The Guardian Gazette

As we wrap up another fantastic school year, we need your help ensuring our library and textbook departments are ready for fall! Overdue notices are sent to emails and students can check their library account at any time in Destiny on my.pps.net. Directions here.

All library books and textbooks are due on Friday, May 22. However, if your student still needs the book to complete school work, they are welcome to keep it until assignments are done. We do not charge overdue fees. We only assess fees if items are never returned.

If your student has outstanding library books or textbooks, please take action by the last day of school:

Option 1: Return the Books
Bring any overdue items to the library before school ends. Remember, we need the exact copy your student checked out (with the original barcode attached). If your student checked out a book for a summer reading assignment, they may keep it over the summer.

Option 2: Pay Replacement Cost
If books are lost, payment can be made on SchoolPay or in person during Back to School Business Days in August.

Think you already returned it? Stop by the library! Sometimes books get mixed up between friends or miscanned, and we're happy to help sort things out.

Why it matters: When books aren't returned by the end of the school year, we end up purchasing unnecessary replacements, which means less money for new materials and programs your students love.

Need help? We understand that circumstances vary. If you need to discuss payment options or other solutions, please have your student visit the library. We're here to work with families!

Questions? Contact Cassie Lanzas at clanzas@pps.net

Our Lost and Found drawer has filled up this year. We have many AirPods, Glasses, Phones/Speakers/Headphones, Jewelry and LOTS of retainers. If you or your student has lost something this year, please come to Room 139 to take a look. For electronics, ownership will need to be proven by charging and logging into, pinging or pairing the device. Be sure to look outside Room 139 for lost clothing, shoes, water bottles and more!

We need your input! We’re planning an end-of-year party for freshmen and want to make sure it’s fun for everyone! Take a minute to fill out the survey and share your opinions on food, activities, and more. Your feedback helps us plan something better, so don’t hold back!

Please keep in mind that only freshmen are invited to fill out this form:

Link for survey: https://forms.gle/XgSNLH1UZeMpC5Vo9

May 19/20 - OwlAntics, Spring Choir/Orchestra Concerts
May 20 - Best of PPS Film Festival
May 21 - Senior Decision Day Celebration and College Athletics Signing Ceremony
May 21 - Yearbook Distribution and Ida B. Chella
May 21/22 - Shut up!
May 22 - ADPI Club Fundraiser
May 22 - Red Cross Club Blood Drive

See more detailed information on The Trivory Calendar

The final concerts for our choirs and orchestra will be taking place on May 19 and 20th. Come see our talented musicians!

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!

Two springs ago, IBW’s student newspaper, The Headlight, held a book fundraiser at the Ida B. Flea. This year, we’re running it back at Ida B. Chella! The fundraiser will help our program raise money for future prints, journalistic materials such as recorders and cameras, and class trips.

We would love to source our books through donations from the IBW community. If you have any books you would like to donate to our program, please drop them off in room 118 by May 20.

Thank you for your contributions and support of our program!

Sincerely,

Lauren Devlin, Editor-in-Chief

Eloise Blaine, Managing Editor

The 2026 yearbook will be distributed this Thursday at the end of the day in the cafeteria in conjunction with Ida B. Cella. We still have books available for sale via SchoolPay through this Wednesday night. After that, books can only be purchased directly from Ana Curtis, the bookkeeper, in the main office. She will be available to sell books on Thursday until 4 pm, and then every day after while supplies last before school, during flex, and during lunch. She will not be selling books after school.If you missed last year's book, we still have a few copies available for purchase. If you have any questions, please contact Keith Higbee, the yearbook advisor at khigbee@pps.net.

Dear IBW Community,

The IBW Red Cross Club is hosting the last blood drive of the year on Friday, May 22nd. This is a great opportunity to make a real difference in someone’s life. Every blood donation can help patients in emergencies, surgeries, cancer treatments, and other critical situations.

We encourage eligible students (16+ yo) and parents to consider donating and families to support this important community effort. Giving blood is a simple act that can have a lasting impact and helps teach the value of service and compassion. REGISTER HERE

Thank you for supporting our school blood drive and helping save lives!

Mr. Olsen

May 25 - NO SCHOOL, Memorial Day Holiday
May 26 - Senior Finals (Periods 1-4) and Mandatory Check Out
May 27 - Senior Finals (Periods 5-8) and Mandatory Check Out
May 27 - Spring Band Concert
May 28 - Seniors Last Day of School and Celebration
June 1 - Rieke Clap Out for Seniors
June 3 - Graduation
June 3-5 - Finals for 9-11th graders

See more detailed information on The Trivory Calendar

Next week is the final week for the Class of 2026. Be sure to review these newsletters for all the pertinent information.
Senior Newsletter, May 2026
Graduation Edition

Seniors who attended Rieke and/or Education CTE Program interns who worked in a classroom at Rieke, or anyone who wants to be there!

Come to Rieke in your caps and gowns to be celebrated by the Rieke staff and student body from 1:55-2:15 PM on Monday, June 1st.

As we get ready for graduation at Portland State University on Wednesday, June 3rd from 7:30–9:00 PM, we are looking for volunteers to help with ushering, program distribution, and ADA support.

This sign-up is for anyone in the community that is interested in helping out. Volunteers will be able to watch the ceremony and will have seating behind the graduates on the floor of the Viking Pavilion.

Volunteer Check-In: 6:15 PM at the Entrance to Viking Pavilion

We will also hold a short online meeting before graduation to go over volunteer roles and check-in details.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/pHGi8y3xFxeqgkMb9

Ida B. Wells students and IBW Class of 2026 graduates ages 14–19 are eligible for free summer transit through the TriMet Summer Pass.

In past years, students had to pick up a separate summer pass in the office. This year, that process is simplified—the PPS 2025–2026 student ID will continue to serve as the Hop pass and will remain active through 8/31/2026.

From June 1 through August 31, students can ride unlimited TriMet buses, MAX trains, and Portland Streetcar services across the metro area.

This supports access to summer jobs, enrichment programs, volunteering, recreation, and community activities, helping remove transportation barriers for all eligible students regardless of financial need.

Reminder: students should not lose their ID cards, as they function as their transit pass. Replacement ID/Hop passes are $5 after spring break. Students may see Ana Curtis in the bookkeeping office before school or during lunch for replacements.

More information: https://trimet.org/accesstransit/highschool-summerpass

Hi, everyone -

The CTE Visual Arts Department wanted to send a quick thank you to all of the parents, families, students, and teachers who came out to support our IBW Student Art Show last night. Your encouragement, enthusiasm, and support mean so much to both our students and us as art teachers.

How wonderful to celebrate the students’ creativity and hard work with all of you. Thank you for helping make the evening so special, from the never-ending JoJos, chips, and cookies to the thoughtful handwritten notes.

We are also soaking up our last year with our incredible ceramics teacher, Andrew Butterfield, who's illustrious career has spanned 37 years in PPS. Come give Andrew a pat on the back for his passionate dedication, in the art studio and department. We will miss him so much.

- Matt Carlson, Marie Pearson, and Katie Sullivan

Senior, Samuel Munks, a student in Zach Alcerro's WR 121Z class, just had a piece published in the New York Times as part of their student writing contest! His essay, a recommendation list of science fiction novels aimed at reluctant readers, was selected from thousands of international entries (about 4000). There were only 6 winners who had their entire piece published. HERE is the link to the NYT article!

Congratulations, Samuel!

Summer School registration is open! Please see your counselor to get registered.

If you have failed a core class (English, Math, Social Studies, Science, Spanish, Health, PE) in grades 9-12, you most likely need to make it up in order to graduate.Classes are 1/2 credit each and FREE!! This means you can make up 2 - semester classes.

Calendar (all classes Mon-Fri)

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

Session 2: July 13 - July 29

Class Times

9AM - 12PM daily, Monday - Friday

Locations

Benson HS- 546 NE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97232

Franklin HS- 5405 SE Woodward St, Portland, OR 97206

McDaniel HS- 2735 NE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97220

Roosevelt HS- 6941 N Central St, Portland, OR 97203

Weekly GNN/Last weekly for Seniors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtLwKHnRMys
GNN about the Blood Drive: https://youtu.be/n-Xy2jOTlA8

See this week's IBW Athletic Weekly here: https://app.smore.com/n/qvahd

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

These summer plans are for high school level athletes including incoming 9th graders

Moratorium Week July 26 - August 1 (No practices with coaches)

First Official Day of Fall Season
Monday, August 17 (must be registered and have a valid Physical on file

Cheer
The Cheer Team will be selected soon; summer information will come directly from the coaches
Contact: Lauren Peterson, lapeterson@pps.net

Cross Country

Meet at IBW Stadium

Practice: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am-Noon starting June 30th

Team Camp: July 19-23 in Tillamook
Contact: Thor Esbensen, tesbense@pps.net

Football

IBW Stadium/Weight Room/Practice Field

Summer Workouts: June 15 - August 5: 5:45 - 8:15pm (Except 6/19,7/4 and moratorium week)

Team Retreat: August 8/6-8/8 Registration will be open at WellsFootball.com in the coming weeks

Gear Handout: August 10 - 14: 4:00 - 5:00pm

Pre-Season Camp: August 10 - 14: 5:30 - 9:00pm Registration will be open at WellsFootball.com in the coming weeks
Contact: Robby Scharf, rscharf@pps.net

Soccer – Men

IBW Stadium

Summer Kick Arounds: July 2 - 23, Tuesday and Thursday 10am-12pm
Pre-Season Camps: 10am -12pm, $50 fee accepted upon arrival, scholarships available!
Week 1: August 3 - 6; Week 2: August 10 - 13
• MandatoryTryouts: August 17-20, 9am - 11am
• Mandatory Guardian Cup: August 21, 5:30pm - 8pm
Contact: Joe LoCascio, jlocascio@pps.net

Soccer - Women

Information Coming Soon!

Volleyball

IBW Gym
Open Gym Times 10:00am - 12:00pm

June 8th, 10th, 12th, 19th, 22nd, 24th, 26th, 29th; July 1st, 6th, 24th; August 5th, 7th, 12th, 14th
Open Gym Times 12:30-2:30pm

June 15th, 17th; July 20th, 22nd
Tryouts: August 17 - 19th, 10:00am - 12:00pm

Contact: Mark Mendak, mmendak@pps.net

Fall Registration will open on Arbiter no later than June 1st for Cheer, Cross Country, Football, Soccer and Volleyball. Stay tuned! Be sure to look and see if you will need an updated Physical. They are valid for 2 years. A registration and a valid Physical on file are both REQUIRED to begin practice or participate in tryouts on Monday, August 17th.

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

Contributions are needed for prizes the graduates can win at the Grad Party. Please join in this tradition by donating gift cards, or items grads may be excited to win. Did you win something at the auction that a grad might want more? Willing to ask a business to donate something? Up for buying some goodies yourself? Or Venmo a donation and we'll do the shopping (@Kristy-Claypoole-1) . Linked sign-up has theme ideas for whole baskets, as well as contact information but all donations are welcome- no matter how small! All items needed by May 21st.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0549ABA822A7FB6-60726640-grad#/

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

The PTA is looking for a few volunteers to help us run our pickleball tournament - mostly gathering and tallying scores at the end of games. Parent or high school student help welcome. No experience necessary! The link to sign up is here. Thank you!

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.