Beverly Cleary School

I hope you all had a restful or fun break, and that this first week back has been wonderful for your family and students!!

I suppose I thought it was going to be a busy week with Monday being April Fools Day, but it went much smoother than expected! On top of that, it was Spirit Week- but what a fun week it's been! Shout out to Mrs. Hunt for absolutely rocking it each day. She dressed as Cinderella which aligned with first grade’s Wit & Wisdom module’s focus on different versions of the story Cinderella, and she perfectly embodied the first grade boy look on Wednesday!

This Thursday, sixth grade teachers welcomed families at the Incoming Middle School Night, and a special thanks to them for that. Two parents reached out stating they hadn't heard much about it until the day before, so a special thanks for that feedback! We will work on broadcasting it from more places than just the website and PTA meetings in the future! If you missedlat night's meeting, don't fret- there will be another opportunity this summer for students to walk their schedule and learn all that was stated in today's chat. You can also click here for a recap.

Today is a grading day for teachers, a non-school day for students. It's hard to believe we are moving into Quarter 4 next week!

This month, third through eighth grade students also begin state testing! Look out for more information about what that will look like in your student's classroom. A good night's sleep, healthy breakfast, lots of water, and words of affirmation are all great ways to support your student in feeling confident for the test! AND remember- it's just one measure of achievement/growth and helps us to know where to support the school as a whole.

Finally, enjoy what’s looking to be a gloomy weekend- I suppose we were just getting a teaser of what’s to come with last weekend’s wonderful weather! My mom is in town for the weekend, so I hope to do some walking in the rain/dreariness to some coffee shops, breweries, and restaurants (now, here’s hoping she’s okay with that plan….).

Congratulations to Lola Barnes-Hoyt of Portland for designing the Grand Prize winner of the Fair Housing Council of Oregon’s 26th annual Fair Housing Poster Contest. The Fair Housing Council of Oregon has sponsored this contest to educate young Oregonians about how fair housing law protects everyone against illegal housing discrimination and promotes equitable access to housing throughout the state.

Good job, Lola!

Beverly Cleary Cafeteria is in need of more reusable metal forks and spoons for our cafeteria. This practice was started by the Green Team last year, and it has been very successful in reducing our plastic waste here at school during lunches. If you have any metal forks or spoons that you are willing to donate, please drop them by the office. You can also send a monetary donation so we can make a bulk order.

Thanks, The Green Team Students

On Monday, Apr. 15 our kinders, 1st and 2nd graders will have the special opportunity to meet and learn from children's author, Dane Lu. She lives in Portland and has just published her second picture book, Laolao's Dumplings. Please consider purchasing a signed copy of either or both of her books through our community partner, Green Bean Books, through this link by Mon. Apr. 1, 2024. When finishing your order, select Beverly Cleary School under "Calculate Shipping Cost." The signed copies of Dane Lu's books will be delivered to your student's classroom by the day after her visit. (Your purchase of one of her books directly supports this opportunity to have an author share her writing process with our students.)

If you have back copies of National Geographic Kids magazine that your family no longer needs, we'd love to use them to study nonfiction text features. These are high-level and engaging tools for our younger students to use in our Library lessons.

Finally, if you are interested in volunteering in the Library or you have a family member who would like to help us shelve books or check in books on Friday mornings, we would love your help. Shelving books is a great way to tune out on a podcast and help our Library in a huge way.Contact our Librarians, Nancy Gilkey (ngilkey@pps.net) and Whitney Palfreyman (wpalfreyman@pps.net) if interested or just want to know more. Thanks for considering!

Families, teachers & staff, and community members -- your voice matters!

Shape the future of our school community by completing the PTA survey. You'll be actively influencing the direction of PTA's programs, activities, & resources.

Don't miss this chance to be heard. Complete by Friday, April 12th.

Take the Survey

Calling all BCS Families! The ANNUAL PPS CLOTHING CENTER DRIVE is April 3-10

BCS will be collecting donations of NEW socks, underwear, gloves and winter hats - sizes 4T to adult - to benefit the PPS Clothing Center. More than 2,000 students in need across the district turn to the Clothing Center every year, and every year the BCS community steps up to ensure that the Clothing Center can provide new socks, hats, gloves and underwear to every student who visits.

Collection bins will be located near the main offices at Fernwood throughout the week, or you will again have the option to send your order straight from Amazon using our Socks & Underwear Drive wishlist.

CLASS SPIRIT WEEK COMPETITION IS BACK THIS YEAR!

Spirit Week is April 1-4, and Thursday, April 4 is Pajama and Sock Day! Bring donations of socks or underwear - or a printout of an Amazon wish list receipt - to support the Drive and show your class spirit. The class with the largest haul will earn a popcorn party and priority parking for their teacher.

DON'T FORGET THE SCHOOL CHALLENGE!

The PTA is once again challenging BCS students to beat their generosity from past years. If the BCS community collectively donates at least 2,400 pairs of socks, underwear, gloves and hats, students will be able to celebrate with a popsicle party in the spring!

Contact Zoey Kohn zoeykohn@gmail.com with questions!