Principal's Newsletter 9.27.2024
PRINCIPAL'SMESSAGE
Greeting Sellwood Community,
At long last we have a new school secretary, Willa Grund. Willa started with Sellwood today, and she will soon be helping us with all of the administrative tasks we have been juggling for the first month of school. We thank Claire Howard for hanging in there and trying to do it all while we were completing the hiring process. If you visit the main office, please be sure to say hello to Willa and introduce yourselves.
Enjoy the weekend,
Jeandre Carbone
Sellwood Principal
PTANEWS
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/sellwoodpta
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/AXC2Z9
September Volunteer Opportunities
All volunteer opportunities are posted on Konstella. Please sign up there or email us at sellwoodpta@gmail.com.
SMS Beautification Committee
We are seeking volunteer help to start work on beautifying the SMS school grounds and equipment, and improving the school and campus overall. If you are interested in helping and/or know a local landscaper or other business that might volunteer their time and support, please reach out!
OBOB (Oregon Battle of the Books)
We are seeking a volunteer(s) to run OBOB for SMS this year! Registration is open now and runs through October 31. The regional tournaments are in March and the state tournament is in April. Here is the OBOB website for more information: www.oregonbattleofthebooks.org
If you have questions about the program or this opportunity, please reach out to our SMS librarian, Tini Maier, for more information at tmaier@pps.net.
SMS PEAK Program Volunteers
We are looking for 1-2 people to help support our existing volunteers with PEAK, which has been one of our most successful programs to date! The PEAK program is a series of in-person after school classes open to all SMS students. This program is independent of Sellwood Middle School and is under the jurisdiction of the PTA. Scholarships are available as the PEAK goal is to include every SMS student.
The success of our programs and offerings depends on volunteer support, so thank you for offering your time and expertise!
Afterschool Math Tutoring Program Volunteers
Beginning October 3, SMS will start an afterschool math tutoring program, which will be led by Cleveland Honor Society/IB students. We plan to have tutoring for between 10 to 24 students each Thursday, from 4:00 to 5:00PM.
We need a parent volunteer (or rotating parents) to be the required adult presence each week. The Cleveland students (there should be about eight responsible seniors) will conduct the tutoring, take attendance, and generally keep order, but we are required to have an adult present.
Sellwood Dines Out
Sebastiano’s
Through the end of September, Sebastiano’s is donating 10% of all sales between 9:00-11:00 am from their breakfast service to SMS. Please stop by this weekend to help raise funds!
SMS Trivia Nights at The Record Pub
We are excited to launch Sellwood Dines Out this year with SMS Trivia Night! The Record Pub has generously offered to donate a portion of their proceeds from Trivia Night for the entire month of October. Please join us on Wednesdays in October at 7pm to help raise funds for the PTA!
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:
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7125 SE 21st Ave. (between SE Bybee & Knapp)
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7645 SE 17th Ave. (between SE Rex & Lambert)
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3704 SE Ogden (at SE 37th Ave)
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NEW LOCATION ADDED! 4922 SE Knapp (between SE 48th & 50th)
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 one more community member to host Blue Bags on their porch. Do you live in the Duniway boundary and have a covered porch? Email sellwoodpta@gmail.com to sign up to keep Blue Bags on your porch this year.
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.
PEAKAFTERSCHOOLPROGRAM
PEAK Afterschool classes start SOON!
The PEAK Program is a series of in-person after school classes open to all Sellwood students. The PEAK program is totally independent of Sellwood Middle School and is under the jurisdiction of PTA. Most classes run on a 8-10 week session schedule in the fall and winter and require a fee. 6 Crickets adds a fee to most classes, so the price may be slightly higher than what is quoted below.
Registration is through 6 Crickets: https://www.6crickets.com/
Please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com with any questions.
Classes open for registration now:
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Python Coding with Coding with Kids $259 STARTS October 1
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Tuesdays from 4:15-5:15
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Improv with Rogue Pack Theatre $250 STARTS October 2
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Wednesdays 4:15-5:45
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Chess Club $135 STARTS October 27
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Mondays 4:15-5:15 pm
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Speech and Debate Starts October 1
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Tuesdays 4:15-5:15 Recommended $50 donation
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Marimba $100 Thursdays 4:15-5:15 Already started, but you can still sign up!!
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Red Cross Babysitter Training - $140 All Day Course 1/28, 3/3 or 4/7
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One-day training offered on no school days or Saturdays
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We can offer free tuition for one child if a PPS certified adult volunteers to be present during the training. If interested, please email sellwoodpeakprogram@gmail.com
MAINOFFICE
The best way to reach us is by email.
Willa Grund is our new school secretary. She's so new she has not yet received a PPS email.
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 Willa Grund (“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:
While we understand it is sometimes necessary to pick up your child from school, please try to limit your student’s daytime appointments. If necessary, please ring the bell at the main door and expect to wait while your child is located.
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 support@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 principal.IMPORTANTDATESTOREMEMBER
October 11: No School – State In-Service Day
October 15: School Starts at 9:30
October 23: Early Release at 1:45
October 31: End of 1st Quarter
November 1 & 4: Teacher Planning - No School for Students
November 5: School Starts at 9:30
November 11: Veterans Day – No School
November 20: Early Release at 1:45
November 25 & 26: Parent Teacher Conferences
November 27-29: Fall Break
December 3: School Starts at 9:30
December 12: Winter Band & Choir Concert @ Cleveland Auditorium
December 18: Early Release at 1:45
December 23-January 3: Winter Break