Sellwood Principal's Newsletter - November 7, 2025
NOTE: This district is working on a new website. In the interim, the spacing and alignment may transpose incorrectly. Thank you for your patience.
Greetings Sellwood Community,
Just a reminder that next Tuesday, November 11th is Veteran’s Day, so all schools will be closed.
We are proud to announce that Sellwood’s health teacher, Haleigh Jaeger, was recently named Middle School Health Teacher of the Year by Oregon SHAPE. You can read the press release here. Please help us congratulate Ms. Jaeger. Way to go, Haleigh!
Sincerely,
Jeandre Carbone
Sellwood Middle School Principal
VIEWING REPORT CARDS
Quarter 1 Report cards are now viewable in Parentvue. If you requested a paper copy, it will be sent home with your student early next week.
PPS has shifted to paperless report cards and families will be using ParentVue to check report cards. Here are some handy instructions to view report cards on ParentVue (thank you Duniway Elementary for the helpful graphic)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hxWBvSxvLHxifPs9A_sPDmnoTUvrAB3y/view?usp=sharing
Also, here is a link to more detailed instructions, which, if you scroll to the bottom, show how to opt-out of paperless report cards and get a paper copy mailed.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dVYNHNTZ0wZqDCgrAt3IKcEs2dlX_7yJwUBWyZy01XQ/edit?usp=sharing
PTA NEWS
PTA Annual Campaign
Please join the PTA annual campaign by making a tax-deductible donation to the PTA (EIN: 93-6039404) through November 23. You can make a tangible difference at Sellwood by donating to the PTA here. Thanks to a generous donor, all gifts will be matched dollar for dollar. You can double your impact on Sellwood by donating to the PTA.
Funds raised will provide teacher and elective stipends for supplies and help purchase new library books! With additional funds, the PTA will be able to offer PEAK after-school program scholarships and facilitate OBOB. And don’t forget about field trips and curriculum enrichment. Finally, funds will help support 8th-grade promotion.
Our goal is to raise $16,000 to support Sellwood! Please consider donating. Gifts of all sizes will make a difference and help us meet our goal.
Does your employer match charitable contributions to non-profit organizations? Don’t forget to submit your donation for employee matching. Contact the PTA at sellwoodpta@gmail.com with any questions or if you need anything.
Donate Today! https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/general-giving-donations 
We Need Volunteers!
Looking to get involved at SMS? We post current volunteer needs on Konstella. We currently need help for our Teacher Appreciation event on Monday, November 24th during parent/teacher conferences. The PTA will be providing lunch and dinner plus drinks and snacks for the staff that day and need help with setting up food, cleaning up, and donating items. Here is the link to Konstella and to sign up to volunteer: https://www.konstella.com/cd/AXC2Z9
Spirit Wear - Order Now Through November 26th
Get your Beanies! T-shirts! Hoodies! Zip Hoodies! Sweatpants! This is a spirit raiser, not a fund raiser, with prices set close to production costs. We look forward to seeing this gear out in the community! Items will be available for pick-up at Sellwood parking lot after school the week of December 15th before holiday break. Details to come closer to that time. Questions? Send a message to SMSGearShop@gmail.com and we will get back to you ASAP. Store link: design.swagnw.com/sellwood_middle_school_spirit
Drag Queen Bingo Planning Meeting - November 13th at 7pm at Limelight in Sellwood
If you are looking for a way to get involved this is a great opportunity to help out. Drag Queen Bingo is a fun event in February and we will have our first planning committee meeting on November 13th at 7pm. Email sellwoodpta@gmail.com if interested or just show up!
SMS Dine-Out at The Record Pub for Trivia Night - November 19th
Mark your calendars! Put your knowledge to the test and have a blast at Trivia Night at The Record Pub! Free to play, you’ll enjoy a night of fun with friends while helping Sellwood Middle School! A portion of the proceeds from the night will go directly to supporting our school’s programs and activities. So, grab your team, bring your A-game, and let’s make it a night to remember—all for a great cause!
Portland Trailblazers vs OKC Thunder - November 30th at 3pm – ORDER by 11/14
Join us for an exciting night of basketball in support of the Sellwood Middle School PTA as the Trail Blazers take on the defending champion OK Thunder at Moda Center on Sunday, November 30th. Show your school spirit while enjoying the game with friends, family, and fellow members of the school community. Link for tickets (order deadline has been extended until November 14): Portland Trail Blazers - Powered by Spinzo
OBOB needs volunteers and teams!
Oregon Battle of the Books is coming back to Sellwood Middle School and will be organized by parent volunteers for the 2025/26 school year. Now is the time to start organizing a team; the deadline to register will be Friday, December 12th. Once you have a team, you can register them here. If you have questions, email Emma Fricke at efrickecoparent@gmail.com.
OBOB is a program where teams of students read an amazing selection of books and then compete with other teams in Battles to recall details from the stories. Battles will be organized at the school level in February 2026. Teams are usually made up of two to four members, with one optional alternate, for a total of no more than five members.
PEAK Program Registration
Chess Club starts Monday, November 3rd and there are 2 more Red Cross Babysitter Classes this school year. Scholarships are available. Register: www.6crickets.com
BottleDrop Blue Bag Program - Recycle Cans and Bottles and Support the PTA!
Collect and return your empty cans and bottles to the nearest BottleDrop Location through the BottleDrop Blue Bag program. Visit the office to pick up Blue Bags for BottleDrop - or pick up from SMS community members who have blue bags on their porch. Find locations here: Sellwood PTA - BottleDrop Blue Bag Program
You can also connect with the Sellwood Middle School PTA via:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SellwoodMiddleSchoolPTA/
Instagram: @sellwoodmiddlepta
Web: https://sites.google.com/view/sellwoodpta
SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL SURVEY OPENED MON. NOV. 3
Dear families,
Portland Public Schools begins the annual Successful Schools Survey on Monday. The Successful Schools Survey is an opportunity for students, staff, and families to provide important feedback on their school environments, learning experiences, and sense of well-being and safety at school.
The survey is conducted once every school year to provide timely information to schools, district leadership, and the community, allowing us to make informed decisions about school climate and culture. This year, the survey window is open November 3 to December 8.
Portland Public Schools highly values the input and opinions of its families, and we welcome all PPS parents and guardians to complete this year’s survey. We use the data to help improve our schools, providing targeted feedback and training on how to create healthy school environments that are welcoming for all.
You can complete the Successful Schools Survey online using the link provided below. Please complete one survey per household. If you have more than one student at PPS, we ask that you complete the survey considering the experiences of your eldest child.
The survey will take approximately 15-30 minutes to complete and is available in English, Spanish, Russian, Somali, Vietnamese and Chinese.
https://surveys.panoramaed.com/portlandor/fall25family
For more information about the Successful Schools Survey, please go to pps.net/successfulschools.
HOSTING SPANISH MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH ANDEGO
Last year several families hosted Spanish middle school students for a month. It was an incredibly rewarding cultural experience and several even chose to visit their host student the following summer in Spain. We have the opportunity to host students at Sellwood MS again this year. If your family is interested in hosting a Spanish student from January 17-February 15, 2026, see the attached flyer and apply to host! There is no cost to you nor does your family need to speak Spanish to host.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XDyC7gZ7OTe8c0VWYbp8U1ZUKIsFWbrR/view?usp=sharing
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
Mark your calendars for parent teacher conferences. Parent/Teacher Conferences will be slightly different this year, with an option to schedule conferences the evening of Thursday, November 20th (the week previous to traditional conferences). Please note that there are times and dates designated for virtual vs. in-person conferences.
On November 14th, I will be sharing the parent instructions and conference sign-up document so that you can easily book appointments with teachers.
Thursday, November 20, 2025
5:15-8:15 Conferences (3hrs) - Virtual
Monday, November 24, 2025
8:15-12:15 Conferences (4hrs) - In Person
12:15-12:45 Lunch Break (0.5hr)
12:45-4:15 Conferences (3.5hrs)- In Person
4:15-5:15 Dinner Break (1hr)
5:15-8:15 Conferences (3hrs)- In Person
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
8:15-12:15 Conferences (4hrs) - Virtual
12:15-12:45 Lunch Break (0.5hrs)
12:45-4:15 Conferences (3.5hrs) - Virtual
LEWIS ELEMENTARY: WREATH SALE & WINTER BAZAAR
LEWIS ES WINTER BAZAAR
FROM THE YEARBOOK STAFF
We are looking for photos from fall sports and extracurriculars/performances! Team photos, action shots, and candids of Sellwood students are all welcome. Please email (at the highest resolution) to Lsouther@pps.net and include as much information you can about student names, team name, event, etc.
HOW TO CHECK PROGRESS/GRADES IN PARENTVUE
Here is a helpful step-by-step document to guide you through checking your children' s grades in ParentVue.
HOW TO CHECK ASSIGNMENTS & GRADES IN STUDENTVUE
This year, with the new proficiency-based grade book, the process for checking grades and assignments is a little different for students. If your child is having a hard time checking their assignments and grades, here is a slide presentation offering a step-by-step guide. Checking Assignments and Grades in Student Vue.
PANTHER PAUSE (STUDENT CREATED WEBSITE)
In addition to working on our yearbook, this class has been practicing their journalism skills to produce a website. Check out the Panther Pause!
CLEVELAND CLUSTER MIDDLE SCHOOL WRESTLING
If your child is interested in wrestling, please check out the links to the 2025-26 Cleveland MS wrestling announcements and an invitation to the wrestling clinic on Saturday, November 8th.
Cleveland MS Wrestling Flyer
Cleveland MS Wrestling Special Invitation
SELLWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL CLOTHING CLOSET
Hello Sellwood families,
We have started an in house clothing closet here at Sellwood this year. We are looking to build up our supply of new or lightly used:
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Guys pants (all sizes and styles, especially M-L)
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Unisex shirts (all sizes)
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Rain jackets/coats (all sizes)
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New socks
If you have anything to donate please drop it off in the main office and say it is for the SMS clothing closet.
Thank you so much!
Sellwood school counselors
2025-26 Grading
All middle grades students will experience Standards-Based Grading this year across all classes. The gradebook has been updated to reflect this for the 25-26 school year.
To learn more about how Standards-based grading works, please watch the following two short videos.
What is Standards-Based Grading? (3 minute video)
Understanding Proficiency Levels (2 minute video)
COUNSELING CORNER
Students with last names A-L: Mr. KB - akennybrew@pps.net
Students with last names M-Z: Ms. Katie - kfrancis@pps.net
MAIN OFFICE
The best way to reach us is by email.
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Kirstin Bill (kbill@pps.net) is our school secretary/enrollment coordinator.
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Claire Howard (choward1@pps.net) is our principal's secretary.
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Our Sellwood website (pps.net/sellwood) has many "Quick Links" to help you immediately.
The Office Phone Number
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press 4 for Kirstin (School Secretary)
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press 3 for Claire (Principal's Secretary)
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press 2 for any "Attendance" matter. It's a designated line just for attendance.
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press 5 for Records, Registration
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press 0 for the front counter - answered by students; not a confidential line.
Secured Building
Picking up your student during the day:
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While we understand that daytime appointments are sometimes necessary, early release is discouraged. Please try to limit your student's daytime appointments. When early release is necessary, please ring the bell at the main door and expect to wait while your child is located.
Guides to Help you:
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To correct your student's attendance: Log into ParentVue.
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For changes to your student's registration profile in Synergy: ParentVue/StudentVue
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Quick Links found on Sellwood's website (pps.net/sellwood)
Please email Kirstin (kbill@pps.net) for:
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Passwords: If you have forgotten your password, have been locked out of your account, or do not have login credentials.
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Registration, Enrollment.
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ParentVue (if your account has been disabled).
Please email Claire (choward1@pps.net) for:
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER PPS Calendar 2025-26
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November 11: No School - Veterans’ Day
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November 20, 24, & 25: Parent Teacher Conferences
