Tag Archives: Schools and Education

Lewis Elementary Fundraiser

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From Lewis Elementary PTA: Place your orders today for the popular holiday wreath and centerpiece sale. We have a nice selection of evergreen wreaths, swags and centerpieces! Order by November 17th, with pickup on December 4th. About 50% of all sales go right back into our school. Click here to order!

May be an image of tree and text
[Image Description: Five types of holiday centerpieces and wreaths with descriptions and prices listed next to each one.]

The Lewis PTA is happy to announce that the annual Lewis Bake Sale returns this year!

Grab some coffee and goodies when you pick up your wreath or centerpiece. The bake sale will be held on Saturday, 12/4, from 10am-12pm at the front Lewis Parking Lot. Stay tuned: we will be looking for donations of store bought baked goods as the date gets closer.

Unfortunately, the PTA is unable to host the annual tree sale this year. The June heatwave took a toll on our vendor’s trees, and he is unable to provide us with trees this year. Thank you to Dave Harsey for his decade of support of the Lewis PTA by providing us with trees. Unfortunately, we are also unable to host the traditional Lewis Holiday Bazaar this year, due to PPS restrictions. We are looking forward to reviving this tradition next year.

Donors Choose Project at Woodmere Elementary

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Wiggle Wobble Learn! Support Woodmere Students with Donors Choose!

[Image Description: A classroom bulletin board with a daily schedule listed in a vertical column.]

About the Project from Ms. Breen at Woodmere Elementary School: My students are currently making their hard metal chairs wobble chairs and their actions are telling us what they need! These requested chairs will help them be able to move their bodies in ways they need to in order to focus on the learning they have been so desperately missing in person. This also helps with social distancing and anxiety, as many students feel nervous with school not feeling the same as they are 2 years older and the world has changed. These chairs are easy to move and easy to sanitize. Even the hexagon seat is fun to slide your hands on!

Click here to read more and donate to the project.

Community Care Day 2021 TOMORROW!

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Tomorrow, August 28th, is the Portland Public Schools (PPS) Community Care Day for 2021 from 9AM-12PM! Support our three Brentwood-Darlington Schools by joining of the events happening. Neighbors of all ages and abilities are welcome! Please see below for notes from each of our local schools.

[Image Description: School logos with text in English and Spanish detailing Community Care Day 2021 in Brentwood-Darlington.]
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Lewis School Name Petition

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Lewis Elementary School / Homepage
[Image Description: The front door of Lewis Elementary School, featuring a mural on the right and large bank of small rectangular windows on the left with shrubs in front.] Photo from PPS.net

From students at Lewis Elementary School:

Hi! We are a group of Lewis Elementary upcoming 5th graders!  Our goal is to change the name of Meriwether Lewis Elementary School. Meriwether Lewis was a white explorer and member of the Lewis and Clark expedition.  The exploration of Oregon by Lewis and Clark resulted in the stealing of land from Native Americans. Also, the expedition had an enslaved person present, named York, who was not paid for their work.  We understand the importance of Meriwether Lewis in Oregon history however we do not believe that our school needs to be named after him.  We believe that school names should be inclusive of all and are too often named after white people.

We are proposing changing the name to John R. Lewis Elementary.  John R. Lewis was a civil rights leader and Congressman who is known for being one of the “big six” civil rights activists. He was born on February 21, 1940 in Alabama. As a teenager in the 1950’s he was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and started his activism work while in college. In 1960 he was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) organizing many events like the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and the Selma-to-Montgomery campaign and the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.  John R. Lewis was arrested over 40 times for his activism and received the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama. He was a representative of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 until his death in 2020. We believe that naming our school John R. Lewis would be a way to honor this important leader in our country’s history.

We believe that it is very important to get input from the Lewis community on the idea and the new name we have proposed.  We kindly ask that you sign our petition to give your input. Thank you!

Petition:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdArTP745C-L2tUIIFEXFPZTomnWpPZ52_A9kwDDZbb6ADR8g/viewform

2020-21 School Year Update from Woodmere Elementary School

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This post was originally published by school staff member Teresa P. on the Woodmere Elementary Parents Group Facebook Group. It has been reposted here with permission.

Dear Woodmere Families,

We hope you all are having an amazing summer. As you know, Portland Public Schools (PPS) will be holding classes virtually through at least November 5. We want to make sure kids have everything they need as we get ready for the first day of school for our 1st thru 5th grade students, September 2 and our kindergarten students on September 8.

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PPS Bond Renewal Virtual town Hall

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A message from Portland Public Schools

From Portland Public Schools: The 2020 School Bond Renewal virtual town hall at 6PM this Thursday, June 25. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, we are holding the meeting online only, but it will feature breakout sessions and virtual rooms. To participate, please RSVP.  

If you would like to watch the town hall, it will be broadcast on the PPS live-stream site. You can also send direct feedback via email to schoolbond@pps.net.

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Information and Resources Regarding Extended Spring Break

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From Portland Public Schools regarding school closure and food resources:

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Dear PPS Families,

As we shared Thursday night, Portland Public Schools will extend spring break, beginning Monday, March 16 with a plan for students to return to schools on Wednesday, April 1 (staff will be expected to return on Monday, March 30, two days earlier). During this time, all school activities, including athletic events and practices, are canceled. We know that many families depend on schools not only for their students’ education, but also for meals, child care, access to health services and other supports. We are working quickly to identify ways to provide services to students and families during the extended break: 

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Seeking SUN Volunteers at Woodmere Elementary

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Interested in encouraging, empowering and helping the next generation succeed?! Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) at Woodmere Elementary School is looking for volunteers to join them in bringing fun enrichment classes for this new school. Program runs Monday through Thursday, 3:00-5:00PM. Contact Katie for more info.

Snacks Needed for Woodmere Elementary School

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Due to a federal funding shortage, Portland Public School elementary schools will not be receiving snacks until October 1st.  At Woodmere Elementary School, some students will go four hours between meals.  Woodmere is a Title 1 school, receiving free breakfast and lunch for all students. The food pantry at Woodmere is already straining to provide enough food assistance for families and the school year has only begun.  The lack of snacks is detrimental to the education of these 300 students.  If a child is hungry, they can’t focus on learning.

You can help with snack donations!  See the list below for snacks that are easy for teachers and staff to offer without preparation.

  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Plums
  • Mandarin/Clementine oranges
  • Grapes (seedless)
  • Individually boxed raisins/craisins
  • Cereal and/or oatmeal bars (avoid nuts when possible)
  • Crackers
  • String or stick cheese

Donations are being coordinated by BDNA volunteers.  To arrange drop-off or pick-up, please send us an email with “Snack Donation” in the subject line.  Any extra donations will be sent to Whitman Elementary School or used in local food pantries.

 

ZUMBA Returns to Woodmere + Survey

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ZUMBA is coming back to Woodmere Elementary School!!! Kristen is so excited to be back in her Community and Woodmere is more than excited to have her amazing energy back!! Please take the poll below to help choose a time on Wednesdays for this great class.  Enter your email address if you’d like to join the class or know more!