Westridge Wildcat News
August 14, 2020
In This Edition:
NEW! ~ Principal Q & A
NEW! ~ Parent Verification
NEW! ~ Cohort and Class Placement
NEW! ~ ODE State Assessment Notice
NEW! ~ Student Services FAQ
NEW! ~ Save the Date
Message from the Principal
Dear Wildcat Families,
Here we are, just weeks away from starting our 2020-21 school year! The patience and kind messages that our families are extending to myself and our amazing office staff are deeply appreciated by us all. We know that there is a lot of information coming at you and we are happy to partner with you as we work through all the changes.
As always, there are staffing changes that are announced during the summer months. I am happy to share an update with you here. Please join me in congratulating Mrs. Bullock as she and her husband welcome their first child, a beautiful baby girl!
Remington "Remi" Paige Bullock came into the world on Friday, August 7th weighing 10 lbs 3oz, and is 22 inches long. Both mama and baby are home and doing well. Mrs. Bullock will be taking a year of leave as she and her husband embrace parenthood.
We are also saying goodbye to Mrs. Kopacek, our RTI Coordinator. Mrs. Kopacek has decided to return to LOJ as a science teacher. Her energy and enthusiasm for supporting our Wildcats and Wildcat families will be missed!
Keep your eyes out for more information in our Wildcat Newsletter as we continue to inch closer to the start of the school year. Until then, enjoy your last few weeks of a slower pace and sunshine.
Sending all our Wildcats smiles and hugs!
Principal Montgomery
Q & A with the Elementary Principals
Here are a list of FAQ's that came up during the meeting and answers from Principal Montgomery:
FAQ:
- Will the PM portion actually be three hours long for social studies and PE?
- For the PM cohort, which subjects would be live? Math and LA, or Social Science?
- Will the synchronous be pre-recorded?
- Will this slide deck be available? (Here is the link)
- Are the LO Online teachers already hired and trained?
- Is the LO Online Curriculum the same as the LOSD Hybrid?
- How will small group sessions be coordinated?
- How will classroom expectations and behavior plans be managed? Will there be behavior plans in place or is this the responsibility of the adult at home?
- Does AM/PM apply to LO online as well?
- If you'e in advanced math, can you go back in person even if you signed up for hybrid?
- Is there a time for younger kids to get acclimated to devices?
- What cohort will siblings with different last names be placed in? The younger or older sibling?
- If my child is in 7C math, will there be a section of just elementary school students for that class or will they be in a middle school class?
- Will there be Kinder assessments? If so how will they be done?
- Can you explain h ow synchronous learning works?
- It looks like instructional hours are lacking during AM/PM sessions. Can you talk about that a bit?
- Will the calendar be the same for Winter Break, Spring Break etc?
- Is there a Music and PE schedule yet?
- Will you be doing math assessments?
- Will you be doing TAG testing this year?
LOSD Roadmap to Reopening Summary
District Information - Verify Student Info Before Returning to School
Verify Student Info Before Returning to School
LOSD thanks all the parents who have already verified their students' information for the 2020-21 school year. If you haven't done so yet, please to log into ParentVUE and review/update your students' information through the Register/Verify tab. This benefits both families and schools by:
- Ensuring that schools have accurate information to reach parents and other contacts in both emergency and non-emergency situations. Verification is important even if your contact information has not changed over the past year because the school may have incorrect information from a previous year.
- Allowing parents to review the health conditions on file at your student's school.
- Enabling distribution of electronic devices covered by the district's Technology Agreement
The verification window closes September 18, 2020.
Class and Cohort Placement
LOSD Elementary Families,
We are very excited to welcome students and families back to school on Tuesday, September 8. Between now and then, we are making detailed plans in preparation for this very unique school year. A big part of that preparation is organizing students into classes with teachers and peers, and assigning cohorts.
Students in the AM cohort will have their math and language arts classes in the morning and their science, social studies and health, music, PE, and innovation in the afternoon. That schedule is flipped for students in the PM cohort.
Our priority is to create balanced classrooms. Like past years, our placement teams consider many factors including, but not limited to: number of students, gender identity, TAG, students with IEPs/504s, program placement, siblings, etc. This year, we are also considering cohort sizes based on ODE and OHA guidance, and assigning teachers to Hybrid and LO Online models.
In addition to the considerations above, our placement teams will also consider maintaining an even number of students in the AM/PM cohorts. Cohorts will be organized alphabetically. As per School Board decision on July 27, students with last names starting with A-K will be in the AM cohort, and last names starting with L-Z will be in the PM cohort. Because we must maintain balanced classes, for some grade levels, the A-K and L-Z division may be heavier on one side vs the other, thus requiring a shift from one cohort to the next based on the number of students.
We understand families have different circumstances, and some may wish to request a specific cohort. Approved change requests will support balanced classrooms in Hybrid and LO Online. If you have a specific cohort request, please contact your principal. All requests will be reviewed and we will do our best; however, not all requests can be accommodated. We will work with Lakeridge Middle School to try and accommodate siblings at both levels.
Placement teams will be meeting on the first day of their teacher contract. Families will receive their class/cohort placement on the evening of Tuesday, August 25.
Thank you,
LOSD Elementary Principals
ODE State Assessment Notice
Student Services FAQ Now Available
In addition to the Student Services Plan for the 2020-2021 school year, LOSD has now posted an accompanying Frequently Asked Questions document. Both the plan and the FAQ can be accessed on the district website under Roadmap to Reopening/Student Services and Departments/Student Services.
This information is specifically for students with 504 Plans and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), as well as students in our ACCESS, Delta, Pathways, and Community Transition programs.
If after reading the Student Services FAQ you have specific questions, please email the Executive Director of Student Services, Patrick Tomblin, at tomblinp@loswego.k12.or.us.
Save the Dates
- August 25th after 4pm ~ Cohort Placements Finalized and Shared
- September 1st ~ For ONLINE Students ONLY Pick up a device, curriculum resources, school supplies, and any other necessary school materials. Details regarding Smart Start will be forthcoming! *More details to come
- September 2nd, 3rd, 4th ~ In-person Meet & Greet at Westridge and SMART START for students participating in Hybrid! Teachers will send out class communication and Meet & Greet sign-up links on August 25. During your individually scheduled Meet & Greet time, students will meet their WR teacher, and pick up a device, curriculum resources, school supplies, and any other necessary school materials. Details regarding Smart Start will be forthcoming!
- September 8th ~ First Day of School! Hybrid and Online
Westridge Elementary
Email: kari.montgomery@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org/wr
Location: 3400 Royce Way, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 534-2371