St. Paul Elementary Newsletter

Hello Buckaroo Families,

It’s hard to believe we’re already nearly a month into the school year! The energy on campus has been great, and we’re proud of how quickly students have settled in, built routines, and jumped into learning.

We’re excited to bring back our Standout Buckaroo Awards, where we recognize students who go above and beyond in showing kindness, leadership, perseverance, and other standout traits. It’s a special tradition that helps us highlight the great things our Buckaroos are doing every day.

This year, we’re doing something a little different: each month’s character focus will be connected to a book, and the award will be named after that story. For example, this month’s focus is on belonging and inclusion, and our featured book is Rainbow Fish. Students who go out of their way to include others, show kindness, and help build community will be honored with the Rainbow Fish Award. It's a fun and meaningful way to bring literature and character-building together.

We also want to share a quick bond project update: construction on our new Career and Technical Education (CTE) building is moving right along! We expect the building to be completed by October 10th, with full student use beginning at the start of second semester. This is an exciting step forward in offering real-world, hands-on learning opportunities for our students.

As always, I want you to know that I’m available if you ever have compliments, questions, or concerns. Please don’t hesitate to reach out, I value our partnership and want to make sure every family feels heard and supported.

You can email me at troy.fisher@stpaul.k12.or.us or call the school at 503-633-2691.

Warmly,

Dr. Fisher, Elementary Principal/Superintendent

Our Back to School BBQ night is going to be September 30 from 5:00pm to 6:30pm!

Dear Families,

We’re still buzzing with excitement after last Thursday’s meeting about our upcoming East Coast trip to Washington, D.C. and New York City! The experiences planned are truly once-in-a-lifetime – from walking through American history in D.C. to taking in the culture and energy of NYC.

This is a quick but important reminder:
The deadline to register and receive the $100 early enrollment discount is Thursday, September 26th.
This is a firm deadline, and we don’t want any families to miss out on the savings!

If you weren’t able to attend the meeting – no problem! I’d be happy to walk you through the details. Feel free to email or call.

One more exciting note: Parents are absolutely welcome to join the trip! This is a wonderful opportunity to share an unforgettable educational experience with your child.

In the meantime, feel free to explore the trip details and FAQs here:
Tour Website

We can’t wait to travel, learn, and make lasting memories together. Don’t forget – register by September 26th to take advantage of the discount!

Warm regards,

Tracy Fleck

503.633.2541

St. Paul Elementary School Picture Retake is Oct. 7th, 2025. Please make sure your student is prepared and dressed for the occasion! We do not use a green screen. Our background is a neutral gray, so there's no need to worry about your child’s clothing color. However, we recommend considering the gray background when selecting an outfit to avoid clashing colors or outfits that closely match the background.

How to Order:

• Direct Online Link: https://orders.portraitmasters.volumephoto.io/?gallerypassword=SPES0925

• School Code: SPES0925

• If you prefer, visit PortraitMasters.com, click on “Order” at the top, click on the red button that says “Click here to be taken to our ordering page,” and enter your code in the provided box.

Envelopes will also be provided on site if you prefer to pay with cash or check. We will have envelopes with our photographers.

Please remember that student drop-off should not happen before 7:30 AM as there is no supervision before that time. We appreciate your help in keeping this process safe and smooth for all students and staff.

Over the past week, I’ve taken time to re-teach our expectations around cell phone use at school. While phones are still allowed before and after the bell, we’ve run into a growing challenge with volume during morning arrival and while waiting for pick up, especially on the porch and in the cafeteria. It’s been difficult for staff to give directions or share announcements with phones playing videos or music loudly.

As a parent myself, I’ve had similar moments at home — trying to have a conversation while my kids are completely tuned in to YouTube. (It’s a losing battle sometimes, right?)

To help with this at school:

• Staff may ask students to put their phones away if they are causing a disruption.

• If a student needs to make a phone call, they should come to the office to do so.

• Videos and games should be muted (please no headphones as this makes the challenge worse).

We understand that many parents want their child to carry a phone for safety, and we support that. At the same time, we encourage you to talk with your student about balancing phone time with real-world connection. A quick chat, a shared laugh, or just saying good morning to someone new rather than being on the cell phone helps build the communication and interpersonal skills that are so important; and having kids on phones as little as possible is backed by research!

The St. Paul Elementary PTC is looking for a fun and creative design for the labels for our 2025

cinnamon roll fundraiser. Therefore, we are hosting a contest to gather designs created by our

elementary students. Contest rules below:

1. Must be hand drawn, no use of computer or AI will be accepted
2. Must be created by St. Paul Elementary students in K-6th grade
3. St. Paul Elementary PTC Board Members will select one finalist from each class
4. Class finalists will be announced at the November assembly, and will receive a $10
5. Banker’s Cup gift card
6. Entry must include student name and grade (on the back of the drawing)
7. Limited to one entry per student
8. Entries must be turned into the Elementary office by 10/30/25

If your student wants to participate, please download the following attachment and turn in to the Elementary office.

El PTC de St. Paul Elementary está buscando un diseño divertido y creativo para las etiquetas

de nuestra recaudación de fondos de rollos de canela 2025. Por lo tanto, estamos organizando

un concurso para recopilar diseños creados por nuestros estudiantes de primaria. Reglas del

concurso a continuación:

1. Debe ser dibujado a mano, no se aceptará el uso de computadora o IA
2. Debe ser creado por estudiantes de St. Paul Elementary en K-6to grado
3. Los miembros de la junta de PTC de St. Paul Elementary seleccionarán un finalista de cada clase
4. Los finalistas de la clase se anunciarán en la asamblea de noviembre y recibirán un premio de $10 de tarjeta de regalo de Banker’s Cup
5. La entrada debe incluir el nombre y el grado del estudiante (en el reverso del dibujo)
6. Limitado a una entrada por estudiante
7. Las entradas deben entregarse en la oficina de Primaria antes del 10/30/25

Si su estudiante desea participar, descargue el siguiente archivo adjunto y entréguelo en la oficina de la escuela primaria.

The St. Paul Elementary PTC will have the following open Board Officer positions for the 2026-2027 school year:

• Co-Chair (1 position available) The chair shall preside over meetings of the organization and executive board, service as the primary contact for the principal, represent the organization at meetings outside the organization, serve as an ex officio member of all committees except the nominating committee, and coordinate the work of all the officers and committees so that the purpose of the organization is served.
• Volunteer Coordinator (1 position available) The Volunteer Coordinator shall be responsible for identifying volunteers among the students, staff, and community to assist with fundraisers and community events. He or she shall manage and coordinate volunteer outreach and participation using email and other tools (e.g., SignUp Genius) to schedule volunteers for events.
• Treasurer (1 position available) The Treasurer shall receive all funds of the organization, keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures, and pay out funds in accordance with the approval of the executive board. He or she will present a financial statement at every meeting and at other times of the year when requested by the executive board and make a full report at the end of the year. He or she will also be responsible for all reporting required to keep the PTC’s 501c(3) status in good standing.

The PTC Board Officer vote schedule is provided below:

• October 15, 2025 – Deadline to notify PTC Board of intent to run for officer position
• December 15, 2025 – Vote (online by Google Form)
• January 8, 2026 – Board Officers-Elect selected (begin shadowing Board Members)
• June 4, 2026 – Outgoing Board Members hand over PTC Board to Board Officers-Elect

Sacramental Preparation will take place in coordination between St. Paul Parochial School and St. Paul Parish.

Communicants will take part in classes during the day at the Parochial School from 11:30 - 12pm (beginning in January) and once a month on Sundays with their families led by Fr. Christopher and Mrs. Abesa.

Please provide the following information and return to the Parochial school office if you are interested in having your child receive the sacraments this year.

• Name of First Communion:
• Grade:
• Parents/Guardians:
• Parish:
• Place of Baptism:
• Parent Phone Number(s):
• Parent Emails:

September:

• Tuesday, September 30th, Back to school BBQ

October:

• Thursday, October 2, PTC meeting at 3pm
• Tuesday, October 7, Picture Retakes
• Tuesday, October 7, Vision Screening