Ockley Green Middle School

November 15, 2017
Hello Ockley Green Families and Community,

It’s hard to believe we are halfway through November! Last week we had an incredible turnout at Parent/Teacher conferences. Thank you to all the families who were present to connect with their student’s teachers. This week we have five full days of school followed by another shorter week next week because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Then we will return with three weeks of school up to Winter Break.

Thank you to all the parents and families who participated in the listening sessions with the Middle School Planning Principals. Your feedback is valuable and important to their process moving forward to plan for new middle schools as well as to our ongoing work here at Ockley Green. We recognize that there are challenges and concerns. In order to ensure that all of our students are high achieving and reaching their full potential, we know we have work to do. Here is what we have in place to address these challenges:

SCHOOL CLIMATE
Tracey Briggs, our School Climate Specialist, supports school wide classroom behavior by using Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) as supported by Portland Public Schools. Adding to the work we’ve done all year, we will continue with several weeks of professional development planned for the upcoming weeks to review specific in-class routines and structures that will better support our students to be engaged, on task, and successful with their learning.

As a school wide positive incentive to motivate students, we currently have weekly PRIDE drawings on Thursdays where students can win prizes, tech time, popsicle parties with friends or have lunch with the principals. We will soon open a student store stocked with student favorites they can purchase, using PRIDE slips. Students can earn PRIDE slips from any staff member for demonstrating school PRIDE expectations.

Our Restorative Justice Coordinator, Keela Tillery, works with teachers to utilize the many aspects of classroom circles to help us build strong classroom relationships. Classroom circles give students and teachers the opportunity to sit together where they can open up conversations, share perspectives, ideas and thoughts in a safe, proactive and caring environment. We believe Restorative Circles are an essential component in developing a positive school climate. Circles can be used to build both classroom communities, friendships and also to heal when a conflict has arisen. Keela has provided several hours of professional development to our teachers over the past several weeks. She is also available to support teachers in leading circles in their classrooms. We recently created a Restorative Justice Committee that will guide school-wide restorative practices.

Our counselors, Jillian Stone and Brian Meyer, members of our Ockley Green Climate team and Jessica Lingenfelter, our 7th grade Science teacher, have started an OG Student Council to build student voice and leadership. Student Council elections are going to take place before Winter Break. This will be in tandem with our student leadership team, the Dragon Leaders. Dragon Leaders are 8th grade students who have been working since the school year started to support 6th grade students in their transition to middle school as well as support with school activities and events.

BEHAVIORS AND CONSEQUENCES
Middle schoolers are in a highly social developmental phase and need many opportunities to connect with their peers. When student behavior becomes a challenge and they need redirections or supports there are multiple systems, supported by staff and administration in place to help both the student and teacher as outlined above. We continue to prioritize a focus on engagement strategies during our weekly staff meetings as well.

Tier 1 behaviors are managed by teachers in the classroom in order to maintain an inclusive learning environment. This might be talking out of turn, not completing work or leaving the classroom.

Tier 2 behaviors are repeated Tier 1 offences and require intervention from the school support team which includes administration.

Tier 3 behaviors are chronic or unsafe behaviors and the severity of their behavior requires immediate intervention from school support team including administration.

The consequences for these behaviors follow the Portland Public School’s Student Responsibilities Rights and Discipline Handbook. These include but are not limited to: restorative reset, conferences with students, family contact, restorative justice circles or conversations, community service, in-school suspension or out of school suspension.

OCKLEY GREEN PARTNERS & VOLUNTEERS
We have invited Kaiser Permanente and the Oregon Children's’ Theater to bring their performance of Above, Between and Below to our students this week. This play’s predominant messages are to help students understand that everyone needs to take personal responsibility for their own power to harm or help others and that our actions can have unintended consequences. This will be followed up with classroom workshops to reinforce the important messages of the performance.

We have connected with ‘The Sisters of the Road Cafe’ to organize a winter donation drive to support individuals who are in need. There will be a school-wide endeavor to collect everyday articles for the organization. Our Dragon Leaders will be leading the program. This is one way our students will be able to give back to others and expand their awareness of the needs of others. We hope to continue this special partnership for years to come.

Other valued partners who support both our students, staff and families are the Coalition of Black Men, SUN School, and our onsite SEI Coordinators. We also have parent voice and input via our strong Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and our Ockley Green Site Council. They welcome all families to their monthly meetings. We couldn’t do it without the many volunteers who support in the library, in the main office and in our Ockley Green Garden. All of these partnerships strengthen and build the programs at Ockley Green.

We are excited about the ongoing improvements within our school and value your partnership and commitment to the Ockley Green community.

Have a wonderful week,

Paula McCullough
Prinicpal

This week there are two opportunities to participate at Ockley Green:
1) Site Council is tonight, 11.15.17 at 6:00pm in the OG Library.
2) PTA is tomorrow night, 11.16.17 at 6:30pm in the OG Library.

Both meetings happen every month with dates posted on the OG website calendar. We look forward to you attending our meetings and participating in the vibrant community of OG.

Dear Families and Community, November 6, 2017
I would like to introduce myself to the Ockley Green Community. My name is Den Fraser. I am the new Math and STEM teacher here at Ockley Green.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be a teacher and/or an engineer. I attended Linfield College and received a degree in Physics, with a minor in Mathematics. I left college and pursued a short career as an engineering technician for 3 years. I returned to my passion of teaching and taught ESL in Hungary where I met my wife and my son was born. When returning to the States, I went back to school in the San Francisco area and worked in the Portland Water Bureau doing land conservation, salmon restoration, and monitoring of wildlife and the land. I realized my dream was to teach and my passion remained in the classroom. I returned to Western Governors’ University and expanded my teaching license with an endorsement in Physics.

I have over the years, integrated my teaching with coaching students at both Grant and Roosevelt High Schools. I am currently the 8th grade boys’ coach for the Grant Youth Basketball program. Working with Middle School students gives me great joy and I feel I make a difference for them. I feel the same way upon accepting this position here at Ockley Green. I am currently working on completing the qualifications to attain the Math endorsement required to teach math and have the credentials necessary for STEAM. I am dedicated to this school and the students to ensure they are prepared for high school and successful when leaving Ockley Green.

A mentor visits on a regular basis to observe my classroom and provide additional learning opportunities for me. The District Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) for Math will come in once a week to support lesson planning in the classroom. The STEAM TOSA has already met with me several times and continues to assist in using the curriculum specifically designed for the class. We will be working on Engineering Project Designs and moving into designing and building robots.

I want to let you know I am working diligently to create relationships with students and move forward with the curriculum. Grades for this quarter will be Pass or No Pass to provide opportunities for students to complete assignments only given by myself. Grades will be updated on Synergy and assignments will be put in as the students and I move through the next quarter, resulting in an accurate final grade for the semester.

I am honored to teach your children and be a part of this community. I will continue to communicate with families through Synergy, phone calls, and email ([email protected]). Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns via email or phone.
Respectfully,

Den Fraser

6 de noviembre de 2017

Estimadas familias y comunidad,

Deseo presentarme a mí mismo con la Comunidad de Ockley Green. Me llamo Den Fraser y soy el nuevo maestro de matemáticas y STEM aquí en Ockley Green.

Cuando yo era pequeño, quería ser maestro y / o ingeniero. Asistí a Linfield College y me titulé en Física me especialicé en Matemática. Dejando la universidad seguí una corta carrera como técnico en ingeniería durante 3 años. Retorné a mi pasión de enseñar y enseñé ESL en Hungría, donde conocí a mi esposa y donde nació mi hijo. Cuando volví a los Estados Unidos, volví a la universidad en el área de San Francisco y trabajé en el Departamento del Agua de Portland en conservación de tierras, restauración de los salmones y monitoreo de la vida silvestre y de las tierras. Me di cuenta de que mi sueño era enseñar y mi pasión se mantuvo en las aulas. Regresé a la Western Governor University y expandí mi licencia de enseñanza, al endoso para maestro Física.

A lo largo de los años he integrado mi enseñanza con el entrenamiento deportivo de estudiantes de las preparatorias Grant y Roosevelt. Actualmente soy el entrenador de los chicos del octavo grado para el programa Grant Youth Basquetball. El trabajar con estudiantes de escuelas intermedias me da una gran alegría y siento que los influyo positivamente. Siento lo mismo respecto a tomar este puesto aquí en Ockley Green.
Actualmente estoy trabajando en completar las calificaciones para obtener el endoso en Matemática, requerido para enseñar matemáticas, y para conseguir las credenciales necesarias para STEAM. Estoy poniendo toda mi dedicación en esta escuela y sus estudiantes para asegurar que estén preparados para la escuela preparatoria o high school y que tengan éxito al dejar Ockley Green.

Un mentor me visita regularmente para observar mi clase y proporcionarme oportunidades de aprendizaje adicionales. El District Teacher on Special Assignment TOSA ("Maestro/a del Distrito en Asignación Especial") en Matemática vendrá una vez a la semana para apoyar la planificación de la lección para el aula. La TOSA de STEAM ya se ha reunido conmigo varias veces y continúa ayudando en el uso del plan de estudios específicamente diseñado para la clase. Estaremos trabajando en diseños de proyectos de ingeniería, dirigiéndonos hacia el diseño y construcción de robots.

Quisiera dejarles saber que estoy trabajando diligentemente para la formación de relaciones con los estudiantes y para avanzar en el plan de estudios. Las calificaciones de este bimestre serán Pass ("Aprobado") o No Pass ("Desaprobado"), para brindar oportunidades a los estudiantes de completar solo las tareas que yo les he asignado. Las calificaciones se irán a poner al día en Synergy y las tareas se irán incluyendo a medida en que los estudiantes y yo avancemos hacia el próximo bimestre, lo cual resultará en una calificación final exacta del semestre.

Me siento honrado de enseñarles a sus hijos y de ser parte de esta comunidad. Continuaré comunicándome con las familias a través de Synergy, llamadas telefónicas y correo electrónico ([email protected]). Por favor, siéntanse en la libertad de contactarme por correo electrónico o por teléfono, con cualquier pregunta o inquietud.
Respetuosamente,

Den Fraser

THIS WEEK AT OG:
Parent/Family/Teacher Conferences are this Wednesday and Thursday, November 8th & 9th. Please contact your student's teachers to set up a time to meet and discuss their progress. Call 503-916-5660 to connect with teachers or email them directly.

Middle School Model Interviews will continue this Wednesday, November 8th, from 12:00Noon - 8:00PM. Please go to the front door of the building and follow the signs to the OG Library Conference Room. The interviews will be a drop-in basis.

NO SCHOOL Friday November 10th as this is the observance day for Veterans Day.

Have a great week!

Please join us for Coffee With the Principal, this Friday, October 6th from 9:30 - 10:30 in the Auditorium.

Good morning Ockley Green Community, October 2, 2017

Today we welcomed the new Superintendent, Guadalupe Guerrero to Ockley Green. It was wonderful to have him see the amazing work we are doing with our students and visit with teachers, staff and family members.

Coffee With The Principal - Please join us for coffee and conversation with Ms McCullough this Friday, October 6th, from 9:30 - 10:30 in the auditorium.

OGMS Schedule
Mr Jamieson, our assistant principal, has finalized the schedules for this semester. His work helped to reduce class sizes and give students access to specials according to their learning needs. If your student has any questions about the schedule, please contact Mr. Jamieson at [email protected]

This week our schedule is:
Monday - B
Tuesday - A
Wednesday - B
Thursday - A
Friday - B
Remember on an ‘A’ day students have periods 1, 3, 5 & 7 and on a ‘B’ day they have periods 2, 4, 6 & 8.

Fall Academic Conferences:
Conferences will be held on November 8 and 9. Please contact your student's teachers to sign up for conferences. These are excellent opportunities to discuss your student's academic progress and growth and set goals for the school year.

Picture retakes October 18th. Packets are available in the main office.

State Inservice Day - Friday, October 13th - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

All of us at Ockley Green hope you have a wonderful week as we welcome the first days of Fall and enjoy being with your students.


Paula McCullough

To Our Ockley Green Families and Community, September 18, 2017

It has been a wonderful start to the new school year. We are so happy to back and pleased to be getting into the groove of our Fall schedule. We are also looking forward to making this the best year ever for our students and families. To kick off the school year we have had several events to celebrate our students and bring our families into Ockley Green. This is your school and your community, we love having you here to join us.

On Wednesday, August 29th, we had our 6th Grade Orientation. This special day was for our new Ockley Green students to get to know the routines of middle school. They were supported by a group of our 8th grade student leaders, our Ockley Green Dragon Crew. This group was formed with the work of Ms Stone and Mr Meyer, our counselors. On August 31st, we had an Ice Cream Social complete with our very own school rock band, The Unknown, serenading us with their amazing style and virtuosity. On September 1st, we had our first ‘Coffee with the Principal’. These will be held on the first Friday of every month in the auditorium and invite everyone to attend.

There have been some staffing changes this year. We said goodbye as staff ventured to new locations whether local or national, including Ms Laura Bolen in the cafeteria. We are saying hello to lots of new staff and our returning team from SEI. Thank-you to all of our amazing teachers and staff who make Ockley Green a great place to learn.

We would like to thank the many volunteers who have helped us get the new year off to a great start, whether coding lockers or stuffing envelopes, we cannot do our important work without you.

Our Ockley Green Open House is tonight, Tuesday, September 19th at 5:30pm. We welcome you and your children to attend. The evening starts with a pizza dinner at 5:30, followed by the State of the School Address and introduction of our staff at 6:00 in the auditorium. At 6:30 there will be an hour to visit classrooms and meet teachers. There will also be information tables set up by our SUN School and PTA. We look forward to seeing you tonight!

And a quick reminder that tomorrow, Wednesday, September 20th is a late start. Buses will be on a two-hour late run and school opens at 11:00 with first period starting at 11:10.

As we move into the new year, please know that my door is always open. When you have a concern or question, please check in with your teacher first and if the teacher is not available or you need further assistance one of the adminsitrators is always available to support.

Have a wonderful week, and we look forward to seeing everyone tt at Open House.

Paula McCullough - Principal
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A nuestras familias y comunidad de Ockley Green: 15 de setiembre de 2017

Este, ha sido un excelente inicio del año escolar. Estamos muy contentos de estar de regreso y estamos encantados entrar en el ritmo de la agenda de otoño. Estamos deseosos de hacer de este año el mejor que sus hijos y sus familias hayan tenido jamás. Para poner en marcha el año escolar, hemos tenido algunos eventos para celebrar a nuestro alumnado y para integrar a las familias a Ockley Green. Es ésta nuestra escuela y vuestra comunidad, y estamos encantados de que ustedes se nos unan aquí.

El miércoles 29 de agosto hemos llevado a cabo nuestra orientación para sexto grado. Ese especial día tuvo como objetivo que nuestros nuevos estudiantes de Ockley Green conociesen las rutinas de la escuela intermedia. Nuestros líderes estudiantiles de la agrupación "Ockley Green Dragon Crew", conformada por alumnos de 8vo., estuvieron a su disposición para ayudarlos. Aquel grupo se formó gracias al trabajo de nuestros consejeros: la Sra. Stone y el Sr. Meyer. En agosto 31 tuvimos una reunión "Ice Cream" Social con helados, complementada esta por nuestra propia banda escolar de rock, llamada "The Unknown", brindándonos una música de increíble estilo y virtuosidad. En septiembre 1 tuvimos nuestro primer desayuno con el Director o "Coffee with the Principal". Estos se seguirán llevando a cabo los primeros viernes de cada mes en el auditorio, e invitamos a todos a asistir.

Este año hemos tenido muchos cambios de personal. Hemos dado tanto la despedida a quienes se han aventurado a otros planteles, sea local- como nacionalmente, incluyendo a la Srta. Laura Bolen de la cafetería, como estamos dando la bienvenida a varios nuevos empleados y a nuestro equipo de SEI. Gracias a todos nuestros increíbles maestros y empleados que hacen de Ockley Green un gran lugar de estudios.

Quisiéramos dar las gracias a los tantos voluntarios que nos han ayudado a tener un fabuloso inicio del nuevo año escolar, ya sea codificando los casilleros o llenando los sobres. No lo hubiésemos logrado sin ustedes.

El día de puertas abiertas "Ockley Green Open House" esta noche martes, 19 de setiembre a las 5:30pm. Están invitados a asistir tanto ustedes como sus hijos. La tarde empezará con pizzas a las 5:30, seguido en el auditorio a las 6:00 para presentarles a ustedes a nuestro personal. A continuación, a las 6:30 procederemos a una visita de una hora a las aulas y podrán encontrarse con los maestros. Asimismo el cuidado de niños "Sun School" y la asociación de padres de familia "PTA" les tendrán organizadas unas mesas informativas. ¡Esperamos contar con su presencia el noche!

Un breve recordatorio: el miércoles 20 de setiembre, es un día de ingreso tarde. Los buses correrán dos horas más tarde, y la escuela abrirá a las 11:00, empezando el 1er periodo a las 11:10.

A medida que nos adentramos en el nuevo año escolar, sepan ustedes por favor que mi puerta estará siempre abierta. Cuando tengan alguna inquietud o pregunta, sírvanse verificar con su maestro en primer lugar por favor, y si el profesor no está disponible o si necesitan ayuda adicional, uno de los administradores estará siempre disponible para servirle de apoyo.

¡Que tengan un excelente y reparador fin de semana! ¡Esperamos contar la próxima con la presencia de todos!

Paula McCullough - Principal

ONE MORE UPDATE! Our 'Back to School Night' has needed to change again to Tuesday, September 19th from 5:30 - 7:30pm to honor the celebration of Rosh Hashanah that is celebrated that week. Please join us at 5:30 for dinner, followed by the State of the School Address at 6:00 and starting at 6:30 families will be given time to tour classrooms and meet teachers. Thank-you for your understanding.

PIL YOUTH SPORTS
JEFFERSON CLUSTER CROSS COUNTRY
Contact: Jen Smirl [email protected]
503-481-7036
Website: www.pilathletics.com
• Season runs from September 6th- November 2nd, 2017
• Practices 2x a week on M/W
• 1 meet every Wed or Thurs
• Practices are held M/W 4-5pm at Peninsula Park
Registration forms and cost:
Please bring all forms and money to the first practice on September 6th. Practice is at 4pm at Peninsula Park. Students may not practice until their forms and money are turned in. What you need to turn in:
1. PPS MS Sports Parent Information and Consent Form
2. Emergency Contact Form
3. School Sports Pre-Participation Examination (parts one and two)*
4. $150 (check, cash, or money order), $60 for students who receive free or reduced lunch
*Every student needs to have had a physical within the past two years.

Home

Hello Ockley Green families! We are seeking 2-3 volunteers to help organize a few Chromebook carts. Please contact Brooke Palmer, our Instructional Specialist, at [email protected] if you can volunteer a few hours to help. We want all of our students to continue developing 21st century skills at Ockley Green and having access to technology such as this gives our students the tools they need. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Early Release Schedule - September 5, 2017

Dear OG families and friends,
Here is the Early Release Schedule for Ockley Green for tomorrow, September 5, 2017. Please read the message from PPS re the heat advisory below followed by the schedule. We will adjust the bells and assist students as needed.

"Due to a heat advisory all schools will end two hours earlier than the regular school hours on Tuesday, Sept. 5. All PPS kindergarten and preschool programs will be delayed one day and start on Wednesday, Sep. 6. Extended hot weather could cause unsafe or unhealthy conditions in PPS classrooms, and the safety of our students is always our foremost concern.

This early dismissal plan will also result in the cancellation of after-school activities in PPS buildings, including childcare. After-school athletics will follow OSAA guidelines.

School buses will follow their regular afternoon routes, but will arrive at school two hours earlier and drop students off at their regular bus stops two hours earlier. Because PPS child care sites will be closed, please plan to pick up your students at their school site two hours earlier than the normal end of your students’ school day.

The District is making this decision because only a handful of our buildings have air conditioning. Additionally, smoke from forest fires has prompted an air quality advisory. This means windows in many classrooms must remain closed, which reduces air flow and can cause even higher temperatures.

Families should contact their students' school with questions. PPS will also have a coordination line open at 503-916-6600 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to answer questions."

A Day
1st: 9:10 - 10:06

3rd: 10:09 - 11:05

1st Lunch: 11:08 - 11:40
5th: 11:43 - 12:39

5th: 11:08 - 11:36
2nd Lunch: 11:36 - 12:08
5th: 12:11 - 12:39

7th: 12:42 - 1:45

Dismissal at 1:45