DOLPHIN DIGEST 2/19/2026
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
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 DAY AT THE PTA CLOTHES CLOSET - MAR 12
Portland Public Schools provide a clothes closet at Marshall High School for children in need of basic clothing. The Center serves over 2000 students each school year, providing them with clothing and shoes so that they can feel good about attending school.
PTA volunteers staff the closet – each school is requested to staff the closet two times per year. Arleta's next day in March 12, 9:30am-1:30pm. We need 6-8 volunteers per shift. Please consider helping our community out by volunteering some of your time. Sign up here! You can also see a KATU news article about the impact of the clothes closet here!
ARLETA'S SIXTH ANNAUL PI(E) DAY RAFFLE NEEDS PIE!
It’s Arleta’s 6th Annual Pi(e) Day Raffle and we need your pie donations to make it deliciously successful!
Donations can be:
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A regular pie
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A hand pie
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A store-bought pie
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A gift card to a pie place
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Or even a gift card for a pizza pie
COMMUNITY AID FOR A BELOVED ARLETA ALUMN
Hello Arleta Community! An Arleta-community family who wish to remain anonymous are facing multiple extreme hardships at once. This family is a part of our community and the kind of family that, in the past, helped other families in need. Now they need help of their own.
They are a single-parent family and became homeless mid-Jan when their landlord was deported by ICE and the landlords' family had to sell that rental property immediately. They are currently couch-surfing. Then, this family's car broke down and they are currently without transportation. This is creating a barrier for mom's work, as we can all understand. Finally, the mother has a new medical issue that will most likely lead to further financial, time-related, and overall hardships for years to come.
Again, they wish to remain anonymous but our former -parent and -Inclusion Chair Sheryl Moren is a trusted friend and is taking up the mantle of collecting funds to help this family in their time of need. Sheryl is collecting money via Venmo at @Sheryl-Moren. Her Venmo QR code is above. If anyone has a lead on a car or affordable housing, please reach out to Sheryl at sha_r_@hotmail.com. Thank you all!!
FREE SALSA DANCING CLASSES FOR ADULTS
Arleta SUN School offers weekly salsa lessons for the adults in the Arleta community. Adult Salsa Dance Lessons are held Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the cafeteria. These sessions are free for the Arleta community, and childcare will be provided. No partner is required, and all experience levels are welcome. This will be the final free session of the school year. Please use the link to get registered!
BIPOC LUNCH GROUP
The Arleta BIPOC Lunch Group provides students with a welcoming environment to promote cultural awareness, social tolerance, and academic success. It is a safe space for students to gather and be themselves, timed with your child's lunch, and meets weekly on Fridays throughout the SUN School semester.
Please click the button below to register your student for participation. Attendance is not mandatory every Friday, but once students sign in, they are expected to remain with the group for the duration of their scheduled lunch or recess period. Ms. Raina will retrieve the children from their recess and escort them to Room 32., then return them to the cafeteria for the teachers once BIPOC Lunch Group ends.
BIKE MAINTENANCE WORKSHOP FOR ADULTS - MAR 13
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will be hosting a Bike Maintenance Workshop at Arleta on March 13th from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The session will take place in the cafeteria and will offer helpful tips and information on bike repair and maintenance. Participants are encouraged to bring their own bikes for hands-on activities. Registration is available through this link.
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.
TODAY! NEURODIVERGENT FAMILY GATHERING - FEB 19
Our next Neurodivergent Family Gathering is Thursday, February 19th from 5:30-7pm in the Arleta cafeteria. The group offers Arleta students, parents, and guardians. a safe space to talk, connect, and play. Come join us the cafeteria. Pizza dinner and kid activities will be provided. Please let us know if you would like a translator.
NEXT ARLETA BOOK CLUB - FEB 23
Arleta's first book club, including staff, parents and teachers launches this month! In November, people could sign up for the book club with this Google Form. The first meeting for the book club is Monday, February 23, from 7-8:30. Subsequent meetings will be held on Saturday, February 28 from 12-1:30pm and Tuesday, March 3, from 7-8:30pm (with a Zoom link available for the third meeting). To participate in the book club you need only attend one meeting. All meetings will be in the Arleta Library.
CONNECT TO KINDERGARTEN NIGHT - FEB 26
If you know any families with incoming kindergartners, please invite them by sharing the flyer below or picking up a paper copy at the school office. Thank you!
DINE OUT AT PIEPER CAFE - MAR 8
Pieper Cafe Dine-In Fundraiser
Sunday, 3/8 • 8 AM – 12 PM
Enjoy coffee, tea & light food like panini & soups in a cheerful cafe with arcade games!
20% of all sales support Arleta.
6504 SE Foster Rd Portland, OR 97206
IMPORTANT TAG PROGRAM DATES
If you had the chance to fill out the TAG Family Survey, we appreciate your input. It you haven’t had a chance to fill out the survey, there is still time. TAG Family Survey This survey is for all PPS families.
The Single Subject Acceleration
Math process application window begins March 1st. This process is open to 2nd - 4th grade students. The process outlined in the PPS administrative directive on acceleration and on the TAG Website, allows students who qualify to accelerate through the next grade level. This is a rigorous process with only 14% of students qualifying for SSA-M in 2024 - 25. It is important to talk with your students' teacher to determine if your student might be a good candidate for SSA-M. Strong candidates are students who have met the standards of their current grade level and are proficient on a paper/pencil assessment administered at schools under the guidance of the TAG Department. The decision to accelerate students is made by the TAG Department, with input from teachers, a variety of district administered assessments and the paper/pencil assessment. The timeline for SSA-M:
March 1 - 31st applications accepted via the TAG Website
April 1 - 30th evaluation process
May 31- family notification
June 1 - 30th appeals process
July 1 - family notification
For questions regarding your student’s potential for SSA-M, please contact your student’s teacher. For questions regarding the SSA-M process, please contact the TAG Department at ppstag@pps.net
Access Academy is an eligibility-based, lottery-only PPS school serving students in PPS who are in need of accelerated learning. It is located at 6318 S. Corbett Avenue. Eligible students may be invited to apply and/or interested families can apply during the lottery window opened yesterday, February 18th and continues through March 15th. Please visit the Access Academy website for more information on the Access Academy Lottery.
FIND YOUR MISSING ARLETA LIBRARY BOOK
The Arleta Library is currently missing a few unreturned books. Throughout February, the PTA is hosting a missing book drive. For each missing book returned, students can choose one small prize from the prize bin in the office, starting February 2-27, 2026.
So start looking for those lost books at home, and let's see how many books can get returned!
CELEBRATE CREATIVITY DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
This month is Black History Month! This week, let's celebrate Black artists! Below are images of works of art created by famous Black artists, housed at the Smithsonian Museum. Images of most of these works of art are displayed in the cafeteria this month. Consider scrolling through the images with your child, and click on the images to learn more about them. For a deeper dive, read this article about William H. Johnson's ten most important work. You can also watch a 20 minute American Masters special on the phenomenal sculptor Augusta Savage.
William H. Johnson, Self Portrait with a Pipe, 1932.
Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Banjo Lesson, 1893.
Mikalene Thomas, Portrait of Mnonja, 2010.
Edward Mitchell Bannister, Untitled (moon over a harbor, wharf scene with full moon and masts of boats), 1868.
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Abraham’s Oak, 1905.
William H. Johnson, Café, 1939-40.
Hughie Lee-Smith, Confrontation, 1970.
Augusta Savage, Gamin, 1929.
Norman Lewis, Evening Rendezvous, 1962.
James VanDerZee, Evening Attire, 1922.
Earlie Hudnall, Jr., The Guardian, 1990.
Robert S. Duncanson, Vesuvius and Pompeii, 1870.
Kehinde Wiley, The Death of Hyacinth (Ndey Buri Mboup) (detail), 2022.
Aaron Douglas, Inspiration, 1967.
Edmonia Lewis, Hagar, 1875.
Grafton Tyler Brown, View of the Lower Falls, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,1890 [Oregon Artist].
Robert Duncanson, Landscape, late 1850s.
Laura Wheeler Waring, Girl with Pomegranates, 1938.
BEAT THE BELL
For the week of February 9-13, we had 92% positive attendance (same as the last two weeks) and 99 tardies (down from 149 tardies 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:
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Make sure everything your kid needs for the day is right by the door the night before.
Get kids an old-fashioned alarm clock for their room and set it across the room.
Designate turns in the bathroom in the morning, set a timer for fairness
NEW KID, BY JERRY CRAFT - 2020 NEWBERY AWARD WINNER
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.
As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?
Universal Pictures has acquired film rights to New Kid, with LeBron James’ The Spring Hill Company on board to develop and produce. Craft will be an Executive Producer.
Get The Book
- Click here to borrow the book from Multnomah County Library.
- 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.
- Read or listen to this NPR interview with the author.
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.
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Why should you wear glasses when doing math?
They improve division!
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 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 next open on: February 27 from 3:30-5pm. 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.
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!
LAST SUNDAY CRAFTING CLUB FOR ADULTS - FEB 22
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Express your creativity with a variety of art and craft projects. All materials provided! Space is limited; this program is intended for adults. Click here to go to the event on the Woodstock Library website.
ADA EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TRAINING SERIES NEXT VIRTUAL TRAINING - FEB 26
Rights, Readiness & Responsibility: Disability Rights, Law, and Accountability
This training focuses on the Americans with Disabilities Act and emergency preparedness. Participants will learn what disabled people are legally entitled to during disasters. The training spans across all phases of an emergency: preparedness, response, and recovery. We will focus on what access looks like when rights are upheld.
Date: February 26
Time: 6-7 PM
KELLOGG MIDDLE SCHOOL FREE FOOD PANTRY - FEB 27
The pantry is moving! They will be located in a new space between the cafeteria and the gym. They will still be open for shopping on Fridays from 4-6 PM.
The school pantry is currently in need of the following items, and donations can be left at the Kellogg office during school hours:
- Pasta and sauce
- Cereal
- Tortillas
- Long grain white rice
- Dried beans (especially black and pinto)
- Shelf stable milk, dairy and plant-based
- Canned fruit, applesauce
- Refried beans
- Jam and jelly
- Packaged snacks
Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated, and can be made here. Thank you for your support!
LUNAR NEW YEAR PARADE - MAR 7
The Lunar New Year Dragon Dance Parade and Celebration is organized in collaboration with the Oregon Historical Society and numerous community partners. The festivities include lion dancers, drummers, and a 150-foot dragon to lead the parade from the Portland Chinatown Museum, through the China Gate and downtown Portland on SW Third Avenue, and up to the Oregon Historical Society for a joyous conclusion. The parade is on March 7th and begins at 10 am. Click here for event page.
ADA EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TRAINING SERIES - MAR 24
Rights in Practice: Advocating for Your ADA Rights in Disasters
Building on the legal grounding from Training 1, Rights, Readiness & Responsibility: Disability Rights, Law, and Accountability, this workshop focuses on asserting disability rights in all phases of an emergency. We will hold a guided discussion and breakout groups. Participants will practice applying the ADA to several scenarios. Scenarios will include shelters, evacuation, communication access, and recovery services.
Date: March 24
Time: 6-7 PM
PORTLAND SIDEWALK JOY MAP - ANYTIME
Take a self-guided tour of local creations using the PDX Sidewalk Joy Map. This map showcases fun, interactive neighborhood galleries, exchanges and displays.
The map has more than 100 community joy spots throughout the city. All of these projects created by homeowners exist to bring a bit of whimsy and inspiration to the community.
These displays are viewable from front yards, curbside gardens, alleyways, side yards and sides of buildings.
The map shows a description, image and the location of each display. There’s also Instagram handles so you can follow your favorite Joy Map creators.
All locations on the map are free to enjoy, but you may want to bring quarters for the Super Awesome Prizes vending machine or pay for a pottery piece at the Poetry Pottery Box. View the map.
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. I
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).
RESOURCES FOR DISCUSSING VIOLENCE AND RACISM WITH YOUR CHILDREN FROM EMBRACERACE
The nonprofit EmbraceRace has put together a list of helpful resources for growing violence affecting children in our community. They write:
"The truth is as adults and caregivers we can’t 100% guarantee safety for kids. But we can let them know with our words and actions that we will do everything we can to protect them and help them thrive. We can acknowledge hard realities and provide tools for resilience, healing and community. We can create, with kids, a positive vision of the world we want to live in and take steps to get there – running when we can, walking when we must."
Action Guides & Articles
How to talk to kids after incidents of mass violence
by Anatasia Kim, PhD7 Ways to Highlight Resistance Efforts When Discussing Oppression with Children
by Mia BirdsongSame/Same/Different: How to Build an Inclusive Kindergarten
by Madeleine Rogin
Webinar Videos
Managing Racial Stress and Teaching Kids to Do the Same
with Drs. Riana Elyse Anderson and Shawn C.T. Jones
Teaching and Learning About Race: Fantastic Practice in the Early Years
with Victor Bradley and Verónica ReynosoTeaching and Learning About Race: Fantastic Practice in Late Elementary School
with Drs. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn and Onnie RogersUsing Books to Engage Young Children in Talk about Race & Justice
with Tandem, Partners in Early Learning
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