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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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  • Photos are ready for viewing!

    9/29/2025
    Español| Tiếng Việt| 中文| Soomaali| Русский

    Hi Vestal families!
    All the School Picture Day photo albums have been emailed out to families. Please check your inboxes (and spam folders)!

    All orders that are placed by October 1 will be sent to the school with no shipping fees. After that date, you can still place an order, but you’ll need to pay for shipping to your home. Your student’s album will be active until June 1, 2026.

    Note: If your student was absent on Picture Day, make-up day is October 15. 

    If you haven't received your child's album or have any other questions, get in touch at info@sungkokkophoto.com.

  • Orange Shirt Day

    9/24/2025
    Español| Tiếng Việt| 中文| Soomaali| Русский
    We are excited to learn what Orange Shirt Day is. Ms. Gina's class is leading the action. Here is some basic information. Please ask Ms. Gina and her class for more details and see their exhibit in the hall by their classroom.
    Orange Shirt Day September 30th, 2025
    Significance and meaning
    The message of Orange Shirt Day is that "Every Child Matters." 
    • Honors survivors and commemorates the lost. It is a day to remember the thousands of children who were taken from their families and placed in residential schools, many of whom never returned home.
    • Symbolizes cultural loss. The orange shirt symbolizes how the residential school system stripped Indigenous children of their language, culture, freedom, and self-esteem.
    • Promotes reconciliation. The day is an opportunity for open and meaningful discussions about the intergenerational impacts of the residential school system on Indigenous communities.
    • Inspires action. Wearing an orange shirt is an act of solidarity and a commitment to fight against racism and bullying. It reminds people that reconciliation is an ongoing process that requires education and advocacy. 
    Orange Shirt Day is observed in Canada and the United States
    Also, here is a link to a YouTube video for children discussing the day. Thank you, Ms. Gina for bringing this important day to our attention!

  • Looking ahead

    8/13/2024
    Español| Tiếng Việt| 中文| Soomaali| Русский

    The lovely RAIN has come! Please send an extra set of clothing to include shoes for your students. We do go outside if it is sprinkling or intermittent rain and if they get wet, we do not have enough extra clothing or shoes to let them change.

    Can Bees Fly in Rain? Discover the Science of Bee Flight!

     

    Tuesday, September 30 - Wear your favorite color spirit day

    .................................................................................................

    Friday, October 10 - Statewide In Service - School Closed

    Tuesday, October 14 - PTA General Meeting

    Wednesday, October 15 - Picture make-up day

    Wednesday, October 22 - Early Release for Students (11:50) - the office closes at 1 today

    Thursday and Friday, October 30 & 31 - No school for Students

  • Garden Schedule - subject to change

    2/8/2024
    Español| Tiếng Việt| 中文| Soomaali| Русский

    Schedule

     

Community Buzz

  • Hello to the amazing Vestal hive!

     

    Happy Thursday! This week has flown by yet again! It is so fun to see your students so engaged in their learning! This week we have 5th graders presenting passion projects in the auditorium, Kindergartens get to meet a bearded dragon, 3rd graders writing paragraphs…and so much more! One of the best parts of my job is getting to visit classrooms everyday!

     

    Next Tuesday is our September Spirit day (each month we will have one spirit day just for fun!) September’s theme is Wear Your Favorite Color (this can be ALL of your clothing or just some pieces). 

     

    It is also Orange Shirt Day. Our 4th graders have been learning about Orange Shirt day and encourage students who want to honor Native American children who were sent to boarding schools.

     

    A little more about Wear Orange Day-

     You can wear orange on September 30 to observe Orange Shirt Day, a National Day of Remembrance for Native American children impacted by the U.S. Indian Boarding School system. The day honors survivors, families, and communities by raising awareness of the trauma and cultural loss caused by these schools. The movement originated in Canada to commemorate residential school survivors, and its significance extends to the U.S. where many Indigenous children faced similar assimilation tactics in boarding schools. 

     

    Oct. 1st in International Bike/Walk to School day! We will have some local government officials joining us as we celebrate our Bike/Walk buses! Check the PTA webpage for more news about this day! We would love to see a HUGE crowd of folks biking/walking to school next Wednesday!

     

    A Reminder about Drop -Off and Pick-Up at Vestal.

    Last year we worked really hard to drop kids off safely in the morning…. the big school bus has now taken over the spot we used to ask families to drop off. You can still drop your student off right behind the school bus and ask them to walk on the sidewalk to our entrance. Also, once the smaller buses have left in the morning (usually by 7:53), you are welcome to pull right up next to the sidewalk in front of the stairs to drop off. What we really don’t love seeing is kids dropped off across the street, as then they have to cross in front of moving cars….which is never great.

     

    For Pick Up- just a reminder to park and walk to the playground to pick up your student….please do not pull into the parking lot to wait for your student. We do not let kids walk to cars in the parking lot alone…again…too many moving cars! We know our parking isn’t awesome….I suggest getting used to parking on 81st and walking in through our little gate!

     

    A reminder- Oct. 10th is a state in-service day for teachers and staff, so NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS.

     

    OK, please wear your Vestal gear tomorrow!

     

    Have a wonderful weekend!

     

    Vestal Peace,

    Ms. Sabrina



    Here is a note from PE-

    Hello Vestal families,

     

    My name is Dennis McCaffrey and I am in my first year teaching PE here at Vestal. I am coming from Centennial School District where I worked in the same role for four years. I have enjoyed getting to know your students and look forward to a fantastic year!

     

    Since arriving, we have been practicing teamwork, sportsmanship, moving safely in space, and creating a PE community that is inclusive to all learners. 

     

    Please contact me via email if you have any questions or would like to connect!

     

    Sincerely,

    Mr. McCaffrey

    dmccaffrey@pps.net

       

District News

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  • Two Lincoln High School Grads Win National Merit Scholarships

    6/12/2025

    Congratulations to Lincoln High School students Richard Deng and Coral Platt! Both were awarded National Merit Scholarships of $2,500 toward their college studies.

    They were chosen from more than 15,000 finalists nationwide. Richard plans to pursue a career in politics and Coral is looking at a future in the legal sector.

  • Two PPS Educators Named OnPoint Educators of the Year

    6/2/2025

    Two exceptional PPS educators, Ricardo Barber and Hang Jones, were recently named OnPoint Educators of the Year for 2025.

    As part of this prestigious honor, both teachers will have their rent or mortgage paid for an entire year, and their schools also receive a $2,500 donation. 

    Ricardo Barber teaches third grade at Faubion, and Hang Jones serves as a social worker at Marysville Elementary. 

    The OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education celebrates educators who embrace innovative teaching techniques that ignite enthusiasm in their students. 

    Congratulations to Ricardo Barber and Hang Jones! And thank you both for everything you do to make a difference in the lives our students.

  • Student Filmmakers Showcase Their Monster Talent

    5/22/2025

    The assignment their teacher gave them was simple – make a short film that begins with a phone call and ends with someone hanging up. Benson first-year students Dylan Martinez-Torres and Dariel Soriano Zamora ran it all the way to a small city populated by two very big and rather iconic monsters – Godzilla and Hedora.

    The result, Sorry, Wrong Number, is one of the more than 90 films entered into the annual Best of PPS Film Festival. The festival is a celebration of exceptional student filmmaking that includes a showcase at the historic Hollywood Theatre. 

    The fourth annual installment of the festival took place on May 21 and included a screening of 13 standout films. The films came from all over PPS and ran the gamut from Dylan and Dariel’s monster short to documentaries, film noir, and broadcast journalism. 

    Read More

  • Join the Climate Crisis Response Committee

    5/19/2025

    If you are a passionate student or community member that wants to make a difference at PPS, apply to join the Climate Crisis Response Committee! This is a committee that reports to the PPS Board of Education.

    On the committee you will learn about how PPS is making progress towards our climate justice and sustainability policies, provide input and recommendations to the PPS Board on how to better support PPS staff as we advance these policy goals, and connect with other passionate members of our PPS community from diverse backgrounds, knowledge areas, and lived experiences.

    No previous professional experience in climate change or sustainability required! Students can apply via this form. Community members can apply here.

    Deadline to apply: June 6. 

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