Welcome to the Lewis Elementary PTA
Summer Socials on the Playground
Connect with your classmates and make some new friends at Lewis this summer! The kindergarten and 1st grade classes already have monthly playdates scheduled. The PTA is looking for someone from the incoming 2nd&3rd and 4th&5th grade families to organize some informal gatherings. The PTA will provide popsicles for some added fun!
Want to organize at social? Email lewiselementaryptaor@gmail.com.
SUMMER BOTTLE DROP
Lewis PTA collects your donated bottles and cans. Those funds from those donations go back into our school community!
Please take a blue bag from the Little Free Library box near the school office entrance, and fill it up with bottles and cans. You can bring your full blue bags directly to one of the BottleDrop centers https://www.bottledropcenters.com/ (closest is on King Rd).
Stay tuned for details on summer pickups.
This fundraiser makes a huge impact on our school by raising around $5000 a year!
Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
The Lewis Elementary PTA is committed to the principles of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. The PTA recognizes diversity in race, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, neurodiversity and socio-economic status as assets that build and sustain a positive educational environment. We recognize that different people will have different needs at different times and we believe in supporting all of our students and families in pursuing their needs. We acknowledge the existence of discrimination and of white supremacy culture and work to co-create a community that is safe, supportive, inclusive and celebrates all of our differences equally. We recognize that a history of genocide can not be properly acknowledged with a statement. We wish to acknowledge however that - to our understanding - our school stands on the tribal lands of the Cowlitz, The Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde and the Clackamas people.
A PTA Board member will oversee the launch of the Lewis Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team effective immediately. The team will meet monthly, the third Monday of the month at 6:30 pm, henceforth. The PTA has created a new permanent board position of DEI Chair. This person will host and attend the monthly DEI Team meetings - open to the whole community - and be responsible for coordinating actions with the PTA and the School Administration that are recommended by the DEI team.
The transitional DEI Chair on the PTA for the rest of this school year, will be Bridget Geraghty. The meetings for the remainder of this school year will be April 19th, May 17th and June 7th (the first Monday in June considering that school ends of June 11th.) Geraghty has volunteered, outside of the PTA which does not meet in the summer, to host the DEI Team meetings virtually in July and August to maintain momentum and continuity. At that first meeting, the PTA will bring a list of proposed DEI actions, to be discussed with the community. All feedback and ideas are very much appreciated, so please email lewiselementaryptaor@gmail.com . Anonymous feedback is considered just as much as feedback from those who wish to share their names.
It is our understanding that many community members have felt left out of the Lewis community and made to feel unwelcome. It is our intention, and the stated intention of the Lewis administration, that the Lewis community feel like a safe community for any community members feeling disenfranchised. One does not need to be a PTA member (paid membership dues) to attend meetings. However one does have to be a PTA member (paid membership dues) to vote at the meetings. Membership dues are $15.00 yearly. Sign up can be done here. If there is financial hardship please reach out to us directly.
If you missed the first DEI meeting in April, you can watch it here: Lewis Diversity, Equity and Inclusion meeting 4 19 21
