Staff Talk
A Newsletter for Beaverton School District Employees
We are fortunate to have 2,567 teachers working in our classrooms, ensuring a quality education for each and every student, increasing graduation rates and preparing all students for college and career success.
In addition to student achievement, our teachers also excel at helping students grow as individuals, providing them with the support they need to thrive outside the classroom. Albert Einstein once said, "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." Our teachers today will be remembered for years to come for the work they are doing to shape tomorrow's young leaders.
Every day, one can witness our teachers working with dedication and commitment. Please take this opportunity to recognize our devoted teachers in the Beaverton School District.
National School Nurse Day - May 8, 2019
Please take this opportunity to recognize our amazing school nurses in the Beaverton School District.
Beaverton School District Nurse, Kim Bartholomew was recently featured in the KATU Series Leaders in Learning: Beyond the Bandages: School Nurse Kim Bartholomew.
Reminder - May 8 - Non-Student Day
May 8, 2019 will be a non-student day due to a statewide teacher "Day of Action” to draw attention to the need for adequate and stable funding for K-12 education after three decades of instability. The walkout will impact our ability to safely operate schools. Therefore, Beaverton schools will offer limited services on May 8. Here are some additional details for families:
AP/IB testing will proceed as scheduled.
Bus routes by school may be found here under AP/IB May 8:
https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/district/departments/trans
Nutrition Services: Free student breakfast and lunch at 32 schools:
The schools listed below will be serving meals at no charge to any child, regardless of attendance boundary, that is between the age of 1-18 years old.
After school programs
After school programs currently in place (please contact your provider for hours of operation)
Extra-curricular activities and athletics
Students should check with their activities advisor and/or coach for schedules.
Please contact your school if you have any questions.
Elmonica Elementary School Boundary Adjustment Superintendent Decision
The School Board discussed whether the objectives established by the Board for the Elmonica Elementary School Attendance Boundary Adjustment in December 2018 were satisfied at its April 29, 2019 Business Meeting. They will render their final decision at their May 20 Business Meeting.
Benefits Open Enrollment Period - May 1-31
Changes Effective: July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020
Open Enrollment information can be found on the Intranet -> Human Resources -> Benefits.
Open Enrollment Meetings:
Representatives from the District health plans and Human Resources staff will be present to answer questions for the July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020 renewal year.
We strongly encourage you to attend one of the meetings and review the information on the District website before the open enrollment period so that your questions may be answered.
Meeting Dates:
- Monday, May 6, 2019 - 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. at Highland Park Middle School, Media Center
- Wednesday, May 8, 2019 - 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. at Conestoga Middle School, Cafeteria
- Monday May 13, 2019 - 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. at Aloha High School, Cafeteria
- Thursday, May 16, 2019 - 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. at Beaverton High School, Lower Cafeteria
- Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. at Westview High School, Media Center
What's New?
- Updated rates for full-time and part-time benefited employees, retirees, and licensed substitutes. Out of pocket rates for active employees are subject to the results of teacher negotiations.
- Summaries of changes to Kaiser and Regence health plans.
Do I need to do anything during Open Enrollment?
- You only need to fill out medical/dental enrollment forms if you want to make a plan change or add dependents.
Where, how and when do I send the forms?
- Completed and signed original forms (no faxes) must be received in the Human Resources office no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 31, 2019. No Exceptions. Late forms received via inter-school mail or the USPS will be returned to sender.
What do I do if I still have questions after visiting the website?
Contact Debbie Johnson at Debbie_Johnson-HR@beaverton.k12.or.us or at 503-356-4459 or Pamela Hanson-Holtry at Pamela_Hanson-Holtry@beaverton.k12.or.us.
Important Information--Required Annual Notice
- Children's Health Insurance Program - CHIP Notice
- Early Retiree Reinsurance Program - ERRP Notice
- HIPAA Special Enrollment Rights Notice
- Kaiser Grandfathered Plan Notice
- Lifetime Limit and Women's Health Cancer Rights Act
- Medicare Creditable Coverage - All Medical Plans
- Newborn Health and Special Enrollment Rights Notice
Regence Enhanced Wellness Tools
Beaverton School District employees currently have access to a wealth of wellness information and well-being tools through Regence.com. Beginning last month, Empower Core, a new personalized employee well-being platform that is embedded with health plans for BSD employees, went live on regence.com.
Empower Core will also integrate MedSavvy and MD Live into employees’ wellness journey, beginning July 1, 2019, allowing them to have a seamless user experience for all programs that support their health and well-being.
BSD employees will still access their well-being program directly through Regence.com but it will be enhanced and have a fresh look.
Another feature of Empower is a mobile app that mirrors the online platform. The App is Regence branded (Regence Empower) and can be found in both the Android and iOS app stores.
Employee Online Services Has a New Look!
Employee Online Services (EOS) is back online and has a whole new look!
If you have accessed EOS in the past you will notice that the dashboard looks a little different, but all of the same information is accessible. If you need assistance in navigating the new format, please feel free to contact a Payroll representative or the IT Help Desk (extension 64300).
Below is a summary of the more critical changes to common EOS functions (found within the Payroll Information section shown in the screen shot below):
- Presentation of pay on checks and direct deposit statements has changed significantly. Specifically, Wages, Taxes, Employer Paid Benefits, Pre-Tax Deductions, and After-Tax Deductions are displayed separately, with Net Pay (the amount the employee “takes home”) shown as the sum of these categories in the Wages Summary section near the bottom left corner of the check stub. Further, the Taxes section of the stub now reports the employee’s withholding status and allowances as well as any additional, flat amount of withholding requested by the employee.
- Statements created prior to the upgrade are accessible under the link titled “Check Stubs (Before 4/25/2019).” Stubs created AFTER 4/26/2019 are accessible under the “Check Stubs (After 4/26/2019)” link. This link will not contain any statements until May payroll has run.
- Leave balances (and associated usage) can be accessed under Leave Tracking. Reporting of a particular Leave Balance requires the user to select the # of years to display then click on the specific balance name.
- W-4 changes can be processed by clicking on Tax Withholdings, as shown in the screen shot below.
We hope these changes provide a more valuable and informative user experience to employees overall! Thank you again for your patience with the downtime!
Beaverton School District to Hold Public Hearing for Title VI American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Grant Application
The Title VI AI/AN federal grant is designed to support the efforts of the Beaverton School District to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of elementary, middle and high school Native American students so that these students can meet the same challenging state academic achievement standards as all students. Community members will hear how AI/AN grant monies will be spent in the 19-20 school year and will be able to provide input on these expenditures.
Following the public hearing there will be a District American Indian/Alaska Native Parent Advisory Committee meeting at the same location.
For additional information, please contact Brandon Culbertson (503) 356-3766.
Bilingual Teacher Pathway Program
The Bilingual Teacher Pathway (BTP) program is a teacher preparation program designed to fill critical shortages of bilingual/bicultural teachers. In partnership with local school districts and community agencies, the BTP program prepares current bilingual/bicultural district employees to become licensed elementary teachers. It is also open to bilingual/bicultural individuals who aspire to be teachers.
Students in the BTP program take courses (including student teaching) as a cohort over two years. Upon completion of the program, students will be able to integrate their cultural wisdom into learning environments that respect the needs of the children in their classrooms, as well as partner with the home and community. BTP places an emphasis on preparing students to teach all learners in the classroom.
The bilingual Teacher Pathway Program (BTP) has been redesigned to fill a critical shortage of bilingual/bicultural teachers. They are seeking bilingual candidates interested in elementary education to join their program for the 2020-2021 school year.
We invite you to attend our May 9th BTP gathering to hear personal stories and celebrations from past and current participants and to learn more about this wonderful opportunity!
Beaverton School District BTP Gathering
When: Thursday, May 9th from 4:00- 5:30 PM
Location: Beaverton School District Office Conference Rooms 1 & 2
16550 SW Merlo Rd. Beaverton, OR 97003
2nd Annual Whole Child Symposium, - June 18-19
The symposium will be held at Mountainside High School, 12500 SW 175th Ave., from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Click on the link above for course descriptions and to register. When registering, please notice that courses vary in length from one (1) hour to two (2) days. Start and end times also vary due to presenter needs. Lunch will be provided; a link to register for lunch is included in the Schedule of Courses.
Building Resilient Families Workshop
Beaverton High School will host a Building Resilient Families Workshop on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 from 5:00 - 8:30 p.m. at Beaverton High School Auditorium, 13000 SW 2nd St. The workshop will be an important evening of learning about how to support our youth and families in fostering resiliency in their home, school and community. Dr. Amy Stoeber is a local psychologist whose passion is to provide the tools that families and systems need to optimize their resilience and overcome adversity throughout life.
5:00 p.m. - Screening of Resilience documentary, a short but powerful film with great foundational knowledge to compliment any trauma informed care work you are doing in your buildings and that we will continue to focus on at BHS in the fall and beyond.
6:00 p.m. - Break and Snacks
6:30 - 8:30 p.m. - Presenter, Amy Stoeber, PhD LLC
BSD Students Take On the Intel NWSE
The Intel Northwest Science Expo, held Friday, April 12, 2019 at Portland State University, is Oregon's state-level science research competition affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
Intel NWSE includes both a middle school and high school division. The two divisions included 500 projects from 75 schools and organizations across the state. Two best of fair winners were chosen from each division.
Beaverton School District students dominated.
Middle School Division
- Ekansh Mittal, grade 7, Summa Meadow Park Middle School, won Best of Fair in the middle school division with a project titled, "Approaches to Identify Novel Combinations of Natural Medicine to Treat Bacterial Infections".
- Mirja Rebaum, grade 7, Stoller Middle School won Best of Fair in the middle school division with a project titled, "Two Major Global Issues and One Solution to Solve Both".
Many other Beaverton middle school students received Special Awards, view them here.
High School Division
In addition to the two Best of Fair winners (not from BSD), four additional projects were chosen as Intel ISEF finalists. These finalists win an expenses-paid trip to Phoenix, Arizona, in May 2019, to compete at the international level, during the Society for Science and the Public organized event, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
- Rohan Wagh, grade 11, Sunset High School was selected as an Intel ISEF finalist with a project titled, "Designing an In-Situ Soil Conductivity Monitoring System for Precision Agriculture and Water Management".
- Lucas Braun, grade 10, School of Science and Technology was selected as an Intel ISEF finalist with a project titled, "Implementing quantum dot qubits in optimized linear quantum computing architectures through evolutionary computational modeling".
- Himani Sood, grade 12, Westview High School and Aditya Sood, grade 9, Westview High School were selected as Intel ISEF finalists with a project titled, "Reverse Testing Chemotherapies on Drosophila Models to Determine Protein-Kinase Pathways Affected by Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy".
Many other Beaverton High School Students received Special Awards, view them here.
Joining the finalists from Intel NWSE will be the best projects from each of the seven regional fairs in the Northwest Science Expo System. The group of about 30 students, collectively referred to as Team OR, will represent the entire state at Intel ISEF in Phoenix, AZ against international competition in science, engineering and mathematics.
- Divya Amirtharaj, grade 12, Westview High School qualified for Intel ISEF at Beaverton-Hillsboro Science Expo with a project titled, "A Secure Implementation of Mendelian Randomization via Multi-Party Computation".
- Rohan Ahluwalia, grade 11, Westview High School qualified for Intel ISEF at Beaverton-Hillsboro Science Expo with a project titled, "A Novel Optical Diagnostic Method for Non-Invasive Detection of Blood Glucose using Reverse Iontophoresis Modulation and a Personalized Neural Network".
- Lauren Li, grade 12, Westview High School qualified for Intel ISEF at Beaverton-Hillsboro Science Expo with a project titled, "Tracing Cell Lineages from Single-Cell Data using Markov Affinity Estimation".
Congratulations, and good luck at the Intel ISEF!
Beaverton’s Kacy Smith Paterson wins Celebrate Literacy Award from the Portland Reading Council and the International Literacy Association
In her nomination, Kacy was praised for her leadership in literacy education and outstanding work with teachers. “Kacy Smith Paterson is a true advocate for literacy, and it shows in her work with students, colleagues, and District-level staff,” says nominator Amy Hattendorf, (Teacher on Special Assignment) for Secondary TAG/Advanced Programs (AP & IB) MYP Coordinator, Cedar Park Middle School.
The Celebrate Literacy Award recognizes organizations, institutions, and individuals that have made significant literacy contributions at the local, state, or provincial level. The hope is that the celebration will familiarize the public with literacy activities in the community and call attention to the work that is being done by the schools and the International Literacy Association to promote literacy worldwide.
If you wish to attend the awards event, please RSVP with the number of seats to
trish_pazdalski@beaverton.k12.or.us.
Cedric Mugabe Celebrates Citizenship
The party featured apple pie, red, white and blue cupcakes and a variety of American treats. Cedric received a leather passport cover and a box of hot dogs & buns, an apple pie and the all American baseball!
"We are very proud of Cedric," says Karen Youngs, Principal's Secretary
Whitford MS Teacher Selected for Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Project
Fulbright TGC is a year-long professional development opportunity for U.S. elementary, middle, and high school teachers to develop skills for preparing students for a competitive global economy. Fulbright TGC equips teachers to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration.
"I would like to encourage other teachers to apply for the Teachers for Global Classrooms Fulbright Program. The program includes an intense online class in the fall about global education, a conference in Washington, D.C. in February, a field experience; I was in Morocco for two weeks in March learning about the education system and even teaching, and a capstone project," says Parker.
BSD Teams Dominate Science Olympiad Competition
Beaverton School District Science Olympiad teams did an amazing job at the state Science Olympiad competition at Oregon State University on Saturday, April 6, 2019. Stoller Middle School teams placed 1st, 3rd, and 5th and Cedar Park Middle School placed in 2nd in state.
Stoller's 1st place team Grey Matter, will represent Oregon at the National Science Olympiad tournament May 31 - June 1, 2019 at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York.
Science Olympiad is the premier national science competition for middle and high school students. It involves over three million students across the nation, and is growing. It celebrates critical thinking and multiple intelligences. Teams of fifteen students collaborate in knowledge, laboratory, and building events. While Science Olympiad events cover all of the NGSS teaching standards, they go beyond the basics to teach students what it really means to be a scientist or to be an engineer.
2019 Herzog-Meier Senior Art Scholarships
Scholarship winners included:
- Tania Bejarano, Aloha High School
- Xenia Balashova, Arts & Communication Magnet Academy (ACMA)
- Annabelle Cushman, Beaverton High School
- Evan Frost, International School of Beaverton (ISB)
- Sara Buffalochief, Merlo Station High School
- Olivia Banks, Southridge High School
- Anusha Dixit, Sunset High School
- Sydney Hackley, Westview High School
The student work was on display in the Herzog-Meier showroom April 21-28, 2019. A variety of media was displayed, including drawings, ceramics, photography, sculpters, paintings created using oil, acrylic and watercolor, mixed media and computer generated art.
Since 1988, Herzog-Meier has donated more than $85,000 in scholarships to Beaverton School District visual arts students. Herzog-Meier and the Beaverton Education Foundation (BEF) are pleased to collaborate with the Beaverton School District to ensure a successful art show and support of our talented students.
Kinnaman Community Garden Clean-up
All four boxes were completely cleared of weeds and debris in only one hour! Thank you to all who helped!
Migrant Pre-K Graduation
For 19 weeks beginning in October, students engaged in Pre-K curriculum that has prepared them academically and socially for the next step in their education. In addition, the students’ siblings received homework help and their parents participated in workshops on a variety of topics.
"Thanks to the entire migrant team, who did a phenomenal job planning and carrying out the program," says Andrew Robinson, Assistant Administrator for Multilingual Program.
Click here to learn more about the resources and programs available to BSD’s migrant students.
Highland Park MS Academic Learning Center Teacher named Educator of the Year by the Arc Oregon
April Horner, Academic Learning Center Teacher at Highland Park Middle School, has been named the Educator of the Year by the Arc Oregon. Ms. Horner is being honored for her dedication to person-centered focus on each student and her high expectations of all students.
The parent who nominated Ms. Horner had this to say " My daughter has been working with teachers starting at three months old with Early Childhood Intervention. Ms. Horner has taken the time to get to know my daughter, to have high expectations for her, and to hold her accountable to those expectations. She takes the time to recognize the needs of each of her students and puts appropriate supports in place. She values the whole student and knows that in order to maximize student success each student needs to be supported in all areas of need. She developed strategies to help my daughter identify feelings and problem solve how to get her needs met in a positive manner and not through behavior or withdrawing.”
The Arc Oregon is a non-profit organization that together with its network of members and affiliated chapters, advocates for the rights and full community participation of all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Congratulations, April!
Budget Committee Meeting
Monday, May 13, 2019
6:30 p.m.
Beaverton High School, Cafeteria
13000 SW 2nd St.
Beaverton, 97005
Meeting Materials
School Board Business Meeting
Monday, May 20, 2019
6:30 p.m.
Administration Office
16550 SW Merlo Rd.
Beaverton, 97003
Meeting Materials
Budget Committee Meeting
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
6:30 p.m.
Beaverton High School, Cafeteria
13000 SW 2nd St.
Beaverton, 97005
Meeting Materials
Beaverton School District
The 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.
Email: melissa_larson@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: www.beaverton.k12.or.us
Location: 16550 SW Merlo Rd, Beaverton, OR, United States
Phone: 503-356-4360
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeavertonSchoolDistrict
Twitter: @beavertonSD