Whitford Newsletter
March 4, 2021
Principal Message
March 2021
Hello Whitford families,
I can’t begin to express my gratitude with the patience everyone has shown through this wild ride of 2020-21. We all know this year will go down in history as a year like no other, but for the first time since we left school on March 13th of last school year, I feel there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
Hybrid vs. CDL
Starting on April 19th, we will again welcome students into the building for partial in-person instruction. While this by no means equates to “regular school” it’s a step in the right direction. Starting on April 19th, we’ll be able to welcome half of our student body back each day to school for in-person instruction in our hybrid model. There are several factors still up in the air when it comes to specifics, but I would like to reiterate what has been communicated to the public.
Students and families will have a choice to remain in CDL for the remainder of the year if they would like. The time they have with their teachers will decrease slightly, but they will all have daily interactions with their teachers. Please see the district web page and informational video for more information. https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/public-safety/emergency-preparedness/coronavirus/return-to-in-person-instruction
The other option is to send your students to school in our hybrid model. Students returning will be on campus for two days a week and then have three days of CDL. Students will either be in cohort A or cohort B. Cohort A students will attend school on Monday and Thursday, while cohort B students will attend school on Tuesday and Friday. One reason for this structure is that no student will go more than two school days without being on campus. Class time for Hybrid will be 10:00AM-3:50PM
The number #1 task all parents need to do is complete this online survey choosing either CDL or hybrid for the remainder of the year. The deadline is March 15th and anyone who has not responded will automatically be placed in CDL for the remainder of the year. The PDF instructions to complete this in ParentVue are attached at the bottom of this newsletter.
Important:
- If you choose CDL, you will NOT be allowed to change to hybrid after March 15th as we continually calculate how many people can be in a room at one time so we are following the ODE and OHA cohort guidelines.
- If you chose hybrid and want to change to CDL, you may do so at any time until the end of the school year as this will only improve our cohorting and space ratios.
We’ll have much more information to share at district and school information sessions concerning safety, what class might look like, and what to expect. I understand this is a difficult choice for many as it was for my two high school daughters. Every family situation is different and you need to do what is best for you and your families.
Forecasting
Over the next few weeks, all current 5th graders and current 6th and 7th graders will be forecasting for next year. We have a much broader elective offerings than in years past as we will continue to offer Band, Spanish, Drama, Art, and Technology, but are happy to announce we will be forecasting for Choir and Career Technical Education or (CTE).
I understand you all have been inundated with so much information at all three levels that this can be overwhelming. We want to help support you in your decisions to stay in CDL or return to campus in a hybrid. Feel free to call our front office or an administrator to answer any questions.
Be well and take care,
Brian Peerenboom, Principal
LIPI started at Whitford on February 22
Food Insecurity
Many in our community are experiencing food insecurity. Our BSD web pages have lots of resources for free food boxes at locations near you.
The link below is a site sponsored by the Oregon Food Bank that lists hundreds of places where families can access food.
YEARBOOK Completed!!
Students Creating Graphic Novels
Virtual Learning fun!
After the amazing success of a recent 6th grade BEF fundraiser, ALL Whitford humanities teachers were all able to subscribe to Pixton- an online comic book creator! With Pixton all students can create graphic novel versions of their narrative stories, plot summaries of the books they are reading, and interactive presentations for social studies. The program allows each student to create their own personal avatars and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of fun and creative ways.
So far, Mrs. Morgan's class has created class photos, Valentine's for parents and soon we will be creating book reports and Ancient Egypt research presentations!
Whitford Student Newspaper
Here is the link for March. We had some outstanding submissions for Black History Month from students and included them under Whitford. Check em out!
https://sites.google.com/bsd48.org/twt-issue-whitford/home?authuser=0
Submissions for Student Newspaper
Dear Students, Parents and Teachers,
We are looking for Women’s History Month student work for the school newspaper this month. We would love to highlight any student created writing, artwork or anything else creative. If you would like to be featured in the April issue of the Whitford Times, please email your submission to whitfordtimespdx@gmail.com or travis_rooke-ley@beaverton.k12.or.us. You can also drop it off at school between 8am-4pm.
Forecasting
Career Speakers Continue at Whitford
In Mrs. Deeb's Science class, we had two days of amazing Metro educators presenting their work on managing waste in the Metro area. Fun fact: Every day, 65 tracker trailers filled with trash are driven to the landfill in Arlington, OR from the Metro area! Yikes!! During Metro's interactive lessons, students engaged in detailed learning that focused on the all-important effort to reduce, reuse, and recycle!! Way to go 7th grade Willamette!!
Additionally, Mrs. Deeb's advisory class had guest speaker, Ivan Hernandez, from the Hillsboro Hops! Mr. Hernandez is the Latinx Community Outreach Coordinator and he spoke to us about his fun and engaging work and the life lessons that got him to where he is now. He also taught us about his amazing contribution to the Hop's special program called, the "Dreamers" or Soñadores de Hillsboro, where he developed and designed the Hillsboro Hop's Spirit Animal, an Alebrije. This bright, mythical creature originates from Mexico and has become the basis for parade floats, piñatas, and other iconography across the country, particularly the Oaxaca region.
To learn more, read this article.
Whtiford SCIENCE FAIR
Whitford's Science Fair will be virtual this year! Our young scientists and engineers have produced videos of their Science Fair projects to share their amazing creativity and hard work! All projects will be available to view by the Whitford Community from March 10 - March 17 with the possibility of reopening the fair later in the Spring. The website will be made available to all students and parents on March 10th - posted on Canvas in your child's Science class and/or sent via email to all students and parents.
Whitford students look forward to sharing their experiments and inventions with you!
Students Focus on Black History Month
Student Vaccinations and Returning to School
Parents - Is your child up to date with routine childhood immunizations? Booster shots are due at around age 12. The requirements for children attending school and daycare in Oregon have not changed, and students must have all required vaccines to return to in-person Hybrid learning.
Parents who do not want their children to be vaccinated can claim a non-medical exemption for one or all school immunizations.
Please consult with your child's health care provider for more information on vaccine requirements and options. Beaverton School District has two school-based health centers for our students. Information about these health centers may be found here: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/student-services/school-nursing/beaverton-school-based-health-center
Returning to School Hybrid or Staying CDL?
Upcoming Events
3/10 Whitford Science Virtual Science Fair begins
3/10 Forecasting for next year 7th and 8th graders begins
3/10 Middle School Community Hybrid or CDL Q&A 7 p.m
3/15 Deadline to select Hybrid or CDL
3/22-26 Spring Break No School for Students
Sunset HS offers DON'T FREAK OUT
You might recall last year about this time SUNSET HS was planning to host a timely event in the lives of our families. Based on the last 12 months we felt even more strongly that we should try to find a way to host this event for our community.
Come learn the secret to staying calm and how to best help when those you care about need your support. Presented by David Kozlowski, Child and Family Therapist and Heidi Swapp, mom, and entrepreneur from the "light the fight" podcast.
Please join David Kozlowski and Heidi Swapp, for an evening virtual community event to learn how to partner with your children, help them combat anxiety and depression, and build high-quality relationships for life.
Thursday, March 11 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM