Encourage Students to Provide Input on New 6-12 LA/ELD Materials

​ The 6-12 Language Arts and ELD Curriculum Materials Adoption Committee is looking for a

diverse group of students to provide input on materials that the committee is considering for adoption.

All K-8, Middle School and High School Head Secretaries will receive fliers this week, along with the forms for interested students to fill out.  The Student Committee meeting is scheduled on Thursday, May 14 from 5 – 7 p.m. at the BESC. We will have pizza. Please encourage students to participate in this important process; we want to hear from them!

Contact ELA TOSA Duncan Carranza (dcarranza@pps.net) for more information.

ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarships

Inform Your Students Today About the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarships

Named for the first African American to walk in space, ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarships are available to 2015 graduating high school seniors in school districts represented by the Council of the Great City Schools.

Four scholarships for two males and two females --- $5,000 each --- will be awarded to two African American and two Hispanic students on behalf of the former NASA astronaut, physician and businessman, Dr. Bernard Harris, and ExxonMobil.  Deadline for submissions is April 8, 2015. 

***Students may apply for the scholarship online.

Please distribute the scholarship application and guidelines in your districts.  For students to apply, they should click here to access the Council's website.

6-12 Language Arts and ELL: Opportunity for Adoption Input

Teachers of Language Arts (both ELA and DLI) and ELD have an opportunity to provide input to the Curriculum Materials Adoption Advisory Committee (CMAAC). The surveys will be open through Friday, January 23rd.

Click these links and sign in with your apps4pps Google account.

Teacher Needs Assessment: invites you to click through a list of needs for materials and professional development.

Adoption Materials Survey: invites you to make specific suggestions about materials with which you are familiar.

Oregon Writing Festival (Grades 4-12)

The 31st annual Oregon Writing Festival will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2015, on the Portland State University campus. This event has showcased the writing of more than 33,500 students (grades 4-12) from school districts all across Oregon and has been an exciting event for students and teachers from PPS who have taken advantage of the opportunity to participate. The festival includes author keynotes, workshops, and the opportunity for students to share their own writing. To learn more about the event, go the the Oregon Writing Festival website.

Schools interested in participating need to have at least one teacher attend the event for up to 10 students. If a school has 11-20 students participating, two teachers will need to attend. The cost per student is $35 and transportation is not provided.  Each student should bring a copy of his/her best writing to share in a breakout group.

Please sign up at this link by January 30th.

Questions should be directed to:

Grades 4-5: Jennifer Buchanan, ELA TOSA, jbuchanan@pps.net

Grades 6-12: Beverly Daggett, ELA TOSA, bdaggett@pps.net

Bring an Hour of Code to your classroom this December 8-14

Kids are constantly using technology today, but how many are learning to build it? 

The Hour of Code, which takes place annually during Computer Science Education week, is a great way to give students the opportunity to get started with computer science. The basics help nurture creativity and problem-solving skills, and prepare students for any future career.

Even if you have no experience at all, your class can participate. Especially if you’re a K-8 teacher, one Hour of Code can provide a great introduction to computer science. Code.org has a growing set of online and offline activities for all students, from kindergarten up.

Computers are optional: Students can learn basic programming concepts on a computer, tablet, smartphone -- or no device at all!

2014 Picture Freedom Art Competition

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, located on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio, along with sponsors proudly announce the 2014 Picture Freedom Art Competition. The Freedom Center’s mission is to reveal stories about freedom’s heroes from the era of the Underground Railroad to contemporary times, challenging and inspiring everyone to take courageous steps towards freedom today. 

As the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, we ask your students to create an artwork about what freedom means to them. We hope that by encouraging students to participate in this competition, they will become passionate advocates for freedom and equality today.