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Querida comunidad Chávez,

¡Felicitaciones por completar con éxito el año escolar 2023-2024! Este año ciertamente ha sido uno para los libros. Parece que fue ayer cuando dimos la bienvenida a los estudiantes y sus familias al edificio durante la jornada de puertas abiertas, y ahora estamos concluyendo lo que ha sido un viaje inolvidable.

Tanto los estudiantes como el personal siempre recordarán este año por el increíble aprendizaje y el arduo trabajo que se llevó a cabo, en medio de desafíos inesperados como la tormenta de hielo que nos hizo perder una semana de clases. Fue un año lleno de giros y vueltas, pero a pesar de todo, nuestro personal y estudiantes encontraron maneras de unirse, formar relaciones sólidas y crecer tanto académica como socialmente.

Extiendo mi más sincero agradecimiento a cada uno de ustedes por su inquebrantable apoyo. Servir como su director interino ha sido una experiencia increíble, llena de risas y recuerdos preciados que han hecho que este año escolar sea verdaderamente excepcional. Los animo a que se aferren a las amistades y a las maravillosas experiencias que han tenido en César Chávez este año.

A medida que avanzan, espero ansiosamente escuchar acerca de los notables logros y éxitos que les esperan a cada uno de ustedes en su trayectoria académica.

Mis mejores deseos para unas relajantes y agradables vacaciones de verano.

Un cordial saludo,

Jorge A. Meza

 Dear Chávez Community,

Congratulations on successfully completing the 2023-2024 school year! This year has certainly been one for the books. It feels like just yesterday we were welcoming students and their families into the building during Open House, and now we're wrapping up what has been an unforgettable journey.

Students and staff alike will always remember this year for the incredible learning and hard work that took place, amidst the unexpected challenges like the ice storm that caused us to miss a week of school. It was a year filled with twists and turns, yet through it all, our staff and students found ways to come together, forming strong relationships and growing both academically and socially.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to each one of you for your unwavering support. Serving as your interim principal has been an incredible experience, filled with laughter and cherished memories that have made this school year truly exceptional. I encourage you to hold onto the friendships and the wonderful experiences you've had at César Chávez this year.

As you move forward, I eagerly await hearing about the remarkable achievements and successes awaiting each of you in your academic journey.

Best wishes for a restful and enjoyable summer break.

Warm regards,

Jorge A. Meza 

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When Beckham Weatherby picks up his tuba, the rest of the world falls away. 

“I don’t get that nervous and I don’t get stage fright at all,” he said. “I guess I got lucky with how my body reacts to performing in front of crowds.”

Which is something the McDaniel High School junior has done quite a bit of lately. Not only is he a member of the prestigious Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) and the PYP conservatory orchestra, but he recently earned first prize in the tuba solo performance category at the Oregon State Solo Music Championships.

The first things you notice when you walk into Ellie Jensen’s classroom at Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elementary School are peace and warmth. Then you hear the laughter of children. Then you just might see two posters hanging on the walls that tell you a great deal about the kind of teacher she has been for the past 50 years. The posters simply say, “Leave a little sparkle wherever you go” and “Be a friend.”

Jensen, known as “Miss Ellie” to the hundreds of students she has taught in her half a century as a Portland Public Schools educator, can’t help but light up a room. And she is a friend to all children. 

We dare you to drive by the Mainspring Food Pantry on the corner of 82nd Avenue and Fremont and not do a double take. Or a triple take. 

Students from McDaniel High School’s art-focused Career Technical Education (CTE) class have spent the last four weeks turning the exterior walls of the pantry into one, huge, joyful mural as part of the course’s exploration of climate justice and community engagement.

A little over 30 years ago, a Madison High School student named Joseph Janson had a simple wish. He wanted to go to a dance. But nothing was simple for Joseph, who was born with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy and was confined to a wheelchair. 

He confided his wish to Tony Nitz, who at that time was an educational assistant at Madison (now Leodis V. McDaniel High School). Tony had been working one-on-one with Joseph for months and he immediately went about making the young man’s dream come true.

“The truth is, I would have done anything for Joseph,” Nitz said. “He was a unique person, and we had a very special bond.”