
The Cheetah Coalition #23
Weekly Updates from the Atkinson Office — 3/1/24
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Atkinson Families,
Thank you to everyone who joined us last night for Specials Night! We had a great time looking at student artwork; seeing what students are doing in music, PE, art, and library; and visiting with our specials teachers.
We have noticed an uptick in families bringing dogs to school grounds during dropoff and pickup. Just a reminder that pets are not allowed on school property, so please leave those pets at home!
Our March safety drill is a Lockdown Drill. A Lockdown is activated when there is a threat inside the school building. Students will be asked to turn off the lights in the classroom and lock the doors, until a PPS employee unlocks each classroom door and informs them that the drill is complete. This drill can be stressful, so we do our best to prepare students for it in advance and debrief with them afterward. More information about PPS safety drills can be found HERE.
Debbie Armendariz
Principal
Atkinson Elementary School
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS MARCH 10TH
Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour on the night of March 9th! Spring forward!
COUNSELOR AND SOCIAL WORKER CORNER
FEBRUARY VALUE: EMPATHY
The value spotlight for this month is Collaboration!
CLASSROOM LESSONS: FRIENDSHIP
In March, students will receive a social-emotional lesson on the topic of friendship, differentiated by grade level.
STUDENT STORE
Our Student Store will soon be open for students to buy fun things with their hard earned Cheetah Paws. Please ask your child how they can earn Cheetah Paws! Do you own a business or have access to something that students would love to “buy” at the Student Store? It can be an item or an experience. Examples—toys, school supplies, clothing, a coupon for a free item… We are still looking for volunteers for our store (now open Thursdays 1–3 p.m.). If you can help, contact Lilly (lilwilliams@pps.net) or Darcy (dwilde@pps.net). Thank you to those who have already contributed student store items. It’s much appreciated!
PUBLIC INPUT MEETINGS ON SUSTAINABLE PPS SCHOOLS
PPS is working to make our buildings more climate friendly by lowering emissions and increasing health and comfort. To figure out how to prioritize this work, we need your help!
We're asking families, students, and teachers from the Franklin and Cleveland clusters to join us for public listening/input sessions on the district's decarbonization planning. We want to find out what and how we should prioritize this work to help give students and teachers the best possible experience they can have each day in PPS schools. Everyone from the community is invited to join for these 60 minute meetings:
- March 18, 5:30–6:30 p.m. — Franklin High School, Room M-223, for all schools in the Franklin and Cleveland clusters (all are welcome)
- You can also attend the Lincoln High School meeting on March 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Lincoln High School (Rm. 148 in the Library) if that date works better for you.
Please RSVP HERE.
If you have any questions, please email decarbonization@pps.net. If you cannot attend in person, you can also submit feedback through THIS ONLINE FORM.
At PPS, 90% of our greenhouse gas emissions come from our buildings! This is an amazing opportunity for the district to be part of a green future and to make our buildings more sustainable and comfortable for our community.
We appreciate you participating,
The PPS Decarb Team
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR FALL 2024-25
Registration for Kindergarten 2024-25 will start on Friday, March 1. If you have a student that will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2024, it's time to register them for Kindergarten in the fall! Register at your neighborhood school even if you've applied for a lottery or transfer to another school. Register online HERE.
SUMMER ACCELERATION ACADEMY
Once again, PPS plans to offer Summer Acceleration Academy to support students with academic learning gaps. This year's Academy will take place between July 1 and August 1 1 (pending funding).
Details will be posted on our website soon:
- criteria for participation
- enrollment dates
- daily schedule
- hub site locations
Enrollment invitations will be sent prior to Spring Break.
BIKES FOR KINDERGARTEN!
Kindergarteners at Atkinson Elementary got a big surprise during their PE class last week!! Mrs. Sanchez applied for a grant from All Kids Bike and also started fundraising. The Rotary Club of Portland came through with a very generous donation so we could offer bike riding curriculum to all kindergarteners. Check out the photos and videos at these links:
PTA NEWSLETTER
Check out the latest from the PTA HERE.
NEXT DINE OUT - MONDAY, MARCH 11 AT HOPWORKS
Dine out for the yearbook Monday, March 11th from 4–9 p.m. at Hopworks Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd. Hopworks donates 10% of their total sales to Atkinson PTA from 4–9 p.m., take out or dine in. Join us to help support the yearbook committee's efforts to lower the cost of the yearbook!
YEARBOOK
The Yearbook Committee is busy working hard to make this year’s Atkinson Yearbook amazing! Please send photos of your child (first day of school, Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, snow day, spirit days, Talent Show, teams, etc) to atkinsonyearbookpps@gmail.com.
SUMMER CAMPS FOR NEURODIVERGENT STUDENTS
Neurodiversity Human Alliance is offering summer camps for neurodivergent students. These groups are run by a PPS SLP who specializes in this area. More information HERE.
METRO ARTS SUMMER CAMPS
Cognizart by MetroArts Inc. is a PPS Arts partner who is offering a 360 Arts Camp this July. The camp is for children between the ages of 6½ to 12, and scholarships are available. They fill up quickly, register soon! More information HERE.
UPCOMING DATES TO KNOW
- February 15–March 15 — DLI Kinder Lottery Window is open
- Friday, March 1 — Kindergarten Registration Opens
- Week of March 4-8 — Classified & Non-Rep Appreciation Week
- Thursday, March 7 — Principal's Coffee in English, 8:50 a.m.
- Thursday, March 7 — Connect to Kinder, 6–7 p.m.
- Friday, March 8 — Principal's Coffee in Spanish, 8:50 a.m.
- Sunday, March 10 — Daylight Saving Time Begins, spring forward
- Monday, March 11 — PTA Meeting at Hopworks, 6:30–8 p.m.
- Monday, March 11 — Dine Out at Hopworks, 4—9 p.m.
- Friday, March 22 — Amigos Meeting in the Cafeteria, 9 a.m.
- Week of March 25–29 — Spring Break, NO SCHOOL