Duniway Dispatch

September 7: Labor Day - No School

September 8: PTA General Meeting, 7 pm, Duniway Library

September 14: Fall Session for After School Classes Start

September 16: Early Release Day - all students dismissed at 11:50 a.m.

September 17-18: Picture Days

September 24: Duniway Back to School Night, 6-7:30 p.m.

September 25: The Duniway Open Golf Tournament

October 2: Fund Run

PPS District Calendar 2026-27

Hello Families,

Happy Friday and I hope you all have had a good week. This was an exciting week for us at Duniway as we had our first full week of this school year. Kindergarten classes had their first official day of school as a whole class on Monday and students throughout the school were settling into their classes. It was nice to have some rain later this week to cool things down and to provide some needed refreshment to our lawns and gardens. This certainly was a signal that the season is changing and Fall is around the corner. It was great to see all of the students and families turn out for our first Bike Bus of the school year despite the wet conditions!

I want to thank everyone who attended our first Principal's Coffee this morning and heard from our special guests PPS Board Chair Eddie Wang and Superintendent Chief of Staff Deborah Kafoury. We learned a lot about the current process of rightsizing schools and we had a very informative and lively question and answer session. For those of you who are interested, I have linked the powerpoint presentation that was referenced during their discussion. I want to send a big shout out to our PTA Advocacy Committee for organizing this visit. Also, please mark your calendars for our Principal's Coffee next month, October 23, when we will be hosting State Representative Mark Gamba and Portland City Council Member Mitch Green.

I hope you all have a nice three day weekend and I will see you all back at school next Tuesday, September 8.

Sincerely,

John Melvin

• dogs must be tightly/closely leashed, and

• dogs do not block or impede the path of students and other family members who are coming and going from classrooms and school entrances/exits.

If you are bringing a dog to school, please keep in mind that some children and adults are not comfortable around dogs and be mindful of those who want to keep their distance.

Also, as per existing policy, dogs are not allowed on school grounds when school is in session. Thank you for following this policy to ensure we have a safe school for all.

• Closed-toe tennis shoes are required every day.

• Bring a helmet: School helmets are provided, but students are encouraged to bring their own from home for health and proper fit.

• Volunteers & Permission Slips: Look out for volunteer sign-up sheets (and 4th-5th grade field trip permission slips, due Sept 16th) coming home soon!

Thank you for your support and warm welcome this year!

Ms. Meghan

Fall registration for After School Classes is open thru this weekend. Lots of great options for kids to continue to learn and explore. Please follow the link below to be directed to the proper outlet to register (or get further information on the program offered). Please utilize the link to learn more on Konstella After School Class Registration

All student portraits will be on a private password protected site online for convenient viewing and ordering. If you do not want your student’s photos online you must e-mail Holland Studios at info@hollandstudios.com your request by 3:00pm on September 14th . Include your student’s name, grade, and school.

When the photos are ready for viewing, we will send an email out with the sign in, password, and the packages. You will order online and they will be delivered to your home.

Please feel free to contact the studio with any questions.

Thank you,

Holland Studios

503.238.5957

info@hollandstudios.com

www.hollandstudios.com

From 7:15-7:45 a.m. on both Thursday and Friday, September 17 and 18, the photographers will be available to take sibling photos on a first come, first served basis. We appreciate your patience as we pilot this option for families. Be aware that there may be a wait and mindful of others that may be waiting behind you.

All portraits will be on the private password protected site online for convenient viewing and ordering. When the photos are ready for viewing, we will send an email out with the sign in, password, and the packages. You will order online and they will be delivered to your home.

• Kick off the school year by attending the first general PTA meeting on Tuesday 9/8 at 7pm in the library
• Hear directly from Dr. Melvin and staff on how the start of the school year is going
• Recap of the Right-Sizing conversation
• PTA updates and how to get involved

Check out our Instagram account and follow along to get live updates!

See @duniwaypta's profile on Instagram: Duniway PTA Instagram Account

Learn more about when to keep your child home from school on the School Health Services Website.

The Duniway Educational Foundation is proud to partner with our teachers and dedicated community members to kick off year 2 of our volunteer support program that meets the specific instructional needs of our classrooms. With Foundation funding, we’ll provide specialized training for volunteers, enabling them to confidently and effectively assist teachers during instructional blocks, thereby helping every Duniway student reach their full potential.

This program depends on you, our dedicated parents, caregivers, and community members. If you can commit just an hour or more a week, you can make a real difference. Volunteers will be paired with a grade level that aligns with their interests and skills, and will receive training to lead small groups and support key classroom learning goals. This volunteer position is not about working with your child's classroom, but rather about connecting our community with classrooms based on skill sets and needs. You are signing up to help the broader Duniway community.

Together, we can ensure our teachers have the support they need and our students have every opportunity to thrive.

Interested? Please take this survey by September 11th so we can plan and work with teachers on their needs for this school year.

Sign-ups are LIVE for September It's a great opportunity to see the kids and school in action! Please consider signing-up and supporting the staff. Check out Konstella to learn more.

• September Lunch Duty
• September Recess Duty

We are continuing the Duniway tradition of having families donate funds to the school to allow for our staff to purchase the required supplies for the entire school year, rather than students bringing their own supplies. We are recommending a $50 per student school supply donation. If you are able, there is also an option to sponsor another student.

Please click SCHOOL SUPPLY FEE to pay your 2026-27 school supply donation(s).

If you would rather pay with cash or check (made payable to Duniway PTA), you can bring it to the office by ringing the buzzer by the main entrance on SE Reed College Place on school days between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

If you haven't done so already, please join our community on Konstella. Konstella is a platform provided to us by the PTA to help connect parents, volunteer for school activities, and keep up to date on community events and activities. Link to Join Konstella.

Oregon's schools have to do a lot with too little, and our kids pay the price. The Duniway PTA Advocacy Committee works on that from both ends, making sure every family can take part in school life here and that the people funding our schools hear what's actually happening in them. This year we've broken the work into roles so nobody has to do it alone, most just a few hours a week, and nobody here started out knowing how any of this works. Roles and sign-ups are on Konstella, or email Margaret at lilbigstuff@gmail.com or Tracy at tlgluckman@gmail.com and tell us what sounds fun and how much time you have.

Join the greater Duniway community on Friday, September 25th at 9am for a round of golf raising funds for the Duniway PTA. You don't want to miss out on this epic event full of prizes, competition, drinks from local sponsors, and memories in the making!

• Your registration includes 18 holes of golf, range balls, golf cart, lunch, drink ticket, and a commemorative hat
  
  
• Prizes for contests (KPs, Long Drive, Straight Drive, Long Putt, Best Dressed Team) and division winners (gross, net, ladies, co-ed, alumni, senior)
  
  
• Parents, grandparents, neighbors, alumni, and supporters of Duniway are welcome!
  
  
• More information and FAQs at www.duniwayopen.com
  

Thank you to the generous sponsors of The 2026 Duniway Open for supporting the Duniway Elementary PTA:

GoSports, Oregon City Subaru, Sebastiano's, PDX Sliders, Ate-Oh-Ate, Green Drop Garage, Trico General Contractors, Unitus Community Credit Union, EC Electric, Heiberg Garbage & Recycling, Portland Family Dentistry, Martin Haugh Financial, Westmoreland Ace Hardware, Country Financial-Scott Bennett, Moreland Neighborhood Dental, Zenbu Lounge, Proper Pint, Headwaters Automation, Scott Brennan-State Farm, CertaPro Painters of Portland, Moving Forward Staying Present, Prema Yoga, Smitty's Taphouse, NW Golf Guys, Pure Green Juice Bar, AllRight Beer, Brew Dr. Kombucha

This year, Duniway’s Annual Fund Run will take place in early October, giving our students the chance to kick off the school year by running, jogging, and walking to support Duniway. We’ll also be bringing back the Duniway Parent Classic for its third year, inviting parents and caregivers to join us for a run/jog at the end of the day. Stay tuned for more details on how to donate, rally friends and family to make pledges, and volunteer. We're looking forward to cheering our Dragons on for this yearly tradition that plays a critical role in fundraising for Duniway.

This special edition includes information on:

• Key Dates
• School Supplies
• Daily Schedule
• Arrival and Dismissal Map
• School Bus Action Item
• Early Release Dates
• Reporting Absences, Late Arrivals, Early Pickups, and Changes to Dismissal Plans
• Communication Methods at Duniway
• Tips on Clothing and Belongings
• ParentVue and Yearly Verification
• Volunteering at Duniway
• Personal Electronic Device Policy
• Nutrition Services at Duniway
• Handy Links