Oak Creek Coyote News
September 3, 2021
Message from the Principal
Hello Oak Creek Families,
We had an awesome week with students back at school full time! We are very grateful for the support and partnership from families at home, and we thank you for all you are doing to help this be a successful start to the school year.
Arrival and dismissal are very busy parts of our day, with over 500 students trying to get to the correct bus, car, or family members to walk home with. Thank you for helping us minimize congestion by dropping/picking up and quickly moving back off campus. This really helps us with both car and foot traffic.
We deeply appreciate those of you who are following these guidelines to help it run smoothly for us as a whole, especially when it slows things down a bit for you personally. Thank you to everyone for remembering the following:
Walkers:
Review the plan below and meet your child in the designated area for their grade level
Walk only on sidewalks and crosswalks
Leave dogs at home
Avoid cutting through lines (especially by bus area)
Drivers:
Drive north on Kingsgate only
Pull all the way forward (even if it means your child has to walk a bit further)
Have your child put their backpack and mask on before you enter the lot
Avoid parking in the bus area
Bus Riders:
Appreciate your driver! They are working hard to get students to and from school, and dealing with challenges that are outside of their control.
We are so fortunate to have such supportive parents and we are looking forward to a great school year! If you have any questions, please see the FAQ section below, or feel free to reach out to myself or Carrie Beach at beachc@loswego.k12.or.us.
Thank you,
Barb Keeton
Principal, Oak Creek Elementary
Dates to Remember!
September 6: Labor Day- NO SCHOOL
September 22: Back to School Night (more info coming soon!)
October 8: No School (Professional Day)
October 14: School Picture Day
October 28/29: No School (Conferences)
Bus Transportation: PLEASE FILL OUT GOOGLE FORM ASAP
Your student's safety is our utmost priority. We know this has been a stressful week for our bus riders and we hear, value, and understand your concerns.
I hope you had the opportunity to read the email from Superintendent Jennifer Schiele (sent by Mary Kay Larson Thursday afternoon) with important transportation information. While Student Transportation of America (STA) has buses, they are experiencing a shortage of drivers. STA is actively recruiting, hiring and training drivers in order to provide better service and shorter ride times while ensuring all safety protocols.
At Oak Creek we have put the following plans in plans in place:
- If the buses leave Oak Creek after 3 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Fridays or 2:20pm on Thursdays, we will send out a text message to alert families of the delay.
- To assist with our bus procedures, please fill out this google form ASAP to help us properly identify your child's bus stop. (One entry per student.)
- We are working with STA to create daily attendance logs for contact tracing.
STA will continue to implement their required safety procedures, including lowering windows at least half way as long as it's 50 degrees or above outside and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
We are working diligently to solve all of our transportation issues. We thank you for your patience, flexibility, grace, and support.
PLAYDATES AND BUS PASSES
At this time, per our district Nurses we are not allowing students to ride the bus to playdates. If you are arranging a playdate, please have your child walk, bike or get picked up in the car. Please note, that if you have a regular child care arrangement, exceptions can be made. Please contact the office to do so.
Thank you for your understanding!
Arrival/Dismissal Routines and Bus Routes
Families are welcome to drop students off beginning at 8:00 am, where students can line up in with their class in physically distanced lines. Students will be let into the building starting at 8:10, and class begins promptly at 8:20. Students will continue to enter their classrooms through assigned entrances (see below). We are asking that parents and caregivers do not park and walk their child/ren in. We will have many warm and welcoming adults who will be there to support students through the arrival process.
Arrival/Dismissal Times:
Elementary
MTWF: 8:20 a.m. - 2:40 p.m.
TH: 8:20 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Click here for the full schedule on the district website.
Assigned Location for Lining Up and Entering the Building:
- Kindergarten and 1st Graders: At the front entrance under the overhang
- 2nd and 3rd Graders: Near the garden area (to the left of the front entrance)
- 4th and 5th Graders: Near the West door to the building near the bike racks (to the right of the front entrance)
Please note: if your student is tardy (arrives after 8:20), please have them go through the front doors to the office to check in.
Parent Drop Off Notes:
In order to help with student safety and traffic flow in the lot and the neighborhood, please:
- avoid arriving early.
- pay close attention to staff.
- pay close attention to pedestrians in the lot and neighboring streets.
- if driving, come north up Kingsgate only, then through the parking lot.
- encourage children who can to unbuckle car seats and get out on their own.
- support your children who need assistance unbuckling.
- say goodbye quickly and move safely out of the lot.
Buses:
All busses will arrive at the Melrose gate. Students will get off the bus at 8:10. We will have staff there to greet students and walk them to their teacher. Bus routes can be viewed here: LOSD 22-22 Bus Routes
Walkers:
Walkers should arrive between 8:00-8:10, but not before. Parents will need to walk students to school. Only the Kingsgate Crosswalk will have a duty.
- Students will be walked by an adult to the the bus pick up area (on Melrose) or the parent pick up area (in front of the school).
- Cars can begin lining up at 2:35.
- If you are meeting your child on foot, you can wait in one of the marked locations for your child to walk to meet you, (masks are not required, but strongly encouraged).
- Please read below for specifics for each grade level:
Breakfast and Lunch Routines
In order to keep our students safe we will be eating lunch outside as often as possible. When we do have to eat inside, due to rain or other weather related conditions, classes will spread out into the hallways to ensure 6 feet of distance is maintained between unmasked individuals. We have ordered mats for all students to sit on during lunch. However, they won't arrive until the second week of school. Until then, please send a towel to school for your child if you would like.
Breakfast will not be served at school in the morning. Instead students can order a Grab-N-Go breakfast to take home at dismissal to eat the following morning before coming to school.
Please see the lunch/breakfast menu for Aug/Sept here: LOSD Aug/Sept Lunch/Bfast Menu
iReady Assessment
The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s skill level. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.
In Lake Oswego, the Fall i-Ready window is open from September 7 to October 8.
Medication Drop off
If your child has medication that they must take during the school day, or emergency medications that the school must keep on hand (EPI pens, etc.), please bring these medications as soon as possible, in their original containers. Please double check for expired medications as we cannot receive expired meds. PLEASE read this document regarding what is accepted and what is not, prior to bringing medications to the school.
The office is open and available to receive medications from 7:00am-3:00pm. The process can take a bit of time, so please be patient as we work through this very important piece of your child's wellness and safety.
Questions about medications or procedures? Contact the Oak Creek front office staff at 503-534-2323 or email our District Nurse, Ann Nelson at nelsona@loswego.k12.or.us.
Student Illness
If your child will be absent, please email your student's teacher and copy the office. Please list the date your child will be absent and any illness symptoms. See the guide below for information on when to keep your child home from school.
FAQ's
When will we hear who our child's teacher is?
That information is available in Synergy through ParentVue, and you should have received an email from your child's teacher already. If you have not, please let the office know.
What is the daily schedule?
First Bell - 8:10 am: Students are welcome to enter the building.
Tardy Bell - 8:20 am: Students who arrive later must check in with the office and receive a Tardy slip before going to their classroom.
Dismissal - 2:40 pm: Students taking a bus home will exit the building through lower doors, students being picked up by parents will exit the building through the top floor doors, students staying for after care will go to the assigned classroom.
Early Release on Thursdays - 2:00 pm
Will students and staff be wearing masks?
Yes, currently all students, staff and anyone who enters the building are required to wear masks. Additional information about mask requirements can be found here.
Will Extended Care be open?
Yes! Extended Care will be held at Oak Creek Elementary. Additional information and registration can be found on the Community School Extended Care website here.
If you are still looking for an answer, please let us know by clicking here to submit your question.
LOSD District News
LOHS Cheer Clinic for Youth
The Lake Oswego HS cheer team is hosting a youth clinic this year. Please see the flyer below (with QR Code) or register here: https://forms.gle/DR8fDr9h78GAvsM16
Free Meals for All Students
This school year the Lake Oswego School District will be offering breakfast and lunch meals (one breakfast and one lunch per student per day) at no charge to all students. Breakfast meals will be served in Grab-n-go style as students arrive to school. Lunch meals will offer healthy tasty entrees, fresh fruits and vegetables with a seasonal rotation of local farm produce and organic products when available.
For information about Food Services, please click here to visit our web page.
For information about part-time job opportunities in Food Services, please click here to visit the employment web page.
Annual State Testing Notice from ODE
Back to School Clothes at Clothing Closet
I Love Lake Oswego Clothing Closet is a donation-based closet that provides clothing items and hygiene products for residents, students, and employees that work or live within Lake Oswego.
Open Saturdays
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Visit https://www.ilovelakeoswego.com for more information.
Hunger Fighters
The pantry will be open all summer for contactless curbside pickup every Saturday from 1-2:30 p.m. Visit the website for more info. www.hungerfightersoregon.org
SafeOregon
Parents-guardians 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.)
Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
Stay connected to the district and your school(s) and receive urgent notifications by subscribing to the Lake Oswego Schools App.
About Oak Creek
Reach out to us if you have any questions or need anything!
- Principal Barb Keeton: keetonb@loswego.k12.or.us
- Secretary Carrie Beach: beachc@loswego.k12.or.us
- Secretary Tanya Goodwin: goodwint@loswego.k12.or.us
Address: 55 Kingsgate Rd., Lake Oswego, OR 97035
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakCreekPTA/