Dragon News - 04.12.21
Principal's Message
The pace for getting ready for the hybrid model of in-person and CDL instruction picked up dramatically this last week. Classrooms have been set up to accommodate students with 35-square feet of space each. The cafeteria is being organized to allow for as many students to be seated for breakfast and/or lunch as is possible under the guidelines. Signage is going up around the school to remind all of us that we are working together to wear face coverings, stay six feet apart, wash our hands, and be mindful of each other’s safety as we go through the last nine weeks of the year together.
We recognize that the decision you made to either have your children remain in CDL or to return to in-person learning was not an easy one. We are working together as a staff to put practices in place to support all students, and to ensure that learning for all is as seamless during the transition as possible. It may take a few days for classroom routines to fall into place and to meet the needs of all students. April 22nd and 23rd will be days of instruction that may seem like they are more about the students in person in the classroom, but after all safety protocols have been reviewed and students understand the nuanced use of technology in the classrooms relative to in-person versus CDL, classroom instruction should resemble what students have become used to. One change that will impact ALL students is that the first class of the day starts at 8 a.m. Another is that there are two lunches, and they are both 40 minutes long instead of one hour (the 40 minutes includes transition time for in-person students).
Students should be very busy right now completing assignments for ending the 3rd quarter successfully. We know ISB’s curriculum and instruction model is rigorous and students find that it takes a lot of work to be successful. In addition to the dedication of the teachers, we have other supports available to help students if they are struggling. Please be sure to reach out for that help if it is needed.
Later in the newsletter you will find information about meal service for students, medication drop-offs for students attending in-person, and our efforts to reduce congestion in the parking lot when students return. Also, I want to give you one more reminder that Friday, April 16 is a grading day and there is no school for students.
I hope you and your family are well.
Sincerely,
Janice Adams
Hybrid A/B Days Calendar
Hybrid Bell Schedule
Beginning April 22nd, the school bell schedule for all students, both in-person and CDL, will be as shown below. Please note there are changes not only to the school day start and end times, but also to the period times. 5th/6th period teachers will let their students know whether they will have first or second lunch.
Below are two videos, one in English, the other one in Spanish, showing what "A Day in the Life" of a Hybrid Secondary Student would look like.
Please Practice Mask Wearing at Home
Spring 2021 Meal Service
The USDA has provided waivers that allow BSD to offer FREE meals to all children ages 1-18 for the rest of the 2020-21 school year. BSD is committed to making sure every child has access to healthy meals this school year.
Here's a brief look at how meals will be distributed starting the week of April 5th:
- Hybrid students will access free meals at their school.
- CDL & FLEX students and non-enrolled children may access a free 5-day meal bag every Wednesday.
- Meal service via bus routes will be discontinued.
Medication Drop Off
When you arrive at ISB in your car, please use the bus drop off lane to pull up to the front of the school. Call the office at 503-356-3690 to let us know you are here. Staff will receive/count the medication as review your filled out paperwork (see instructions and forms below). Please follow social distancing guidelines when you come to school and remember to wear your face mask.
Parking Lot Safety
Student and staff safety is very important. Drivers are asked to drive is a safe, alert, and courteous manner, recognized that we have buses, student drivers, and pedestrians in our parking lots. Please use your turn signal to communicate your intentions to other drivers and pedestrians. Reserve the use of your horn for emergencies only.
Morning Drop Off
In the morning we have two primary drop off zones for AM arrivals. Once students are dropped off in one of the zones, use a turn signal and pull away from the curb to the outside lane. This allows other drivers to pull forward in the drop zone, increasing the number of students being able to arrive simultaneously. After 7:45 am, our near bus lane will be open for arrivals as well.
Please do not drop off students from the furthest lane in the parking lot, as students would have to pass between parked cars, then navigate a lane of traffic with no crosswalks.
If you use the Blanton Street pull off, please pull all the way forward to allow multiple simultaneous drop offs. For more information, including a map, please see Morning Parking Lot Safety
Afternoon Pick Up
Our district bus transportation must leave the parking lot at 2:05 in order for bus riders to make their connections at the neighborhood high schools. We will hold other vehicles until buses have exited the parking lot. Please use the three lanes to the left of the bus lane to pick up your students. Unless there is parking lot congestion, please pull to the right until your child enters your vehicle. Wait for your child in the vehicle, rather than parking and exiting the vehicle. When you have all riders, use your turn signal to pull to the left and forward. We dismiss each row, expecting drivers to merge within their row. Please use your turn signal to communicate your readiness to merge with other drivers.
If you use the Blanton Street pull off, please pull all the way forward to allow multiple simultaneous drop offs. Do not block the bike lane or parking lot exit for buses turning right on Blanton. One tip to avoid congestion is to plan your arrival at ISB at 2:10.
BimaxNOW Test
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) supports COVID-19 testing in public and private K-12 schools in Oregon for students and staff who display symptoms of COVID-19. The Beaverton School District has registered to have Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen testing available for students and staff who develop primary symptoms of COVID-19 at school. Primary symptoms of Covid-19 include:
New or different than usual shortness of breath
New or different than usual coughing
Fever of 100.4 or higher
New loss of taste or smell.
The Abbott BinaxNOW test will only be administered to students who have consent from their parent(s) or legal guardian on file. The student must be capable and willing to perform a nasal swab test independently. The parent(s) or guardian can decline testing and opt to test their child with a healthcare provider. If there is any doubt as to whether a specimen may be safely self-collected by an individual, they should be referred to their healthcare provider for COVID-19 testing. Positive test results will be shared with the Local Public Health Authority to assist in contact tracing.
If you would like your child to participate in this testing program, please complete and return the consent form below to the school office or email it to isb_communications@beaverton.k12.or.us. You can find the consent form in additional languages at this link: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/public-safety/emergency-preparedness/coronavirus/return-to-in-person-instruction/covid-19-health-safety-guidance under the COVID-19 Testing Information. For further information on the Abbot BinaxNOW rapid antigen test, please visit FDA information on BinaxNOW test.
Game Changers: Youth-led Action on Climate Change
Dragons in the Spotlight
Scholastic Art and Writing Competition National Gold Medal
Despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic, more than 80,000 students across the country actively participated in the 2021 Awards with nearly 230,000 entries. The organizers thanked participants for sharing their visions and voices with them, and proudly celebrated their creativity, ingenuity, and talent.
State Science Fair Awards
NWSE, the State Science Fair and final qualifying fair for ISEF, the International Science Expo was held virtually on April 9th. ISB was represented by 13 students and many of them received the following awards. Congratulations to these students and teacher Jaimie Yee!
Honorable Mention in category: Minhkhoa Truong
3rd place in their category: Ziad El-Moursy, Audrey Liang
2nd place in their category: Emily Song
1st place in their category: Ronald Lin
Special Awards:
Science Champion Award: Alex Lim & Daniel Hadi (Mountainside)
Outstanding Use of Metric System: Ziad El-Moursy
Excellence in Behavioral Science: Audrey Liang
Naval Excellence in Science & Engineering: Logan McClure
Extra Special Awards:
Regeneron Biomedical Award: Ronald Lin
ISEF Qualifier: Ronald Lin
Best of Fair - Life Science: Ronald Lin
To note, Sophomore Ronald Lin is the first ever ISEF qualifier and the first ever Best of Fair from ISB. He was awarded $1,000 in prizes and will be advancing to the International Fair. He competed against 160 other projects from around the state for this honor.
Service As Action
April is National Volunteer Month and typically in the spring, ISB middle school students participate in a service day field trip. Recently, students in Advisory talked about service learning project ideas that they can do from home and within the guidelines of social distancing since a field trip isn't possible right now. We'd love to hear about what community service your student is doing and provide ideas for others. Submit pictures, links, and descriptions for inclusion on our digital bulletin board of service projects by emailing alicia_johnson@beaverton.k12.or.us.
Pandemic EBT Benefits
- Nutrition Services continues to offer free MEALS to all BSD children aged 1-18 with no Meal Benefits application required. This will continue until the end of the 2020-2021 school year.
- New Information: The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT)program, through DHS, will offer MONEY to families who qualify for Meal Benefits. The money is being offered to help families purchase groceries during the pandemic.
- Families who meet the criteria in this list for the 2020-2021 school year will receive P-EBT funds. No application or further action is needed by families who:
Have students only at CEP schools (families who have students at CEP and non-CEP schools need to apply for the non-CEP students to receive funds)
Have children who qualify for SNAP or TANF benefits
Have children with Homeless, Foster, Migrant, or Runaway status
Have applied and been approved for Meal Benefits at any time during the 2020-2021 school year. - Families who do not meet any of the above criteria need to apply right away for Meal Benefits if they wish to be considered for P-EBT funds. Online applications are strongly encouraged, using www.schoolcafe.com. The SchoolCafe website supports English and Spanish applicants.
- Paper Meal Benefits applications, in both English and Spanish, are available at all meal pickup sites and all school offices.
- For more information, follow this link: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/nutrition-services.
- If you have questions, please call Meal Benefits at 503-356-3957 or email to NS-MealBenefits@beaverton.k12.or.us.
Beneficios EBT de Pandemia
- Los Servicios de Nutrición continúa ofreciendo comidas gratuitas a todos los niños de BSD de 1 a 18 años sin necesidad de solicitud de beneficios de comida. Esto continuará hasta el final del año escolar 2020-2021.
- Nueva información: El programa Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT), a través del DHS, ofrecerá DINERO a las familias que califican para beneficios de comida. El dinero se ofrece para ayudar a las familias para comprar comestibles durante la pandemia.
- Las familias que cumplan con los criterios de esta lista para el año escolar 2020-2021 recibirán fondos P-EBT. Ninguna solicitud o acción adicional es necesaria para las familias que:
- Tengan estudiantes solo en las escuelas CEP (familias que tienen estudiantes en las escuelas CEP y no CEP necesitan solicitar para los estudiantes que no son CEP para que reciban fondos)
- Tengan niños que califican para beneficios SNAP o TANF
- Tengan niños con condición de personas sin hogar, adoptivos, migrantes o niños desaparecidos
- Hayan solicitado y sido aprobados para beneficios de comida en cualquier momento durante el año escolar 2020-2021.
- Las familias que no cumplan ninguno de los criterios anteriores deben solicitar de inmediato beneficios de comida si desean ser consideradas para los fondos de P-EBT. Se recomienda que las solicitudes sean en línea, utilizando www.schoolcafe.com. El sitio web de SchoolCafe apoya a los solicitantes de inglés y español.
- Las solicitudes de beneficios de comidas de papel, tanto en inglés como en español, están disponibles en todos los sitios donde se recogen las comidas y en todas las oficinas escolares.
- Para obtener más información, siga este enlace: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/nutrition-services.
- Si tiene preguntas, llame a la oficina de Beneficios de comida al 503-356-3957 o envíe un correo electrónico a NS-MealBenefits@beaverton.k12.or.us.
CONTACT AND FOLLOW US
International School of Beaverton
Janice M. Adams, Ed.D. - Interim Principal
Email: isb_communications@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/schools/isb/
Location: 17770 SW Blanton St, Beaverton, OR, United States
Phone: (503) 356-3690
Facebook: facebook.com/isbdragons
Twitter: @isb_dragons
The Beaverton School District prohibits discrimination and harassment based on any basis protected by law, including but not limited to, an individual's actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national or ethnic origin, marital status, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, familial status, economic status, veteran status, or because of a perceived or actual association with any other persons within these protected classes.