variety and smaller class sizes, which means our efforts positively impact every student at our school.
We invite all families to donate at the level they are comfortable. No amount is too small, as together we can make a difference! Please use the provided QR code:
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
It is time to sign up for Sellwood Parent/Teacher Conferences! They are coming up soon, on November 21st and 22nd.
The general schedule for each day is:
8:30AM-12:30PM
1:00-5:00PM
6:00-7:30PM
Please use the master document linked below for sign-ups. There are both written instructions and video instructions to help you sign-up quickly and easily.
IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE YOUR APP-BASED CALENDAR ON YOUR PHONE OR TABLET TO SIGN UP; IT MUST BE A WEB-BASED CALENDAR. USE A DESKTOP COMPUTER OR LAPTOP FOR BEST RESULTS.
Conference Sign-up Master Document
We hope to see you there :-)
PTA NEWS
PTA Meeting 11/16
Please join us next Wednesday for our last PTA meeting of 2022. We will meet in the school library. We will also be hybrid streaming the meeting on Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Sellwood Dines Out; Holler 11/15
Next Tuesday, 11/15, Holler will donate 10% of sales to SMS! Great day to let Holler do the cooking!
Fruit Sale Success
Our fruit sale raised over $4500 for our middle school! Thanks to all for your support! Special thanks to Amy Columbo for organizing!
Wallace Books SMS Book Fundraiser; 12/2-12/4
December 2-4th Wallace Books will donate 15% of sales to SMS. Please help us support this local business and our school! Great time to pick up holiday gifts!
INFORMATION ON PICTURE RETAKES
Wednesday, November 9th was our picture retake day. If you were wanting to purchase pictures you can do so by going online to Lifetouch's website. Easier online ordering on mylifetouch.com with your Student's School ID or Picture Day ID: EVTB96TR7
CLEVELAND OPEN HOUSE FOR 8TH-GRADERS, DECEMBER 8
Save the date, families of 8th-graders. Cleveland High School’s Open House “Bridging the Gap” event will be in-person the evening of Thursday. Dec. 8, 2022, beginning at 6:30pm. Cleveland looks forward to greeting the members of our class of 2027 next fall!
See the linked FLYER for more information.
PIL CLEVELAND YOUTH WRESTLING
If your student would still like to do a winter sport we would like to invite you to consider joining our wrestling program. We are a no cut sport and a sport for "Any Body". It doesnt matter what size you are because you will practice and compete against other people around your size. Our team is open to all genders and we have one of the biggest girls teams in the state. You can learn more about our program by clicking on the following link. Please email me if you have any questions.
Cleveland MS Wrestling Information
Aaron Roddis-Cleveland Wrestling
FENTANYL 101, SPONSORED BY TRAUMA INFORMED OREGON
See here for an interactive workshop on November 16th that will cover: what fentanyl is, community strategies, and how to talk with children and youth.
Mary Stevens-Krogh, Coordinator of Substance Use Supports, mkrogh@pps.net
SUPPORT GUIDE FOR FAMILIES OF LGBTQ+ STUDENTS
Middle school is a time for exploration of gender and when our young people start to form the foundations of their independent identities. Our young people and families learn a lot during this time. Here is an interactive support guide for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ young people that may support you in this process.
FROM OUR TAG FACILITATOR
TAG Referral Forms available now
If your student already qualifies for TAG, you do not need to refer again. That TAG designation will stay with them throughout their time in PPS. If you wish to refer your student for TAG (in a new area or for the first time), please follow these directions:
- Go to https://www.pps.net/
sellwood - Use the Academics tab, then select Talented and Gifted
- Links to referral forms are at the bottom of the page by language
- The deadline for this form is November 29
If you have questions, please contact our TAG Facilitator, Lisa Souther (lsouther@pps.net).
FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE AND HEALTH ASSISTANT
Free Community Vaccination Clinic
RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:
The Importance of Talking About Race
“Our humanity is worth a little discomfort, it's actually worth a lot of discomfort.”
― Ijeoma Oluo, So You Want to Talk About Race
- Watch: Color Blind or Color Brave?: This TED talk features finance executive Mellody Hobson who explains talking about race is like a "conversational third rail." And that's exactly why we need to start talking about it. In this engaging, persuasive talk, Hobson makes the case that speaking openly about race — and particularly about diversity in hiring -- makes for a better society.
- Read: So You Want To Talk About Race? Author Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from police brutality and cultural appropriation to the model minority myth in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race, and about how racism infects every aspect of American life.
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
- November 11: No school - Veteran’s Day
- November 19: Sellwood Foundation & PTA Meetings
- November 21 & 22: Parent Teacher Conferences
- November 23-25: Fall Break
- December 12: Winter Band Concert 7:00 PM
- December 12: Art Show
- December 19 – January 2: Winter Break
- January 16: No school - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- January 26 – End of 1st semester
- January 27 – No school for students - Teacher planning day
- February 17 – No school for students – Teacher planning day
- February 20 – No school – President’s Day (potential snow day make-up day)
- March 27 – 31 – Spring Break
- April 7 – End of 3rd Quarter
- April 10th – No school for students – Teacher planning day
- May 16: Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM
- May 29: No school – Memorial Day
- June 13 – Last day of school
- June 14, 15, 16 – Potential snow day make-up days
