September 2025 PTA Newsletter
Hello Vestal Families! 🐝
Welcome back to school for the 2025-’26 school year! We are so glad to see our school community coming back together for a new year of learning, connection, and growth. The PTA is excited to partner with you in supporting our students, staff, and the values that make Vestal such a special place.
As we kick off the year, we invite you to join us at our first big community event of the fall: our fundraiser at the Hollywood Theater on this coming Sunday, September 7 at 2 pm, featuring a showing of the 1992 cult classic Hook! All proceeds from this special showing go to the Vestal PTA to support our school, so bring your family and friends for an afternoon of fun on the big screen. Get your tickets here!
PTA News and Updates 📰
Our first PTA meeting of the year will be TONIGHT, Tuesday, September 2, 6:30-8:30 PM. PTA meetings are a great time to find out what is going on in the school, how you can be involved, and to make your voice heard! This first meeting will be remote only. To attend via Zoom, please click here OR or dial +1 346 248 7799, and use passcode: 898024.
Back to School Night is coming up on Thursday, September 18 from 6-7:30 PM. This is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, check out their classroom, get to know the school staff and more. There will also be a Community Resource Fair from 4-7 PM at Vestal that day, a fantastic way to find out all about resources available to Vestal families!
Our first Community Care Day of the school year will be Saturday, September 20, from 10-12. This is a great opportunity to spend time together, have fun, and take care of our school garden and grounds!
Bottle Drop is one of the simplest ways to support your PTA all school year long. Simply get a blue bag from our Bottle Drop Team, Cate and Matt Statton, collect your clean, returnable bottles and cans, bring them to school pickup at 2:30 on first and third Mondays - this month’s bottle drop date is Monday, September 15.
We continue to update our website, making it more useful to every family! Check out our Events page for a calendar, our Volunteer page to get involved, and our Store for some sweet Vestal merch!
Walk and Roll to School Updates! 🚶♂️🚴🏿♂️
Walking School Bus is Back!
The walking bus is now running Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays! We leave from 86th & Burnside at 7:40 AM, walk down 86th to Davis, and can pick kids up along the way. Parents are welcome to walk with us or just drop off. No need to sign up, just come join in. First bus rolls out Wednesday, September 3! Questions? Reply here or email mff1503@runbox.com
Bike Bus, too!
Ride with us to school! Participants are welcome to join along the routes and will arrive at school around 7:57 AM.
🚲 Bike Bus (N1 & N2): Every Wednesday
🚲 Bike Bus (W1 & W2): Every day
Meeting Spots for North and West Routes:
📍 N1: 7:40 AM – NE Multnomah St & NE 75th Ave
📍 N2: 7:45 AM – NE Oregon St & NE 73rd Ave
📍 W1: 7:45 AM – NE Everett St & NE 70th Ave
📍 W2: 7:50 AM – NE Everett St & NE 75th Ave
September Volunteer Opportunities 💪
PPS Volunteer Application: If you want to volunteer in the school this year, be sure and submit your online volunteer application and background check. This is a quick, free check that lasts three years. A person is considered a volunteer if they have the potential for unsupervised contact with PPS students during school hours, including chaperones for field trips. Click here for information and the online application.
Vestal Volunteer Sign Up: Let us know what kind of volunteer opportunities you’re interested in by filling out this quick form.
Community Care Day on Saturday, September 20, 10-12 AM will be a great chance to volunteer at the school and have fun with community!
Our wonderful school social worker, Em Rochford, is looking for help with organizing the Self-Care Room. Please contact her at erochford@pps.net if you’re able to help out with that project!
September Events and Reminders:
Mon, Sept 1: No School — Labor Day
Tues, Sept 2: PTA Meeting, 6:30–7:30 PM
Sun, Sept 7: Hook Fundraiser at the Hollywood Theater, 2 PM
Mon, Sept 15: Bottle Drop, 2:30 PM
Wed, Sept 17: Early Release, 11:50 AM
Thurs, Sept 18: Back to School Night, TKTK
Sat, Sept 20: Community Care Day, 10–12
Mon, Sept 22: SUN Fall Term begins
Weekly / Recurring Events:
Kinder Coffee (September Tuesdays, 8 AM): Sept 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Bike Bus (Wednesdays): Sept 3, 17, 24
Walking Bus (M/W/F): Sept 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29
Fresh Food Market (Fridays, 2–2:45 PM): Sept 5, 12, 19, 26
Thank you for reading, and for being a part of the Vestal community.