The Current
LOSD News • Oct. 30, 2020
In this Message:
Message from the Superintendent
Plans for In-Person Learning, Per New Health Metric Guidelines
No School for Elementary Conferences, Secondary Grade Prep
SRO Survey: Last Call For Your Feedback
Helping Students Process the Elections
School Board Meeting
Long Range Facility Planning Committee Meeting
Evaluation Center and Limited In-person Instruction
iReady Diagnostic Assessments
Dyslexia Screening
Meet & Greet for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Families of LO
Community Lap Swim Opening Soon
Black Student Union Mentorship Program
Covid-19 Business Assistance Grants
Regular Reminders:
- 3 Ws: Watch Distance, Wear Mask, Wash Hands
- Childcare Providers in Clackamas County
- Local Testing Sites for Covid-19
- Clackamas County Go Teams
- Safe Oregon
- Get Social with LOSD
- Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
Message from the Superintendent
The end of October is often filled with a kind of buzz, with Halloween, the crisp air of fall, and the energy of holidays beginning to bubble up. And of course, those things are still happening, but this fall has a bit of a different flavor with the uncertainties across our country and in our community.
As you will read below, we have learned from Governor Brown today that the guiding metrics for schools have changed. Please keep in mind that we will proceed slowly, cautiously and safely and will keep you posted all along. Our central focus is to serve students in the best ways we can, while keeping students and staff safe.
I hope we will all take a collective deep breath this weekend and through the election next week. I encourage us all to take some breaks from the news and social media, read books, listen to music, talk to friends and family, go for more walks and hug our kids more. Let’s look for signs of hope - there are some - and encourage our children to do the same.
Plans for In-Person Learning, Per New Health Metric Guidelines
Today Governor Kate Brown announced updated health metric guidelines for school districts in the State of Oregon. Based on the updated Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance, LOSD plans to begin transitioning our students to school for hybrid in-person learning in a gradual, phased-in manner to ensure the health and safety of our community.
LOSD will confirm the phased start dates of hybrid in-person learning early next week. We will be making our decision after the new metrics update is released. We plan to proceed very cautiously and safely.
We anticipate kindergarten students starting as early as November 19. We plan to gradually phase more elementary grades to in-person learning each week.
Those who chose LO Online will remain online for the year. Also, LOSD will continue to provide limited in-person instruction for students whose classes will continue in comprehensive distance learning.
Based on the new guidance, LOSD falls within the “Onsite and Distance Learning” category, allowing our elementary students to return to hybrid in-person. Students in grades 6-12 will remain in comprehensive distance learning with allowable limited in-person instruction; over time, if schools can demonstrate the ability to limit transmission of Covid-19 in the school environment, we may be allowed to transition to hybrid in-person.
The health metrics for reopening schools in Oregon have changed in the following ways:
Moves from a mandatory 21-day look back of positive Covid-19 cases to a 14-day look back of positive cases.
Suspends the previously required statewide test positivity rate.
Expands the reopening exception for in-person learning to include all grades in elementary schools.
Allows a school district to consider phasing in onsite or hybrid instruction for elementary schools when the county positive case rate per 100,000 people is between 50 to 100 and the county test positivity rate is between 5% to 8% over two weeks.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we make plans to most effectively and safely return students into our schools.
No School for Elementary Conferences, Secondary Grade Prep
Middle and high school students have school off on Friday, Nov. 6 for first quarter grade preparation.
SRO Survey: Last Call For Your Feedback
We are seeking the feedback of students, families and staff members as we evaluate the SRO program and whether changes are necessary. Please click here to take an anonymous survey. This survey data will help inform the School Board’s decision-making.
The survey will be closing next Friday, Nov. 6.
Helping Students Process the Elections
School Board Meeting
All are welcome to observe the meeting remotely.
Monday, Nov. 2
Regular Session 6 p.m.
Work Session, approx. 6:10 p.m.
Please click here for the agenda and meeting materials.
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 noon on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020 by emailing losdschoolboard@loswego.k12.or.us. IMPORTANT: Please type “11/2/20 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. All non-agenda item testimony will be posted online under agenda item 2.0. For testimony received after the 12:00 noon 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.
Long Range Facility Planning Committee Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 3
4-6 p.m.
Please click here for the link to observe the LRFPC work session.
Evaluation Center and Limited In-person Instruction
Click here for information about Limited In-person Instruction.
Click here for information about the Special Education Evaluation Center.
iReady Diagnostic Assessments
LOSD is piloting the iReady diagnostic assessment. Teachers need to know what students already know and what they still need to learn so we can plan how to teach them best. The iReady Diagnostic can help us get this information for each child, but only if students give it their best effort without anyone else helping with the understanding or answering questions.
This fall, and two additional times later in the school year, LOSD students in grades K-8 will be participating in iReady math and reading diagnostic assessments.
For more information, please click here for an introductory video about iReady or click here for a Frequently Asked Questions document on the district website under Teaching & Learning.
Dyslexia Screening
LOSD will continue using The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) as our state approved dyslexia screener. As recommended by the University of Oregon, we have given our students enough time to get familiar with our new teaching and learning reality, comprehensive distance learning. Our elementary literacy specialists will begin this screening virtually in the next few weeks and will continue till all kindergarten and 1st graders have been assessed. According to UO DIBELS, we will likely see more students than typical who fall in the “some risk” and “at risk” range due to COVID-19 disruption.
Meet & Greet for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Families of Lake Oswego
Thursday, Nov. 12
6:30 p.m.
Register via text or email to Katie at 703-403-0678 or dhohlakeoswego@gmail.com.
Community Lap Swimming Opening Soon
As mentioned in last week's edition of the newsletter, LOSD is outsourcing the day-to-day management and operation of the pool to the Lake Oswego Swim Club (LOSC). This is to help stem the district's operating losses in our fee-for-service programs in operating a pool with very limited usage allowed.
LOSC will be responsible for managing the pool usage schedule, hiring and staffing lifeguards, and daily routine facility maintenance, as well as ensuring the adherence to Covid-19 health and safety protocols and procedures. The schedule will allow lap swim during certain periods, as well as preferences for the district’s secondary extra-curricular swimming and water polo programs.
We anticipate the pool opening for community lap swimming starting the week of November 9; this is when we anticipate the new online sign-up system will be up and running. Space and time in each lane will be restricted; the new online sign-up system will allow users to reserve their spot in advance of coming to the pool. More information about times and procedures available soon.
Black Student Union Mentorship Program
If your student is interested in participating in the mentorship program, please click here to submit an interest form.
Covid-19 Business Assistance Grants
The City of Lake Oswego continues to have grant funding available from the State of Oregon (Business Oregon) for local businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Applications open @ 9 a.m., October 28th, 2020!
Is your business eligible to apply?
- Is your business based in Oregon and has 25 or fewer employees?
- Were you required to close under Governor Brown’s Executive Order 20-12? Or was your income reduced by 50% or more during March or April of this year?
- Do you have a current Lake Oswego Business license?
Businesses that have received federal CARES Act funding (e.g. PPP Loans) or other federal and/or county programs funding are eligible to apply. However, the grant amount awarded will be reduced by the amount of CARES funding received. Property holding corporations are not eligible to apply.
The City of Lake Oswego and Business Oregon are working hard to ensure equitable distribution of funding and strongly encourages applications from sole proprietors, minority-owned, and woman-owned businesses. Additionally, 501(c)3 nonprofit businesses are eligible to apply.
For the application, please have the following information ready:
- Employment Identification Number (Federal EIN)
- Business Identification Number (issued by Oregon Employment Department)
- NAICS Code (as listed on the business’ most recent federal tax filing).
- You may also be required to submit a Profit & Loss Statement for January or February 2020 and one of the months from March to August 2020 that demonstrates a minimum of a 50% drop in revenue.
- If your business has less than 5 employees and you are requesting the full grant amount of $5,000, you will be asked to submit business eligible expenses (such as rent/lease agreement, Oregon Employment Department Form 132 or a copy of recent utility bills) that equal a total of $2,500.
For more information on eligibility requirements and to, please visit: www.ci.oswego.or.us/novel-coronavirus-covid-19/business-assistance-grants
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.
3 Ws: Watch Distance, Wear Mask, Wash Hands
Local Testing Sites for Covid-19
For testing Covid-19 sites in our area, please click on the county:
Washington County COVID-19 Testing Sites
Multnomah County COVID-19 Testing Sites
Oregon Health Authority has also released a webpage that allows users to put in their address or zip code to find the nearest testing site. Click here to find a testing site near you
Childcare Providers in Clackamas County
Clackamas County currently has 76 childcare providers who have openings for child care. 211 is the first point of contact if parents are interested in reaching out about child care options in the area. Parents will need to have the following information ready when working with 211.
- parent first name and last name
- child’s DOB and first name
- address to search for care (near home or work)
- email address to send referrals
- any childcare requests
- days/times needed
Parents can reach 211 in the following ways:
- Calling 211 1-866-698-6155 - Listen to the prompt for child care and press the specified number
- Texting the keyword “children” or “niños” to 898211 (TXT211)
- Emailing children@211info.org
- Click here to visit the website
Clackamas CCRR can support parents if they aren't able to connect with 211. CCRR can be reached at (503) 675-4100 or via e-mail at ccrr@clackesd.org.
Tutoring Resources
Are you looking for someone to tutor your students? Many people, including students, reach out to LOSD offering assistance. Each year LOSD updates its list of approved tutors. Click here to access that list.
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.)
Get Social: Follow, Share, Engage
Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
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
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