I hope everyone is doing well and is safe. On Monday, November 9th, quarter 2 begins. Please praise your scholar for the tenacity and their learning adjustment to the distance learning model. Our dedicated teachers have been hard at work developing plans to make distance learning palatable for the scholars.
It was great seeing scholars and parents today picking up SWAG BAGS! I hope to see more of you on Monday.
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PTSA's ELECTION INFORMATION--NOVEMBER 12TH
Tubman Family, below is a message from our PTSA President, Benjamin Lostheart:
"Hello, Harriet Tubman Middle School parents and guardians. We will have our PTSA elections on November the 12th. We have 2-5 open seats available, and we need community involvement representatives of all of our communities. General commitment is estimated at about 5 hours a month but is dependent on the type of work you want to put in to create change and build community. This is an awesome opportunity to learn more about school systems and processes and does not require any experience other than a passion for a tiny inclination to want to make things happen.
Open Positions:
Secretary - Generally responsible for taking notes and minutes in our meetings.
Treasurer - Our current treasurer will stick around and support as needed.
VP of… We need some support in Fundraising, communications, community engagement, equity support, grant writing, and youth connections.
I would like to see a working diverse PTSA where we have executive meetings, having conversations to promote growth and change, going after grants, building community with families and other schools, weekly newsletters, and just being active in HTMS. Please email me at HTMSPTSAPDX@GMAIL.COM for more info and to have a conversation."
Benjamin Lostheart
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VETERAN'S DAY
Wednesday, November 11th, is Veteran's Day, and schools are closed.
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MATERIALS DISTRIBUTION - MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9th
The 2nd Quarter (Q2) of learning begins Monday, November 9th. To help launch Quarter 2 learning, we will be hosting another student materials pick-up here at Tubman. The dates for the pick-up are listed below:
Monday, November 9th, from 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Student bags will include:
-Tubman swag and gear!
-A student planner for the duration of the school year
-Additional learning materials for classes, including textbooks, workbooks, and teacher-created resources
Bags can be picked up at the school doors on Flint Street. Please adhere to all safety protocols when picking up your student bag, including wearing a face covering and maintaining social distancing.
We look forward to seeing you then!
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VIRTUAL COFFEE WITH THE PRINCIPAL
Beginning Thursday, November 12th, virtual coffee with the principal will begin. At this time, you will meet with me and discuss HTMS's happenings, news, and questions from you. We will use this time to build the community with the school. Each second Thursday of every month, we will meet on Google Meets at 10:00 am. The Google Meets code is coffeewithprincipalmair.
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HANGOUT CHAT ACCESS CLOSED FOR STUDENTS
Due to families’ concerns with large groups of students using Hangouts Chat unsupervised, Hangouts Chat was turned off for students. Students can now access Google Chat at chat.google.com where there is more functionality.
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PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
During Comprehensive Distance Learning, opportunities are built into the schedule for all families to connect with teachers during office hours. As in a traditionally formatted year, we will also be offering Parent-Teacher Conferences (morning to evening) on November 23-24. In a typical year, middle school Parent-Teacher Conferences are usually conducted arena-style, with families meeting with educator teams in a gymnasium or large common school space. These conferences are typically 5-10 minutes in length, and teachers are available to connect with families morning through evening, with breaks for meals.
This year, since conferences will be held online, to ensure the best access for families, we are offering conferences by appointment. In line with PPS’ commitment to improving student outcomes for historically underserved students, including students with disabilities and students who are learning English, we will priority-schedule conference slots prior to opening conference appointments to all families. Conference appointments will be done online. Appointments will open to all families in mid-November. You will be provided appointment schedule choices from teachers and the school by mid next week.
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SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTERS
The Student Success and Health Department is pleased to announce the opening of the Benson Wellness Center, joining Roosevelt as the second school-based health center to re-open in PPS since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. The Benson Wellness Center, sponsored by Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), at Benson Polytech High School, provides preventative health services for PPS students ages 7-21 years old.
As a reminder, any PPS student can go to any open Student Health and Wellness Center nearest to them to access services. In addition to Benson and Roosevelt, Student Health Centers at David Douglas and Parkrose high schools remain open.
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SPANISH COURSE NEWS - PROFE SALMON
Parents, our illustrious Spanish teacher, Profe Salmon, has provided a video for you all. Below are his message and video. Enjoy!
"Saludos a todos de la Comunidad de Harriet Tubman Media Escuela. Here is an opportunity to take a ride with Profe while in one of his classes. My main message to everyone is the WILLINGNESS to participate and just, simply, take a guess - will lead to Proficiency.
Here are several bullet points covered in the announcement:
- Grades = Feedback
- Missing = Incomplete
- Willingness to participate is the cause of Proficiency Mark
- In-person vs. Virtual
- When and where to get weekly announcements and extra small group meeting time
- Keeping it simple with routine, practice, and several platforms for tech."
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OTHER NEWS
SO YOU WANT TO BE A CANVAS PARENT OBSERVER
Parents, if you would like to be an observer of your scholar's courses, this step-by-step direction will allow you to see your scholar's courses. Mr. Longo provided a demonstration at yesterday's training. If you have multiple scholars, you can add them to the same account that you have created.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Please contact Ms. Holmes, jholmes1@pps.net, for any technical need.
OFFICE STAFF
If you have a registration, Chromebook/Hotspot, or general question, please contact our office staff via email: Ms. Brown, jbrown12@pps.net, Ms. Maharry, hmaharry@pps.net, and Ms. Smith-Myles, csmithmyles@pps.net.
Lastly, please click on the buttons below.
Please take care, and be safe! Have a great weekend!
Respectfully,
Proud Principal
Louis Mair
