Irvington Weekly Newsletter
October 31, 2025
Food Resources in the Community
Thank you to those of you who were able to donate to families this week! I wanted to share another resource (click here) that lists food and grocery resources in Portland.
Restaurant Fundraiser Night on Wednesday
¿Por Qué No? Taqueria is all about supporting the local economy, using high-quality, sustainable ingredients, and making delicious food for this awesome community! A frequent and generous donor of Irvington School, let's give back and make it an awesome restaurant night fundraiser!
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 5, 11am-10pm. ALL types of orders (in person, take out, delivery, DoorDash, drinks, & merch!) go towards our fundraiser, and 10% of ALL sales from the Mississippi location (3524 N Mississippi Ave) will be donated to our school! Check out their menu here and hop online or call (503) 467-4149 to order! Thank you ¿Por Qué No?!
Listening Session with New School Board Member Next Thursday
Join us next Thursday, November 6, from 7-8pm in the school library for a listening session with school board member Virginia La Forte. This is a special opportunity for the Irvington School community to have our voices heard by a school board member. Come prepared to discuss everything from the end of the JHS dual-assignment zone to the status of our fence. Cookies and childcare will be provided.
Queer Caregivers Dinner
See the information below for our next queer caregivers dinner, Wednesday, November 12, 5:30-7:00pm.
Tea with Mr. G. Next Friday
Join me for Tea with Mr. G. next Friday (November 7) right after drop off. The theme: report cards! How to access them? How to read them? What questions to ask? I hope to see you there!
Information for Fifth Grade Families around Middle School
While we are only 25% into the school year, it is time to start conversations about middle school. If your current address zones into Irvington, your fifth grader will automatically be enrolled at Harriet Tubman Middle School next year. You do not need to take any steps to attend. There are other options available in PPS, and you can read about them here. Please note that the lottery for middle schools start in two weeks.
Our school counselor Ms. Blum and I will host a virtual info session about middle school on Monday, November 24, at 6pm. The target audience is fifth grade families, but all are welcome to join to learn more about the transition from fifth to sixth grade. I will share the link as the date gets closer.
Community Connections Committee Meeting
The next CCC meeting will be Thursday November 6, 12:00-12:30pm on Google Meet (click here to join in: https://meet.google.com/qkb-jgkm-sqd). This new committee is geared at connecting with our surrounding community, focusing on enrollment within our neighborhood and incoming kindergarten families, building relationships and liaising with our sister feeder elementary schools, and the transition and connection with Harriet Tubman Middle School. There's plenty of work to be done, and anyone with interest in this area is welcome to join!
The Book Fair Is Coming!
The book fair is coming to Irvington November 12-14! Come support our school AND a local small business! Jennifer Butler-Brown, a local bookseller, will be hosting our fair again this year, which will offer a multi-cultural, diverse collection of books. Look for Spanish and other bilingual titles, non-fiction to inspire, graphic novels for all ages, picture books, chapter books, journals by Indigenous artists, and this year's OBOB books. 20% of sales will be donated back to our school!
This year the Book Fair will be located in room 107 (same as last year). Students must be accompanied by an adult to shop. Cash, check, Apple Pay, and credit/debit cards accepted. It will be open:
Wednesday, November 12, 1:30*-6:00pm
Thursday, November 13th, 2:30-4:00pm
Friday, November 14th, 1:30*-6:00pm
*Enjoy kid-free shopping from 1:30-2:30pm on Wednesday and Friday! Be sure to sign in in the office prior to coming to the fair during school hours.
Can’t make it in person? You can also shop online with free shipping to the school! Be sure to select Irvington so your order is counted towards our fair. Questions? Contact Jennifer at jennifer.butlerbrown@gmail.com or 541-619-3960.
Available during any of the open hours and interested in volunteering at the Book Fair? We still need a few helpers! Please contact Becky at rebecca.rencova@gmail.com.
How to Read Your Child's Report Card <REPEAT>
As you read above, the end of the first quarter is just around the corner, so you'll soon have access to your child's first report card. (They will be live by Wednesday, November 5.) Please know that report cards are only available through ParentVue. If you have issues accessing this app, please contact our administrative assistant Caroline Schroeder at cschroeder@pps.net, and she can help you troubleshoot. (Heads up: in order to access the app the first time this school year, you'll need to complete your yearly verification form, which can take a few minutes.)
In order to learn more about the K-5 report card, please visit this website. There you can look at the report card template, find out what the symbols and numbers mean, and learn more about our standards-based grading system.
Next Families of Students of Color Dinner <REPEAT>
See the details below for our next Families of Students of Color dinner!
November Lunch Servers Needed <REPEAT>
The November lunch calendar is now live! Click here to sign up. It’s a great way to see how the cafeteria works and learn about all the amazing food options our kids enjoy. You’ll have to be a PPS-approved volunteer first. If you have any questions, please reach out to Betsy at bihuigens@gmail.com or 503-899-0194. Thank you!
Upcoming Events
Monday, November 3: Site Council, 2:45-3:45pm
Wednesday, November 5: ¿Por Qué No? restaurant fundraiser night, 4-9pm
Wednesday, November 5: Families of Students of Color dinner, 5:30-7:00pm
Thursday, November 6: Community Connections Committee meeting, 12:00-12:30pm virtually
Thursday, November 6: Listening session with board member Virginia LaForte, 7-8pm in the library
Friday, November 7: Tea with Mr. G., 8-9am
Tuesday, November 11: No school (Veterans' Day)
Wednesday, November 12: Book Fair, 1:30-6:00pm in room 107
Wednesday, November 12: OBOB info session, 5-6pm
Wednesday, November 12: Queer Caregivers Community Dinner, 5:30-7:00pm
Thursday, November 13: Book Fair, 2:30-4:00pm in room 107
Thursday, November 13: OBOB info session, 2:30-3:30pm
Thursday, November 13: HTMS Band Concert, 7pm at HTMS
Friday, November 14: Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
Friday, November 14: Book Fair, 1:30-6:00pm in room 107
Friday, November 14: Movie Night, doors at 6:15pm, movie at 6:30pm
See it all at a glance here: https://www.irvingtonschool.com/