Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – August 22, 2023
Greetings Sellwood Community,
The 2023-24 school year is fast approaching and I would like to welcome all of you Sellwood Middle School! We are excited about the upcoming school year for many reasons, but for me the most exciting part is more opportunities for in-person events, face-to-face interactions, and community celebrations! I would love the opportunity to meet each and every one of you, in real life.
I plan to send out my first official newsletter on Friday, but I wanted to make sure to get some preliminary information out today.
Please read on to find the answer to your most urgent questions.
- What school supplies does my child need?
- When is the first day of school for my child?
- How do I check my schedule if it has changed or I lost it?
- What is the daily schedule?
- What is Sellwood’s cell phone policy, and how can I support it?
- How do I buy school lunch?
Also, I wanted to share Sellwood’s 2023-24 Family & Student Handbook.
Sincerely,
Jeandré Carbone
Sellwood MS Principal
August 29th
6th-GRADERS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
6th-graders will have a special “Jump-Start” orientation on August 29th. The “jump start” will be led by a team of friendly 8th-grade students called Web Leaders. WEB = Where Everyone Belongs. 6th-graders will learn how to: find their way around the school, open their lockers, and follow their schedules. They will also meet their teachers, office and support staff, and learn about Sellwood’s policies, procedures, and ways of doing things. Of course, they will have a chance to see old friends from elementary school, and also make new friends!
AUGUST 30th
7th-8th GRADERS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
August 30th is a regular bell schedule day. Re-orientation to Sellwood will be built into each period of the day. Welcome back!
HOW TO CHECK YOUR SCHEDULE ON STUDENTVUE
Please review the student created presentation demonstrating how students can check their own schedules in StudentVue.
If you are having trouble logging into StudentVue or ParentVue, please email Melissa Whiteside at mwhitesi@pps.net.
SCHOOL LUNCH
Below you will find prices for school meals, and instructions for using School Café to purchase meals. Here is the link to Nutrition Services school meal page. Here is the link to the Free and Reduced-Price Meal page where you can submit an online application. More information about the Free-and Reduced Price Meal Program is available here.
2023-24 Menu Prices
Grades
Breakfast
Lunch
PK-8
$1.60
$3.00
9-12
$1.60
$3.50
Adult
$3.00
$5.50
Milk
$0.50
$0.50
SCHOOLCAFÉ
- SchoolCafé is a safe, secure online payment system that can be used to fund student and adult meal accounts with a debit or credit card. You can make one-time payments, setup autopay and low balance alerts, monitor transactions and even submit/track a free and reduced meal application for students in the household.
SchoolCafé is:
- Easy: Staff can provide their employee ID# (or assigned PIN) or provide their name. Students provide their 6-digit student ID#.
NOTE: Currently, SchoolCafé does not accept American Express. - Convenient: Once the account is established, you can check balances and add funds from your computer or mobile app.
NOTE: SchoolCafé charges a 5% fee per online transaction with a $15 minimum payment. - Able to go where you go. The mobile app can be downloaded in:
NOTE: If you have issues with the mobile app on the iPhone, try uninstalling it and reinstalling it the following day. If that doesn't work, download Google Chrome. For additional support questions, please contact SchoolCafé at 1.855.PAY-2EAT (1.855.729.2328) or email customercare@schoolcafe.
To enroll, go to www.schoolcafe.com/pps or download the SchoolCafé mobile app.
All PPS Middle Schools start at 9:15 and end at 3:45. Please follow the link to access Sellwood’s bell schedule for 2023-24.
CELL PHONE POLICY & FAMILY/STUDENT SUPPORT
Sellwood Middle School has an "Away all day" policy for cell phones. This means, all cell phones and personal electronic devices are to be away from 9:05 to 3:45. They are not to be used or visible at any time, including lunch. All Sellwood staff will clarify and reinforce this policy. If a student is found with their cell phone out, a Sellwood staff member will take it away and store it in the school office. The first time it is taken away, the caregiver will be called and the student can pick it up in the office at the end of the school day. If a cell phone is confiscated a second time or more, the student’s caregiver must pick it up from the office.
Student/caregiver communication during school hours can be done through the main office. Please refrain texting or calling your student’s cell phone during school hours.
Earbuds
Sellwood Middle School Earbud policy is that students can only use them in the classroom with educator permission. Otherwise, earbuds need to be out of ears and away-- this includes lunch time and hallway passing time.
Thank you in advance for supporting our students in making healthy and safe choices at school.
To this end, we request that families and students show their support and understanding by completing and submitting the SMS Cell Phone Agreement.
CROSS COUNTRY
Love to run?
Or
Does your soccer/Lacrosse/football coach say you need more conditioning?
Or
Do you want to be active and social without the weird, competitive team dynamics?
Or
Do you just want to be prepared for the zombie apocalypse?
Cross country may be for you!*
Come check out our supportive environment and get started in a sport that can last a lifetime!
Practices are Mondays and Wednesdays beginning August 22 from 4pm to 5:30pm at Sellwood MS and you can still register here: https://www.familyid.
Meets begin mid-September, most are held on Thursdays and are 2k or 3k distances. There is transportation to and from the meets if needed
Parent volunteers/guest runners are encouraged to join us as often as you like! It’s great to have more adults as not all kids run at the same pace. We accept run/walk folks and cyclists as well so don’t worry about being a professional runner!
Hope to see you there and Contact Ronda Hall-Ramirez (rhall@pps.net) if you have any questions.
*A note to all: Cross country is ONLY running long distance (2-3 miles average) over uneven terrain; if you want to do sprints, run on a track, high jump, long jump, javelin, shot put, etc. that would be track and it begins in the Spring.
COUNSELING CORNER
Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB – akennybrew@pps.net
Students with last names M-Z: Ms. Katie – kfrancis@pps.net
MAIN OFFICE:
- Open Monday to Friday, School Hours 8:30AM-4:30PM
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.
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. Please do not request an early pick-up during the last 15 minutes of the school day.
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
- August 29: First day of the 2022-23 school year for 6th-graders
- August 30: First day of the 2022-23 school year for 7th & 8th graders
- September 4: Labor Day – No School
- September 11: Ice Cream Social 4 – 5:30 PM
- September 26: Back to School Night 5:30-7:00PM
