The Springville Saga
Springville K-8 Parent Newsletter (1/18/17)
Principal's Message
We have certainly started 2017 with some dramatic winter weather! I can't remember a winter quite like this one, and we still have several weeks of winter ahead! With nine (9) snow days so far this year, I know there are many questions about how these days will be made up and when these decisions will be made.
The Superintendent and his cabinet will be looking at many factors in making the decision about how to restore lost instructional time. Two of the lost days will not be made up because they were built into the district calendar. That leaves seven (7) days to be determined. Impacting the decision will be the following:
- Instructional time requirements and/or adjustments due to the state-wide impact
- Impact on the ability to complete bond projects
- Impact on the community
As soon as a decision is made, it will be communicated to students, staff, and families. We ask for your patience right now and know that we will communicate as soon as we have further information.
I also want to highlight that the cold and snowy weather has illuminated again the generosity and kindness of the Springville community. On the long snowy night before winter break, I was astounded at the efforts from staff and community to help ensure the safety and comfort of our students. Staff stayed late into the night to keep students safe and warm, bus drivers completed routes in difficult conditions to make sure students got home safely, countless parents picked up their own children and helped take others home, and many staff and parents opened their homes to staff members who could not make it home that night.
Additionally, the first week back we encountered bitter cold temperatures, and we requested community donations for warm coats for students who did not have them. The response was instantaneous and overwhelming! By the end of the day, we had what we needed and then some! It was such a relief for our teachers to be able to provide warm coats for students who needed them right away.
The care and compassion of the Springville community continues to amaze me, and I learn this more every day. I want to offer my sincere thanks to the Springville community for your help and support over the last month. I know we are all ready and anxious to get our students back into school for the important teaching and learning all students need this year. I look forward to seeing our students this week and to the second half of the year!
Robin Kobrowski
Principal, Springville K-8
Elementary Boundary Change Transition Plans
In his recommendation, the Superintendent included grandfathering current fourth grade students to allow them to stay at Springville K-8 for their fifth grade year in 2017-18 if they choose. If you would like to grandfather your current fourth grade student(s) at Springville for the 2017-18 school year, you must complete the attached form and submit to the Springville main office by Friday, Feb. 3rd.
Here is the grandfathering form: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f03-xW00e0jpiR2IGdgAWbAbl3xqht33fRglNQECKlI/edit?usp=sharing
Grandfathering will not be provided to the younger siblings of the grandfathered 2017-2018 fifth graders. However, students who are in third or fourth grade at Springville K-5 in the current school year (2016-2017), and who attend Kaiser Road K-5 during the 2017-2018 or 2018-2019 school year, will have the same preference for enrollment at the Springville option middle school as students who attend Springville K-5.
To assist families in the transition from Springville K-8 to the Kaiser Road K-5 school, the new principal Charli Hagseth and her planning team will be hosting events and activities over the next several months. Please watch for future communication about these events
Upcoming Events
- Passport Day (3rd-5th) - Thursday, Jan.19 @ Springville
- PTO Family Night - Friday, Jan. 20 @ Springville
- Panera Bread Dine In Fundraiser - Thursday, Jan. 26
- Science Fair Registration Deadline - Monday, Jan. 30 @ Springville
- Staff Development Day (No School for Students) - Friday, Feb. 3
- President's Day Holiday (No School) - Monday, Feb. 20
- PTO Family Dance Night - Friday, Feb. 24 @ Springville
Reminders & Updates
- Volunteering at Parties & Celebrations: A reminder that you must be registered with MyVolunteerPage and have a completed background check if you would like to volunteer at your student's party or learning celebration.
- Label Student Items: A reminder to label all items students wear/bring to school, especially shirts, sweaters, cardigans, sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets, lunchboxes, and water bottles. Our Lost & Found holds these items for a period of time and if items are labeled, we can get them returned to you. We do donate items that are not reclaimed.
DISTRICT NEWS
School and District Report Card Information
School and district report cards for the 2015-16 school year are available at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/reportcard/reports.aspx. (Select Beaverton in the District Selection drop-down menu). We welcome the opportunity to share this information with you on the progress we are making to improve academic achievement for each student in the District. We are making progress.
State report cards began fifteen years ago when the 1999 Oregon Legislature passed a law requiring every public school and district to receive a report from the Oregon Department of Education about how they are performing overall. Given the recent passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the expiration of Oregon's ESEA flexibility waiver on August 1, 2016, the State of Oregon will not assign an overall rating to schools for the 2015-16 school year. Our school ratings in the areas of student achievement and student growth on state assessments and graduation rates are available in our Report Card Rating Detail Sheet at the link above.
At Springville K-8, we are committed to using this information to help tailor our school improvement plans and academic programs to meet the needs of every student. Throughout the year all of our educators are monitoring progress and adjusting instruction to ensure all students are learning. If you have questions about our report card, please contact us.
Early Release/Teacher Collaboration for 2017-18
Starting in September 2017, the Beaverton School District will implement a 90-minute early release on Wednesday afternoons to allow teachers time to collaborate and participate in professional development opportunities. The schedule change is a result of the new contract between the District and the Beaverton Education Association. The agreement adds nine student days over the next three years.
We recognize the impact this change will have on families and childcare may be a challenge. We are exploring opportunities for additional after school activities with the Beaverton Education Foundation and other community partners.
The District recognizes this fact and has already begun the planning process. Some of those steps include weekly planning meetings, conducting parent focus groups and regular communications about the change. Much of the work is focused on determining how to support families and students in the transition.
The District has developed an Early Release/Teacher Collaboration webpage. There is a link to this page on our school webpage in the “School Resources” box. The webpage includes an FAQ that may contain answers to many of your questions. The FAQ has been updated and a new video added!
Planning for Early Release/Teacher Collaboration will continue to take place throughout the 2016-2017 school year. Please check the District’s BSD Briefs newsletter, our school newsletter and the Early Release/Teacher Collaboration webpage for updates.
Springville K-8
Email: robin_kobrowski@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/schools/springville/
Location: 6655 NW Joss Ave, Portland, OR, United States
Phone: (503) 356-2480 (503) 356-5060