September 26 (Mon)--Rosh Hashanah-No School
September 27 (Tues)--Adventure Play Training (on the zoom)
September 27 (Tues)--Drop off OHSU Spit Test at School October 6 (Thurs)--Affinity Group Meeting 3-4pm October 14 (Fri)--In-Service Day-No School
This week we had 1reported COVID-19 case
at Cottonwood, week ending 9/23.
ART PARK RUN 2022!! We can not do this without volunteers!
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!
The Run is October 24th at Caruthers Park and there is still a lot to do!!
This is one of the biggest fundraisers of the YEAR!!
The funds we collect goes directly to Our Art Program!!
Our students LOVE art class!!!
This is such a fun community event, which we have not been able to do live for several years!!
Please sign up HERE to help or email Kathy for more information!
THIS TUESDAY (SEPT 27) OHSU SPIT TEST DROP OFF BEGINS
Cottonwood is thrilled to be partnering with OHSU again this year to offer free, weekly COVID-19 testing (spit test) for students. Participation in this program is completely optional, but highly encouraged, and offered regardless of vaccination status. Participating students will drop off spit samples in pre-labeled tubes at school each Tuesday, starting this week, whether they have symptoms or not. Results are provided directly to families, not the school. If you were enrolled last year, please note, many aspects of the screening program will remain the same this year, with a few changes to make it easier for parents, students and schools.
You can enroll your kids through a convenient online portal: www.labfinder.com/ohsu. If you cannot enroll for any reason, please call OHSU support at (503) 418-8500. All participating students must enroll, even if they participated in last year's program
New, pre-labeled test tubes with a scannable barcode will be mailed directly to your mailing address and should arrive within a week of enrollment.
Kits from last year cannot be used, so please throw them away.
Spit tests can be collected either the night before or the morning of their school’s testing day
When the test results are available you will receive an email telling you to log into the online portal www.labfinder.com/ohsu to view the results
If you miss your weekly Cottonwood testing day OHSU has added 3 drop-off sites around the Portland metro area. Spit tests can be dropped at any of these sites during regular clinic hours:
Child Development and Rehabilitation Center — 707 S. Gaines St., Portland, OR 97239 (Google Map)
OHSU Primary Care Clinic, Gabriel Park — 4411 S. Vermont St., Portland, OR 97219 (Google Map)
OHSU Primary Care Clinic, Richmond — 3930 S.E. Division St., Portland, OR 97202 (Google Map)
When the test results are available you will receive an email telling you to log into the online portal www.labfinder.com/ohsu to view the results
ADVENTURE PLAY TRAINING
COTTONWOOD ADVENTURE PLAY,
OUTDOOR PLAY AND LEARNING AT ITS BEST!
Play is important for ALL children of ALL ages. Check out thevideoof lunchtime play in this incredible schoolyard in the UK. They have it all: hills, a pond, play equipment, loose parts galore, plus adults trained to honor and support children's play. YES!! All children deserve recess as diverse and respectful of their needs as this. Thanks to training by groups like OPAL ANDFREE PLAYmore and more schools are seeing the light!
IF YOU PLAN TO VOLUNTEER AT COTTONWOOD DURING ADVENTURE PLAY YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND A TRAINING WITH YURI AND LEON OF PORTLAND FREE PLAY!
Our first training will be held on ZOOM- Link HERE,
Tuesday, September 27th, 6:30-7:30.
Sign up to help support Adventure Play at Cottonwood.
OREGON BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
CSCS is participating in the Oregon Battle of the Books(OBOB) competition for the 7th year in a row! Teams are forming now at the 3rd-5th grade level and the 6th-8th grade level. OBOB is a quiz style competition where teams share the reading of 16 books and then answer questions about them in school-based battles.
Each school sends one winning team per age division to a regional competition. The school-based battles happen in January and February and the regional competition takes place in late February or early March. Teams consist of 4 students and an optional alternate and can be across grade levels within their age division. Check out this link for more information and a list of the books: OBOB 22-23.
If your child is interested in participating but needs help finding a team, they should let their teacher know. We are hoping to have all teams formed by the end of September. For more information, email Susan at susanhathaway@thecottonwoodschool.org
OBOB - GRADES 3-5
CSCS is participating in the Oregon Battle of the Books(OBOB) competition for the 7th year in a row! Teams are forming now at the 3rd-5th grade level and the 6th-8th grade level. OBOB is a quiz style competition where teams share the reading of 16 books and then answer questions about them in school-based battles.
Each school sends one winning team per age division to a regional competition. The school-based battles happen in January and February and the regional competition takes place in late February or early March. Teams consist of 4 students and an optional alternate and can be across grade levels within their age division. Check out this link for more information and a list of the books: OBOB 22-23.
If your child is interested in participating but needs help finding a team, they should let their teacher know. We are hoping to have all teams formed by the end of September. For more information, email Susan at susanhathaway@thecottonwoodschool.org
OBOB - GRADES 3-5
OBO - GRADES 6-8
GOOD NEIGHBOR
Please do not park in any parking space in the storage lot adjacent to the side of the school. All of the parking is for customers of South Waterfront Heated Storage, or is rented to individuals who have a right to park their vehicle in their permitted spot at any time.
Affinity Groups Returning!
Last school year our students & families of color expressed a need for our students of color to come together to meet each other across grade levels; to share stories, articulate needs, bond, play, know and support one another.
In response to this need, Cottonwood formed an Affinity Group. Affinity groups can be defined as groups of people who have something in common; such as gender, race, culture, profession, college, or special interests.
At school, students need to feel comfortable being themselves, which is why affinity groups are vital. At school, affinity groups give students the freedom to be themselves. Students who share an identity can relate to each other in ways they can't with peers who don't understand their experiences. Student affinity groups don't exist because students want to isolate themselves from the rest of the population, they exist because the population excludes them from the start. It’s about safety and in some cases, about fundamental issues of injustice. Having a safe space around shared identity allows students to engage in conversations about subverting marginalizing structures. By doing so, these conversations aim to shift school culture away from assimilation and toward social action.
This affinity group exists to foster kinship; provide students of color a place to celebrate their uniqueness, gifts, and roles in our school community and to affirm, protect, and nurture the identities of our students.
We are excited to announce we will be bringing back our afterschool gatherings led by Cottonwood Educational Assistants, Gabby Van Steenberg & Paola Witt, and our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Coordinator, Sade Rivers. The affinity group will meet afterschool on the school patio for a light snack followed by greetings, games and activities from 3:00-4:00.
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Thursday, December 15, 2022
2023 dates coming soon!
The adults can hang out on the patio at 3:15 and enjoy some time with each other, or they can pick up their student(s) at 4pm!
Our team is looking for a few parent volunteers of color, especially men of color to join the affinity group leaders. Please let us know if you are interested.
We invite all students of color to participate in the affinity space and encourage parents to talk with their children about participating.
There are lots of reasons why affinity spaces are important for students of color. We also encourage families to talk openly with white students about supporting this group even when we aren’t part of it. If white families or students are wanting support understanding why this space isn’t for white folks, we encourage you to watch this short video as a family. If you’d like to talk more with someone about this, please reach out to Kristin (Kristinkrem@thecottonwoodschool.org) who is a white person happy to talk more with you.
We are working on creating more affinity spaces in the future, specifically getting our LGBTQ affinity space back.
Please RSVP and send any questions to affinitygroups@thecottonwoodschool.org. If your student(s) have any food allergies and sensitivities please add that when you RSVP. We want to make sure we accommodate and honor any food allergies or preferences.
More information on Affinity spaces can be found below:
If you have a complete puzzle and it needs a new home, please bring it to the school office.
AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM
High-speed internet is a necessity – especially for students. That’s why the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to lower internet costs.
ACP provides:
• Up to $30/month off your household’s internet bills (or $75/month on Tribal lands), and
• A one-time $100 discount off a laptop, tablet, or computer.
Many internet service providers across the country offer high-speed internet plans that are fully covered by ACP – so millions of families can now get high-speed internet without paying a dime.
Is my family eligible to save on our internet bill?
Tens of millions of U.S. households are eligible for ACP. You are eligible if any one of these applies:
• A member of your household participates in:
Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch or Breakfast Program
Includes Community Eligibility Provision schools (which serve meals at no cost to all students)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Medicaid
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Federal Public Housing Assistance
Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
Federal Pell Grant (current year)
Tribal assistance programs, including: Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal Head Start (if meeting the relevant income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
• Your household income is 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or less ($55,500 for a family of four), OR
• Your household qualifies for a participating provider’s existing low-income plan.
How do I enroll?
• Step 1: Claim your ACP benefit by visiting GetInternet.gov to submit an application or to print out a mail-in application, contact a participating internet service provider, or call 877-384-2575 to learn more.
• Step 2: Contact a participating internet service provider to choose an internet plan.
Which providers offer fully covered plans?
Here are providers offering high-speed internet plans that are fully covered – so you have no out-of-pocket cost:
Allo Communications
altaFiber / Hawaiian Telcom
Astound
AT&T
Breezeline
Comcast
Comporium
Cox Communications
Frontier
IdeaTek
Jackson Energy Authority
MediacomCable
MLGC
Optimum / Suddenlink
Spectrum (Charter)*
Starry
Verizon (Fios only)
Vermont Telephone Company
Vexus Fiber
Wow! Internet, Cable and TV
*New subscribers only
Porches and Stoops: an Afrotopia pop-up September 24-25, times TBD at 296 N Hancock Street, Portland THE AFRO-TOPIA pop-up is here! Albina Vision Trust and @portlandplayhouse have been organizing the first activation of the AlbinaOne future home! With creatives and artists vending and performing on N/NE inspired porches, we are inviting Black Portland, and community members, alike to explore a collective vision of Albina today. Free tickets will be released this week, so keep your eyes on Portland Playhouse's website or social channels for more information.
