The Current
LOSD News • Oct. 8, 2020
In this Message:
Message from the Superintendent
No School Tomorrow
SRO Listening Sessions -- Info Meeting Today
Student, Family Survey Closes Monday
Food Drive at LOHS
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee Meeting
Student Services Parent Advisory Committee Meeting
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month
Reminder: School Playground Equipment Closed
Upcoming Candidate Forums
LO Farmers' Market Extended
Regular Reminders:
- 3 Ws: Watch Distance, Wear Mask, Wash Hands
- Childcare Providers in Clackamas County
- Local Testing Sites for Covid-19
- Clackamas County Go Teams
- Safe Oregon
- Get Social with LOSD
- Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
Message from the Superintendent
With fall comes vibrant new colors, crisp air, and a natural reminder of change. In LOSD we too are experiencing some changes, and being watchful for others. We are taking in feedback from teachers, staff, students and families to inform efforts of continuous improvement in the distance learning model, and refinements that may be needed.
Additionally, we have begun Limited In-Person Instruction, per the ODE guidance (link). In the first phase, some students have participated in Special Education evaluations in very safe conditions at Palisades, and this will continue. Next week, we will begin to safely phase in more students for Limited In-Person Instruction. We are taking every precaution to keep teachers, staff and students safe and healthy.
We are also preparing to be ready for safely bringing K-3 students into schools when our metrics allow. The case rates of COVID-19 in Oregon and Clackamas County continue to fluctuate, and we are delayed at this time due to an increase in case numbers on September 20. However, the case numbers are moving in the right direction again - decreasing. We will continue preparing for when the time comes and the health metrics are met.
Governor Brown indicated this week that she and other state leaders will be reevaluating the metrics for reopening schools. As Oregon state leaders learn from districts around the country, it is important for us in LOSD remember that this is a fluid situation, and as indicators change, we will also be prepared to change. Our goal remains to safely and carefully bring students into schools when we are able to, and we will continue to communicate with you all along the way.
Meanwhile, everyone is working very hard right now to make the best of distance learning. Change necessitates both resilience and flexibility. I hope that this weekend (and every weekend) you will all take time to close the laptop, get some fresh air, let yourself have some down time and replenish. As we build our resiliency during these uncertain times it is imperative for each of us to be sure to take care of ourselves at this time.
No School Tomorrow
For more information about the LOSD calendar, please click here for the 2020-21 School Calendar, which is located on the homepage of the district website.
SRO Listening Sessions -- Info Meeting Today
In our efforts to become an anti-racist school district, LOSD has taken the initiative of considering the presence of School Resource Officers in our school buildings. In order to examine this issue, we are inviting students, staff members and families to share experiences with SROs in private listening session where neutral outside facilitators will collect the different voices and perspectives in our community.
To learn more about the purpose, process and possible outcomes of these listening sessions, please attend the SRO Information Meeting tonight:
Thursday, Oct. 8
5-5:30 p.m.
Zoom link: https://loswego-k12-or-us.zoom.us/j/89143583092
This information meeting is open to the public and will be recorded. For more information, please see click here for information on the district website, under departments/diversity, equity and inclusion.
Student, Family Survey Closes Monday
Students, parents, teachers and staff members' input has shaped how LOSD is implementing comprehensive distance learning. We would appreciate your feedback on your experience this school year thus far.
Please click here to take this survey for students and families.
This anonymous survey will remain open through Monday, Oct. 12. Results will be shared in a later edition of The Current.
Food Drive at Lake Oswego High School
FTC #18119, Mostly Operational, is a new robotics team at Lake Oswego High School has teamed up with the Oregon Hunger Fighters to create one of the first drive-through food drives. Please help support our community by donating non-expired, canned and packaged food items during one of the upcoming drives:
Sunday, Oct. 11
12:00-2:00 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 12
5:30 - 7:30 .m.
Please enter the high school parking lot through the entrance off of Country Club Rd and follow posted signs and volunteers’ directions to drop off your donation. Volunteers will be wearing masks and gloves and following health precautions for COVID-19. You may remain in your car and volunteers will unload your donated food items. For a list of Hunger Fighters’ most needed items, follow this link.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Meeting
Tuesday, Oct. 13
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Please see district calendar for meeting access details.
Student Services Parent Advisory Meeting
Thursday, Oct. 15
6-8 p.m.
Please click here for the meeting Zoom link, which can also be found on the district calendar.
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month
Check out this week's dyslexia video: Dyslexia - A Call to Action is a documentary about an adult brother and sister in Oregon in their 50's who finally learn to read well, discuss what it was like in school and learning to read better finally as adults: https://youtu.be/U1BfkB41AmY
What are the signs of Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a common condition that affects the way the brain processes written and spoken language. It can be associated with trouble reading, but it also can affect writing, spelling and even speaking. Many children have one or two of these issues on occasion. But kids with dyslexia have several of these issues, and they don’t go away.
Here are some signs to look for:
Preschool, Kindergarten, & First Grade
Difficulties:
Difficulty learning (and remembering) the names of letters in the alphabet
Seems unable to recognize letters in his/her own name
Mispronounces familiar words; persistent “baby talk”
Trouble learning common nursery rhymes
Doesn’t recognize rhyming patterns like cat, bat, rat
A family history of reading and/or spelling difficulties (dyslexia often runs in families)
Reading errors that show no connection to the sounds of the letters on the page—will say “puppy” instead of the written word “dog” on a page with a picture of a dog
Does not understand that words come apart
Cannot sound out even simple words like cat, map, nap
Does not associate letters with sounds, such as the letter b with the “b” sound
Complains about how hard reading is; “disappears” when it is time to read
A history of reading problems in parents or siblings
Strengths
Curiosity
Great imagination
Ability to figure things out; gets the gist of things
Eager embrace of new ideas
A good understanding of new concepts
Surprising maturity
A larger vocabulary than typical for age group
Enjoys solving puzzles
Talent for building models
Excellent comprehension of stories read or told to him
Second Grade through High School
Reading
Very slow in acquiring reading skills. Reading is slow and awkward
Trouble reading unfamiliar words, often making wild guesses because cannot sound out the word
Has a tough time sounding out unfamiliar words
Avoids reading out loud
Gets tripped up by word problems in math
School and Life
Trouble remembering dates, names, telephone numbers, random lists
Struggles to finish tests on time
Extreme difficulty learning a foreign language
Poor spelling
Messy handwriting
Low self-esteem that may not be immediately visible
Speaking
Searches for a specific word and ends up using vague language, such as “stuff” or “thing,” without naming the object
Pauses, hesitates, and/or uses lots of “um’s” when speaking
Confuses words that sound alike, such as saying “tornado” for “volcano,” substituting “lotion” for “ocean”
Mispronunciation of long, unfamiliar or complicated words
Seems to need extra time to respond to questions
Strengths
Excellent thinking skills: conceptualization, reasoning, imagination, abstraction
Learning that is accomplished best through meaning rather than rote memorization
Ability to get the “big picture”
A high level of understanding of what is read to him/her/they
The ability to read and to understand at a high level overlearned (or highly practiced) words in a special area of interest
Improvement as an area of interest becomes more specialized and focused—and a miniature vocabulary is developed that allows for reading in that subject area
A surprisingly sophisticated listening vocabulary
Excels in areas not dependent on reading, such as math, computers and visual arts, or in more conceptual (versus fact-driven) subjects, including philosophy, biology, social studies, neuroscience and creative writing
If you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s learning, please contact the school principal and/or literacy specialist. Another great parent resource would be to contact your school’s Student Services Parent Advisory Committee (SSPAC) representative. Please see here to learn how to contact your school representative.
Reminder: School Playground Equipment Closed
Upcoming Candidate Forums
Candidate Forum -- Mayor
Friday, Oct. 9, 5 p.m.
Candidate Forum -- City Council
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 6:30 p.m.
Please email larsonm@loswego.k12.or.us if you have a forum to share in this newsletter.
LO Farmers' Market Extended
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.
3 Ws: Watch Distance, Wear Mask, Wash Hands
Local Testing Sites for Covid-19
For testing Covid-19 sites in our area, please click on the county:
Washington County COVID-19 Testing Sites
Multnomah County COVID-19 Testing Sites
Oregon Health Authority has also released a webpage that allows users to put in their address or zip code to find the nearest testing site. Click here to find a testing site near you
Childcare Providers in Clackamas County
Clackamas County currently has 76 childcare providers who have openings for child care. 211 is the first point of contact if parents are interested in reaching out about child care options in the area. Parents will need to have the following information ready when working with 211.
- parent first name and last name
- child’s DOB and first name
- address to search for care (near home or work)
- email address to send referrals
- any childcare requests
- days/times needed
Parents can reach 211 in the following ways:
- Calling 211 1-866-698-6155 - Listen to the prompt for child care and press the specified number
- Texting the keyword “children” or “niños” to 898211 (TXT211)
- Emailing children@211info.org
- Click here to visit the website
Clackamas CCRR can support parents if they aren't able to connect with 211. CCRR can be reached at (503) 675-4100 or via e-mail at ccrr@clackesd.org.
Tutoring Resources
Are you looking for someone to tutor your students? Many people, including students, reach out to LOSD offering assistance. Each year LOSD updates its list of approved tutors. Click here to access that list.
SafeOregon
Parents 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.)
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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/LOSDProud
Twitter: @LOSD_Proud
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