WLWV School Board Briefs
Feb. 5, 2018
The West Linn-Wilsonville School Board held a regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 5. The following are select highlights from that meeting.
Board Adopts 2018-19 Calendar
Highlights of the 2018-19 calendar include:
- The first day of school will be Monday, Aug. 27
- Winter Break begins on Dec. 24 with school resuming on Jan. 8, 2019
- Spring Break is the last full week of March, March 25-29
- The last day of school (barring snow days) is Friday, June 7.
- Snow days have been added on at the end of the year (June 11, 12, and 13) should they be needed
The calendar captures the full year for instructional days: 172 for primary, 173 for middle, and 175 for high school. The calendars have been reviewed to avoid conflicts with key dates including religious holy days and civic holidays. View the 2018-19 PRIMARY Calendar, the 2018-19 MIDDLE Calendar, and the 2018-19 HIGH Calendar.
Nutrition Services Staff is Recognized
- The program has been profitable (a challenge for many school districts) for the past three school years.
- The nutrition services team was awarded a $32,948 farm-to-school grant, which enables Oregon schools to be reimbursed for the purchasing of Oregon grown food.
- WLWV schools have served 215,626 lunches this year, which is 322 more lunches per day than during the 2016-17 school year.
- The average serving time at the primary and middle level is between 10-15 seconds per student, providing plenty of time to eat and socialize with friends.
"I remember the first year that the program finished the year in the black and how much work it took to get there. I want to give my appreciation for that and for the service that you provide our students," said Board Member Regan Molatore. "You and your staff are there at the lunch line every day to greet students and make those important relationships, which I know our community really appreciates."
Board Votes to Close for Open Enrollment, Limit Inter-District Transfers for Second Straight Year
- There is limited capacity across a number of schools in the district;
- WLWV continues to monitor the enrollment growth and requests for transfers across schools, as well as the impact on adjusted boundaries, transportation needs, and building capacity.
The Board also unanimously voted to OPEN for inter-district transfers beginning March 1, 2018, with the following qualifiers:
- The district will accept and limit the 2018-19 inter-district transfers to non-resident students who are currently attending school in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District, as well as siblings of non-resident students currently enrolled in the district.
- The Board's vote means that no new families will be accepted, including current preschool children attending a district preschool from out-of-district residences.
- Rosemont Ridge Middle School, Lowrie Primary, Trillium Creek Primary, and Arts and Technology High School are all closed to inter-district transfers. This includes requests that come with tuition payment.
- The closing date for inter-district transfer approvals into the school district will be June 15, 2018.
The district will also approve 20 requests for inter-district transfer from the district to another district for 2018-19. Requests for release will be approved beginning April 1, 2018. Priority will be given according to:
- Resident students who are currently enrolled in high school at the requested school district.
- Resident students who are currently enrolled in middle or primary school at the requested school district.
- Siblings of students who are currently enrolled in the requested school district.
- Students making new transfer requests.
- A wait list will be created if more requests are received than spaces available. If there are remaining spaces, requests may continue to be made at any time during the school year, with no closing date until the 20 spaces have been filled.
Read more about the district's now-adopted open enrollment and transfer policies.
School Board Learns Alongside District Staff
Director Hydes said he particularly enjoyed engaging in classroom observation with administrators and staff, engaging in professional learning centered on learning targets. He said he was impressed by the number of students who could identify, articulate, and analyze their learning target for the day, as well as explain the importance of their goal.
"To see these professionals up close was breathtaking. It reinvigorated my spirit and reminded me why I'm in this district and on this Board, and also how lucky we are to have such experts in our schools," said Director Hydes. "To see these teachers' passion and care for kids is incredible. It was the type of experience I wish every parent in the district could see, because it was so impressive. ... I can't wait to participate in future learning walks."
Chair Ginger Fitch: Chair Ginger Fitch, meanwhile, used her Board Report to highlight two staff members at Athey Creek Middle School. She thanked Day-Time Custodian Kevin Washington for his dedication and conscientiousness to ACMS staff and students. She also recognized Music Teacher Laura Arthur for her great work. Arthur recently led a breakout session at the Oregon Music Education Association's annual conference. She also teaches 260 students per day across sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade band with great success.
Director Betty Reynolds: Board member Betty Reynolds shared her recent work with Oregon School Boards Assocation, including news from Washington D.C. where she's spending the week advocating for Oregon schools. She said highlights have been ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) implementation sessions as well sessions around federal funding.
Director Regan Molatore: Board Member Regan Molatore thanked Director Hydes for sharing his experiences at learning walks, and shared her recent joy in coaching congressional mock trial teams at Wood Middle School.
High School Baseball Fields to Receive New Turf
Following the 2018 season, the fields at West Linn High School and Willsonville High School will have been in use for 14 and 13 years respectively, far outliving the expected life of synthetic turf. The warranty duration for synthetic turf fields is eight years.
Operations Director Tim Woodley told the Board that the entire community uses the three fields year-round, including many different sports and age groups. He added that the district has enjoyed its current turf fields for so long thanks to routine and careful maintenance from district facilities teams.
Bond Oversight 4th Quarter Report
He added that the district is in the process of preparing for turf replacement projects at West Linn and Wilsonville high schools, the implementation of turf at Wood Middle School's football field, lighting replacement at a number of WLWV schools, and a number of safety upgrades across the district. Those projects will largely take place in the summer.
District Introduces Oregon Wellness Survey, Recognizes School Counselors
She also shared the district's plans to participate in the Oregon Wellness Survey later this year. She explained to the Board that West Linn-Wilsonville sixth-, eighth-, and 11th-graders will have the option of participating in the Oregon Student Wellness Survey in the coming weeks. Sponsored by the Oregon Health Authority, the voluntary survey will ask students about academic commitment, the school environment, positive youth development, and behavioral risks such as fighting, depression, substance use, and gambling. The Student Wellness Survey gathers information that is used to plan and evaluate programs that address these areas.
The survey is OPTIONAL and CONFIDENTIAL. All results from the study will be presented only about groups, and no individual data will be reported. The survey will take approximately 45 minutes or less and will take place during the regular school day. The data gathered will be anonymous, and students will NOT put his or her name, or any other identifying information, on the survey. Students are free to skip questions or stop filling out the survey at any time. Opting not to participate or withdrawing from the survey will not affect students’ school grades or class standing in any way.
Results will be made available to schools following the survey deadline of April 6. The survey will provide useful information about the patterns and prevalence of drug use, violence, gambling, risk and protective factors, and other pertinent information. For more information about the Oregon Student Wellness Survey, go to http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/CHRONICDISEASE/DATAREPORTS/Pages/student-wellness.aspx.
Upcoming Meetings and Dates
Early Release, Professional Growth Wednesday: Feb. 7 — Professional Growth Wednesdays include a two-hour early release on select Wednesday afternoons to allow educators time to collaborate and participate in professional development opportunities.
President's Day: Monday, Feb. 19; NO SCHOOL — There will be no school on Monday, Feb. 19 in recognition of President's Day. Class will resume Tuesday, Feb. 20.
Regular Board Meeting: Monday, March 12 — The West Linn-Wilsonville School Board will hold a regular meeting on Monday, March 12, starting at 6 p.m. in the District Office; 22210 SW Stafford Road, Tualatin.
About West Linn-Wilsonville
Email: kilstroa@wlwv.k12.or.us
Website: www.wlwv.k12.or.us
Location: 22210 Southwest Stafford Road, Tualatin, OR, USA
Phone: 503-673-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/WLWVschools
Twitter: @WLWVdistrict