Author: Sarah Centerwall

The leaves are turning and falling. Crisp morning air turns to warm sunny afternoons and then to cold and rain. And school days at SES are in full swing. The halls have been filled with rumblings of the Harvest Fair and the sound of singing for the upcoming musical. Field studies this Fall have been a huge hit with everything from mushroom foragingto ocean clean-ups. As we head into the colder months, field studies will wind down and other activities will ramp up. Some things to look forward to in November are Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, The Public School Funding Teach-In and the PDC performance of James and the Giant Peach.

Ruby Bridges Walk To School Day

November 14th is Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. All PPS schools honor Ruby Bridges and the civil rights movement by taking this day to encourage students and families to walk to school in solidarity with Ruby and to celebrate her courage. Why the 14th? This is the day that Ruby Bridges became one of the first students of color to attend an integrated school back in 1960. Her walk into William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans was a momentous day for the Civil Rights cause.

Public School Funding History Teach-in on November 6

Whether you are a Sunnyside parent, family member of a student, or someone who is interested in public school funding this will be an interesting opportunity. Public school funding is a complex issue that has also undergone many changes in recent years that have had a big impact on our schools.

The Teach-In, which is a collaborative event put on by the Advocacy Committee of SES’s PTSA and the Community and Parents for Public Schools, will be at Sunnyside School on the evening of Thursday, November 6th from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

The organizers want to provide parents, caregivers, and community members a chance to learn about the history of public school funding in Portland and Oregon, and to learn about avenues to get more active in supporting our schools. They would love to hear community concerns and for you to participate in the conversation.

Portland Drama Club (PDC) Presents James and the Giant Peach

Love a good musical? Join us for a rendition of James and the Giant Peach put on by SES students grades 5-8 and directed by the PDC. Students have been dancing, singing, memorizing, preparing and rehearsing since September and are ready to put on a fantastic show. These fun musicals never disappoint. You can buy tickets on the PTSA Facebook page (SESPTSA) or the SES PTSA Instagram page (@ses_ptsa). If you can, buy tickets in advance because seats sell out fast. But for you procrastinators or last minute joiners, there are usually at least a couple of tickets available at the door if you get there early.

Where: SES Auditorium
When: November 14th and 15th
Cost: $10.00 (Tickets on Facebook, Instagram, or at the door.)

Willamette Valley Pie Company Fundraiser Pick-Up

If you ordered a pie or fruit during the Fall Fruit and Pie Fundraiser you can pick your order up at SES on November 12th between 3-5 p.m. out on the black top.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the Harvest Fair. As always it was filled with Fall fun and smiling faces. It is always such a special way to bring the community together to celebrate this bountiful time of the year and the hard work of our students.

Have questions about SES? Email [email protected] and maybe I’ll answer them in a future column!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Harvest Fair. We loved celebrating autumn with you and hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of our school.

¿Por Qué No? fundraiser

¿Por Qué No?’s Hawthorne location has kindly agreed to donate 10% of its November 6th sales to the SES PTSA! This money will be used to support SES’s garden, music, and field studies programs. ¿Por Qué No? was recently chosen as both the Best Taco and Best Mexican restaurant in Willamette Week’s 2024 Reader’s Poll, and I can personally attest to how good their food is. For anyone like me who can’t eat gluten, they have a large number of gluten-free options, their staff is very knowledgeable about cross-contamination, and they will take a variety of safety precautions if you tell them your meal can’t have any contact with gluten. Swing by for some delicious Mexican food on November 6th to support!

Alice in Wonderland

Come support our young thespians! Please join us for SES’s musical production of Alice in Wonderland on November 15th and 16th. Under the direction of the Portland Drama Club, a cast of SES 5th-8th graders have been rehearsing after school for three months to put on a show you won’t forget. Each performance is 60 minutes and includes singing and dancing with lovely costumes and sets. All performances will be held at SES’s auditorium, which may be accessed from the front of the school at 3421 SE Salmon St. Shows are at 6:30 p.m. on November 15th  and  2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on November 16th. To buy tickets ($10), go to our Facebook page (SES PTSA) or our Instagram profile (@ses_ptsa.) 

Fruit Box and Pie Pickups

If you bought a fruit box or a pie for one of our fundraisers, please remember to pick them up at school on November 8th between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. (fruit) and November 13th between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. (pies).

What is a focus option school?

A reader asked to learn more about what it means to be a focus option school. In the Portland Public School District (“PPS” or “District”), focus option schools are those that provide separate district-recognized programs structured around a unique curriculum or particular theme. SES’s theme is its environmental curriculum. One of the things that makes it possible for SES to provide these unique educational opportunities is the curriculum waiver it receives from the District. PPS has a standard “base” curriculum that includes benchmarks for students at each grade level, as well as standard materials for teachers to use to help students reach those benchmarks. Focus option schools must meet those same benchmarks, but they are allowed to use different methods for doing so than non-focus option schools. So instead of using a district-adopted textbook to teach about natural science, SES may, for example, teach about ecology by bringing students to different natural environments to learn about ecological systems in person. These experiences provide a canvas upon which elements of history, environmental education, scientific and biological relationships, culture, mathematics, economy, literature, and art are used to help children authentically make meaning of the world around them.

Donations needed

As an underfunded public school, we find ourselves perpetually in need of a variety of things. If you happen to have any of these items to donate, we would greatly appreciate it! Please reach out to [email protected].

• Nutrition Services is looking for regular dining spoons.

• A Special Education teacher could use a computer monitor for her office.

• Our fourth graders need an aquarium suitable for salmon eggs.

• All grades need noise-blocking headphones as well as fidget toys (that 
  don’t make sound.)

Have questions about SES? Email [email protected] and maybe I’ll answer them in a future column!