~ View the FULL District Calendar for 2024-2025 here ~

October 10, 2024

Go Wolfpack!

Jill Hunt, Principal
Ben Keller, Assistant Principal

As our WSMS families prepare for the new school year,
please review this list of suggested supplies from our Educator team.
Some items are grade or subject specific.

Families who need assistance with supplies can contact
their Scholar's School Counselor, by grade level:

6th Grade: Kandice Abney kaabney@pps.net
7th Grade: Rebecca Cohen rcohen@pps.net
8th Grade: Ricky Almeida ralmeida@pps.net

Help your Scholar prepare for the start of school by practicing using a padlock so that opening their locker will be easier and more familiar!

 Quick Reference:

PPS is hosting a series of events that focus on Belonging, Equity & Inclusive Practices where we will screen powerful, award-winning documentaries aimed at starting a productive conversation about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities. 

As part of this series, we are excited to welcome you to a live virtual event, Including Samuel, on Monday, October 28 at 5:30 PM at OMSI Empirical Theater. The event will include a screening of Dan Habib’s film, “Including Samuel,” and a conversation with him and his son, Samuel.

The Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center, the rather staid home to Portland Public Schools administrative staff, had a very different look on Monday evening when it hosted the world premiere of “The Return of Emergetron.”

The red carpet event was in celebration of a new film starring students – and for students – about the many emergency scenarios they might encounter in a typical school year.

Portland Public Schools’ Comprehensive School Psychology program was recently named the recipient of a prestigious $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for its proven track record of improving student well-being and academic performance. 

The renewable, school-based mental health grant will be used to provide comprehensive school psychology services to 18 Title I schools across the district for the 2024-25 school year. This is up from 11 schools served in the previous year. Through the duration of the grant, 25 schools designated as Title I at the time of the grant award will receive comprehensive school psychology services.

When Beckham Weatherby picks up his tuba, the rest of the world falls away. 

“I don’t get that nervous and I don’t get stage fright at all,” he said. “I guess I got lucky with how my body reacts to performing in front of crowds.”

Which is something the McDaniel High School junior has done quite a bit of lately. Not only is he a member of the prestigious Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) and the PYP conservatory orchestra, but he recently earned first prize in the tuba solo performance category at the Oregon State Solo Music Championships.

For families with students entering 6th Grade in the 2024-25 school year

Please complete the survey at this link 
to share some of your course preferences with us
as we plan for next year's schedules.

This next year, all PPS Middle Schools will be using a SEVEN course/day model. Depending on course designs, they will be offered as full year, semester, or quarter-long classes. The following courses will be required, in order to meet our district and Middle Years Programs.

• Language Arts (If DLI, there will be an added ELA course taken in English ) (yr)
• Social Science (yr)
• Science (yr)
• Math  (yr)
• Physical Education (3 qrts) & Health (1 qtr)
• World Language (French and Spanish, 1 quarter each) 

In addition, all electives need to fall under the MYP descriptions for "DESIGN" and "ART". All students will be expected to take at least one elective from each category, which will automatically be included in schedules, excluding BAND, CHOIR, or AVID. 

• MYP "Art" Elective (1 semester) 
• MYP "Design" Elective (1 Semester)
• 'Open' Elective Period ( 1 Semester) 

MYP Elective courses will include ART, S.T.E.A.M., MUSIC, and possibly one or two others that are yet to be determined, based on staffing.  Band or Choir will be taken as a full year elective and count for 2 semesters, leaving one semester of another elective available.