The Current
LOSD News • Jan. 29, 2021
In this Message:
Message from the Superintendent
Every Month is Black History Month @ LOSD
Getting Students Ready for In-Person School
Wednesday Workshop Elementary Student SignUps
LOSD CARES Resilience Panel Recording
Bond Accountability Committee Meeting
Consider Serving on LO School Board
iReady Survey for K-8 Families
New Student Registration Open
Spanish Immersion Kindergarten Registration Opens Feb. 24
Board Appointed Committee Applications Now Open
Budget Committee Seeking New Members
Community Reminders:
- Youth Forum Event Sunday, Jan. 31
- LO City Recreational Pool Survey due Jan. 31
- LO Reads Calls for Student Art
- Rotary's SASEE Award Nominations
- LO Little League Registration
- LO Softball Registration
Regular Reminders:
- Get Social: Follow, Share, Engage @wearelosd
- What's New at Community School
- Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
- 3 Ws: Watch Distance, Wear Mask, Wash Hands
- Safe Oregon
Message from the Superintendent
Thank you for your understanding and patience as we navigate through this incredibly dynamic and complex time. Today I am announcing our confirmed date for transitioning Hybrid in-person elementary students. Considering inputs from our school personnel, advice from our public health authorities, knowledge of our vaccination schedules, and directives from our School Board, we have arrived at a start date of Tuesday, Feb. 23. This date will be kept firm so that all in our learning community may prepare and move forward together.
We are confident this date will provide a stable, warm and welcoming transition to Hybrid in-person. Following is the timeline for all grades:
Kindergarten & Grade 1: Tuesday, Feb. 23
Grade 2 & Grade 3: Monday, March 1
Grade 4 & Grade 5: Friday, March 5
Grades 6-12: tentative plans for start of 4th quarter, week of April 12
Principals will be providing information about reopening details and preparing students for in-person school. This will include information about class assignments based on teacher and student change requests, and sharing a video with families on “a day in the life” to communicate what our elementary students may expect when returning to our buildings. There will be no school supply lists as the district will be providing all necessary tools for learning.
For additional information, please read the updated Frequently Asked Questions on our Roadmap to Reopening.
We look forward to turning our efforts to providing a warm and welcoming environment for all of our students.
Every Month is Black History Month @ LOSD
Introductory video: THIS
In its January 25th Black History Month Resolution, the Lake Oswego School Board recognized Black History Month “ in honor of those who have worked tirelessly and often without recognition for the advancement of humankind.” LOSD has been working hard to, not only recognize and celebrate Black lives during the month of February, but to do it all year long. Our goal is to include Black, Indigenous and People of Color voices, perspectives and history into our everyday.
This year, the District has put together a Anti-bias/Anti-racist Professional Development Calendar for teachers and staff. Equity teams in schools have taken the initiative of delivering these lessons to all staff in learning circles happening during the asynchronous Wednesday’s principal time. On January 27th, LOSD also began the first ever districtwide ABAR Learning Circle to which all teachers and staff were invited. The first session was attended by a group consisting of teachers, staff and administrators from different schools in the District. The District Learning Circle will meet monthly and will explore topics like Race and Identity, The History of Race and Racism in the United States, Implicit Bias and Microaggressions, Systems of Inequality and Indigeneity and Colonialism.
LOSD also provided a calendar full of K-12 ABAR Supplemental Lessons that teachers can infuse into their regular curriculum. DEI-AC members decided to begin a BLM group which is meeting weekly to plan a BLM Literacy Program. The lessons will be facilitated by community volunteers, LOSD teachers, students and staff guided by the resources provided by the District in the supplemental lessons. The group plans to open these K-12 lessons to all students in LOSD soon.
Another initiative that LOSD has taken is to review its discipline policies and practices. LOSD is planning on hiring a professional Restorative Practices organization to train a group of educators and strategize a plan for the implementation of restorative practices. The District recognizes that a culture of belonging and a sense of community need to be in place for restorative practices to be effective. LOSD is working on creating this culture by providing teachers and students with the necessary tools to achieve this goal.
LOSD is currently considering the adoption of programs like the Anti Defamation League’s No Place for Hate and Narrative 4. Both programs empower students to create a culture of empathy, respect and belonging in their schools.
Finally, starting next school year, students will have the opportunity to take an Ethnic Studies course consisting of two parts. The course will eventually become a required class.
Please contact Teresa Sanchez (sanchezt@loswego.k12.or.us) with any comments or questions about LOSD’s equity efforts and initiatives.
Getting Students Ready for In-Person School
There are several things families can do at home to help prepare students for in-person school. On the district website under Roadmap to Reopening Health & Safety Protocols and listed below, are a number of guidelines, reminders and daily practices, including:
Preparing Your Student to Return to School
Daily Homescreening for Students During COVID-19
Please Keep Ill Students Out of School
This information has been used by our families participating in limited in-person instruction with great success. Thank you for using it, too.
Wednesday Workshop SignUps
Through a partnership with the Lake Oswego Schools Foundation, LOSD is pleased to offer enrichment classes on Wednesdays to create more connection experiences for our LOSD elementary students only and offered free of charge.
The goal of Wednesday Workshops is for elementary students to take one, 60-minute enrichment class (online, synchronous) that will run 6 weeks from February 10 to March 17, 2021. Classes are scheduled from 9:15-10:15 a.m. and 10:30-11:30 a.m. and can accommodate both the AM and PM cohort schedules. Experience will determine if the program extends for a second session in the spring.
Wednesday Workshops sign up is through LOSD Community Schools and features fun, high-quality third-party instructors in science, engineering, art, world languages as well as activity classes in leadership, movement, writing, drama and more.
Please click here to go to the Wednesday Workshops landing page on the LOSD website for more information and to register for a class. Or click here for a complete list of course offerings by time, grade, or subject.
LOSD CARES Resilience Panel Recording
LOSD CARES is a Connection and Resilience in Education Series hosted by the LOSD Wellness team of our school counselors, social workers and psychologists. Working with community mental health partners LOSD has developed a workshop series for parents and guardians to support, inform, and empower families on issues surrounding mental health.
The LOSD CARES team is making plans for a new session in March. Stay tuned for more details coming soon.
Bond Accountability Committee Meeting
Thursday, Feb. 4
4-6 p.m.
Please visit the district calendar for a link to the meeting.
iReady Survey for K-8 Families
Our district has been piloting a program called i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment for all students K-8. Students tested in the areas of math and reading. i-Ready is a program that helps teachers determine student’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year.
A progress assessment like i-Ready is typically given three times a year and helps teachers effectively assess their students and then provide individualized instruction based on each student's unique needs. It also can provide reports to be sent home for parents to better understand a student's academic progress.
We have a formal teacher committee looking at adopting a progress assessment tool for next year and we would like your feedback. If you are a parent of a K-8 student, please click here to complete a survey. Thank you for your time!
New Student Registration Opens
Registration for the 2021-22 school year is now open.
- January 20, 2021 for registering new students enrolling into grades 1–12 who have never enrolled in Lake Oswego before and returning students enrolling into grades 1–12 who are not currently enrolled but will re-enroll for next year.
- February 24, 2021 for registering new students enrolling into kindergarten for the 2021-22 school year.
- Students who are currently attending LOSD during the 2020-21 school year do not need to register for the 2021-22 school year.
LOSD is pleased to offer online registration through its parent portal, ParentVUE (contact your resident school for help with logging in). See the Registration & Verification page of the LOSD website for guidance.
Spanish Immersion Kindergarten Registration Opens Feb. 24
- Application available on the District website: February 24, 2021
- Application Deadline: March 12, 2021, 3:30 p.m.
- Lottery Date: March 17, 2021, 3:00 p.m.*
- Lottery Notification: March 19, 2021
*Should the district receive more applications than spaces available, a lottery will be held. Those wishing to participate in the lottery must submit their application to the District Administration Office no later than 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 12, 2021.
*Younger siblings of students currently in kindergarten through 4th grade of the Spanish Immersion program have priority for enrollment only at the kindergarten level. Sibling priority does not apply to current siblings on the waitlist. If you currently have a child enrolled in LOSD’s kindergarten through 4th grade Spanish immersion program, you will have the first choice for enrollment in the kindergarten program. You will not be entered into the lottery, but you must submit an application to the program prior to the March 12, 2021 (3:30 p.m.) lottery deadline to be assured a slot. Slots not filled from sibling applications will be available in the general lottery.
Visit the LOSD Spanish Immersion Website for more details.
Budget Committee Seeking New Members
LOSD is currently accepting applications for two open positions on the Legal Budget Committee. The Legal Budget Committee consists of members of the LO School Board and five citizen members who are charged with reviewing and approving the budget for the upcoming school year. Citizen members are appointed to three-year terms and typically meet three to four times in the spring.
Click here for an application or visit the district website, Business & Finance Department. Applications are due Feb. 5, by 5 p.m.
Board Appointed Committee Applications Now Open
Please consider serving on one of the district and board appointed advisory committees. As part of continuous efforts to increase communication with the public and to provide for citizen involvement, the LO School Board appoints advisory committees to consider matters of district-wide importance. Committees meet monthly, September through May.
Bond Accountability Committee (BAC)
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Committee
Long Range Facilities Planning (LRFP) Committee
Student Services Parent Advisory Committee (SSPAC)
Talented and Gifted (TAG) Advisory Committee
School Advisory Committees (SAC) for each school
Committee members are appointed to serve two-year terms, except SSPAC is a three-year term. For terms beginning in June 2021, please click here for an application.
Youth Forum Event Sunday, Jan. 31
Please join us for this DEI-focused event (Diversity, Equity + Inclusion) addressing social inequities in Lake Oswego. Panelists will feature community leaders in an open discussion about current and local events, social justice and a Q & A session. The Youth Forum will be presented as a webinar on Zoom, with a submission form for questions upon registration.
Click here to register. Please reserve registrations for youth, grades 6-12.
LO City Recreational Pool Survey Due Jan. 31
The design for the Lake Oswego Recreation and Aquatics Center is underway. Throughout the design process, there will be many ways to get involved and share your ideas. Opportunities will include: community meetings, an online open house, surveys, and more.
The recreation pool is only one part of the recreation and aquatics center. Please take a few minutes to take this survey. This survey is the first of a number of methods we will use to gather input on the design of the Lake Oswego Recreation and Aquatics Center.
Click HERE to fill out the survey by January 31, 2021.
LO Reads Calls for Student Art
The Lake Oswego Public Library has selected Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson as the 2021 book for its award-winning citywide reading program, at the recommendation of the Lake Oswego Reads Steering Committee.
Rotary's SASEE Award Nominations Open
Lake Oswego Rotary Club is seeking nominees for this year's SASEE Awards, which honor service above self in educational excellence.
Do you know an educator, support staff member, student or citizen who demonstrates a commitment to education through work, projects and activities that emphasize "service above self?" LO Rotary Club wants to recognize and support the people who make education in Lake Oswego exceptional.
Please click here to learn more and nominate someone.
LO Rotary Club awards thousands of dollars in cash and scholarships in several SASEE categories. In each case, SASEE Award recipients have the opportunity to “pay it forward” by passing their monetary award on to their school or project.
- Teachers, administrators and support staff: $1,000 for their school or project
- Students: $1,000 for their school or project
- Citizens: $2,500 scholarships awarded in their names to students who also demonstrate "service above self"
LO Little League Baseball Registration
Registration is open for the Lake Oswego Little League 2021 spring baseball season. Pre-k through 6th graders are welcome to register. Please visit www.lolittleleague.org/registration for more information.
LO Softball Registration
Lake Oswego Softball registration is open for the Spring 2021 Little League season (open to girls ages 4-14). Visit www.lakeoswegosoftball.org for more information - register by January 31st to take advantage of the league's "Winter Special" pricing. Final registration deadline is Monday, Feb. 15.
Get Social: Follow, Share, Engage @wearelosd
What's New at Community School?
The LOSD Community School is offering virtual enrichment programs and activities for students of all ages including culinary, STEM, arts, language, and athletics.
Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
3 Ws: Watch Distance, Wear Mask, Wash Hands
SafeOregon
Parents who have concerns about a student’s well-being are encouraged to reach out to their principal, and to maintain strong lines of communication and partnership between students, families, staff, and other resources.
SafeOregon is also an effective way to report a tip regarding safety threats or potential acts of violence to our students or schools.
(Students should also be aware that intentionally providing a false report is a serious offense.)
Lake Oswego School District
Email: info@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org
Location: 2455 Country Club Road, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 534-2000
Facebook: facebook.com/LOSDProud
Twitter: @LOSD_Proud