Marysville Message

It was so great to see all of the student's smiling faces today for the first picture day.

Please contact the office or marysvilleinfo@pps.net if you need any help with ordering or have questions about pictures.

Fall Picture Retake Day will be Monday November 13th.

Our SUN after school enrichment programs start next week. Unfortunately, at this point there will not be an evening bus after SUN, so all students participating in SUN will need to be picked up at Marysville 5:30 pm.

On Monday at Marysville students are invited to join Marysville staff in wearing orange shirts in recognition of "Orange Shirt Day" which is observed on Saturday September 30th.

On Thursday students learned about this day during their weekly equity lesson- Orange Shirt Day Lesson.

Orange Shirt Day, also called National Day for Truth and Reconciliation or National Day of Remembrance, is observed yearly on September 30 in Canada and the United States. Orange Shirt Day initiated, and continues to allow for, conversations about residential schools on an international scale, and allows for meaningful discussions of the impacts and legacies of residential schools.

Marysville is proud to offer a robust and culturally specific student affinity group program for 4th and 5th grade students. Student affinity groups are intended to accomplish multiple goals:

• Create space for students of color, students who identify as LGBTQIA+, and students who are neurodiverse to spend time in an affinity space.

• Explore culture and connection

• Culturally specific student and family engagement (and events);

• Develop positive cultural identity and advocacy skills;

• Increase representation among adults of color in our school;

• Safe and informal way to anonymously gather feedback from students of color, particularly around racism and racialized incidents.

Affinity Groups meet weekly or bi-weekly during lunch and recess for a total or 45 minutes. No instructional time is missed by participating in an affinity group.

Current Affinity Groups

• Black/African American

• Asian Pacific Islander

• Latine

• Vietnamese

• Native American

• Pacific Islander

• Vietnamese

• Bi-racial

• Neuro-diverse

• LGBTQIA+ (or ally)

All racial/ethnic affinity groups are true affinity spaces, meaning they are led by BIPOC adults (school staff and community volunteers) who share our student’s lived experiences. Currently, we do not run student racial/ethnic affinity groups with white or non bi-racial staff members.

We recognize students have intersectional identities and are welcome to participate in more than one affinity group. Affinity groups meet weekly during lunch and recess for a total of 45 minutes.

Permission Slips

FAQ for Families

Planning on participating? Then check out these tips to make the most out of your walk or roll to school:

● Stay safe and be seen! The days get shorter in the fall, so make sure you wear bright clothing and reflectors that can be seen in the dark.

● Plan your route out in advance. While fall walking and rolling is fun, you don’t want to get caught out in the cold or rain for too long!

● Wear layers! Fall in Oregon can be rainy - put on some warm boots, thick socks, coats, and a hat.

● Make it fun by bringing along a thermos of hot cocoa - or coffee for the adults! We look forward to walking or rolling with you on the 4th!

Hello,

SMART Reading programs begin reopening next month, that's right around the corner! We still need more volunteers to join us and need your help to spread the word.

Volunteer Needs:

• Readers - Readers engage with kids in our community through 1-hour weekly reading sessions that aim to spark a love of books and reading.

• Site Coordinators - Site Coordinators take on a leadership position at one of our sites by overseeing reading sessions, creating a welcoming environment for fellow volunteers and students, and being a key liaison between schools and SMART.

• Book Cleaning - The Children’s Book Bank at SMART Reading needs volunteers year-round for two-hour Book Cleaning sessions where you will clean and restore community-donated books that will later be distributed to local kids. To sign up for a book cleaning session, click here!

Click here to learn more about these important roles and sign up. If you volunteered with us last year, no need to sign up again – we’ll be in touch in these next few weeks!

If you haven't heard from us by early October, please contact your local area office.

How To Help:
Word of mouth is the #1 way new volunteers hear about us. Spread the word to your community:

• Email your friends, families, and colleagues! Consider forwarding this email or personalizing our email template and sharing it with your network.

• Get social! Post about SMART Reading’s volunteer opportunities on social media! Click here for sample posts you can use!

We’re looking forward to a great year of sparking joy and opportunity through the magic of a shared book!

Thank you for your support,
Your Friends at SMART Reading