The Guardian Gazette

Please scroll down to find more specific information about each of these events. If there is no information, stay tuned, it's coming soon but mark your calendars!

March 11 - Ida B Wellness Fair
March 11-20 Wells Madness Continues at Lunch in the Gym
March 11 - Band Concert

March 11 - CEC Meeting
March 12 - Beyond IBW College Night
March 13 - IBW Choir Collaborative Concert with Northwest Vocal Arts
March 16 - Spring Sports Contests Begin
March 17 - All Sophomore Field Trip to the NW Youth Careers Expo
March 19 - Mandatory Senior Class Meeting during Flex
March 23-27 Spring Break
April 18 - IBW Auction

See more dates/information on the:

Looking Ahead to the 2026-2027 School Year, the 2026-27 District Calendar has been approved.

Mark these dates on your calendar, Times TBD
Monday, August 17th - First Day of Fall Sports

Friday, August 21st - Back to School Business Days for Juniors and Seniors

Monday, August 24th - Back to School Business Days for Sophomores and Freshman

Tuesday, August 25th - Back to School Business Day - All Grades Make-Up Day

Wednesday, August 26th - Jump Start Day for Freshman Only

Thursday, August 27th - First Day of School for all Grades

Monday, August 31st - Make-Up Photo/ID Day

The IBW Wellness Committee is excited to announce the first annual Ida B Wellness Fair, coming March 11th!

If you were an IBW student a few years ago, you might remember when we had a mini Wellness Day with baby goats, pancakes and ice cream! This year we are going all out with a special two hour extended flex that will start with a brief school-wide assembly featuring a keynote speaker, followed by three opportunities to attend over 30+ breakout sessions with speakers promoting and celebrating wellness at Ida B Wells High School! Breakout session offerings include workshops on mindfulness, yoga, art, substance use prevention, mental health and more!

And yes, the baby goats will be back! We will have therapy dogs, too!

Students and families can read more in our Ida B Wellness Fair program below!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE IDA B WELLNESS FAIR PROGRAM!

Please keep in mind that this program can be best viewed on a computer. Room numbers are subject to change. Students will have access to this document through their grade level Canvas course, as well. We will have physical copies posted throughout the school on the day of the event. Students can begin looking through the program and thinking about what sessions interest them!

You can also watch the GNN episode about the Wellness Fair https://youtu.be/qtWyf9X7LuA

The Ida B Wellness Fair has been made possible by a mini grant we received from the Youth Line at Lines for Life and because of some AMAZING community members willing to volunteer their time and offer their expertise. Thank you!

If you have questions about the Wellness Fair, you can contact our social worker, Britni Locke, via email at blocke@pps.net !

Come join us March 11th to talk about the future of the Ida B. Wells Community Equity Committee!

Are you familiar with the Ida B. Wells CEC? At the next meeting of this group of IBW family and community members focused on making the school more inclusive, informed, equitable and safe we will be discussing the group's future, reviewing the charter and mission, and potentially expanding it to include supporting middle and elementary schools in the Wells cluster. Now more than ever we need anti-racist spaces focused on growing community and supporting students from historically marginalized backgrounds, and providing a forum to address issues of racism. Come share your perspectives on what the focus of this group should be moving forward, how it fits in with other groups at Wells and PPS, and help shape and expand the future of the CEC!

This annual event offers knowledge and expertise from college admissions professionals

• This event is for IBW students and their guardians
• Choose up to 3 breakout sessions to customize your evening
• Learn everything you need to know about applying to and financing college
• Get your questions answered
• Bring your parents and attend more sessions!

Hey Seniors and Juniors,

Quick reminder about parking! Starting THIS week, cars parked in the wrong spots or without a visible parking pass will get stickers, and repeated violations could lead to towing ($425 to get your car out of impound).

Here’s what you need to know:

• Parking Pass: Hang it from your rearview mirror! Even if your car is registered, you must have the tag visible.

• Senior Spots: 118 spots on campus (north side, Pickleball Courts → Food Park). First come, first served.

• Rieke Spots: 30 IBW-marked spots. Juniors and Seniors only with a pass. Do not park in other Rieke spots – those are for staff and families.

• Staff Parking: All Ida B. Wells staff members have assigned spaces. If you park in a staff spot, they report it to the school, and your car will be added to our student parking infractions spreadsheet.

• Safety: Drive slowly (10 mph max) in all parking lots. Rieke's parents have reported fast driving. Watch out for students walking!

• No-Go Zones: Staff parking, loading zones, and no-parking areas = towing risk.

Important: Parking on campus is a privilege, not a right. Students who cannot follow the rules may lose their parking pass or not be issued one for the 2026–2027 school year.

See someone breaking the rules?

• Tell a Campus Security Associate (CSA): Katie Parnell, Garrett Norman, or Tony Phipps, or stop by Room 139 or the Main Office.

• License plate number helps, but a car description works too.

Remember, parking is first come, first served. If there’s no space, you’ll need to park in the neighborhood.

Thanks for helping keep our parking safe and fair!

— Ida B. Wells High School

The GNN for this week: https://youtu.be/UJqgJJ86SIA

Ida B Wellness Fair https://youtu.be/qtWyf9X7LuA

Order your bulbs online today and have them shipped directly to your home. Purchased bulbs will be shipped starting April 1st https://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/index.php/marketplace/seller/profile/shop/idabwellshsband

Congratulations to Ingrid Gish, Josephine Rustvold, Raahi Podichetty, Andy Platosh, and Amelia Espinoza. They represented Ida B. Wells this Saturday at the OBOB Regional High School Tournament. And, a special recognition to Daphne Bray. She is also on our team but was unable to join us for the battles. The team had an incredible performance at the Regional competition this past Saturday, March 7th!

As a team, they read twelve books and answered trivia questions about them in a college bowl style tournament. They faced off against teams from many Portland Metro area schools from Gresham to the West Side. Our team demonstrated fantastic teamwork, lightning-fast recall, good sporting behavior, and a deep knowledge of this year's book list. We are so proud to announce that they finished in 9th place overall!

A huge thank you to the students for their dedication to reading, and to the parents and teachers who supported the team through every practice and battle.

Lastly, a special thanks to Cassie Lanzas for coaching the team and organizing the regional competition.

The Wells Speech & Debate team competed in tournaments on the last 2 weekends – February 27 & 28 at Lincoln HS and March 7 at Oregon City HS. Well done, team!

Jasper DeFrain - Big Question Debate; Lincoln Douglas Debate; Extemporaneous Speaking; Programmed Oral Interpretation

Marcus Donovan - Parliamentary Debate (Zach Horwitz)

Eliza Evens - Poetry

Witnee Fagan - (4th) Spontaneous Argumentation; (3rd) Impromptu Speaking; Programmed Oral Interpretation

Elise Gorsegner-Harless - Parliamentary Debate (Ruby Parr); Impromptu Speaking; Radio Commentary

Zach Horwitz - Parliamentary Debate (Marcus Donovan)

Finn Jones - Impromptu Speaking

Robert Kaiser - Lincoln Douglas Debate; Extemporaneous Speaking

Maham Luqman - Radio Commentary

Lily Morgan - (2nd) Spontaneous Argumentation

Ruby Parr - Parliamentary Debate (Elise Gorsegner-Harless)

Riley Stone - (5th) Informative Speaking

Eesa Taylor - Extemporaneous Speaking

On March 21, our team will compete for spots at the National Championship in DC! Wish our competitors good luck!

Special thanks to our generous sponsor, Southwest Portland Martial Arts & CrossFit Hillsdale, for contributing to the sustainability of our program!

Contact Coach Terese for information on becoming a sponsor - terese.bushnell@gmail.com

DECA had its most successful state conference in history, with an incredible cumulative 20 finalists and 7 individual entries winning glass (placing top 3 in state), as well as countless other awards listed below. The club is sending more students to ICDC (International Career Development Conference) than ever before, and we look forward to witnessing their successes! Congratulations to each of our competitors!

If you are interested in joining DECA, please email Mr. Muraoka at kmuraoka@pps.net.

Recognition Awards

AAM - Abby Maudlin Role Play 1 2nd

AAM - Hadley Swanson Role Play 2 1st

ACT - Luca Masolo Exam 2nd, Role Play 1 3rd

BSM - Samuel Hartoch Role Play 1 1st

ENT - Isa Llados Role Play 1 1st

FMS - Cassidy Goodwin Role Play 2 3rd

DECA Garage Finalist - Isa, Yael, Abby

FTDM - Luca Masolo Exam 2nd

PFN - Zach Horwitz Role Play 1st

PMK - Nathaniel Wang Role Play 1st

STDM - Goodwin/Goodwin Role Play 1st

Finance Cluster Exam - Luca Masolo 3rd

Chapter Enthusiasm Award

SBE Gold - Recertification

DECA Garage - Llados, Drucker, Horowitz 3rd

Oregon DECA State Pin for ICDC - Amber and June

GRAND AWARDS

ACT - Luca Masolo 1st

AAM - Hadley Swanson Finalist

AAM - Abby Maudlin Finalist

ASM - Sam Osenar Finalist

BSM - Riley Simon Finalist

BSM - Samuel Hartoch Finalist

ENT - Isa Llados 3rd

FMS - Cassidy Goodwin 1st

HLM - Yael Horowitz Finalist

MKT - Nathaniel Wang Finalist

PFL - Dylan Amato Finalist

EIB - Drucker and Llados 2nd

EIP - Goodwin and Hartoch 3rd

IMCE - Hadley Swanson Finalist

PFN - Zach Horwitz 2nd

PMK - Nathaniel Wang 1st

STDM - Goodwin and Goodwin Finalist

FTDM - Masolo and Hartoch Finalist

ETDM - Drucker and Llados Finalist

BLTDM - Osenar and Barsic Finalist

Please come to Trivia Night at The Record Pub in Sellwood on Wednesday, March 18th. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Ida B Wells Model UN Club. With this fundraiser, we are hoping to raise money to help alleviate some of the costs for our students to go to the Model UN Conference at the University of Oregon in April.

The Record Pub

6034 SE Milwaukie Ave

Portland, OR

Seniors, don't miss your opportunity to apply for 6 unique IBW Scholarships.
APPLY HERE Deadline is April 10th!

Watch for our Spring Preview Coming Soon!

Get Your IBW Sports Button! Show your school spirit by purchasing a IBW sports button for just $5-- add up the amount of buttons needed and pay that x5 ! Once your button is ready, we’ll deliver it directly to your student to bring home or you can email ecaldwell@pps.net if you prefer to pick it up from our school. Purchase on SchoolPay Today https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/Photo-Buttons-w-IBW-Athlete-Photo/SeywSvE

Huge congratulations to our incredible Ida B. Wells snowboard team for qualifying for the 2026 State Championships across multiple events. Your hard work, dedication, and riding this season have paid off!

Hello Ida B. Wells Community,

The Ida B. Wells Booster Club is excited to invite you to the 2026 annual School Auction. Our auction will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. We hope you will join us to support our student community!

For those not familiar, the purpose of the Ida B. Wells Booster Club is to help student programs advance, foster community spirit and raise funds to complement the Ida B. Wells High School student body. Our Booster Club supports Athletics Teams, Organizations and Student Clubs by providing grant funds for critical needs not covered by the PPS budget. (Here’s a video of recent grants we have provided.) Booster Club Grants have paid for needs such as camps, conferences, specialized training, equipment, student scholarships, tournaments fees and much more. The auction is an avenue for IBW groups to raise funds thereby enriching the overall experience for Ida B. Wells students.

Our Booster Club is very excited to take it back to the Awesome 80s with the goal of raising at least $80,000 for groups and programs at IBW! We are looking forward to a successful auction with all of your support! On April 18, Let’s Go Crazy supporting student programs at Ida B Wells!

Tickets are now available to purchase for $75 per person or $150 per couple. You may also sponsor an IBWHS Teacher/Staff member by purchasing a staff ticket for $75. This is an adult-only event and includes dinner and drinks. Tickets can be purchased here. Get out your Aquanet and parachute pants, and be ready to raise some dough to help fund enrichment opportunities for IBW students!

Below is a FAQ to answer all questions you may have about this year’s event! It’s going to be a fantastic evening celebrating and raising funds for our community.

When and where is the auction? It is this Saturday April 18 at 530PM at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center.

How do I buy tickets? Tickets can be purchased here.

What are we raising money for? The Booster Club is hosting the auction and will have items in the auction to raise money for the club. All IBW athletics, clubs, programs and organizations are able to donate items to the auction, and the money goes directly to that group (less a small fee). So this event is your chance to support the groups that are important to you!

Will there be a paddle raise? Yes, we have a planned Paddle Raise for the Booster Club general fund. Our general fund will allow Boosters to continue funding grants for our groups - student clubs, sports teams, sports clubs and organizations.

What can I expect at this year’s auction? There will be a silent auction, a Buy Now board that you can buy gift cards for face value, a wine wall hosted by the PTA, a Wheel of Fortune game, Heads or Tails to support IBW Athletics and dancing!

What do I wear? We want you to be comfortable and have fun so there is no dress code however lots of people will be dressed in 1980s costumes. Think parachute pants, neon, big hair and leg warmers. No matter what you choose to wear, we just want to see you there supporting and raising money for our school!

Where will I sit? What if I don’t know anyone? This year there won’t be assigned table seating unless you prearrange a group with us. Come grab a drink, eat some great food, and mingle with other parents. I have a group of friends and want to sit with them! If your group buys 10 tickets, we are happy to reserve a table for you. Email auction@ibwboosterclub.org with the people you want at your table.

Will there be food and drinks? There will be light hors d'oeuvres, a dinner buffet and hosted bar included with the ticket price.

What is the parking situation? The MJCC has tons of free parking.

Can I sponsor a teacher, coach or staff to attend? Yes! We have a fund for teacher, staff and coaches to attend. Click here to support.

How can I get real time updates about the auction? Follow: Facebook and Instagram to get real time auctions updates!

If I can’t go to the auction, can I still donate to the fund? You can donate here.

Will there be an online auction this year? Yes! There will be an online auction after the auction open to everyone in our community.

Can I still donate something to the auction? Yes! We are accepting donations until April 1. Click here to donate.

Can students attend the auction? Unfortunately, no. Our annual Auction is intended to be an event for adult supporters of IBW.

Let’s go crazy raising money for IBW! Please email auction@ibwboosterclub.org if you have any questions.

Sara Gray, Realtor

Sarah Pitzman

City Thai

Garfinkle Orthodontics

URGENT: Concessions Volunteers Needed!

Spring sports are kicking off and we need volunteers to allow the concessions stands to open! Teams rely on these funds to pay for gear, admissions, training, etc - so keeping them open for as many events as possible is essential! Find a spot that works for you here: https://signup.com/go/ycboLia

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

FRED MEYERS REWARDS PROGRAM
Support our school by making 1% of your grocery dollars go toward the Ida B Wells PTA Follow this link to get signed up… https://www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards

OREGON PTA STUDENT 1K SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The Oregon PTA Teacher Education Scholarship is for Oregon residents studying for a degree in education at any Oregon public college or university. The scholarship is a one-time award of $1000 and is not renewable. Scholarship recipients may, however, re-apply in subsequent years. The application window opens on February 1, 2026, and closes on May 1, 2026 Scholarship winners will be carefully selected and notified by June 15, 2026. Oregon PTA will contact recipients via personal phone call, email, or regular mail shortly after the announcement. Additionally, we'll inform the counseling office of high school winners. A check for $1,000 will then be issued to the college or university indicated in the winner’s application before the start of classes in September. If the recipient does not proceed with their classes in September 2026, the awarded funds need to be returned to the Oregon PTA." https://www.oregonpta.org/programs/teacher-education-scholarship

For all the most recent Senior News, please refer to the Winter Edition of the Senior Newsletter https://app.smore.com/n/s32dw