Tiger Tale
February 8, 2018
Upcoming Dates
February 14 - Valentine's Day Classroom Parties
February 19 - SCHOOL CLOSED - President's Day
February 22 - Passport
February 27-March 2 - Scholastic Book Fair
March 2 - PTC Bingo Night
Principal's Message
I wanted to share some background information on the change in our calendar for next year. As you may have noticed, school begins prior to Labor Day for the first time in Beaverton. Several neighboring districts moved to this model last year.
Two years ago, the District reached a new agreement with teachers which addressed the need for consistent collaboration time and additional student contact days. Early Release began on Wednesdays this year, and nine student contact days are gradually being added over three years. Here is what has been added:
2016-2017: Added 2 student contact days (bringing our total to 177)
2017-2018: Converted 4 staff development days to student contact days (bringing our total to 181)
2018-2019: We will add 3 student contact days (bringing our total to 184)
Two days were added in June to the 2016-2017 calendar because there was not adequate time to notify parents and staff of the change if the days had been added to August 2016. These two days are now being moved to August 2018. This explains why we are starting the school year five days before Labor Day.
Adding nine more student contact days will provide Beaverton students with more days of instruction than any of our neighboring districts. Portland currently has 176 days, Hillsboro has 178 days and Tigard has 180 days, the national average. Prior to 2016-2017, Beaverton had 175 days. In addition, by providing more full five-day weeks of school, we increase the continuity of instruction for students.
You might wonder why we added days to the beginning of the school year rather than the end of the year. From an instructional perspective, adding the student contact days to the beginning of the school year is beneficial to maximize the days of instruction students receive before they take exams such as ACT, Smarter Balanced, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), etc.
Please call us at Terra Linda if you have any questions about the above information. We would be happy to talk with you. And mark you calendar for Monday, August 27 - the first day of school 2018!
Kind Regards,
Christy
Report Cards Going Home Friday, February 9
Please check your student’s backpack Friday for their report card. Refer to this Report Card Explanation to better understand the marks your student received. You can also check ParentVue Friday after 4:00 pm to see your student’s report card.
Smarter Balanced Assessment Coming Soon
Beginning in April, our third, fourth, and fifth graders will be taking the Smarter Balanced Assessments in reading and math. Testing will take place April 23-27, May 7-11, and May 21-25. These statewide assessments give us valuable information on how we are doing as a school in preparing your student for middle school, high school, and beyond. The assessments also give families information on each student’s individual progress and will guide our work next year. Please note the testing dates and do your best to avoid scheduling appointments and vacations during this time .
Show Your Terra Linda Tiger Spirit!
Wear your Terra Linda Tiger gear or school colors on Fridays. Jogathon T-shirts from this year or past years are a perfect way to show your school spirit!
Kindergarten Registration
Do you have a student enrolling in Kindergarten next year? We have registration packets ready for pick-up at Terra Linda. Please help spread the word to any neighbors in our attendance area who have children ready for Kindergarten. Students must be at least five years of age on or before September 1, per state statute, and live within the attendance boundary of our school. We invite you to register early as this assists us in confirming enrollment for staffing purposes.
Terra Linda Service Day - Sunday, May 20
School Board Passes Resolution to Authorize Local Option Levy Renewal
In 2013, voters approved a five-year local option levy to restore teaching positions that had been cut due to repeated state funding shortfalls. The levy has raised $128 million, and 100% has remained in Beaverton schools to fund approximately 300 teaching positions and reduce class sizes. In the 2017-2018 school year, 158 of these positions were allocated to Beaverton's elementary schools (five of the 158 were allocated to Terra Linda), 53 to middle schools, 70 to high schools, and 18 to options schools.
Read for Goats Winter Reading Challenge
Congratulations and thank you for all the reading you did for the Read for Goats Winter Reading Challenge! Young readers logged a total of 18,551 hours - more than double the challenge target! In recognition of the effort, the pledged purchase of goats has also doubled. Funds for two pairs of goats were donated to Mercy Corps in honor of this year’s efforts. Reading hours were submitted at both Cedar Mill and Bethany Libraries, and through local schools. Thanks to Cedar Mill Elementary, Findley Elementary, Springville K-8, and Terra Linda Elementary. All you readers rock !
About Us
Website: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/schools/terra-linda
Location: 1998 NW 143rd Ave, Portland, OR, United States
Phone: 503 356-2490
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terralindatigers/