Noticias de Palisades
December 17 2021
This Week we Look Over
- Un Mensaje de la Directora Sarlos
- Palisades Mascot
- Winter Decor
- Volunteers at Palisades
- Un Mensaje de la Consejera
- Oregon Opt Out Form
- Mask Update
- Return to School
- Date to Keep in Mind
- A Message from the PTO
Un Mensaje de la Directora
We are have had a beautiful week here at Palisades! It was so great on Tuesday night to have in-person PTO and Sac meetings live in the gym! In the New Year, these will continue to be on the second Tuesday of the month.
In classes, students were alternating between focused academics and winter crafts! It was lovely. It is always the treat of the season to listen to the kinders sing at this time of year! A huge extra Thanks, to Maestras Parodi and Ramos for the extra dose of patience and creativity it takes to be a kinder teacher and to teach these traditional songs to our little ones in Spanish!
We are so grateful to all of you for keeping us going this week with the cookies for us to enjoy here and enough to take home to our families! That was a lovely gift of time and love from you to all of us!
Today we had a virtual assembly to unveil our new mascot: The Pheonix! What a perfect symbol for our school. We are resilient, our school has been reborn in several ways; Palisades is again a thriving Elementary school and we have returned from the times of CDL when we were all or partially at home! What a perfect celebration of resilience.
I know that yesterday was very stressful and we honor the trust you put in us to keep your little ones safe emotionally and physically. Please note the resources that were in Dr. Schiele's Newsletter if your children are asking difficult questions. Also, please note that Mrs. V. has sent you a virtual calming corner in case your child experiences elevated emotions in the next few weeks.
We wish you all a peaceful break and lots of quality time with your families.
Warmly,
Lilian Sarlos
Principal
Palisades Elementary
Welcome: Palisades Mascot
We voted as a school… we had many great options, but one stood out among the rest…
The Phoenix!!
The word phoenix comes from the ancient Greek and represents a firebird. The phoenix has its origins in many mythologies.
There is phoenix symbolism in almost every culture around the world. The Phoenix represents healing, renewal, resilience and strength.
As the Palisades Phoenixes we are Stronger Together!
Winter Decor
Volunteer Guidelines Update
Attention Parents-Guardians and Special Guests!
We are excited to welcome back volunteers into our classrooms beginning in January! Volunteers and special guests are an integral part of our learning community and we look forward to reconnecting through service and support.
To make sure we are able to continue successful in-person instruction, we plan to introduce volunteers gradually to allow us to monitor possible transmission, adjust practices, and provide time to verify district volunteer requirements.
We will start with kindergarten class volunteers and add more groups and grade levels in the coming weeks. The Art Literacy committee is organizing materials to launch in February.
Volunteer Requirements
Volunteers need to verify the following requirements before volunteering in schools:
Complete Background Check through school Raptor system
Sign Statement of Knowledge and Understanding of LOSD Policies
Show Proof of Vaccination. LOSD will not be granting exemptions for volunteers due to the requirements of weekly testing and distancing.
Subject to change and adjustment. Thank you for your flexibility.
Let’s get prepared for January by coming in during the December month and getting your proof of vaccination verified and on the record. Please bring in your vaccination card to the office and we will get you verified in the system.
Additionally the school will host volunteer training times to help acquaint you with the school spaces and possible ways to help in a volunteer capacity. Volunteer opportunities will be dependent on the need and schedule of each individual teacher and will vary. We know you mirror our desire to be helpful to the teachers and school community and we are excited to partner with you to make this the best experience for all!
A Message from the School Counselor
Virtual Calm Down Corner and Resources for Winter Break
Happy Holidays Palisades Families! As we approach this much needed holiday break you might find that your children are more emotional and/or less flexible than usual. Just as we adults experience fatigue and burnout this time of year, so do our students. Please check out my student resource website for tools your students can use to calm their bodies and minds and promote overall wellness. Your 3rd - 5th graders will already be familiar with the Digital Calm Corner. To help them access this tool please follow the link below: https://sites.google.com/view/palisadesschoolcounseling/resources-for-students?authuser=0
See below for community resources and family activities to enjoy during Winter Break:
Activities to do over break 2021
Family Needs and Resources:
If you are in need of financial support for basic needs and/or or school activities, please know you are not alone. As a school community we have access to many resources to support your children with winter clothing, scholarships for activities including the book fair, school supplies and more. Please reach out to the School Counselor Tracy Vitellaro at vitellat@loswego.k12.or.us or our District Social Worker Kylie Goertz at goertzk@loswego.k12.or.us to access helpful resources. Your confidentiality is of the utmost importance!
Wishing you and yours a safe and happy holiday season!
Tracy Vitellaro
School Counselor
Oregon State Assessment Opt-Out Form
State law requires us to inform you that a form is available from the State Department of Education that allows you to opt your child out of the math and English Language Arts assessments for the current school year. Should you wish to opt out your child, fill out the form and submit it to the main office at your child’s school. Please note the submission deadlines listed on the form. Meeting the deadline will help the school with planning and preparation. If you wish your child not to participate in the science assessment for grades 5, 8, and 11, submit this request in writing to the principal of your child's school.
If you have questions or want more information about state assessments, please contact your child’s principal or teacher(s).
Click here for opt-out form for Math and English Language Arts.
Mask Policy Changes
Come January 3, when we lift our outdoor face-covering requirement, face-coverings will be optional when outdoors on school grounds during the school day, including for parents-guardians during drop off and pick up.
Enjoy Winter Break!
Reminder, that school returns on Monday January 3 2022.
Dates to Keep in Mind
Jan 3: Return to School
Jan 17: No School - MLK Day
Jan 26: Spanish Immersion Kinder Counts
Jan 31- Feb 4: Book Fair
A Message From Our PTO
OBOB:
We have a form we hope our responsible guardians will fill out so we can best partner with you in making OBOB successful. Additionally we will have a zoom for all families to help answer any questions!
Here is the link:
If you would like to help us buy some of these great books for the classrooms we have arranged for bundles to be available for purchase for a class from an independently owned bookstore for $125 a bundle. If you would like to donate please indicate it is an OBOB classroom book bundle purchase and what class it is for with our donation. You can also donate for half of a bundle and we will pair your donation up with another half donation! This donation can be done via any of our donation options: Venmo, paypal or a check mailed or dropped off at the school made out to Palisades PTO and you can use this form to help us with this:
Mask Policy Changes:
Per district policy “ For the next three weeks, all people on elementary school grounds during the school day will need to continue wearing face coverings. Come January 3, when we lift our outdoor face-covering requirement, face-coverings will be optional when outdoors on school grounds during the school day, including for parents-guardians during drop off and pick up.”
Thank you for your partnership in this!
Oregon State Assessment Opt-Out Form
Every year, Oregon students take assessments to meet federal requirements. The purpose of these assessments is to provide data that schools can use to ensure each and every child is on track and achieving learning goals.
State law requires us to inform you that a form is available from the State Department of Education that allows you to opt your child out of the math and English Language Arts assessments for the current school year. Should you wish to opt out your child, fill out the form and submit it to the main office at your child’s school. Please note the submission deadlines listed on the form. Meeting the deadline will help the school with planning and preparation. If you wish your child not to participate in the science assessment for grades 5, 8, and 11, submit this request in writing to the principal of your child's school.
If you have questions or want more information about state assessments, please contact your child’s principal or teacher(s).
Click here for opt-out form for Math and English Language Arts.
Cookie and Treat Bar:
Parent Survey:
We want to hear from you about what you would like to see from the PTO this year. Please help us by filling out the following form by December 13th.
Food Drive:
Minted Fundraiser:
Using our unique code FUNDRAISEPALISADES, you can get 20% OFF all your Minted holiday card & gift purchases—and for every order placed, Minted will donate 15% back to our organization. With high-quality products designed by independent artists, like custom photo gifts, holiday cards, tote bags, stationery, and more, Minted has meaningful gifts for every special occasion.
To participate, simply visit minted.com/holiday to start your holiday shopping. Apply code FUNDRAISEPALISADES at checkout to claim your 20% discount. It’s that easy! Minted will track every purchase made using our code, and we’ll get 15% of the proceeds donated back to Palisades
Please feel free to forward this to friends and family—the more people shop Minted using our code, the more our organization earns!Directory Spot
We are live! We would love to have you join us in making your information available for the community to access by clicking share on the option in your family entry. We have sent directions to each email on file with instructions for confirming your family in our school directory. Directory access is free and allows you to connect with others in your classes. If you choose to hide information you will still receive emails from the school and PTO, but your school community will be limited in how they are able to connect with your family unit.
We have had many of you reach out asking how to delete certain information from your profile. Here is the fastest way to do that:
Click on your profile
Select/highlight the information you don’t want to have published
Delete it
Scroll down and click save
Please reach out to us at ptopalisades@gmail.com with any questions!
Volunteer Sign Ups
Below is the new volunteer registration form with options for committees and ways to be part of the community all year long. We appreciate all of our volunteers!