Skyline K-8 News
December 20, 2019
From the Principal
Happy Friday!
We hope you all have a nice, relaxing vacation and enjoy time with your family and friends. We look forward to seeing everyone in 2020!
Congratulations to all of our IB “Thinker” student award winners along with our Golden Award class winners. A huge thank you to Miss Allie and the students from the Unity Club for leading the assembly and to Mrs. Sammons’ and Mrs. Nagel’s family groups for their IB Thinker presentation! Thank you to everyone who attended and came to Pastries with the Principal after the assembly.
Skyline K-8 had a team of six staff members; Bianca Arias, Julie Melton, Melissa Dunn, Megan Kindred, Sarah Barten and BG Aguirre who attended the PPS MTSS Coaching Academy on December 10th and 11th. We look forward to sharing what we learned with staff at our next two upcoming staff meetings in January. To learn more about MTSS, please check out the MTSS district website https://www.pps.net/domain/5007.
As indicated in our newsletter December 6th, Pam Joyner will be at Skyline for three days a week throughout January and February. Pam is a retired PPS principal and currently serves as a substitute administrator and principal mentor. She brings years of experience to the job and is excited about working with us. We will be holding a Meet and Greet for parents on Tuesday, January 7th from 5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. in the Skyline K-8 library. Please come introduce yourself and meet Pam!
All the best,
Mrs. Aguirre
If you are not following us on Twitter @BGAGUIRRE1 and @skyline_ib, you are missing out! It has been so much fun watching all of our students engaged in learning while also being safe, respectful, responsible and IB ready. You can also follow Portland Public School at @PPSConnect!
NEXT WEEK AT A GLANCE
Monday:
Weekly Office Meeting 10:00a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
IB/PLC Debrief Meeting 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday:
Weekly 1:1 Principal Meeting with School Counselor 9:00 a.m. - 10: 00 a.m.
Weekly 1:1 Principal Meeting with IB TOSA 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Staff Meeting in the Library 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday:
SIT Committee Meeting 7:50 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. in Mrs. Dunn’s room
Family Group Activity 8:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
IB/PLC Prep 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m..
Specialist Professional Learning Committee 1:40 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in Mrs. Dunn’s room
Thursday:
Middle School PLC Meeting 7:50 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. in Mrs. Dunn’s room
Skyline School Visit 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
3-5 Professional Learning Committees 1:40 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in Mrs. Dunn’s room
Friday:
K-2 Professional Learning Committee 1:40 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in Mrs. Dunn’s room
Upcoming Events
December
23-Jan 3 - Winter Holiday Break
January
6- Welcome Back!
15-Site Council Committee
3:30-4:30 PM
16- *PTA Meeting 6:00 PM,
Foundation Meeting,
7:00 PM
20- Martin Luther King Holiday
22- IB Assembly- Principled, Marimba Assembly
8:45-9:15 AM
22- Pastries with the Principal
9:15-10:00 AM
22- Marimba Concert K-6
6:00 PM
27- Teacher Planning Day- No Students
*PTA Sponsored Event
Lunch Volunteers
We would love to continue to have lunch volunteers daily from 11:00 a.m. - 11:40 a.m. for our K-2 lunch and recess after winter break until spring break. Please email or call Debbi in the main office if you are interested in volunteering. Thank you in advance.
Lost and Found
Please take a moment to check the Lost & Found outside the main office when you are in the building!
Student Council
This week we had our first student council meeting with our elected officers. Our first item of business was to address the middle school card system at lunch. For those of you who do not know of the card system, or heard rumors of such, it is a system that came out of a middle school teacher meeting a couple of years ago. It was designed to help foster inclusivity within our middle school lunch. Teachers and administrators observed that at lunch many students were sitting alone, or having feelings hurt by other groups of students who were sitting at their tables or tables around them. When new students came into our school observations were that they were having a hard time finding people to sit with and often ended up eating alone. This system was designed with the best of intentions as we are a small middle school and have opportunities that other schools do not have in fostering inclusivity and a sense of community.
Yesterday in our meeting we heard from many student council voices regarding feelings around this system. After a long discussion, the student council voted on a solution that they want to try out for the month of January. Observations will be made and grade level reps will hear from students in their grade level regarding the new system. They will report back to our meetings. As IB learners, we are always reflective and open-minded and will continue our conversations.
Here is the system that the Student Council agreed to try out:
Instead of cards (hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades), there will be colors. Our school colors of blue and yellow. Each table will have a color and students will use the colors when sitting at tables.
Monday and Friday will be free sit days
Tuesday and Thursday will continue to be lanyard days. Those who do not have lanyards will be given a color, blue or yellow, and they will sit at that color table. I am also encouraging all students to apply for lanyards!
Wednesday will be the Mix-it-up day for all middle school where all students get a color and all are encouraged to sit next to someone that they would not normally sit next to at their tables.
This new system will start when we return in January.
If you have any questions or comments, always feel free to contact me!
Mrs. Dunn
TAG Corner
All TAG Nomination forms have been turned in! Thank you to all teachers and families who have turned in their forms. If you are a second grade parent/guardian, the 2nd grade Intellectual TAG test results are not in as of yet. As soon as they are in, I will notify teachers and they will send nomination forms home to all those who qualify.
If you have any questions please feel free to email me at mdunn2@pps.net or call at 503-916-5212.
State Testing
As we all look at our year ahead, I wanted to share some testing information. Our State Testing window opens for Science on January 7th, 2020. However, we do not begin testing our students in Science until later in the school year, April or May. The testing window opens for Math and English Language Arts on March 9th, 2020. Last year the staff and I looked at and reflected on best practices for testing. Testing should not be stressful, punitive or in any way cause a student to feel any amount of anxiety. Testing also should not cause teachers to lose excessive amounts of instruction. With the reflections from last year, and previous years, the staff and I are creating schedules, support and systems to ensure all students are feeling successful. Please know that all assessments provide teachers and schools with information to celebrate successes, student growth as well as improve on practices and instruction. If you ever have any questions or concerns always feel free to reach out to me. I will always share information that I receive from the district to best communicate with the Skyline Community.
Library/ Technology
Save the Date- Marimba Concert
Skyline Marimba Concert
Wednesday, January 22, 6 pm (and 9 am school-wide assembly)
Skyline School Gym
K-5, Choir, and 6th Grade also!
Immunizations
If your child is still incomplete in their immunizations, please make arrangements to obtain vaccinations and to provide this information to the school. Exclusion day for state-required vaccinations is Wednesday, February 19, 2020. Students who are not current will not be able to attend school until current immunization records are provided to school staff.
--M.Ross, School Health Assistant
(503)916-5212
2019-20 Eighth Grade Information Nights
Dear families,
Eighth-grade students in Portland Public Schools will have a chance to see their future high schools when informational sessions are held throughout the district from October to January. Neighborhood, focus-option and alternative high schools will give students and families the opportunity to tour the campus, meet staff and learn more about the academic and athletic programs offered. The different nights are listed below and if you have questions please reach out to the high schools.
Benson Polytechnic High School
Tech Show, April 16 & 17, 2020 6-9 p.m.
Timeline
Lottery/Transfer Application Timelines for the 2020-21 School Year:
- Middle & High School applications available November 5-December 3
- K-5 applications available February 5-March 6
Winter Weather Update
PTA Connection
• Missed the presentation but want to learn more about the Cascadia Subduction Zone and why preparation is so important for all of us in Portland? Learn more at: https://www.tippingpointresilience.com/.
• Also, check out and become a member of Parents4Preparedness, a group of Portland parents, educators, and concerned community members focused on earthquake safety in schools: https://sites.google.com/view/parents4preparedness
JOIN SKYLINE EMERGENCY TEAM (“SET”)
Earthquakes can strike at any time and without warning. How well are you and your family prepared for an emergency such as an earthquake? Skyline PTA’s Emergency Preparedness Committee is working with Principal Aguirre and Skyline Ridge Neighborhood Association (SRN) (collectively called Skyline Emergency Team, or SET) to help ensure our school and our community are prepared for emergencies such as a Cascadia Subduction Zone event.
SET meets on most third Fridays of the month in the Teachers’ Lounge. Our next meeting is on:
Friday, January 17, 2020
2-3 p.m.
Teachers’ Lounge
Emergencies such as earthquakes may seem daunting, but preparing for them should not be. Help us to prepare, and to make awareness and preparedness a year-long norm at Skyline. If you can’t come to the meeting but want to be kept in the loop, send an email to Clarissa at: skylineschoolpta@gmail.com so that your address can be added to our email distribution list.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Reunification Drill Friday,
May 22, 2020
It’s official! With the help of PPS and Principal Aguirre, Skyline’s School Emergency Team has scheduled a Reunification Drill on Friday, May 22, 2020. Flyers will soon be sent home with kids detailing the Drill and the various information we require from you in anticipation of it. We may also have a couple of informational nights for Q&A’s. Stay tuned!
YOUR HOMEWORK
(1) Update “school-area” emergency contacts with the school. If you live or work across a river or bridge from Skyline, you may or may not be able to get up to school in a timely manner in the event of an earthquake. Please list several school-area people on your child’s current emergency contacts' list (by “school-area” we mean friends, neighbors, parents who live or work in or around our school, and who in event of an emergency would be able to get to school before you). Please provide Debbi in the office with your updated school-area emergency contacts' list by January 31, 2019. Thank you!
(2) Sign up for emergency alerts so you know when something big is happening. https://www.publicalerts.org/
(3) Come up with a family plan. Get info about how to prepare your family and your community. Learn how to make a family plan, build emergency kits, stay informed, etc. https://www.publicalerts.org/get-ready
(4) Involve your children in the conversation. Check out these Sesame Street resources at: https://www.sesamestreet.org/toolkits/emergencies
(5) Come to our SET meeting on Friday, January 17 from 2-3 p.m. and/or our PTA meeting on Thursday, January 16 from 6-7:30 p.m.
PTA Family STEAM Night
6-8 p.m.
Skyline Gymnasium – hands-on activities
Skyline Cafeteria – potluck dinner
In April, Skyline PTA is hosting a schoolwide STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) Night! Everyone is invited! Our gym will be filled with different hands-on activities and stations for you and your kids to experience together. There will be a potluck dinner in the cafeteria, too. No need to worry about making dinner ahead of time! Just come! It’s going to be a fun-filled CELEBRATION of all things STEAM.
BUT, we need your help! We’re looking for adult volunteers to run the interactive activities (one volunteer per activity). We've got a list of suggested activities, but welcome your own. Each activity should last about 10 minutes. All activities need to be conducted in the gym itself. No experience in STEAM required! But certainly, if you work in STEAM on a daily basis, PLEASE HELP! Contact me! Email: skylineschoolpta@gmail.com
We hope STEAM Night will spark enthusiasm for STEAM in our children and engage families, foster connections, and encourage lifelong learning!
Have a most excellent Winter Break with friends and family.
See y’all next year!
With Kindness,
Clarissa Kearns
Skyline PTA President
Congratulations!
LCC’s “Darth Builders” Compete at FIRST LEGO Tournament!
A heartfelt thank you to Kate Horan and Jena Dyer for leading this year’s crew of Legos robotics fanatics, who affectionately called themselves The Darth Builders, to a *STELLAR* finish at this past Saturday’s FIRST LEGO League tournament at Intel! They placed 10th in the Robot Run and 7th for Core Values and Project. Way to go! This opportunity was made possible by the generous financial support of the Linnton Community Center (LCC), and Tim and Suzy Kristin. Thank you!
Kate intends to coach another team (4th-8th graders) beginning in August. It’s an awesome experience! Please contact her with interest. This year, the team was comprised of kids who attend multiple schools but who all have the LCC in common.
Current and former Skyline students who participated include Julian Theriault (6th), Jackson Salter (4th), Wes Dyer (5th), Gwendolyn Lurie (3rd), Elise Dyer (5th), and Owen Hanson (8th).
AmazonSmile
STAFF APPRECIATION
We try to provide snacks for staff meetings every Tuesday Afternoon.
Please sign up for a day!
Contact Susan Heffernan is you have questions.
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30e0c44a9a92aa2f85-teacher1
Skyline Community Partnership Fundraising Events 2019-2020
Skyline Community Partnership Fundraising Events 2019-2020
Please support these businesses who are donating a portion of their profits back to our school. Enjoy the best of local food, shopping & entertainment and raise funds for our PTA! Questions? Contact Nicole - nicoleoanderson@gmail.com
Skyline + Sit Still Hair Salon (Bethany Village)
20% of haircut sales to Skyline families back to our PTA during the month of January! See attached flyer for details
Skyline + Sweet Tomatoes Beaverton
Thursday, January 9
20% of all Skyline sales back to our PTA. See attached flyer for details.
Skyline + Garnish Apparel
Thursday, February 20 - Sunday, February 23
20% of your purchase from this Skyline mom-owned women's boutique back to our PTA. Your perfect outfit for the Rock & Roll auction is here! The weekend will culminate in a Private Shopping Party for the Skyline community at 4pm on Sunday, February 23. Details to come.
Foundation Information
1. What does the money raised from Foundation pay for at Skyline?
A: The money we raise can only go directly to pay for (FTE) Full-Time Equivalent employees or staff.
2. How much support did Skyline staffing get for our current school year?
A: Last year’s auction raised enough to support .75 of an FTE and .45 of an (EA) Educational Assistant.
3. What are the ways I can donate to the Foundation?
A: You can sign up to donate online through fundforpps.org as a one-time or monthly giving, write a check made to “fund for pps” (memo -skyline), or come and support the auction in the spring!
4. Who are the members of the board and how can I contact them?
A: Our board members are:
Tiffani Torgeson – chair – torgesontiffani@gmail.com
Liz Ascher – co-chair – leezard85@yahoo.com
Erika Gustafson – secretary – emacy.gustafson@gmail.com
Michelle Ruppelt – interim treasurer – ruppeltfamily@yahoo.com
Morgan Bors – auction chair – skylineauction@gmail.com
Skyline Auction
As we head into the holiday break, I want to keep the AUCTION on your mind! Starting in January we will be ramping up and reaching out to encourage you to attend, and asking for donations!
A few things to think about over the break!
*We need baskets! If you are gifted a basket, please save it for us! Drop off at school or my house (anytime)!
*We need WINE! If you find yourself with extra wine after things wind down, we would happily take it off your hands! Bottles should be $15 value or higher.
*We will take any gift cards you don’t plan to use, and unopened/new toys! We love small items too, as we group into baskets so nothing is too trivial!
*There are tax receipts available for all donations!! They are in the office and copy room where there is a large tub for items. Unfortunately, wine cannot be left at the school so please reach out to me, or Jacki George, and we will arrange the transfer.
Warm wishes to you all during this Holiday Season,
Morgan Bors
Skyline Auction Chair
Ph# 503-888-5133
March 14th, 2020
Buy Tickets & Donate: SkylineAuction.com
Kristin Rader, local Skyline resident & Realtor donates $100 for every sale closed in the Skyline area AND $100 for any Skyline School family who refers a new client to her (when the sale closes). The numbers are great this year! So far $1400!! Yay! And there is still time to get in a few more!
We’re at a total of $5500 in just 6 years of this donation program ☺
Kristin Rader
Principal Broker
Keller Williams Realty Sunset Corridor
503-539-6946
Backpack Program
Hello Skyline Families –
Our wonderful school has an important program that helps fellow Skyline families that are in need of grocery help.
Usually, we get our food for the Backpack program from Sunshine Pantry in Beaverton. Sadly, they are in the midst of moving facilities and cannot help us right now.
I am asking that you, our awesome families, help us out until we can resume our regular food pick up.
I ask that you drop non-perishables at the school near the office. We are looking for pasta, sauce, fruit cups or squeezes, cereals, beans, veggies, canned meats. Anything your family would consume can be donated. Remember shelf-stable foods only.
Thank you,
Liz Ascher
Backpack Program Chair
Winter Session After School Bird Art Classes
Registration for the winter session of watercolor classes with Ronna Fujisawa is OPEN! Ronna has truly enjoyed getting to know our kids this fall, and can't wait to meet even more this winter. Teacher Tom has again graciously agreed to loan his room for Ronna's class!
When: Thursdays, January 9 - March 19, 2020
Time: 3:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Price: 11 classes for $275 or drop-in for $35/class
Location: Room 217 (Teacher Tom's classroom)
All supplies and snacks included.
Register here: https://www.saltywaterart.com/sign-up-for-classes
Students will learn about local birds and their distinguishing characters, and how to paint them in watercolor using basic visual fundamentals and various techniques in watercolor painting. During the winter term the class will be looking at different styles of art through history. Join the fun! Open to all ages!
Financial assistance is available on a first come basis!
Scholarship: Ronna is offering one full scholarship for a family who needs assistance. Please email Ronna directly to inquire: ronnafujisawa@me.com.
Financial Aid: Ronna is also offering 2 spots for this class at a 50% discount. Please email Ronna directly to inquire: ronnafujisawa@me.com.
QUESTIONS? Email Ronna at: ronnafujisawa@me.com.
Rock Dojo
Hello Lincoln Youth Baseball Families!
We are excited to announce that Registration for Spring Baseball is officially OPEN! Coaches can register now too.
Please regsiter your player at: www.LincolnYouthBaseball.com
T-ball- Prek and Kindergarten
A-ball- 1st grade
AA-ball- 2nd grade
AAA/Minor's- 3/4th grade
Major's- 5/6th grade
Seniors- 7/8th grade
Please email us with questions: lincolnyouthbaseballsoftball@gmail.com
GO CARDS!
Lincoln Youth Boys Lacrosse
Lincoln Drama
We’d like to invite our community to join the cast of Fiddler on the Roof in our Ensemble.
LINCOLN DRAMA PRESENTS FIDDLER ON THE ROOF SHOW DATES APRIL 23, 24, 25, 30 and MAY 1 & 2
Auditions are on:
Wednesday, January 8th Grade School: 3:30-4:30 pm
Middle School: 4:30-5:30pm
Adults: 5:30-6:30pm
Please prepare 16-32 measures from a musical theatre song with accompaniment from a pre-recorded device or from sheet music.
There will be an opportunity for everyone to be on stage. Please join us for this community production!
Please contact Jim Peerenboom with any questions at jpeerenb@pps.net