Hello Atomic Families,

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow evening at Back-to-School Night! You will find more information below, plus updates on school pictures and our October Principal’s Coffee. 

1.  Back-to-School Night

By the end of Back-to-School Night, families will be able to:

• Meet and get to know your student’s teachers
  
• Learn about each class your student is participating in
  
• Connect with ACCESS support staff
  
• Ask questions
  

 Please make sure you have access to your Atom’s schedule (middle school) and follow it period-by-period so you receive the most relevant information. The first bell will ring at 5:55 PM, and families can begin heading to classrooms at that time.

Middle School Schedule

• 5:30–5:55 PM — PTA & Principal Welcome (Cafetorium)
  
• 6:00–6:10 PM — 1st Period
  
• 6:13–6:23 PM — 2nd Period
  
• 6:26–6:36 PM — 3rd Period
  
• 6:39–6:49 PM — 4th Period
  
• 6:52–7:02 PM — 5th Period
  
• 7:05–7:15 PM — 6th Period
  
• 7:18–7:28 PM — 7th Period
  
• 7:30–7:45 PM — Science Competitions Info (Cafetorium, open to all)
  

Elementary Schedule

• 5:30–5:55 PM — PTA & Principal Welcome (Cafetorium)
  
• 6:00–6:10 PM — Elementary Hello (Cafetorium)
  
• 6:13–6:23 PM — Walk to Math
  
• 6:25–6:55 PM — Homeroom Info & Circle
  
• 6:55–7:15 PM — Specials Teachers (Cafetorium)
  
• 7:20–7:30 PM — Meet with Principal (Cafetorium, open to all)
  

2.  School Pictures

So-Min Kang Photography
 www.sominkang.com |  sominkang25@gmail.com

• 10/6: 2nd & 3rd graders
  
• 10/7: 4th & 5th graders
  
• 10/13: 6th & 7th graders (Vosler’s 3rd period)
  
• 10/14: 7th & 8th graders (Vosler’s 4th period)
  
• 10/20: Make-up Day (10:30–11:30 AM)
  

3.  Principal’s Coffee (Rescheduled)

Our October Principal’s Coffee has been moved from Wednesday, October 8 to Wednesday, October 15.

Join us in-person in the cafeteria or virtually on Google Meet.

 Wednesday, October 15
 9:00–10:00 AM
 ACCESS Cafeteria
 Join via Google Meet
 Dial: +1 912-712-4249‬ | PIN: 957 243 752#
More phone numbers

Happy Sunday, Atomic Families!
Thank you to everyone who joined our PTA meeting on Thursday evening — it was wonderful to see so many of you. We’re looking forward to our next PTA meeting, which will be in person at ACCESS on Thursday, October 16, at 7:00 PM.
Last week, during our Wednesday early release for professional development, our elementary team kicked off a year-long deep dive into the Science of Reading, joined by our partners at MLC and Stephenson Elementary. Our middle school team continued their work on teacher clarity through learning targets and success criteria.
There are no special schedules or early releases this week. All classes will start at 8:45. Elementary dismisses at 3:15, and middle school at 3:30.
Looking ahead, our Back-to-School Night is planned for Tuesday, September 30, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. This is an adults-only event, as we don’t have room in classrooms for students. Unfortunately, we’re unable to provide on-site childcare this year, so please plan accordingly.

Reminders

Personal Technology
We ask students to keep personal technology devices at home whenever possible. We understand some students need a device to communicate with families about transportation or after-school care — if that’s the case, please remind your child to keep devices powered down and stored in their backpack (not in pockets) during the school day. This includes smartwatches. Personal laptops should come to school only if they are required for after-school activities (e.g., robotics or filmmaking) and must remain off and in backpacks throughout the day.

Pokémon & Trading Cards
Please have students leave Pokémon and other trading cards at home. When these items come to school, they often lead to disputes over trades or lost/damaged cards. We encourage students to set up playtimes outside of school to enjoy these shared interests.
Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a focused and welcoming learning environment for all students.

Happy Rosh Hashanah to everyone celebrating! 

Have a great week!
—Aaron Ferguson, Principal

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are having a great weekend. My family is gathered around the television today, glued to the first day of the WNBA finals and looking forward to Portland getting our own team next year.

We had a great week at ACCESS last week kicking off Walk to Math. It was wonderful to be in classrooms, watching our elementary students get started with their math courses.

We had a visit from our new Senior Director last week, Dr. Michael Baird. He, Instructional Coach Margaret Price and I did a walkthrough of several classrooms focused on one of our core instructional priorities this year: teacher clarity. There was much to celebrate as we saw teachers taking time to ensure that students understood their learning goal for the day at the start of instruction. One thing you can do to support us in this goal is to ask your child if they can tell you any of their learning targets from their day.

 Coming Up This Week

• Wednesday, September 17 – Early Release for Teacher Development
   All students will be dismissed at 12:45 PM, and buses should depart by about 12:50. Our teachers in grades 2–5 will be launching a year-long focus on literacy instruction and Middle School teachers are continuing work on clarity and engagement.
  
• Thursday, September 18 – PTA Meeting
   Join us at 7:00 PM for our first regular PTA meeting of the school year.
  

 Stay Connected with the PTA!

Speaking of the PTA, In addition to my weekly updates, the PTA sends out its own weekly newsletter with valuable information about after-school enrichments, community events, volunteer opportunities, and more.

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to sign up on the PTA website to stay in the loop. You do not need to be a dues-paying PTA member to subscribe or receive the newsletter - everyone is welcome!
  Sign up: https://accesspta.membershiptoolkit.com/login-form

Back to School Night Save the date! Tuesday, September 30, 5:30–7:30 PM

 Lunch Reminders

Thank you to the families who donated microwaves for student use!

• Microwaves are for warming food, not cooking.
  
• Please avoid instant ramen or foods requiring high heat or long cooking.
  
• No glass containers for food or water bottles.
  

 Label Personal Items

As fall weather arrives, please write your child’s name on jackets, sweatshirts, backpacks, lunchboxes, water bottles, hats, and other belongings.

Thanks for helping us keep ACCESS organized and safe!

Warmly,
 Aaron Ferguson
 Principal, ACCESS Academy

Hello ACCESS Families,

Thank you to everyone who joined me for Principal Coffee this week—it’s always such a joy to connect with you. For those who couldn’t make it, here’s a quick recap and a few important updates:

 Walk to Math
We’re wrapping up our fall math diagnostics, and Walk to Math officially kicks off Monday, September 8th! This year, we piloted optional summer assessments for middle school students so we could start more quickly. While we’ll continue this for middle school in the future, elementary students will always begin Walk to Math after our first two weeks of in-school diagnostics. Thank you for your patience and encouragement as we refine this process—it’s all about making sure each student gets what they need.

 Technology Expectations
Middle school families—please make sure you’ve signed and returned our technology agreement (attached here and sent earlier this week).
For all families, a reminder: personal devices (phones, smartwatches, e-readers, gaming devices, laptops, etc.) should be off and away from the moment students enter the building until dismissal. We know some students carry a phone or watch for safe travel or for after-school activities, and that’s fine—it just needs to stay tucked in a backpack during the school day. Thank you for helping us keep school time focused on learning.

We’re also setting clear expectations for school-issued Chromebooks: these are learning tools, not gaming devices. We so appreciate the effort families put into setting healthy screen-time limits at home, and we want to carry that same spirit into the classroom.

 Cafeteria Microwave
A big thank-you to families who have already offered to donate a replacement microwave! We’ll let you know as soon as one is up and running for student use.

 Community & Advocacy
We talked about how to make our voices heard as a community. Our PTA continues to be a fantastic partner—if you’re not already involved, now’s a great time! And remember, PPS leaders always benefit from hearing what’s going well in our schools, so don’t be shy about sharing the positives.

 Save the Date
Back to School Night is September 30th—details coming soon!

 Attendance Reminder
If your child will be absent, late, leaving early, or changing transportation plans, please email accessattend@pps.net. Jillian and Susie will make sure everything gets updated quickly.

 Things We’re Working On

• Exploring a buzz-in system for students moving between portables and the main building.
  
  
• Requesting pest control for the yellowjackets in the front garden.
  
  
• Awaiting PPS guidance on middle school courses taken for high school credit, and more support on understanding the SBG gradebook in ParentVUE.
  
  
• Making sure all staff are consistently using ParentSquare for communication.
  
  
• Updating the school website calendar with special schedule days and events.
  
  

 Schedule Note
This Tuesday is our first staff meeting day. All students—elementary and middle—will dismiss at 3:15. For elementary families, nothing changes. If your child rides the bus, they may get home a few minutes earlier than usual.

Thank you for all the ways you support our school—it’s a privilege to serve this community.

With gratitude,
Principal Aaron

You can find a recording on June's Principal Coffee virtual meeting here.

You can find a recording on January's Principal Coffee virtual meeting here! 

Please enjoy the newest edition of the Atomic Articles!

Atomic Articles - June!

Here is the link to view the video of today's principal coffee, which had details about dates for the end of this school year as well as previews of next year's schedules: Recording

Here is the link to the powerpoint with the basic info: PPT

Also note: If you know people interested in the lottery results for the 24-25 school year, we anticipate the initial offers to go out early next week, May 13 or after. Thanks!

Please enjoy the newest edition of the Atomic Articles!

May Atomic Articles

Please enjoy the newest edition of the school newsletter!

Atomic Articles Volume 29

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 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.

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. 

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.