Gearing up for the
2018-2019 school year
By Xavier Botana
School doesn’t
start for Portland Public Schools students until September, but families can
use the month of August to help ensure that their children make a seamless
transition from summer to school.
The 2018-2019
school year begins after Labor Day for our students. The first day for students
in grades 1-12 is Tuesday, Sept. 4. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students
will start on Thursday, Sept. 6.
To view the
Portland Public Schools’ 2018-2019 calendar, go to our website, https://www.portlandschools.org/ and click on “News & Calendars.”
However, we
encourage our families to start engaging with us before the first day of
school. One important way to do that this year is by attending a Back to School
Fair the Portland Public Schools is hosting on Saturday, Aug. 25. Families are
invited to stop by Ocean Avenue Elementary School, located at 150 Ocean Avenue,
between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
At the fair, a team
of trained staff will help parents set up their parent login and fill out
essential paperwork. This year, all start-of-school paperwork is going online
and parents can get help filling it out.
Parents also will
have a chance to sign their children up for after-school programs and athletics
and other activities. In addition, families can meet with more than 25 local
organizations to learn about programs, resources, and volunteer opportunities.
Interpreters will
be available and there also will be activities for children and light
refreshments.
If your child is
new to the district and not yet registered for the new school year, please
don’t wait for the first day of school to enroll your child. You can register your
child online using our new Online Enrollment Application process. For more
information, go to “School Enrollment” under the blue “Families” box on our
website or use this link: https://www.portlandschools.org/families/school_enrollment
Also, many of our
schools hold back-to-school barbeques, ice cream socials and other welcoming
events before the first day of school. Attending helps both parents and
children. Familiarizing students with their school and teachers beforehand
helps quell first-day-of-school anxiety. Our families are valued partners in
educating our students, so we always look forward to meeting students’
families!
Look for more
details about these events on the website of your child’s school and also on
the district website.
As the new school
year is about to begin, I want to remind parents how important it is that
students attend regularly, starting from the first day. The start of school is
a critical time when students and teachers get to know one another, build
relationships and establish important classroom routines.
By contrast,
missing school has consequences for students. Those who miss school frequently
are more likely to fall behind academically; research shows this has long-term
negative consequences.
Finally, I’ll close
with a note about what to expect from this column during the 2018-2019 school
year.
At the suggestion
of our district’s Parent Advisory Committee, this column will focus on our
seven Core Beliefs about Learning and the Core Teaching Practices you should
look for in connection with those beliefs.
Our Beliefs about
Learning are:
- All
learners can rise to high expectations.
- Learners
have different strengths, needs and starting points, based on who they are
and what they’ve experienced. They learn in different ways and timeframes.
- Academics,
work habits, and social-emotional skills are equally important in school
and in life.
- Students
can learn better when they are empowered and feel capable.
- Learning
in diverse groups prepares students to thrive in an increasingly diverse,
complex, and connected world.
- Practicing
and learning from mistakes are natural and necessary parts of the learning
process.
- Belonging,
engagement, and joy help a learner achieve.
I have invited Melea
Nalli, our Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, to join me in
writing this column as we explain to our families and community how the
Portland Public School teaches to these beliefs. We’ll also tell you how the
four goals in our Portland Promise – Achievement, Whole Student, Equity and
People – connect to our Core Beliefs.
I’m looking forward
to working closely with our families and the Portland community to ensure that our
students have a successful 2018-2019 school year!
