The Current
LOSD News • Jan. 22, 2021
In this Message:
Message from the Superintendent
Weather Event Communications
Updated COVID-19 Metrics for Schools
LOSD CARES Resilience Panel Discussion Jan. 27
Wednesday Workshops for Elementary Students
No School Friday, Jan. 29
School Board 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 Open Feb. 1
Budget Committee Seeking New Members
Elementary Standards-Based Report Cards
LO City Recreational Pool Survey
Rotary's SASEE Award Nominations Open
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
After listening to compelling rationale from our teachers and staff, consulting with our local public health authorities, coordinating with vaccine distribution leads, and weighing operational logistics, LOSD needs to change the start for returning elementary students to a later date in February. I will share a new timeline as soon as possible. Also, I want to share that we are making tentative plans to transition our middle and high schools at the start of the fourth quarter.
Key considerations:
The need to be vaccinated is very real for our teachers, staff and community. We are working closely with the vaccine distributors and expediting a schedule to vaccinate our school personnel. Even with vaccinations, LOSD is committed to strict adherence to mitigating protocols that are proven to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in schools and protect teachers, staff, students and families from bringing home the communicable disease.
Clackamas County Public Health advises waiting a bit longer while cases of COVID-19 continue trending downward. Lower community spread will allow for a more stable Hybrid in-person experience.
With more than 200 requests for elementary placement changes, 26% of our elementary students will be in LO Online and 74% of our elementary students plan to participate in Hybrid in-person. We are making class placement decisions that minimize, to the greatest extent possible, the impact of students, teachers and families.
Public health officials indicate they anticipate case numbers to continue downward unless people loosen their safety precautions in the community. It is imperative that all of us contribute to being able to move forward with in-person school by avoiding large social gatherings, wearing masks, watching distance and washing hands.
We remain committed to returning our learning community to school when we can do so safely and effectively. Please be considerate of one another, and support each other as we navigate this collectively challenging time.
Weather Event Communications
Winter is here. While most in our learning community are teaching and learning from home, we do have several hundred students, teachers and staff who make their way to our school buildings every day. If Lake Oswego has a weather event, such snow and ice, that makes it unsafe for buses and cars to drive on the roads, we will notify all in our learning community that school buildings will be closed.
You may received a notification by 6:30 a.m. through a number of communications: LOSD mobile app, text, email, voice message, and social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) @wearelosd. If in doubt, please be sure to check multiple sources to confirm the message came from LOSD.
Download the Lake Oswego Schools mobile app and enable push notifications to receive important alerts and emergency notifications. Emergency information sent via @wearelosd.
Updated COVID-19 Metrics for Schools
The Oregon Department of Education announced its updated Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance, version 5.5.0, on Tuesday, Jan. 19. The guidance adopts the Harvard Method for advisory health metrics used by many states successfully providing in-person instruction. These advisory metric standards require strict adherence to protocols and practices demonstrated to mitigate the transmission of Covid-19 in schools.
The metrics are on page 17 of the guidance, which is posted on the district website in the Roadmap to Reopening section. Clackamas County is in the large county metrics along the top row. These metrics advise elementary schools to transition to Hybrid on-site when at or below 350/100,000; and secondary-level schools to transition to Hybrid on-site when below 200/100,000. If case trends are increasing, schools are advised to pause bringing more students onsite and are advised not to stop those already on-site.
As of this week, Clackamas County case metrics are trending down and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported 308/100,000. The OHA updated reports may be found on the district website on the Roadmap to Reopening section.
LOSD CARES Resilience Panel Jan. 27
Please join us at the first LOSD CARES “Resilience Panel” with Jim Bluhm, M.D. and Shannon O’Dell, PsyD. on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 5-6 p.m. All parents and guardians are welcome.
Webinar Zoom Link: https://loswego-k12-or-us.zoom.us/j/87142404276
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.
For more information, please contact our school counselor or social worker with any questions.
Wednesday Workshops for Elementary Students
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.
No School Jan. 29
School Board Meeting
All are welcome to observe the public sessions remotely.
Monday, Jan. 25
Regular Session approximately 6 p.m.
Click here for the agenda posted on district website
You can observe the meeting and listen to the discussion remotely in the same way you can with other board meetings. Simply click on the "View Live" link on losdschools.org. You can watch the meeting live or a recording afterwards.
Procedures for providing public testimony: The Board of Education values public input. If you wish to comment on an agenda item or another item not on the agenda, please submit your comments by 12:00 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 by emailing losdschoolboard@loswego.k12.or.us. IMPORTANT: Please type “1/25/21 Testimony” in the subject line and include your full name in the body of the email. Names of patrons providing input will be read during the meeting and their written testimony will be posted online under the agenda item for which their testimony pertains to. For testimony received after the 12 p.m. deadline, names of patrons will not be read during the meeting, however, their testimony will be posted online at the conclusion of the meeting in accordance with the aforementioned procedures.
Consider Serving on the LO School Board
LO School Board elections are coming up. Filing for board positions begins on Feb. 8.
Directors Kirsten Aird and Liz Hartman are hosting virtual meetings for community members interested in serving on the board.
- Tuesday, Jan. 26, 12-1 p.m.
- Wednesday, Jan. 27, 8-9 a.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 4, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Please email either liz.hartman@loswego.k12.or.us or kirsten.aird@loswego.k12.or.us to RSVP and receive the meeting Zoom link.
LO School Board members serve four-year terms. Following are the board positions up for election this year:
- Position 2: Currently held by Neelam Gupta
- Position 3: Currently held by Sara Pocklington
- Position 4: Currently held by Liz Hartman
For more information about the LO School Board, please visit the district website School Board page or the Oregon School Boards Association at www.osba.org
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 Open Feb. 1
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, applications will open Monday, Feb. 1.
Elementary Standards-Based Report Cards
This year, LOSD is shifting to a standards-based report card for students in elementary schools. This new report card measures a child’s progress toward proficiency or mastery of the priority standards in Reading, Writing, Language, Speaking, and Math.
This approach provides the means for communicating a child’s learning in more specific terms. Standards-based reporting articulates clear end-of-year grade-level standards for each subject. Using the scale below, teachers will communicate where a child resides on a learning continuum by indicating the student’s progress toward mastery of each identified grade-level standard.
The standards-based reporting scale:
4 = The student is highly proficient and works consistently at an in-depth and complex level within or beyond the end of year standard*
3 = The student is proficient and meets the grade-level expectation of the standard
2 = The student is nearly proficient and nearly meets the end of year standard
1 = The student is developing and demonstrates limited proficiency on the end of year standard
Important notes about the scale:
- Reporting is based on the end-of-year grade-level expectation. Therefore, proficiency would not be expected in the middle of the school year.
- A “2” represents the expected target for the majority of the school year as this indicates the child is progressing with the standard as expected. A “3” will be given when the student completely meets the grade-level standard.
- Details of what is expected at mastery level can be found on the report card or on the list of assessed grade-level standards.
- A “1” may prompt additional communication from the classroom teacher so parents will better understand their child’s learning journey.
*It is rare that a child will receive a “4” especially at the end of the first semester. A “4” score may prompt additional communication from the classroom teacher to discuss ways he/she is meeting the child’s unique learning needs.
Behavior Learning Targets are approached differently than end-of-year standards. For more information about your child’s progress, contact the classroom teacher.
LO City Recreational Pool Survey
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.
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 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