Sherwood Schools: District Updates
2022-23 and 2023-24 District Calendars
As you may know, in February 2022 the SSD Board of Directors approved the District calendars for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years. The approved calendars can be found on the District website here.
One important change for both of these approved calendars is that the start of the school year will now include student attendance days beginning prior to Labor Day weekend. This coming fall, for instance, please note that school will begin September 1, prior to Labor Day weekend. The reason for this change is to meet state instructional hour requirements while maintaining a full week during Thanksgiving Break and two full weeks during Winter Break, which feedback has indicated continues to be important to the community of Sherwood.
Please watch for future back-to-school communications from your child’s school with more details about the start of the school year.
Curriculum Adoptions: Opportunities for Review
The Sherwood School District has recommended to our Board of Directors two curricula for adoption: Mystery Science, which is an interim K-5 science curriculum, and Reporteros, a secondary World Language curriculum. In accordance with Oregon Department of Education (ODE) guidelines and as part of our long-established practice, proposed instructional material adoption resources for World Languages and Elementary Science are available for community review. All proposed materials during this instructional materials adoption window are digital, and linked on our District website. Community feedback can be given via forms posted on that webpage. The proposed materials and review form is linked here.
In addition, and to ensure all community members can access the resources and provide feedback, computers are now available in the front office of each school and the District Office for any member of the community who needs them to access the posted materials. The computers will be available to members of the community during business hours at each building until the review window ends on June 8th, 2022.
Finally, the Teaching and Learning Department will be hosting an Instructional Materials Community Review Night on June 2, 2022, from 5-7 pm at the District Office. Community members interested in reviewing the materials are encouraged to stop by at their convenience. Staff members will be available to answer questions and discuss the proposed materials.
Fentanyl Lessons Being Taught at Secondary Schools
As we shared with you in a previous communication, our district is taking steps to help increase awareness of the dangers of fentanyl, including implementing lessons at the middle and high school levels. We plan to teach lessons to our students at Sherwood High School during their Homeroom classes on Friday, May 27th. The lessons will be taught the following week at Sherwood Middle School. You can view these lessons by clicking on the links below. Additionally, one of the best prevention steps is talking to your student about never taking any medication that doesn’t come from their doctor.
Middle School Presentation
High School Presentation
Optional Additional Resource (Some teachers may choose to include in their lesson)
If you have any concerns about how your child may react to these lessons, please reach out to your student’s counselor directly at Sherwood Middle School. At the Sherwood High School, please reach out to Sarah Giles, Counseling Secretary at (503) 825-6020.
As you may know, the rise of Fentanyl use across the country, in Oregon, and right here in Washington County is alarming. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine, but 50 to 100 times more potent. Fentanyl overdoses are rising at a rapid rate for most age groups, including teens. Perhaps the most alarming part of this emerging crisis is the rise of “fake pills'' that are accessible to teens through social media and other sources.
These pills may look identical to pharmaceutical grade pills like OxyContin or Xanax, but they are not. These pills are not produced in sophisticated labs with precise doses. The counterfeit pills are produced cheaply and quickly and often distributed via online platforms like Snapchat or other social media. They often contain lethal doses of Fentanyl, and just one pill can kill. Two Portland teens tragically died earlier this spring in Portland and police in the Portland area recently seized 150,000 of these pills.
The District is taking this issue seriously and is committed to our ongoing efforts to educate teens and their families about this important issue. This conversation is a critical tool that could protect your child. Thank you to our staff for their help in providing these important lessons, and to our families for your partnership on this topic.
Pre-Kindergarten Spots Still Available!
Sherwood School District's Pre-Kindergarten program still has slots available at our Hawks View and Middleton schools! Our program offers our youngest learners an opportunity to learn and grow through inquiry and play. We are inclusive, providing rich early learning opportunities for typically developing children and children with developmental delays and disabilities. SSD Pre-Kindergartens are tuition-based, but we still have a number of free spots available for families who qualify.
Applications are now open! Please see the
Pre-Kindergarten webpage for more information.
Reminder: Enrollment for Incoming Kindergarten and New Students
Registration is now open for new students in all grade, including students beginning Kindergarten in the 2022-23 school year. Incoming Kindergarten students must turn five on or before September 1, 2022. Please note: students currently attending a school in our district do not need to be registered for the upcoming school year, and will be enrolled automatically in the next grade level/school.
To complete online registration, please click here. During online registration, new families will create a Sherwood ParentVUE account. Parents of current and former Sherwood students will log in with their existing ParentVUE account. If you encounter any issues with completing the online registration process, please contact your child’s school:
Families are also welcome to register using paper registration. Paper registration packets can be picked up from the front office at your child’s school.
The Sherwood School District is hiring! Some of our best employees have come from our parent volunteer ranks -- if you’ve volunteered in the past or are looking to be involved in the Sherwood community, please consider applying for one of our many open positions. Many of our current open positions offer a full benefit package including medical, dental and vision insurance, in addition to retirement benefits. Apply online at https://sherwood.tedk12.com/hire/Index.aspx
