West Sylvan Middle School

Tomorrow, we welcome our Sixth Graders back from their week away at Outdoor School camps. Campus has been very empty without their energy, and we look forward to having our Sixth Graders all back on campus with us next week! Tomorrow, Friday, October 13th is a non-work day for Educators where our Educators had the option of engaging in additional professional development hosted by the school district.

Enjoy the weekend!

Jill Hunt, Principal
Ben Keller, Assistant Principal

Mark your calendars for the 3rd Annual Music Fundraiser on Saturday, October 21st from 12PM - 3PM at WSMS! More information is shown above! This yearly event is a wonderful opportunity to show support directly to the music programs at WSMS.

Please come to support the musicians, hear great music and responsibly donate unwanted books for them to be loved again by others (we will take all books except encyclopedias or textbooks)! Drop off your books and hear great music - you don't even have to get out of your car!! There will be live performances by the band and choir for your enjoyment.

Your generosity for the school's Music programs will provide for new instruments, jazz band program, uniforms and travel to performances where their talents can be heard.

OCTOBER

• Fri, OCT 13th: Sixth Graders RETURN from Outdoor School *(look for texts from Administration for any updates on bus arrival times. Friday is a Teacher Planning Day so ALL STUDENTS WILL NEED TO BE PICKED UP ON TIME. The School building will not be available to wait for later pick-up times.)
  
  
• Fri, OCT 13th: NO SCHOOL for Students due to Educator Planning
  
  
• Sat, OCT 21st: 3rd Annual Music Fundraiser from 12pm-3pm at WSMS (with live performances and book donation collection)
  
  
• Thu, OCT 26th: Makeup Picture Day (*for Students who missed Picture Day on 9/14 )

NOVEMBER

• Thu, NOV 2nd: End of First Quarter
  
  
• Fri, NOV 3rd: NO SCHOOL for Students due to Educator Planning
  
  
• Mon, NOV 6th: Start of Second Quarter
  

Ms. Chelsea Ashcraft, Dual Language Immersion and Spanish Educator, has moved on from WSMS to teach High School Spanish in the neighboring Beaverton School District. We thank Ms. Ashcraft for the last three years of work with our school community! We have offered a position to another Educator and are waiting on clearance for that Educator to begin her tenure. In Ms. Ashcraft's absence, and while we wait on our new Educator to be cleared to work at WSMS, we are working hard to have qualified Substitutes who fluently speak Spanish teaching the classes daily. Our goal is to have as much consistency as possible, while we are relying on substitute teachers in these classes.

We all remain committed to keeping students in school, with student success and safety being top priorities. District leaders have been updating families throughout the bargaining process with PAT, the union that represents our Educators. You can read all about the process at this location. If a strike occurs, there will be no in-person or directed online instruction for students, until the strike ends. The first possible date when this could happen would be Monday, October 30th. District leaders are preparing contingency plans for all potential outcomes of the bargaining process. Read more here.

Our Scholars are practicing being “Communicators” this month, as our selected Learner Profile Trait. Goal setting for the year ahead has been occurring through Advisory, and our students have been reflecting on their learning styles and the daily habits that help them be successful in school.

The time is upon us for our 6th Graders to return from Outdoor School tomorrow, Friday 10/13!

PICK-UP ~ Friday, October 13, 2023

* CAMP WESTWIND GROUP (only)

11:00ish / Students depart Camp Westwind

1:30ish / arrival at West Sylvan for pick-up

* CAMPS: COLLINS, ANGELOS, NAMANU, KURATLI

12:00pm / Students depart camps

1:30ish / arrival at West Sylvan for pick-up

• Parents/Guardians: please park in designated parking spaces only, unless instructed otherwise, so that buses may navigate the bus turn-around.

• ON FRIDAY 10/13: look for texts from Administration for any updates on bus arrival times.

• FRIDAY 10/13 IS A TEACHER PLANNING DAY SO ALL STUDENTS WILL NEED TO BE PICKED UP ON TIME. THE SCHOOL BUILDING WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO WAIT FOR LATER TIMES.

• STUDENTS who have alternative plans for ODS will be getting information about transportation and or support independently. Thank you.

There is no parking allowed by the City of Beaverton on Pointer Road or at the turnaround near the bike path. Pointer Road is a commuter bike path. Residents of Pointer Road can't even park on the street. If there are cars at the turnaround, emergency vehicles and large delivery trucks can't turn around. Neighbors have seen cars blocking fire hydrants on Pointer Road, and have asked that we remind our families that the Beaverton police will ticket these people, as neighbors report these violations to local PD.

You are all invited to attend the 2nd Annual Black Community Science Night on Friday, October 13th at OMSI. Last year, we had nearly 800 guests. All of OMSI will be open so you will get to see the ORCA exhibit! We will have hands-on activities with Black-led STEAM programs, Beyonce and Prince Laser Shows, 20 Black Vendors including 2 food carts. Bridge City Soul and Ekome (African Drummers and dancers, DJ Eddie and 503 Portland Sliders - learn some new steps!), Third Eye Bookstore, and more.

You can purchase your tickets in advance using the QR code and promo code, ORABSE1013. You have to enter the code each time for every ticket. Or you can download the flyer to your cell phone and show it at the front desk (no more than 4 per person). We look forward to seeing you.

Portland Interscholastic League Youth Sports (PILYS) is a wonderful opportunity for additional involvement and provides opportunities to meet new friends. All information to register students for PIL Youth Sports is located here.

** After-school sports are run entirely through PIL. West Sylvan does not have any information regarding tryouts, practices, schedules, etc. **

Please make every effort to pick up students before or after their grade-specific Lunch period (see below). Once students are scattered around the field playing at recess, picking up during Lunch recess becomes more timely for all involved. Please do not call or text your student to tell them you are here or to tell them to come to the Office. If a student uses their device to check a text and/or answer a phone call, their phone will be confiscated.

6th Grade LUNCH: 11:37 AM ~ 12:07 PM

7th Grade LUNCH: 12:31 PM ~ 1:01 PM

8th Grade LUNCH: 1:25 PM ~ 1:55 PM

Breakfast is available in the hot lunch room at that time. Students with Choir before school (appears as period 0 on StudentVue), start school at 8:00AM each day. Students should ring the doorbell at the front doors upon arrival.

Ms. Crombie accepts Chromebooks at the Office for repairs between 10:00AM - 3:00PM each day. Damaged devices are picked up for repair each Friday, and are usually returned the following Friday. A loaner Chromebook can be issued to students in the meantime. Remind and encourage your student to take care of their Chromebook, and keep them in protective cases. If a student does not have a protective case, the school can provide one. Chromebooks are used for class assignments daily. Students will need to charge their device each night and bring their charged Chromebook to school each day. We do not have enough loaners to give to students who forget their Chromebooks. Students and families will be responsible for paying for replacements for lost chargers throughout the 2023-24 school year. They will be ordered through PPS OTIS, and cost $12/each.

Please remind your students to bring and wear their school ID daily. We’ve shared out many ways that our students can be safe by displaying their IDs throughout the day through our Advisory videos. IDs are used on campus for quickly identifying students (this is especially helpful for Substitutes). Students use them to check out library books and to buy hot lunch. Bus drivers also look for student IDs to be sure that students are on the correct route.

We do NOT allow students to order items directly from delivery services throughout the day, as they are inviting strangers to our campus, and we have no way of monitoring what they are delivering. There is an unfortunate option where students can order illegal items, such as VAPE devices, through delivery services. Students are reminded of this school policy regarding food delivery services when it is violated, and items are held in the Office for end-of-day pickup. Family members are also notified when this occurs.

If you have chosen to give your student a cell phone, please actively monitor their social media accounts and messaging activity. Nearly every single school discipline issue on campus has started with social media posting outside of school. This is another reason that our cell phone policy exists, as we don’t want students engaging in cyber-bullying and cyber-harassment throughout their school day. Set up parental controls where they can only access their phone during certain times, if you are allowing these devices.

WSMS is a cell phone free zone from 9:00 AM - 3:45 PM daily. We request and advise all families to keep scholars’ cell phones at home during the school day. If a scholar brings a cell phone to school, they will be expected to store their turned-off phone in their locker throughout the entire school day (including lunch periods). Important messages can be given to our Main Office via phone or email (westsylvanoffice@pps.net), and will be forwarded to your scholars’ PPS student email account. Please do not call or text your student. If your scholar chooses to use their cell phone, smart watch, air pods, tablet, et al, the device will be confiscated. If your scholar uses their device to check a text from and/or answer a phone call from you, their phone will be confiscated. Not only will their phone be confiscated, it shows you do not find this school rule important. This sets a bad precedent.

Read More

Counselors are available by email. Please refer to the following list for your School Counselor by grade.

Interested in Volunteering and Being More Involved?

Become an approved PPS volunteer by following the information here. Once your application is approved, please contact the Main Office to see how and when you can be of service. Our Friends of West Sylvan parent/family organization also regularly shares ways to get involved on campus, specifically to volunteer in the Library, monitor hallways, help in the Main Office, help in classrooms, and do recess duty.

Friends of West Sylvan is parent/family organization that supports Scholars and Staff and fosters community connection through fundraising and volunteer opportunities. Join the mailing list and stay connected with other families!

MAIN OFFICE

westsylvanoffice@pps.net

(503) 916-5690

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/ PRINCIPAL'S SECRETARY

[Staff / Substitutes / Financial]

Jerda Solonche

jsolonche@pps.net

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/ SCHOOL SECRETARY

[Students / Attendance / Enrollment]

Kirsten Crombie

kcrombie@pps.net

Website: www.pps.net/westsylvan
Location: 8111 Southwest West Slope Drive, Portland, OR, USA