Wednesday Weekly
April 5th, 2023
Upcoming Dates
4/10 3rd-5th grade Drumming Assembly @ 9:15am
4/12 PTO Meeting in the DCD Library @ 6:30pm
Parking Lot Safety
Reminders
Safety of all students and staff is my primary concern. I know that everyone wants to get through the lines quickly, but it cannot be at the expense of safety.
The bus parking lot is closed to vehicles until after all buses have departed.
Parents waiting to pick up students from OST or Track cannot park directly in front of the building. We need to leave a clear space for the activities bus to safely park.
Students are not allowed to cross between buses and walk up to the building. They must use sidewalks and crosswalks.
Students may not be picked up in the aisle of the parking lot. They must be picked up at the curb or parents must park and walk up to get them. This includes middle school students too!
Vehicles are not allowed to block traffic on 232nd. If you cannot fit in the drive up lane, you need to park.
Please support and be respectful to staff working in the parking lot.
PTO News
House Gift Card Challenge has been extended!
Please submit all gift cards to your student’s teacher9advisory teacher by Friday, April 7th to have them included in the house competition! When submitting gift cards, please:
- Write the dollar amount on the card
- Include the House name
- Leave the “To” and “From” blank
House Gift Card Themes:
- Caspian - Date Night
- Bengal - Activities
- Javan - Shopping
- Malayan - Home & Garden
The winning house will receive cupcakes from Simply Cupcakes!
Spring Luau & Auction Tickets Available Now!
Please join us Saturday, May 6th at 6:00pm at the Tumwater Ballroom at the Museum of the Oregon Territory for our 2023 Spring Luau & Auction! Tickets are now available here: ourschool.auction/DCD2023SpringAuction
There are two ticket options: individual tickets or a full table with reserved seating. Space is limited, so be sure to purchase your tickets early! We have a lot of great auction items this year, and anticipate bidding to be very exciting! Remember - this is a fundraiser to support our kids!
Volunteers Needed!
We’re looking for volunteers to help at our upcoming Spring Luau & Auction:
https://dcdk-8pto.membershiptoolkit.com/login-form?r=%2Fvolunteer%2F85285PTO Meeting
Join the PTO and Principal Barker on Wednesday, April 12th for our monthly PTO Meeting in the DCD Library at 6:30pm! We’ll be discussing the final preparations for our upcoming Spring Luau & auction as well as other events and activities happening at DCD. We hope to see you there!
Parents of 8th Graders: Your 8th grader had the opportunity to listen to a presentation about Career and Technical Education Pathways & Other Electivies during their Strategies for Success class. Sam Barlow's Student Success Coach, Amanda McLeod encouraged students to think about what kind of career they see themselves doing based on their interests. She shared information on several career paths such as Marketing, Computer Science, Engineering Technology, Fine & Performing Arts and more. Ms. McLeod promoted electives freshman can take to help support their potential career interests. Please see info below for additional information about Career and Technical Education Pathways and the additional electives Sam Barlow has to offer. Please use the QR codes to watch the videos your student saw during this presentation.
Next week, Sam Barlow School Counselors will be visiting 8th grade Strategies for Success classes twice. The first visit is Monday, April 10th. This visit will focus on how to be successful in high school as well as how to choose which electives they'd like to take next year. Your student will be given a comprehensive course guide and a forecasting worksheet. The second visit will be Thursday, April 13th. This is when Sam Barlow School Counselors will meet with 8th graders, review their completed forecasting worksheet and help answer further questions about forecasting.
Students received a handout with QR codes that give more info and a brief video about CTE options. Please take a few minutes to review with your student. The flyer is also included below.
If you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to DCDK8's School Counselor, Whitney Roush: roush3@gresham.k12.or.us
Track Information
Parents, if you want to stay up on the latest track news, including your students track statistics, you will want to log into Athletic.net and create a free account. You will be able to follow the Orient-Damascus teams latest news and access the meet/practice calendar.
OSAS Information
Dear Families,
With state testing beginning soon, we want to reach out and ask for your help and support as we offer this opportunity to our students.
How does the Gresham-Barlow School District use the test results?
State tests are one way for us to determine how we are doing in meeting the needs of all of our students. These tests provide information on areas where our teaching has been effective while also highlighting areas where we can improve. We know that one measure cannot tell us everything we need to know about student learning. This is why we look at multiple measures such as student grades in the classroom, iReady scores, and state test results to get the most accurate picture of how our curriculum and instructional practices are meeting the needs of our students. State tests are a chance for your student to let us know how we are doing in serving them!
How does my student benefit from taking the state tests?
The state tests provide a snapshot of your child’s learning and progress. It is important to remember that the state test only covers a portion of what your student learns during the school year. When combined with other data such as student classroom grades, state test results can highlight general areas of strength and potential opportunities for growth.
How much time will testing take?
The state has been working hard over the past few years to reduce the amount of time that it takes for students to complete these state tests. For the English Language Arts test, most students will complete the multiple choice section in about one hour and the writing portion in about two hours. For the Math test, most students will complete the entire test in about 90 minutes.
In the Gresham-Barlow School District, we are deeply committed to inspiring and empowering each student and ensuring that every student in our schools has the support they need to achieve at high levels and graduate prepared for their next steps.
Please reach out to me or your child’s teacher(s) with any questions you may have.
Queridas Familias,
Con las pruebas estatales en curso, queremos comunicarnos y pedir su ayuda y apoyo mientras ofrecemos esta oprtunidad a nuestros estudiantes.
¿Cómo utiliza el Distrito Escolar de Gresham - Barlow los resultados de las pruebas?
Las pruebas estatales son una forma de determinar cómo nos está yendo para satisfacer las necesidades de todos nuestros estudiantes. Estas pruebas brindan información sobre las áreas en las que nuestra enseñanza han sido efectivas y, al mismo tiempo,enfatiza las áreas en las que podemos mejorar. Sabemos que una medida no puede decirnos todo lo que necesitamos saber sobre el aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Es por eso que analizamos múltiples medidas, como las calificaciones de los estudiantes en el salón de clases, los puntajes de iReady y los resultados de las pruebas estatales para obtener la imagen más precisa de cómo nuestro plan de estudios y prácticas de instrucción satisfacen las necesidades de nuestros estudiantes. ¡Las pruebas estatales son una oportunidad para que su estudiante nos haga saber cómo lo estamos haciendo para servirle!
¿Cómo se beneficia mi estudiante de tomar los exámenes estatales?
Las pruebas estatales brindan una imagen del aprendizaje y el progreso de su hijo. Es importante recordar que el examen estatal solo cubre una parte de lo que su estudiante aprende durante el año escolar. Cuando se combinan con otros datos, como las calificaciones de los estudiantes en el salón de clases, los resultados de las pruebas estatales pueden resaltar áreas generales de fortaleza y oportunidades potenciales de crecimiento.
¿Cuanto tiempo tomara el exámen?
El estado ha trabajado durante los últimos años para reducir la cantidad de tiempo que les toma a los estudiantes completar estas pruebas estatales. Para el examen de artes de lenguaje, la mayoría de los estudiantes terminarán la sección en aproximadamente una hora y la parte de escritura en aproximadamente dos horas. Para la prueba de Matemáticas, la mayoría de los estudiantes completarán la prueba completa en unos 90 minutos.
En el Distrito Escolar de Gresham-Barlow, estamos profundamente comprometidos a inspirar y empoderar a cada estudiante y garantizar que cada estudiante en nuestras escuelas tenga el apoyo que necesita para alcanzar altos niveles y graduarse preparado para sus próximos pasos.
Comuníquese conmigo o con los maestros de su hijo(a) con cualquier pregunta que pueda tener.