Maplewood Memo
November 23, 2022
What's in the memo
1. Message from Principal Galloway
2. Save the Date
3. School News
TAG
4. News from Staff
Counseling // Library & Technology // PE // Art
5. Volunteer
Volunteer information
6. Foundation
Foundation info
7. PTA
PTA Meetings & Info // Dine Outs
8. Reading Friends
9. Health
10. Nutrition Services
information // November menu
11. Flyers
Yalla
Principal's Message
Greetings,
With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, I want to take this opportunity to express how grateful I feel to be part of this special community of teachers and learners at Maplewood. It is a true gift to work among such talented staff and students. I want to also thank the parents and guardians for their support and for being such an important part of our children’s lives. I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.
Warmly,
Principal Galloway
Save the Date
Every Tuesday
OHSU Covid Test Returned - Optional
November 23, 24, 25
No School - Holiday Thanksgiving
December 5,
Picture Retake Day 8:00-10:00am
Friday Dec. 9, - 6-7:30pm
BIPOC/Multicultural Parent Listening Session
December 5-12
Read-a-thon (Maplewood fundraiser)
December 12
Yalla Dineout (Maplewood fundraiser)
December 19-January 2
Winter Break
School News
TAG
Parent Office Hours with the TAG (Talented and Gifted) Department
Ask questions and receive information related to TAG identification, services, processes, etc.
We will meet on Zoom, 6:00-7:00 PM on 11/30/22, 1/25/23, 2/22/23, 3/22/23, 4/26/23, and 5/31/23.
OFFICE HOURS
NEW! Parent Office Hours with the TAG Department
The October focus will be the TAG referral process
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, November 30, 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!
Every Day Labs Attendance Communication Program for the 22-23 School Year
Attending school every day possible helps students learn and stay on track.
● This year, you may receive mailed letters and/or text messages from your school about your student’s attendance.
● To ensure you receive these updates, please contact your school to make sure your contact
information is up to date.
If you need attendance support or have questions about these communications, we’re here to help: call 503-868-6970 to connect to our Family Support Team.
As Fall and Winter Break approach, we are compiling resources for families. See below for a information::
Here is a condensed list of resources compiled by Funded Programs, including Mental Health Resources, Food Pantries/Banks, Housing/Shelters, and Clothing Resources.
Included this folder are fliers with information about specific Food Box resource options available over Fall Break and Winter Break from Sunshine Division.
The PPS McKinney Vento Resource Page has more resources for families.
We are also reaching out to our SUN partners to understand what other resources they have available over the next few months.
You can always reference the ppsfamilysupports.com for additional resources.
News From Staff
Counseling:
Hope that everyone is enjoying their break and getting some rest. A few things that I wanted to mention:
*If your family is struggling financially, please reach out to me so that we can send along resources, vouchers, and information. My email is kcunninghamparm@pps.net
*We are collecting $25 Fred Meyer gift cards to distribute with food boxes over school breaks. If you'd like to donate these to the school, please bring those to the main office. If you'd like a tax receipt, please let us know and we can provide that.
*We partner with Neighborhood House to provide food boxes for Maplewood families. If you do end of the year giving, consider a donation to this charity that works in our neighborhood serving Maplewood families. You can donate online at https://nhpdx.org/donate2/
Thank you Maplewood! It is an honor to serve this community.
Kendall Cunningham
Maplewood Elementary School Counselor
M-F 7:45-3:30
503-916-6308
Check out my website here for videos, resources, and info on our program at Maplewood!
Counseling Request Google Form
Library & Technology:
Many thanks to the amazing PTA-run Book Fair!
Ms. Kordahl
PE News:
We are starting jump roping next week! Students will be making personal goals and striving to reach them. We will be using our growth mindsets (click HERE to know what a growth mindset is) to understand that we all learn at different rates and we can continue to learn and grow. How do we get better at jumping rope? We just keep jumping rope! WEARING TENNIS SHOES WILL HELP KIDS BE SAFER AND MORE SUCCESSFUL WHEN USING JUMP ROPES!
Ms. Weatherill
Art
Artist of the Month in Art Special: Paul Cézanne
Paul Cezanne was an artist who lived in France during the 1800’s and was known for being a ‘post impressionist’ painter focusing on shapes, colors and forms. Cezanne was most famous for his still life, meaning objects on a table close together. All students worked on their own version of his famous Still Life with Apples. We started with sketching in our art journal with pencil, then moved on to sketching onto gray paper and adding color using oil pastels, baby oil, and our finger!
Ms. Smith
Volunteer
Volunteer info
We are excited to welcome volunteers into the building and classrooms this year. All volunteers must show proof of vaccination, clear a background check (https://www.pps.net/volunteer), and sign-into the Raptor system located at the main office on arrival and sign-out when leaving campus.
We can’t wait to have you in school with us!
Lunch Volunteers
We need 2-3 parents to volunteer for lunch duty, to help keep kiddos on task eating and give our teachers a break. Here are the time slots - message Lauren at 541-968-9140 or Maplewoodvolcoord@gmail.com to sign up!
K-1st: 11:20-11:45
2nd & 4th 11:50-12:15
3rd & 5th: 12:20-12:45
Foundation
Maplewood Foundation is a volunteer, parent-led, non-profit that raises funds for staff at Maplewood Elementary. This year we have a goal to raise $60,000 to fund two Educational Assistant positions for next school year. Check out this link to learn more about what EAs do for our school.
Seeking Volunteers for the Spring 2023 Auction
The auction is our largest fundraiser of the year and is a fun and meaningful way to get involved and support critical staffing needs for our school. Some ways you can get involved include:
- Event team. For the in-person part of the event, the event team handles theming, decorations, hosting guests, and the check-in and check-out processes.
- Social Media and Communications. This is the auction’s voice and main promotion strategist. Seeking volunteers who have marketing or PR experience and/or are active on social media.
- Donate to the auction or help gather donations. Do you have a vacation home? We are looking for vacation rentals for the virtual live auction. Do you have a service or an item to donate? Can you help us connect with local businesses and vendors to gather donations for the auction?
Please consider volunteering. Our current team is small but mighty and cannot do this without your help. If you are interested or have questions please email us at maplewoodfoundation@gmail.com or call Jeannette Taylor at 503.901.9813.
Other Ways to Donate
- Monthly recurring donation. A monthly donation is the most convenient and effective way to give to Maplewood. Even small monthly donations make a big impact over time. Set up your monthly recurring donation here.
- One-time contribution. This is a great option for grandparents, extended family, and loving neighbors to support your Maplewood student. Make a one-time contribution here.
- By check. We are happy to receive donations by check made out to Maplewood Foundation and dropped off at the school or mailed to the school at 7452 SW 52nd Ave, Portland, OR 97219.
- Fred Meyer Rewards Program Contribution. If you shop at Fred Meyer and are part of their rewards program, you may designate those reward savings to the Maplewood Foundation. It’s super easy and you can learn more here (sign in and search for Maplewood Foundation or IF500): https://www.fredmeyer.com/i/community/community-rewards.
- BottleDrop Donations. Individuals can donate funds from their BottleDrop account balance to your Give account by logging into their account and using this link or connecting with the Foundation for bag tags.
- Matching employer contribution. Ask your employer if they have a matching program for donations to non-profits. Click here for a list of already participating employers.
Slides: Why do we need Educational Assistants
PTA
PTA Meetings
Join us at the PTA meeting every month to learn about upcoming projects, events, priorities, and to share your thoughts! PTA Meetings occur the third Tuesday of every month from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Become an Oregon PTA Member; this supports our school and allows you to vote during meetings. (You don't have to be a member to attend meetings, just to vote.) https://www.oregonpta.org/membership
November PTA Meeting
Please join us at the next PTA meeting on Tuesday, December 20, from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.
- Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84322901573?pwd=RmdkaVRzaDIxR0JudkNURTI5OEk2Zz09
- Passcode: PTA
- Full details and recaps of past meetings at maplewoodpta.com/meetings/
Maplewood PTA
The Maplewood PTA strives to serve our school’s community of teachers, staff, parents, and students. We have lots of amazing things planned this year to support our school!
Stay up to date on events and more
Sign up for the Maplewood PTA email list
Follow Maplewood PTA on Instagram
Fundraising to Support Maplewood
Take this brief survey to let us know your preferences about which fundraisers you love (or don't) to help us plan out the 2022-2023 school year!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5XKDL66
Amazon Smile
Make sure you've selected "Maplewood Elem PTA" as your Amazon Smile donation recipient. Link: https://smile.amazon.com/charity/select/search?orig=&category=all&query=maplewood+elem+pta
Once selected, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to Maplewood at no cost to you! Make sure you shop using smile.amazon.com. More information here: http://maplewoodpta.com/donate
Dine Outs
Yalla - Dine Out December 12th
Reflections Contest
Participate in our friendly Arts Contest at Maplewood! The team is "Show Your Voice!"
The PTA Reflections submission deadline is December 1st.
Unleash your children's creative talent in drawing, creating, writing, photography, dance, music or videography! More information on the flyer and in the student packet.
Contact Clémence at MaplewoodPTAreflections@gmail.com for any questions.
Yearbooks
We are excited to share that the 2022-23 yearbooks are now available for purchase! You can order yours now online at: https://buytheyearbook.com/ (school ID #709537), for the early bird price of $22 through January 31, 2023 ($25 thereafter).
Paper order forms will be sent home in the weeks ahead for cash and check orders.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the PTA's Yearbook Committee at maplewoodpdxyearbok@gmail.com
Reading Friends
The PTA Reading Friends program is still looking for volunteers!
This is a once a week, 30 minute time commitment - starting the week of November 28th until the end of the school year.
You get to pick the time that works best for you out of many time slots. Help foster the love of reading by being a Reading Friend!
We welcome grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors...they just need to have filled out the PPS volunteer information: https://www.pps.net/volunteer.
If you are interested, please fill out this survey and the coordinators will be in touch with you: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3FR52BM
Any questions? Reach out to Kari Martin and Clémence Tiradon, our Reading Friends Coordinators, at maplewoodrf@gmail.com.
Nutrition Services
PK - 12 SCHOOL MEAL PAYMENTS AND ACCOUNT BALANCES
STUDENT MEAL ACCOUNT BALANCES AND PAYMENTS
The Nutrition Services team is so thankful to see and serve so many students this year. To help communicate meal account balances to families, the Nutrition Services department will start sending notifications and friendly reminders to families whose student’s meal account no longer has funds on it to purchase school meals. Remember, families may apply for free or reduced price meals at any time throughout the school year and must apply every year to maintain eligibility. We recommend that families continuously check their student account balances. All families can check their account balances online with SchoolCafe at any time (and there is no charge to view your accounts). The school kitchen teams and the NS central office is also happy to assist with checking account balances and status.
Families have the following options to pay for school meals:
Pay as you go: Bring cash or check (payable to Portland Public Schools) directly to the cafeteria or school office.
Prepay for meals with cash or check (payable to Portland Public Schools) in the cafeteria*. Funds will be deposited into the student meal account. Purchases will be deducted from the account balance.
Pay with a debit/credit card using SchoolCafe, a secure online meal payment system. NOTE: There is a minimum payment of $15 and a 5% fee per online transaction.
Whitney Ellersick, Senior Director, wellersick@pps.net
POP UP WATERCOLOR
Watercolor for Kids Holiday Pop-Up:
3 Weeks, $75,
Thursdays, Dec-1-15, 2:20-3:30
No matter which winter holiday your family celebrates, the paintings that the kids will create will bring joy and love to your home.
Cardinals, Holiday Sloths, and Gingerbread People
Sign up here: