Falcon Flash
October 7, 2022
Dear Falcon Friends and Families,
I need your help. We are having a difficult time finding a permanent library tech assistant and I’m wondering if any of you might be interested or know of someone who would be interested. The job posting will be up today so take a look and/or contact our office with any questions or information. I’m thinking the Forest Hills community will be able to find someone that enjoys working with children, loves literature and has a facility for technology. Thank you for spreading the word.
Parent / Teacher Conferences are just around the corner happening on October 27 and 28th. Please check out the article below that explains how you can sign up for a time. As you know the parent/student/teacher alliance is an important key to a students success, so please join us later this month.
Enjoy the weekend and take care,
Jim Mangan, Principal
NEW DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
As you well know the safety and security of our students is the top priority at Forest HIlls and in all of our schools. We consistently do our best to make sure students are safe while in school and also safe during their transition back home at the end of the school day. To ensure this we ask that all parents and guardians please comply with following end of day procedures for student dismissal.
Please be as consistent as possible when planning for transportation home from school. The more routine this becomes the less likely mistakes occur.
IF changes need to be made PLEASE communicate them with the OFFICE no later than 1:00 PM. Refrain from emailing the teacher. Often teachers are unable to check email during the teaching day, or may be absent. Office staff will create the appropriate “change slip” and deliver it directly to the classroom.
NEW - This includes changes to car lane pick up. If someone other than the usual parent/guardian is picking up a student from the car lane PLEASE notify the office, and a “change slip” or “pass” will be issued. We know that many are used to simply texting a friend or neighbor to pick up their child, but communication through the office will help ensure your child goes home with the correct adult.
Bus passes are issued for students riding a different route, and drivers will not allow passengers that do not have a bus pass.
PLEASE also respect our pick up locations. If you do not plan on getting out of your car and walking to the front of the building, please use the car lane located on Sunningdale Road.
Thank you so much for following these procedures. We greatly appreciate your support and cooperation in helping make Forest HIlls a safe place to learn and during students’ trip back home.
OFFICE CONTACTS:
NIcole Merino merinon@loswego.k12.or.us Susan Locey: loceys@loswego.k12.or.us
Sincerely,
Jim Mangan, Principal
SAVE THESE DATES
NOW-- New Volunteer Application-- ALL PARENTS must apply to volunteer this year.
10/12 - PTO General Meeting (PM meeting at Roundtable)
10/13 - Early Release 2:00 pm
10/14 - NO SCHOOL Statewide Professional Day
10/20 - Early Release 2:00 pm
10/21 - NO SCHOOL
10/27 & 28 - No School--Parent/Teacher Conferences
1. REMINDER: PTO Meeting
The October PTO Meeting is coming up on Wednesday, 10/12 at 7PM at the Round Table Pizza on Boones Ferry.
2. FUN RUN SCHEDULE
Mark your calendar! The Falcon Fun Run will take place on Thursday, 10/13.
Parents are welcome to join us at the school to cheer on the kids!
1st Grade: 8:30am-9:00am
2nd Grade: 9:20am-9:50am
3rd Grade: 10:00am-10:30am
Kindergarten: 12:15pm-12:35pm
4th Grade: 12:45pm-1:15pm
5th Grade: 1:20pm-1:50pm
Kids should come to school in appropriate shoes/clothes and bring a water bottle.
3. We need your help on the Yearbook Committee
The yearbook is an important way for the kids to remember classmates and school events and to reflect on how they've grown over the school year. But, we can't do it without volunteers. We need help with creative direction and organizing photos. Please register your interest in helping on the volunteer form: https://bit.ly/FHPTOVOLUNTEERS
Hello LOSD Families!
As we return to community gathering, we are seeing some cases of Lice and Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. Please review the links below for more information on how to prevent, identify and treat either. Please see your medical professional for diagnosis, treatment and more information. Also, it is very important for you to bring your students medications to school if they
may be needed during school hours.
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease - CDC Lice Information for Parents
Technology Consent Deadline EXTENDED
Dear LOSD Families, If you haven't done so already, now is the time to complete your consent for your student to use school district software and technology resources (devices, digital textbooks, etc.). The deadline for submitting consent is Sunday, Oct. 9. Please provide your consent through the technology consent portal (not ParentVUE). You will need to set up an account to first access the portal. Attached are the instructions. For assistance, please submit a tech request order: https://losdhelp.zendesk.com/ Our tech department can provide help in the order in which they receive requests. Thank you for completing this essential task for your student. Sincerely,
Mary Kay Larson
Executive Director of Communications, Lake Oswego School District
Fall Conferences 2022-23
Please click here for Parent/Teacher Conference Sign Ups.
iLAB Update
We are wrapping up our first project cycles in iLab. Please check out our website for more details and pictures. I will be adding pictures from our K-2 projects soon.
Up Next:
Kindergarten: Forces and Motion
First: Sound and instruments
Second: Habitats in a box
Third: Fossil Museum
Fourth: Prosthetic designs
Fifth: Food Web models with robots
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a learning disability in reading. People with dyslexia have trouble reading at a good pace and without mistakes. They may also have a hard time with reading comprehension, spelling, and writing. But these challenges aren’t a problem with intelligence.
Children and adults with dyslexia struggle to read fluently, spell words correctly, and memorize rote facts such as multiplication tables, among other challenges. But these difficulties have no connection to their overall intelligence. While people with dyslexia can be slow readers, they often, paradoxically, are very fast and creative thinkers with strong reasoning abilities.
Dyslexia can’t be “cured” – it is lifelong. But with appropriate instruction, an individual with dyslexia can learn to read, write, and spell and can become a highly successful individual.
Get the facts on Dyslexia from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA): Fact Sheets
Video: What is Dyslexia? https://youtu.be/zafiGBrFkRM
Ways to help your child at home: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/dyslexia-strategies-you-can-try-at-home?_ul=1*jhht1b*domain_userid*YW1wLTY5YzJjRVMxUnU3YU03WDduMFdORVE
Each week in October, we will feature a message about dyslexia in this newsletter. If you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s learning, please contact the school principal and/or literacy specialist. Another great parent resource would be to contact your school’s Student Services Parent Advisory Committee (SSPAC) representative. Please see here to learn how to contact your school representative.
FALCON FUN RUN!!
Save the Date for Falcon Fun Run on Thursday, October 13th. Please make sure your child arrives to school in appropriate clothing/shoes as well as a water bottle. Shirts will be provided and passed out by the teachers. Parents are encouraged to volunteer and welcome to cheer on your child as they participate. Please look out for further information regarding when your child's class will be participating.
Support the FOREST HILLS PTO with AmazonSmile!
Visit AmazonSmile (https://smile.amazon.com) and choose Forest Hills Elementary School PTO Inc (make sure the location is Lake Oswego, Oregon) as your AmazonSmile Charity.
It's a simple way to support the Forest Hills PTO every time you shop, at no cost to you. Be sure to use smile.amazon.com every time you place your Amazon order.
Counselor Corner
Dear Forest Hills Families,
Through the month of October, Forest Hills students will be learning all about Responsibility. One way to define Responsibility is “taking action and understanding the impact of our choices.”
Taking action can mean doing the right thing or completing the tasks you have been assigned. Understanding the impact of our choices means that our actions matter. Positive and responsible actions can help people and irresponsible actions can hurt others.
Responsibility is one of the three traits we will focus on throughout the year that encourages students to “Be Strong”. We will be focusing on teaching responsibility skills as it pertains to unkind behavior and our responsibility to follow the school wide expectations.
Have some fun connecting as a family this month while practicing Responsibility. Here are three “PurposeFull Pursuits” for you to complete together:
- Pursuit #1: As a family, think of ways in which you might make someone’s life a little easier by helping a neighbor or family friend with one of their responsibilities. Could you help someone with their garbage or recycling? Could you carry things in from the grocery store? Could you invite someone over for a meal or a show?
- Pursuit #2: Review Responsibility as a family! Responsibility is taking action and understanding how our choices affect others. Choose one household chore (or more!) that requires multiple steps. Then have each member of the family select one step to complete to help get the job done. Maybe it is washing the dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the living room, or unloading the groceries. Whatever it is, see who can be the quickest or most effective at their task.
- Pursuit #3: Family meeting story prompts: A time I (or someone else) showed responsibility was _____. An act of responsibility that changed/challenged me was _____.
Thank you for partnership and support of our Social Emotional Learning. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I can be reached at drimmelh@loswego.k12.or.us or 503-534-2350.
Sincerely,
Hayley Drimmel
School Counselor
State Assessment Score Reports
State Assessment Score Reports: LOSD now delivers students’ state assessment results online through ParentVUE rather than mailing paper. This is in keeping with the district’s strategic goal of sustainability and mirrors how we deliver report cards. Your child’s 2021-22 assessment reports are now available on your ParentVUE Documents page. As you review your student’s English Language Arts, math, and science scores, please keep in mind:
An achievement level of 3 or 4 is considered to be on track for the student’s grade level.
Scores on state assessments are only one measure of a student’s academic progress. We use these scores in conjunction with classroom work and other daily, weekly, monthly, and term assessments to understand your student’s strengths and areas for improvement.
New Application for School Volunteers
For the safety of children, volunteers are required to have an approved background check when volunteering in schools.
To help streamline compliance with state and school board policies, which require that all volunteers have background checks and knowledge of other board policies -- as well as state-mandated proof of vaccination (or a qualified exemption) -- we are introducing a new all-in-one volunteer application and approval process through ou Raptor Visitor Management System.
Submitting an online application initiates the background check process. Once submitted, applicants will receive an email upon approval of your background check and you will be given access through the onsite Raptor System at all schools. Please allow up to three weeks to process your approval.
Volunteers need to submit only one application for volunteering in all LOSD schools. Applications need to be submitted annually to capture changes in background checks, policies, and/or vaccination requirements.
Volunteer Application for LOSD
Thank you for applying promptly, and for your service to our students and schools. We are grateful for our volunteers.
3 Bees Garden
The 3 Bees Garden will be active during lunch recess on Tuesdays (grades K/1/2) and Wednesdays (grades 3/4/5). We have harvesting, plant care, mindfulness, art, and more activities planned for the weeks until the rain overtakes us.
Parents who would like to help out during lunch recess time are encouraged to join us as well! Please remember to check in at the front office before heading around to the garden on Sunningdale.
Bus Passes
If your child is riding a bus with a friend, or taking a different bus for a playdate etc, please have your child bring a note or call the office and request a bus pass.
Bus drivers will not let children on a bus without a pass.
Thank you!
Breakfast and Lunch Updates
School meals are no longer free. If you would like to purchase breakfast or lunch for your child you can put money into a SchoolCafe account for them. When they get their food from the line, your account will be charged. To enroll you need to know your child's school id number which can be found in ParentVUE (See below).
Be sure your child knows if you want them to have breakfast, since you will be charged $2.50 if they get breakfast at school (unless you qualify for free or reduced priced meals).
Teachers will ask students daily about their lunch choice to determine if they brought a lunch from home or they would like one of the following options:
- hot lunch - select one of two entrees
- yogurt lunch
- gluten-free lunch
- lactose-intolerant lunch
Each lunch option from the school is $4.00 per day (unless you qualify for free or reduced priced meals). Linked here is the menu for August/September.
Here are the instructions on loading your student's meal account and here is the information to apply for reduced prices.
DISTRICT/COMMUNITY INFORMATION
REGISTER FOR LAKER YOUTH BASKETBALL
Registration is now open for the Laker Youth Basketball 2022-2023 season! In addition to our competitive program (boys, 4th-8th; girls, 5th-8th), this year we're excited to also offer a rec-league option for boys and girls grades 3-5. There will be an informational parent meeting on Monday, Oct 3rd at 7:00pm in the LOHS cafeteria to learn more about the two program offerings this year. Visit lakeoswegoyouthbasketball.com for additional information and to register your athlete TODAY!
LAKER DANCE GAME DAY WORKSHOP
October 14, 2022, Professional Day
10:00 am - 1:00 pm, Check-In at 9:30 am
Lake Oswego High School Gymnasium
$60 if you pre-register, $65 at the door
Open to ALL Youth, Pre-K through 8th Grade
* Youth Workshop t-shirt for each registered dancer (pre-register by 10/5 for correct sizing)
* Showcase performance 10/14 - parents & friends welcome
* Football game halftime performance with Laker Dancers 10/14
* Laker Dance spirit items available for purchase
Register today! Click HERE
We can’t wait to dance with you!
For questions or assistance with registration, contact Whitney - whitney.woolf@gmail.com or 503-784-9054
Student Services Back to School Night
LOSD's Student Services Back to School Night will be on Monday, October 3rd from 6:00-7:00 pm in the Lakeridge Middle School Commons.
Elementary School Student and Family Handbook
CONTACT THE OFFICE FOR ILLNESSES, VACATIONS, APPOINTMENTS
Ms. Susan is our new Attendance Secretary!
Subscribe to LO Schools App
Stay connected to the district and your school(s) and receive urgent notifications by subscribing to the Lake Oswego Schools App.
Stay in Touch with the PTO
Stay in touch with the PTO on social media!
Instagram #foresthills.pto
https://www.instagram.com/foresthills.pto/
Facebook Forest Hills Elementary PTO
About Forest HIlls Elementary School
Email: merinon@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://or01813384.schoolwires.net/Page/9
Location: 1133 Andrews Road, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: 5035342350