The Cheetah Coalition #24
Weekly Updates from the Atkinson Office - 2/17/23
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MESSAGE FROM MS. ESSEX
Greetings Atkinson Families!
Each student brought home a flyer yesterday with information about the Successful Schools Survey. We have one more week to get as much feedback as possible and I would love to have every family's opinion recorded. If you haven't had an opportunity yet, please spend a few minutes taking the survey. You can find the information on school building doors (use the QR code to access the survey on your smartphone), in your child's backpack, and/or at THIS LINK. The survey is available in multiple languages. Please let us know how Atkinson and Portland Public Schools are doing. Thank you!
Please reach out to our PTA if you are interested in being part of the Atkinson principal interview committee. Our PTA will be working with PPS and our Area Senior Director, Karl Logan, to interview candidates. We would love to have your voice.
Kindergarten Information: Our first Kindergarten information night is coming up on March 2! We will have kindergarten information and tours, as well as information about our Dual Language Immersion Spanish program. We will be posting more information on our website. If you know any future kinders, please let them know we would love to meet them! :)
Beth Essex
Interim Principal
NO SCHOOL MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20
There is no school Monday for President's Day. We hope you all have a wonderful long weekend, and we'll see you Tuesday!
INCOMING DLI KINDERGARTENERS
For families in our DLI program with incoming kindergarteners, please don't forget to enter the lottery for kindergarten. If you do not enter the lottery, your child will not be able to enter the DLI program. Having an enrolled older sibling does not automatically enter your younger child into the lottery for the DLI program. And we want those siblings in school with us! The lottery will be open from February 15 to March 17, more information available HERE.
TALENT SHOW UPDATE
A note from the Talent Show Committee: We had so many wonderful acts sign up for the Talent Show this year! What a talented group of students we have! Due to scheduling conflicts with the use of the facilities as well as other logistical challenges, the Talent Show Committee has decided to showcase the student talents as daytime assemblies only with no evening performances. Assemblies will take place on March 1 (K-2nd grade) and March 2 (3rd-5th grade). Parents of performers are welcome to attend their child’s show during the school day and will be contacted with more detailed information regarding the performance.
SOUTHEAST GUIDING COALITION UPDATE
Check out the PPS EPB Implementation website for bi-weekly updates under the News and Updates Section. We have also updated our FAQ section on childcare for Bridger Creative Science, Lent, and Clark as well as some recently asked questions. It is located at the bottom of this page on enrollment and program balancing.
AMERICAN HEART MONTH - FROM MRS. SANCHEZ
February is American Heart Month where we like to focus on what it means to have a healthy heart, and learn ways to keep our heart happy. Did you know our heart pumps an average of 2,000 gallons of blood everyday? By being active everyday, eating healthy foods, and drinking plenty of water, you are showing your heart some big love! Please help me fill this bulletin board by sending in pictures of your children doing something active. You can email pictures to me at csanchez@pps.net, or send printed pictures to school with your child.
CHEETAH PAW WINNERS
K-2ND WINNERS
3RD - 4TH WINNERS
Zarah (4th), Leo (3rd)
5TH WINNER
Lina (5th)
THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS
It's been an exciting week at Atkinson! From the OBOB final to dressing up in Class Colors, spirits have been high for Spirit Week!
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
ATKINSON GSA
This week in GSA, we worked on understanding and discussing intersectionality. Intersectionality can be described as the idea that each person is multifaceted in their identities, and how each identity may come with different systems of oppression and privilege. For example, as "Miss Madi", I am an educator, but that specific identity is just one part of how I move within our society. Other identity markers I claim affect how I live my life and how others treat me, in completely different ways. Being an educator is still incredibly important to my identity, but my life is affected by many other identities too, such as being an openly Queer person, being neurodivergent, racially identifying as White, etc. Each part comes together to inform the experiences I have and how I am treated. Who I am is the intersection of each smaller part.
I encourage using this puzzle piece worksheet to try and name identity markers that may affect your lives too! Whether it's your first time, or you are continuing the journey of reflection, you can check out the videos linked below as a resource too! :)
Puzzle Piece Intersectionality Worksheet
Videos about Intersectionality:
- Intersectionality
- Kids Explain Intersectionality
- Adult Version of Explaining Intersectionality
- Kimberlé Crenshaw at Ted + Animation
LEADERSHIP
Leadership's Cohort One is finished with their duties and we couldn't be more thankful for their service. Some things that Cohort One worked on include:
- Spirit Week Ideas/ Created a Spirit Week Slide-deck for teachers to show classes for ideas
- Kindness Button Making for nominated students during Kindness Month
- Introduced February's Value Word through an announcement in each class school wide
- Made V-Day flowers for each Atkinson staff member with deliveries to show some love
- Helped with Cheetah Paw Announcements
Can't wait to start with Cohort Two next week!
EMPATHY MONTH
This month, Atkinson Cheetahs are learning about EMPATHY! Counselors are doing classroom presentations about empathy and an art project. Our Kindness Flower Tree is now a Shoe Tree! Students are decorating our Empathy Tree with shoes that express what it would be like If you took a Walk in My Shoes... They are writing information about themselves and sharing about what it is like to be them.
UPCOMING DATES TO KNOW
- Monday, February 20 -- NO SCHOOL, President's Day
- Tuesday, February 21 -- Kellogg Middle School Open House, 5:30 – 6:30pm
- Wednesday, March 1 -- Kindergarten Registration Opens for 2023-24
- Thursday, March 2 -- Connect to Kindergarten Event, 6:30 – 7:30pm
- Tuesday, March 7 -- Harrison Park K-8 Open House, 6:30 – 8pm