Capitol Hill Weekly Update

What Do Counselors Do? Supporting Student Well-Being at Capitol Hill

When many people think about school counselors, they picture a student visiting the counselor’s office to talk through a difficult moment or big feelings. While that kind of one-on-one support is a part of the role, most of a school counselor’s work happens in classrooms and across the school teams, helping students build the social and emotional skills they need to succeed every day.

At Capitol Hill, our counselors work with students as part of Portland Public Schools’ Comprehensive School Counseling Program, which supports students’ academic growth, social development, and overall well-being. Counselors teach classroom lessons that focus on skills such as managing emotions, solving problems, setting goals, and communicating respectfully with others. The counselor also leads small groups where students can practice social skills and coping strategies, and provides individual support through structured, scheduled check-ins or breaks during the day to help them regulate and return to learning ready to focus. Counselors also collaborate with teachers and families to support students through challenges such as friendship conflicts, anxiety, grief, or major life changes.

Counselors are also part of the larger team that supports student well-being. They help coordinate student support plans such as 504 accommodations, conduct Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and develop Behavior Support Plans (BSPs) in collaboration with the School Psychologist and Homeroom Teacher, and they participate in the school’s Climate and Attendance Teams to review student data and strengthen school engagement. They are trained to respond when students may be experiencing emotional distress and help connect families to resources, including community mental health services or McKinney-Vento support for students experiencing housing instability.

But our students’ mental health and social emotional development is not only supported by counselors. Teachers play a central role in this work, helping students practice empathy, respectful communication, and responsible decision-making through our Caring School Community curriculum. This program helps build strong classroom communities through routines such as morning meetings, partner conversations, and collaborative problem solving. Our counselor partners with teachers by coaching, co-planning, and occasionally co-teaching lessons, helping ensure these practices are meaningful and consistent across classrooms. Together, these efforts support students’ mental health and help create a school where every child feels seen, supported, and ready to learn.

In service to students,

Febe Armendariz

Principal

farmenda@pps.net

We are hosting our first Connect to Kindergarten Event on Tuesday March 10 from 4-5 PM at the school. This is a great opportunity to bring your incoming kinder to Capitol Hill to visit the classrooms, meet the teachers and learn more about our school.

Our second event is Tuesday April 7 from 4-5 PM.
You only need to attend one of these events.

Kindergarten registration opens on March 1! If you have any questions about registering please reach out to Melissa.

Our Spring after school classes are open for registration.

We are offering a variety of classes such as chess, yoga, Spanish, art, Lego engineering and music, and are excited to offer a few new programs such as theater and 3D Printing!

If you would like more information about the classes, click here.

Please reach out to mariannemajors@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

Auction Volunteers - May 3rd 2pm to 5pm

Our biggest fundraising event of the year is coming up this spring and we need volunteers to help prepare for this event. We are looking for the following volunteers below. Please click here to sign up.

Needed ASAP:

Kids Maker-Market Coordinator - Market will be a place for creative kids to sell crafts/goods. Coordinator will be the point of contact for kids who participate & help collect 50% of sales as donations.

Other needs:

In Person Auction Lead, & Day of Help (Setup, Cleanup, etc.)

Field Day Lead - May 22nd

We are looking for a parent volunteer who can communicate with Mr. Gustin and help get the other volunteers organized and where they should be.

2026 - 2027 PTA Board

We are looking for new board members to join the 2026 - 2027 PTA Board. We would love to see new faces and fresh ideas. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in our school community. The current open positions are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer 2, and Volunteer Coordinator. If you want more information on these open positions, please reach out to any current board member.

If you have any questions please reach out to Tabitha Ames & Jean-Francois Ortiz at volunteer@capitolhillpta.org

Monday: Teriyaki Chicken or Tofu with Yakisoba Noodles

Tuesday: Mozzarella Breadsticks

Wednesday: Turkey & Cheese Sandwich or Cheese Sandwich

Thursday: Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza

Friday: Chicken Fillet Sandwich

Here is the link for the page that has monthly menus for both breakfast & lunch:
https://www.pps.net/departments/nutrition-services/menus

Our school year calendar has all of the important school-related dates for your reference.

3/10-Connect to Kindergarten-4-5 PM
3/11-Early Release-11:50 AM
3/11 PTA Meeting-6-7 PM
3/23-3/27-No School (Spring Break)

Reminder: When picking up students early please make sure you (or whomever is picking them up) brings their ID so we can check to make sure you are approved to pick up the student.