Tiger Tale
November 1, 2018
Upcoming Events
November 6 - PTC Meeting, 6:30-7:30pm
November 7 - Picture Retake Day
November 9 - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - Grading Day
November 12 - SCHOOL CLOSED - Veteran's Day
November 5-16 - Holiday Food Drive
November 15 - Passport
November 21-23 - SCHOOL CLOSED - Thanksgiving Break
November 26 - First Day Back to School
Principal's Message
Dear Terra Linda Families,
As you may have seen recently in the news, the State of Oregon just released school and district report cards for the 2017-2018 school year. To view the report cards, please go to http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/reportcard/reports.aspx. Type Terra Linda in the drop-down menu then select Terra Linda for our school report card. Type Beaverton in the drop-down menu then scroll down to select Beaverton for the school district's report card. I am happy to share this information with you so you can see the progress we are making to improve academic achievement for each student at Terra Linda and in our district.
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. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015, replaces the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and affords states greater flexibility. ESSA encourages schools and educators to innovate and create systems that address local needs. As a part of this work, the Oregon Department of Education redesigned the School and District report cards to engage and inform families about their school’s approach to learning, academic and extracurricular offerings, and student performance. Reports cards also serve as an important tool for continuous improvement planning by local and state policymakers, in conjunction with the communities they serve.
At Terra Linda, we are committed to using this information to help tailor our academic programs to meet the needs of every student. During the year I will communicate with you about student achievement and programs in place at our school to foster student learning and success.
If you have questions about our report card or suggestions for improvement, please contact me.
Christy
Our Annual Food Drive is Coming Soon!
Please bring nutritious, non-perishable food items to the Terra Linda lobby Nov. 5-16. All food collected will be distributed to Terra Linda families in need, along with a PTC-funded gift card to round out a Thanksgiving meal.
Sturdy, large and medium-sized boxes are also needed to package the food. Please drop off boxes in the office.
More details will come home with your child next week!
If you would like to apply for this or other food benefits available at Terra Linda, please contact the office.
Pre-orders for picture packages may be placed online now at https://ios.mydorian.com using our school's access key: 23ZRKUST. Online pre-orders using our school's access key are available up to 4 days after retake day.
Thanksgiving & Winter Break Assistance
The Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks can be challenging for families who are having difficulty paying for food or other basic items. We wanted you to know we will be collecting non-perishable food items the week of November 5. All collected items will be sorted into boxes that will go to Terra Linda families.
If you would like to request a food box for Thanksgiving Break and/or a food & gift box for Winter Break, please fill out the attached form and return it to your student's teacher or the main office.
Thank you!
Erin's Law
In 2015, the Oregon legislature passed SB 856, also known as Erin’s Law. Erin’s Law requires the development and adoption of child sexual abuse prevention programs for students in kindergarten through 12th grade in all Oregon public schools.
SB 856 mandates that all Oregon Public Schools provide:
A minimum of 4 instructional sessions (equal to or greater than a standard class period) of sex abuse prevention instruction per year for grades kindergarten through 12.
Sexual abuse instruction that is integrated and part of required district comprehensive sexuality education plan and is aligned with state standards.
Instruction that is age appropriate, medically accurate, and is not shame or fear based.
Instruction that is culturally inclusive and is responsive to diverse students including race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation.
A parental involvement component to inform parents about child sexual abuse topics.
A professional training component for administrators, teachers and other school personnel.
At our school, we teach children important skills for getting along with others and doing well in school. It also helps our school be a safe and supportive place where everyone can learn. An important component of our curriculum is to help children protect their bodies, get support when abuse has occurred, and report to a trusted adult. In accordance with Erin’s Law, we are educating children about sexual abuse and promoting awareness within our communities. The Oregon Department of Education has required all Oregon schools to comply with Erin’s Law.
In these lessons, students will learn three types of skills:
• Personal Safety. Students will learn ways to determine if a situation is safe or not. Students will also practice strategies to avoid peer pressure in unsafe situations.
• Touching Safety. Students will learn about safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches, and rules about touching private body parts. They’ll also learn to say no to unsafe or unwanted touches, and to tell an adult if someone breaks rules about touching private body parts.
• Assertiveness. These lessons will also give students a chance to practice asking an adult for help, telling an adult about an unsafe situation, and being assertive to get out of unsafe situations.
Each teacher will contact families at least one week before each sexual abuse prevention lesson is taught, but you can also find the lessons listed by grade level on fightchildabuse.org. The requirement of Erin’s Law is four lessons a year at each grade level, K-12. Instruction is scheduled for February through May, 2019.
Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any further questions or for opt out information. You can also attend the PTC meeting on January 8 at 6:30 pm when we will provide time to answer questions about the sexual abuse prevention lessons. Thank you for helping us to make our school a safe and supportive place where everyone can learn.
We have attached a letter with similar information.
There is still time to order Eric Ode books!
Attendance is Important
When it comes to attendance, every day matters. According to the Oregon Department of Education, more than one in six students is chronically absent. Chronic absenteeism means a student misses 10% or more school days. That’s about two days per month or 18 days per year.
Regular attendance will help children do well in elementary school, secondary school, college and at work. According to the Attendance Works Organization, by 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of school. By 9th grade, regular attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
Please start building good attendance habits early. As a parent, you can help by establishing a regular bedtime and morning routine. You can also avoid medical appointments during school hours, as well as extended trips when school is in session.
Terra Linda is working to track why students are absent or tardy to be able to address any barriers. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help!
Check out these flyers for more information:
Thank You!
Thank you also to Jenn Collett, the Staff Appreciation Committee, and the PTC for the delicious staff lunch during conferences. It was such a treat! Thank you for all of your time and support! We are so lucky to be a part of this wonderful community.
About Us
Website: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/schools/terra-linda
Location: 1998 Northwest 143rd Avenue, Portland, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 356-2490
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terralindatigers/