From The Desk Of Mrs. Dunn
Happy wet Monday! I am hoping that all who are heading out tonight for Halloween are able to stay safe and dry!
Thank you so much to all who volunteered today! I have not heard all the stories from the students and teachers as of yet, but the ones I have heard sounded like the students had a lot of fun! Pictures will follow next week!
I can not believe that tomorrow we are starting November already and that Thursday is the last day of our first quarter! Time keeps on flying by! We are all definitely in our groove around the building. However, It is just as much fun as it was on the first day of school to walk around and see all the learning happening in all the classrooms.
With that being said, here are a couple of happenings around the school that we need to be mindful of.
1) We are still seeing a lot of students coming in late each day. Teachers normally begin their classes with community building time. This is a time when students are able to share, talk and build their relationships with their peers. When a student comes in late, they often disrupt this time and often will miss it completely. Students can begin to arrive at school starting at 8:30am. The bell will ring at 8:40 where teachers will come out and meet their classes. All classes are normally inside the building and in their classrooms by 8:45 when the late bell rings.
2) No parking zones - In front of the school as well as in back of the school we have areas that are marked off as "no parking". These spaces are marked to help ensure the safety of your students. If one is parked or stopped in a no parking area you may be unknowingly creating a situation that is unsafe or difficult for someone to do their job. I have had reports from the bus drivers that when parking in such spaces, they are unable to pull in to the bus spots to drop off the students, causing them to not be able to drop the students off on the side walk, and I have herd that when stopping or parking in front of the school, cars are unable to pass, or see students who may be crossing the street. If I can ask that we all be mindful of these areas and understand that we all want to keep our students safe.
Tomorrow, November 1st, is School- Wide Pajama Day! What a perfect way to spend the first day of November! We also are having our Author Assembly. We are very excited to welcome Keith and Chenoa Egawa, the brother and sister authors of "The Whale Child".
"In drawing from their Lummi and S’Klallam background, the Egawas bring a Native perspective that is relatively new to inclusion in children’s book publishing. And the story they tell, about the threat to Earth from pollution and global warming, is the most urgent issue of our time."
November 1st is also the first day of Native American Heritage Month. Click on the image below to watch a video for why we celebrate our Native American Heritage.
First Quarter Report Cards
For the past several years, the K-5 teachers have used conference forms instead of the K-5 report card to communicate with families about student progress in the first quarter of school.
This year, however, we are returning to the use of first quarter report cards for all grades. This means that K-5 families will receive a first quarter report card for their children in mid-November. Teachers will not have a separate conference form as well to go over when they meet with families. Teachers instead will use the report card for conference conversations along with student work, fall assessment data in order to discuss and share your students progress.
With the cold weather upon us and the school year in full swing, we are seeing an uptick in our students with colds, runny noses, fevers, stomach aches and much more. Given the past couple of years wearing masks and distancing from others it is not surprising that we all need to build back our immunity to these viruses. We are also seeing a few more Covid cases pop up. The guidance from the district as well as MESD does not have us contact trace or notify of exposure as we did last year. What is suggested is that everyone uses the self screening tool and when not feeling good or showing signs of any symptoms to stay home or test for Covid if possible.
Here are some helpful tips to how we can all help each other stay healthy!
Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often, rubbing for at least 20 seconds.
Do not share food, drinks, or personal items.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or by completely covering your nose and mouth with the inside of your elbow.
Here are some ways to protect your family and community:
Stay up-to-date on all vaccines, including COVID-19 boosters and influenza.
Limit close contact with anyone who is sick or has a new rash.
Disinfect high-touch surfaces daily.
Wear a well-fitting, multi-layered mask indoors and on public transit if local COVID-19 cases are high or you were around someone with a respiratory illness.
Check for symptoms of illness before leaving your home each day:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
New rash or sores
Sore throat
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Red eyes with drainage
Anyone who has symptoms of illness OR tests positive for COVID-19 should:
Stay home and notify their school or direct supervisor.
Wear a well-fitting, multi-layered mask around other people.
If symptoms last longer than 24 hours, consider testing for COVID-19 or visit a healthcare provider. Students may get care at a Student Health Center.
Oregon Battle of the Books
Oregon Battle of the Books season has officially started!
In the Library classes, 3rd-5th graders are learning about the fundamentals of our Abernethy OBOB program and being introduced to the books.
All parent and coach information can be found on the Abernethy Library OBOB website ,including registration, rules, FAQs and this year's titles.
For questions please email abernethybobinfo@gmail.com
November 1st
- 1st day of Native American Heritage Month
- Whole School Pajama Day!
- Author Assembly - The Whale Child
- Equity Committee 4:00 - 4:50 - Virtual
- Climate Committee - 4:00 - 4:50 - Virtual
November 2nd
- Safety Committee - 8:00 - 8:30am
- Site Council Meeting - 4:00 - 5:00
November 3rd
- School Photo's Make Up/Retake Day
- 1st Grade Field Trip to OMSI
- End of Quarter 1
November 4th - No school for Students - Teacher Report Card Day
November 11th - No School - Veteran Day
November 17th - PTA Community Meeting 6:30 - 8:30pm
November 18th - FUN For the Arts Dance Party!
November 21st and 22nd - Parent -Teacher Conferences
November 23rd - 25th - No School - Thanksgiving Break
November 25th - Native American Heritage Day
December 1st - 2nd Grade Field Trip to OMSI
November 21st and 22nd are this year's Parent-Teacher Conferences. Here are the conference links for each teacher. If you click on the picture of the teacher that you would like to conference with, you will be able to sign up. If you have any questions about conference times please email your students teacher. Our goal is to have 100% of our families attend conferences. This is a great opportunity to have a conversation with your students teacher about what is happening in the classroom and how you can support your student.
Mrs. Dunn
Please email Ms. Dunn, at mdunn2@pps.net, if you would like to set up a meeting with her.
Ms. Ryan
Please email Ms. Ryan, at lryan2@pps.net, if you would like to set up a meeting with her.
TAG REFERRAL WINDOW OPENS OCTOBER 17
The TAG referral process is live and accepting applications.
Parent Office Hours with the TAG Department
The October focus will be the TAG referral process
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, October 26 6:00-7:00 PM
Zoom link for Parent Office Hours with the TAG Department
A list of questions and answers from past meetings are in this FAQ document.
We look forward to seeing you!
Dana Nerenberg, Senior Director, Academic Programs dnerenberg@pps.net
Lisa Draper, Data Clerk ldraper@pps.net
Kim Bertelsen, TOSA: Cleveland, Lincoln, Wells-Barnett clusters kbertelsen@pps.net
Kasey Bond, TOSA: Grant, Jefferson, Roosevelt clusters kbond@pps.net
Michelle York, TOSA: Franklin & McDaniel clusters, and Special Programs myork@pps.net
Basketball Is Back!
Stay tuned for more information about the Abernethy Basketball program! The beloved program for K-2 students will be returning in the next few weeks. Recruiting coaches now and students soon. Email basketball@supportabernethy.org for more information.
