Portland Public Schools announces "Hoops and Books" Event

Portland Public Schools is excited to announce a special event, Hoops and Books, scheduled for February 16th during the Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball games at Portland High School. The purpose of this event is to recognize our district's student athletes for their commitment to academic excellence, while underscoring the district's strong emphasis on literacy. The event will also acknowledge the ongoing partnership between Portland Public Schools, the Portland District Library, and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

To kick off the event, student athletes from our 9th grade, Junior Varsity, and Varsity basketball teams visited our elementary schools, assuming the role of "literacy coaches" for the day. Their mission was to emphasize the pivotal role that reading plays in student success.

Classrooms at Westwood Elementary will also be conducting a change drive from February 12th to 16th with proceeds going to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) . The DPIL promotes early childhood literacy by providing free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five.  Your donations are greatly appreciated.  During that week, classrooms at Westwood will also compete to see which class can read the most books. The winning classrooms at each grade level will be recognized at halftime of the varsity games.

On the 16th, all of our students will have free entry to the games. For parents and other guests, entry will be free with a donation to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library or by contributing a new book, which will also be included in the Middle Schools book drive. The collected books will be distributed to the Helen DeVos and Sparrow hospitals. Additionally, we will be offering free giveaways of bookmarks, books, and book lights to students attending the event.

Please join the PPS community on the 16th to celebrate not only our exceptional student athletes but also the district's commitment to literacy. This is a great opportunity to come together and recognize the valuable partnerships between Portland Public Schools, the Portland District Library, and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.