Westridge Wildcat News
October 23, 2020
Message from the Principal
Hello Wildcat Families,
It has been great connecting with parents during our Coffee with the Principal meetings. Please note that all parents and guardians are welcome to join in on this informal meeting. You can find the time, date and link to the virtual meeting below in the Coffee and Connection section of our newsletter. Some topics that have come up in these informal chats have inspired us to create a parent tip section in our newsletter. Please feel free to join us at our first parent support meeting on Wednesday, October 28 at 3:45pm. You can find more info below in our newsletter.
I am thrilled to announce our first Spirit Week of the school year! Wildcats will participate in Spirit Week next week, Monday through Thursday, October 26 - 29. Please see the grid directly below for our themes each day. I'm excited to see your children express themselves next week!
Encourage your child to be creative!
Principal Montgomery
Spirit Week is Next Week!
Coffee & Connection
Our next coffee will be offered on Wednesday, October 28th from 9:00am - 9:30am. This is an informal time to just connect, ask questions, and learn together as we go through the school year. This next session, join myself and Mrs. Bates, our RTI Coordinator through the link below. Bring a cup of coffee, or just call in and let's connect!
ID: 89488956670
Password: 537256
(US) +1 929-205-6099
Passcode: 537256
Parent Support - Distance Learning Survival Skills
Dear Westridge Parents and Guardians,
The staff at Westridge acknowledge that Comprehensive Distance Learning has placed a huge burden on you, and we appreciate all of your efforts. To help support you, our RTI Coordinator, Brittanie Bates, and our Counselor, Gary Kieser, will be hosting a Distance Learning Survival Skills workshop. We will cover some practical strategies to structure learning at home and to navigate some of the frustrations that come with it. This will be held at 3:45 pm on Wednesday, October 28th. Don't worry if you are not able to make that time. The event will be recorded and made available at a later time.
Distance Learning Survival Skills
ID: 82145876737
Password: C0S5gNnty0
Mr. Kieser
Parent Tip - Productive Struggle and Empowering Our Learners
Mrs. Bates
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month
What is Oregon’s State of Mind on Dyslexia?
Oregon developed its first legislative guidelines for dyslexia in 2015 with the passing of Senate Bill 612 followed by 1003 in 2017. By law each school is required to complete a universal screening on all kindergarten and first grade students to identify those who are at risk for dyslexia. This law also mandates that each K-5 school have an extensively-trained educator who is able to recognize the warning signs of dyslexia and support students, teachers, parents, and the community. LOSD currently uses Dibels as our dyslexia screening tool. If you have more questions please reach out to your school’s literacy specialist.
There also are three major federal laws that directly affect children with dyslexia. They are the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Oregon Department of Education Dyslexia Resources: Oregon Department of Education : Dyslexia : Regional Programs and Best Practices : State of Oregon
Gifted and Dyslexic?
Some kids with learning and attention difficulties have exceptional skills in certain areas. These kids are often called “twice-exceptional” (2E) learners.
LOSD Student Services and TAG (Talented & Gifted) Services are both responsible and should work in cooperation to meet the needs of twice-exceptional students. The student’s abilities will determine appropriate instruction.
To read about twice exceptional students, visit UNDERSTOOD.ORG:
Twice-Exceptional Students | 2E Learners | Gifted and Learning Disabilities
Each week this month, we featured a message about dyslexia in this newsletter. If you have questions or concerns regarding our child’s learning, please call the school principal, TAG coordinator, and/or literacy specialist. You can also contact your school’s representatives for TAG-AC (TAG Advisory Committee) or SSPAC (Student Services Parent Advisory Committee). Please see here to learn how to contact your school representative.
We are here to help you and your child succeed.
Early Release 10/30 is now Asynchronous
Our original 2020-21 school calendar listed Friday, October 30 as an 11:00 a.m. early release day to allow elementary teachers time to prepare for conferences on November 5-6. With our distance learning model in place, Friday, October 30 will be an asynchronous day (independent learning and practice that has been assigned by their teacher). All lessons will be posted for all students (AM and PM cohorts) by 8:00 a.m. Science, Health and Social Studies lessons will also be posted by 8:00 a.m. depending on the rotation schedule.
Tutoring Through Lakeridge High School Interact Available
Lakeridge High School Interact, a Rotary sponsored service club run by Lakeridge students, is offering elementary school tutoring.
We know there are always some students who struggle with classwork, so we would like to provide our assistance. We are offering free virtual tutoring sessions for elementary students grades 2-5. This includes help with homework, study tips, and general questions. The sessions will take place Tuesdays after school (4pm-6pm) on zoom from October 20th through the end of November. If you are interested, please fill out the attached form and a club member will contact you with more information. Any questions can be directed to the Interact Club email: lointeractclub@gmail.com
Tutoring Session Form: https://forms.gle/EZCKFpBYWF2Nq8Hm9
Red Ribbon Week October 23-30
October 23-30 is Red Ribbon week. Red Ribbon week is a national event to encourage students to stay drug free. The theme this year is "Be Happy, Be Safe, Be Drug Free". This year, we are holding a poster contest to encourage students to think about staying safe and drug-free. The rules of the contest are
- Include the 2020 Theme of "Be Happy, Be Safe, Be Drug Free"
- Poster must be drawn on a 8x10 sheet of paper
- There will be three winners: K-2, 3-5, and overall winner
- A certificate will be email to the winning students
- Posters need to be submitted to kieserg@loswego.k12.or.us by October 30th.
The Red Ribbon Week website also has activities to do at home https://www.redribbon.org/activities/parents/.
4th Grade Mystery Science Kits: Pick up at Palisades School:
All 4th grade students will need to pick up a Mystery Science Kit on TUESDAY NOVEMBER 3rd between the hours of 3pm- 6pm.
Drive through pick up will be held at PALISADES SCHOOL (1500 Greentree Ave, Lake Oswego).
All LOSD 4th graders will need a kit. There is NO COST for these kits.
Please contact Bryan Toye at toyeb@loswego.k12.or.us with questions.
Westridge Elementary Fall Scholastic ONLINE Book Fair!
November 6th - 19th
Please feel free to share this link with family and friends:
5th Grade Annual Wreath Fundraiser
New this year: Soup Collection to benefit Oregon Food Bank
All Grades Encouraged to Participate!
WHO: The 5th grade class invites our Westridge Community and beyond including neighbors, grandparents, family, and friends. Don’t forget that we can ship anywhere in the continental USA!
WHAT: Holiday Wreath and Greenery Sale. Don’t need a wreath or want to do both? Consider making a Soup Donation benefiting the Oregon Food Bank.
WHERE: All wreath and soup orders will be accepted online. Wreaths will be staged/picked up at a 5th grader’s house locally near Westridge. Soups will be sent directly to the Oregon Food Bank.
WHEN: Order now through Nov. 13th! Wreath pick up will be Dec 2nd.
HOW: Click on the links below. Order now! A PayPal invoice will be emailed to you. Open the PayPal link to pay. If you do not have PayPal it will allow you to pay as a guest.
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Questions and Answers about the 5th Grade Fundraiser
Q: Where does the Money go?
A: Every 5th grade class is responsible for raising money to support their 5th grade Celebration event at the end of the year.
Q: Why did you add “Soup Collection” to the “Wreath Sale” this year?
A: Every year, the 5th grade class “usually” takes a field trip to the Oregon Food Bank to help package food baskets for people in need. Instead of missing out on the opportunity to help our friends at the OFB we figured out a way to help while maintaining proper social distance.
Q: How is the quality of the wreaths?
A: You will not find a better wreath! Wreaths are local from Teufel Farms in Portland and have been in business for 130 years!
Q: I am in! How can I order a wreath and donate some soup?
A: View/Order Wreaths and Greenery: tinyurl.com/FifthGradeWreathSale
To Donate Soup, view the Wildcat video, and learn more about this new fundraiser:
https://soul-warming-fundraising.myshopify.com/products/westridgeoregon97034
LOHS Black Student Union Mentorship Program:
Lakeridge Annual Halloween "Night": Ages 5 and Under
Hello Westridge!
My name is Julianne Arluna and I am the Junior VP at Lakeridge High School. I am sending this email to let you know that we will still be holding our annual halloween night this year for students grade 5 and under. Due to COVID-19 precautions, it will be drive-thru style. There will be fun (socially distanced) games and lots of candy! There will be a costume contest as well so feel free to come dressed up and show some spirit!
Halloween night will take place at Lakeridge High School on October 31st from 12pm-3pm for $12 a car. The entrance will be at Cloverleaf Road and travel through the back of the campus.
Tech Support:
Tech Information Sessions
LOSD hosted two Tech Information Sessions covering the “how tos'' for getting started with distance learning. The session recordings and presentations are posted on the district site under Resources/Tech Support for Families.
Tech Support Ticket
A majority of tech concerns can be resolved by submitting a Tech Support ticket -- the link is on all school and district homepages for easy access to help with passwords, log-ins, hardware fixes, etc.
Google Classroom Guardianship
By now all parents and guardians should have received an email requesting you to accept guardianship of your student's Google Classroom. If you need assistance with this request, please submit a request through the Tech Support button. Note: accepting guardianship simply gives you the option of selecting how often you would like to receive summaries (weekly, daily, or no summary) of your student's Google Classroom activity. Only student accounts have access to Google Classroom.
ODE State Assessment Notice
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