Black Bear Bits
October 14, 2022
Important Dates
10/18: PTA Meeting 7:00 p.m.
10/19: School Picture Day
10/20: Art Lit Meeting 6:30-7:30 p.m.
10/22: Garden Work Party 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
10/22-23: Art in the Burbs! 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Tigard High School)
10/28: Fall Harvest Night 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
10:31-11/4: Fun Run Spirit Week
11:4: Fun Run
In this Edition
- Message from the Principal
- Now hiring! TEAF Coordinator
- Picture Day!
- News from the PTA
- Fall Weather is Coming!
- Flu and Covid Information
- First Grade Music "Informances"
- Station 39 Fire Department Open House
- Verifying Student Information Online
- Now Accepting Memory Book Photos
- Art in the Burbs is Back!
- Special Parking Message
- Crosswalk Safety
- Volunteering at Tualatin Elementary
- Important Links
Message from the Principal
Black Bear Families,
Can you believe how long summer seems to be holding on? The gorgeous sunny days and warm afternoon temperatures don’t necessarily feel like the autumn days we all love. Still, it’s nice to be able to spend a little time outside after school with such beautiful skies.
This past Wednesday, we had our first inservice day. These days are important parts of our school life. They allow us time to meet as a staff and spend time together, engaging in professional learning, and collaborating to plan for the upcoming weeks. Staff had the opportunity to attend professional development at other schools around the district in order to improve their skills and better serve our students. These times are critical to continuing to provide the excellent education you’ve come to expect at Tualatin Elementary!
One item to highlight: we are actively looking for a TEAF coordinator and would invite you to apply for this unique opportunity. This person will be coordinating our after-school classes for our Winter and Spring terms this year. Moving forward, they would coordinate our typical 3 sessions each year. An added benefit: The TEAF coordinator’s TEAF-aged students can attend TEAF classes for FREE! If you are interested, please read the blurb below and consider applying.
A big thank you to everyone for being respectful about saving our handicapped parking spots for those people who need them at afternoon dismissal. Working together, we can make sure our school is accessible to everyone in our community.
Working with you for our kids,
Jim
Now Hiring! TEAF Coordinator!
We are hiring a TEAF Coordinator to run the program for the 2022-2023 school year and into the future!
Tualatin Elementary Arts Foundation (TEAF) is a school enrichment program with emphasis on the arts, STEM, academics, and physical fitness. It is designed to provide our students with a variety of artistic, academic, recreational classes and clubs. This year there are 2 terms of classes during the school year (Winter and Spring) that in the past have included classes like chess club, hip hop, soccer, experiential science classes, ukulele, choir, Make a Music Video, Tae Kwon Do, gardening, ceramics, yoga, crafts.
If you think you might be interested in this rare opportunity, apply by using the job posting. If you have questions, feel free to email TEAFprogram@gmail.com.
Picture Day is Coming
Picture day is Wednesday, October 19. Parents may order pictures with the order envelope that went home this week or by visiting mydorian.com/order. Search for Tualatin Elementary and enter the required information. Please note if you send your student with cash on picture day, the exact amount is required--we are not able to make change. You are able to order your pictures online up to 4 days after picture day. After this, you would need to use a special access key.
News from the PTA
Mark your calendars for the fall harvest festival on October 28th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the school.
We also have the PTA meeting in the school library on Tuesday, Oct. 18th at 7:00 p.m. with a meeting at 6:00 p.m. for those working on the Harvest Festival and anyone interested in volunteering (attending is not mandatory to volunteer).
Exciting news! Our Fun Run Fundraiser will be kicking off October 24th! More information will be sent out next week but you can register now - and start raising money to support our school and win cool prizes - at mybooster.com Watch for exciting information on all the festivities leading up to the Fun Run!
Fall Weather is Coming!
Also, please take the time to subscribe to Flash Alert, the system that is used to send text messages when there is a school closure or delay. This is especially important to do before Winter weather sets in!
Flu and Covid Season is here!
With colder weather, comes more opportunity to spread cold, flu, and Covid-19 germs. We are seeing all three at Tualatin Elementary and ask you to do your part by following these recommendations:
- Please monitor carefully for the following primary COVID and Flu symptoms, and keep your student home if they exhibit any of the following:
Cough
Temperature of 100.4 or higher
Shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
Sore throat
Nasal congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
- Please contact the school for assistance with the following:
Information on testing – We have at-home tests available at the school
If you test positive for COVID-19
If you have questions regarding symptoms and exclusions
- Wash hands often, especially after coming in contact with body fluids. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer
- Cover coughs and sneezes
Where Can I Get a Flu Shot?
The Washington County website has a list of locations offering the Flu Shot and other Vaccinations.
Where Can I Get a Covid Vaccine or Booster?
First Grade Music "Informances"
You're Invited!
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue would like to invite the community to Station 39’s Open House this Saturday, October 15th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Brief ceremony at 11:30.
Guests can tour the new fire station, meet firefighters who operate out of the station, learn fire and life safety tips, take the junior firefighter challenge and learn hands-only CPR.
7080 SW McEwan Road, Tualatin All are welcome!
ONLINE STUDENT VERIFICATION
Each October, TTSD asks families to perform an online Student Verification. Through this process, parents are asked to verify and update, if necessary, contact information for parents and emergency contacts, student health conditions, and other information that may have changed since online registration. Verification will be open through Friday, October 14. You should choose the 2022-2023 Verify Student Information when you log in. Please refer to the knowledgebase article below for more clarification.
Verifying Student & Parent Information Online
Verificación de la Información del Estudiante y de los Padres en Línea
Now Accepting Photos for our Memory Book
What is a Memory Book you ask!?!? Our Memory Book is our school's yearbook that is put together by our amazing parent volunteers. It gives a full color snapshot of all the school happenings from the first day of school through April. This year, like the last two years, we invite all parents, staff and volunteers to submit photos to potentially be used in the memory book.
We are now accepting the following photos:
First Day of School - deadline is October 28th
NEW Walk & Roll to School - deadline is also October 28th
Are you volunteering...document your time in the school and send us your pictures.
Please send your photo submissions to tualatinschoolphotos@gmail.com AND label with the following information: student's grade, teacher's name, student's first and last name and the name of the activity, i.e. 2nd grade, Fossati, John Smith, First Day of School.
Have other memory book questions, please reach out to Ashley Young at tualatinememorybook@gmail.com. Sales won't begin until after the New Year.
Art in the Burbs is back!
Join us on October 22-23 from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. for Art in the Burbs. We'll be back at Tigard High School this year (9000 SW Durham Rd, Tigard) with local artisans, food trucks, and incredible raffle baskets! Suggested donation for entry is $2 and you'll be issued a free raffle ticket for that donation!
Please consider volunteering for the event! For more information, go to https://artintheburbs.org
Special Parking Note
Crosswalk Safety
Parents, crosswalk staff arrive at the crosswalk at 7:45. Please consider waiting until they are in position before crossing, if possible.
Thank you for recommitting yourself to student safety and following all safety laws in the school zone.
Volunteering at Tualatin Elementary
We love our volunteers and are excited to welcome you back into the building this year! To volunteer at Tualatin, please follow the steps below. When your application is completed, you'll receive an email from the front office and you'll be able to schedule volunteer time at the school.
All volunteers must complete the checklist below to volunteer
- Complete a background check at: www.helpcounter.net/ttsd. (This needs to be renewed every three years.)
- Be vaccinated for COVID-19. Please provide vaccine documentation using the following link-TTSD Volunteer Vaccination Documentation or send a copy/photo of your card to the school office (athorderson@ttsd.k12.or.us)
- OR If you have a vaccination exception, please fill out the form that applies to you- Religious or Medical and submit to the following link- TTSD Volunteer Exception Documentation
When the above has been completed, contact me (athorderson@ttsd.k12.or.us or 503-431-4800) and I will send you links to the training materials.
Masks will be optional in the building for volunteers that are vaccinated. We ask that if you are sick or have any symptoms, that you postpone your volunteering until you are well.
Volunteers with a vaccine exception on file will be required to:
Wear a mask while on TTSD property OR;
Be given a rapid test at the time and location of their volunteer assignment.
Please contact Amanda Thorderson (athorderson@ttsd.k12.or.us or 503-431-4800) with any questions.
Tualatin Elementary School
Email: tualatinoffice@ttsd.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.ttsdschools.org/tualatin
Location: 20405 SW 95th Ave
Phone: 503-431-4800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TualatinElementaryGarden/
Twitter: @Tualatin_ES