DOLPHIN DIGEST 1/8/2026

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តើអ្នកត្រូវការបកប្រែទេ? ចុចលើតំណ "បកប្រែ" នៅផ្នែកខាងលើ។

ትርጉም ይፈልጋሉ? ከላይ ያለውን "መተርጎም" የሚለውን አገናኝ ጠቅ ያድርጉ.

We’re so glad to have you as part of our school community!

This weekly newsletter is developed and sent in partnership between school administration and the PTA. If you have information you'd like shared in the newsletter, please email it to ArletaSchoolPTA@gmail.com. Keep scrolling for the latest.

We acknowledge Portland rests on traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla and many other Tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River. #HonorNativeLand https://youtu.be/ETOhNzBsiKA

• TODAY JAN 8: BIPOC Family Gathering, 5:30-7pm, Arleta SUN room. (This is a date change.)

• JAN 9: Dine In Fundraiser at Fried Egg I’m in Love 7:30am-3pm, 3549 SE Hawthorne.

• JAN 12: SUN School Classes Begin (Jan 12- Mar 5).

• JAN 14: EARLY RELEASE 11:50am.

• JAN 19: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY, NO SCHOOL.

• JAN 26-27: NO SCHOOL.

• JAN 29-30: School Play Auditions, 5:30-7pm, school auditorium (students who are auditioning only need attend one of the audition evening).

• JAN 30: Arleta Family Movie Night, 5:30-8:30, cafeteria.

• FEB 3: Due date for Oregon PTA's "I Belong" Student Art Show. Students, PTAs, or communities can submit art electronically through this form, or please email office@oregonpta.org to contact us to submit physical artwork.

• FEB 9: Arleta PTA General Meeting, 6-7pm, school library.

• FEB 9: Rehearsals start for the Arleta School Play "The Excellent Adventure".

Arleta + District Monthly Calendar

English language PPS District Yearly Calendar

PPS District Calendar en Español 2025-26

PPS District Calendar Tiếng Việt 2025-26

Sign in to ParentSquare************ Sign in to Konstella************ Sign in to Parentvue

We have breakfast available for all Arleta students at no cost. Please join us!

The doors open at 7:45 and students eat in the cafeteria. Students are dismissed to class at 7:58 in order to be ready to learn at 8:00. Kindergarteners are walked to class by a staff member.

Remember, the cafeteria is supervised at 7:45, but no other areas on campus are. If you drop your student off for breakfast, please make sure they head directly to the cafeteria. Parents are welcome to hang out in the cafeteria while their students eat breakfast.

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful winter vacation with your family. Our staff had much shared excitement about welcoming students back to school and hope your students are enjoying the week. They look and sound like fantastic learners and community members in their classrooms!).

We began our schoolwide “Common Area Expectations” Rotations just past the bell, where each class reviews the specific ways to contribute to a just right, supportive learning environment in each of our “common areas”- playground, cafeteria, hallway, bathroom and classroom. Your children can demonstrate they know the expectations for each space! For example, Hallway: walk, look where you’re going, whisper voices, be careful of wall displays, stay with your class and teacher. Our goal is that students understand why, following these expectations matters. When students are aware of their voice levels as they travel past doorways in the halls, they show care for other students’ learning.

Ask your student how our school motto “I am because we are” is connected to the expectations in a common area. We looked at our motto on the back of our school t-shirts) and also, front and center at the top of our Arleta Family-Student-School Compact. (Many students expressed disbelief that they’ve ever signed our school compact so we’d love it if you can find a few minutes to click the link and refresh their memories!). Students considered what would be the connection between following school and classroom expectations, and collaborating with others? We’re each supported to do our best when our community does well, and our community does best when we each put forth our best effort through hard tasks (including seemingly simple things like not talking while walking in the hallway!).

Thank you for your great students, and for getting them to us on time and ready to learn! Our teachers are planning purposeful experiences and learning for every minute starting right at 8:00 when the tardy bell rings.

Warmly,

Lisa

Arleta has a small food pantry, clothes closet, and a variety of toiletries available for the use of any Arleta family. To set up an appointment to use the pantry or the closet, please email our SUN School Coordinator, Raina Bilbrew at rbilbrew@pps.net or raina.bilbrew@portlandoregon.gov or call or text her at 971-803-8986.

Arleta's bi-monthly BIPOC Family Gathering is back in the new year today, Thursday, January 8, 5:30-7pm, welcoming students, parents, and guardians. The group offers a safe space to talk, connect, and play. Come join us in the SUN Room, which is located in the main building past the gym. Dinner and kid activities will be provided.

Please RSVP and send any questions to Arleta's SUN Recreational Coordinator, Raina Bilbrew at rbilbrew@pps.net. Please let us know if you would like a translator.

Join us at Fried Egg I’m In Love—known for Portland's best breakfast sandwiches. Come eat well and support Arleta!

Friday, January 9 • 7:30am–3:00pm • 10% of all sales • 3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd

The Hawthorne location serves up crave-worthy breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and crispy hash brown patties—plus delicious coffee, mimosas, and Bloody Marys. Check out their menu here. See you there!

Enjoy the new year in community, and come to Arleta Movie Night, on Friday, January 30th! We're showing Disney's "The Princess and the Frog"! Inspired in part by E.D. Baker's book "The Frog Princess" follow Tiana as her dream of opening her own restaurant takes her on an adventure of mistaken identities, metamorphosis, and magic.

Doors open at 5:30 pm and the movie starts at 6 pm. Bring picnic chairs and blankets to set up in the cafeteria for your own comfort. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times during the movie night.

This year's Arleta School play is "The Excellent Adventure", an original Arleta musical production that's a fun take on "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure"! Enjoy history, '80s nostalgia, and chaos with the Arleta theatre troupe!

Sound like fun? Come audition for the play on January 29th and 30th, 5:30-7pm in the school auditorium. Click the button below for a pdf version of the audition form or pick up a paper copy in the school office next week!

Here are the important dates to know:

Audition Forms Available in Office: Jan 12

Auditions: Jan 29 & 30, 5:30-7pm (you need only attend one night).

Rehearsals: Feb 9 - May 13 (Mondays and Wednesdays).

Performances: May 14 & 15 (Mandatory)

Questions? Email arletatheaterclub@gmail.com!

Oregon PTA is excited to celebrate the art, identity, and belonging of all children and teens across Oregon. We invite K–12 students statewide to submit original artwork for a special exhibition at the 2026 Oregon PTA Convention, taking place in April 2026 in Clackamas.

Inspired by National PTA’s Reflections theme, “I Belong”, this exhibition will honor the power of creativity, student voice, and artistic expression.

We are looking for submissions from a diverse range of artists from K-12 schools that showcase the creativity of our students. Students can use a variety of art forms, such as visual arts, literature, photography, music composition, dance choreography, or film production, to reflect on any and all ways they feel a sense of belonging.

With this exhibition, Oregon PTA hopes to shine a light on how powerful and essential belonging is for all of us—especially for the children and teens growing up in today’s world.

Students, PTAs, or communities can submit art electronically through this form, or please contact us to submit physical artwork. Artwork should be submitted by February 3rd, 2026.

We also call on all PTAs and school communities to hold their own “I belong” art exhibition this year. Official Reflections posters from National PTA are available for pick-up at the Oregon PTA office in SE Portland (please email office@oregonpta.org to schedule an appointment). Digital resources are also available at https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections/startyourprogram.

If you are interested in helping us celebrate our artists or for any questions, please reach out to us at reflections@oregonpta.org.

Your art belongs, and so do you!

Rules

• Each entry must be the original work of a student at a school in Oregon.
• We recommend that artwork in various art forms stay within the parameters set by National PTA for the official Reflections program here.
• While we are aligning with the National PTA Reflections theme, Oregon PTA is currently not participating in the official National PTA Reflections contest.
• We intend to display a wide variety of submitted artwork; the final decision about the display of any art at the Oregon PTA convention is at the discretion of the Oregon PTA.
• Ownership in any submission shall remain the property of the entrant, but entry into this program constitutes entrant’s irrevocable permission and consent that PTA may display, copy, reproduce, enhance, print, sublicense, publish, distribute and create derivative works for PTA purposes. PTA is not responsible for lost or damaged entries.
• Submission of entry into the PTA Reflections program constitutes acceptance of all rules and conditions.

Hello everyone! Cold and Flu season is here. Please take a look at the Symptoms of Illness chart below, and remember to please keep sick students at home. Together we can help keep our community healthy.

Start off the year by retrieving your lost item!

For the week of December 15-19, we had 88% positive attendance (down from 90% the week before) and 165 tardies (up from 132 tardies the week before. .

Looking for some tips to help you get out of the door on time? Check back here each week for ideas.

This week's tips:

• Avoid electronics entirely for a more restful evening and a distraction-free morning.
• Talk about your child’s classroom routine: what happens first thing, how happy the teacher will be to see them.

• Don’t try to do “one more thing”; you’ve done enough!

Our sensory room at Arleta gets heavy use, which is wonderful! But some of the most helpful items have been loved...not exactly to bits, but they're on the way there without help! Ms. Ray is especially looking for someone to mend our big Joe and our tunnel (pictured below). If this is something you can do, please email the PTA at ArletaSchoolPTA@gmail.com!

We're seeking someone to organize our monthly litter pick-up in January and February. It only takes 30 minutes and usually happens on the second Thursday of the month. Please sign up on Konstella!

Litter pick-ups at the school are on pause while we search for a volunteer. Please consider taking the lead!

We are looking for volunteers each day to help monitor recess and lunch. This is a fun way to get to know the students and staff! It's not a long time commitment as you can volunteer for just your kiddos recess or lunch or at any that your schedule allows. See the lunch and recess breakdown below.

Can you commit to one day a week, or an occasional lunch time?

K-1 recess 10:50-11:00 lunch 11:05-11:20

2-3 recess 11:05-11:20 lunch 11:25-11:40

4-5 lunch 12:05-12:20 recess 12:20-12:35

Please check in with the office when you arrive for a badge and further instructions.

Volunteers need to have passed a PPS background check and be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Visit the PPS website to start your application and screening process. (Once approved, your application is good for three years).

Some stories refuse to stay bottled up…

When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni’s Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now they want it back. And when one of the tigers approaches Lily with a deal–return what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoni’s health–Lily is tempted to agree. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voice…and the courage to face a tiger.

Tae Keller, the award-winning author of The Science of Breakable Things, shares a sparkling tale about the power of stories and the magic of family.

Get The Book

• Click here to borrow the book, ebook, or audiobook from Multnomah County Library.
• Buy the book at Powell's Bookstore.
• Buy the book, ebook, or audiobook at Barnes and Noble.
• Purchase the book on Amazon.
• Preview the audiobook on YouTube.
• Read a review of the book in School Library Journal.
• Read a review of the book here.

Click here to borrow any OBOB book from Multnomah County Library, or you can order them from Powells Bookstore (OBOB books are now 20% off at Powell's)!

Would you like to recommend a book for next year's OBOB list? Submit your recommendation here now through February 20th. Click here to read their book recommendation criteria.

Arleta's OBOB finals are on Tuesday Mar 3, 2026 ⋅ 2:30pm – 4pm.

OBOB practices are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 2:30pm to 4:30pm starting Jan 13, through to Thursday Feb 19. OBOB will be run through SUN this year. All players need to be registered for the OBOB Tuesday/Thursday SUN session to be able to participate.

OBOB is also entirely volunteer-run, which means that we need caregiver volunteers to step in weekly to support the kids on their battle journeys. If you have the capacity to help, please immediately complete a background check through Portland Parks & Rec.

Each week we feature a poem from literature that you can share with your kids. Poems are quick ways to practice literacy and work like little packages of thoughts and feelings that explore the world in new ways.

Celebrate the new year with this poem by Robert Macfarlane, from the book The Lost Spells.

Spin world spin!

Swifts are here again,

shredding the sky

in their hooligan gangs;

those hand-brake turners,

those wheelie pullers,

those firers up of

the after-burners

so-

Whirl birds, whirl!

You havoc wreakers,

thrill seekers, you

gung-ho joy bringers,

spring harbingers,

you drifting, gliding

sleep on the wingers

so-

Imagine, now, imagine!

Just how far and fast

these Swifts have flown

to be here;

the deserts crossed,

non-stop, the seas

traversed, the mountain

ranges spanned,

so-

Fly, heart, fly!

Follow swifts on their

screaming tours to

flickers far out over ocean,

hunt a storm-cell's

shifting edge or pierce

a cloud's slow motion,

so-

Think, now, think!

If one year Swifts

did not appear:

the sky unriven,

rooftops silent, all

the watchers waiting,

hoping for a gift

that stays ungiven,

so-

Spin, world, spin and

send Swifts back

and back and back

to us again!

-Robert MacFarlane

Click here to learn more about swift murmuration watching in Portland, from the Bird Alliance of Oregon!

Celebrate coming back to school by making a cute penguin bookmark with your kid for all their school reading!

To make the bookmark you will ned: 15 cm x 15 cm black paper, scraps of white and orange paper, glue stick, black pen, and scissors.

Why are dogs like phones?

Because they have collar ID.

Click here to submit a joke to the Dolphin Digest.

One in six children in Oregon and SW Washington face food insecurity. Food insecurity can arise for anyone. Should you need a little help, or you want to give a little help, here is a list of nearby resources.

Search for food pantry by day and time open, using the Portland Free Food Calendar.

Urban Gleaners takes advantage of Oregon's bountiful harvests, making sure they don't go to waste, sharing food through a variety of free markets around the region. You can find those markets on their website. Find a location by clicking here.

St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 5415 SE Powell Blvd. Hours are on Fridays from 2-5pm and the entrance is in the rear of building. They use a lottery system to give out the initial entry numbers. Those who have arrived by 1:45 pm on Friday will be entered into the lottery. Those who arrive after 1:45pm will be given the next number available.

SVDP Our Lady of Sorrows, 5221 SE Knight street. Referral only. Call Portland Council for food box at 503-235-8431.

Groceries 4 Grout, 4028 SE 34th Ave. This food pantries is hosted every Friday at Kenilworth Presbyterian Church parking lot. The outdoor pantry is shopping-style, available to everyone and we invite people to bring their own bags. Call (503) 235-3977 with inquiries.

The Woodstock Food Pantry 4033 SE Woodstock, provides groceries on Fridays and Saturdays, between 12:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. to anyone who needs them. Drive-through or walk-up pantry. Cars – line up and stay in your car. Walkups – line up on the sidewalk.

The Francis Center 6535 SE 82nd provides food boxes Monday through Thursday from 10am -2pm. They ask that people gather one box per month, unless they're homeless, in which case, they can come once a week.

Kellogg Middle School Free Food Market, 3400 SE 69th Ave, is generally open on the 3rd Friday of every month (but they have added extra dates for November and December) and is open to the public (you do not have to have a student at Kellogg to attend). Please bring your own bag. The Kellogg pantry's next date is: Jan 16, 3:30-5pm. For more information, email info@kelloggmsptsa.org.

Lane Food Pantry, 7200 SE 60th, in the back parking lot, is open both to school families and the public, every Tuesday from 3:30-5pm, and offers 3-5 days worth of food, including fresh produce, to all comers. Please do not arrive more than 15 minutes early for the safety of the students. The pantry is run in partnership between the SUN program, the Latino Network, and the Oregon Food Bank.

The Equitable Giving Circle provides food boxes, compiled with Black farmers, for BIPOC people in our area and provides home delivery.

Portland Open Bible Community Food Pantry, 3223 SE 92nd Avenue Portland, has an open pantry on Tuesday 4pm-7pm and Thursday 10am-1pm except on federal holidays. Online ordering is open 24 hours per day / 7 days per week (click here to order food online). Walk in, call (503) 442-8228, or visit their website for more information.

PDX Free Fridge is a community based and informed mutual aid effort to increase access to free food and vital supplies by creating a network of independent fridges and pantries in Portland, OR. Go to their website to find a fridge or pantry near you! (Note: this map is out of date, and is currently being updaated.)

Milk Crate Kitchen delivers meals twice a month. To learn more, click here for the Milk Crate Kitchen website.

During these unprecedented times, some local restaurants are stepping in to fill the gap. Click here for a list of local restaurants providing SNAP meals.

To research more resources, go to the Oregon Food Bank Food Finder, Findhelp.org, or the Multnomah County Food Assistance page which has been updated to include resources for folks on SNAP not getting their SNAP payments. Multnomah Education Service District has a document with a list of resources for SNAP beneficiaries, translated into multople languages. To donate food, consider the Portland Food Project, which will pick up shelf-stable food from your home and deliver it to food pantries.

To see this list in a pdf with translations, click here.

Link to translated flyers on Canva.

Red Cards in English

Tarjetas Rojas Con Derechos De Los Imigrantes

移民权利红卡

Thẻ đỏ cho quyền của người nhập cư

ቀይ ካርዶች ለስደተኞች መብት

កាតក្រហមសម្រាប់សិទ្ធិជនអន្តោប្រវេសន៍

We're so lucky to live in a vibrantly active community. This section contains family-friendly events, mostly free or low-cost, that you can do with your kids to explore, learn, and create memories, as well as resources for a little help when you need it.

NOW - FEB 28: Registration open for SE Portland Little League.

NOW - JAN 24: Make Valentines For Seniors (at home or at an event).

NOW - JAN 30: Find Your Heart In Happy Valley Scavenger Hunt, various times and locations around Happy Valley.

JAN 9: Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities Lunch and Learn: Protect Eligibility for K Plan for Children with ASD Level 1, 12-12:30, Click here for zoom link.

JAN 10: Foster-Powell Neighborhood Association Community Gathering, 1-3pm, Holgate Library (Rm. 1A)

JAN 10: Tending Day at the Living Seed Library, 10am-3pm, 6745 SE 60th Ave.

JAN 10: Tolkien's Birthday Celebration at Kennedy School, various events 11am-7pm, 5736 NE 33rd Ave. Portland, OR, 97211.

JAN 10: Non-profit Kick-off Event for new local chapter of Children & Adults with ADHD (CHAAD) 2-4pm Expensify Building, 401 SW Fifth Ave.

JAN 12: Foster-Powell Neighborhood Association Meeting, 6:30--8:30pm, via Zoom. Zoom link. Passcode: 500305

JAN 13: 4th and 5th Grade Graphic Novel Club, 4pm-5pm, Holgate Library.

JAN 13: Read to the Dogs, 5:30-7:30pm, Holgate Library.

JAN 14: Knit Night at Starlight Knitting Society, 6pm-8pm, 7028 SE 52nd Ave.

JAN 14: Bookbinding for Beginners (Adults), 6:30-7pm, Holgate Library.

JAN 14: Lend and Mend Repair Cafe, 6-8pm, Green Lents Community Tool Library, 9215 SE Ramona St.

JAN 16: Lego Club, 3:30-4:30pm, Holgate Library.

Jan 16: Red Cross Blood Drive, 12pm-5pm, Woodstock Shopping Center, 4523 SE Woodstock.

JAN 16: Kellogg Middles School Free Food Market (all community members welcome), 3:30-5pm, 3400 SE 69th Ave.

JAN 16: Due date for Cognizant's 32 Annual Young Artists Debut submission for performing artists ages 8-18.

JAN 16 - MAR 2: OMSI Studio Ghibli Film Festival, various times, $9 for Adults, $8 for Seniors, and $7 for Youth

JAN 17: Read to Dogs at Holgate Library, 11am-1pm.

JAN 20: You Too, Can Craft! Crochet Hearts at Holgate Library, 3:30-5:30pm

JAN 20: Felted Acorns for Tweens at Holgate Library, 4pm-6pm.

JAN 20: Pop Up Card (Free Workshop), 5pm-7pm, collage, 3710 SE Division.

JAN 21: Metro Area Master Gardener Webinar: Fruit Tree Pruning, 12pm-1pm, online.

FEB 7: Portland Puzzle Exchange, 11 am-1 pm at Matt Dishman Community Center, 77 NE Knott Street.

ONGOING EVENTS AND RESOURCES:

• Find affordable music classes for your Arleta student at PPR on this website.
• NAMI Multnomah County Parent Support Group (virtual meetings), 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, 4pm-5:15. Click here to see the support groups on their website. Click here to sign up to receive notifications for the support group meetings.
• Arts for All $5 tickets for SNAP beneficiaries.
• Borrow a Cultural Pass from Multnomah County Library.
• Multnomah County Library Everbody Reads 2026, Supreme Court Justice Justice Ketanji Jackson.
• Portland Sidewalk Joy Map: View the map.

Valentines for Seniors 2026 is underway!

@positivechargepdx invites you to help spread love and kindness by creating handmade Valentine cards that will be distributed to local seniors through Meals on Wheels. There are several easy ways to participate:

• Join one of our special MLK Weekend card-making events (details on our website)
• Make Valentines at home and drop them off in advance at one of our community drop-off locations (listed on our website)
• Join our community card-making event on January 24 (1–3 PM)

Last year, our community created over 2,100 Valentines — and we’re hoping to do it again with your help!

Event details, drop-off locations, and card guidelines can be found here:

https://www.positivechargepdx.org/valentines2026

The hunt is on this week and it’s time to put your treasure-hunting skills to the test with a fun, winter adventure around Happy Valley! Each week, a glass heart (replica) will be hidden somewhere in the city: think parks, around local businesses, or other key points of interest.

Clues to its location will drop every Monday at 10am, starting January 5th, on Happy Valley Parks and Recreation social media channels and website.

Be the first to find the replica heart and bring it to City Hall to claim the real deal a one-of-a-kind, handmade glass heart created by local artist Sweet Lomy Art

Get ready to crack the clues, explore Happy Valley, and join in on the fun. Let the hunt begin!

For more info please visit: hv.city/treasure-hunt

Calling all Lord of the Ring lovers! Celebrate J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday at McMenamins Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd Ave. Portland, OR, 97211) this weekend.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English writer and poet who is best known for creating the magical world of Middle-earth.

On Saturday, January 10, head to the Northeast Portland’s historic school for a party fit for hobbits, elves and wizards alike. Activities are held throughout the day. See times for each one below.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday celebration features fun activities, movies, and food and drink specials. Costumes are welcome and encouraged.

Here are the activities planned for the 2026 event:

Watch the Trilogy

The Kennedy School Theater is showing the director’s cut of all three Hobbit movies.

Tickets are $8 per person. 50% of ticket sales go to the Oregon Food Bank.

Here are the showtimes:

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at noon
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug at 3:30 p.m.
• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies 7 p.m.

Costume Contest and Discovery Hunt

The Discovery Hunt invites you to go on an adventure to find the one ring from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In the gym, the costume contest is at 3 p.m.

Tolkien Trivia

Want to test your knowledge of Middle-earth? Stop by the gym for Tolkien Trivia at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. There are prizes for first and second place.

Click here to go to the event page.

The next Foster-Pwell Neighborhood Association Meeting is this Monday, January 12, from 6:30-8:30pm. General meetings are always the second Monday of the month from 6:30 – 8:30 PM with the exception of August. Check meeting notices for location. All neighbors are welcome at meetings. Anyone who lives, works, or owns property in Foster-Powell is considered a neighbor.

This month's agenda:

Presentation

Metro Councilor Duncan Hwang: District 6

• Councilor Hwang will discuss Metro’s role, District 6’s priorities and geographic area, and his work on the Metro Council, followed by Q&A.

Discussions and possible board actions

• Vote: Letter to support traffic calming @SE Foster Rd. & SE 54th Ave. (draft letter)

• Vote: Keep Firland Parkway Adopt a Landscape Agreement (contract)

• Vote: Budget allocations (shelter meals, printing, meeting space)

• Committee Reports

If you would like to have a topic added to the agenda for an upcoming meeting, please contact us at least two weeks prior. We publish the meeting agenda one week before and once the agenda is set there are no additions made.

Holgate Library's next Graphic Novel club is this Tuesday, January 13th from 4-5pm. Kids in grades 4-5 are invited to talk about graphic novels and eat snacks! Every meeting includes a short activity related to this month's book. A limited number of books are available for pick up at the library. Click here to see the event on their website.

Improve your reading skills and make a new friend by reading aloud to a therapy dog at Holgate Library, from 5:30-7:30pm on Tuesday January 13 and Saturday, January 17, 11am-1pm. For kids and teens. Call 503.988.5123 to register. The dogs and handlers are from Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Dove Lewis Portland Area Canine Therapy Teams, Paws for Love, and Pet Partners®.

Click here to see the event on the Holgate Library website.

In the heart of Portland’s vibrant Woodstock neighborhood lies a gem that beckons to creators, Starlight Knitting Society, 7028 SE 52nd Ave. Come together with fellow crafters during the shop’s Knit Night. Every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m., come together to craft, chat and connect. Team members Tim and Mckenzie create a welcoming environment for anyone who wants to join this free event.

Whether you’re looking for crafting advice or simply some good company, a new knitter or a seasoned pro, you’ll find it here. All crafts are welcome, so whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or something else entirely, you’ll feel right at home.

This haven for yarn enthusiasts offers more than just materials. It fosters a sense of belonging and camaraderie that transcends stitches and patterns.

Starlight Knitting Society is a gathering place where crafters from all walks of life come together to share their passion for crafting. The shop’s shelves are stocked with a an array of yarns, materials, tools and accessories.For more information, visit the shop’s website.

Lend & Mend Repair Cafes are now operating during open tool library hours (6pm-8pm) on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month. Drop in with clothing or other fabric items you would like to repair for FREE hands-on instruction and materials in creatively repairing holes, torn seams, and other common flaws in fiber goods by hand. Mending experts and novices are invited to drop in and join these repair party as supporting volunteers, as well.

This is not a drop-off repair service. Participants may expect to observe, learn and engage in the repairs.
​
Location
Green Lents Community Tool Library
9215 SE Ramona St. | Portland, OR 97266

Click here for the event website.

On Wed Jan 14, come to Holgate Library from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM. Learn basic techniques for bookbinding and create your own sketchbook or journal. Click here to register.

Our next, nearest Red Cross Blood Drive is on Friday, January 16th from noon-5pm at Woodstock Shopping Center, 4523 SE Woodstock Portland, OR 97206. Click here for the event on the Red Cross website.

Join us on Friday, January 16th from 3:30 to 4:30 at the Holgate Library for a fun and imaginative LEGO building session. We'll provide the building blocks, you bring the creativity! Ideal for grades K-5, but younger and older siblings are welcome.

You can learn how to crochet little hearts, at Holgate Library on Tuesday, January 20th, from 3:30-5pm. Turn them into pins to share with those you love or ones to whom you want to show your gratitude. The patterns use several crochet stitches but class will include instruction in those stitches. Materials will be provided but feel free to bring your own. Click here for the event website.

Click here to register.

Channel your inner squirrel and learn to make sweet little felted acorns out of wool at Holgate Library on Jan 20th from 4-6pm. We will be wet felting, so hands will get wet and soapy. With real acorn caps, these acorns can be strung into a garland, or tucked into a pocket for luck! Click here for the event!

This program is intended for patrons between 9-12. First come, first served.

The craft store, collage, 3701 SE Division street, hosts monthly, free crafting workshops. This month's craft is: Pop-Up Cards

Join them January 20th, from 5-7pm and create your own pop-up card! Due to limited space, crafting time may be limited to accommodate all participants.

Jan 21, 2026 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PST

FREE

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made by Jan 7, 2026 to Catalina Santamaria: catalina.santamaria@oregonstate.edu or 503-655-8631

“Let’s Grow Together” webinars are produced by 10-Minute University™, Clackamas County Master Gardener Association, with a focus on healthy plants, nutritious food, beauty, and biodiversity.

Fruit trees need pruning for healthy growth and consistent production. Young trees require careful monitoring and shaping to develop a strong framework. Mature trees need yearly pruning to stay productive. If your fruit trees do not produce a consistent crop every year or if you are not able to reach them safely to prune and harvest, this class can help. Learn proven practices that will boost your confidence and success.

This session demonstrates how to shape a young tree and the steps for pruning apple, pear, plum, cherry, apricot, peach, nectarine, persimmon and fig trees. The presentation is led by Sherry Sheng, an Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener and instructor with the award-winning 10-Minute University™ Program. Teaching gardening classes since 2006, she has produced numerous instructional videos available at https://cmastergardeners.org/10-minute-university/ Sherry brings both home and community garden experience to her engaging presentations.

This online seminar is free with advance registration. Can’t attend live? Register for the session, and you will get a recording link two days after the class.

*Counts as one hour metro area Master Gardener continuing garden education credit.

Do you love puzzles? Portland Puzzle Exchange hosts monthly events for you to meet fellow puzzle enthusiasts, swap ones you’ve finished and pick up new-to-you puzzles. This event takes place on the first Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Matt Dishman Community Center, 77 NE Knott St. in Portland.

Bring puzzles you’ve completed and exchange them for others. Once you’ve completed a puzzle, bring it back and exchange it again.

For first-time puzzles, the front table hosts will check them in. Returning puzzles can be dropped off directly onto any of the trading tables.

Organizers ask that puzzles missing pieces be donated or recycled.

For more information, visit Portland Puzzle Exchange’s website.

The Lunar New Year Dragon Dance Parade and Celebration is organized in collaboration with the Oregon Historical Society and numerous community partners. The festivities include lion dancers, drummers, and a 150-foot dragon to lead the parade from the Portland Chinatown Museum, through the China Gate and downtown Portland on SW Third Avenue, and up to the Oregon Historical Society for a joyous conclusion. The parade is on February 8th and begins at 10 am. Click here for event page.

Save the date: February 17, 2026

Lan Su is home to the most iconic Lunar New Year celebration in the Pacific Northwest! Explore the garden adorned with dazzling lantern sculptures from China and take part in interactive cultural activities that bring the celebration to life. It’s a must-see both day and night!

Take a self-guided tour of local creations using the PDX Sidewalk Joy Map. This map showcases fun, interactive neighborhood galleries, exchanges and displays.

The map has more than 100 community joy spots throughout the city. All of these projects created by homeowners exist to bring a bit of whimsy and inspiration to the community.

These displays are viewable from front yards, curbside gardens, alleyways, side yards and sides of buildings.

The map shows a description, image and the location of each display. There’s also Instagram handles so you can follow your favorite Joy Map creators.

All locations on the map are free to enjoy, but you may want to bring quarters for the Super Awesome Prizes vending machine or pay for a pottery piece at the Poetry Pottery Box. View the map.

Southeast Portland Little League (SEPLL) is a nonprofit dedicated to providing baseball and softball opportunities for youth ages 4-16 in a fun, inclusive environment. We welcome players of all skill levels and focus on skill development, teamwork, and fair play. Community is at the heart of SEPLL. By giving kids a place to learn, grow, and connect, we’re building a stronger community—on and off the field.

Registration is now open for Spring teams. Click here to learn more and to register!

The Multnomah County Library has cultural passes to allow free admission to select cultural institutions around Portland. To check out a cultural pass from the library and see the list of institution, please click the button below.

Anyone who gets food relief through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and has the Oregon Trail Card or Washington State Quest Card qualifies to purchase $5 tickets to theatre, arts, and culture events around Portland through the Arts for All program.

Arts For All envisions a community where everyone—regardless of financial resources—can experience and enjoy arts and culture.

Over a decade ago, Arts For All was founded by dedicated arts leaders to ensure Oregon Trail Card/SNAP recipients could access specific arts events for just $5 per ticket.

Click here to be taken to the Arts for All Website and to purchase tickets.

Everybody Reads is a community-wide project that promotes shared reading, discussion and creative engagement around a single book. This year's program pick is Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson' memoir Lovely One. Click here to reserve a copy of the book (libraries often also have copies for you to keep, so check your local library branch).

From January through March, join your community at libraries for events around the book. Attend programs about history, the law and civic engagement. Celebrate the themes of Lovely One with creative activities like musical performance and art-making. Click here to see a calendar of Everybody Reads events.

Click here to buy tickets to see Justice Jackson discuss her autobiography live with Literary Arts and ask her questions, on Thursday March 12 from 7:30-9:30pm, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (tickets $35-$85).

The nonprofit EmbraceRace has put together a list of helpful resources for growing violence affecting children in our community. They write:

"The truth is as adults and caregivers we can’t 100% guarantee safety for kids. But we can let them know with our words and actions that we will do everything we can to protect them and help them thrive. We can acknowledge hard realities and provide tools for resilience, healing and community. We can create, with kids, a positive vision of the world we want to live in and take steps to get there – running when we can, walking when we must."

Action Guides & Articles

• How to talk to kids after incidents of mass violence
  by Anatasia Kim, PhD

• 7 Ways to Highlight Resistance Efforts When Discussing Oppression with Children
  by Mia Birdsong

• Same/Same/Different: How to Build an Inclusive Kindergarten
  by Madeleine Rogin

Webinar Videos

• Managing Racial Stress and Teaching Kids to Do the Same
  with Drs. Riana Elyse Anderson and Shawn C.T. Jones

• Teaching and Learning About Race: Fantastic Practice in the Early Years
  with Victor Bradley and Verónica Reynoso

• Teaching and Learning About Race: Fantastic Practice in Late Elementary School
  with Drs. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn and Onnie Rogers

• Using Books to Engage Young Children in Talk about Race & Justice
  with Tandem, Partners in Early Learning

The PAC is a committee that reports to the PPS Board of Education, and makes a recommendation on how to spend privately fundraised dollars from The Fund for PPS’s Champion PPS Schools. Learn More at Strategic Partnerships / Parent Advisory Committee (PAC): Distribution of Donations for Staffing. Meetings will be online/virtual.

Here is the proposed meeting schedule:

2026 PAC Meeting Schedule (Proposed)

Wednesday, January 14

5:00-6:00 PM

Wednesday, February 11

5:00-6:00 PM

Wednesday, March 11

5:00-6:00 PM

Wednesday, April 8

5:00-6:00 PM

Wednesday, May 13

5:00-6:00 PM

Wednesday, June 10

5:00-6:00 PM

Thank you to those who have already applied, and you will hear from us soon; however, we still need more representatives. Please click on the appropriate link below and complete the brief application if you are interested in serving on this committee:

ADULT APPLICATION- Seeking one parent/caregiver from each of the following schools or the feeder schools to: Franklin, Lincoln, McDaniel and Roosevelt.

STUDENT APPLICATION- Seeking two high school student representatives.

The nonprofit organization The Fund for PPS has launched a campaign called Champion PPS Schools to make collective impact with fundraised dollars. In the 2025-26 school year Champion donated $930,000 across the district for high impact tutoring in grades K-3, math supports for grade 9, and food pantries in 20 PPS community schools.

Learn More in our 2024-2025 Annual Report posted at fundforpps.org!

We need people from each school community to act as liaisons -- points of contact -- to The Fund for PPS. We want to hear what's going on at your school and how to engage your school community. Join us to expand the network of "Champions" and help us build a districtwide community focused on improving the academic experience for our kids and expanding fundraising so Champion PPS Schools can continue to invest in our schools and students! Thank You!

Express Your Interest Here

The School Board meets regularly at the school district's Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center (Prophet Center), 501 N. Dixon Street, at 6:00 pm on select Tuesdays of each month - and on certain other occasions. Some scheduling changes do occur; if you plan to attend, please see below for the upcoming public meeting notices.

Under the provision of ORS 192.670 all meetings will be live-streamed at http://www.youtube.com/@ppsboardofeducation/live, except for those meetings that fall under the provisions set forth for executive sessions.

To subscribe to email notifications of public meeting notices, email kbradshaw@pps.net to request to be added to the email list. After an email address has been subscribed to the mailing list, a notice of a Public Meeting of the School Board will be sent before each scheduled meeting.

Anyone ages 5-18 can get care at any of our Student Health Centers. Young people can visit a Student Health Center even if they don't attend the school where it's located.

Vaccines play a crucial role in protecting our students from serious illnesses and help keep our community safe. Parents/ Guardians of students who are due to receive vaccines should receive a letter in the mail. Please check if your child’s vaccinations are current, including their recommended flu shot, and contact your medical provider or any of the resources listed below.

Multnomah County Student Health Centers

OHSU Wellness Center

Multnomah County Vaccination Clinic (English)

Clínica Comunitaria de Vacunación Gratuita (Spanish)

Visitors, adult staff and partners working at a Portland Public School can purchase school meals. Click here to purchase a meal.

Email Lisa Hugelier lisa.hugelier@gmail.com with questions.

Email: ArletaSchoolPTA@gmail.com
Website: arletapta.org
Location: 5109 SE 66th Avenue
Phone: 503-916-6330
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArletaElementaryK5

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arletaelementaryK5/

PPS District policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. BP 1.801.020. Not all outside groups comply with the District’s non-discrimination policy. Families are strongly encouraged to review all materials closely.