Principal's Newsletter 6/2/2023

Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – June 2, 2023

Greetings Sellwood Community,

The end of the school year is fast approaching!  We have some fun events scheduled and we want to get as many members our community involved as possible.

This Sunday, we have the wonderful PTA Garden Tour.  It is a drop-in event form 11AM to 4PM.  Last year it was a very well attended and enjoyable event.  My husband and I got a lot of great ideas for our own garden and plan to take many pictures this year for potential "borrowing".  See below for more details.

Showcase Night happens next week on Wednesday evening, June 7th, between 5:30 and 7:30.  It is a fun-filled drop-in event for all, with an art show, student work and science displays, along with some rotating performances from Sellwood’s band and drama skits, an Egg Drop activity with the “dropping of the eggs” at 6:45, food trucks for refreshments, and more.  We hope to see you there!

Monday, June 12th, will be our whole-school field trip to Oaks Park. All teachers and students in all grades will be attending, so we will not be holding classes.  Please make sure to turn in the OAKS Park permission form.  The details of the trip are listed below and the cost is $17, however, we do not want the entry fee to be a barrier for any student, so just let us know and we will happy to arrange a scholarship.

Finally, on June 13th, Sellwood will host our 8th-graders and their families for our 8th-grade promotion ceremony, congratulating them and wishing them well as they head off to high school.

Enjoy the weekend, and I hope to see you at the PTA Garden Tour.

Jeandré Carbone

Sellwood MS Principal

jcarbone@pps.net

FROM SELLWOOD’S LIBRARY

Please Bring Back the Books!

All library books are due on Friday, June 2, 2023.  We always welcome late books.  If you think a book is lost, please talk to us before paying.  And, please, do not purchase replacements.  Thanks in advance, Sellwood families!

OAKS PARK FIELD TRIP, MONDAY JUNE 12TH

Here are the details of the field trip.  

  • When:  Monday, June 12th, 2022, 9:30am – 2:00pm  
  • 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$17.00 will include Adrenalin Peak Roller Coaster, Go-Karts, Atmosphere (new ride). 
    • Preferred payment on-line with School Pay. 
    • 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 reserved a Picnic Area (students can leave their lunch here during the day).
  • Other Costs:  Students can bring extra money for snacks, games. etc.
  • Due Date for Permission Slips: Friday, June 1st.  
  • Expectations: In order to make sure this experience is safe and enjoyable for everyone, students attending Oaks Park are expected to be on their best behavior and must be responsive to adult direction.  We are also expecting that as we come closer to the end of the year, that students will continue to meet behavior expectations while at school.
  • If a student were to receive a serious stage 2-3 referral that would merit suspension, between now and the end of the year, that student may be suspended from attending Oaks Park with their class.  Examples of incidents that may merit suspension: fighting, serious disruptive conduct, bullying and harassment, physical attack/harm, property damage/graffiti, etc. 

PTA NEWS

SELLWOOD GARDEN TOUR THIS SUNDAY 11AM to 4PM!

 

The Sellwood Garden Tour is the biggest fundraiser for the PTA.  Funds from this tour support gaps in funding for SMS electives, classrooms, teacher support and many extras the school needs.  This is also a great community event.  

 

 How can you help?

  • Buy tickets and come see 7 stunning neighborhood gardens.

https://www.schoolpay.com/parent/mip/Me3D 

  • Volunteer for a shift to help the tour run smoothly

https://www.konstella.com/app/school/5bfd8b99e4b0dcc4a18cb003/signups/6467acee47fcebc536fc3c32

JOIN THE SELLWOOD FOUNDATION BOARD!

Looking for an easy way to make a big difference in your child's education? Join the Sellwood Middle School Foundation board! We're a small group of volunteers organizing fundraising events for SMS. We need a couple of generous community members to help plan fundraiser parties for the 2023-2024 school year. We meet once a month for an hour to prioritize events. 

Past fundraisers like Bingo, Petanque, and a 5K run/walk raised enough money to fund French and Cooking electives, and to employ additional staff. Being a board member lets you meet new people, improve classrooms, and flex your party-planning skills! Interested? Contact Mollymarie@comcast.net or find us on Instagram/Facebook. If you know someone who might be interested, feel free to share the information with them! Increasing the number of dedicated volunteers can help the Foundation Board accomplish even more for the school.

GLOBAL READERS FIELD TRIP FROM TINI MAIER, SELLWOOD LIBRARIAN

On June 1, the wonderful WALLACE BOOKS welcomed our 6th grade “global readers,” students sporting travel leis and flashing filled passports. Staff gave us a tour of the store and let us eat snacks on their porch. Thank you to the Sellwood PTA for the snacks! And thanks to the kind WALLACE BOOKS staff, who were all so welcoming and helpful. What a great store! Our students had such a good time exploring the books, I needed to remind them about snacks. :-D When asked, students also showed me some good books to consider for our library next year.   See the linked document for some great photos.

8TH-GRADE PROMOTION, JUNE 13TH

We invite all 8th-grade families to help honor and celebrate the culmination of 8th-graders middle school years at Sellwood, giving them a joyous send off to high school.

Here are the basic details for promotion:

Date: Tuesday, June 13th

Time: 2:15 PM

Place: On the Sellwood Field. Bring low chairs or blankets for sitting.  (in case of bad weather - the event will move to Sellwood's gym)

Sellwood's Jazz Band will perform and the ceremony will be followed by cake and photos.

SELLWOOD SPRING SHOWCASE NIGHT, JUNE 7th

Save the date for Sellwood’s Annual Student Showcase on June 7th.  The Showcase is a fun, drop-in event with displays of student work throughout the school, plus music and drama performances.  We will have an art show, science displays, math & games, language arts and social studies projects, and food carts.  Please see the attached postcard for more details.

CLEVELAND SUMMER BASKETBALL CAMP FOR BOYS

Last Chance to register!

CHS Basketball Camp for Incoming 7th-9th Grade Boys

SUMMER YOUTH CAMP 

June 19-22 

10:30-1:00pm 

Cleveland High School

A unique opportunity for RISING 7th-9th grade boys to be mentored by the CHS JV & VARSITY players themselves, under the direction of Head Varsity Coach, Sam Glasgow. Space is limited!

Complete details and registration on the Cleveland Boys Basketball Website

GO WARRIORS!!

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL DAY CAMP OPPORTUNITIES THIS SUMMER

Warrior Camp @ CHS, rising 5-8 grade, June 19-22, 1:30-4:30pm 

https://sites.google.com/apps4pps.net/www-clevelandwbb-com/campstrainingclinics?authuser=0

Nike camp @ UP, ages 8-13, July 17-20 and 24-27

https://www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/nike/nike-girls-basketball-camp-university-of-portland

COGNIZART 360 SUMMER ARTS CAMP

Check out the flyer for more information.

RACIAL EQUITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT:

WATCH:  Don't Erase Me:  The Modern Arab American.  An illuminating TED Talk by Jeremiah Stinnett who speaks out against the erasure of Arab-American identity.

READ: The Other Americans by Moroccan American Laila Lalami

Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture.

MAIN OFFICE:

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 (“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

  • June 7: Showcase Night – 5:30 – 7:30 PM
  • June 12: Oaks Park – All Grades
  • June 13 - 8th-grade Promotion – 2:15 PM – On the Sellwood Field
  • June 14 – Last day of school
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