Duniway Dispatch

• October 9: Schools Closed - Statewide Inservice Day
• October 12-16: Book Fair, 2:30-5:30 pm
• October 15: Duniway Community Read, The Gift of Failure, 6:30 pm
• October 15: Sellwood Middle School PTA Meeting, 7-8 pm
• October 16: Principal's Coffee, 8 a.m. in the Cafeteria
• October 19: Dining for Duniway at The Last Rodeo
• October 21: Early Release Day, 11:50 a.m. dismissal
• October 22: Picture Retakes, 8:15-9:15 a.m.
• October 23: Principal's Coffee , 8 a.m. in the Cafeteria
• October 28: Duniway s'BOOktacular Night - 6:00-7:30 pm
• October 29-30: Schools Closed - Grading and Planning Days

PPS District Calendar 2026-27

Hello Families,

I hope you are all well today. Today is a Thursday that feels like a Friday as we are on the verge of a three day weekend. I know this has been an emotional week for us all in our Duniway and greater Portland community. If you were not able to access the materials regarding the PPS Rightsizing Proposals, here a link to a summary of the presentation to the School Board: PPS Rightsizing Proposals and here is a link to the PPS Rightsizing website: PPS Rightsizing Website.

The news of the proposals for school closures and reconfigurations has affected us all and the inclusion of Sellwood Middle School on the list for proposed closures was a big surprise for our community. Our 5th grade students arrived at school on Tuesday morning anxious and concerned and had a lot of questions about the proposal and the various pathways forward. Our teachers and staff have done a great job processing this news with our students and maintaining a positive learning environment in their classrooms and throughout the school.

We have also talked as a staff about the possibility that our school will grow next year to include the students from Lewis Elementary as our school boundary would change. If this boundary change is approved, we know that growing our school community will be a challenge and we feel confident in our ability to adapt and integrate and welcome these new students and families into our community. As you know, I am holding a special Principal’s Coffee next Friday, October 16 to allow us to gather as a community to discuss the Rightsizing proposals and I hope you will be able to join. I will be joined by members of the PTA Advocacy Committee who can help facilitate conversations regarding advocacy about the proposals. To help us prepare for our discussion, you are invited to submit your questions and concerns about and hopes for the Rightsizing proposals via this google form.

I hope you all enjoy a restful three day weekend and I look forward to seeing you next Monday back at Duniway.

Sincerely,

John Melvin

The Fall Scholastic Book Fair runs Monday, October 12th through Friday, October 16th - every day in the library from 2:30PM-5:30PM.

There will be a special shop time to shop for students who ride the bus on Wednesday, October 14th from 1:15-2:15PM.

• Please swing by with your kiddo to check out all the amazing books. All proceeds from the Book Fair go directly back to Duniway.
• There are a few more volunteer shifts available. It's a great one to volunteer with your kiddo, Book Fair Volunteer Shifts.

If this week's news from PPS has left you feeling unsettled, you are not alone.

What's proposed for Duniway:

• Duniway stays open in both scenarios.

• Sellwood Middle School would close in both, changing where our kids go for middle school.

• Under Scenario A, Lewis families would join Duniway, and homes south of SE Tacoma St would move to Llewellyn. Under Scenario B, our boundary stays the same.

Nothing has been decided. The board is expected to vote in December. Share your feedback by the end of November at pps.net/rightsize-scenario-survey.

There is no right way to feel about this. Grief, worry, anger, and opposition to closures altogether all belong in the conversation. Deferring the decision is one of the district's three options, so if that is where you land, say so.

Not sure what to write? Tell the district what you value about your school, what worries you most, and what you would need to feel confident in any change. Personal stories carry the most weight.

Join us at two upcoming principal coffees:

• Friday, October 16 at 8am: Rightsizing with Principal Melvin. Come share your questions, concerns, and hopes for how Duniway handles whatever changes come.

• Friday, October 23: Funding Our Schools with State Representative Mark Gamba and City Councilor Mitch Green. Ask Rep. Gamba how families can help secure stable, adequate school funding in the 2027 legislative session, so districts like ours aren't forced into closures. Ask Councilor Green how the city can help keep kids' routes to school safe and help families with children afford to stay in Portland as school boundaries change.

We are in this together, with our neighbors and with school communities across the district.

In solidarity with our children and our schools,

Your Duniway Advocacy Committee

Due to the potential of Sellwood Middle School closing, the PTA will be holding their General Meeting on Thursday October 15th in-person at the school gym from 7pm- 8pm.

Principle Carbone will be there to talk and answer questions. There will also be a PTA and parent led discussion about future advocacy for our school.

All community members are welcome to join.

Each feeder school into Sellwood has been invited to attend. We are stronger when we show up as a united front.

As of October 5th, 2026, you will be unable to navigate ParentVue (view attendance, report cards, etc.) until you submit your 2026-27 Yearly Verification. If your Yearly Verification has not been successfully submitted, a pop-up window will appear when you log-in, prompting you to complete the verification.

Please keep in mind that while each parent/guardian with a ParentVue account can fill out a Yearly Verification, only one Yearly Verification can be in process at a time. We recommend coordinating the time you fill out your Yearly Verifications to allow each parent/guardian to complete the Yearly Verification.

We greatly appreciate your taking the time to update student information, particularly any emergency contacts, health conditions, and communication preferences, so that we can best support you and your students.

Are you interested in acting? Do you love working behind the scenes to make magic happen on stage? Consider being a part of our upcoming Spring musical production of Charlotte’s Web!

There is a place for everyone in this spectacular show, and you don’t need to have your exact role figured out just yet.

🌟 For Our Students:

• Backstage Crew: Open to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders who want to build sets, manage props, and run the show behind the scenes.
• Acting Team: Open to 4th and 5th graders ready to take the stage and perform.

🎭 For Our Parents & Adults:
A production this magical takes a village! We need a dedicated team of adult volunteers to make this show a success. This year, we are especially looking for adults to help promote and market the show to our community, alongside our usual backstage volunteer roles.

Click Here to Access the Student & Parent Sign-Up Form!

👉 Questions? Please reach out to Lisa Adams at ladams1@pps.net. We can't wait to create something amazing together!

Sign-ups are LIVE for October! 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.

• October Lunch Duty

• October Recess Duty

Join fellow Duniway parents, neighbors, teachers, and community members for a small-group adult discussion about The Gift of Failure - How the best parents let go so their children can succeed by Jessica Lahey on October 15th from 6:30–8:00 PM.

• RSVP required due to space and childcare limitations
• Open to all community members!

Cleveland Boys Recreational teams are organized through the community non-profit program, Cleveland Youth Basketball. Registration is first come, first serve and space is limited. Volunteer coaches are needed.

For complete details and registration go to the Cleveland Basketball Youth Program website. Questions? Email info@cleveland-warriors.com

GO WARRIORS!!