½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Dear Sellwood Community,

Over the past three weeks, a team of contractors have been busy installing security cameras at Sellwood, covering almost every area of the Sellwood campus. Eight exterior security cameras cover the front, sides, back, and courtyard areas. Seventeen interior security cameras cover each hallway on three floors, both sides of the cafeteria, and the stairwells. We anticipate the cameras will be activated soon. We look forward to having this important safety feature at our school, and we are very grateful to the supportive Portland residents and the 2020 Security Bond funds that made the security camera system possible.

Enjoy the weekend, and don't forget to "spring forward"!

Jeandre Carbone

Sellwood Principal

Dear Sellwood Community,

As you have probably heard, the school year has been extended by two days, due to the two snow days we recently experience. So, the last day of school will be June 12th. The 8th-grade Promotion Ceremony has been rescheduled to June 12, from 10:30 to 11:30, as well. Also, keep in mind that the last day of school is a half-day at Sellwood, with school ending at 12:30. Afternoon buses will run at 12:30 on June 12th.

February is Black History Month, and we have been celebrating in a variety of ways. On Monday, our Multi-Cultural Student Group led our annual Black History Month Assembly. Thank you Mr. KB for advising students and helping them coordinate this event. Also, thank you to Ms. McKenna Nowak and our choir students for their moving performance of "Lift Every Voice" Please have a look and listen by clicking on the link below.

Also, students in digital arts researched Black artists and produced the impressive Celebrating Black Artists wall, photos below.

Enjoy the long weekend,

Jeandre Carbone

Sellwood Principal

½ûÂþÌìÌà is continuing to host a series of events aimed at starting productive conversations about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities.

As part of this series, we are excited to welcome you to a free screening of  on Thursday March 20 at . Doors open at 6 p.m. and the movie begins at 7:00.

The Ride Ahead is a film about adult life with disabilities by a man with disabilities. It is the debut of 21-year-old Samuel Habib who, struggling to find his place in the world, decides to make a film that charts how a group of disabled adults navigate challenges and forge their own unique paths. The film serves as a roadmap for himself and others and illustrates the compelling power of one person truly determined to live life on his own terms.

In documenting his journey, Samuel is following in the footsteps of his father, the filmmaker Dan Habib. You can learn more about their work .

Staff, families, and community members are all invited. Parking is free and McMenamins' full menu is available for ordering. We hope to see you there!

In meteorological terms, Portland’s first big weather event of 2024 was the definition of a perfect storm. Frigid temperatures and high winds combined with snow and ice to bring down tree limbs, close roads, scramble traffic, freeze pipes, and knock out power for tens of thousands of residents.

It was a metaphorical perfect storm for ½ûÂþÌìÌà as well. Fallen trees cut power to multiple schools and others have suffered water damage from broken pipes. Lack of heat was also a problem, and impassable roads, paired with snowed-in and icy parking lots, made it impossible for buses to run safely. Those same conditions limited how the district’s facilities and operations teams can even assess the scope of the issues, let alone begin working on solutions. And icy sidewalks meant walkers have no safe route to school.

This week could bring similar conditions to the Portland area, and ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ’s School Closure Team is ready to meet the challenge. The team convenes regularly during inclement weather to take all of the above into careful consideration. By now, families are quite familiar with how the district communicates these decisions. What’s perhaps less known is how district leaders arrive at such decisions in the first place. 

As part of our district's focus on events that center belonging, equity, and inclusion, we have been screening a series of films that we hope will challenge our perceptions about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities.

The next film in the series is “Champions,” which will screen on Saturday February 8th at 2:00 PM at Lincoln High School. This event will also include first-hand testimonials from ½ûÂþÌìÌà students.

This movie highlights the journey of a basketball coach who leads a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Through humor and heartfelt moments, the movie emphasizes the strengths, individuality, and value each player brings to the team and how inclusion enriches communities and creates positive, supportive environments.

Staff, families, and community members are all invited. Parking is free and light refreshment will be provided. We hope to see you there!

We’re thrilled to announce that two ½ûÂþÌìÌà teachers were recently awarded the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). 

Krishnan Ranjani,  a teacher of advanced mathematics and Career and Technical Education (CTE) computer systems at Lincoln High School and Nick Nohner, a computer sciences and data sciences teacher at Ida B. Wells High School, were both selected for the honor which is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The award recognizes outstanding educators for their contributions to the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Each awardee will receive a certificate signed by President Joe Biden and a $10,000 award from NSF. Awardees will also travel to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony at a future date. 

Congratulations to these two exceptional teachers!