Dear VDLI Families,
We would like to welcome back all of our VDLI students and parents to a new school year! We also want to take a moment to reintroduce our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Hoi Phu Huynh, which supports the Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion (VDLI) Program of Portland Public Schools at Rose City Park Elementary School, Roseway Heights Middle School and in the future, Madison High School. We are an organization made up of parents like you with students currently participating in the VDLI program. We’re excited to continue supporting our dual language program this year!
In addition, we are partnering with PTO/RCP and Madison/Grant PTA cluster to strengthen our network and to better support our VDLI program.
HPH Board of Director Election Results
Following our Nomination process laid out in our newsletters sent out over the summer, we received 8 nomination forms for 3 candidates, and 5 candidates applied to be board of directors; 1 nominated candidate decided not to join the board. HPH’s Nomination Committee conducted interviews, conversations with candidates, and submitted nominations for new Board Directors to our current Board and sent out Ballots to parents. These are the HPH Board of Director Election Results:
- We have 2 Board of Directors completing their term with HPH, and will be leaving us: Tina Semko and Libby Provost. HPH would like to take this opportunity to thank Tina and Libby for their dedications to our student-centered support effort during their terms.
- We will have 4 additional Board of Directors on board with us for 2020-2022 term (3 of whom are are returning directors):
- Anh Le
- Huynh Pool
- James Luu
- Mytien Kent
- In addition to new Elected Board Directors, HPH Board also appointed Kim Cimmiyotti as a Board Director at Large via her role as RCP PTO VDLI Liaison.
Please welcome our new Board Directors, and wish them well for many great years supporting our VDLI programs and students!
We also want to remind parents that we reserved 2 Board of Directors seats for incoming Kindergarten Parents. If you or your fellow parents have students in Kindergarten and want to join our Board of Directors, please contact us. We are very interested in meeting you to share the HPH vision and board process!
New HPH Leadership Announcement
Recently, during our Annual Strategic Planning Session, our Board of Directors elected new Executive Officers for School Year 2020-2021.
- Co-Presidents:
- Barbara Wyse
- Huynh Pool
- Tri To
- Vice President: Robert Diep Hoang
- Co-Secretary:
- April Luu
- Quyen Huynh
- Treasurer: Bret Provost
New School Year Distance Learning Support
We all have been through a challenging time with the ongoing pandemic, and that challenge continues with the Comprehensive Distance Learning this school year..
HPH is here to support VDLI parents and students, no matter if this is a technical issue, communication issue, or language barrier. We are discussing options and plans to support our VDLI program, and hopefully we will have something to share with you soon. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you need any help. We might not be able to solve your issue right away, but we can help direct it to the right person so it can be addressed.
Ways to connect with HPH
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/HoiPhuHuynh.VDLI
- Website: www.HPHPDX.org
- Email: HoiPhuHuynh.VDLI@gmail.com
- Text only: (503) 893-5527
New teachers in Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion Program
Cô Liên Tran is the VDLI new 6th grade language arts and social studies teacher. She has been with PPS for the last 11 years in a teacher support role and she is super excited for the role change! Cô Liên emigrated from Vietnam in 2009 to Portland, Oregon and since then has been working closely with many Vietnamese students and their families. Before Cô Liên came to the U.S., she graduated with an English major from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and had 2 years of college experience in Business Administration where she studied abroad in Singapore. Last summer she graduated from PSU with an honor degree in Social Science and just completed her first year as a graduate student of the MAT program (Master of Arts in Teaching) at Oregon State University. Cô Liên has one son, Oliver, who is a 7th grader at Mt. Tabor Middle School. Welcome Cô Liên!
Cô Mindy Tran will be VDL temporary substitute teacher for 1st grade. Co Mindy received her teaching certificate from Portland State University, and has been teaching the last couple years in Korea. Welcome Cô Mindy!
Information Corner
- Vietnamese Books Online
United for Literacy provides free digital access to picture books, narrated in many languages.
https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/ offers Vietnamese books read aloud by a Vietnamese speaker. Make sure to select Vietnamese/Tiếng Việt as the narration language in the upper left corner.
- Vietnamese Story Line
Register online for Multnomah County Library Story Time – Sunday 9/27 from 3-4PM
- New Grant for Small Businesses
Prosper Portland just rolled out their grant program for small businesses and inon-profits that have been affected by COVID. The application is also available in Vietnamese.
- Emergency Funds for Families
Oregon is preparing to pay out the $300 weekly unemployment bonus. If you would like to apply, you must take an extra step to recertify your eligibility. Here is the link:
https://secure.emp.state.or.us/ocs4/index.cfm?u=F20200914A094842B32593345.8771&lang=E
(scroll down to the “Lost Wages Assistance Program”)