DOLPHIN DIGEST 12/11/2025
Weekly Newsletter by Arleta School and Arleta PTA
WELCOME TO ARLETA'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!
We’re so glad to have you as part of our school community!
This weekly newsletter is developed and sent in partnership between school administration and the PTA. If you have information you'd like shared in the newsletter, please email it to ArletaSchoolPTA@gmail.com. Keep scrolling for the latest.
INDIGENOUS LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge Portland rests on traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla and many other Tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River. #HonorNativeLand https://youtu.be/ETOhNzBsiKA
Yesterday our 5th grade classes did such a great job leading our all school assembly! Within their recent literacy unity they learned how word play can create humor and confusion, and how writers can use word play to develop a story’s settings, characters and plot. These understandings were central in their agenda! Mr. Cooke and Ms. Bidney supported their students to develop and lead all the components. Naliyah made the agenda!
Students opened singing Sara Bareilles’ “Brave” - the lyrics have some complexity that students worked through in class, and the students were amazing singing it for us! They modeled standing tall and putting their strong, beautiful voices forward for our younger students to enjoy, and also to serve as models when their classes will also lead assemblies in the coming months!
Students used cue cards to help the audience know when to do what. Madden and Huxley are sharing a good joke. Emily and T.J. wrapped up the reading of “Who’s on First”, a text from their literacy unit that is full of word play. For the final scene, Mr. Cooke and Ms. Bidney gave the cue cards to our 4th grade teachers Noah and Ms. Doyle, whose students will lead our next assembly!
After students were dismissed home, all staff had school team collaboration time then teachers had professional learning planned for upcoming science instruction. We appreciated the time to learn, plan and think together on all these levels yesterday!
Sweet Winter Bazaar Saturday! So much joy and connection and very successful fundraising/raffle!
Our Arleta Community Anxious Generation book club is launching! Books are in and we'll distribute them next week. So far we have 33 participants representing 27 students! More representation from 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th grade families would be great, and all are still welcome. Please let us know if you'd like to join by filling out this Google Form or calling the office to give us your name:. 503.916.6330. Every family that participates receives a free copy of the book.
We'll begin distributing them to families who are already signed up next week. Thank you!
Warmly,
Lisa
ARLETA FOOD PANTRY, CLOTHES CLOSET, & FAMILY TOILETRIES
Arleta has a small food pantry, clothes closet, and a variety of toiletries available for the use of any Arleta family. To set up an appointment to use the pantry or the closet, please email our SUN School Coordinator, Raina Bilbrew at rbilbrew@pps.net or raina.bilbrew@portlandoregon.gov or call or text her at 971-803-8986.
One in six children in Oregon and SW Washington face food insecurity. Food insecurity can arise for anyone. Should you need a little help, or you want to give a little help, here is a list of nearby resources.
Search for food pantry by day and time open, using the Portland Free Food Calendar.
Urban Gleaners takes advantage of Oregon's bountiful harvests, making sure they don't go to waste, sharing food through a variety of free markets around the region. You can find those markets on their website. Find a location by clicking here.
St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 5415 SE Powell Blvd. Hours are on Fridays from 2-5pm and the entrance is in the rear of building. They use a lottery system to give out the initial entry numbers. Those who have arrived by 1:45 pm on Friday will be entered into the lottery. Those who arrive after 1:45pm will be given the next number available.
SVDP Our Lady of Sorrows, 5221 SE Knight street. Referral only. Call Portland Council for food box at 503-235-8431.
Groceries 4 Grout, 4028 SE 34th Ave. This food pantries is hosted every Friday at Kenilworth Presbyterian Church parking lot. The outdoor pantry is shopping-style, available to everyone and we invite people to bring their own bags. Call (503) 235-3977 with inquiries.
The Woodstock Food Pantry 4033 SE Woodstock, provides groceries on Fridays and Saturdays, between 12:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. to anyone who needs them. Drive-through or walk-up pantry. Cars – line up and stay in your car. Walkups – line up on the sidewalk.
The Francis Center 6535 SE 82nd provides food boxes Monday through Thursday from 10am -2pm. They ask that people gather one box per month, unless they're homeless, in which case, they can come once a week.
Kellogg Middle School Free Food Market, 3400 SE 69th Ave, is generally open on the 3rd Friday of every month (but they have added extra dates for November and December) and is open to the public (you do not have to have a student at Kellogg to attend). Please bring your own bag. The Kellogg pantry is open for these dates: December 2, 5, 9, 12, 15, 19, from 4pm-6pm. For more information, email info@kelloggmsptsa.org.
Lane Food Pantry, 7200 SE 60th, in the back parking lot, is open both to school families and the public, every Tuesday from 3:30-5pm, and offers 3-5 days worth of food, including fresh produce, to all comers. Please do not arrive more than 15 minutes early for the safety of the students. The pantry is run in partnership between the SUN program, the Latino Network, and the Oregon Food Bank.
The Equitable Giving Circle provides food boxes, compiled with Black farmers, for BIPOC people in our area and provides home delivery.
Portland Open Bible Community Food Pantry, 3223 SE 92nd Avenue Portland, has an open pantry on Tuesday 4pm-7pm and Thursday 10am-1pm except on federal holidays. Online ordering is open 24 hours per day / 7 days per week (click here to order food online). Walk in, call (503) 442-8228, or visit their website for more information.
PDX Free Fridge is a community based and informed mutual aid effort to increase access to free food and vital supplies by creating a network of independent fridges and pantries in Portland, OR. Go to their website to find a fridge or pantry near you! (Note: this map is out of date, and is currently being updaated.)
Milk Crate Kitchen delivers meals twice a month. To learn more, click here for the Milk Crate Kitchen website.
During these unprecedented times, some local restaurants are stepping in to fill the gap. Click here for a list of local restaurants providing SNAP meals.
To research more resources, go to the Oregon Food Bank Food Finder, Findhelp.org, or the Multnomah County Food Assistance page which has been updated to include resources for folks on SNAP not getting their SNAP payments. Multnomah Education Service District has a document with a list of resources for SNAP beneficiaries, translated into multople languages. To donate food, consider the Portland Food Project, which will pick up shelf-stable food from your home and deliver it to food pantries.
FREE BREAKFAST/LUNCH FOR ALL STUDENTS
We have breakfast available for all Arleta students at no cost. Please join us!
The doors open at 7:45 and students eat in the cafeteria. Students are dismissed to class at 7:58 in order to be ready to learn at 8:00. Kindergarteners are walked to class by a staff member.
Remember, the cafeteria is supervised at 7:45, but no other areas on campus are. If you drop your student off for breakfast, please make sure they head directly to the cafeteria. Parents are welcome to hang out in the cafeteria while their students eat breakfast.
ARLETA SCHOOL BOOKFAIR DEC 15-19
Arleta's Winter Bookfair is coming up soon! It will run from Monday, December 15th to Friday, December 19th. The book fair will be open to the public before school at 7:30am until school starts, then after school until 3:30pm in the library. Students will visit with their class two times during the week when they can shop or make wish lists to bring home. 20% of sales benefit the school library.
There won't be any toy-like items, but there will be a beautiful selection of journals, pens, and bookmarks to inspire our young authors. And THANK YOU for your continued support for Arleta's library program. We also need parent volunteers to help Treasa with the book fair. To sign up to help out, please click here.
To shop the Arleta Booksale online, click here. Online orders can be delivered to Arleta for free. Make sure Arleta Elementary receives credit for your purchase by choosing our school as a book fair item from the Book Fair drop down menu. This will get you free delivery to Arleta on any books or items that you purchase (and ensures Arleta gets that 20% of your purchase). If you have any questions can be directed to Jennifer Butler-Brown, bookseller, by calling 541-619-3960 or emailing her at Jennifer.butlerbrown@gmail.com.
SHARE A TOY OR A GIFT CARD WITH SEASON OF GIVING ENDS TOMORROW
Season of Giving is an annual holiday drive created by the Arleta Inclusion Committee and the Arleta Counseling staff to ensure that all Arleta families can make their winter holidays special for their children. We are looking for toys as well as giftcards/financial donations (drop-off at the office) to achieve that goal from now until December 12th!
Toy Drive: We are seeking donations of new or excellent condition toys to include in the toy drive. Check your kid's room for those forgotten or unused toys, or purchase something from one of our local shops. Toys can be donated at the office.
Gift cards/financial donations: Drop off donations (check, cash, or gift cards to places such as grocery stores) at the office, or donate by Venmo to @TiffanyBlackmonPDX. These donations will be used to provide gift cards to families that they can use for food and necessities over winter break.
You can donate toys and gift cards/funds through December 12. You can find the Season of Giving flyer, translated in other languages as well, here: Season of Giving Flyer.
Families are invited to shop the Share-a-Toy Drive collection the week before winter break, to select toys as holiday gifts. Please email Raina, rbilbrew@pps.net, to set up a time to shop the toy selection. Volunteers will help families shop the toy room by appointment on 12/15 from 8:00-9:00AM and on 12/16 from 1:30-2:30PM and 5:30-6:30PM. Other shopping times can be scheduled with Raina as well. If you cannot make it to shop, please reach out to Raina- an option to select toys from photos can be offered to families who cannot make it in person
ARLETA BOOK CLUB BEGINS!
Our Arleta Community Anxious Generation book club is launching! Books are in and we'll distribute them next week. So far we have 33 participants representing 27 students! More representation from 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th grade families would be great, and all are still welcome. Please let us know if you'd like to join by filling out this Google Form or calling the office to give us your name:. 503.916.6330. Every family that participates receives a free copy of the book.
We'll begin distributing them to families who are already signed up next week. Thank you!
THANK YOU FROM THE PTA
Your support this month has been incredible. From donating baked goods for our Winter Bazaar, to enjoying a slice at our December Dine-In at Fast Times Pizza, to filling Blue Bags for the BottleDrop Holiday Give Campaign—you’ve made a meaningful impact on PTA-funded programs. We’re so grateful for this generous and spirited community!
And....
Thank you to everyone who donated food and funds to help support the Thanksgiving food boxes, and thank you to the volunteers who helped assemble the boxes. Thanks to you all, we provided food boxes to 17 families! We are so grateful for the Arleta community’s dedication to supporting each other.
BEAT THE BELL
For the week of December 1-5, we had 93% positive attendance (up from 92% the week before) and 146 tardies (down from 148 the week before)..
Looking for some tips to help you get out of the door on time? Check back here each week for ideas.
This week's tips:
-
Get to bed on time, including grown-ups!
To get sluggish kids moving, try dance music!
Fill backpack the night before, set by door.
Learn more about the Multnomah Youth Commission's work on this topic. Read the Willamette Week's reporting on PPS's Community Budget Review findings last year on chronic absenteeism. Read KATU's reporting on the topic here.
VOLUNTEER FOR THE ARLETA BOOK FAIR
We need book fair assistants! If you have half and hour or forty-five minutes during the day next week, please consider signing up for a book fair volunteer sign-up slot and help students find their next good book to read!
VOLUNTEER TO LEAD LITTER PICK-UP IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY
We're seeking someone to organize our monthly litter pick-up in January and February. It only takes 30 minutes and usually happens on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. Please sign up on Konstella!
TOO BRIGHT TO SEE, BY KYLE LUKOFF - 2022 NEWBERY HONOR BOOK
It’s the summer before middle school and eleven-year-old Bug’s best friend Moira has decided the two of them need to use the next few months to prepare.
For Moira, this means figuring out the right clothes to wear, learning how to put on makeup, and deciding which boys are cuter in their yearbook photos than in real life. But none of this is all that appealing to Bug, who doesn’t particularly want to spend more time trying to understand how to be a girl.
Besides, there’s something more important to worry about: A ghost is haunting Bug’s eerie old house in rural Vermont…and maybe haunting Bug in particular. As Bug begins to untangle the mystery of who this ghost is and what they’re trying to say, an altogether different truth comes to light–Bug is transgender.
Get The Book
- Click here to borrow the book, ebook, or audiobook from Multnomah County Library.
- See a two-minute video of the author reading from the book.
- Buy the book at Powell's Bookstore.
- Buy the book, ebook, or audiobook at Barnes and Noble.
- Purchase the book on Amazon.
- Go to the author's website!
GOT A CHILD IN OBOB?
Click here to borrow any OBOB book from Multnomah County Library, or you can order them from Powells Bookstore (OBOB books are now 20% off at Powell's)!
Would you like to recommend a book for next year's OBOB list? Submit your recommendation here now through February 20th. Click here to read their book recommendation criteria.
Arleta's OBOB finals are on Tuesday Mar 3, 2026 ⋅ 2:30pm – 4pm.
OBOB practices are on Thursdays, from 2:30pm to 4:30pm starting Jan 15, through to Thursday Feb 19.
Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
WOVEN EVERGREEN TREE
What did the mama cow say to the calf?
It's pasture bedtime!
NWCT'S WIZARD OF OZ- NOW THROUGH JAN 4
"We're off to see the Wizard!" Join Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion on a classic adventure through Oz.
Northwest Children's Theatre's "Wizard of Oz" runs Nov 29- January 4, with 3pm and 11:30pm showings. Tickets to all shows at The Judy are general admission and can be purchased here for $30-$40 (sensory-friendly performances pay what you will). NWCT does participate in Arts for All, which offers $5 tickets to people receiving SNAP benefits.
SOLVE FOSTER ROAD CLEAN-UP - DEC 13
You're invited to participate in a community-driven monthly litter cleanup initiative on SE Foster Road. Happening every second Saturday, this is a chance for residents, patrons of Foster Road businesses, and environmental advocates to make a tangible difference.
We will be meeting up at 10am at Laurelwood Park, 6421 SE Foster Rd Portland, OR 97227 | Map Link. The clean-up lasts from 10am-noon.
We will supply the necessary materials; participants are asked to bring their own water, dress for the weather, and bring their own generous energy.
Join us in keeping this vibrant street of small businesses looking its best!
EDIBLE NATIVE AMERICAN PLANTS CLASS AT HOLGATE LIBRARY - DEC 13
This Saturday! Learn about traditional Native American food plants of the Willamette Valley like huckleberries, cedar, sweetgrass and other plants used for basketry and medicine with Stephanie Craig, Santiam and Yoncalla Kalapuya tribal member.
Edible Native American Plants of the Willamette Valley
Saturday, December 13
1pm-3pm
Holgate Library/
Click here to see the event on our website.
We hope you’ll join us. This event is made possible by The Library Foundation through support from The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Fund.
FREE SCREENING OF "HOLES" at MOVIE MADNESS - DEC 14
Movie Madness's next free children's movie screening is "Holes" based on the Newbery Award-winning novel by Louis Sacher. A wrongfully convicted boy is sent to a brutal desert detention camp where he joins the job of digging holes for some mysterious reason.
The movie screening is on December 14 at 11:30am, 2003 / PG / English / 117 minutes
Tickets available at the counter in-store or by calling (503) 234-4363 Movie Madness is located at 4320 SE Belmont, Portland
FREE CRAFT NIGHT A COLLAGE - KEEPSAKE TINS - DEC 16
Local craft store collage hosts free crafting classes once a month. The branch closest to the school, at 3701 SE Division St., (503) 477-8804, hosts every 3rd Tuesday of each month from 5-7pm. This month's class falls on Tuesday, December 16th, and attendees will be making keepsake tins!
SE PORTLAND LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION OPEN
Southeast Portland Little League (SEPLL) is a nonprofit dedicated to providing baseball and softball opportunities for youth ages 4-16 in a fun, inclusive environment. We welcome players of all skill levels and focus on skill development, teamwork, and fair play. Community is at the heart of SEPLL. By giving kids a place to learn, grow, and connect, we’re building a stronger community—on and off the field.
Registration is now open for Spring teams. Click here to learn more and to register!
MULTNOMAH COUNTY LIBRARY CULTURAL PASSES
The Multnomah County Library has cultural passes to allow free admission to select cultural institutions around Portland. To check out a cultural pass from the library and see the list of institution, please click the button below.
ARTS FOR ALL TICKETS
Anyone who gets food relief through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and has the Oregon Trail Card or Washington State Quest Card qualifies to purchase $5 tickets to theatre, arts, and culture events around Portland through the Arts for All program.
Arts For All envisions a community where everyone—regardless of financial resources—can experience and enjoy arts and culture.
Over a decade ago, Arts For All was founded by dedicated arts leaders to ensure Oregon Trail Card/SNAP recipients could access specific arts events for just $5 per ticket.
Click here to be taken to the Arts for All Website and to purchase tickets.
MULTNOMAH COUNTY LIBRARY EVERYBODY READS 2025-26
Everybody Reads is a community-wide project that promotes shared reading, discussion and creative engagement around a single book. This year's program pick is Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson' memoir Lovely One. Click here to reserve a copy of the book (libraries often also have copies for you to keep, so check your local library branch).
From January through March, join your community at libraries for events around the book. Attend programs about history, the law and civic engagement. Celebrate the themes of Lovely One with creative activities like musical performance and art-making. Click here to see a calendar of Everybody Reads events.
Click here to buy tickets to see Justice Jackson discuss her autobiography live with Literary Arts and ask her questions, on Thursday March 12 from 7:30-9:30pm, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (tickets $35-$85).
I BELONG STUDENT ART EXHIBIT ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS
Oregon PTA is excited to celebrate the art, identity, and belonging of all children and teens across Oregon. We invite K–12 students statewide to submit original artwork for a special exhibition at the 2026 Oregon PTA Convention, taking place in April 2026 in Clackamas.
Inspired by National PTA’s Reflections theme, “I Belong”, this exhibition will honor the power of creativity, student voice, and artistic expression.
We are looking for submissions from a diverse range of artists from K-12 schools that showcase the creativity of our students. Students can use a variety of art forms, such as visual arts, literature, photography, music composition, dance choreography, or film production, to reflect on any and all ways they feel a sense of belonging.
With this exhibition, Oregon PTA hopes to shine a light on how powerful and essential belonging is for all of us—especially for the children and teens growing up in today’s world.
Students, PTAs, or communities can submit art electronically through this form, or please contact us to submit physical artwork. Artwork should be submitted by February 3rd, 2026.
We also call on all PTAs and school communities to hold their own “I belong” art exhibition this year. Official Reflections posters from National PTA are available for pick-up at the Oregon PTA office in SE Portland (please email office@oregonpta.org to schedule an appointment). Digital resources are also available at https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections/startyourprogram.
If you are interested in helping us celebrate our artists or for any questions, please reach out to us at reflections@oregonpta.org.
Your art belongs, and so do you!
Rules
- Each entry must be the original work of a student at a school in Oregon.
- We recommend that artwork in various art forms stay within the parameters set by National PTA for the official Reflections program here.
- While we are aligning with the National PTA Reflections theme, Oregon PTA is currently not participating in the official National PTA Reflections contest.
- We intend to display a wide variety of submitted artwork; the final decision about the display of any art at the Oregon PTA convention is at the discretion of the Oregon PTA.
- Ownership in any submission shall remain the property of the entrant, but entry into this program constitutes entrant’s irrevocable permission and consent that PTA may display, copy, reproduce, enhance, print, sublicense, publish, distribute and create derivative works for PTA purposes. PTA is not responsible for lost or damaged entries.
- Submission of entry into the PTA Reflections program constitutes acceptance of all rules and conditions.
STUDENT AND ADULT REPRESENTATIVES NEEDED FOR PAC FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF DONATIONS FOR STAFFING
The PAC is a committee that reports to the PPS Board of Education, and makes a recommendation on how to spend privately fundraised dollars from The Fund for PPS’s Champion PPS Schools. Learn More at Strategic Partnerships / Parent Advisory Committee (PAC): Distribution of Donations for Staffing. Meetings will be online/virtual.
Here is the proposed meeting schedule:
2026 PAC Meeting Schedule (Proposed)
Wednesday, January 14
5:00-6:00 PM
Wednesday, February 11
5:00-6:00 PM
Wednesday, March 11
5:00-6:00 PM
Wednesday, April 8
5:00-6:00 PM
Wednesday, May 13
5:00-6:00 PM
Wednesday, June 10
5:00-6:00 PM
Thank you to those who have already applied, and you will hear from us soon; however, we still need more representatives. Please click on the appropriate link below and complete the brief application if you are interested in serving on this committee:
ADULT APPLICATION- Seeking one parent/caregiver from each of the following schools or the feeder schools to: Franklin, Lincoln, McDaniel and Roosevelt.
STUDENT APPLICATION- Seeking two high school student representatives.
GET INVOLVED! BECOME A SCHOOL LIASON!
The nonprofit organization The Fund for PPS has launched a campaign called Champion PPS Schools to make collective impact with fundraised dollars. In the 2025-26 school year Champion donated $930,000 across the district for high impact tutoring in grades K-3, math supports for grade 9, and food pantries in 20 PPS community schools.
Learn More in our 2024-2025 Annual Report posted at fundforpps.org!
We need people from each school community to act as liaisons -- points of contact -- to The Fund for PPS. We want to hear what's going on at your school and how to engage your school community. Join us to expand the network of "Champions" and help us build a districtwide community focused on improving the academic experience for our kids and expanding fundraising so Champion PPS Schools can continue to invest in our schools and students! Thank You!
ATTENDING SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS
The School Board meets regularly at the school district's Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center (Prophet Center), 501 N. Dixon Street, at 6:00 pm on select Tuesdays of each month - and on certain other occasions. Some scheduling changes do occur; if you plan to attend, please see below for the upcoming public meeting notices.
Under the provision of ORS 192.670 all meetings will be live-streamed at http://www.youtube.com/@ppsboardofeducation/live, except for those meetings that fall under the provisions set forth for executive sessions.
To subscribe to email notifications of public meeting notices, email kbradshaw@pps.net to request to be added to the email list. After an email address has been subscribed to the mailing list, a notice of a Public Meeting of the School Board will be sent before each scheduled meeting.
VACCINE RESOURCES FOR YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH FROM THE DISTRICT
Vaccines play a crucial role in protecting our students from serious illnesses and help keep our community safe. Parents/ Guardians of students who are due to receive vaccines should receive a letter in the mail. Please check if your child’s vaccinations are current, including their recommended flu shot, and contact your medical provider or any of the resources listed below.
Multnomah County Student Health Centers
Multnomah County Vaccination Clinic (English)
Email: ArletaSchoolPTA@gmail.com
Website: arletapta.org
Location: 5109 SE 66th Avenue
Phone: 503-916-6330
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArletaElementaryK5