The Owl Newsletter
OTTO PETERSEN ELEMENTARY
“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up new trees.”
— Amelia Earhart
This week, I have a short but sweet message to Otto Petersen parents: thank you. After I emailed some of my thoughts about the power of words this week, I was inundated with kind emails that I forwarded on to my staff. Your single act of kindness, and the power behind the words you wrote was deeply felt. Thank YOU for all that you do for our community.
~Principal Ticer
October 17th - Vision Screening
October 23rd-27th - Parliament Elections
October 31st - Halloween
November 3rd - Teacher Grading Day
Make-Up Work Policy
At Otto Petersen, it has been determined, through parent and faculty meetings, that homework, outside of nightly reading, some small projects, and unfinished work from the classroom, is not developmentally appropriate for students in grades 4-6.
Attendance is incredibly important because missed classroom content will impact student achievement levels. We understand that sometimes students will miss classroom content due to illness or planned absences. In this case, parents may request work that was missed. Please see the following processes, procedures, and expectations:
The parent needs to email the teacher directly with the request for make-up work.
The classroom teacher will acknowledge that they received the request for make-up work within 24 hours of receiving the request.
The teacher will have at least 24 hours to gather make-up materials to be sent home.
Should the teacher need more time to prepare due to an extended absence, they will communicate with the parent when the work will be available.
Students will have until the end of the quarter to return the work to the teacher.
Teachers plan and adjust classroom work based on where students are at, how they are understanding the material, and the students' rate of learning. Please understand that if students are excused from school for an extended period of time, including family vacations, our staff will not provide the work for that period ahead of time.
Safety in the Parking Lot
Please always stop at the stop sign that is at the crosswalk.
Pull all the way forward when dropping off your student. Do not block the bus entrance area.
Drive slow, be aware, and follow the safety signs that are available.
Toys and Blankets Stay at Home
At Otto Petersen, we are focused on academics and being present for the flow of the school day. Therefore, all toys, blankets, and stuffed animals must stay at home.
If your student needs a fidget, we do have them available at school. Students know that they need to use them appropriately, and not like toys. If they become a distraction to the educational process, they will be taken away and stored for use later.
Hello fellow readers!
It is the most wonderful time of the school year; OBOB TIME! If you have time, click here to watch the promo video. The Oregon Battle of the Books, or OBOB, is a statewide voluntary reading program in which students in 3rd through 12th grade, regardless of ability, are exposed to literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints. The main goal of the program is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, to broaden reading interests, to increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence, and to teamwork among students.
Students were sent home with OBOB forms so that they may form teams, review the book lists with their families, and discuss any books that may challenge their family’s beliefs and values. Students do not need to read all sixteen books on the OBOB list in order to participate in battles. If you have questions about the forms, you may watch a video about them by clicking here.
Any student may participate in this after school program, the main challenge is acquiring enough coaches to help out teams. Please think about volunteering to help your student’s team so that they may enjoy a successful OBOB season. Here is the link to the district’s background check form for you to submit at your earliest convenience.
Below are some links to help you find some information about OBOB as well as find copies of the forms that were send home. If you are thinking about coaching, I highly recommend checking out the Cedar Mill Public Library page as well as OBOB’s home page. If you have questions about the books, try using Common Sense Media to see what information may be available about the content of each book. You may also click here to check out the book trailers that people have created and posted on YouTube.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email myself or your child’s homeroom teacher for more information.
Happy Reading!
Allyson Richard
4th Grade Teacher
Otto Petersen Elementary
Scappoose, OR
971-200-8003
arichard@scappoose.k12.or.us
So Many New Books - YAY!
IN THE LIBRARY THIS WEEK: For the last couple of weeks, I have had a helper on loan from the district to help me get new books processed–it has been so awesome to see the excitement the kids have about getting new books! I had such a huge backlog of books needing processing, that I too am excited when I finally see a book that I have been waiting for hit the shelf! Thank you for your donations, your support of our Amazon Wishlist and your support of our Book Fairs (see below)–we couldn’t have such an amazing library collection without your help!
IT IS LIBRARY CONFERENCE SEASON!: I headed to Lincoln City on Thursday night for the Oregon Association of School Libraries conference this weekend and I head to Tampa, FL on Wednesday morning for the American Association of School Libraries national conference next week. The amazing Megan Greisen will be my sub at both OPE and Grant Watts, so our kiddos will be in great hands while I am gone. It will be back-to-back long weekends for me, but I am excited about the learning opportunities I will get to experience!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!: Many people have been asking when our Book Fairs will be this year–thank you SO much for your support of these fairs as they help support our library collections and our teachers’ classroom collections!
Grant Watts: 12/11-12/15 & 5/20-5/24
OPE: 11/27-12/1 & 4/29-5/3
Warren: 11/13-11/17 & 4/15-4/20
OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE THE BEST!: Thank you so much volunteers for coming and helping shelve books as well as helping kiddos find the perfect books to take home! I love how all of you just jump in where you see a need and help in so many ways–YOU are appreciated!
Enjoy your long weekend!! ~ Mrs. Nudo
Scappoose Families,
Your district code is 7H5T
So that you are aware, one limitation of the system is that each bus can only have one route assigned. That means that on early release Wednesday, the app will not show the bus. This is a known issue, and the developers are working to resolve the issue.
Firstview has a great customer service team, and they are the ones to contact for support. The district cannot help with any issues during the installation or use of the app.
For questions:
o Visit: https://firstfeedback.com/
o Use the in-app button to provide feedback
Please click the link below to visit the SSD First Student Bus Services webpage. This will provide details on how to download the app and will reiterate the code.
Attention OPE Families,
Interested in hearing more information about the upcoming bond? Superintendent Porter will be presenting some useful information at our next meeting!
We will also be discussing our upcoming Mo’s Clam Chowder fundraiser and the possibility of a popcorn fundraiser through the Columbia Theater!
Next meeting is October 12th, 4:00 at OPE!
Contact Chelsea ottopetersenpresident@gmail.com
Attendance Reminders & After School Change of Plans
Also, if you have to change your students' after-school plans, please try to do this one hour before students are released so that we have enough time to communicate with teachers and staff.
- Sue MacLachlan: smaclachlan@scappoose.k12.or.us
- Mary McNabb: mmcnabb@scappoose.k12.or.us
- Your child's teacher
We appreciate your support in making sure we know where your students are during the school day. Thank you!
Sign up for Free and Reduced Meals Here
Families,
If you have not completed a free and reduced application, please complete it here https://www.ode.state.or.us/apps/frlapp
Oregon has expanded the free and reduced rules, and many families are eligible who may believe they are not.
Oregon EIG and Federal Income Guidelines can be found here:
https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/childnutrition/SNP/Documents/Oregon%20EIG%20incl%20Federal%20Income%20Guidelines.pdf
My MealTime Breakfast and Lunch Accounts
ParentVue Help
Video explanation of this great tool that can help you understand how your student is doing.
ParentVUE is a web portal that allows parents/caregivers to access real-time information related to their student's education progress. Parents can view their student's attendance, grades, assignments, and more. Look for access links on the school and/or district websites. Here is a link to a video explanation of ParentVue developed by a teacher at OPE: ParentVue video
YMCA
After School Enrichment Program
OPE is excited to welcome the YMCA to campus this year. Through a partnership with the City of Scappoose, the YMCA is establishing an after-school program at OPE designed to serve K-6 students from all of the schools. This is a first-come-first-serve program so if you are interested apply right away!Personal Electronic Device Policy
(Cell phones, Smart watches, Earbuds)
As an upper elementary school, O.P.E. will align with the Middle School policy concerning electronic devices. A personal electronic device is defined by the district as any “device capable of electronically communicating, sending, receiving, storing, recording, reproducing and/or displaying information and data.” The new policy will ask that students have their devices “off and away” while on campus. A private warning will be given if a student uses the device while at school. A second infraction will lead to the device being turned into the office for pick-up at the end of the day. Parents will be asked to pick up the device after a third infraction. The school is asking for parent support with this policy as we focus on building a positive learning environment.Here is the testing schedule for the rest of May.