Lightning Newsflash
Lakeridge Middle School's weekly newsletter.
April 14, 2021
News from Lakeridge Middle School
End of Quarter Message from Dr. Schultz
Your kids too are sources of hope and joy. Hearing them sing in the virtual choir concert this week, seeing their smiles after OBOB victories, chatting with them in zoom, and seeing the smile in their eyes as they head onto campus for in-person classes with caring teachers likewise remind me of the great hope we have for our future. Connection with resilient and capable kids like yours is a gift. Thanks for sharing them with us.
As we head into the fourth and final quarter of this momentous school year, I encourage you to keep looking for ways to upgrade your connection with your own kids, with our school community, and with the support of the community connections all around us. All year we've been encouraging students, families, and staff to upgrade your connection; it's as important today as it was last fall.
Your kids need to connect with you to process the news of our world--and it's okay not to have all the answers for them, to model what it's like to struggle with the hard news about the pandemic, persistent racism, violence, the climate, and the many pernicious challenges of our contemporary world. They also need chances to share celebrations and joys with you, to laugh about the silly thing that happened, giggle about a shared memory, or rejoice in another birthday or milestone.
Our connections with kids are as instructive as any lesson they'll learn in school; our relationships are the foundations on which they build all their learning. Don't miss the opportunities you have to notice, reflect, and connect about what's going on in their lives. And if, in that connection, you find yourself needing more support, remember that your school community is here for you too. Call our office, email our counselors or teachers, reach out to neighbors from your bus stop. We're stronger together, and we have to help each other keep finding ways to connect and belong.
Thanks for being a community that's committed to supporting each other, committed to support our students, and committed to continuing to learn and grow together. Enjoy the sunshine and the day off on Friday as we wrap up 3rd quarter and prepare to launch the final term before summer.
4th Quarter Transitions for In-Person/Hybrid Instruction
New to hybrid in Q4? Want a refresher on our protocols and processes?
Read all about our return to In-person/Hybrid in the special edition of the newsflash published recently and linked here: https://www.smore.com/q7rje
Follow how it's going on our social accounts via twitter and instagram.
Middle School Sports: Athletics are Back at LMS
Sign-ups for Co-Ed Volleyball and Co-ed Cross Country will are happening now.
- You will need to register via Lake Oswego Community Schools. Participation will be $50.
- If the fee is a challenge for your family right now, worry not! Use the Fee Waiver link at the bottom of this message or reach out to your counselor for info about support.
- All skill levels are welcome and each player that signs up will make a team.
- Physicals are required every two years if participating in athletics at LMS. Students will need to have an updated physical completed prior to participation. (Please find the medical clearance form located on our school website under athletics: https://www.losdschools.org/domain/1711
- Practices will start 4/19 and be on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4:20-5:20 pm
For questions, please contact Laura Gustaff: gustaffl@loswego.k12.or.us
School Pictures
As the official school photographer for Lakeridge Middle School, Dorian Photographers are excited to take your photos. Click on the link below to schedule an appointment for your student(s).
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BAFA828A5FAC61-lakeridge2
We will be taking individual photos for your school on April 28th. Do not delay, please schedule your appointment today!
Please come to the school to check-in and ensure you are wearing a face mask. Appointments are required and can be scheduled using the link above. If you are early please remain in your car until 3 minutes prior to your appointment time. When you arrive we ask that you wear your face mask until your appointment starts. Our photographer will also be wearing a mask and we will be sanitizing often.
Pre-Order Pictures Today!
You have the ability to pre-order pictures only by visiting dorianstudio.com and searching for your school name. Your online order can be placed now and up to four (4) days after picture day.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact our Customer Advocate Team by email at support@dorianstudio.com or by phone at (800) 826-3535. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB)
Congratulations to the Full Deck (Alani L., Ashley P., Kai R., Maya N. and Rachel S.) and JAM 678 (Ceci H., Grace K., Kai C., and Poppy M.) for both besting the two top OBOB teams from Lake Oswego Middle School to advance to the LOSD District OBOB Finals. Both teams read and studied hard, and both managed to beat a very, very impressive 3-time LOJ Champion team in head-to-head matches.
In the District Finals last week, JAM 678 pulled ahead to be named LOSD OBOB Champs, but we are so proud of both teams for their accomplishments. Either team would have been school champ at the vast majority of Middle Schools in Oregon.
Across the months of March and April, all of our Lakeridge OBOB teams did great. Every squad finished with at least one win or tie across a minimum of four battles each, and almost all the teams got stronger as the competition went on -- generally scoring more points in the later rounds with harder questions than they did in the earlier rounds.
The future is bright for OBOB at LMS. Our top 4 teams featured only a single 8th grader, so we expect lots of great competition again next year.
What is OBOB?
The Oregon Battle of the Books is a reading and trivia competition that serves as a statewide celebration of literacy and good books. Over 35,000 students across three divisions (3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th) from schools all over Oregon form teams of three to five members, then read and study from a common list of titles selected by the State OBOB Committee. This year, the 16 middle grades books featured over 5,000 pages and nearly 1 million words of high quality youth literature. We estimate that our LMS OBOBers read well over 20 million words as part of the OBOB program this year.
The OBOB program at LMS is led by TAG Coordinator Cheri Davidson and Librarian Kari Reid with assistance from ELA Teacher Sarah Mocogni, School Secretary Laura Gustaff, and parent volunteers.
It is never too early to start reading for next year's competition. The list of titles can be found here: https://www.oregonbattleofthebooks.org/2021-2022-obob-title-lists/
Counseling Corner
The last Character Strong lesson of quarter three acknowledges that sometimes it’s hard to interrupt negative thoughts and behaviors and that it’s important to reach out for support. While “interruptions” like going for a run, journaling, or listening to good music may help us reroute negative thoughts and feelings, most people need help at some point in their life.
Students were introduced to a few resources for mental health that they may not have heard of. These resources are available for anyone experiencing challenges or crisis of many kinds, including things as serious as depression, self-injury or suicide. Consider spending some time looking at these together. We know that mental health is as important as physical health. Thank you for connecting with your support network or accessing resources (see below) if you or someone in your community is struggling.
PLEASE STAY(Created by Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation)
INCLUSIVE THERAPISTS (A way to connect with more culturally responsive therapists)
CRISIS TEXT LINE (Text a counselor to get support from a volunteer who cares)
TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS (Meaningful resources all in one place)
Notok (An app created by siblings to connect you to people you trust)
We hope you all have a good week, Your LMS Counseling Team School Counselors: Callie Charon (6th) charonc@loswego.k12.or.us Monica Binder (7th) binderkm@loswego.k12.or.us Marcy Watts (8th) wattsm@loswego.k12.or.us Tuesday Office Hour: Callie Charon (6th): Student and Family Office Hour 1:00 - 2:00 Monica Binder (7th): Student and Family Office Hour 1:00 - 2:00 Marcy Watts (8th): Student and Family Office Hour 1:00 - 2:00 Request to meet with your counselor: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeA3BW-V4q4MgTfYQlJ61yMNYWV5zozfj6QEtehRNjdxJ6Sew/viewform If your child ever needs support after school hours, there are many other resources available including the 24-Hour Clackamas County Crisis and Support Line at 503-655-8585 and https://oregonyouthline.org/
Get involved!
Student Clubs & Activities
Student Clubs General Information
LMS Writing Club
Feel free to stop on by at our writing club every Friday at lunch! During our club meetings, we will respond to prompts, write stories, create poems, and do other fun activities. This is a safe space to just enjoy writing!
Please contact Alani LoBravo to get the zoom link: lobra07518@loswego.k12.or.us
BIPOC Affinity Group
Cocoa and Coffee Club
Contact Melissa Evers to get the zoom link
Wednesday AM 8:30 - 9 am
Junior Thespians
Hey middle schoolers! You may have heard of Lakeridge’s wonderful drama program, but have you heard of our lovely Jr. Thespian troupe? Jr. Thespians are a non-profit organization. It’s a chapter of the Educational Theatre Association which sponsors the International Thespian Society. It’s our mission to not only do theatre, but promote, strengthen, and advocate for theatre arts in our community. Short answer, we encourage theatre in our community and have fun doing it! If you’d like to join our troupe, come to our meetings which are every Wednesday at 1:30PM. You can find the meeting link in our google classroom: st2cgps.
Hope to see you soon!!
-Your Jr. Thespian Officers
Girl Up Club
Girl Up is a campaign by the United Nations Foundation, that gives young and adolescent girls a voice, opportunity and structure to make a change in their communities. We are the Lakeridge Girl Up Club, a group of enthusiastic and empowered youth ready to make a difference. We are currently holding a fundraiser to help provide an education for refugee girls in places such as India, Liberia, Uganda, Guatemala, Malawi, and Ethiopia. Every 25 dollars that is donated will change a girls life by providing her with education for a year. Our first fundraiser goal is to raise 500 dollars to ensure that 20 refugee girls can experience education. The success of this fundraiser will not only create impacts on the entire future of a girl, but it will also help her stay safe from violence and be allowed to see a doctor. This fundraiser is very important to our club and all of our members because we all deeply value the opportunities we have to be able to learn and go to a great school. We are so fortunate to have what we have, especially during this pandemic we are so fortunate to have technology and the resources needed to learn online. We want to create life changing experiences and impacts because it isn’t fair that these girls aren’t given the opportunity and the access to education. Education is truly the building blocks to everything. We are fighting for gender equality, and all actions make an everlasting difference. It is often that in this fight for gender equality that those who don’t have privilege are left out of the actions for change. All humans deserve human rights and equality and we are helping with that. You can donate by either going here: https://fundraise.unfoundation.org/team/345343 OR by texting ‘DONATE’ to 971 - 808 - 9318 OR by emailing us at lakeridge.girlupclub@gmail.com . We appreciate every cent and every action you do to help us make a difference in the world. Thank you for helping us change the world.
WHEN: Meetings weekly on Wednesdays @ 11: 45
WEBSITE: https://lakeridgegirlupclub.wixsite.com/lguc
Join the movement!
Math Club
Queer Straight Alliance (QSA)
All Lakeridge Middle School students are invited to our weekly Queer Straight Alliance (QSA) lunch group. Every Friday we will get together after 2nd period to eat lunch over Zoom and enjoy a safe space to play games, do activities, learn about Queer culture, create Queer culture, problem solve, ask questions, share stories, explore identity, and get to know one another. All students are welcome, regardless of how you identify- LGBTQIA+. Come if you're Queer! Come if you're curious! Come if you're an Ally!
Reach out to Ms. Haffenreffer [pronouns: she/her] with questions.
Culinary Adventures Club
Gaming Club
Meeting Times: 12-1
Days: Tues and Friday
Specific Criteria: Need to have access to a computer/laptop/other gaming device, have access to group games (examples Among Us, Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox) and Zoom
What Season: All year
What do you want your members to get out of it:
To make new friends during the pandemic since we all can’t be together socializing at school
To join email: heathermarie0519@yahoo.com your name to get the zoom link.
Key Goals:
Help new students like me meet new people and feel more comfortable, confident and part of a group
To help students learn in a fun way team building skills
To give students a chance to practice being kind, taking turns and being respectful to others in a group environment
To teach patience and listening to each other
To give students a chance of building creativity skills
Science research shows that video games help the brain with memory and growth
Parent Teacher Organization
Last Week to Sign Up
This is the last week to sign up as a PTO officer or committee chair for next school year. The slate of PTO volunteers for 2021/22 will be presented at the PTO meeting on Wednesday, April 14th at 6:30 pm (https://www.losdschools.org/Page/7293#calendar15542/20210406/event/88327).
Sign up to volunteer next year here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d44a5aa2da2fd0-ljhs1. Questions? Email PTO at lakeridgemiddlepto@gmail.com.
Order Flower Baskets
Purchase hanging Flower Baskets (just in time for Mother’s Day) by Wednesday, April 21st. Each 12-inch basket is $38 and boasts a combination of colors and flowers in a sun mix.
Order online here: https://www.losdschools.org/Page/8202.
District Information
Fee Waivers
Requests for resident fee waivers or fee reductions, except for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), will be processed using the attached form. Please complete the form and submit it to the department or school which collects the applicable fee or fees.
Grab and Go Meal Distribution
MIDDLE SCHOOL HYBRID & LO ONLINE INFORMATION
Middle school hybrid students Grab & Go classroom distribution begins Monday, March 29. Please read the letter for details. For LO Online students Grab & Go distribution continues M & Thu 11:45am-12:15pm.
For the most up-to-date information, please visit https://www.losdschools.org/Page/141
Connections and Supports
Administration
Parent Organization
Need to make contact?
Email: schultzk@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: losdschools.org/lms
Location: 4700 Jean Road, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: 503-534-2343
Twitter: @LakeridgeMiddle