Portola Cross Country takes the high expectations and work ethic of Portola classrooms to the track! Portola Cross Country is offered to all 4th and 5th grade students showing outstanding character, work ethic, and effort in and out of the classroom.  No experience needed-just a positive attitude and a focused desire to learn about health and self-improvement.

Portola Elementary did not offer competitive athletics as that term is defined by Education Code Section 221.9(e) in the 2019-2020 school year.

This school year, Portola classrooms will include the Dynamic Mindfulness curriculum as part of our students' social-emotional learning. This research-based and field tested curriculum covers the five core competencies of social and emotional learning: self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. Our students will actively participate in mindful movement, breathing, and centering activities that will help them manage stress, increase their focus, and improve self-control. Click here to visit the Portola Mindfulness page.

Portola’s Peer Mediation Program began twenty years ago. The purpose of Peer Mediators is to help our campus be safe, orderly and respected by all.  This volunteer program of seventy students provides the opportunity to serve the school and develop leadership skills.   It is open to all third, fourth, and fifth grades students.  Students who wish to become part of this program must be responsible, keep up with their schoolwork, have a good attitude towards others, and set a good example of how to act.  Students who enter this program go through six hours of conflict resolution training.  Training is conducted by several staff members during the regular school day. Upon successful completion of their training, Peer Mediators are assigned to one duty a week.  These duties consist of helping out before school, at recess, and after school.  Additional volunteer jobs also occur throughout the school year. Throughout their time as a Peer Mediator, they also periodically receive leadership training from staff and community members. 

The Ventura County Fair award winning, Portola Panther Press Newspaper offers 4th and 5th grade students in good academic and behavior standing, opportunities to inspire and inform their school community creatively through their writings, drawings, and photography.

Led by Portola staff, each school year a student staff of editors, writers, researchers, cartoonists, and photographers meet weekly to develop a newspaper which reflects student interests and concerns as related to their school, neighborhood, and the world at large. Other regular features such as book, video game and movie reviews, puzzles and cartoons offer students and families fun and appropriate free time activities.

Portola Panther Press students gain valuable hands on experience using word processing software, improve their typing skills, and have access to school provided cameras to capture school events. All while sharpening their critical thinking skills in an environment which encourages responsibility and teamwork.

The Intramurals program at Portola consists of students playing organized coed sports at lunchtime while supervised by adults. All 4th and 5th grade students who are in good standing academically and behaviorally are eligible to participate in the program.  Staff members and parent volunteers serve as referees who play a vital a role in supporting and reinforcing great sportsmanship and fitness. The program began during the 2012-2013 school year and we have experience excellent success ever since. Students have the option of participating in 3, 8 week seasons per sport throughout the year. We begin with soccer in the fall, follow with basketball in the winter and finish the year with another soccer season in the spring. Each championship team is recognized at our trimester awards assemblies and in our Panther Press newspaper. 

RAISE FUNDS WITHOUT FUNDRAISING! GET THE FREE BENEFIT APP!

PORTOLA has partnered with Benefit as a free and easy fundraising solution!

Benefit is a free iPhone and Android app that allows you to shop at places like Target, Starbucks, Amazon,
Walmart and many more, while giving up to 20% of every transactions back to our organization. Just shop like you normally do. When it comes time to checkout, instead of pulling out your credit card, pull out the Benefit app and purchase a digital gift card that you redeem instantly. For instance, buy $200 worth of back to school clothing at Gap, and $16 (8%) goes back to your organization. It doesn't cost you a dime beyond what you were already going to spend. It's raising funds without fundraising!
Download the app and select our organization as your chosen beneficiary to start giving today.
For more information go to www.benefit-mobile.com. Feel free to forward this information to family and friends. The more people who participate, the more funds we will raise.

Have a Ralph's card?  Go to www.Ralphscommunityreward.com, select “Learn More”, create an account using your Ralphs card or phone number, enter Portola’s number (NPO) #80226