The Summer Current
LOSD News • Aug. 13, 2021
In this Message:
Message from the Superintendent
Understanding Essential Skills
Updated Health & Safety Plan
School Board Meeting
Bus Registration Due Today
Virtual LO Sign Ups Due Aug. 17
Medical Advisory Committee Forms Due Today
LOSD to Place Bond on November Ballot
Town Hall with Oregon Officials
Lake Grove Swim Park Heat Plan
Annual Notice for Statewide Tests
Extended Day Registration Open
Save the Date: Smart Start Aug. 26
Verify Student Info Before Returning to School
Regular Reminders:
- Hunger Fighters
- Clothing Closet
- Safe Oregon
- Get Social with LOSD
- Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
Message from the Superintendent
Oregon’s new state bill, which temporarily suspends the demonstration of essential skills mastery in order to graduate, is garnering national attention. It should be noted the state's "local performance assessment" requirement remains intact. Students are required to complete at least one work sample per year in math, science, speaking, and writing in grades 3–8, and at least once in high school.
I want to bring your attention to what we have done and will continue to do here in Lake Oswego School District. LOSD plans to continue requiring students' demonstration of essential skills to earn a Lake Oswego or Lakeridge High School diploma. It is one example of our learning community's commitment to educational excellence.
In LOSD, our students need to demonstrate mastery of essential skills (see newsletter for details) including proficiency in reading, writing and mathematics, in a number of ways. Each spring students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 11 take the Smarter Balanced Assessments in English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and mathematics. For students in grade 11 who opt out of taking the SmarterBalanced Assessment, LOSD asks that they provide evidence of their proficiency through other standardized scores (SAT, ACT, PSAT, etc.) or work samples and portfolios.
These assessments are in addition to earning the required course credits to graduate. Our graduation requirements include: four years of English Language Arts and three years of Mathematics, Science and Social Studies, as well as a whole host of Health, PE and elective credits. To earn a diploma from Lake Oswego or Lakeridge High School students need 25 credits to graduate, more than the state requirement.
LOSD is focused on graduating 100 percent of our students every year, providing the rigor and support to ensure each and every one of our students graduate career and college ready. Graduating from our high schools means something, and we all should be very proud to be a part of LOSD.
Understanding Essential Skills
The nine Essential Skills are valuable process skills for preparing Oregon students to meet their postsecondary goals. These skills cut across academic disciplines and are embedded in the content standards. The skills are not intended to be content-specific but rather to be applied in a variety of courses, subjects, and settings. The Essential Skills include:
Read and comprehend a variety of text
Write clearly and accurately
Apply mathematics in a variety of settings
Listen actively to understand verbal and non-verbal communication
Think critically and analytically
Use technology to learn, live, and work
Demonstrate civic and community engagement
Demonstrate global literacy
Demonstrate personal management and teamwork skills
Updated Health & Safety Plan
The updated LOSD Health & Safety Plan will be presented at the School Board meeting Monday, Aug. 16.
Click here to review the plan.
Decision making in LOSD is centered on protecting the health and safety of our community and ensuring students’ successful full time, in-person instruction.
School Board Meeting
Monday, Aug. 16
Regular Session -- 6 p.m.
River Grove Elementary School
Click here for the agenda posted on district website
Lake Oswego School Board meetings are being held in person. Board members, staff, invited guests, and members of the community signed up and confirmed to give in-person testimony are able to attend the meeting in person. All are welcome to observe the public session remotely by clicking here. Per statewide mandate, face coverings are required indoors including board meetings.
Board members take both written and in-person testimony. Following are instructions for members of the public who wish to provide in-person testimony.
Submit an email to the Board secretary kelli.cranston@loswego.k12.or.us by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
IMPORTANT: Type “In-Person Testimony” in the subject line.
To ensure you are provided an opportunity to provide in-person testimony, you must include your name, address, phone number, email address, and your affiliation with the district i.e. student, parent-guardian, community member.
Please include the topic of your testimony.
Each speaker will be sent an invitation to provide in-person testimony and will be assigned a time for providing such testimony.
Speakers are asked to arrive 10 minutes prior to their scheduled time to provide testimony to help ensure the meeting runs on time.
Comments will be limited 2 minutes per speaker to allow sufficient time for others to also offer public comment. Speakers will be prompted when 30 seconds remains for their comments and will be advised when they have reached the 2-minute time limit.
Speakers are asked to exit the Board room once they have submitted their testimony. They may observe the balance of the Board meeting via live-streaming through the District website at www.losdschools.org.
A group of patrons with a common purpose should designate a spokesperson to speak on behalf of the group.
Bus Registration Due Today
Virtual LO Sign Ups Due Aug. 17
Sign ups are now open for 2021-22 Virtual LO. Please click here to sign up your student for the online learning program -- complete one form for each student. Sign ups are due by Tuesday, Aug. 17, 5 p.m., to allow time for students to receive materials.
Visit the district website home page trending topics, Virtual LO for more information.
Medical Advisory Committee Forms Due Today
A medical advisory committee is being established to consult with the superintendent periodically on student health and safety protocols as the community continues to navigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Committee qualifications: Community medical professionals, especially those with a specialty in infectious diseases and epidemiology
Time commitment: Monthly meetings
Length of service: 2021-22 school year
To apply: Click here to submit an application by Friday, Aug. 13 at 5 p.m. Committee members will be selected by Superintendent Schiele by August 20.
Thanks for lending your expertise to this important volunteer role.
LOSD to Place Bond on November Ballot
At the public session Monday, the LO School Board unanimously voted to direct LOSD to place a capital bond on the 2021 ballot.
This bond is the second phase in a planned three-part construction and capital improvement program. The bond would provide funds to: rebuild a middle school; rebuild an elementary school; modernize science, technology and engineering labs at the high schools; and address priority capital repairs, improve accessibility, and make safety and security upgrades in facilities districtwide.
If the bond measure is approved, the District will receive $4,000,000 in matching state grants.
This bond is for $180,000,000 and is projected to cost an additional $0.92/$1,000 of assessed value annually. Actual rates may vary based upon market conditions when the bonds are sold and changes to assessed value.
Town Hall with Oregon Officials
The Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority recently shared requirements for face coverings in K-12 schools. We know you may have questions about this requirement and as a community, we have an opportunity to join state education and health officials during one of two Facebook Live Town Hall events:
- Tuesday, August 17, 6-7 p.m. PST
- Wednesday, August 18 (for the Spanish speaking community), 6-7 p.m. PST
Please note that a Facebook account is not required to access these events.
Participants will be invited to share questions during the events and can also submit questions ahead of time by using this Google Form.
Lake Grove Swim Park Heat Plan
The Lake Grove Swim Park is open from 12-8 p.m. everyday this summer. The park may close on certain days due to inclement weather at the discretion of the park director(s). The park will close, sometimes with very limited notice, if the Heat Index as calculated by OSAA exceeds 105 degrees. The heat index accounts for relative humidity, so there are times when the heat index is higher than the ambient temperature. If in doubt as to whether or not the park is open, please call the park at 503-635-0355.
For more information about the Lake Grove Swim Park, visit the district website, extended program, Lake Grove Swim Park.
Annual Notice for Statewide Tests
Extended Day Registration Opens Aug. 6
Registration is open for LOSD Extended Day Service (before and after school) for the 2021-22 school year on the district website under Extended Programs or by clicking here.
Extended Care will be hosted by LOSD Community Schools at Oak Creek and River Grove Elementary Schools. Students attending Lake Grove and Forest Hills will be bused from and to Oak Creek Elementary, and students attending Hallinan, Palisades and Westridge will be bused from and to River Grove Elementary.
Save the Date: Smart Start Aug. 26
Smart Start is an opportunity specifically for our students with 504s and IEPs, and their parents and guardians, to make introductions with their teachers and to feel prepared for the start of school. For the 2021-22 School Year, Smart Start is in person Aug. 26, 2021, from 1-3 p.m.
Teachers will be familiar with your student’s plan and accommodations. To help better know your students, please complete the attached one-page profile or create one on your own ahead of time, and give it to the teacher at the Smart Start introduction.
Also, to assist in your family’s preparation for the new school year, please click here for a Smart Start checklist for parents and guardians of students with 504s and IEPs.
Verify Student Info Before Returning to School
LOSD needs parents-guardians of all students enrolled for the 2021-22 school year to log into ParentVUE and review/update your students' information through the Register/Verify tab. This benefits both families and schools by:
- Ensuring that schools have accurate information to reach parents and other contacts in both emergency and non-emergency situations. Verification is important even if your address or contact information has not changed over the past year because the school may have incorrect information from a previous year.
- Confirming parent email addresses for Google Classroom and other applications to participate in your student's learning.
- Enabling distribution of key information in the district's K-12 Family Handbook and Technology Agreement.
If you have forgotten your ParentVUE password, go to the login page, click "I am a Parent," then click "Forgot Password." If you are unsure whether you have a ParentVUE account, contact your student's school. For assistance with the verification process, refer to the user guide on the LOSD website or contact your student's school.
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
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
Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
Stay connected to the district and your school(s) and receive urgent notifications by subscribing to the Lake Oswego Schools App.
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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