The Guardian Gazette
Family Edition, March 21, 2024
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
Mark your calendar for these upcoming dates:
March 25 - 29 - Spring Break
April 3 - Community Equity Council (CEC) Meeting
April 3 - Choir/Orchestra Spring Concert
April 5 - No School for Students, Quarter 3 Grading
April 8 - PTA "Make a Difference Monday"
April 15 - Booster Club Monthly Meeting
April 19 - IBWHS Auction
April 27 - Spring Campus Clean Up
May 4 - Grad Night Fundraiser - Electronics Drive
Please see this week's Guardian Gazette, Student Newsletter for more important dates: https://www.smore.com/n/b8m4y
The Trivory Calendar: https://dash.trivory.com/calendar?school=ibw
PPS 2024-2025 School Year Calendar
NEWS FROM OUR PARENT GROUPS
Community Equity Council
The next monthly Community Equity Council (CEC) meeting will be on WEDNESDAY, April 3rd, 7:00pm-8:30pm, Room 120 in the high school. Please use doors at the back of the school near the tennis courts. New members are encouraged and welcomed.
The Community Equity Council (CEC) is a parent group focusing on inclusivity at Ida B. Wells. The members of the group have supported events and activities which lift up historically underserved students and their families, the student leaders of No Place For Hate, and culturally specific and Affinity clubs at Ida B. Wells. The CEC welcomes all parents, guardians, and community members who are interested in participating in these school based missions and learning more.
The agenda for this meeting will be about the upcoming IBW Multicultural Week, No Place for Hate Senior Celebration and Auction preparation.
PTA
The mission of the Ida B. Wells PTA is to keep parents informed, support teachers, advocate for the Ida B. Wells community, and fund teacher grants and academic programs.
PTA Fundraiser - Make a Difference Monday
Join us on April 8th for "Make a Difference Monday"
Seeking wine donations for the IBW Auction to support the IBW PTA!
We are asking for wine bottles valued at $15 or more to benefit the IBW PTA. We will have a wine wall where folks can purchase bottles at the auction. Bottles will be blinded so you may get lucky and “win” a bottle valued at $50 or more!! To make donations please contact Marci Forbes a 503-887-6331 or marcianddan@yahoo.com or you can drop off wine donations at Marci's house (3845 SW Arnold [access is on SW 39th off of Pomona]. There will be a blue bin on the porch labeled IBW donations). Thank you for supporting Ida B. Wells High School!
Booster Club
Spring Concessions
We need lots of volunteers for spring concessions! Grab a shift here. You get a great view of the field from the track shack! Click here to volunteer.
Board Members for next year
We are currently seeking volunteers to lead the Booster Club in a board member capacity. If you want to get more involved, please reach out to jessicac@ibwboosterclub.org to discuss details if you are interested.
Membership: Manage membership for the Booster Club. This position is busy in September and October and then slows down the rest of the year with the exception of attending monthly meetings.
Webmaster: Manage our website and admin our Gsuite. This is a few hours of work when the Board transfers and then this person attends monthly meetings. Most of this role can be done in pajamas from home with the exception of the meetings. You can wear pajamas, we won't judge but you may find pants more appropriate.
Vice President: Reach out to Jessica for specifics.
Signup coordinator: Manage our volunteer sign up spot for concessions. The bulk of the work is done at the beginning of each sport season and then there are periodic updates if events are changed or added. Again, a PJ friendly job with the exception of monthly meetings. .
Follow Us!
Foundation
The Glow Up Auction is April 19. It’s the IBW Foundation’s biggest fundraiser of the year and we hope to see you there.
Tickets: Meet and mingle with IBW parents while supporting our school! Purchase your tickets here: https://bit.ly/Ibwauction
Volunteers needed for the night of the auction! Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/fXbAZoz
Follow us: Facebook and Instagram to get real time auctions updates!
See all the details here: https://www.smore.com/n/q3by4
Thank you to our Auction Sponsors
Participant Level
* Robyn Hartmeyer and Leia Carlton, Real Estate Brokers with Portland’s Alternative Inc., Realtors
* Garfinkle Orthodontics
Guardian Level
* Hamish Murray Construction Inc.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE SCHOOL
Grad Night Fundraisier - Electronics Recycling
Are you planning on doing some spring cleaning during break? If so, keep in mind that the Grad Night committee is holding a 2nd Electronics Recycling Event on Saturday, May 4th. Stay tuned for more information after Spring Break.
IBWHS to support SW Hope Food Drive for Neighborhood House
IBWHS is once again a Partner in Hope for the Neighborhood House annual SW Hope Community Food Drive. See their website for more information regarding the entire event that runs through April 6: https://nhpdx.org/sw-hope/
Our IBW PositiveCharge Club is taking the lead this year but will be partnering with other school clubs to help make the 2024 drive very successful. We have set our 2024 goal at 10,000 lbs of food (or the equivalent in dollars; $1 = 4 cans of food). We think 10,000lbs is very attainable with the help from the IBWHS Community!
Our collection will run from February 23 - March 22 (extended until after Spring Break)
- General collection of canned food and non perishable goods at IBWHS. Collection bins are located
at the front entrance of the school and in front of the gym
- Collection of $ through a special account in SchoolPay https://pps.schoolpay.com/pay/for/SW-Hope-Food-Drive-for-Neighborhood-Hous/Sc6nTaD or use the QR code above.
ISO Cameras for Photojournalism Course
Dear IBW and Hillsdale families,
Next year, we're starting a photojournalism course at our school and are in desperate need of any available cameras that you may have! We unfortunately do not have any cameras in the building that we can dedicate to the course, so our hope is that some members of our community may have used (but working) DSLR cameras that they no longer have use for and are willing to part with.
Our students are going to be learning how to capture and tell a news story through their camera and have a strong emphasis on sports, while there may be assignments where they will use their phones, they will absolutely need access to professional-level cameras.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me (hkaplanminer@pps.net).
Thank you so much for your time and consideration and I look forward to working with many of you to make this course as meaningful and relevant as possible for our wonderful students!
Best wishes,
Haven Kaplan-Miner
Journalism Advisor at IBW
Absence Reporting Through ParentVUE
For current or future all-day absences, we encourage you to use ParentVUE. It is a little more streamlined than our Absence Reporting Form. In case you're having trouble finding the information, here are some instructions. How to Record an Absence on ParentVue
For past absences (within 3 school days) or partial days, please continue to use the Absence Reporting Form: Absence Reporting Form
Become a Host Family
COUNSELING CORNER
Is Social Media Addiction A Real Thing?
Do you or your kids spend too much time on their phones? Here is some great information about understanding how our brains react to phone use, particularly social media. We are learning more and more about how the digital world is affecting young people both the good and the bad, and Screenagers is one of the best sources of information for families on this very complex topic.
“As soon as you know what it feels like to get affirmations, a brand deal, 100,000 followers, you want to be in that space. And I think my brain, just quite literally if it wasn't high, it was low. And I was constantly chasing the highs of the likes,” says Lars May, a young adult who overcame what she calls an addiction to social media in her late teens.
When does the social media spider web become more than just excessive time spent on devices? When is it an addiction? I just released a podcast episode that is all about this question. In it, I spoke with Anna Lembke, head of addiction medicine at Stanford and author of Dopamine Nation, and she says,
“We may start out using social media to connect with others, and that's a real positive thing, but because of the way that social media has been engineered, which is expressly to keep us, we can stay on the platform far beyond what our initial reason for engagement was. And then we can get to a point ultimately where we're trapped there. And we're trapped there because it is manipulating the dopamine in our reward system to the point where now we have to keep engaging to prevent the comedown that occurs when we stop, which is exactly why people keep smoking cigarettes or keep drinking alcohol or keep taking a hit of cannabis.”
Read the whole transcript in today’s blog. OR, go to our Podcast page and listen to the episode. You can also catch it here: Apple Podcasts // Spotify // YouTube
Increasing Awareness about Cannabis Use Disorder in Youth
While scientists are still learning about the extent of the risks associated with using marijuana, we know that marijuana use can harm a teen’s health and wellbeing.
Fast Facts:
- In 2022, 30.7% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past year, and 6.3% reported using marijuana daily in the past 30 days.
- Compared to teens who do not use, teens who use marijuana are less likely to graduate from high school or college.
- Research shows that marijuana use during teen years can harm brain development.
How Does Marijuana Use Affect Teen Health? The teen brain is actively developing until around age 25. Marijuana use is associated with increased risk for the following issues:
- Harm to brain health. Marijuana use beginning in teen years or younger may affect brain development, which may impair thinking, memory, and learning.
- Mental health issues. Marijuana use has been linked to depression and social anxiety in adults. People that use marijuana are more likely to develop temporary psychosis, hallucinations, not knowing what is real and paranoia. As well as, long-lasting mental health disorders, including schizophrenia. The association between marijuana and schizophrenia is stronger in people who start using marijuana frequently at an early age.
- Impaired driving. Driving while impaired by marijuana is dangerous and illegal. Marijuana affects reaction time, coordination, and concentration—skills required for safe driving.
- Increased potential for marijuana use disorder. People who begin using marijuana before the age of 18 are at increased risk of developing marijuana use disorder.
Marijuana is also the single most common substance use violation In Portland Public Schools. This month we are focusing on resources and information to support staff and families in supporting our students with this complex issue.
Resources for Teens and Marijuana Use
Videos: Articles: Cannabis (Marijuana) Drug Facts (website) (NIDA) Marijuana - The Risks Are Real (SAMHSA)
COMMUNITY NEWS/RESOURCES
Summer Soccer Camps for Girls Grade 2 - 8
Please help us spread the word about these summer camps to be held by our Women's Soccer Program for Girls Grades 2 - 8.
Stephen's Creek Homework Club
Stephen's Creek Homework Club
Located in the classroom below the Main Community Room
Mondays: 4:30 - 6:00 PM
Thursdays: 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Note: We will stay until 8:00PM if students are here and need more time
Please note:
- 3rd - 12th grade students only please
- Students must have homework to enter the room
- Chromebooks, printer and supplies available
- Volunteers are available to help with homework if needed
Want more info? Please contact Austin (scchomeworkclub@gmail.com) or Fran (fbarth212@gmail.com
Who Qualifies for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP)
As of July 1, 2023, people of all ages who meet income and other criteria qualify for full OHP benefits and other services and supports, no matter their immigration status. This is possible thanks to a law called Healthier Oregon. Once students and families have OHP, they can generally access mental health and substance use services free of charge - no deductibles or co-pays.
If you have families who would benefit from having OHP all help is free and available in multiple languages. People can apply:
Online at ONE.Oregon.gov.
Through a local certified community partner.
At an ODHS office near them.
Or call 1-800-699-9075 (TTY 711) Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
General resources for families who have OHP and need help:
- Find a certified community partner.
- The OHP Handbook.
- Talk to their CCO.
- Or call 1-800-699-9075 (TTY 711) Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
Multnomah County Services
Start with 311 as your single point of access to help with any questions or local government service needs within Multnomah County.
7 days a week - 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. (excluding federal holidays)
Call: 311 / 503-823-4000
Email: 311@portlandoregon.gov
Translation services available