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Vestal Elementary School
Our richly-diverse community nurtures life-long learning to support all students
in achieving their very highest educational and personal potential.

161 NE 82nd Avenue•Portland, OR 97220•Ph (503) 916-6437•Fx (503) 916-2679

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Vestal
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Community Buzz

  • Hello all and a very happy sunny Thursday! It really feels like Spring today!!
    remember, tomorrow is Spirit Day! We encourage everyone to wear Vestal Gera and/or clothing with messages supporting peace and justice!
    Some of you may have noticed that we have moved both the FREE Book Shelf and the Lost and Found! These items are still around, just in a new home (as directed by the Fire Marshal). They are now both in the Self Care Room- across from my office. Anytime the door is open you are welcome to pop in and grab a free book or two AND take a look at the lost and found. Due to space issues, we will only keep the Lost and Found for two weeks at a time, so please stop by when you can-or have your child stop by! We will also be putting the lost and found out on the fences after school- so please take a look!
    I know we are already in May, BUT please remember school attendance is so very important. Please help your child with the habits needed to get to school ON TIME every day! Our data proves what we already know to be true- when students miss a lot of school, they really start to struggle in both reading and math as they get older. As someone who worked in a middle school for 6 years I can tell you, the habits that you are practicing now carry over- and bad habits are even harder to break with adolescents! Again, we love seeing your kids on time and at school every day possible!
    On a safety Note- please know that we are asking EVERYONE who comes in the door at Vestal to BUZZ in first!!! We are taking our safety precautions very seriously, as always, but now even a little bit more due to ICE agents' increased presence in Portland. Please do not be offended (in fact, please be thankful) that we are so strict about who comes in and out of Vestal. It is worth it!
    OK, let's have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!
    Remember, next week is Staff/Teacher Appreciation Week!!!!
    Vestal Peace, Ms. Sabrina
     
    Note from PE-
    Hello Amazing Vestal Community!
    This week in P.E. students in grades 3-5 are finishing up their soccer unit. The students have done an amazing job working together and improving in all areas of their soccer playing abilities, especially sharing the ball. Students in grades k-2 are playing tag games that they played at the start of the year so they can get a better understanding of how much they have grown and how far they have come just from the start of the school year. Our paddle and bats unit is up next with field day right around the corner! (More on that later) As always, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your students' elementary school journey.
    May the 4th be with you!
    (Star wars)
    Coach C
    		  
     

District News

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  • HeART of Portland Returns to Portland Art Museum April 16th

    3/31/2025
    This is the poster for the Heart of Portland event

    HeART of Portland, the annual celebration of local student artists, is returning to the Portland Art Museum (PAM) beginning April 16.

    The two-week fine arts showcase features work by students from across Portland Public Schools and is made possible by the Arts Access Fund, which also supports elementary visual and performing arts educators.

    2025 HeART of Portland kicks off with an opening reception at PAM on April 16 at 6:30 p.m. and concludes with the Miller Family Free Day on April 27. The opening reception will include musical and theatrical performances, as well as a set from the elementary school honor choir – made up of two singers from each PPS elementary – and the debut of the honor dance collective. 

    In addition, the showcase will feature more than 100 works of student visual art, handpicked by PPS arts educators, and a collaborative art project for K-12 students that embraces the rebellious spirit of the current PAM exhibition, Psychedelic Rock Posters and Fashion of the 1960s. 

    The reception and HeART of Portland exhibits are free and open to everyone. Please join us in lifting up our student artists!

  • Join Us for "The Ride Ahead"

    3/11/2025

    Portland Public Schools is continuing to host a series of events aimed at starting productive conversations about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities.

    As part of this series, we are excited to welcome you to a free screening of The Ride Ahead on Thursday March 20 at McMenamins Kennedy School. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the movie begins at 7:00.

    The Ride Ahead is a film about adult life with disabilities by a man with disabilities. It is the debut of 21-year-old Samuel Habib who, struggling to find his place in the world, decides to make a film that charts how a group of disabled adults navigate challenges and forge their own unique paths. The film serves as a roadmap for himself and others and illustrates the compelling power of one person truly determined to live life on his own terms.

    In documenting his journey, Samuel is following in the footsteps of his father, the filmmaker Dan Habib. You can learn more about their work here.

    Staff, families, and community members are all invited. Parking is free and McMenamins' full menu is available for ordering. We hope to see you there!

  • To Close or Not to Close? The Many Factors that Go into an Inclement Weather Decision

    2/12/2025

    In meteorological terms, Portland’s first big weather event of 2024 was the definition of a perfect storm. Frigid temperatures and high winds combined with snow and ice to bring down tree limbs, close roads, scramble traffic, freeze pipes, and knock out power for tens of thousands of residents.

    It was a metaphorical perfect storm for Portland Public Schools as well. Fallen trees cut power to multiple schools and others have suffered water damage from broken pipes. Lack of heat was also a problem, and impassable roads, paired with snowed-in and icy parking lots, made it impossible for buses to run safely. Those same conditions limited how the district’s facilities and operations teams can even assess the scope of the issues, let alone begin working on solutions. And icy sidewalks meant walkers have no safe route to school.

    This week could bring similar conditions to the Portland area, and PPS’s School Closure Team is ready to meet the challenge. The team convenes regularly during inclement weather to take all of the above into careful consideration. By now, families are quite familiar with how the district communicates these decisions. What’s perhaps less known is how district leaders arrive at such decisions in the first place. 

  • Free Screening of "Champions" as Part of Our Series Boosting Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion

    2/4/2025

    As part of our district's focus on events that center belonging, equity, and inclusion, we have been screening a series of films that we hope will challenge our perceptions about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities.

    The next film in the series is “Champions,” which will screen on Saturday February 8th at 2:00 PM at Lincoln High School. This event will also include first-hand testimonials from PPS students.

    This movie highlights the journey of a basketball coach who leads a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Through humor and heartfelt moments, the movie emphasizes the strengths, individuality, and value each player brings to the team and how inclusion enriches communities and creates positive, supportive environments.

    Staff, families, and community members are all invited. Parking is free and light refreshment will be provided. We hope to see you there!

     

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