MLC Weekly News and Notes
February 26-March 1
Monday February 26th
Tuesday February 27th
Sources of Strength lunch group with Clement
4x6 Electives
K-5 Lottery Info Night Session
Wednesday February
Students of Color lunch group 6x12 with Alberti
1x3 & 7x9 Electives
Thursday February 29th
4x5 Symphony Field Trip
SAGA lunch group 7x12 with Erewyn
4x6 Electives
Friday March 1st
Friday Focus 6th Rotation Begins
Coming soon:
March 5th - PTSA Meeting
March 7 - Winter Electives End
March 19 - Spring Elective Sign Ups, 9x12 Youth Career Expo
March 25-29 - SPRING BREAK!
10th Grade College and Career Theater Tour!
Last week, our sophomore students got to go behind the scenes at the Keller auditorium as part of their college and career readiness class. Special thanks to the Oregon Ballet as well as the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 28 who gave our students insight into careers in the theater. We're so lucky to have community partners like these!
SPREAD THE WORD: ELEMENTARY ENROLLMENT
We all know MLC is a special school, but many in our community may not even be aware that we are an option for their families. Help spread the word about the magic of MLC!
There is an Open House for prospective Kx5 students this Tuesday, February 27, 5:30-6:30. Please encourage folks to attend if they are interested in learning more about our school. MLC families are also welcome to attend to help share your experience with attendees. The Lottery Window for 2024-25 Elementary School is from February 15 to March 15 and registration for 2024-25 Kindergarten starts March 1 so time is of the essence!
ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATION FUNDING
November’s strike shone a bright light on the school funding issue. In addition to concerns raised about PPS budgeting, many in our community learned more about the state of Oregon’s inadequate investment in public education. There are various advocacy efforts beginning to take shape and we wanted to share two timely opportunities we are aware of where we can help send a unified message to Salem that we need fully funded public education now!
Lobby your legislators! There is a Parent Lobby Day in Salem planned for Monday, February 26th, organized by a group of parents and caregivers. They are making plans to meet with Portland area state legislators to let them know, in-person, how important increasing K-12 education funding is to our communities and to make sure they know we are still here advocating for our schools. By “knocking on the doors” of our legislature, we plan to send another strong message that as parents and caregivers, we are not giving up on the fight to give our students and teachers what they need in the classroom. If you are able to join, they are asking folks to fill out this interest form.
Email your legislators! If you are unable to join the in-person advocacy action, especially given it's a weekday on short notice, please consider sending an email to your state legislators to let them know you are tracking how our state shows up in the next year to fully fund public schools. This 2024 PPS Community Legislative Advocacy Letter Template was drafted by a roundtable of PPS parent leaders trying to find connections and pathways for fully funded schools in Oregon and has some sample messaging you can use. Please feel free to make it your own! You can find the names of your legislators by clicking here.
Donate your kicker! And while it’s not an advocacy opportunity, we also wanted to share an easy way to contribute financially if you have the means to do so. People can opt to donate the entirety of their kicker back to the state and designate that it goes directly into K-12 public education. More info can be found on the State's website.
There are so many ways we all show up to support our school community, and every little bit counts! If you have the capacity and energy, we hope you can take time to participate in these opportunities and/or share the information with your community.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: PARKING CREW STARTS FEBRUARY 24
The Timbers season kicks off February 24 and we are still looking for volunteers to join our parking crew. This is an easy way to give back and we could really use some new folks to ensure we can meet the demand. Shifts are short and our parking coordinators (other parents) will be there to teach you everything you need to know. These parking fundraisers are a key way for us to raise money for MLC to fund everything from electives to field trips to special events (all the things your student loves).
Sign up HERE with a friend or come make new ones!
UPCOMING PTSA MEETINGS: Join us the first Tuesday of each month
Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 5, 6:30-8:00pm
MLC Library and Zoom (see mlcptsa.org for the Zoom link)
Dinner and childcare are provided for all meetings.
MLC High School Work Based Learning Program: Community Partner Interest Form
Questions? Reach out to Tanya Lieb!
