The Current
LOSD News • December 17, 2021
In this Message:
Message from the Superintendent
Winter Break Starts Next Week
The Standard Response Protocol
You're Invited: Review the Reimagined River Grove
Kindergarten Counts, New Student Registration Opens Jan. 19
Save the Date: LOSD K-12 Safety Symposium
LOSD COVID-19 Information:
- About the LOSD Dashboard
- Elementary Outdoor Mask Requirements
- Local Vaccination Clinics
Black Student Magazine Writing Competition
Recognition Opportunity for Oregon Educators
Rotary's SASEE Award Nominations Open
Lakeridge High School Blood Drive
Inclement Weather School Closures
Community:
- Softball Registration Open
- City of Lake Oswego Community Survey
- Respond to Racism Workshop
- What's New at Community School
- Hunger Fighters: New Pantry Hours
- Clothing Closet
- Safe Oregon
- Get Social with LOSD
Message from the Superintendent
It's our last newsletter for 2021, and a time to reflect on the unprecedented challenges and memorable achievements of the past 12 months. How we came together makes me more grateful than ever to work with and for this extraordinary community. Your acts of generosity and kindness, unwavering support and service, and genuine appreciation for the good things that have happened are what carry me and my team with great optimism into 2022.
These past couple days have been quite a way to end the year in our schools, and I want to reiterate how appreciative I am of all in our community who practiced patience and cooperation. I, like so many, are grateful for the leadership and partnership with law enforcement. Emergency situations can be an extremely stressful and frightening experience, and it’s completely understandable for people to have many different and significant feelings about it. Please continue to give each other grace and support and take care of yourself, your loved ones, and each other.
Thank you to our students, teachers, staff, administrators, parents, guardians and community partners for how hard you have worked this year. My wish for all of you is that you take time to enjoy, rest and restore over Winter Break. We have much to look forward to in the new year!
Winter Break Starts Next Week
Classes will resume Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.
The Standard Response Protocol
This week our community experienced first-hand the Standard Response Protocol, which is a set of research-based actions/drills designed to prepare students, staff and parents/guardians for emergency situations. It is used in more than 30,000 schools nationwide to guide safety programs.
One of the objectives of the program is to use concise, consistent language practiced by students, staff and first responders in drills throughout the school year. The five possible actions have directives that are unique to the action.
- Hold is used to keep staff and students inside classrooms.
- Secure is used to safeguard students and staff within the building; building entrances are locked and no one is allowed in or out of the building.
- Lockdown is used to secure individual rooms and keep students quiet and in place.
- Evacate is used to move students and staff from one location to a different location in or out of the building.
- Shelter is used for group and self protection.
Click here for more information about the Standard Response Protocol.
Claim Your Lost & Found from Buses
Student Transportation of America
4301 Beasley Way, Lake Oswego, OR 97035
(503) 635-5134
You're Invited: Review the Reimagined River Grove
All are invited to a school community session to review the building design plans for the reimagined River Grove Elementary on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 5:30-6:30 p.m. The session will be hosted online: https://loswego-k12-or-us.zoom.us/j/85245033014
Executive Director of Project Management Tony Vandenberg and Principal Dan Draper will present the current design plans, then open up the session for questions and feedback.
In addition to the school community session, we will be hosting a session for our River Grove neighbors on Thursday, Jan. 13, 5:30 p.m. The session will be hosted online: https://loswego-k12-or-us.zoom.us/j/81986257439 The same information will be presented at this session. You are welcome to attend one or both sessions, at your convenience.
Your input during these sessions will inform the next iteration of the design plan that will be presented at the School Board meeting at the end of January. Thanks in advance for your engagement in the design process.
Save the Date: LOSD K-12 Safety Symposium
LOSD is hosting our first annual LOSD K-12 Safety Symposium. We are excited to provide this in-person opportunity for parents to learn about safety issues affecting students and actions we can all take to create a safer community. Parent involvement is essential in realizing these goals. Please save the date and plan to join us.
Thursday, Feb. 24
6:00 p.m.; doors open at 5.30 p.m.
Lakeridge High School
Symposium attendees will hear from experts in their relevant fields about legislative updates, state statistics, and solution-based approaches for you and your family. Featured topics will include:
- Adolescent brain development
- Substance abuse
- Suicide prevention
- Secure storage of firearms
- Social and digital media impacts
Stay tuned for additional details regarding our speakers, sponsors, and door prizes.
LOSD is committed to creating a culture that enables a vibrant community; strong in health, well-being and safety. Our vision is to create a learning environment that enables and enriches a passion and freedom without fear, for educational exploration.
About LOSD COVID-19 Dashboard
Starting in January, the LOSD COVID-19 Dashboard is how we will be notifying our employees, students and families of COVID-19 exposures in our school communities. We will provide a link to the dashboard, which is posted on the district website under LOSD COVID-19 Information, each week in this newsletter. When reviewing the dashboard, please keep in mind the following information:
As soon as our district nurses are notified by the person diagnosed with COVID-19, or their guardian, our response protocol is initiated and the dashboard is updated.
When a case’s 10-day infectious period begins depends on several variables, including when they first had symptoms and when they were tested.
An active case is in the active column of the dashboard through the case's 10-day active period (which may be 4-5 days from when first posted on the dashboard).
The dashboard counts cases with school exposures. If someone tests positive but they were not at school or engaged in school-related activities during their infectious period, they are not counted on the dashboard.
All cases, regardless of school exposure, are required to be isolated and their close contacts quarantined (unless they are exempt).
Elementary Outdoor Mask Requirements
We are continuously monitoring the status of the virus, and making changes when allowed that support the health and wellbeing of our learning community and ensure successful in-person instruction. That requires we remain flexible and willing to pivot.
Per Clackamas County Public Health recommendations and in consultation with our medical advisory committee, we are lifting outdoor masking for our elementary students starting after Jan. 14. This timing will allow even more students to be fully vaccinated. Face coverings will continue being an option outdoors for individuals who choose to wear them.
Local Vaccination Clinics
Clackamas County Public Health is hosting several local COVID-19 vaccination clinics. Appointments are required, unless otherwise noted. The following dates and locations have been confirmed:
- Molalla United Methodist Church - Indoor vaccine clinic each Monday from 4:00pm - 7:00pm. Offer Pfizer (either dose, 5+). Moderna (either dose, 18+) and Johnson & Johnson (18+). Boosters for all vaccines are also available. Appointment required.
- Canby Foursquare Church – Indoor vaccine clinics each Tuesday from 4:00pm – 8:00pm. Offer Pfizer (either dose, 5+), Moderna (either dose, 18+) and Johnson & Johnson (18+). Boosters for all vaccines are also available. Appointment required.
- Providence Willamette Falls Community Center – Indoor vaccine clinics each Thursday from 3:30pm – 7:00pm. Offer Pfizer (either dose, 5+) and Moderna (either dose, 18+). Boosters for Pfizer and Moderna are also available. Appointment required.
- Clackamas Town Center – Indoor vaccine clinic in the mall, on the second floor Suite #203 (next to Lens Crafters) each Thursday and Friday from 10:30am – 7:00pm. Offer Pfizer (either dose, 5+), Moderna (either dose, 18+) and Johnson & Johnson (18+). Boosters for all vaccines are also available. Appointment required.
- Sandy Community/Senior Center – Indoor vaccine clinic each Friday from 2:00pm – 5:00pm. Offer Pfizer (either dose, 5+), Moderna (either dose, 18+) and Johnson & Johnson (18+). Boosters for all vaccines are also available. Appointment required.
For more information or to make an appointment, visit the Clackamas County vaccine website https://www.clackamas.us/coronavirus/vaccine . Please note if you do not see “Pfizer Pediatric Vaccine” as an option on the scheduler, then appointments are full for that clinic
Black Student Magazine Writing Competition
The Student Voice, as part of the Black Student Magazine, is hosting its annual awards and LOSD students are invited to participate.
Black Student Magazine is accepting submissions of previously published articles from this school year and will pay students $100 stipends if their articles get published in BSM’s February 2022 issue! This opportunity is open to all Black middle and high school students in Oregon. The editing process is coming up in January so the sooner students can submit, the better.
Click here to learn more about the competition, and how to be part of the program.
Recognition Opportunity for Oregon Educators
LifeChanger of the Year is a national recognition program that honors K-12 public school educators and employees annually. Through Sunday, December 31, every K-12 school employee nominated for LifeChanger of the Year will receive:
- A $25 donation in their name to an education nonprofit (learn more)
- A holiday card personalized with a message from their nominator
- A congratulatory poster and certificate mailed to their school
- Automatic eligibility to win one of our 18 awards and cash prizes up to $10,000
Nominations are completely free and can be done anonymously if preferred. Anyone can nominate a K-12 school or district employee online.
Rotary's SASEE Award Nominations Open
The Rotary Club of Lake Oswego is seeking nominees for the 2022 SASEE Awards, which honor service above self in educational excellence. View the new SASEE Awards Highlights promotional trailer!
Do you know an educator, support staff member, student or citizen who demonstrates a commitment to education through work, projects and activities that emphasize "service above self?" LO Rotary Club wants to recognize and support the people who make education in Lake Oswego exceptional. Click here to submit your nomination.
The Rotary Club awards thousands of dollars in cash and scholarships in several SASEE categories. In each case, SASEE Award recipients have the opportunity to “pay it forward” by passing their monetary award on to their school or project.
- Teachers, administrators and support staff: $1,000 for their school or project
- Students: $1,000 for their school or project
- Citizens: $2,500 scholarships awarded in their names to students who also demonstrate "service above self"
Inclement Weather School Closures
Severe weather, power outages, or other conditions may require schools to cancel classes, start late, or close early. If severe weather is forecasted, in most circumstances, the decision to cancel classes or start late will not be made the night before, but will be made before 6:15 a.m. on the day of the weather event.
School will be in session if the majority of our students can travel safely. Because of the varied topography within district boundaries, hazardous conditions occasionally may exist in a limited area while roads in the remainder of the district are safe for travel. If parents/guardians believe conditions in their area make it unsafe for students to travel to school, the district will support their decision to keep their children at home. Schools' attendance secretaries will need to be notified to excuse the tardy/absence.
The process for deciding whether to close schools, extended care and evening activities because of inclement weather is based upon our first priority—student safety. We want students in schools for instruction and are mindful of the inconvenience that working parents must manage when we are closed. When schools must close early during the school day, every effort is made to provide parents with as much warning as possible.
Bus Snow Routes
In the event that buses are on snow routes, please reference the snow routes schedule stops here.
Softball Registration Open
Lake Oswego Girls Softball registration is open for the Spring 2022 Little League season (rec competition for players ages 4-14). Register by Sunday, January 2 to take advantage of the league's "Winter Special" fee and save $25 per player. Final registration deadline is February 13.
Visit www.lakeoswegosoftball.org for more information.
City of Lake Oswego Community Survey
The City of Lake Oswego is conducting a survey to better understand the needs of residents, prioritize services, and guide policy discussions. The survey is administered independently through the ETC Institute, and takes approximately 12 minutes to complete.
Take the survey here: www.LakeOswego.city/2021-community-survey
Questions? Contact Charity Taylor at ctaylor@lakeoswego.city.
Respond to Racism Workshop
Respond to Racism is pleased to partner with Bruce Poinsette to bring Bruce’s workshop: Repurposing your privilege: A strategy session to our community.
The workshop is being offered twice – pick the day/time that works best for you. A donation of $25 is suggested to attend; students attend for free and no one will be turned away because of cost.
Monday, Jan. 10, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Click here to register for this session.
Tuesday, Jan. 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
What's New at Community School?
The LOSD Community School is offering virtual enrichment programs and activities for students of all ages including culinary, STEM, arts, language, and athletics.
Hunger Fighters: New Pantry Hours
Back to School Clothes at Clothing Closet
Open Saturdays
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Visit https://www.ilovelakeoswego.com for more information.
SafeOregon
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.)
Get Social: Follow, Share, Engage
Lake Oswego School District
Email: info@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org
Location: 2455 Country Club Road, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 534-2000
Facebook: facebook.com/weareLOSD
Twitter: @weareLOSD
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