Peninsula Family Post
February 20, 2025
🎶✨ Peninsula Arts & Music Show ✨🎨
K-2 Music & Art Show
Tuesday, March 17
5:30 – 7:00 PM
Grades K-2 will be performing a variety of songs for your enjoyment! They have worked hard preparing for this special Arts Event, and they can’t wait to share their talents with you. We hope to see you there!
3-5 Music & Art Show
Tuesday, May 12
5:30 – 7:00 PM
Grades 3-5 will share their creative art and musical performances. A night full of Art, Music & Community Harmony!
Where: Peninsula Elementary School Cafeteria & Hallway
Who: Parents, guardians, family & friends
Come cheer on our amazing students!
Hosted by Kirsten Slane, Patrick Nearing & Peninsula Students
Online Auction- March 1-8
This auction was built for caregivers who are well-intentioned, slightly overwhelmed, and juggling approximately 47 things at once. Every item is generously donated by our community, and every dollar raised goes directly to supporting Peninsula Elementary PTA. So while you’re bidding on fun outings, helpful services, or something wonderfully random, you’re also supporting helping hands, events that bring people together, and sustainability. That’s multitasking at its finest.
No volunteering shift required. No baking. No folding chairs. Just a few taps on your phone.
The auction will be March 1 through 8th at 8 pm! You will receive an email with the auction link. Feel free to forward the link to a friend, post it on social media, or remind your parent buddies in the group chat. We’re all in this together.
As you bid, you’ll see an optional line to support the auction software. You’re welcome to enter $0 if you prefer. The platform doesn’t charge the PTA fees—this is simply how they keep their lights on.
Thank you for showing up in the ways you can. We see you. We appreciate you. We hope you win something delightful.
February 25th PTA Community Meeting
Our next community meeting is Wednesday, February 25th from 6-7:30 in the Peninsula School Library. Mark your calendars. Childcare, tea and sweets are provided.
There is a link on our website to attend virtually. See you there!
Depave Earth Day Event- April 18th
Join the Green Team and Depave for a community depaving Earth Day event at Peninsula Elementary School on Saturday, April 18th from 10am- 2pm. Volunteers will be helping to pry up asphalt outside of the Kindergarten classrooms to make way for a Green Schoolyard. You’ll be using pry bars and moving sections with hand carts and wheelbarrows. All ages and abilities can participate in depaving and lighter duty options will be available! These community events include instruction and training for best practices around safety and tool use. Snacks, coffee, and lunch included.
If you expect to participate in the Depaving activity please RSVP here for more information and to sign the Depave waver! The Peninsula Green team will have other activity options around the garden and playground. Bring the family- see you there!
Seed Swap + Garden Love!
We’ll have a Seed Swap table at the February PTA Community Meeting! Bring your extra seeds and take home something new to grow. It’s a simple, sustainable way to share abundance and grow garden enthusiasm.
We’re also collecting seed donations for the Peninsula School Garden. Our Garden Coordinator is especially looking for radishes, leafy greens, peas, beans, carrots, cucumbers, and a variety of flowers. Your donations can be brought to the February PTA community meeting, or left at the Peninsula School office (care of Anna Hawking) anytime during school hours.
Let’s keep our school garden flourishing—where we’re planning a Community Care Day to prep the garden for students Saturday, March 14th, 9-11 am.
Last Chance! ACT NOW Reforms to Fund Oregon Public Schools
PPS has released some of the preliminary implications for the 50 million projected budget shortfall for 26/27. The shortfall is due to rising costs, declining enrollment, and state education funding continuing to fall short of what it costs to operate schools. The state legislative session is short, from Feb 2- March 9th. Now is the time to communicate with your representatives about funding for Public Schools!
There is an Education Lobby Day planned for February 23rd. Or you can advocate from your computer by sending the following emails to State Representatives
You can copy/paste Oregon PTA funding advocacy recommendations.
If you live in Kenton your representatives are:
Senator Lew Frederick, Sen.LewFrederick@oregonlegislature.gov
Representative Travis Nelson, Rep.TravisNelson@oregonlegislature.gov
Subject: Constituent Request: Support Revenue Reforms to Fund Oregon Public Schools
Dear [Senator Frederick/ Representative Nelson],
My name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent living in North Portland. I am writing to urge you to publicly and actively support revenue reforms in the upcoming legislative session.
I am a parent of children in Oregon public schools, and I am deeply frustrated that our schools continue to be underfunded year after year. Oregon’s outdated revenue system is failing to provide students with the education they deserve, and classrooms across the state are already stretched beyond their limits.
During this session, I urge you to support the following efforts in Salem, each of which represents an important approach to generating and stabilizing revenue for public education:
Approve the use of reserve funds, specifically the Education Stability Fund and Corporate Activity Tax, to avoid catastrophic midyear cuts that directly harm students. Please do not support any further reductions to public education—our classrooms cannot absorb them.
Support Representative Gamba’s Revenue Forecast Modernization Act, which would reform the “kicker” rebate so excess revenue does not disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Oregonians, and instead can be reinvested in priorities like public education.
Advocate for decoupling Oregon’s tax code from the federal tax code. Oregon’s tax rates currently mirror federal rates by law, even as federal tax policy increasingly concentrates wealth among a few. Oregon must chart its own course to better care for Oregonians.
Strongly oppose SB 1555 (QEM Revision). While the Quality Education Model has flaws, SB 1555 would replace it with a system dependent on contracts awarded at the discretion of an unelected administrator, with limited public oversight. It would narrow learning goals, emphasize restrictive metrics and assessments, and lay the groundwork for limiting school funding. This is not the direction our schools need.
Thank you for your service to our state and for considering the needs of families in your district. The Peninsula Elementary School community would welcome a visit from you and your staff to discuss the realities our school community is facing.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
North Portland (97217)
XXX-XXX-XXXX
Join the Peninsula PTA Board!
Our school is stronger because of staff and families who care deeply about it, and we know many of you have ideas and hopes for how our community can continue to grow. As we plan for the coming school year, the PTA will have four open board positions, and we warmly invite staff and caregivers to consider getting involved.
We are currently seeking volunteers for the following roles:
President (an especially important role in helping guide the PTA’s vision and support collaboration)
Secretary
Co-Treasurer
Co-Inclusion Officer
Serving on the PTA board is about working together to support our students and school community. No prior experience is needed, support is provided, and new voices and perspectives are truly welcome.
If you’re interested, know someone else who is (or might be!) or just curious to learn more, please reach out to the nominating committee at inclusion1@peninsulaPTA.org. Even a small amount of involvement can make a meaningful difference.
