Hello, MLC community! I hope you all had a nice three day weekend in celebration of Dr. King. Here is a link with his inspirational speeches that help me to reflect on my own learnings and work towards a more peaceful world for our children.
It is the season of rainy recess and gloomy weather outside- but not inside our warm building! We are keeping learning bright and alive with creative classrooms and trips full of wonder thanks to our fabulous MLC staff. This week is getting us closer to wrapping up Quarter 2/Semester 1 of our academic year. Next week we will finish out strong on Thursday with a teacher work day/no students day on Friday. It is hard to believe that we are officially starting the second half of the school year January 30th!
Reminder:
Lunch groups started last week! If your student forgot to join - no worries! Try a club this week. We are also forming a "Student Advisory ,,, Something". We are letting the students come up with a name! This leadership group will be sponsored by Beriah and Chelsea. All grades (K-12) will have representatives as well as leads from the high school and middle school. Check out the video below for more information.
I look forward to seeing you all for a wonderful week!
Best,
Suezann
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
THIS WEEK:
1/17 Tuesday - 1x8 Winter Elective's BEGIN!
1/17 Tuesday - Hunter's Lunch Group with Ned
1/18 Wednesday - Students of Color Lunch Group with Hakim
COMING SOON:
1/26 Thursday - Last Day of Quarter 2/Semester 1
1/27 Friday - No School for Students/Teacher Work Day
Safety Updates and Reminders
6th-12th OFF CAMPUS LUNCH SIGN OUT - NEW!
Starting Tuesday January 17th, we are implementing a sign out process for students choosing to go offsite for lunch. Here is that process:
6th grade: Sign out on a clipboard in their homeroom classroom. (Maggie or Kathleen)
7th-12th: Sign out using phone or device with QR code located at the front doors or on paper sign out in the front office.
Students will not need to sign back in due to teachers taking attendance after lunch.
COVID TESTS:
MLC has received several COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test kits. The kits are available in the main office.
WEATHER:
Communications about inclement weather go out in a variety of ways, including text messages, robocalls, emails, and are posted on the PPS website. If you are a parent or guardian, a student, or a PPS staff member, you can opt in to receive texts by texting YES to 68453.
1st-8th students should not arrive to MLC before 8:15 a.m. At that time, students will need to wait outside until 8:25 unless they are eating breakfast. Breakfast students may enter the cafeteria at 8:15. Students may not enter the other areas of the school until 8:25 to start the school day at 8:30 a.m.
Unfortunately, we do not have enough staff to monitor all areas of the building and outdoors before those times. Teachers and staff are preparing for the day.
We want to make sure all students are safe and in designated areas where there is adequate supervision.
Kindergarten students will now be dropped off and picked up in the Kindergarten classroom!
Thank you for your help in keeping our students safe!
Student Spotlight
Check out our 3rd graders on an experiential learning walking field trip! Located at the esplanade by OMSI, the class visited a boulder called an erratic that was rafted here on ice during the Missoula floods about 12,000 years ago. They also checked out a depth scope where they saw that only the tops of the tallest buildings would have been under 600 feet of water!
Nicely done, 3rd graders and John!
High School Career Class Visitor!
Staff Wish List
Our hard working MLC staff is in need of a few wish list items. If you have any of these things to donate, we would sure appreciate your generosity! Feel free to reach out to the staff requester if you can help them out. Click HERE to verify DONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELP YOU HAVE ALREADY GIVEN! :)
Clothing Closet - Large plastic storage bins, clothing racks, sturdy hangers
Clement Wilson - Social Work Wishlist
PTSA News
Greetings from the MLC PTSA!
Next PTSA Meeting: Feb 7th!
Our next PTSA meeting will be in the MLC Library and on Zoom, February 7th, at 6:30-8:00
The Auction is Happening!
The Auction Team is up and running! The auction will be held at the Odditorium on April 29th. If you'd like to help, contact us at mlcauctioncommittee@gmail.com.
Our first meeting will be held Jan. 20th.
If you know an awesome business that is interested in donating to the auction, the online donation form is here: https://forms.gle/KtVSb7zwRX645uFz9
FUNDRAISING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
MLC PTSA will once again host parking for Timbers and Thorns games this school year to raise much needed funds for student activities (classroom supplies, electives, field trips, and all the reasons why we love MLC.).
Available sign-up dates are posted here.
This is a great opportunity to meet other parents. And if you have older kids, a chance to volunteer together while providing an important lesson in microeconomics! We broke the time slots into two hour shifts and two people are needed for each shift. So grab a friend, student or other parents and help support the MLC community.
We need volunteers to:
Collect parking fees
Direct cars to available spots
Assist with unlocking/locking the gates
Questions? Contact your parent coordinators Tammy or Chenney
***Even if you are not able to volunteer this time, PLEASE spread the word to your community of Timbers and Thorns fans! Thank you!! ***
Bottle Drop!
Looking for a way to help without a big time commitment? We need help with Bottle Drop!
http://www.mlcptsa.org/blog/summer-bottle-drop-info
Contact TJ at vpmlcptsa@gmail.com for details!
All this and more at mlcptsa.org
Paid Youth Opportunity: Uplift Youth Summit
Here is a cool opportunity shared by our HS Career Coordinator:
Feb. 17-20, Uplift Virtual Youth Summit, Youth ERA; Students receive a $75 stipend for participation and a chance to win a PS5, funded by a grant from the Oregon Health Authority. Now registering youth for scholarships for Oregon youth, ages 14-19.
As described by a student participant, “The main goal is to train teens in peer support so that they can be there for each other in crisis. Uplift prioritizes your mental health and as a result, teens who’ve done Uplift say they have improved self confidence and personal growth, and feel more capable in reaching out to peers.” Students will learn how to identify signs of distress, practice listening and self care skills, identify strengths, build resilience, and counter issues like bullying and youth suicide.
Adults and staff can watch this video to learn more. Youth 14-19 can apply here.
For more information, contact:
--Tanya Leib
High School Career Coordinator