The Lumberjack Edge
Cedar Mill Elementary School
August 31, 2018
Dear Cedar Mill Community,
The week closes with many firsts! For some, it was their first day at Cedar Mill and for returning students, it was the first of the 2018-19 school year. Routines, procedures and expectations are taught and reviewed many times throughout the first weeks of school. Students are greeting friends and classmates, new and old. This morning, students and staff gathered for their first School Gathering where we launched our theme for the year, "Everyone Counts," and students experienced the first fire drill of the year.
Cedar Mill is currently undergoing some dismissal adjustments in an effort to streamline the process. Updated information is included in the newsletter below which mainly impacts our Office Pick Up students. We are continuing to monitor the process and will make additional adjustments as needed. Thank you for your patience as we continue to perfect the process.
The Reading and Writing Units of Study is the adopted literacy curriculum for elementary schools in Beaverton which originates from the Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University's Teachers College. Our staff has received professional development in using the curriculum over the last few years. An opportunity for three Beaverton elementary schools arose to further partner with the Reading and Writing Project as a Teachers College Lab school during the 2018-19 school year. We are excited to announce that Cedar Mill is one of the three schools! Staff developers from the Reading and Writing Project will visit our school at least five times this year to provide additional staff development and work alongside our staff. More information to come!
We look forward to seeing all of our parents/guardians at Back to School Night on Thursday, September 6th. Enjoy the three day weekend and we will see you on Tuesday!
Sincerely,
Amy Chamberlain
Principal
In This Issue
- Upcoming Events
- Early Release Begins September 5th
- BSD Back to School Information Packet
- Back to School Night - September 6th
- Thank You!
- PTC Back to School BBQ Rescheduled
- Office and School Hours
- PTC Fun Run
- BSD Parent Resources
- School Arrival Procedures
- School Dismissal Procedures-UPDATED
- Attendance
- Safe Routes to School Reminders
- Bus Safety/Transportation
- Nutrition Services
- Volunteering
- AVID Tutors Needed
- Emergency Procedures
- School Messenger
- ParentVue
- BSD Survey Results
- Budget Committee Needs Volunteers
- Community Flyers
- PTC-Parent Teacher Club
Attachments:
- Physical Education Letter
- PTC Fun Run FAQ
- 2018-19 Cedar Mill Activities Calendar
- 2018-19 BSD Calendar
- BSD School-Based Health Center
- AVID Flyer
Upcoming Events
September
3rd: No School - Labor Day
5th: Early Release Begins (1:35pm)
6th: Back to School Night (6:00-7:30)
11th: PTC (6:45pm)
14th: PTC Back to School BBQ - rescheduled (5:30-6:30)
19th: Gotcha Store Begins
21st: Fun Run
28th: Passport Testing
Early Release/Teacher Collaboration: Starts Wednesday, September 5
Beginning Wednesday, September 5, 2018, dismissal times will be:
- Elementary schools that start at 8:00 a.m. will dismiss at 1:05 p.m.
- Elementary schools that start at 8:30 a.m. will dismiss at 1:35 p.m.
- Middle schools will dismiss at 2:20 p.m.
- High schools will dismiss at 1:00 p.m.
- Bridges Academy will dismiss at 1:00 p.m.
- ACMA, Health & Science, SST, ISB, Rachel Carson and Merlo will dismiss at 12:35 p.m.
The District will continue a 90-minute early release on Wednesday afternoons to allow educators time to collaborate and participate in professional development opportunities. The Early Release/Teacher Collaboration webpage has an FAQ and an animated video (English & Spanish) explaining Early Release and Teacher Collaboration. Check it out and share it today!
Back to School Night - Thursday, September 6th (6:00-7:30)
All parents/guardians are invited to begin the evening in the gym for a Welcome from Principal Amy Chamberlain and other school staff followed by the PTC (Parent Teacher Club). Each classroom teacher will present during two separate sessions to accommodate families with multiple children at Cedar Mill.
Back to School Night is designed as a parent/guardian event only. Families are asked to make childcare arrangements for children. However, PTC arranged a limited childcare opportunity for families unable to make other arrangements. Parents may sign school-aged children in for supervised childcare in the cafeteria for the duration of the event. Volunteers are providing this service and donations are appreciated.
Students should not be on the school grounds unsupervised during the event, including the playground.
The schedule for the evening is as follows:
Welcome (Gym) - 6:00-6:25
Classroom Presentations - 6:30-6:55:
Classroom Presentations 7:00-7:25
Thank You!
Thank you to the PTC Board for all they do to partner with the school! (Jessica Baker, Jenny Vail, Hillary Peck, Eva Novick, Lindsay Tosky, Kylan Pimley and Lee Carson)
Shout out to Katie Payne and Hillary Peck for their work in organizing school supplies!
Than you to the TV Installation team who came in before school started to get the InnovatED Classroom carts ready for staff. (Peng Ge, Brendan Hickey, Anitha Manoor, Callum McCowan, Kylan Pimley, Luana Smith, Brian Tosky, James Tosky, and Bethany Sebra)
Thank you to the hardworking Work Party Volunteers who continually help prepare materials for teachers on an ongoing basis, but especially with the back to school needs. Special thanks to Natasha Siefert and Julie Peterson for your extra efforts in this area as well.
We are so thankful for our wonderfully supportive Cedar Mill Community!
PTC Hosted BBQ Rescheduled
School and Office Hours during the School Year
School Hours:
8:30am-3:05pm (M/Tu/Th/ F)
8:30-1:35 (Wed-starting 9/5)
Office Hours:
8:10am-3:30pm (M, Tu, Th, F)
8:10am- 1:30pm (W-starting 9/5)
School Arrival Procedures
- Students should not arrive on campus before 8:10 am when supervision begins.
- Cars entering the parking lot prior to 8:10 am must park in spaces to allow buses to enter.
- Morning recess is on the playground from 8:10-8:25 am each morning.
- Breakfast is served in the cafeteria from 8:10-8:25 am.
- Supervision at drive-thru drop-off ends at 8:25 am. If you arrive after 8:25 am, please park and walk your student to the office.
- Students are expected to be in class, ready to learn, at 8:30. This is when the instructional day begins.
School Dismissal Procedures-UPDATED
Students will not be released for dismissal until 3:05pm.
It is VERY important that your child AND his/her teacher know your child’s daily dismissal plan. Thank you for sending a note the first day of school to notify the teacher of your child’s dismissal plan. Here are some departures to consider:
•Bus: Meaning your child will travel home on the bus. Don’t forget to include the bus number!
•Office Pick Up: Meaning your child will meet a parent, guardian, sibling, neighbor outside the main entrance to the school at dismissal.*
•Walker: Meaning your child knows the route home and travels a safe and walkable route.
•Daycare: Meaning your child is dismissed to daycare. Please indicate which daycare provider (Student Stop, Kinder Care...)
•Drive Thru Car Pick Up: Meaning your child will be picked up in a car by parent or guardian. (Please note that car pick up students are dismissed after all other groups due to parking lot restrictions. Car pick up does not occur until all buses have left the parking lot, around 3:10 pm or after buses depart. (1:40 on Wednesdays).
•For safety reasons, parents may not meet their child in the classroom at the end of the day or wait in the hallway outside of the classroom.
•Written notice from a parent/guardian is required ANYTIME there is a change in dismissal, including after school enrichment classes on site.
*Please note the sidewalk along the parking lot is for Bus Loading ONLY and will be closed during dismissal. Parents and students walking from Office Pick Up to the parking lot or park are asked to use the sidewalk nearest Cornell. Either cross the parking lot behind the last bus or wait for the Bus Loading area to re-open.
When it comes to attendance, every day matters. According to the Oregon Department of Education, more than one in six students in chronically absent. Chronic absenteeism means a student misses 10% or more school days. That’s about two days per month.
Regular attendance will help children do well in elementary school, secondary school, college and at work. According to the Attendance Works Organization, by 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of school. By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
Attendance habits are set the very first week of the school year, so please start building good attendance habits early. As a parent, you can help by establishing a regular bedtime and morning routine. You can also avoid medical appointments during school hours, as well as extended trips when school is in session. We will be sharing more helpful tips and information throughout the school year.
Attendance
Absences: When your child is absent, please call the attendance
hotline at 503-356-2051 before 8:45am.
Tardies: Students arriving late to school (after the 8:30am bell) must come to the office area and get an admit slip. Keep in mind -Tardy students walking into class impact the learning environment for everyone. Thank you for ensuring your child(ren) are on time. The school day starts at 8:30 am.
Leaving Early: If you need to pick your child up from school before the end of the school day, please send a note to the office before school on that morning, specifying the time you will pick them up. If you determine during the day that you will need to pick up your child early, please, call 503-356-2050 as soon as possible. All students must be signed out in the office before departing early.
Change in Dismissal Plans:
If you need to change your child(ren)'s dismissal plan, written notice from a parent/guardian is required. Please do not email same day changes to the teacher or office, as messages may not be received in time.
Vacations: If your child(ren) will not be in school for an extended period of time due to a trip or vacation, students will be marked as "Unexcused" in Synergy per District policy.
Transportation
Nutrition Services Information
Beaverton School District Nutrition Services (NS) Department serves meals that meet the
nutrition standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These meals are funded by USDA reimbursements and meal sales. Breakfast and lunch is served at all schools, and afternoon snacks are served in qualifying schools.
The Oregon legislature provided funding to eliminate the reduced payment for School Breakfast and Lunch. For the school year 2018-2019, breakfast and lunch will be accessible at no charge to students who qualify for reduced price meals.
Note: If a student does not bring a meal from home and has a zero cafeteria account
balance, then the District Meal Charging Procedures will be followed.
Payments for school meals can be made by:
- Sending a check made out to "BSD-Nutrition Services" or sending cash.
- Making payments online at the SchoolCafé website. SchoolCafé is an online payment system that is linked to your student's cafeteria. Parents can register for a free SchoolCafeaccount on the SchoolCafe website.
Volunteering
Parents are strongly encouraged to volunteer at Cedar Mill. No experience is required, just a willingness to help and a desire to do what is best for students. All volunteers are required to complete a background check and application. This background check is required even for volunteers helping out with activities such as chaperoning a field trip, helping out with a class party, and after school events, etc.
All Beaverton schools use an online system called Better Impact, or mVP, at (myvolunteerpage.com) If you are a parent or guardian of a child at Cedar Mill, you need to complete the Parent/ Guardian Volunteer Background Check and Application. For more information, visit the BSD Volunteerism & Community Engagement page. Instructions for community volunteers are included there as well.
AVID Volunteer Tutors Needed for 18-19 School Year!
AVID Volunteer Tutors are needed in all the Middle Schools, Options schools and High schools (all levels please promote to your school community). Please include information in all summer mailings, newsletters, website, reader boards, etc.
AVID=Advancement Via Individual Determination
The Beaverton AVID Program teaches students the skills and behaviors necessary for academic success in high school, college and beyond.
- AVID tutors work with small groups of middle school students under the supervision of a teacher.
- Tutors are trained to use specific strategies that help develop students’ critical thinking, literacy, and math skills.
- Tutoring is held mainly on Tuesday & Thursday, and times vary depending on the school and volunteer availability.
- Training and ongoing support provided.
- Community or Parent Volunteer Application and Background Check required.
For more information contact: BSD-AVID-Tutor@beaverton.k12.or.us
BSD Emergency Procedures-Standard Response Protocol
Maintaining a safe school environment is a priority of the Beaverton School District. Many factors are critical to fostering a “Safe School Climate”. We collaborate with our community partners to review and enhance the District’s safety practices, emergency readiness and response. The BSD and our community partners have been nationally recognized for our collaborative team work and innovative programs.
A critical ingredient in creating a safer school environment is classroom response to an incident at school. Weather events, fire, accidents, intruders and other threats to student safety are scenarios that are planned and trained for by students, teachers, staff and administration, in partnership with our first responders.
Beaverton School District employs the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and is based upon four actions: Lockout, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter. Each has specific staff and student directives that are unique to the action. The SRP is not based on one individual possible scenario but on the response to any given scenario. One large benefit of the SRP is the standard language used by all responders; this includes students, parents, staff and first responders. The protocol also allows for a predictable series of actions as an event unfolds.
For more information on the Standard Response Protocol, please visit the Emergency Protocol page the BSD Public Safety website.
SchoolMessenger Notification System
The Beaverton School District uses the SchoolMessenger notification system to send automated phone calls, emails and texts to parents, guardians, students and staff. These include attendance notifications, inclement weather messages, and important reminders.
SchoolMessenger InfoCenter:
Parents can update their notification preferences via SchoolMessenger InfoCenter. Visit the SchoolMessenger InfoCenter website https://infocenter.schoolmessenger.com/, or download the app.
Check out this quick video on how to manage your preferences.
ParentVue
BSD Survey Results Now Available
Thank you for taking the time to complete the 2017-2018 BSD annual survey last spring. The survey is a way for you to share your thoughts and opinions, and provides valuable information for school and District leaders for improvement, innovation and customer service.
District results from the 2017-18 school year now are posted on the BSD Research & Reports https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/district/research-reports webpage. If you are interested in seeing results for a particular school, please contact the school Principal.
You will receive an invitation to take the 2018-2019 Annual Survey in early to mid-spring of the 2018-19 school year. Please take the time to complete that survey and share your thoughts with the Beaverton School District.
District seeks volunteers to serve on Budget Committee
The Beaverton School District has three vacancies on the Budget Committee and seeks a diverse candidate pool. These positions are in School Board Zone 3 (School Board member Eric Simpson), Zone 5 (School Board member LeeAnn Larsen) and Zone 6 (School Board member Becky Tymchuk). The District schools represented in these zones are:
Zone 3: Bonny Slope, Cedar Mill, Findley, Ridgewood, Terra Linda, and West Tualatin View elementary schools, Cedar Park Middle School, and Sunset High School High School.
Zone 5: Elmonica, McKinley elementary schools, Five Oaks Middle School, Health & Science School, Bridges Academy, Early College PCC, Merlo Station and Hope Chinese Charter School.
Zone 6: Cooper Mountain, Hiteon, Nancy Ryles, Scholls Heights and Sexton Mountain elementary schools, Conestoga and Highland Park middle schools and Mountainside High School.
Individuals interested in serving on the Budget Committee need to live in the zone they wish to represent. The School Board Zones do not entirely match school attendance areas. Zone maps are available on the District website.
Candidates must also meet the following qualifications: be a qualified voter of the District, have lived in the District for one year and cannot be a Beaverton School District employee.
The Budget Committee reviews the District’s budget and recommends needed changes. The Committee conducts business in evening public meetings held between November and June. The Budget Committee also approves the Budget Document and forwards it to the School Board for adoption by the end of June.
Budget Committee members will be appointed by the School Board.
Those who wish to apply should send a letter of interest and/or resume by Friday, September 28, 2018 to:
Beaverton School District
Communications & Community Involvement Department
16550 S.W. Merlo Road
Beaverton, OR 97003
Or email to: community_involvement@beaverton.k12.or.us
For more information, please contact the Communications & Community Involvement Department at 503-356-4360
Community Flyers
Cedar Mill PTC
Cedar Mill Elementary School
Email: amy_chamberlain@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/schools/cedar-mill/
Location: 10265 NW Cornell Rd, Portland, OR, United States
Phone: 503.356.2050