Westridge Wildcat Newsletter
Friday, March 10, 2023
Message from the Principal
Hello Westridge,
Today we had another great assembly celebrating our Character Traits. We honored students who stand out in the trait of honesty (see the photo below of students who were recognized). We also talked about our current trait, cooperation. We define cooperation as working together to reach shared goals. Some questions you might discuss at home are: Why do you think it is important to show kindness and practice cooperation? What are some goals you share as a family and how do you work together to accomplish them?
In the assembly, we also shared about Disability Awareness Month. To better understand disabilities, students have been read aloud the book Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor during library and we watched this video at our assembly. We each have different abilities, skills and ways of learning and our classroom communities are made stronger by our diversity.
Lastly, I'd like to thank the 28 people who have provided feedback on the YouthTruth Survey and encourage each of you to give feedback too! The survey asks about the climate and culture of our school. We are always looking for opportunities to improve. If you’d like to get even more involved in the direction of our school, please consider applying to be a member of our School Advisory Committee (SAC). Applications are due April 7th.
Thank you and have a lovely weekend!
Laura Weaver
Save the Dates!
SCHOOL CALENDAR: LOSD SCHOOL CALENDAR 22-23
3/11: LOSD Foundation Gala (see more info below)
3/15: 5th Grade Field Trip to BizTown & Lockdown Drill
3/16: 1st Grade Music Concert in the gym 5:30
3/16: PTSO Meeting at Westridge and on Zoom. We'll be voting on the bylaw amendments presented last month so please plan to attend
3/24: No School - Teacher Prep Day
3/27-3/31: Spring Break
4/10-4/14: Scholastic Book Fair
4/13-4/14: Conferences - No School
4/20: 3rd Grade Music Concert in the gym 5:30
5/18: 5th Grade Musical 6:30
5/19: 5th grade musical assembly - Time TBD
PTSO Event's Page Calendar can be found here for more info on Parents Nights out and Meet Ups!
Parking lot remiders:
- Please do not drop students off or pick them up in the back staff parking lot.
- There are several RESERVED parking spots in our parking lot. Please do not park in these spots - even if "just for a minute."
YouthTruth Survey
YouthTruth surveys are still open. We encourage you to participate in the survey as it is an incredibly valuable way to help us improve students’ experiences in our school. Please take the survey before it closes at midnight on March 24 by clicking this link.
Please note:
- The survey needs to be completed in one sitting; about 15 minutes to complete.
- We ask that one member of each household fill out the survey.
- If you have more than one child who attends the same school, you may respond to the survey multiple times - one time per child.
- If you write any comments, please do not include your name or anything else that might identify you. Your responses are anonymous, and they will be combined with the responses of other parents and guardians before being shared back with school and district leadership.
If you have any questions about the survey, or our plans for how we will use your feedback, please reach out. We sincerely thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. Your response is incredibly valuable to us.
🔬🧪STEM Night has been rescheduled! ⚛️🔭
5th Grade Artwork at LO Public Library
Our 5th graders have their artwork on display at the LO Public LIbrary in the Children's section. This Monet inspired artwork will be on display from March 1st-March 31st.
LMS Career Day: Volunteer Speakers Needed!
Dear Parents/Guardians & Community Members:
We are excited to announce our upcoming Career Day!
Career Day is an important part of the work our school counseling department does to help
students develop their academic, personal, social and career readiness skills. This will be a great
opportunity for our students to learn about a wide variety of careers they might like to pursue.
We are asking parents, guardians and community members to give a 25 minute presentation on
their occupation and roles in the career world for three short morning sessions. We will provide
a list of suggestions to help you plan your presentation, as well as student leaders to help you
throughout the day.
What: Lakeridge Middle School Career Day
When: Friday, April 7, 2023
Time: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Where: Lakeridge Middle School
If you can help support our students in their college and career readiness, please use the link
below to sign up by Monday, March 13th:
We would also appreciate it if you could spread the word to community members that might be
able to participate. We need at least 74 speakers to give all students six different career
experiences. Your help is needed and greatly appreciated!
If you have additional questions, please contact an LMS counselor:
Callie Charon, charonc@loswego.k12.or.us
Monica Binder, binderkm@loswego.k12.or.us
Marcy Watts, wattsm@loswego.k12.or.us
Sincerely,
Callie, Monica and Marcy
Lakeridge Middle School Counseling Department
Champions Spring Break & Summer Camp at Westridge
Registration for 23-24 school year - CHAMPIONS
Information for registration:
-Begins on March 14th at 9 AM.
-Families will need to go to: https://connect.klcschoolpartnerships.com/ to sign up for an account, pay the registration fee and choose a schedule for attendance
-Families will automatically be placed on the waitlist when they sign up and as staffing and space is confirmed we will release families each Friday throughout the summer
-As we release the wait list weekly, we will be prioritizing incoming Kindergartners that are siblings of current Champions families
-For any questions, reach out to Family Support: 1.800.246.2154
Counselor Corner
Dear Westridge Families,
During the month of March, we will work together to practice the character trait of COOPERATION in our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons, classrooms, and throughout our school.
As a school community, we will be examining how Cooperation looks, sounds, and feels. Cooperation is about assistance, support, collaboration, & teamwork. It is a necessary tool in our toolbox for creating a community that cares for one another and in turn creates a school community in which each Westridge Wildcat truly feels a sense of belonging.
The definition students will be learning this month is: COOPERATION: working together to reach shared goals. Students will be encouraged to use cooperation skills such as communication, self-awareness, and the ability to step up (or step back) when the time is right to best support whatever group you are working with.
March is also recognized as National Disability Awareness Month which we will honor by learning how our classroom communities are made strong by our diversity of learning styles and abilities. We each have different abilities, skills and ways of learning. We will direct our focus on inclusive practices and continuing our work with empathy & kindness. School Counselor-led lessons in March will be centered on cooperation through the critical lens of Disability Awareness.
Here is a link with PK-5 Family Letters to explore COOPERATION further as a family and here is a link with some wonderful children's books about disabilities for you to continue the conversations at home.
In Partnership,
Gary Kieser
School Counselor
Seeking Volunteers for Our Advisory Committees
We need you! Please consider applying for our school or district advisory committee for terms starting next school year. There is one application for all committees -- please mark the committee that is of interest to you. Only committees with vacancies -- School Advisory Committees and Long Range Facility Planning -- are listed in the application for this period. See the charters posted on the School Board Advisory Committees web page for more information about each committee.
Applications are due Friday, April 7 at 5 p.m. Recommendations and selections will be made in April. All applicants will be notified by May 1. Thank you!
LOST AND FOUND:
Please check the Lost and Found that is inside the school near the gym. It is OVERFLOWING! Thank you!
District Information
You are cordially invited to attend! Tickets are on sale now.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
Oregon State Assessment Opt-Out Form
Each school year, Oregon students take assessments to meet federal requirements. The purpose of these assessments is to provide data that schools can use to ensure that every child is on track and achieving learning goals.
State law requires us to inform you that a form is available from the State Department of Education that allows you to opt your child out of the math and English Language Arts assessments for the current school year. Should you wish to opt out your child, fill out the form and submit it to the main office at your child’s school. Please note the submission deadlines listed on the form. Meeting the deadline will help the school with planning and preparation. If you wish your child not to participate in the science assessment for grades 5, 8, and 11, submit this request in writing to the principal of your child's school.
If you have questions or want more information about state assessments, please contact your child’s principal or teacher(s).
Click here for opt-out form for Math and English Language Arts.
Safe Oregon
Parents-guardians who have concerns about a student’s well-being are encouraged to reach out to their principal, and to maintain strong lines of communication and partnership between students, families, staff, and other resources.
SafeOregon is also an effective way to report a tip regarding safety threats or potential acts of violence to our students or schools.
(Students should also be aware that intentionally providing a false report is a serious offense.)
Stay connected with the LOSD AP:
Westridge Information
Annual Application for School Volunteers
For the safety of children, volunteers are required to have an approved background check when volunteering in schools. Please click here: Volunteer Application for LOSD to start the online application and background check process.
Reporting tardies, absences and illnesses:
Office phone number and voicemail: 503-534-2371
Attendance Secretary: Andrea Murphy (murphya@loswego.k12.or.us)
Principal's Secretary: Jodi Steward (stewardj@loswego.k12.or.us)
Contact information for the Westridge PTSO
Find us on Facebook!
Follow us on Instagram @westridge.ptso
Email: westridgeptso@gmail.com
Yearbook Photos: yearbookwestridge@gmail.com
Westridge Elementary School
Email: weaverl@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org/wr
Location: 3400 Royce Way, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: 503-534-2371