West Sylvan Middle School
September 22, 2023
Greetings, West Sylvan Families!
As we head into the final week of September, there are several big things underway to share. This Monday and Tuesday, our Educator team will engage in the final process in seeking our authorization as an International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) School. You can read much more about our work as a school team and the MYP items at our dedicated website, created by our MYP Coordinator, Ms. Clair McInnis.
Throughout Monday and Tuesday, our Educators will engage in virtual interviews with the authorization team, present some videos created by our Scholars about our school, and the authorization team will be guided in some virtual classroom observations to see our scholars’ learning in action. At the conclusion of the two-day visit, we will receive some initial feedback, and then formal feedback several weeks later related to authorization. This work began in 2017, so we are very excited to be at the final step in the process!
Becoming an MYP school will give our Scholars a solid foundation of skills and global-mindedness they will need when they advance to Lincoln High School, which is pursuing its MYP authorization this Spring, and which already offers the IB Diploma Program for Juniors and Seniors. Scholars will start their IB journeys in the MYP program from 6th through 10th grade, further preparing them for the IB diploma track at LHS. By 9th grade, when students are asked whether they want to be on the IB diploma track involving rigorous coursework culminating in internationally-recognized exams, Scholars will already have the background needed to be successful IB students and the confidence to navigate advanced IB classes.
Enjoy the weekend!
Jill Hunt, Principal
Ben Keller, Assistant Principal
UPCOMING DATES
SEPTEMBER
Hispanic Heritage Month began September 15th!
- Mon-Tue, SEP 25th-26th: virtual MYP Authorization Visit
OCTOBER
- Wed, OCT 4th: LATE OPENING for Educator PD *school doors open at 11:00AM, classes start at 11:15AM. NO CHOIR meeting before school this day.
- Thu, OCT 5th: Back to School Night at West Sylvan from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- OCT 8th ~ 13th: Outdoor School for Sixth Graders (*overnight stay all week with curriculum at the camps)
- Fri, OCT 13th: NO SCHOOL for Educator Planning
- Thu, OCT 26th: Makeup Picture Day (*for Students who missed Picture Day on 9/14 )
NOVEMBER
- Thu, NOV 2nd: End of First Quarter
- Fri, NOV 3rd: NO SCHOOL for Educator Planning
- Mon, NOV 6th: Start of Second Quarter
MYP LEARNER PROFILE TRAIT
Our Scholars are practicing being “Reflective” this month, as our selected Learner Profile Trait. Goal setting for the year ahead has been occurring through Advisory, and our students have been reflecting on their learning styles and the daily habits that help them be successful in school.
SIXTH GRADE OUTDOOR SCHOOL
An informational meeting for Sixth Grade families occurred on September 14th at 6:30PM. A link to the recording is here, in the event that you were unable to attend the virtual meeting. Thank you to over 90 family members who joined to listen about Outdoor School and ask questions!
Informational Video - (45 minutes - close captioned)
WELCOME TO A NEW EDUCATOR!
We’d like to welcome Ms. Samantha Piers-VanderPloeg into the WSMS Educator team! Here is a short introduction for families:
- My name is Samantha Piers-VanderPloeg, or Ms. P, and I'll be teaching the Learning Center room 147 this year. I'm looking forward to getting to know you and guiding our kids through a great year.
First, allow me to share a little about myself. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and I have been instructing students of all ages for 15 years. Previously, I ran and taught at an alternative high school for dropped out, disengaged, first generation, students of color for the entire state of Oregon. While rewarding as it was, I am so happy to be back with my favorite age group, middle schoolers.
Outside of school, I am a mother to two crazy kids, Elijah is 10 and Lily is 7. They are energetic, feisty and time consuming. Thus, outside of school I am racing to gymnastics, hockey, baseball and horse riding lessons while trying to maintain my own mental health (modeling good habits is so important) with running and kickboxing. I am looking forward to sharing my joys in life with you all.
I truly believe that every child is wonderful in their own unique way and should be able to thrive in school; beginning with my classroom. I will strive to make our children feel comfortable, safe, heard and challenged in the classroom; so I will start our school year with plenty of activities so everyone can get to know one another.
I strive to create a space for kids to explore their own learning styles, then I'm there to help develop their interests and guide their absorption of the material, while learning about themselves and the world around them.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter of introduction. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. My email is spiers-vanderploeg@pps.net, or feel free to call me at the school during normal school hours.
** After-school sports are run entirely through PIL. West Sylvan does not have any information regarding tryouts, practices, schedules, etc. **
OPEN ELECTIVE CLASSES
Both the zero period Choir class here at West Sylvan and the Arabic class at Lincoln High School have openings for more students. For the Arabic class at LHS, only 7th and 8th graders whose schedule can accommodate this class can join. Please contact Mr. Keller at bkeller@pps.net for adding Arabic or Choir. Choir meets from 8:00AM - 8:50AM Monday-Friday each week.
POSSIBLE EDUCATOR (PAT) STRIKE
All members of our PPS community want students to remain in school! District leaders have been updating families throughout the bargaining process with PAT, the union that represents our Educators. You can read all about the process at this location. If a strike occurs, there will be no in-person or online instruction for students, until the strike ends. The first possible date when this could happen would be Monday, October 23rd. District leaders are preparing contingency plans for all potential outcomes of the bargaining process. Read more here.
NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY
HANDICAP PARKING SPACES
There are three dedicated parking spaces in the West Sylvan parking lot legally reserved for vehicles displaying a Disabled Person Parking placard. Recently, cars without placards have been using these spots, making them unavailable for those who need them. Going forward, if a vehicle is parked in a designated handicap parking space without a Disabled Person Parking placard displayed, the license plate number will be forwarded to Beaverton Police Department.
BUS BEHAVIOR
STUDENT EARLY PICK-UP
6th Grade LUNCH: 11:37 AM ~ 12:07 PM
7th Grade LUNCH: 12:31 PM ~ 1:01 PM
8th Grade LUNCH: 1:25 PM ~ 1:55 PM
BELL SCHEDULE
~ SCHOOL DOORS OPEN AT 9:00AM DAILY ~
CHROMEBOOK REPAIRS
Ms. Crombie accepts Chromebooks at the Office for repairs between 10:00AM - 3:00PM each day. Damaged devices are picked up for repair each Friday, and are usually returned the following Friday. A loaner Chromebook can be issued to students in the meantime. Remind and encourage your student to take care of their Chromebook, and keep them in protective cases. If a student does not have a protective case, the school can provide one. Chromebooks are used for class assignments daily. Students will need to charge their device each night and bring their charged Chromebook to school each day. We do not have enough loaners to give to students who forget their Chromebooks. Students and families will be responsible for paying for replacements for lost chargers throughout the 2023-24 school year. They will be ordered through PPS OTIS, and cost $12/each.
STUDENT ID CARDS
Students took their school picture on Thursday, September 14th during their Science class. All students who took their picture received a lanyard with a protective case, and we will be teaching students about this new PPS District expectation for all Middle School (and High School) students through Advisory. Many of our students are already practicing safe habits by wearing their ID to school! The updated PPS Safety Plan for Middle and High School students requires students to have their school IDs daily. Students can check out library books, buy breakfast and lunch with their IDs, and they can use this ID on school transportation to show identity. If your student was absent, there is a makeup Picture Day on October 26th.
ELECTRONICS POLICY
Social Media Blocked on PPS Devices:
New this year, our OTIS team is blocking all social media access on school devices. Also, WSMS has an expectation that cell phones are off and away throughout the entire school day, including lunch and passing periods. If you notice content that your student is accessing that you believed should be blocked, please reach out to the team at PPS OTIS.
TRANSPORTATION
A couple of buses have had late arrivals to and from school already this year, and we are hopeful that this will get better at drivers become more familiar with their routes.
COUNSELING SUPPORTS
Counselors are available by email. Please refer to the following list for your School Counselor by grade.
VOLUNTEERS
Interested in Volunteering and Being More Involved?
Become an approved PPS volunteer by following the information here. Once your application is approved, please contact the Main Office to see how and when you can be of service. Our Friends of West Sylvan parent/family organization also regularly shares ways to get involved on campus, specifically to volunteer in the Library, monitor hallways, help in the Main Office, help in classrooms, and do recess duty.
We can hardly wait to have more families involved in volunteering on campus, taking part in Friends of West Sylvan, and serving on School Site Council and School Climate Committees. If you may be interested in having a voice in one or more of these school groups, please sign up here.
OREGON BATTLE OF THE BOOKS (OBOB)
We are currently looking for parent volunteers to run Oregon Battle of the Books this year. OBOB is quite time-consuming, and we do not have adequate staffing in the Library to make it happen without a team of committed volunteers. Reach out to Clair McInnis (cmcinnis@pps.net) for details.
The Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) is a statewide voluntary reading motivation and comprehension program sponsored by the Oregon Association of School Libraries in conjunction with a Library Services and Technology Act grant. Students in 3rd-12th grade, regardless of ability, are exposed to quality literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints.
Friends of West Sylvan is parent/family organization that supports Scholars and Staff and fosters community connection through fundraising and volunteer opportunities. Join the mailing list and stay connected with other families!
CONTACT US
MAIN OFFICE
(503) 916-5690
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/ PRINCIPAL'S SECRETARY
[Staff / Substitutes / Financial]
Jerda Solonche
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/ SCHOOL SECRETARY
[Students / Attendance / Enrollment]
Kirsten Crombie
West Sylvan Middle School
Website: www.pps.net/westsylvan
Location: 8111 Southwest West Slope Drive, Portland, OR, USA