Maplewood Memo
April 5, 2023
WHAT'S IN THE MEMO
1. Message from Principal Galloway
2. Save the Date
3. School News
Jackson Middle School Q & A // Maplewood Read - April
4. Foundation
Auction
5. PTA
PTA Meetings & Info // Fundraising // Yearbooks // Volunteering // T-shirt Sales // Plant Sale // After School Activities
6. Nutrition Services
Breakfast & Lunch Menus - April
7. Tag
8. News from Staff
Art // Counseling // Library & Technology // PE
9. Flyers
Yearbooks // Sports //After school programs
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Welcome back from Spring Break!
I hope this was a restful and rejuvenating time for you and your family. I enjoyed some quiet time at home with a few day adventures around town. It was delightful!
This time of year always goes by so fast. I think it is because of all the extra things we have going on. For example: some classes are taking field trips (which is so great to be able to do again!) we have the auction coming up (April 15th), and the garden work party is on the 22nd. We have state testing coming up for grades 3-5 in April and May, and the carnival in May. So much packed into these few months. Before we know it, it will be June!
Monday, April 10th is not a school day so teachers have time to write report cards. Please check your child’s backpack for their report card on Monday the 17th.
This time of year is also one filled with many holidays. Recently, in a student survey, students shared that they felt their culture was not represented at school which affected their feelings of belongingness at Maplewood. In an effort to center non-dominant cultures, we will be showing a slideshow about Ramadan and Passover created by the PTA DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) coordinator. These slideshows have no reference to God, rather, they share how these holidays are celebrated, such as family gatherings around meals, etc. I am more than happy to share these slideshows with those who are interested. Please just contact me at kgalloway@pps.net and I will share. I realize sharing information about religious holidays in school may seem like we are pushing the division of church and state. Please know that the religious component of these holidays are not the focus, as I mentioned, and that the sole reason for talking about them is to help our students feel they are represented in our community and to educate all of us on the cultures of our friends and neighbors. If your child would like to share an aspect of your culture with their class please contact their teacher.
I hope this transition back to school from spring break has been a smooth one for your family. I am looking forward to a springtime at Maplewood filled with events which help connect our community closer together.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Kit
P.S. Thank you all so much for your generous donations to the food drive! Ms. Looney’s class scored the highest with their donations and won the honor of dumping water on my head! Care to watch? Click HERE.
*"Please click view entire message to read the entire news memo"
SAVE THE DATE
April 10
No School Students
April 12
Parent Information Night 7:00 p.m. at Jackson Middle School
April 14
Hanging Plant Sale orders due
April 15
Maplewood Foundation Auction at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center
(this is an adult-only event)
April 18
PTA Meeting - 6:30pm
April 22
Earth Day Wildwood & Maplewood grounds spring clean-up
with special guests, SW Watershed Resource Center
April 29
Native Plant Sale 9:00-1:00pm
May 10
Pick up Hanging Plants
May 19
Carnival
SCHOOL NEWS
Jackson Middle School Q&A with Principal Ferraro at the April PTA Meeting
Attention 4th and 5th grade families! Principal John Ferraro will be joining the April PTA meeting to discuss the transition from elementary to middle school and to answer all of your questions. Please join us on Tuesday, April 18 from 6:30-7:30 at the Maplewood Library. We are working on getting childcare for the event. Please RSVP@ maplewoodpta.com/rsvp
An immigrant family ebarks on their first camping trip in the Midwest. Fatima Khazi is excited for the weekend. Her family is headed to a local state park for their first camping trip! The school week might not have gone as planned, but outdoors, Fatima can achieve anything.
FOUNDATION
Greetings! We are just days away from the school auction at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 15th at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center! If you haven't purchased your ticket(s), please do so now as ticket sales close this weekend. To buy tickets and browse the catalog please go to the auction website.
Auction Volunteers Still Needed
We still need volunteers for the event. We have three different volunteer opportunities available: Before, During, and After. Please fill out the Maplewood Auction Volunteer Form to sign up for one or more shifts. If you want to volunteer but can't commit to a full shift, feel free to email us at: maplewoodfoundation@gmail.com.
Seating Preference Requests
Please fill out the following Seating Preference Request Form by Sunday, April 9th. This will help the auction planning team make table assignments for dinner and the live auction and help us help you optimize having an awesome time at the event!
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
April PTA Meeting
PTA meeting in the Maplewood Library on Tuesday, April 18, from 6:30-7:30 pm!
Please RSVP at maplewoodpta.com/rsvp if you can join us. We'll also have an online option if that works better for you. Meeting details are at maplewoodpta.com/meetings.
We hope to see you there!
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
Yearbooks
Order your 2022-23 Maplewood Yearbook online at: https://buytheyearbook.com/ (school ID #709537) for $25.00 through April 28, 2023!
Paper order forms are available in the school office for cash and check orders. If you have any questions, please reach out to the PTA's Yearbook Committee at maplewoodpdxyearbook@gmail.com
If you have any questions, please reach out to the PTA's Yearbook Committee at maplewoodpdxyearbook@gmail.com
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!
Plant Sale
It's time for the PTA Hanging Basket fundraiser! Sale started 3/20 and ends 4/14. All orders will be delivered May 10th after school just in time for Mother's Day.
You can also order online at this link: https://maplewood-pta.square.site/s/order
Earth Day Garden Event
Mark your calendar! Come out and help plant and clean up the green spaces at our school! Please RSVP to Emily Zahniser Sinclair if you can join.
Native Plant Sale
Mark your calendar! The annual Native Plant Sale is coming up later this month, just in time for Spring. We will also be selling Maplewood Swag and baked goods to support our school.
Maplewood Lost and Found - all items will be donated after this Friday 4/7!
Your stuff misses you - come and claim it! Click Here for link to Current Lost and Found Photos
Need help finding an item? Email Here maplewoodswag@gmail.com
NUTRITION SERVICES
TAG
Are you waiting to hear if your child qualified? The school TAG team met to review scores and data submitted by teachers and families. We sent our recommendations to the TAG Department in February. The TAG Department is making final decisions and will mail official TAG notification letters by the end of April.
If you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to Christy Caton, our MW TAG Facilitator, at ccaton@pps.net.
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, 4/26/23, and 5/31/23.
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!
NEWS FROM STAFF
Art News
From Art Room 112:
Congratulations Jo Wagner!
Portland Public Schools Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Program is resuming their annual HeART of Portland: A Portland Public Schools K-12 Arts Showcase. Each school submitted one piece of student artwork. Jo Wagner, in Mr. Manian’s 3rd grade class, was the piece of art selected to represent Maplewood this year. Along with other PPS students, Jo’s will be on display at the HOP Exhibit at the Portland Art Museum: April 11-23, 2023. Artworks then move from Portland Art Museum, to be exhibited at the Prophet Center, and returned to me the week of May 30. Here is Jo’s piece, inspired from our Jacob Lawrence art unit:
“Color is life, and light is the mother of color.”
-Alma Woodsey Thomas
March was Women’s History Month!
Women's History Month is a dedicated month to reflect on the contributions of women in United States history. From Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks to Michelle Obama, the timeline of women's history milestones stretches back to the beginning of the United States.
In 1980, U.S. President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8 National Women’s History Week. The week-long event officially became a month-long one in 1987.
Who was ALMA THOMAS?
In our art special we studied Alma Thomas who was an African American artist and school teacher. She was known for her patterned abstract style painting and for her vibrant color palette. She was a kindergarten teacher, then went on to teach art at a middle school and retired after 35 years of teaching at 68 years old! That’s when she could finally concentrate on making her own art.
She was inspired by nature which she viewed as a colorful abstract mosaic. Students’ pieces of art, inspired by Alma Thomas, used tempera paints and erasers for shaping, while mimicking her technique. Here are some examples:
Did you know...
1. 1,043 books are currently checked out.
2. 419 items are overdue... (look for them in your homes, please)
3. 105 books are lost (look even harder)
4. The Maplewood Library contains 11,633 books.
5. 5,154 books have been checked out (and re-shelved) this year, so far.
6. Following are the most frequently checked out books, in order, so far, this school year.
Minecraft Combat Handbook
Minecraft Construction Handbook
Snapdragon
Pokémon Super Extra Deluxe Essential Handbook
Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology
Small Steps : the Year I Got Polio
Guinness World Records, 2023
Spark
Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook
Guinness World Records 2019.
Ms. Kordahl
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Afterschool Activities
The Spring sessions of a number of afterschool activities at Maplewood are starting soon! You can sign up for Chess, Electronic Music, Yoga, Watercolor, Tennis, and Basketball. Full details are at https://www.maplewoodpta.com/afterschoolactivities/