Upcoming Dates:
Please note all dates may shift due to the strike
November 17th- Parent Coffee @ 9:30 (Cancelled due to strike)
November 20th & 21st- School Conferences. CANCELLED. Please note these will not be school days. More information coming from the district soon.
November 20th- Food Bank @ Harrison Park Cafeteria from 3:15-4:15
November 22nd-24th- No School for Thanksgiving Break
November 28th- Picture Retake Day
November 29th- McDaniel Open House for 8th Graders
Lanyards & Student IDs
This summer the PPS school board mandated that high school and middle school students begin to wear their student IDs while on campus. At Harrison Park we were unable to implement this until school pictures were taken and ID cards were issued. Upon students return we will be giving students their ID badges, a badge holder and a Harrison Park lanyard. 8th graders will wear red lanyards, 7th grade navy blue and 6th graders will have grey. There is no cost for students, however if they lose them, we will charge $3 for a replacement. Students are expected to wear their lanyards at all times while on campus. In the event they do not have their lanyard they will be issued a name badge to wear for the day.
Our hope is these helps prepare students for high school when they are given bus passes and use their ID for book check out (they can do that here too!), lunch and breakfast charges etc. We know it will take some time to normalize this practice, but ultimately it will help increase security at Harrison Park. We will be going over protocols and procedures around lanyards upon students return to school.
Locker Update
Lockers will be assigned to students through their Advisory class. Every student will have their own locker. Scholars are asked to provide their own lock. We strongly encourage families to purchase locks now and have students start practicing. Practice makes perfect. This will also help alleviate stress and tardies later.
Please note this was listed on our school supply list at the start of the year. Families can choose a lock that best fits their child's needs. Scholars can opt to share their combination with their Advisory teacher in the event they forget the combination. We will be going over locker expectations with students on November 6th. The school will have a limited number of locks available for purchase.
Some of the information that will be shared at that time will be to ensure scholars understand that
lockers assigned to a particular student remain in the possession and control of the school when they are made available or assigned for student use. Students may use lockers for the limited purpose of temporarily keeping items needed by the student to participate in school instruction and activities only. No other purpose is permitted. Lockers provide security only when they are NOT SHARED and the combination is NOT GIVEN to anyone else. Valuables and large sums of money should not be kept in your locker at any time. Harrison Park is not responsible for lost or stolen items from lockers.
Per the district handbook:
SEARCHES OF PROPERTY
LOCKER CHECKS AND STUDENT PROPERTY SEARCHES: the school may search a student if
the school reasonably suspects that a prohibited or dangerous item will be found. Backpacks, purses,
lockers, and assigned storage areas may also be searched. Lockers, desks, and other places where
students keep things are the property of and are under the control of the school and may be checked
at any time for dangerous or prohibited items. Only items a student needs for schoolwork or school
activities can be stored in these places.
Can You Help? Looking for Some Volunteers and Resources
We are in need of a few items and/or a donation of time for our Winter Carnival that will take place December 15th. The purpose of this event is to send students off to Winter Break on a positive note. ALL students attend this event.
This year students will be given an opportunity to attend the carnival, perform an act of service and spend time with their grade level peers in a group activity. We are in need of the following support to make this event happen:
Parent/Community Volunteers- Volunteers must be approved prior to the event. If you are not approved and would like to volunteer please visit https://www.pps.net/volunteerhttps://www.pps.net/volunteer. Volunteers are welcome to stay for the day, or come for a shift.
Small Prizes- Do you have lotions? Stuffies? New card games? Items that middle school students may enjoy? Feel free to donate these for carnival prizes. Students will receive tickets that can be turned in for prizes.
Ideas- We are looking for a few community service projects our students can do at school. Projects should take a little over an hour to complete. Do you have an idea? Please feel free to email Principal Dickey @ ldickey@pps.net.
We would also like to feed our teachers lunch on Friday the 15th. If you would like to donate a dish or item please reach out to Shannon Buffington in the main office or email her at sbuffington@pps.net.
Feed the Teachers- 15th (Lunch)
Check Ups and Immunizations
Does your student need immunizations or a physical? Are they planning on playing a sport in the future? They may be asked to have one. Now is a great time to schedule appointments for immunizations, flu shots, and physicals. Exclusion Day is in February and students who do not have necessary and updated immunizations will be excluded from school.
With Winter Break coming up it is a great time to get this done. Please check out the school health clinics who can assist with all of your needs. Multnomah County School Based Health Clinics / Multnomah County School Based Health Center (pps.net) Please note these clinics are open during the strike.
SITE Council Volunteers Needed
We are looking for two parent/community members to join our School SITE Council. We have had some people contact Principal Dickey, but would like to ensure everyone is aware. This group will meet at least once per quarter for approximately an hour and half. The purpose of a SITE Council is for school staff, parents and students, to work with our leadership team to develop, review and evaluate our school improvement plan, goals and other initiatives. Anyone interested should reach out to Leah Dickey @ ldickey@pps.net.
Colder Weather is Moving In
As the rain and colder weather move in please remember we are not able to allow students into the building until 9:08. The exception is those students who ride the bus. In heavy rain, and temperatures falling below 36 degrees, we may be able to allow students to wait in the lobby at 9:00. This is dependent on staff availability.
Students should not arrive at school earlier than 9:00 as there is no supervision until that time. We want to ensure staff has time prior to the start of the day to prepare for students and their learning.
Middle School students often refuse to wear coats. Please encourage your scholar to bring a jacket to school. We want them to be warm before and after school and also at lunch if they chose to go outside.