BSD Briefs
October 29, 2018
District Goal: WE empower all students to achieve post-high school success.
School and District At-A-Glance Reports
School and District report cards for the 2017-18 school year are available at https://www.ode.state.or.us/data/reportcard/reports.aspx. (Select Beaverton in the school or district search bar). We welcome the opportunity to share this information with you on the progress we are making to improve academic achievement for each student in the Beaverton School District. We are making progress.
In 1999, the Oregon Legislature enacted ORS 329.105 requiring that the Oregon Department of Education produce and issue annual report cards for all schools and districts. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015, encourages schools and educators to innovate and create systems that address local needs. As a part of this work, the Oregon Department of Education redesigned the School and District report cards to engage and inform families about their school’s approach to learning, academic and extracurricular offerings, and student performance.
The redesigned School At-A-Glance Reports: The school and district report cards have been redesigned to reflect changes to Oregon's educational system so that parents and community members are provided with the most current, relevant, and important information about their school and districts. The new report cards allow schools and districts to better tell their unique stories in a more visual and user-friendly way.
School Board Approves 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 School Calendars
At the October 22, 2018 Business Meeting, the School Board approved the Superintendent’s calendar recommendation for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. Staff and community members overwhelmingly preferred Option 1 for both school years.
In the 2019-2020 school year, the first day for students will be Monday, August 26 and the last day for students will be Friday, June 12. In the 2020-2021 school year, the first day for students will be Monday, August 31 and the last day for students will be Friday, June 18. Option 1 provides 10 days for winter break in both school years.
Both calendars are below for your planning purposes. Please understand that budgetary and contractual obligations may impact the implementation of the final calendars.
Early Release
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
(students will be dismissed 90 minutes early)
Budget Listening & Learning Session
Monday, October 29, 2018
6:30 p.m.
William Walker Elementary @118th
650 NW 118th Ave.
Portland, 97229
Early Release
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
(students will be dismissed 90 minutes early)
Budget Listening & Learning Session
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
6:30 p.m.
Location: TBD
Early Release
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
(students will be dismissed 90 minutes early)
Hazeldale Elementary School Dedication & Open House
Students, staff and project team members gathered at Hazeldale Elementary School on Wednesday, October 24 for a dedication assembly. That evening, the school held an open house, where members of the community could take a student-guided tour of the new building.
School Board Resolution on Improving Attendance
The Beaverton School Board believes that regular student attendance is essential for ensuring our students are on-track to learn and succeed. We know students who routinely attend school are more likely to achieve academic success, graduate from high school, and be prepared for college and career.
On average, chronically absent students miss two or more days a month—the equivalent of 10 percent or more of the school year. Chronic absence is a leading, early warning indicator of academic trouble and later dropout. Children from low-income communities are more likely to face systemic barriers to getting to school and, starting as early as prekindergarten, have higher levels of absence. Improving attendance is essential to ensuring more equitable outcomes.
Beginning in 2012 attendance has been tracked for all schools and student groups and is a key element in the District Strategic Plan. The Beaverton School Board supports a data-driven approach to attendance improvement. Data helps us determine where absenteeism is most concentrated (by school, grade, ethnicity, geography, income, etc.) and allows us to identify the causes of absenteeism. Through a strong analysis of attendance data, educators and administrators can identify barriers to attendance and provide students with targeted support.
The Beaverton School Board believes everyone has a role to play in ensuring that Beaverton students understand the importance of regular attendance. We encourage parents and family members to monitor student absences and have pro-active conversations about the importance of attendance. Trusting relationships—whether with teachers, mentors, coaches, or other caring adults—are critical to encouraging students to pay attention to multiple absences and to seek help to overcome barriers to attendance.
The Beaverton School Board acknowledges that improving attendance is critical to student success. As a whole community of students, parents, family members, mentors, coaches, educators, and administrators, we can set the expectation that attendance matters, every day.
Stay Healthy this Cold & Flu Season
Cold and flu season has already begun, but there are things you can do to keep yourself and your children healthier. Prevention measures include washing your hands frequently, getting lots of rest, drinking plenty of fluids, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Home is the best place for a child who is ill. The Too Sick for School informational flyer has guidelines to help you make the decision about when to keep your child home from school.
Special Education Training #1
Last school year, the Beaverton School District Nutrition Services Department purchased nearly 124,000 pounds of produce from local farms. That includes more than 83,000 pounds of apples, 4,700 pounds of strawberries and more than 660 pounds of lettuce. In addition, we purchased milk and eggs from Alpenrose Dairy.
Our participation in the Farm to School Program helps improve our students’ health and nutrition by increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables we offer. In addition, we believe our local purchases have helped stimulate the local and regional economies.
Big Apple Crunch
Last week, three schools celebrated National Farm to School Month by taking part in the “Big Apple Crunch.”
Staff Spotlight: Lisa Hackney, Nutrition Services Lead, West TV Elementary School
If you have ever had the privilege of eating breakfast or lunch at West TV Elementary School, you will have been greeted with a warm smile and a kind word from Lisa Hackney. Lisa has been the Nutrition Services Lead at West TV for the last three years. She joined the District eight years ago at Sunset High School and worked as a rover, going from school to school as needed for one year. “I loved being at Sunset when my son attended there,” joked Lisa. “He used to come into the cafeteria each day and say, ‘Hi mom’ and wave, and I was like – this is so embarrassing.”
Every morning Lisa preps the kitchen for the day and readies the cafeteria for breakfast and lunch. She is also responsible for ordering and stocking all of the food and supplies necessary to feed hungry kids each day. Last year, the West TV kitchen became a two-person kitchen due to increased numbers of students purchasing meals. “I think the reason this happened is serving kids quality food, being nice and approachable,” explains Lisa. “I always have a smile on my face, and I think just giving good customer service is so important, because kids do have other options.”
She says her least favorite thing about her job is running out of something a student wanted to eat. “I try to base what I order on what the kids want. I never want to run out of something that a student wanted. My goal is to not have that ever happen, that has to be the worst feeling.”
What she enjoys the most is interacting with the students each day. “When students come in and have a story for me or have artwork for me – that is the most wonderful thing,” she says smiling. “I just love knowing that I have some sort of positive influence on kids’ lives – when I was growing up, I remember being a little afraid of the adults in the school – so to have the kids not feel that way here, it’s wonderful.”
“Lisa is a valuable member and positive role model for students and staff at West TV. She has an incredible work ethic, never ending supply of care and kindness, extraordinary flexibility and willingness to think of creative solutions to challenges big and small,” says West TV Principal Kalay McNamee.
If you happen to know Lisa, you might be surprised to know that as a hobby she sweepstakes! “I have been doing it since I started at the District. In the beginning I only worked four hours a day and my son was still in school, so I had some extra time on my hands,” she says. “So, I started entering sweepstakes. The first thing I won was a trip to Montana, then it seems like every year I am winning a new trip. We have been to Atlanta, New York, Florida twice, and London was my favorite, I even won a Jeep a few years ago!”
She jokes that sweepstaking is like her second job because of the supplemental income it provides. Lisa is married and has one son and a cat named Mocha that happened to come with their house.
Safe Routes to School Update
On November 4, 2018, we set our clocks back an hour, making it darker earlier in the afternoon. With shorter days this time of year, motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians need to be extra alert to see each other in low light situations.
Improving visibility means improving safety for all road users. Wearing light colors or reflective clothing is one of the simplest things pedestrians and cyclists can to do keep themselves safe.
Here are additional suggestions to help keep you safe while walking and biking:
- Wear bright, reflective clothing and shoes when walking or biking.
- Don’t wear headphones, text or talk on a cell phone while crossing the street.
- Be aware of vehicles around you. Make eye contact before crossing in front of vehicles.
- Don’t assume that cars see you or are going to stop.
- Driving or biking? Expect and slow down for pedestrians in popular walking areas, around schools and parks, and near crosswalks.
When more people walk, bike and take the bus, it makes the route to school safer, less congested and more fun for everyone. Thank you for continuing to walk, bike and use the bus. It’s the way to go!
Beaverton School District
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Email: community_involvement@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: beaverton.k12.or.us
Location: 16550 SW Merlo Rd, Beaverton, OR, United States
Phone: (503)356-4360
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeavertonSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @beavertonsd