Dear Bonny Slope Community,

First, thanks to everyone who could attend our live Q and A session last week! It was so great to see all of you “virtually”. It reminds us constantly of who we are working so hard to support, and we felt the support of all of you. Your kind remarks meant a lot to us. If you weren’t able to attend, BSCO President Taylor Kash had an excellent summary of our conversations, which she posted on the BSCO website. https://www.bonnyslopebsco.org

On to our questions!

How will special education services be delivered this year?

Much like the start of a traditional school year, we have built into the schedule for our Special Ed services to be delivered on a daily basis. This service may be delivered live either individualized or in a small group setting with our SPED staff, and it depends on the needs of the students, driven by the needs and time listed in their Individualized Education Plans.

Additionally, if you have Facebook, our Special Education department is hosting two real-time Q and A sessions on the Beaverton School District Facebook page. This will not be a video Q and A, so you will ask your questions in the comment section of that page. They are:

• Wednesday, August 26th: 3:00-4:00 PM

• Thursday, August 27th: 6:30-7:30 PM

Here is the Facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/BeavertonSchoolDistrict

If you don’t have Facebook, and have questions, please reach out to us or the Special Education department directly.

I am curious as to how ESL services will be delivered this year? I have a newcomer to English and I’m concerned he will be lost with all of the English content.

While our plans are still being drafted by our Multi-Lingual Department, under the guidance of the Oregon Department of Education, our ELD services for our students will be more robust than last year. ELD services will primarily be delivered synchronously, meaning “live”. Our ELD teachers will collaborate with our classroom teachers to provide support during content areas.

We also know that our needs of our ESL students are diverse, and some need more support than others to be successful. For our newcomers to English, we will be offering a special group on Wednesdays, in addition to the support they will be receiving during the week. ELD teachers will be reaching out to those students and their families with more language needs to determine how best to support them.

Will the teachers be teaching from home or school?

Teachers will be given a choice to work from home or school.

Will the Specials be changing in any way? Will BSE continue to offer “specials” and if so, what specific specials will be offered? And I assume participation is optional?

When we start Comprehensive Distance Learning in September, all students will have regular specials this year. Our specials offered this year will be PE and Music, and they will be offered twice a week for half hour sessions. One change we have in our specials schedule this year, due to adjustment in staffing, we will not be offering computer science.

Next week, we start our preservice weeks with our staff. They will be engaged in learning about the platforms they are using for online instruction, the new features of their platforms, and about the how we are rolling out the content this year. Additionally, teachers will start to reach out to families prior to our September 14th start date with students, so be on the lookout for that communication.

Best to everyone in our community, and hope you are all enjoying a little bit these sunshine days!

Janet Maza and Jim Hiller

Bonny Slope will be hosting a drive up/contactless iPad Distribution event on Wednesday, September 2nd from 12:30-3:00 pm for all PreK/K/1/2 grade students.

Important Information to note prior to pick up:

• We have enough devices for all PK-2 students so no need to rush at the beginning of the time window.
• If PK-2 students signed out a Chromebook in the spring, we request that you bring the device and charger to the IPAD Distribution event to return your device
  
• Please fill out this card: Device Checkout Info Card.pdf prior to arriving at the distribution...it will help speed up the process and maintain social distancing. The card is not required to receive an IPAD.

The plan for iPad deployment is as follows:

• PreK and Kindergarten: Wednesday, September 2nd from 12:30-1:15pm
• 1st grade: Wednesday, September 2nd from 1:15-2:00 pm
• 2nd grade: Wednesday, September 2nd from 2:00-2:45 pm

Please drive to the upper lot in front of the school and stop at one of our pick up stations. You will exit thru the lower parking lot when you are finished.

We will have staff to direct you thru the process.

Other Information:

• If you have a Chromebook to return, please bring it with you
• If you have library books to return, please bring those with you as well
• If you cannot make the above times, alternative times/arrangements will be made at a later time.
  

For 3rd-5th graders that are new to the Beaverton School District and those that did not check out a device last spring we have a Chromebook for you. Is there anything broken with your device from last spring? We can help with that too.

Please email the student help desk: shd@beaverton.k12.or.us to let them know your need. They will need your student's name and ID number (if you have it).

Our Technology specialist will be glad to get you set up with a device.

Covid has impacted the lives of many family members. Families may not be aware of the free and reduced priced meals available to them which is why I want to encourage all families to read the following information in the event they may qualify for this program. Additionally, once families qualify, they also can receive benefits such as free device coverage, free outdoor school, reduced athletic fees, etc. The following information came from the BSD website found here.

1. Who can get free or reduced-price meals?

• All children in households receiving benefits from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, TANF or FDPIR are eligible for free meals.

• Foster children who are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals.

• Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals. • Children may qualify for free or reduced-price meals if your household’s income is at or below the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines (see chart below).

*Reduced price is $0 for all reimbursable meals. Here are some common questions and answers to help you with the application process.

2. How do I know if my children qualify as homeless, migrant, or runaway?

• Do the members of your household lack a permanent address?

• Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement?

• Does your family relocate on a seasonal basis?

• Are any children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household?
• 
  

If you believe children in your household meet these descriptions and haven’t been told your children will get free meals, please call Homeless Liaison Lisa Mentesana at (503)356-5071 or Migrant Liaison Judy Swearingen at (503)356-3764.

3. Do I need to fill out an application for each child?

No. Use one Family Application for Free & Reduced Meals for all students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Return the completed application to: Meal Benefits, 10740 NE Walker Road, Entrance D1, Hillsboro, OR 97006. Your children may not receive benefits until you receive a letter saying they are eligible.

4. Should I fill out an application if I received a letter this school year saying my children are already approved for free meals?

No, but please read the letter you got carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in your household were missing from your eligibility notification, contact Laurie Bishop, Meal Benefits Program Specialist, at (503)356-3957 immediately.

5. Can I apply online?

Yes! The online application is faster for us to process, and it cannot get misplaced! The online application has the same requirements as the paper application. Visit www.schoolcafe.com to apply online. Contact Laurie Bishop, Meal Benefits Program Specialist, at (503)356-3957 if you have any questions about the online application.

Beaverton School District has put together Student Success Kits for families who might need help with school supplies this year. If you would like a Student Success Kit for your child(ren), please contact Tiffany Rodgers at tiffany_rodgers@beaverton.k12.or.us

This year, all students in grades PreK-12 have the opportunity to check out a district-owned device for use at school and at home. Anticipating that all students will get a district-owned device, the district adds a fee of $20 to students’ Online Payment accounts (maximum fee of $60 per family per school year) to enroll them in the Damage Loss Protection Program. This fee is waived for families who qualify for the free or reduced meal benefits program and have completed the Permission to Share Form. Students need to pay the assigned fee prior to any damage or loss claims to be eligible for the Protection Program coverage and no later than 30 days after they begin school.

Students may choose to decline coverage, but this is not recommended, because the family is assuming full responsibility for any costs due to damage, loss or theft. These costs could be as much as $300 per incident, regardless of how it happens.

If you have questions please contact us at: bslp-communications@beaverton.k12.or.us