Bonny Slope Elementary
April 27, 2020
PRINCIPAL AND VICE PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Parents,
Hopefully, by now you have had the chance to read Deputy Superintendent Ginny Hansmann’s email about discontinuing PYP in Beaverton School District’s elementary schools. This information came as a huge disappointment but not a surprise given the financial situation schools are facing. I want you to know that our staff joins you in trying to come to terms with this loss. Jennifer Oordt sent an email to our staff immediately following the news that speaks of hope and a vision of what can still occur. Her words of wisdom ring true, with or without IB. The following is from our PYP coordinator Jennifer Oordt to BSE staff in its entirety:
It has been an honor to work collaboratively with you in the thick of PYP. Unless you spent time in the work it is hard to understand the news today. Teachers truly dove into standards, synthesized the desired enduring understanding, crafted learning engagements that held meaning and, not only taught the standard, but gave children opportunities to THINK. Today's news probably didn't register for staff who didn't spend time "wrestling" ideas in the fishbowl. Those of you who have upended your practice, discussed issues and analyzed pedagogy so thoroughly that you are willing and able to teach at the highest level, you deserve a pause today. We all, honestly, knew this year that an end of an era was eminent. We knew, in our hearts, when the financial realities became clear, PYP was not sustainable. When the unimaginable pandemic sent us home to work, the standards of the IB were not even on the back burner, rather they fell off the stove and are a distant memory. The reality is, none of that even matters. You can't take something away what is in your heart.
Know this: YOU are incredible educators. Your hopes, desires and intentions for your students are of the highest order, recognized by IB or not. YOU collaborate with each other to make your teaching better. TOGETHER your teams have been able to tackle unimaginable task no teacher could possible achieve alone. Right now your teams are collaborating to make the unthinkable a reality. The BEST TEACHING is rooted in relationships with your students. That is what we have been called to do. RIGHT NOW, part of IB or not, YOU are meeting the #1 goal of IB, connecting with your students, and creating a sense of agency so that children are motivated to learn.
The educators that have invested so much of their time and energy into PYP have grown as professionals. That growth has not been erased. You are still skilled IB educators. The part that sticks was the best part anyway. Know you put your all into something and that is still with you. There will not be an "IB" sticker on the door. You may never say the word "principled" again or refer to the enduring understanding as a "central idea", but that is just semantics. Quality teaching will continue.
We are committed to our students. We will continue to give our best. When we are able to be together again, we will create a plan to move forward and share this with our community. Until then, we wish your family good health and know that “we got this”.
Janet Maza and Jim Hiller
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you got this parade
Parents,
This week the staff is planning on holding a parade throughout the Bonny Slope attendance areas. While we are unable to drive every street, we are hoping you and your students will be able to give us a wave somewhere along the parade route. Attached is information about the parade as well as the routes we will take. Our goal is to connect with the community we so desperately miss while keeping our social distances.
We ask the following from our community to ensure safety:
1) Students may not approach cars or run into the street.
2) Students that are by themselves must have parent permission to be outside.
3) Practice social distancing guidelines by remaining at least 6 feet apart from others.
The staff will leave the Bonny Slope Parking Lot at 10:00 AM this Friday, May 1st. We hope to see you soon! The maps below are the most current route.
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COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Dear BSE Parents/Guardians, As we begin the 7th week in our new reality, you may notice that your “new students” are struggling. The novelty of logging into the computer and attending online school may be wearing off. Your “student” may be moving a little slower, arguing about simple activities, easily distracted, not wanting to complete assignments etc. It is definitely happening in my house. I don’t know how many times I have been saying the following- “Do you act like this when you are in the regular classroom?” Grrr.. I can feel my frustration tolerance getting lower and my feedback becoming less positive. I am trying to give myself some grace and be mindful that I am not the only one who feels this way. I am also trying to remind myself that my “new student” is also someone who is overwhelmed by his “new teacher/lifestyle” as well. Just remember, we are in this together and I am here to help support anyway I can. If you are concerned about your child and feel like they might benefit from additional counseling/help coping with our new reality, our Beaverton School District Social Worker, Dena Schriener is able connect families with community counselors/therapists best suited to individual needs. Student Resources My Mindfulness Book - mindfulness activities to do at home My Feelings Workbook - action plan for big feelings Mindful Activities - virtual learning materials for Yoga/Mindfulness/SEL Parent Resources Parent and Child Emotional Survival Toolkit - free interactive resources for parents and kids How to Get Your Kids to Treat You Like Their Teacher - creating space and habits to keep kids engaged while at home 7 Guiding Principles for Parents Teaching From Home - understanding the why behind teaching practices ~The Comeback is Always Stronger Than the Setback - Unknown Tiffany Rodgers tiffany_sidwell@beaverton.k12.or.us
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Technology Support
Tech Issues? Contact:
Need a chromebook or power cord replacement?
Make an appointment through Student Helpdesk.
Mandy Wood ~ Tech Support Specialist
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Student Plans for 2020-2021 School Year
To help us plan for next year please complete this short form to let us know your student's current plan for the 2020-2021 school year.
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UPDATES from Beaverton School District
Below is information for your reference that has been sent previously by BSD.
Supporting Students with Internet Connectivity
A way to help students needing internet connectivity in your neighborhood is to create an open, guest Wi-Fi network. Creating a guest network will create a separate Wi-Fi network that will allow access without a password. Many home routers have a setting that will create this separate network. Many internet service providers have removed usage caps. If you are interested in helping students in your neighborhood that lack connectivity and need it for distance learning, check first with your internet service providers that usage capacity has been removed and check your router settings to see if there is an Enable Guest Network setting.
Zoom Security Change
A recent change in Zoom has removed the ability for students to schedule meetings with other students. The change is consistent with settings in Google that restricted student to student video meetings on student accounts. Teachers are still able to schedule meetings and student
Wellness Weekly
The second issue of Wellness Weekly is now available. This week’s issue will expand on the idea of building resilience.
2020-2021 Budget
Superintendent Grotting presented the Budget Committee with his Budget Message and the Proposed 2020-2021 Budget on Monday, April 20. We are in unprecedented times. Our schools have been closed for over a month and our students will not return to in-person classes this academic year. In times like this, it is critical to focus on the health and welfare of our students, staff and community. While our work has changed, we continue to provide meals, daycare services for healthcare workers and education services to our students in a multitude of ways.
We will continue to engage students in learning through our teacher-led Remote Learning Plan until June 12. Our high school principals and their teams, along with the Teaching & Learning team are working to ensure that our seniors’ accomplishments over 12 years and 7 months of school are not impacted or diminished by this unprecedented closure during the last two months of their final school year. We are exploring possible alternatives for commemorating their achievements. Read the full Budget Message.
Virtual Town Hall
In case you missed it, District leaders held a Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday evening. You can watch now on the District’s YouTube channel. The following are updates for today.
School Board Meeting Public Comment
The School Board will hold a virtual Business Meeting on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Please use the following link to access the livestream feed during the meeting.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGCsl4R0vYcEcVMkLBl-cqQ
The School Board welcomes public comment at their meetings. The guidelines below are in place to help meet the Board's goal of hearing from the community on a variety of topics. Comments will be accepted online until 12:00 p.m. on Monday, April 27, 2020.
1. Sign up only for yourself, not others
2. Comments are limited to 1,000 characters (about two minutes) per person
3. The Board will not hear charges or complaints against any employee of the District
4. Comments not falling within guidelines will not be accepted
Public comments will be summarized and read by School Board Members during the livestream of the meeting. All comments will be published in their entirety on Boardbook and included in the official Meeting Minutes.
Drive-thru COVID-19 Testing - By Appointment Only
AFC Urgent Care Portland will be providing drive-thru COVID-19 testing in the Southridge High School parking lot on Friday, April 24, 2020 from 10:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m.
Important Information:
- COVID-19 testing will be performed by appointment only.
- All patients will be required to stay in their vehicle throughout the entire testing process.
- No pedestrians or bicyclists are allowed in the area during these hours.
- The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has loosened COVID-19 testing criteria requirements, allowing more Oregonians access to testing. Although many residents will qualify, those who request testing must still receive authorization and an appointment via a telemedicine discussion with a healthcare provider prior to arrival Friday.
For information on testing and screening, visit afcurgentcareportland.com/drive-thru or call AFC at (503) 305-6262.
NCAA Updated Guidance - Adjustments to the Initial Eligibility Certification Process
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/COVID-19_Public.pdf
Q: For schools with NCAA-approved core courses, how will the Eligibility Center approach those schools that issue Pass/Fail grades in Spring/Summer 2020 due to school closures?
A: For NCAA-approved core courses completed in Spring/Summer 2020 that have been issued a grade of “Pass,” the Eligibility Center will apply the credit earned in these courses toward the core course requirement in the student's certification. If the student's core-course GPA would increase by assigning a value of 2.300, this value will be assigned to the Passed courses. However, if the student's core-course GPA would decrease by including the 2.300 value for Passed courses, the student’s core-course GPA will be calculated based only on courses with assigned letter grades from other available terms (credit from these courses will still be applied toward the student's core-course requirements). Note: This policy will apply to students from all grade levels (e.g., freshmen, sophomores) who successfully complete NCAA-approved Pass/Fail courses in Spring/Summer 2020.
Seesaw Webinars
BSD Parents & Families: Learn tips for navigating Seesaw by attending one of our webinars on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. The free 30-minute webinars will be offered at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. You also have the option of watching the webinars on the District Facebook page. We will be recording them and posting them to YouTube after the events.
2 p.m. webinar: https://bit.ly/3cKWGml
Password: Seesaw4Fam
7 p.m. webinar: https://bit.ly/2RVhyiA
Password: Seesaw4Fam
Schools are Closed/Trespassing
As per Governor Brown’s direction all schools are closed for the remainder of the school year. Community members continue to gather on school property – in parking lots, fields, and stadiums – and this is trespassing. District Administrators may contact law enforcement and report trespassers as needed. Approved events where the community may come to schools include Wi-Fi access for students/families, Chromebook distribution, Special Education packet pick up, and other school-led events.
Safe Routes to School WE Walk Challenge
Thank you for submitting all of your AMAZING photos of bugs, insects and little critters. Our week #2 winner of the #WEwalkchallenge is 3rd grader Amos Breckler from Cedar Mill Elementary School. Congratulations! There are still two more weeks and two more helmets to give away this month. This week look for a beautiful tree on your daily walk or ride and submit your photos on the Beaverton Safe Routes to School Facebook page or email them to bsdsaferoutes@gmail.com.
- BE Safe - Maintain 6 feet of distance from others while walking and biking outside
- BE Alert - Keep your eyes and ears open and look all ways before, and while, crossing the road.
- BE Active - Keep moving to get your recommended 60 min. of physical activity daily
If your child wants to continue their study of insects here is a fun link from Metro: https://www.oregonmetro.gov/…/04/20/Yard_scavenger_hunt.pdf…
Bonny Slope Elementary
Principal: Janet Maza
Assistant Principal: Jim HIller
11775 NW McDaniel Rd.
Portland, OR 97229
Phone: 503.356.2040
Attendance: 503.356.2041
Attendance email: