The Owl Newsletter
OTTO PETERSEN ELEMENTARY
Five Remarkable Sixth Graders
Cold, Covid and Flu Season
It is difficult to concede to illness when there is work to do!
I am so grateful that this week is finally coming to an end. Not because it was a tough week and I’m looking forward to two days off from work - just the opposite. I’ve been at home for a week longing to get back into school. I’ve counted hours and minutes until my required Covid expulsion is over. During the first couple of days of sinus headaches and congestion, I was too busy sleeping and drinking fluids to mind but the last days of this week have been so difficult because I miss OPE. I miss the three-foot-long list of things to do, the busy students full of energy and attitude, the deep conversations, and the fly-by hallway meetings. In a school as big and dynamic as Petersen there are always policies and protocols to update, new curriculum to wrestle and conversations to be had. If you have been waiting for a response or trying to reach me, I apologize.
However, starting before dawn on Monday, I will be back in business and looking forward to connecting with staff, students and families!
Friday, September 30th … Homecoming Parade/Scappoose Spirit Day (OPE Bus Lane)
Wednesday, October 12th … OPPO Meeting (OPE library, 4:00 pm)
Friday, October 14th … NO SCHOOL, State-wide in-service
Monday, October 17th … Picture Day, 8:00 - 11:00 am
October 31st … Halloween Classroom Parties
Who is the Dean of Students?
It’s Ms. Kinsman!
Hello, Petersen Families! For those of you who do not know me, I am Laycee Kinsman, your learners’ new Dean of Students. The job is similar to that of a vice principal but is designed to be more focused on supporting students directly. This means I help with behavior management, work to establish a healthy building culture, and find ways to develop student talent. I also support our principal and counseling staff.
While I am new to this role, I have been working at OPE for eight years. I started as a sixth-grade teacher and served as the Title I reading specialist. Before working in Scappoose, I taught 4-8th grades for the Hillsboro School District.
Again, I am here to support our students. If you have any concerns, please feel free to reach out at any time. And, if you get a phone call from me, or see me at parent pick-up, now you’ll know who I am.
Spirit Day Reminders
Scappoose Spirit Day and Halloween are coming soon!
Just a quick reminder, on Friday, September 30th, we are encouraging students and staff to break out their Scappoose gear or orange and black clothing. We will be celebrating homecoming and the naming of the new turf sports field with the high school.
While Halloween is still over a month away, we realize we might already have some costume design in the works. On Monday, October 31st, students will be allowed to wear their costumes to school. Please make sure the costumes follow the school dress code, as outlined in the community handbook, and that there is no gore, weapons, or masks at school. This is for the safety (and productivity!) of all our learners.
We will keep providing updates as we get closer to this fun time of year!
Site Council
Looking for parent/caregiver volunteers to help shape OPE
If you are interested in participating in the OPE Site Council please let us know by emailing Anita Hansen (OPE Principal) at ahansen@scappoose.k12.or.us We will be reviewing and selecting topics to cover this year, including, but not limited to: afternoon dismissal protocols, suggestions from our partners the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, technology needs and volunteer opportunities. We have a first meeting tentatively set for Thursday, 9/29/2022 from 3:15 - 4:00 in the OPE Library. If you can make it - wonderful! If not, but you are still interested, please suggest an alternate time when you email.
SAFETY DRILLS
Fire Drill this month
This month Otto Petersen will be conducting a Fire Drill. These drills are part of our overall safety response plan. Fire Drills occur monthly and are very quickly conducted. Often the students are able to clear the building in under five minutes completely, and sometimes even four. If you would like to know more about the system we use for our crisis response, check out the SRP ♥ The "I Love U Guys" Foundation.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Do you have some spare time?
OPE is looking for some volunteers to help with a variety of tasks;
recess and lunch helpers,
crosswalk volunteers,
Leaders of small academic groups,
and also those special people who can cut, copy, collate, staple, and other do other things for teachers that save them time and energy.
If you are interested, please reach out to Mary McNabb at mmcnabb@scappose.k12.or.us and let her know how you can help. We love our volunteers at OPE!
OPE Families,
Here is a handout for your reference.
https://www.zonesofregulation.com/uploads/3/4/1/7/34178767/english_reproducible_e_2021.pdf
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. McKedy
We are checking out books!!
CONGRATULATIONS SUMMER READING CHALLENGE WINNERS–prizes are coming home this week! OPE had a great turnout for our Summer Reading Challenge–way to go!! Our first Monthly Reading Challenge will begin on October 3rd–HAPPY READING!
BOOK CHECK OUT–the OPE students started checking out books this week. We talked about how to take care of books outside the library and how important it is to bring books back so our friends can have a turn to read them too!
BOOK RETURN–Library Days are Tuesday and Friday at OPE, but there are book return bins throughout the school where kids can drop their books off on any day! Please make sure your books are in the bins by 8:15 am on your library day
Now that we are enjoying book check out, we can really use some help keeping our bookshelves in good working order. Please consider adopting a shelf or two in our library–we need help keeping our books in both Alpha (fiction/picture books/easy readers) and Dewey Order (nonfiction) Please consider volunteering in our amazing OPE library:https://forms.gle/LX7nQ7isFYsn8oy17
Please click this link for the latest District Library Newsletter–This is published monthly and intended to give district-wide information. Please watch here for weekly updates and news specific to our building library!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Byqsr8PjvCeexM8yNd8AYwO_nGzpdVTV/view?usp=sharing
Keep reading Friends! ~ Mrs. Nudo
Covid Updates
LOST ITEMS LOOKING FOR HOME
Our lost and found is growing!
Parents and caregivers, if you notice that your child is missing items, please remind your student that found items are placed on the stage in the cafeteria. If last names are put on items, staff can help with the reunification process.
Community Handbook Now Available
Unsure about the rules? Check here!
Families, our 2022-2023 Handbook is now available for families to view in English and Spanish. This very important document will be posted on our school website for review whenever necessary.
Teachers will also be reviewing the document with their students in class. Please watch for communication from the classroom about how the teacher will be collecting your review of the handbook.
BIG CHANGE!
Free and Reduced Lunch
Scappoose School District is excited to offer nutritious breakfast and lunch to our students. There are some important changes to note as we approach the 2022-23 school year. Meals are no longer free for all students. Even if you applied for the program last year, everyone needs to reapply. Not sure if you qualify? No problem, please apply and you will be notified if you meet the criteria. Free and Reduced Meals / Home
Sign up for Free and Reduced Meals Here
Families,
Over the past two years, the USDA has granted waivers to meal requirements at schools across the country as part of the COVID -19 return to school. This allowed school districts to provide free meals to all students.
Families approved for Free and Reduced meals are still able to access those. The meal taken must be a complete, federally reimbursable meal. This means cart items at the High School are not included under the free and reduced approval.
As a result of the waiver expiring, Scappoose School District is required to charge again for meals.
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
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.Social Media help for Parents
Developmentally appropriate? How can a parent find out?
Common Sense Media has a website that offers parents guidance on social media that their children might be using based on developmental stages. Explore this valuable resource and its many features for parents: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
NEW Language Arts curriculum rollout
The district has adopted a new reading curriculum for the 2022-23 school year
This year, students will have a new reading and writing curriculum. 4th and 5th graders will be using the MyView series and the 6th graders will have MyPerspectives. Through a long and rigorous process, the district’s team reviewed and analyzed different reading programs. The result of that work is an adoption that focuses on integrated literacy grounded in the science of learning. If you are interested in learning more about the curriculum, explore via this link: Savvas literacy.
Have you thought of working for the school?
We are looking for some great people to work at OPE
Currently, OPE and other schools have openings for some special people who think supporting kids as they navigate the challenges of school is an exciting/interesting/rewarding job. No experience is needed, however, a kind heart is a plus! Interested? Please go to the district website and click on the “For Staff” tab. Under “Human Resources” you will find a list of open positions just waiting for you!
YMCA
New after school 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! https://www.ymcacw.org/Exciting news!
https://www.facebook.com/scappooseschooldistrict/posts/473260074811365