Duniway Dispatch
March 22, 2024
Calendar
- March 25-29: Schools Closed for Spring Break
- April 1: First Day Back from Spring Break
- April 5: Schools Closed - No School for Students
- April 10: Connect for Kindergarten for Incoming Families
- April 12: Class Group Photos with Dorian (optional personality photo)
- April 26: Duniway Auction
- May 8: Connect to Duniway for Interested Families
- May 17: Duniway Fund Run
- May 27: Schools Closed - No School for Students
- May 30: Duniway Spring Showcase
- June 7: Duniway Parade and Carnival
- June 14: Last Day of School
Principal's Message
Dear Duniway School Community,
We made it! Welcome to Spring Break. The last stretch, from the ice storm to now, is one of our longest of the year. Students and staff have done a terrific job of focusing on academics and learning. When we return, the quarter ends soon after, on April 5th, and report cards will go home in backpacks the following Friday, April 12th. A friendly reminder, as stated above, there is no school on Friday April 5th, 2024 for student; it is a grading day for teachers.
Duniway Auction:
Our Duniway Auction is around the corner. This jungle-themed event takes place on April 26th, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Left Bank Annex. You don't want to miss out on this incredible evening that supports our students. Early bird tickets are on sale now at https://duniway.schoolauction.net/auction2024/homepages/show, and if you purchase before March 29th, you will receive a free ticket(s) to the after-party.
Foundations in jeopardy:
There has never been a more uncertain time for foundations in Portland Public Schools. The board is currently considering a proposal to end independent foundations starting in the 2025-26 school year. Now is the time to act! You can help by emailing board members and stating why it is essential not to eliminate foundations during these financially challenging times in PPS. Your voice matters. Here are a few talking points:
- Foundations invest over 4 million dollars in PPS schools, with 35% or more of that going to the Fund for PPS, which is distributed to schools receiving equity funds. There is no reason to take this away during an austere time.
- Schools like Duniway do not receive any extra funding for positions. We have some of the largest class sizes in PPS, and the foundation supports the employment of education assistance and student-facing support positions that help us get to baseline, helping provide necessary support to students and the schoolhouse.
- Until we arrive at an adequate funding model at the state level, foundations serve as a necessary function. Getting rid of them without first having a way to staff better the buildings that would be effective is short-sighted and will cause considerable problems in the short and long term.
You can learn more about our foundation here: https://duniwayfoundation.org/
The email addresses for the board members are here: https://www.pps.net/Page/1788
Thank you for your support and for using your voice.
Duniway history project:
Our 5th-grade teacher, Loren Chasse, is doing a project on the history of our school. He'd love to connect with families, former students, and folks who went to Duniway. If you went to Duniway or know folks who did, please reach out to him at lchasse@pps.net. He is looking to work on this over spring break, so please don't hesitate to connect with him.
Upcoming spring events:
We are happy to announce that we will hold two special events this spring.
First, we will have a Duniway Spring Showcase (learning celebration) on May 30th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. All grade levels will participate. During this time, we will open our doors and welcome students and families in for an evening showcasing student work and student art. This event was a long-standing tradition at Duniway, and we are excited to welcome it back.
Next, we will have a Whole-School Duniway Sneak Peek on Wednesday, June 12th, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. At this event, students will visit the classrooms of the following grade and learn about what is in store for them in the 2024-25 school year. We have found that this event gets students excited and alleviates anxiety about the transition ahead; more information will come on these events as we get closer to them.
Have a wonderful and safe spring break! I am looking forward to a beautiful April at Duniway, ending with our Duniway Auction. Spring is always a wonderful time in Eastmoreland.
Thank you for all you do to make Duniway a fantastic community to raise and educate kids. I am grateful to partner with you as the principal at Duniway. Please don't hesitate to reach out if anything comes up.
Best.
Principal Rafferty
2nd Grade Portfolio Showcase (3-22-24)
Duniway Auction Tickets on Sale!
The Duniway Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year is coming up Friday, April 26 at Leftbank Annex and you definitely won’t want to miss this evening out with Duniway families and teachers.
If you haven’t already, check out the important work our Duniway Foundation does to help keep class sizes small and help enrich the lives of our students. Meet our incredible EAs who support our students daily in our classrooms.
Follow us on Insta for all of the latest!
Spring After-School Activities
Don't forget to register your student for after-school activities available right here at Duniway. We offer a wide variety of activities from acting/theater to art to electronic music and so much more! Registration information can be found on Konstella
Change in Start and Ends Times for the Next School Year in 2024-25
Beginning next school year, 2024-25, we added 15 instructional minutes for elementary and middle school students and provided all middle school students with a seven-period day. Accommodating these changes while supporting 410 minutes per week of teacher planning time and aligning our transportation systems requires us to adopt common start and stop times:
At K-5 schools, students will start at 8:00 AM and end at 2:30 PM (This includes Duniway)
At K-8 schools, all students will start at 8:45 AM.
K-5 students will end at 3:15 PM.
6-8 students will end at 3:30 PM
At middle schools, students will now start at 9:15 AM and end at 4:00 PM
At high schools, students will now start at 8:26 AM and end at 3:30 PM
District Calendar for 2024-25
2024-25 District Calendar
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Spring has Sprung!
Photos by Lucy Greenfield, Duniway Parent