Estacada HS Newsletter
January 15, 2018
Estacada High School
End of Semester
With the end of the semester come final exams. For many, this can represent up to 20% of their grade for the class. Below is the final exam schedule:
Tuesday, January 23rd
1 st Period Final: 8:05-9:30 (85min)
ACE: 9:30-9:55 (25min)
3 rd Period Final: 10:00-11:25 (85min)
Lunch: 11:25-11:55
5 th Period Final: 12:00-1:25 (85min)
ACE: 1:25-1:50 (25min)
7 th Period Final: 1:55-3:20 (85min)
Wednesday, January 24th
2 nd Period Final: 8:05-9:30 (85min)
ACE: 9:30-9:50 (20min)
4 th Period Final: 9:55-11:20 (85min)
Lunch: 11:20-11:50
6 th Period Final: 11:55-1:20 (85min)
Students will not have school Thursday, January 25 or Friday, January 26.
Students of the Month
Congratulations to our December winners.
9th Grade
Angelica Ramirez-Vasquez
Lewis Bever
10th Grade
Jadore Gomez
Julien Purvis
11th Grade
Isabella Hagel
Bryan Ruffing
12th Grade
Emma Turner
Luis Salgado
Congratulations to all of you and your families!
Volunteer Opportunity
ASPIRE seeks to provide Oregon high school students solid pathways beyond high school. ASPIRE matches trained adult volunteers with high school students to provide one-on-one mentoring. ASPIRE Advisors guide students through the process of accessing their academic strengths or talents and applying for colleges, financial aid, and scholarships.
Quality training is provided for our volunteers prior to meeting with students. No special or previous experience is required.
Please contact our ASPIRE coordinator, Cindy Babikoff for more information.
After School Homework Club
Tuesdays
Math (Ruth Patino)
English (Anya Hall)
Thursdays
Math (Ruth Patino)
Science Kevin Kirchhofer)
Students need to sign up in the office by noon of the day they will be staying after school so the transportation department can create bus routes to get everyone home. Busses will depart at 4:30pm.
Class of 2018
Thursday, May 31st
Senior Final Exams
Friday, June 1
Senior Final Exams
Last Day for senior students :)
Tuesday, June 5th
8am - Senior Breakfast
9am - Rehearsal
10:15am - Senior Awards Assembly - school walkthroughs afterward
Wednesday, June 6th
6:30pm - Baccalaureate (First Baptist Church)
Saturday, June 9th
7pm - Commencement Ceremony
Historically, the senior awards assembly has been held on the Friday before the graduation ceremony. This year, the school calendar ends on Friday so our 9th-11th graders will be having final exams on that Thursday and Friday. Having students take final exams as well as attend an assembly is not feasible.
State Testing Opt Out
January 15, 2018
Dear Parent/Guardian,
With the 2017-18 school year well under way, I wanted to take a moment to provide important information about this year’s statewide assessment tests.
Last spring students at Estacada High School, and around Oregon, took state tests in English Language Arts and Math, called Smarter Balanced. The tests moved away from previous fill-in-the bubble exams that focused on rote memorization to a format which asks students to explain their reasoning and write out their answers. These new tests measure more complex, real-world skills such as critical thinking, writing, and problem solving so that your child can successfully transition from grade to grade and be prepared for his or her next steps after high school.
Estacada High School will start administering various Smarter Balanced tests in the Spring of 2018. The tests are not timed so your child can take as long as he or she needs to fully demonstrate what he or she knows and can do.
We know that an end-of-the year test cannot possibly tell us everything about your child’s academic progress. However, the results do act as a snapshot of your child’s strengths and areas for improvement and can be used as a way to ensure he or she is getting the support he or she needs. Additionally, the tests can serve as a graduation requirement and help the Estacada School District’s efforts to equitably distribute resources and support student learning. When fewer students take the test, we are left with an incomplete and inaccurate picture of how our students are performing, and this limits our ability to address issues, better serve students, and continue to improve our educational system.
If you would like more information about the tests or would like to inquire about submitting a form to opt your child out of testing for the 2017-18 school year please stop by the main office at Estacada High School. The form is also posted online on the Oregon Department of Education’s website at: http://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/assessment/Documents/Opt-Out%20Form%202017-18.pdf under the information tab. Should you wish to opt your child out, please submit this form to the main office on or before March 1, 2018. You can read more about your rights to opt-out at: http://tinyurl.com/OR-HB2655.
Estacada High School is deeply committed to ensuring each and every student in our school system has the support he or she needs to achieve at high levels and graduate prepared for his or her next steps. Our ultimate goal is to make sure that all students are setup to be successful from grade to grade and that will remain the focus of our district throughout the rest of the school year.
Respectfully,
Bill Blevins
Principal, Estacada High School