Hello ACCESS Families,

I hope everyone celebrating had a wonderful holiday break. It was great seeing so many of you at fall conferences. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us about your child’s experience at ACCESS—your partnership truly makes all the difference.

We have a staff meeting scheduled for this Tuesday (December 2nd). That means our middle school will release at 3:15 PM (instead of the regular 3:30), and you can expect buses to arrive a little bit earlier than usual.

Our December Principal’s Coffee is scheduled for Wednesday, 12/3/25 at 9:00 AM. We hope you’ll join us for conversation, updates, and connection.

*Principal's Coffee is Canceled as of 12/2

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who donated to our food drive! Your generosity reflects the caring spirit of our community and ensures that families across Portland will have a little extra support this season. We’re grateful for your kindness.

Hello ACCESS Families,

There is no school this week for conferences on Monday and Tuesday and for the Thanksgiving holiday Wednesday–Friday. We look forward to seeing you at conferences on Monday and Tuesday!

 Successful Schools Survey

It’s time for the annual Successful Schools Survey! Your feedback helps us understand what’s working well and where we can continue to grow as a school community. Please take a few minutes to complete the Family Survey — it’s quick, easy, and truly makes a difference.

 Conference Details

Before signing up, please check ParentVUE to confirm your child’s teachers.

 Use this link to sign up for conferences.

Elementary (Grades 2–5)

If your child has different teachers for math and homeroom:

• Sign up for a 15-minute conference with the homeroom teacher

• Sign up for a 10-minute conference with the math teacher

If your child’s homeroom and math teacher are the same, sign up for a 20-minute conference with that teacher.

All elementary teachers will be on site Monday, November 24, and we encourage in-person conferences whenever possible.
Virtual conferences will also be available, especially on Tuesday, November 25.

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

Teachers will offer virtual 10-minute conferences from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on November 24–25.

Please schedule time with your child’s:

• Math

• Science

• ELA

• Social Studies

• Learning Center teacher (if applicable)

Please schedule with elective classes taught by core subject teachers (Wrobel, MacKinnon, Cleary, Vosler, McBride) only if you have a specific concern.
Maestra Longstreet’s 6th grade class is an elective, and her 7th and 8th grade classes are core.

In-person middle school conferences are available upon request, though we encourage families to make use of the virtual format to ensure access for all.

 ACCESS Food Drive & Helping Hands Gift Card Drive

ACCESS Academy is partnering with Sunshine Division to host a Food Drive supporting families in the Portland metro area. The last day to donate is Monday, Nov. 22 — you’re welcome to bring items to your in-person conferences.

Non-perishable items welcome:
canned vegetables, beans, soups, peanut butter, shelf-stable milk, pasta, rice, cereal.

You can also support ACCESS families directly (34 students qualify for free/reduced lunch) through our Helping Hands Gift Card Drive.
Please donate grocery gift cards in $20 or $25 increments to facilitate distribution. Drop off gift cards at the front office or with Devin Harkness.

Hello ACCESS Families,

We have just one more week of regular school until we take a break next week for parent-teacher conferences and Thanksgiving!

 Thank You to Our Volunteers!

I want to offer a huge thanks to all of our parents who helped chaperone the field trip to the Oregon Historical Society last week, and who came and supported our students with the Ruby Bridges Walk to School and the Fourth Grade Field Study. We could not have done it without you. Thank you so much!

 Principal's Coffee Recording & Standards-Based Grading Resources

Below you will find links to the Principal's Coffee from last week. Thank you to everybody who showed up!

This week's recording is provided in two separate pieces to make it easier to find the information you need:

• Link 1: Presentation on Standards-Based Grading - This part contains the presentation given by Meg Cleary on Standards-Based Grading.

• Link 2: Remainder of the Meeting — This link contains the rest of the Principal's Coffee discussion.

You will also find the link to the handout on Standards-Based Grading provided by Meg Cleary here. 

 This Week's Schedule & Meetings

This is a week of regular school days with the regular schedule all day.

Please note the following virtual meetings:

• Site Council Meeting: Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. (Virtual)

  • If you are part of Site Council or would like to observe, please join us!

• PTA Meeting: Thursday at 7:00 p.m. (Virtual)

 Action Items & Important Links

• Sign up for Conferences: If you have not signed up for parent-teacher conferences yet, please do so as soon as possible.

• Complete the Successful Schools Survey: If you have not had a chance to fill out your Parent Successful Schools Survey, please do that now!

  • This survey is a really important avenue for parents to communicate with the district about what they appreciate and what they want for their children's education. Your feedback truly affects our schools.

Hello ACCESS Families,

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful fall weather.

We have a regular schedule this week except Tuesday, when school will be closed in observance of Veterans Day. Thank you to all members of our school community who have served!

 Principal’s Coffee — This Wednesday at 9:00 AM

Join us for our Principal’s Coffee this Wednesday. We’ll be joined by Meg Cleary, who will answer questions about standards-based grading.
 If you can’t make it, we’ll share the recording with next week’s announcements.

ACCESS Principal's Coffee

Wednesday, November 12 · 9:00 – 10:00am

Time zone: America/Los_Angeles

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/dcs-unuw-arp

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 912-712-4249‬ PIN: ‪957 243 752‬#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/dcs-unuw-arp?pin=6208818801338____________________________________________________________________________

 Successful Schools Survey

It’s time for the annual Successful Schools Survey! Your feedback helps us understand what’s working well and where we can improve as a school community. Please take a few minutes to complete the Family Survey here — it’s quick, easy, and truly makes a difference.

 Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day

Friday, November 14, 2025 | 7:45–8:30 AM
 Starting Point: Oregon Public Broadcasting parking lot (7140 S Macadam Ave)
 Ending Point: ACCESS Campus (6318 S Corbett Ave)

Families are invited to join ACCESS students and staff for Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day—a morning of reflection, unity, and courage organized by our ACCESS BIPOC Club and counseling team. We’ll gather at 7:45 AM at OPB for snacks and a short introduction by student organizers, then walk together to ACCESS, arriving by 8:20 AM. Student activities will follow at 8:45 AM.

 RSVP here if you plan to join us for the walk.

 Preparing for November Conferences

As you get ready for conferences, consider asking your child’s teacher:

• What rate and level is my student at?
  

• How are you meeting the needs of my student?
  

TAG services are provided by classroom teachers through instructional strategies designed to meet each student’s needs. The first step in understanding what’s happening in your student’s classroom is to check in with their teacher. You can learn more about TAG services and advocacy opportunities through the PPS TAG website and the TAG Advisory Council (TAGAC).

 Conference Details

Please check ParentVUE to find your child’s teachers’ names before signing up.

Use this link to sign up for conferences. 

Elementary (Grades 2–5)

• If your child has different teachers for math and homeroom:
  

  • Sign up for a 15-minute conference with the homeroom teacher
    

  • Sign up for a 10-minute conference with the math teacher
    

• If your child’s homeroom and math teacher are the same, sign up for a 20-minute conference with that teacher.
  

• All elementary teachers will be on site Monday, November 24, and we encourage in-person conferences whenever possible.
  

• Virtual conferences will also be available, especially on Tuesday, November 25.
  

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

• Teachers will offer virtual 10-minute conferences from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on November 24–25.
  

• Schedule with your child’s Math, Science, ELA, Social Studies, and (if applicable) Learning Center teachers.
  

• Please schedule with elective classes taught by core subject teachers (Wrobel, MacKinnon, Cleary, Vosler, McBride) only if there’s a specific concern. Maestra Longstreet’s 6th grade class is an elective and 7th and 8th grade classes are core. 
  

• In-person conferences are available upon request, though we encourage families to take advantage of the virtual format to ensure access for all.
  

 Food Drive: November 17–22

Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, SNAP food benefits have been paused, leaving many families without essential support. In response, ACCESS Academy is partnering with Sunshine Division for a quick, focused food drive. Please send your child with non-perishable items (canned vegetables, beans, soups, pasta, rice, cereal, peanut butter, shelf-stable milk). Donations can be placed in the three barrels in the cafeteria. You can also support ACCESS families directly through our Helping Hands Gift Card Drive by donating grocery store gift cards in the office. Thank you for showing compassion and care during this challenging time.

 T-Shirt Design Contest Winner

We’re thrilled to announce the winner of the PTA’s 2025 T-Shirt Design Contest!

 Applause for our Atomically Awesome Axolotl Artist: 3rd Grader Silas Eastman! 

Silas’ fin-tastic design made a splash, earning the top vote from all three groups—Elementary Students, Middle School Students, and Parents & Staff! Every ACCESS student and staff member will receive a t-shirt featuring Silas’ design.

 ACCESS Chess Team Shines

Congratulations to the ACCESS Chess Team for their great showing at the Rose City Chess Halloween Tournament!

The team placed 2nd overall in the Under 600 Section—showing skill, respect, and teamwork throughout.

Participants: Nico Cook, Varrick Waggoner, Ada Roser, Brandon Alsberg, Barney Andersen, and Charlie Roser. Great job, Atoms!

Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support of our ACCESS community.

Warmly,
 Aaron Ferguson
 Principal, ACCESS Academy

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.