I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. This week, we dove back into the work in classrooms and are excited to keep engagement high for the next two weeks before yet another holiday break!

 

This Sunday, there's a PTA sponsored fundraiser at Jersey Mikes. My husband's favorite food is a sandwich, so I know he will be hyped for this one. Next Tuesday is our monthly Site Council meeting. One of the ideas we will be tossing around is how to systematize volunteering here at school to better engage the community! If you are interested in supporting coordination of this effort, please let me know. Wednesday of next week is an early release day for students. Students will be released at 12:45 PM.

 

This weekend looks like a dreary one! Mick and I plan to take a nice walk in it (the novelty I suppose still hasn't worn off for me).

 

Have a great weekend!

The deadline for filling out the Seasons of Sharing is Monday, December 8th. Please fill out this link for holiday assistance. If you have any questions, please contact your school counselor Sam (K-3) or Liz (4-8). Thank you.

Dear Families,

Today Portland Public Schools begins the annual Successful Schools Survey. The

Successful Schools Survey is an opportunity for students, staff, and families to provide

important feedback on their school environments, learning experiences, and sense of

well-being and safety at school.

 

The survey is conducted once every school year to provide timely information to

schools, district leadership, and the community, allowing us to make informed decisions

about school climate and culture. This year, the survey window is open November 3 to

December 8.

 

Portland Public Schools highly values the input and opinions of its families, and we

welcome all PPS parents and guardians to complete this year’s survey. We use the

data to help improve our schools, providing targeted feedback and training on how to

create healthy school environments that are welcoming for all.

 

You can complete the Successful Schools Survey online using the link provided below.

Please complete one survey per household. If you have more than one student at PPS,

we ask that you complete the survey considering the experiences of your eldest child.

 

The survey will take approximately 15-30 minutes to complete and is available in

English, Spanish, Russian, Somali, Vietnamese and Chinese.

 

https://surveys.panoramaed.com/portlandor/fall25family

For more information about the Successful Schools Survey, please go to

 

pps.net/successfulschools.

_____________________________________________________________

Second graders loved having author Gillian Wynne Grimm present her new book and creative ways of making pop-up books, which will be in her second book. If you are interested in still purchasing a signed copy of her book, they will be available at A Children's Place bookstore or you can order here.

Hello 8th grade students and families! While it may be hard to believe, high school will be here before we know it. As the 8th grade school counselor for Beverly Cleary, one of my responsibilities is to help 8th graders get ready for high school, and answer any questions students and families may have. One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, “Can I go to any high school I want to?” Just to clarify, a student is assigned to a neighborhood high school based on their primary address in Synergy, regardless of what middle school the student attends or which high school that middle school feeds into.

 

If a student wants to look into attending a high school other than their neighborhood high school, students/families can apply online during the open enrollment timeframe. This year open enrollment is from November 12 – December 12, 2025. Forms and additional resources are available on the PPS Lottery and Transfer Information Website, or email enrollment-office@pps.net to be connected to your Enrollment and Transfer Center (ETC) Placement specialist.

Students who attend Beverly Cleary often feed into McDaniel and Grant as their neighborhood school and some students will choose to apply to the lottery for Benson High school, and some students are tagged "dual-assignment." This means that students get to choose which high school they want to attend: Jefferson High School or Grant HS, McDaniel HS or Roosevelt HS (depending on the primary address). If you are in a dual assignment primary address, you will receive a letter in the mail from PPS regarding dual-assignment and families will be asked to choose one of these two high schools. If families do not choose by the requested date, the district will choose for families. It is your right to choose which of the two high schools is the right fit. Please be sure to fill out the form with your choice! *If you attend our school through a transfer, you will be required to attend your neighborhood high school, unless you apply for a transfer for a different high school and that transfer is accepted.

 

Upcoming High School Open Houses:

 

• Grant HS 12/10 @ 6 pm
• Jefferson HS 11/4 @ 5:30 pm
• Benson HS 11/20 @ 6 pm
• McDaniel 11/19 @ 6 pm
• Metropolitan Learning Center (MLC) 11/17 @ 5:30 pm
• Other HS can be found at this link

 

Some time during November/December, I will be presenting information to all 8th graders regarding transitioning to high school. We will talk about high school graduation requirements, grade point averages, tips for organizing oneself, individual high school options, and much more. We will also talk through dual-assignment.

 

For more information, see here.

 

Please feel free to reach out anytime with questions, especially regarding transitioning to high school. I can be reached via email at lkobs@pps.net or you can call me at school at 503.916.6480.

Sincerely,

 

Liz Kobs

Click here to open this week's newsletter, where you will find info on:

 

• Sunday Night - Jersey Mike's Fundraiser
• Winter After-School Enrichments
• Last Calls (Heritage Night Planning and 8th Grade Baby Photos)
• And More!