Capitol Hill Weekly Update

We’re proud to share that Mrs. Jendrzejek’s 1st grade class and Mr. Spiegel’s 5th grade class won this month’s Attendance Award with an impressive 96% attendance! We’re grateful for the persistence these students show in showing up each day ready to learn.

At Portland Public Schools we share the goal: “Attendance Matters: Every student. Every day.” Research shows that even missing just 5% of the school year (about 9 days) can begin to impact learning, especially in the early grades when students are building foundational reading and math skills. Every day students are in school they are building knowledge, practicing skills, and learning alongside their classmates. Teachers often introduce new units and lessons on Mondays and check for understanding or assess learning on Fridays, so being present helps students stay connected to the full arc of learning.

While we’re celebrating strong attendance in some classrooms, we also want to share an important schoolwide trend. Attendance overall-not per class-at Capitol Hill typically dips to its lowest point this time of year and is currently around 91%. Over a 180-day school year, 90% attendance means missing about 20 days of school—nearly four full weeks of learning. We know our students can do better, and every extra day students are here makes a difference for their growth and connection to school and to their community.

We’ve given students a new challenge for this next month: Which class can reach 98% attendance? We haven’t broken that record yet, but we’re getting close. Our strongest attendance days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, so even a small boost on Mondays and Fridays could make a big difference for student learning. Let’s see if we can beat our record by our next school assembly!

In service to students,

Febe Armendariz

Principal

farmenda@pps.net

It may only be March, but we’re already getting excited about welcoming our newest students this fall. If you have a child starting kindergarten in August, now is the time to register!

We recently had a great Kindergarten Connect event on Tuesday, March 10, where it was wonderful to welcome families and their future kindergarten students to Capitol Hill. Families toured the halls, opened books, and even stretched out on the carpets of their future classrooms to read. Seeing our future students exploring the school was a special moment for our community.

If you missed the first one, we’re hosting another Kindergarten Connect on April 7 from 4–5 PM. Families will hear from our Kindergarten teachers, Counselor, PTA President, and Principal, and have the opportunity to learn more about what makes Capitol Hill such a special place to learn and grow.

Please help us spread the word and tell your friends and neighbors about our wonderful community school. Share with neighbors what you love about Capitol Hill and consider picking up a Capitol Hill yard sign from the office to show your school pride and help welcome future students to our community.

Visit our website for registration information or call the school office at 503-916-6303. We can’t wait to welcome our newest Capitol Hill students and families!

The application window for Single Subject Acceleration in Math (SSA-M) runs from March 1st through the 31st. This program is designed for exceptional cases in grades 2–4 in which students have already met all of the math standards for the following grade level, though they have not been exposed to them in school. This ensures an appropriate rate and level of learning for students whose needs cannot be met by the standard curriculum.

On average, 13% of students who applied for SSA last year demonstrated the proficiency needed to accelerate by one grade level in math. If you believe your child needs this advancement to address their current math level, checking in with your child’s teacher before applying is a great idea to discuss their current progress. Please be sure to submit an application during the upcoming window if you believe SSA is right for your child.

Our Spring after school classes are open for registration

We are offering a variety of classes such as chess, yoga, Spanish, art, Lego engineering, music, sports and theater, and are excited to offer a few new programs such as 3d printing and circus arts!

If you would like more information about the classes, or if you would like to register, click on Resources / After School Classes on the PTA website or CLICK HERE. Registration is limited. Most classes start right after spring break, so register today!

Please reach out to mariannemajors@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

Monday: Orange Chicken with Brown Rice

Tuesday: Chicken Tenders

Wednesday: Pancakes with Chicken Sausage & Berry Compote

Thursday: Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza

Friday: Grilled Cheese Pull Apart with Tomato Soup

Here is the link for the page that has monthly menus for both breakfast & lunch:
https://www.pps.net/departments/nutrition-services/menus

Our school year calendar has all of the important school-related dates for your reference.

• 3/23-3/27-No School (Spring Break)
• 4/3 & 4/6-No School (Grading & Planning Days)
• 4/8 PTA Meeting
• 4/17 Principal's Coffee
• 4/22 Early Release Day-11:50 AM
  
  

Reminder: When picking up students early please make sure you (or who ever is picking them up) brings their ID so we can check to make sure you are approved to pick up the student.