The Guardian Gazette

Hello IBW Community,

The below message is one I sent to Juniors and Seniors today through Student Square. I want to make sure you are aware of expectations going into prom this weekend.

"Seniors, Juniors, and IBW Prom attenders,

I always so enjoy prom and seeing all of our students dressed up and looking your best!

AND looking our best also means being our best on the dance floor. At the Winter Formal, we had a situation where a large group of boys were aggressively pushing and pulling at each other on the dance floor. Sometimes this is called moshing or rough-housing and it can eventually lead to fighting and/or students harming each other through aggressive physical contact.

At the IBW Prom, the dance floor is not a mosh pit. If you are seen moshing and/or aggressively dancing you WILL be removed from the prom. This is your “heads up.” We will remove you with kindness (PEAK).

When an administrator and Campus Safety Associate removes you from a dance, which we hope does not happen, then, you will need to respectfully hear our guidance and cooperate. We will call your parents to inform them as well. Again, we do not want to remove anyone from their prom, and hence the purpose of this email as a means of prevention."

There is some additional information below that was also sent out yesterday.

We look forward to a safe and fun prom! Thank you for reading this and we will see our students on Saturday night for prom!

Principal Coning

April 29 - DEADLINE to turn in Guest Forms for Prom

April 30 - Spring Assembly during Flex
April 30 - DEADLINE to purchase Prom Tickets (3:30PM)

April 30 - Verselandia
May 1 - No School, Staff Furlough Day

May 2 - Recycling Fundraising Event for Grad Night
May 2 - Prom

See more detailed information on The Trivory Calendar

Come and support our Poetry Slam champions, Eloise Parson, Eliza Evens, and Ada Cornett as they represent IBW at Verselandia, our citywide youth poetry slam championship. Free for all youth!

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026

• Time: 7:00pm

• Location: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

• Free ticket vouchers are available in the library

• All youth admitted free at the box office

Tickets, Guests, and Dance Rules:

1. Students are expected to have 90%, or better, attendance at school to be eligible to attend dances. If attendance is less than 90% you are required to meet with our attendance coach or your grade level administrator in order to develop a plan to improve attendance prior to the dance.

2. Tickets will NOT be sold at the door. NO EXCEPTIONS.

3. You need a valid school ID to enter the dance. No entry without ID. Guest passes must be turned in by posted deadlines, which was April 30th.

4. Guests must arrive and enter the dance with the Ida B. Wells student that bought their ticket.

5. All bags will be checked by a school administrator or Campus Safety Associate upon entry and we will also complete random sock checks. All coats, bags, jackets, purses, hats and other personal items must be turned into the coat check area before you enter the dance.

6. No outside food or drink allowed.

7. You must enter the dance within the first 60 minutes from the start time.

8. You will not be allowed to re-enter the dance after you have left the dance facility.

We are looking for parents/guardians who are interested in chaperoning our dance. This year, our Prom will be on Saturday, May 2nd from 7-10 pm at The Loft at 8th Avenue (2010 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR 97214)

Chaperones will have to arrive around 1 hour early (6:15 pm).

There are four chaperoning options for Prom night, and these include:

• Coat check

• Check-in

• Hall monitors

• Dance floor monitor

We would love for you to come!

To volunteer as a Prom Chaperone, please fill out the form linked here:

Google Form Link Here

If you have questions, feel free to email mpillsbury3373@student.pps.net.

There is another great chance for some spring cleaning. It's a win-win! Clean out your garage and support the Class of 2026!

May 4 - AP Exams Begin

May 4 - 8 Staff Appreciation Week
May 7 - Spring Rep Shows Open
May 8 - DEADLINE to vote for Staff Bests for the Year

See more detailed information on The Trivory Calendar

The AP exams are coming up starting May 4th! Here are some important reminders:

• Check your MyAP account to make sure the exam information looks accurate
• Exams will be held at the Marshall Campus. The only exception is accommodations exams and you will receive information on accommodation location by note and email this week
  
• Make sure you are not scheduled for 2 exams on the same day. If you are contact Abby Menashe
• Review the AP Exams 2026: What To Expect. This should answer all questions including attendance, what if today you're ill or need to cancel or reschedule and much more
• Make sure to bring your fully charged Chromebook, charger and your ID!
• In addition to bringing their fully charged chromebooks, students need to know how to sign into their accounts without autocomplete (good practice is to sign into Bluebook in the waffle menu on the log in screen and they can preview most exams there).

If you have questions or concerns see Abby Menashe in 139 or amenashe@pps.net

Happy studying and good luck on your exams!

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is coming up May 4–8, 2026, and we’d love your help making it meaningful for our amazing team.

Students, families, and alumni are invited to submit a short note of appreciation, gratitude, or a favorite memory about a teacher or staff member who has made a difference. Each message will be printed and delivered during the week—a simple gesture that truly goes a long way.

Please submit your message by May 1, 2026 via google form.

Need inspiration? When writing your note, you might reflect on:

• What makes this teacher or staff member special
• A favorite memory or moment
• A meaningful lesson learned
• Three words that describe them
• Something they do that makes you smile
• The impact they’ve had on you or your student

Let’s show our appreciation—your words matter more than you think.

Planned celebrations include:

• May 4: Cards from Admin, student-made banner, and a cheering welcome
• May 5: Coffee for staff
• May 6: Fruit stand from PTA
• May 7: Leadership hosts Staffulty Room Service
• May 8: Pancake breakfast from Athletics

The PTA is already planning for teacher appreciation week and you can help! Please sign up now to buy fruit and other items in May - it helps us to plan the event early! Reminders will be sent as the event gets closer. All the information you need is in the link header: volunteersignup.org/Y8PK7

Hi there, folks!

It's that time of year again! Join your award-winning SouthWest StageWorks Theatre Company for our final mainstage offerings of the year: Church & State, by Jason Odell Williams; and The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde. These two crowd-pleasing, but very different, comedies explore the worlds of politics and wealth...but with laughs and heart!

The shows open with Earnest on May 7th and Church/State on May 8th. Go to southweststageworks.com and click Online Ticket Sales for more information and to purchase tickets.

See you there!

May 14 - Student Art Showcase

May 15 - Girl's Night for 8th and 9th Grade

May 15 - DEADLINE Band Spring Flower and Plant Fundraiser
May 19/20 - OwlAntics - Spring Choir/Orchestra Concerts
May 20 - Best of PPS Film Festival
May 21 - Ida B. Chella
May 22 - ADPI Club Fundraiser
May 27 - Spring Band Concert

See more detailed information on The Trivory Calendar

Greetings from the Art Department,

We are so excited to celebrate our art students' work!

Our annual IBW Student Art show is coming up and we want to get it on your calendars ahead of time. Our opening night is on May 14th from 3:30-5:00 in our 1st floor Foyer. Every one of our talented art students will have artwork represented in the show and it is always an impressive event: A HUGE CELEBRATION of TALENT

Put it on your calendars. Please join us in recognizing our students' talent, creativity and hard work!

Sincerely,

Andrew, Katie, Marie, and Matt

Five IBW Freshmen were selected as winners for the PPS Film Festival in the category of broadcast journalism for their video on free speech suppression in the media! The team includes Alice Adkins, Sumaya Ali, Willa Gross, Sidney McCrae, and June Shanks.

We're very proud of them and look forward to seeing our community show up on May 20 at 6:30 PM at the iconic Hollywood Theatre to support them and the other winners from around PPS. Come enjoy a fun night at the movies: tickets are free! RSVP and claim your FREE tickets HERE!

Our first-year engineering students are coding robots to detect obstructions, solve mazes and follow a precision path. Meanwhile, second and third-year students applied their knowledge of tension and compression to design and stress-test model bridges built with balsa and basswood sticks for both regional and in-class competitions. They’ve also been working on independent projects, designing and building custom prototypes that showcase their unique engineering interests.

Student Government Elections were held last week. Congratulations to all our new Student Body Officers and Class Cabinet Members for the 2026-27 School Year!

ASB Government
President: Mia Durham-LeBus
Vice President: Kannon Walter

Commissioner of Spirit: Charlie Small
Treasurer: Isa Llados
Vice Treasurer: Ruby Moller

12th Grade Class Cabinet
President: Talia Andreyuk
Clubs and Activities: Shaadiya Ahmed
IDEA-W: Layla Woods
Spirit: Bella Briley
Communications: Anaya Miranda-Blank

11th Grade Class Cabinet
President: Xane Brennan
Clubs and Activities: Skylar Hammer
IDEA-W: Adelaide Carlson
Spirit: Rosa Conlee-Brown
Communications: Samantha Moylan

10th Grade Class Cabinet
President: Tasnim Kalifa
Clubs and Activities: Willa Gross
IDEA-W: Ella Greenman
Spirit: Ruthie Kaiser-Meguire
Communications: Sabrina Campbell

The yearbook has been completed and will be distributed the week of May 25th. We tend to sell out each year, so the only way to guarantee a book is to pre-order one on SchoolPay. We cannot guarantee that books will be available for sale after they arrive.

We hope to have as many students as possible cast their votes for Staff Bests. Students please check your email for the ballot!

Did you earn an "F" in a required course 9th, 10th, or 11th grade? If so, PPS Summer Scholars dates and information will be coming out soon. Summer school is the best way to make up failed courses. Students can typically make up two - semester classes (3 weeks/class) and it's free!

We have our dates confirmed for Summer Scholars!

Classes will be 9:00-12:00 Monday through Friday on the following dates:

Session 1: June 22 - July 9 (no class July 3)

Session 2: July 13 - July 29

We will hold classes for both sessions at the same 4 sites that we were at last summer:

Benson HS

Franklin HS

McDaniel HS

Roosevelt HS

Registration is still TBD but it will be mid-May. Once registration opens in May, students will register for classes with their school counselor.

The weekly GNN: https://youtu.be/tnvreKNkCss

GNN about theater: https://youtu.be/PkWIUDEs1xU

Thank you to everyone who has already supported our Band Spring Flower & Plant Fundraiser! Thanks to your generosity, we’ve raised $552 so far.

Great news—the fundraiser has been extended through May 15th, giving you more time to shop for beautiful bulbs, seeds, Mother’s Day gifts, and gardening supplies.

With 50% of every purchase going directly back to the Ida B. Wells High School Band program, your support makes a real difference. Funds raised help provide sheet music, instrument repairs, professional workshops, pre-game meals, transportation to parades, and financial assistance for student band trips.

If you haven’t had a chance to shop yet, or would like to place another order, please visit:
https://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/index.php/marketplace/seller/profile/shop/idabwellshsband

Thank you for supporting our talented musicians!

Take advantage of these pop-up Tutoring Sessions with the Smart Learning Cafe

​

Wednesday, April 29, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, Maplewood Coffee and Tea

Maplewood Coffee and Tea is at 5206 SW Custer St, Portland, OR 97219, near Maplewood Elementary School. There are a several parking spots in front of the cafe. There is parking at these hours in front of the elementary school a short walk away. Otherwise find street parking.

For future sessions, see their website https://www.joeminato.com/smart-city-learning-cafe

Hello Wells! We are challenging Lincoln High to a Battle of the Birds for collecting period supplies! Help join the challenge!

We're hosting our annual Period Power Project drive to help end period poverty in our community. According to national data, more than 2 in 5 people struggle to afford period products, and federal assistance programs such as SNAP and WIC do not cover these items. A recent study by Period.org found that period stigma and period poverty is especially severe for teens and is growing every year, but the good news is, you can help!

From now until April 30th, Positive Charge! IBW Club we're collecting donations of unopened boxes of the following:

• Tampons,
• Pads,
• Panty liners,
• Reusable pads & covers,
• Reusable menstrual cups, and
• Travel-size hand sanitizer or individually wrapped sanitizing wipes

Collection bins are located at Ida B Wells HS by the gymnasium and front (Vermont Street) entrance. Keep your eyes peeled for cardmaking sessions and information on our Period Packing Party on Saturday, May 16th, where we will assemble all of your donations and cards into essential care packages that will go out to our nonprofit partners across Portland.

Make a difference in your community today by donating supplies this month and joining us at our weekly Positive Charge! IBW meetings on Thursdays during lunch in room 119! Thanks Guardians!

Our Tango Crab fundraiser for AANHPI Heritage Month is open for ordering! We will donate our proceeds to help communities in Hawai'i recover from the flooding.

Students, here is the link to order! Your order and exact change payment is due by end of day on Tuesday, 5/19 to Ms. Suehiro in the LIBRARY. There will be a box at the circulation desk if Ms. Suehiro is not there. To confirm your order, payment must be received.

Help our Ida B. Wells social worker, Britni Locke, support students with snacks to keep them going during the school day! Snacks can be purchased online and delivered to either the office or to our parent volunteer's home OR you we will do the shopping with the donations we receive. Follow the link for details!

https://tinyurl.com/mupnajz3

Deadlines are quickly approaching for Summer Experiences:

4/28 - Deadline: Oh Architecture Planning & Design Summer Academy

5/1 - Deadline: EAGLE Caddie Summer Opportunity (9th graders)

5/1 - Deadline: Summer Business Institute at PSU (rising 10th, 11th, 12th)

5/1 - Deadline: Blosser Center Tutors Application

5/8 - Deadline: National Society of Black Engineers Internship (11th and 12th)

Space is available for these upcoming career days. Register immediately and remember that students are responsible for arranging their own absences and transportation to and from these events:

4/29 - PWA Start Your Own Business Career Day

5/1 - PWA Portland Fire & Rescue Career Day

All of these experiences count as Career Related Learning Experiences toward your graduation requirements once you participate and complete the CRLE reflection form. To apply, find all of the details in the IBWHS Career News

Greetings Sports Fans!
Please watch for this week's edition of the IBW Athletics tomorrow 4/29! Sorry for the delay!

Check out the Weekly Athletic Schedule here: https://www.ibwathletics.com/this-week

Use this QR code for our 2026 Spring Season Media Guide that includes links to team pages, schedules, team photos and more!

We are thrilled to announce that sophomore Lennon Schmidt has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Portland Golf Club Lamberton Scholar Athlete Program. This honor is awarded to only two students annually who demonstrate a unique combination of academic excellence, meaningful community involvement, and elite competitive golf ability.

As a Lamberton Scholar, Lennon will receive full practice and playing privileges at the historic Portland Golf Club through her senior year, with the opportunity to extend those privileges into her collegiate career.

"Lennon personifies what it means to be a scholar-athlete," says Women’s Golf Coach Mick Mulligan. "She has a genuine passion for the game of golf, is an excellent student, and brightens our entire program. We are incredibly proud to see her hard work recognized by such an esteemed organization. I know she’ll use this opportunity as a tool to further her golf journey."

Please join us in congratulating Lennon on this incredible achievement! We look forward to seeing her continue to lead our Guardians on the links this spring and for years to come.

IBW Auction

A huge thank you to our community for supporting the Ida B Wells Booster Club Awesome 80s auction! It was a great night to support student programs at IBW. Thank you also to everyone who supported the online auction!

Sign up parties still have spots available!

• May 9: Bourbon 101 to support Men's Volleyball. (only two spots left)
• May 9: Yoga and tea with Principal Coning to support Community Equity Council
• May 20: Personal Self-Defense Class to support the IBW College Center Scholarship fund
• June 13: Cheese and Wine pairing party to support Choir
• September 19: Come as you were party to support the Class of 2027 Grad night

Senior BBQ Coordinator Needed (NEW)

Each year Wells seniors are celebrated with a fun BBQ and we need a non-senior parent to help coordinate this event for 2026! Is that YOU? All the details from past years are in place, so this is an easy opportunity to jump in and make a big impact with limited time needed. Please email communications@ibwboosterclub.org if you're interested!

Bingo

Don't miss Monday bingo every week at the Old Barn at 6:30 PM! Bring cash to purchase your cards and not only are you supporting the IBW teams and clubs, but you could win big! Follow our Instagram or Facebook for weekly updates.

Booster Membership: http://www.schoolpay.com/link/joinibw

The number of booster members and volunteer hours from a team or group is evaluated in the grant application process, so joining boosters helps your team or club!

IBW Merch

Support Booster Club by shopping online here. Guardians merch is available for sale at ComeUnity PDX. This is an Ida B. Wells family-owned shop located in Multnomah Village at 3536 SW Troy St B, Portland, OR 97219. Get the perfect gift by giving a gift card for IBW Booster Merch!

Stay up to date in real time! Instagram Facebook Favorite Links - Linktree

Want to see if someone’s pickleball game is really as good as they say?! Sign up for the PTA’s 2nd Annual Pickleball Tournament. We will have four, two-hour rounds of doubles round robin play, including a special round devoted for IBW Students vs. Staff. Who do you want to see on the courts?

Doubles teams can be mixed student/staff, community supporters, mixed or same gender, and all experience levels.

Registration fees for IBW Students/Staff is $40/team and $80/team for Community Supporters.

Sign up through SchoolPay (IBW Students/Staff or Community Supporters)

For more info, go to www.idabwellspta.org/what-we-do/pickleball

Here's the link to sign up!
https://signup.com/go/ozeHeRC

FaithBridge Portland invites you to save the date for the 2nd annual Black Girl LIVE! suicide awareness and prevention event for Black and Brown girls ages 12 to 17 and the adults who support them. Last year’s event hosted approximately 100 girls from Portland and beyond for education and celebration in an intentionally created space. The event is supported by OHA and intended to raise awareness, promote healing and offer access to culturally relevant resources and strategies.

Save the date: May 15, 2026

Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: 2800 NE Liberty Street, Portland (University of Oregon Portland campus)

The Southwest Portland Community Band (SWPCB) is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2026. Clarinetist Kristin Rencher founded the ensemble with the goal of helping people of all ages to discover – or rediscover -- the joy and healing power of music. The non-profit band was also an opportunity for lapsed musicians in the community to come back to instruments they played years ago. Founded in collaboration with current director Nick Caldwell, the band gathered around 20 players in its first year. Their first concert, in spring 2016, featured three works, including a band arrangement of Jean Sibelius’ famous orchestral work Finlandia.

Nick also leads the band program at Ida B. Wells High School. Now boasting more than 50 players, the band uses its two annual concerts, spring and winter, to raise funds for the Wells music program, primarily for the purchase of new instruments. Some of the percussion instruments at Wells are as old as the school itself (68 years) and are in need of replacement. Two years ago, the band purchased a new set of chimes, and last year they replaced the old vibraphone. This year the fundraising goal is instruments (both wind and percussion) as well as funds to cover the cost of professional musicians to help the young players at Wells with technical development and musicianship.

The band’s tenth anniversary spring concert takes place on Sunday, May 31, at 5 pm at the Multnomah Arts Center. Admission is free, and donations are appreciated. Pizza, salad and beverages will be available, including microbrews, wine and sparkling water.

For this special anniversary program, the band decided to play favorite works from previous concerts over the past ten years, including Finlandia, from their inaugural concert. Other works include:

· Volver a la Montaña by Shelley Hanson (from spring 2024 concert)

· Moment for Morricone by Ennio Morricone (from spring 2023 concert)

· October by Eric Whitacre (from spring 2017 concert)

· Drums of the Saamis (The Merger of the First Nations and Modern Albertan Cultures) by Samuel
Hazo (from spring 2022 concert)

· The Universal Judgement by Camile de Nardis (from spring 2018 concert)

One of the highlights of the program is Pantomime, a beautiful piece for band and solo euphonium by Philip Sparke. Designed to show off both the lyrical and technical prowess of the instrument, the piece draws on the varied characters of the Italian Commedia dell'Artetradition for its wide emotional range. The soloist is Adam Graves, a member of the band since its founding in 2016. Since he and his family are moving from Portland this summer, this is his last concert. The band added this piece to the program as a tribute, send-off, and a thank you for ten years of music and service.