Sellwood Principal’s Newsletter – September 6, 2024
Greetings Sellwood Community,
I thank students, staff, and families for their patience during this heat wave. It has been quite uncomfortable, and we have managed it as best we could with our limited resources in our 100 year plus old building.
As you know, like most PPS middle schools, we have transitioned from our one-to-one Chromebook program to a Chromebook cart in the classroom program. The reasons are many, but the main reason for the switch was that the one-to-one program was unsustainable. With the number of damaged and lost Chromebooks, we simply cannot manage the constant repairs and replacements. A number of families have rightfully raised the concerns about equity, as not every student has easy access to a device at home. I want you to know that our plan is to drastically reduce or eliminate computer-based homework. We don’t want any of our students to spend their home hours in front of a screen, even if they have ready access to a computer. This is somewhat challenging, due to the computer-based nature of our curriculum, but not impossible. For example, most of our subject areas do not have daily homework. Most homework is usually the result of not finishing work in class or absences. For example, in social studies, readings and content work with the online curriculum happens in class. However, knowing that some students may need more time to read and process, they will be able to check out a paper copy of the readings to take home along with the tear out sections from their student workbook. Other social-studies homework may be occasional hands on projects. For language arts, teachers may assign reading homework or short assignments that may be hand-written. For longer essays that require a word processor, we will identify students who will need to check out a Chromebook. Math is the most challenging, because of the online nature of the curriculum. However, again, students are not generally assigned HW (algebra will have videos or other assignments that should be able to be completed on a phone) but we will have to problem-solve when students are absent or cannot finish their classwork at school. Our ability to provide temporary loaners will be limited, and we are still taking inventory of working Chromebooks, and will be requesting more.
I would like to stress the importance of students using class time wisely and regular school attendance. We had noticed that with their own Chromebooks available for home use 24/7, some students were not completing classwork in class and putting assignments off with the intention of completing them later.
The Chromebook cart program is a real shift in our practice, and we will be trouble-shooting to make it work for all students.
To that end, we are sharing this short survey about technology access for those that may have limited access to technology. Please complete one survey for each student at Sellwood. If you have an electronic device your child can use at home and no concerns about technology, you do not need to complete the survey.
Stay cool and enjoy the weekend,
Sincerely,
Jeandré Carbone
Sellwood MS Principal
LINK TO STUDENT & FAMILY HANDBOOK
PTA NEWS
Join the PTA
Please join the PTA and contribute your voice to the conversation on making this a great school year for our kids and SMS community. Here is the link to join!
www.schoolpay.com/link/
Join Konstella
The PTA uses the Konstella app to keep the parent community up to date with scheduled events, the school calendar, volunteer sign ups and PTA announcements. Here is the link to join!
https://www.konstella.com/cd/
First PTA Meeting - September 19
Please join us for our first PTA meeting of the year to learn more about the PTA and upcoming volunteer opportunities. We will meet from 7:45-8:30 pm in the SMS library after Back to School Night events. We would love to see you!
Turn Your Empty Bottles into Money for the PTA!
Collect and return your empty cans and bottles through the Blue Bag program. This year the Blue Bag program will be supporting the PTA and more than $3,000 was raised by our community last year! Visit the office at any time to pick up Blue Bags for BottleDrop.
Or pick up Blue Bags from SMS community members who have a stash on their porch. Keep this newsletter bookmarked to easily locate blue bag access points near you:
- 7125 SE 21st Ave. (between SE Bybee & Knapp)
- 7645 SE 17th Ave. (between SE Rex & Lambert)
- 3704 SE Ogden (at SE 37th Ave)
Return your bags to the nearest BottleDrop location and support the PTA!
If you have Blue Bags from last year, you can still return them this year. Even though we are switching the Blue Bag program from the SMS Foundation to the PTA, you can return any Blue Bags you have that say “Sellwood Middle Foundation.” It will all go toward the PTA this year.
Want to do more? We are looking for a few more community members to host Blue Bags on their porch. Do you live in the Lewis or Duniway boundary and have a covered porch or Little Free Library on your corner? Email sellwoodpta@gmail.com to sign up.
Many former SMS Foundation fundraising efforts are being transitioned to SMS PTA. As a reminder, the PPS Board is no longer allowing individual School Foundations to raise funds to support their school directly. All funds must go through the central PPS Foundation and will be disbursed across the district. Many of the ways you used to support the SMS Foundation are being transitioned to the PTA this year. Keep an eye out for more info during the school year.
MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY RESOURCE WITH TRILLIUM
Parents: If you are interested in getting mental health support for your student without having to leave the school, our partnership with school-based counselor Maya of Trillium has 3 to 5 openings available. Maya has her own office space at Sellwood to provide privacy to all students that she supports. If you are interested, please contact your student counselor to start the referral process. Thank you!
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SMS counselor check-in request form
COUNSELING CORNER
Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB – akennybrew@pps.net
Students with last names M-Z: Ms. Katie – kfrancis@pps.net
CLEVELAND TENACITY DANCE TEAM RUMMAGE SALE
The Cleveland Tenacity Dance Team is hosting a Rummage Sale at Cleveland High School on September 15th as well as a Collection Day on the 14th. We would be thrilled if you would be able to share the flyer (attached) in your upcoming newsletter. All proceeds go toward supporting the team. Thank you for helping to spread the word within the community! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Cosette Posko
Tenacity Dance Parent
971-563-9679
MAIN OFFICE
MAIN OFFICE:
The best way to reach us is by email.
- We are in the process of hiring a school secretary/enrollment coordinator.
- 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 Johanna (“Records/Registration”)
- press 3 for Claire (Principal’s Secretary)
- press 2 for any “Attendance” matter. It’s a designated line just for attendance.
- press 5 for Records, Registration
- press 0 for the front counter – answered by students; not a confidential line.
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.
Picking up your student during the day:
- Early release is discouraged. While we understand it is sometimes necessary to pick up your child from school, please try to limit your student’s daytime appointments. It is disruptive to the teacher’s instruction time and to the other students in the classroom. If necessary, please ring the bell at the main door and expect to wait while your child is located. We may not be able to facilitate early pick-ups within the last 15 minutes of the school day as we will have only one staff member in the office and many end of the day tasks to accomplish.
Guides to Help you:
- To correct your student’s attendance: Log into ParentVue.
- For changes to your student's registration profile in Synergy: ParentVue/StudentVue
- Quick Links found on Sellwood’s website (pps.net/sellwood)
Please email Johanna (jmendizabalgomezi@pps.net) for:
- 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 10: School Starts at 9:30
- September 19: Back-to-School Night – 6:15-7:45
- September 25: Early Release at 1:45
- Link to PPS Calendar for 2024 - 2025
- December 12: Winter Band & Choir Concert @ Cleveland Auditorium
