Duniway Dispatch

• October 19: Dining for Duniway at The Last Rodeo
• October 21: Early Release Day, 11:50 a.m. dismissal
• October 22: Picture Retakes, 8:15-9:15 a.m.
• October 23: Principal's Coffee, 8 a.m. in the Cafeteria
• October 28: Duniway s'BOOktacular Night - 6:00-7:30 pm
• October 29-30: Schools Closed - Grading and Planning Days

• November 11: Schools Closed - Veterans Day
• November 23-24: Schools Closed - Parent Teacher Conferences
• November 25-27: Schools Closed - Fall Break

PPS District Calendar 2026-27

Hello Families,

I hope you all are well today and I know this has been an emotional day for us all. I was so deeply saddened and heartbroken to receive the news of the tragedy in Bend, Oregon yesterday and I know this has been a huge shock for our community, city and state. I have sent a separate communication this afternoon regarding our response at school today with the resources for families referenced in Dr. Armstrong's communication yesterday. We are here for you if you have questions or need support in navigating this tragic news.

It was great to see so many of you turn out this morning for our Principal Coffee conversation about Rightsizing and how it will impact Duniway. We had a productive conversation and you shared valuable insights and asked important questions regarding how we will navigate potential scenarios ahead. For your information, I have attached my presentation and the notes from the meeting below. Please visit the PPS Rightsizing website and especially the school specific impacts for more information. Please remember that we will have another Principal's Coffee next Friday with special guests Representative Mark Gamba and City Councilor Mitch Green.

That is all the information I have to share for now. I hope you all have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you next week.

Sincerely,

John Melvin

Please help support Duniway on Monday, October 19th. The Last Rodeo in Sellwood will be donating 10% of the sales from food, drinks and merchandise (dine-in only) toward the donation for our school! Come in for some delicious Matt's BBQ Tacos, slushies, and drinks (check out their kids menu too).

The donations from the Dining for Duniway program help the PTA raise funds for educational enrichment items such as literacy support programs, supplemental classroom funds, technology, library books, field trips and guest speakers, musical instruments and art.

Ugh! Dreaded lice! These pesky riders don't carry disease and aren't viewed as a health concern, but are still no fun to deal with. There is no exclusion for lice or nits as missing school due to lice has been shown by research to cause some students to eventually not graduate from high school as a result of missing school and the stigma surrounding it all. Instead, prevention at home is really important and can be achieved with consistent steps and awareness. Here is a helpful link with information and additional links for treatment, etc. American Academy of Pediatrics Lice Statement/Information Links.

Lice are an issue all year round in this area, so it is important to have a consistent approach of surveillance for your kids and other household members' hair at least every other week all year round (surveillance information found in the link above). It is also notable that lice are often present for quite a few weeks prior to detection because they are so tricky, so if you find any nits or evidence of lice, I would encourage you to do the whole lice protocol for all household members to stop them in their tracks. Take care and be kind to one another.

A How To Guide for Nit Combing

MESD Head Lice Pamphlet

MESD Head Lice Information

Not only is Councilor Green a passionate and strong Safe Routes to School advocate, his support secured the installation of the four-way stop at Rex and Reed College Place in August 2025. This protected intersection is critical in keeping all our children safe as they transit to school. We are thrilled to ride with him and land at Duniway through the intersection he made safer. Let’s welcome Councilor Green to our community with a next level Bike Bus ride!

After locking up your bike and getting kiddos to class, warm up with a cup of coffee at Duniway’s October Principal’s Coffee. We invited Councilor Green (Portland City Council District 4) and our State Representative Mark Gamba (State District 41) for a Coffee with Constituents style event to talk about the state of public education in Oregon and how policy and funding at the city and state level impact our schools. We have opened this community connection with our lawmakers to neighboring SE PPS schools (Sellwood, Llewelyn, Lewis and Woodstock). Join in welcoming them and raising our unified voices for public education!

WHEN: October 23rd (8 - 9 am)

WHERE: Duniway cafeteria. Enter at the Rex side entrances.

WHY: Because protecting stable and sustainable public education is critical for our

children, our teachers and our communities.

In solidarity with our children and our public school

Your Duniway Advocacy Committee

Why Are Districts Facing School Closures? Bring Your Questions to Our Elected Leaders.

Friday, October 23, 8 a.m., Duniway Cafeteria

PPS votes in December on closing up to 14 schools, and districts across Oregon face the same hard choices. Join State Representative Mark Gamba and City Councilor Mitch Green at Duniway.

Ask Rep. Gamba how families can help secure stable, adequate school funding in the 2027 legislative session, so districts like ours aren't forced into closures. Ask Councilor Green how the city can keep kids' routes to school safe as boundaries change, and help families with children afford to stay in Portland.

We are in this together, with our neighbors and with school communities across the district.

In solidarity with our children and our schools, Your Duniway Advocacy Committee

Every PPS school has a Site Council, a group of parents, teachers, and the principal who share decisions about that school. The Village Table is the districtwide version: families and district leaders working together on decisions that affect all of PPS. Lindsey Haugen and Margaret Henry represent Duniway there.

The current focus is rightsizing. PPS has released draft scenarios for school consolidation and boundary changes, and nothing has been decided yet. Share what matters to you in the district’s scenario survey: https://www.pps.net/rightsize-scenario-survey

PPS is proposing to close up to 14 schools as part of its ‘rightsizing’ plan, including Sellwood Middle School.

This is NOT a done deal. We can protect Sellwood and our neighborhood schools, but the district decision timeline is short (the board votes in December). We need a massive showing of community support right now.

There are 4 Ways You Can Take Action Today, check out Konstella to learn more TAKE ACTION

A reminder that Duniway students should NOT be riding motorized bikes or scooters to or from school or on school grounds.

Oregon regulations state:

• You must be at least 16 to operate an electric assisted bike
• You must be at least 16 to operate a motorized scooter
• Pocket bikes and mini motorcycles are NOT LEGAL to operate on premises open to the public, which includes sidewalks, streets, and school grounds

Thank you for your help with keeping our students and community safe!

As of October 5th, 2026, you will be unable to navigate ParentVue (view attendance, report cards, etc.) until you submit your 2026-27 Yearly Verification. If your Yearly Verification has not been successfully submitted, a pop-up window will appear when you log-in, prompting you to complete the verification.

Please keep in mind that while each parent/guardian with a ParentVue account can fill out a Yearly Verification, only one Yearly Verification can be in process at a time. We recommend coordinating the time you fill out your Yearly Verifications to allow each parent/guardian to complete the Yearly Verification.

We greatly appreciate your taking the time to update student information, particularly any emergency contacts, health conditions, and communication preferences, so that we can best support you and your students.

Are you interested in acting? Do you love working behind the scenes to make magic happen on stage? Consider being a part of our upcoming Spring musical production of Charlotte’s Web!

There is a place for everyone in this spectacular show, and you don’t need to have your exact role figured out just yet.

🌟 For Our Students:

• Backstage Crew: Open to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders who want to build sets, manage props, and run the show behind the scenes.
• Acting Team: Open to 4th and 5th graders ready to take the stage and perform.

🎭 For Our Parents & Adults:
A production this magical takes a village! We need a dedicated team of adult volunteers to make this show a success. This year, we are especially looking for adults to help promote and market the show to our community, alongside our usual backstage volunteer roles.

Click Here to Access the Student & Parent Sign-Up Form!

👉 Questions? Please reach out to Lisa Adams at ladams1@pps.net. We can't wait to create something amazing together!