April 01, 2019

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Message from Principal Heather Hull

Dear Families,

Welcome back from Spring Break. I hope everyone was able to spend at least a bit of quality family time together this past week. I am hopeful that everyone comes back healthy and happy, ready to have a fantastic end to the year.

If you didn’t see the email from Dr. Curtis right before Spring Break, the school year has been extended. June 10 and 11 will now be school days. The letter also stated the following information:

In addition, we are monitoring what the Oregon Education Association has designated as a statewide “Day of Action” on May 8, as there could be staffing impacts that require us to close schools on that day. We expect at least some district teachers to be absent on May 8 to join the Day of Action in Salem. If projected absences reach a point where we cannot confidently offer a safe and meaningful instructional day to students, we will announce a district-wide closure for May 8 and make up that instructional day for grades PK-11 on June 12, with an alternate plan for seniors.

Before the break I shared information about staffing in the Monday Mailer and at the Community Meeting. If you were not able to attend the meeting, here are the presentation I shared and the meeting notes. These give you a picture of our staffing and class sizes for the coming year.

Site council also met right before break reviewing the survey results. The group also analyzed the comments for each of the sections. Some themes noted were:

The need to clearly state that if you have an issue that needs to be addressed and are unsure where to find the necessary help, please check in at the office. Julie and Christine are a wealth of information and will connect you with any needed assistance.
We want Abernethy to feel welcoming to all. It appears the building as a whole feels welcoming, but people are feeling a bit disconnected when they aren’t able to regularly come into the building during school hours or attend PTA meeting/events. The school and PTA will continue to work together to create a welcoming community. The Monday Mailer and teacher newsletters are tools we use to communicate and foster a sense of inclusion. If you are feeling disconnected and have some suggestions, please reach out to me, your teacher, or the PTA.
Most people seem satisfied with the homework policy. Comments do however highlight a desire to understand what students are learning in the classroom. This desire could be satisfied with optional homework, clearer communication in teacher newsletters, or other resources. We will discuss this as a staff to determine next steps.
The survey also shows a desire for more science. Teachers are currently using a mixture of district curriculum and Mystery Science units. The district is now working on creating the K-5 science curriculum aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Site Council will also be connecting with a science teacher over at Hosford to gather more information.

We will work on utilizing survey information for the coming year. Thank you so much for taking the time to give us your feedback.

Take care,
Heather

Inside This Week's Mailer

Message from Principal Heather Hull
Abernethy Conversations About Race
Almost Time to Run!
Hooray Team Abernethy!
Hosford PTSA Happy Hour - April 11th
Purchasing School Meals
Help Paying for Lunch
Bus Schedule

CALENDAR

4/2

6pm

Conversations About Race

4/8

NO SCHOOL

4/10

Fun Run!!

4/18

8:20am
9am

Volunteer Appreciation
Community Mtg

4/22

6-8pm

TAG Night at OMSI

4/22
4/25

Community conversations about PTA fundraising

LUNCH MENU

Get the full month's lunch schedule on the school website

Tuesday - Chicken Yakisoba, Thai Chili Slaw

Wednesday - Hamburger or Cheeseburger

Thursday - Pizza Day, Turkey Sandwich

Friday - Hand Rolled Bean and Cheese Burrito, Chili Lime Corn Salad

Monday - NO SCHOOL

Hummus and pita Mondays. PB&J Tues-Fri. Yogurt and granola every day. Lunch includes one entrée, milk, unlimited fruits & vegetables.

Abernethy Conversations About Race

Now that you are energized from Spring Break, here's a great way to connect with the Abernethy community: Abernethy’s Conversations About Race group will meet Tuesday, April 2 from 6-8 pm in the auditorium. We would love to have parents/guardians and staff join us, as well as interested 4th and 5th-grade students.

We’ll be discussing several topics, including the Hosford Advisory Lesson on responding to racism, and Race as a Social Construction. Childcare is available and pizza will be served. If you have a chance please RSVP here.

Can We Overcome Racial Bias?
Jennifer Eberhardt, an African American Stanford University psychology professor has just published a book that explores racial bias. In a recent NPR interview, Eberhardt speaks honestly about the presence of bias in herself and her children. According to Eberhardt, "bias is not something we cure, it's something we manage."

How do we manage it?
"Take a gamble — keep trying to connect and keep trying to work on this, because the minute we turn away, the worse it gets for everybody."

Almost Time to Run!

The Fun Run is right around the corner, April 10th! We already have about $11,000 pledged online through Pledgestar!!

Please visit the Pledgestar site THIS WEEK and set up your fundraising page! The web page is a really easy way to reach out to family and friends and gather support for our school.

If you'd rather take a door-to-door approach and collect cash or check from your sponsors, please find the blue pledge sheets in the school office.

Strong community support has traditionally made Abernethy a wonderful place to grow and learn. Our community funds LIBRARY, CLASSROOM AND SUPPORT STAFF through fundraisers.

Our goal for the Fun Run is $60,000 this year. . . we've got this! Click the link above or grab a pledge sheet today to get started. Let's do this thing and support our students in the upcoming school year!

If we meet our goal, we not only provide funds for our literacy programs next year, but we'll also bring back the DUNK TANK! This has been a huge crowd pleaser for the kids. They love watching their teachers get doused!

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 10th! The Fun Run is a really fun event. Come and cheer on our runners as they do their part in raising money for our school.

These kids can really run!

MANY THANKS to those who have already volunteered to help out at the run! What a great crew! We have a handful of spots left to choose from, so visit here today to sign up for a volunteer shift and watch your kiddo run their socks off!

We are grateful for your support. What a fabulous school community this is! We are looking forward to making this a successful fundraiser--our FINAL FUNDRAISER of the year!

As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions.

HAPPY PLEDGING!
Kevin and Erinn Bates
(Evie/Beutler, Eli/Alum)

Hooray Team Abernethy!

There's been some amazing teamwork happening at Abernethy this fall and winter. The two 3rd grade girls basketball teams have been practicing and playing hard this winter and last month won the championship in both 3rd grade girls brackets!

And in case you hadn't heard, Abernethy's winning OBOB team the Freadom Readers won their regional competition and are headed to the state competition on April 6 at Chemeketa Community College!

Go Freadom Readers!

If you see any of the team members or coaches in the hall, give them a High Five for all their hard work!

Hosford PTSA Happy Hour - April 11th

Stop by, stop in, or come for the entire evening!

5th Grade Families, the Hosford PTSA is hosting a (very) casual happy hour on April 11 from 6-8pm. Please join us and bring a friend along!

The Hosford PTSA is eager for new faces – and remember, many hands make light work! We would love to see you/meet you on Thursday the 11th. The event is at a Ladd’s Addition home, The address will be sent upon receipt of your reply/RSVP to: lucretialyons70@yahoo.com.

PS: Is childcare an issue? Please reply with the ages of your kids. We can provide some childcare. We want to make this meeting as accessible as possible for all who wish to attend!

Purchasing School Meals

PPS uses SchoolCafe for families to purchase school lunches or milk.

Help Paying for Lunch

Apply for free or reduced priced meals here, or download the pdf and return it to the office.

Bus Schedule

You can find the PPS bus schedule online at: http://www.pps.net/Page/141

Link your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to help Abernethy earn a donation! (non-profit number 94049).

GET YOUR PASS! All 4th graders and their families get a year long pass to National Parks for FREE!

Support Abernethy

Amazon Smile will give the PTA 0.5% of each purchase. Sign up here.

Lost and Found

The Lost & Found is located outside of the office. All clearly labeled items will be returned. Items not collected by the end of the month will be donated to the PPS Closet.

Do You Have News for the Monday Mailer?

Email your content here by Friday noon for it to be included in the next Monday Mailer.

Need Childcare?

If you need of childcare for your student, please contact Child Resources:
503-548-4400 x 9

Abernethy Elementary Website

Abernethy Elementary

Abernethy School Kitchen Garden

Abernethy Homeroom