November Newsletter
from Multnomah Education Service District
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of Native peoples.
MESD acknowledges that we serve communities on the traditional lands of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Clackamas, Chinook, Kalapuya, Molalla, and other Tribes. Their enduring care for this land inspires our work and strengthens our sense of community and belonging.
This month, and every month, we commit to continue to listen, learn, and stand with Native communities, honoring identity and community in all we do.
To learn more about this celebration, visit:
Show Your MESD Pride
The MESD Fall Apparel Pop-Up Store is back, offering a limited-time opportunity for staff, families, and community members to represent MESD with a fresh collection of branded apparel and accessories.
Whether you're looking for comfortable everyday wear, spirit items for school events, or a thoughtful gift for a colleague, the store features options for every style. Best of all, every item helps celebrate the people and mission that make MESD unique.
⏰ Don't wait. The store closes on November 22, and items will only be available during this ordering window.
Ready to shop? Visit the MESD Fall Apparel Pop-Up Store and place your order today! Wear your MESD pride wherever you go! 🍂🛍️
🎙️ New episode of Leaders Build Leaders with Dr. Coakley
In the latest episode of Leaders Build Leaders, Dr. Paul Coakley welcomes Pooja Bhatt, founder of the Oregon Network for Education Excellence, for an engaging conversation about the future of education in Oregon.
Together, they examine the challenges and opportunities facing the state's education system and discuss the importance of building strong coalitions to advance meaningful change. Pooja draws from more than 20 years of experience working with educators, communities, policymakers, and state leaders to share lessons on leadership, systems thinking, and creating impact at scale.
Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on collaboration, innovation, and the collective work needed to support student success across Oregon.
Accessibility Starts With Each of Us
One of the things I value most about MESD is our shared commitment to serving others with care, respect, and equity. Digital accessibility is a natural extension of that commitment. When we create content that everyone can access and use, we help ensure that all students, families, educators, partners, and community members can fully engage with the information and services we provide.
I know that digital accessibility can sometimes feel like one more item on an already full to-do list. But creating accessible materials is not the responsibility of a single department or a handful of staff members. It is something each of us contributes to through the documents we write, the presentations we create, the images we share, the websites we update, and the information we present to our students every day.
The good news is that you do not have to navigate this work alone. MESD has developed tools, guidance, templates, and training resources to help make accessibility part of your regular workflow. I encourage every staff member to take advantage of these resources and incorporate them into their work. Doing so not only helps us meet legal requirements, but more importantly, it reflects who we are as an organization and our belief that everyone deserves equitable access to information.
Thank you for all you do to support this important work. By making digital accessibility a shared responsibility, we continue building an MESD where inclusion is not an aspiration, but a practice reflected in everything we create and share.
Access these resources and templates to ensure your digital materials meet state and federal compliance standards. This knowledge base provides essential guidance on ADA laws, prioritization strategies, and practical tools for inventorying and improving the accessibility of your content:
Writing Alt Text
Alt text (alternative text) is a short text description added to images in digital content like websites, newsletters, and social media posts. Alt text helps users who rely on screen readers to understand the content and context of images. It also enhances search engine optimization (SEO) by providing more context to search engines. For more information:
Using Grackle to Make Accessible Documents
MESD staff have access to Grackle accessibility software. To install, please visit the Google Marketplace pages for Grackle Docs, Slides, and Sheets.
Learning Opportunity From Grackle: Alt Text & Metadata
Tuesday, November 10, 7:30 AM PST
Learn about alt text and metadata, plus a look back at everything the series has covered.
Register for Accessibility Training Session: Alt Text & Metadata
🎁 Title I-C Holiday Toy Drive
This holiday season, the Title I-C Program is partnering with our community to help make the season brighter for children and families. We invite MESD staff and community members to join us in spreading joy by donating a new toy.
How You Can Help
Donate new, unwrapped toys for children ages 0-12
Drop-off location: MESD Ainsworth Building Lobby
Donation deadline: Thursday, December 4
Every donation helps ensure a student in our community receives a special gift this holiday season. Thank you for your generosity and for supporting the children and families we serve. ❤️🎄🎁
Questions? Contact Madelene Cardona, Title I-C School Readiness & Family Engagement, at (503) 257-1511 or at mcardona@mesd.k12.or.us.
FLS Ainsworth Students Bring Learning Into the Community
On October 27, Ainsworth students took their learning into the community, riding the city bus to practice independence, visiting Spirit Halloween, and sharing lunch at Wendy’s. To prepare, students reviewed social stories and video models to learn what to expect during the outing. They also created thank-you cards for the bus drivers, adding a thoughtful touch to a day focused on building everyday skills and community connections.
PUSHOUT Film Screening and Student Panel Returns
The Bridges Program is excited to bring back PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools, a powerful film screening and community conversation first hosted in 2020. The event will feature a student panel comprised of young women who previously participated in MESD's HerPath program, sharing their experiences and perspectives.
This event also serves as the kickoff for a new Community of Practice, which will run from December through April and will soon be available through PD Networks.
Learn more and register through the PUSHOUT Eventbrite page.
We look forward to continuing these important conversations and creating opportunities for learning, connection, and student voice.
Legislators Experience Outdoor School in Action at Camp Angelos
MESD recently joined Friends of Outdoor School and OSU Extension in hosting state legislators and legislative staff at Camp Angelos for a firsthand look at Oregon's Outdoor School program.
The visit included Senator Gorsek, Senator Reynolds, Representative Ruiz, Representative Helfrich, and staff from Representative Wise's and Senator Drazan's offices. Following an overview of Outdoor School's impact and importance across Oregon, the group visited field study sites where sixth-grade students from the Lake Oswego School District were actively engaged in learning.
Students participated in hands-on investigations focused on plants, water, and wildlife while applying critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills in a natural setting. Legislators also had the opportunity to meet with student leaders who help guide and mentor younger participants throughout the Outdoor School experience.
The visit provided a meaningful opportunity to witness the joy, curiosity, leadership, and real-world learning that Outdoor School fosters for students across the state.
MESD remains committed to advocating for full funding of Outdoor School to ensure that all Oregon students have access to these impactful educational experiences.
Donald E. Long Principal Featured on Learning Lab Podcast
Bich Do, principal of Donald E. Long School, recently joined Jennifer Williams of Take Action Global (TAG) as a guest on Learning Lab Episode #23: Ideas Worth Growing.
During the episode, they discussed the Earth Day Challenge, a collaboration between TAG and BreakFree Education that connects environmental learning and tree-planting opportunities with students in juvenile justice classrooms. The project demonstrates how authentic learning experiences can inspire students to engage with their communities and create positive change.
A highlight of the conversation centered on a Donald E. Long student whose winning project idea grew beyond the classroom and resulted in a community tree-planting ceremony. Bich and Jennifer reflected on the importance of meaningful learning, strong community partnerships, and recognizing student achievements.
The episode offers an inspiring look at what is possible when students are given opportunities to contribute, lead, and transform their ideas into action. Their experiences remind us that the most impactful learning often extends far beyond the classroom, leaving lasting impressions on students and the communities they serve.
Listen to Learning Lab Episode #23: Ideas Worth Growing with Jennifer Williams and Bich Do.
Wheatley Students Explore Learning at Liepold Farms Pumpkin Patch
This month each classroom at Wheatley School had the opportunity to attend a field trip at the Liepold Farms Pumpkin Patch to experience all that Autumn has to offer. Liepold Farms has welcomed Wheatley students for 7 years, and is a strong partner for fully including Wheatley students at their Fall Festival!
Students generalized their social, self-regulation, money-exchange, and communication skills throughout their trip to Liepold Farms. They were also able to take advantage of the Fall Festival activities offered at Liepold Farms: hay ride, corn maze, dark maze, farm animal experience, and picking pumpkins! The preparation for attending the Pumpkin Patch began in the classroom with social stories, instruction around what to expect at the Pumpkin Patch, and behind the scenes support from related service providers, teachers, parents/guardians, and families.
One Wheatley student, who uses ASL, expanded his daily variety of signs used by communicating about the Pumpkin Patch, the activities there, and asking about when we’d be returning. Another student had her first successful field trip to the Pumpkin Patch, showing that when Wheatley students are welcomed and included, we are creating future opportunities for success and new experiences. Liepold Farms does not put limits on which activities Wheatley students can/can’t do during the Fall Festival, allowing community members to see that our students have the right to take up space and enjoy the same activities and opportunities that their general education peers do.
Elementary Classroom teacher, Seth Callahan, noted that, for him, “The biggest thing has been how nice it has been to build a relationship with Liepold Farms year-after-year. I have pictures of a student at different heights at the butterfly wing photo backdrop as they have grown. This student’s mother treasures these photos.”
Transition 2 Classroom Teacher John Mulholland shared that his classroom had a very successful and smooth trip to the pumpkin patch. A student, who had struggled with regulation at the Pumpkin Patch in previous years, was able to participate in all of the activities, which included a hayride, petting zoo, and she was able to pick out a pumpkin!
Alternative and Augmentative Communication Specialist, Emily Johnson, felt that one of the most enjoyable aspects of these trips was “seeing students engage with their peers on the slide. She also thought that “it is a great way to see them generalize their communication modalities outside of the school. They are requesting different snacks, talking about pumpkins, and labeling the animals on the hay ride!”
Middle School Classroom teacher, Chris Cuellar, noted his students enjoyed practicing waiting for their turn at the concessions area, picking out pumpkins, and the hayride.
🔬 STEM Like a Girl Workshop
Inspire the next generation of innovators! Cascade Technology Alliance (CTA) is bringing its popular STEM Like a Girl workshop to the MESD Ainsworth Building on Sunday, December 6, from 1–4 p.m.
This engaging, hands-on experience is designed for girls and female-identifying youth in grades 3–5, accompanied by a parent or caregiver. Participants will explore STEM concepts through interactive activities while learning from women working in science and engineering fields.
Participants will:
Learn about the design process and how failure helps us grow and learn
Meet women scientists and engineers and explore STEM careers
Work alongside peers and caregivers to solve real-world challenges
Build confidence, curiosity, and connections through collaborative learning
Registration Cost
$30 per girl/caregiver pair
$20 for each additional girl from the same family
Scholarships are available upon request
📅 Date: Sunday, December 6, 1–4 p.m.
📍 Location: MESD Ainsworth Building
🔗 Register: stemlikeagirl.org/product/portland
📧 Questions: info@stemlikeagirl.com
Don't miss this opportunity to learn, create, and explore together while discovering the exciting world of STEM! 🚀
Learning Opportunity From Grackle
Digital Accessibility Training: Alt Text & Metadata
Tuesday, November 10 at 7:30 AM PST
Learn about alt text and metadata, plus a look back at everything the series has covered.
