Black Bear Bits
October 22, 2021
Important Dates
10/25: Spirit Wear Orders and Payment Due
10/28: Gratitude Pumpkin Pick up 1:00-3:00 p.m.
10/28-29: No School - Conferences
In this edition...
- Letter from the Principal
- OHSU Covid Screening Update
- Gratitude Pumpkins
- Picture Day Late Orders
- Spirit Wear! Last Chance!
- Conference Notes
- Rain, Wind, and Cold
- Free and Reduced Lunch
- We're Hiring!
- News from the Garden
- Memory Books
- Important Links
Letter from the Principal
Dear Tualatin Black Bear Families,
I hope all of you are well, safe and healthy this weekend. I am excited to share some updates about what November and the following months should look like starting soon.
Volunteers - Want to Volunteer?
Please fill out the application linked below. You will not be able to volunteer without an updated application.
All approved background checks are good for 3 years.
You will receive an email 30 days prior to expiration.
Volunteering can look many different ways at school and from home
Library - our first priority will be to schedule volunteers back into our library to support all classes
Please contact your child’s teacher for how volunteers may be used this year
Volunteers must register and provide proof of vaccination for COVID-19
Lunch Time Update (changing weather)
We will be moving as many students as possible back into our cafeteria during the first two weeks of November
Please contact our office if you wish to have your child continue to eat outside
The way to maximize the number of students is to use minimal furniture, so we are considering eating picnic style on the floor
Please contact me with any input, feedback, or questions: 503-431-4800
Please continue to send your child to school dressed for the day’s weather
Grade levels may need to have a combination of outdoor/indoor lunches on a scheduled rotation each week
Recess Update
Recess cohorts will be able to share space outside next month
The start date for changes to recess will be shared next week
Changes are being considered for the first week of November
Please contact our office with any input, feedback, or questions
Reminder: Conferences on Oct. 28-29
Conferences will be held virtually
Please sign up as soon as possible if you have not done so already
If you have a special situation where an in-person conference would best serve your child, please contact me, Mr. Kingery, through our office 503-431-4800
Please contact our office if you have any questions about school this year. We are here to help. 503-431-4800. Our goal is to work together to make learning at home as successful as possible during this time.
Enjoy the weekend, and Go Black Bears!
Mr. Kingery
Principal
OHSU Covid Screening Program Update
TTSD and OHSU have partnered for optional weekly screening testing of unvaccinated students in grades K-12. The program is tentatively set to begin on Friday, November 5th. Testing kits with saliva collecting tubes will be sent home on Fridays and returned on Mondays.
A packet was sent home with your student with information about how you can opt-in to the weekly at-home COVID-19 testing program. In addition to giving consent to be part of the OHSU screening program, the “Covid-19 General Consent Form” also gives consent for us to perform a 15 minute Covid-19 test on a student that may develop symptoms at school. (We will call you prior to giving your student the test.)
If you are interested in enrolling your child(ren) and you have not yet returned the forms, you still may participate. If you need another form, please contact your teacher and we will send one home with your student. Please complete BOTH forms and have your child return them to school.
Gratitude Pumpkins
On Thursday, October 28th (conference day), from 1:00-3:00 p.m. students can pick up their gratitude pumpkin by our bus lane (across from our Pre-K classroom). Parents can pull in, pick up pumpkin from a TTSD employee and then be on their way.
Picture Day Late Orders
Dorian Studios accepts late orders online for four (4) days following picture day with no additional fees.
1. Go to dorianstudio.com and search for your school
2. Select the order button from the appropriate photo day
3. Complete your transaction
Questions: 1-800-826-3535
If you missed picture day, picture retakes will be held on December 2nd. More info to come.
Spirit Wear On Sale Now - LAST CHANCE!
Completed order forms and your payment are due THIS MONDAY, October 25th. Interested in seeing samples and a sizing guide; find these details on the attached PDF. Questions can be sent to the Spirit Wear Committee at TuES.SpiritWear@gmail.com
Conference Notes
Conferences on Oct. 28-29
Conferences will be held virtually
If you have a special situation where an in-person conference would best serve your child, please contact me, Mr. Kingery, through our office 503-431-4800
We look forward to seeing all our families virtually during Parent-Teacher conferences in a couple of weeks. Conferences will be held on October 28th and 29th. Please look for communication from teachers that will include conference sign up times. Parents, guardians, students, and teachers all working together create an unbeatable network of support for each student. Here are some suggestions that may help for a successful conference while meeting virtually this fall:
Before the Conference --
Write down any questions, input, feedback, challenges and successes you want to discuss and share
Share what goals you have for your child this year
Ask your child how they feel about being at school in-person this Fall
Consider sharing any important information that teachers need to be aware of
On Conference Day --
Arrive on time to the virtual meeting
Conference time is limited. If there are important topics that have not been discussed, ask for a future appointment or follow-up phone call. We want to provide enough time to understand how to best support your child and family during this time.
Make notes about the discussion during the conference
After the Conference --
Follow up on any plans agreed to by you, your child’s teacher, and your child
Stay in touch with the teacher. You may send a note, email or leave a voicemail with any questions that you have after the conference.
Discuss what was said during the conference with your child. Be sure to celebrate all the successes and positive comments the teacher shared.
Rain and Wind and Cold, Oh My!
We are hiring at Tualatin Elementary! Are you interested?
We are looking for a night monitor to join our custodial staff. The position involves some basic maintenance such as emptying school garbage cans and sweeping the hallways. The position is daily from 2:30-5:30. You will be working with the school district, but be placed here at Tualatin Elementary. We have some flexibility with hours and high school students are able and encouraged to apply. Please reach out to Fausto Puentes at fpuentes@ttsd.k12.or.us if you’re interested.
News from the Garden
Our school garden is a treasure to behold! Please make it a part of your life here at Tualatin Elementary.
Explore our native plant area. Harvest the produce. Currently we have: tomatoes, asian pears, green beans, apples, wine grapes, cauliflower and chard. Rosemary, thyme, oregano and chives are common herbs that are always in abundance!
To keep our garden thriving and beautiful we also need your support. We are ooking for more volunteers to help care for the garden: trim, mulch compost, water. We also would love to have more committee members to help us keep our garden sustainable. Please contact Paul Taylor (paultaylorocnp@aol.com) or Pam Soderquist (psoderquist@ttsd.k12.or.us) to find out more.
- Like us on Facebook @TualatinElementaryGarden
- Signup to volunteer at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090544acad2da2fb6-tualatin3
See you in the garden!
Memory Books from 2020-21
Tualatin Elementary School
Email: tualatinoffice@ttsd.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.ttsdschools.org/tualatin
Location: 20405 SW 95th Ave
Phone: 503-431-4800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TualatinElementaryGarden/
Twitter: @TuES_BlackBears