Oak Creek Coyote News
September 17, 2021
Message from the Principal
Oak Creek Families,
We are so excited to have students back at Oak Creek, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to connect with parents next Wednesday, September 22nd, when we will be holding our Virtual Back to School Night. During the day next Wednesday you will receive a Zoom link from your child’s teacher with two different time options; 6:00 and 7:00. You can log in at the time that works best for you. You will also receive a link to view a short video from me, along with messages from the PTO, the Foundation, the Bond Team and Student Services. At Back to School night, your child’s teacher will share more about the learning journey your child will take this year.
Thank you to all of you who have already sent me a photo of your child! I can not express how much joy it brings to see their smiles! (I have repeated the note from last week below for those of you who need a reminder of the photo request.)
If you have any questions, please see the FAQ section below, or feel free to reach out to myself or Carrie Beach at beachc@loswego.k12.or.us.
Thank you,
Barb Keeton
Principal
Oak Creek Elementary
Repeated Note: We have really enjoyed students being back in school, and while we know the masks are important and appreciate students doing such a great job of keeping them on all day, we miss their smiles! If possible, please send a photo of your child to school for me to use to brighten our hallways with students’ smiling faces! Just put the photo in an envelope with my name on it, or put my name on the back of the photo, and have your child give it to their teacher. Thank you in advance!
In This Message:
Updated in Every Edition:
- Message from the Principal
- Dates to Remember
- Counselor Corner
- Message from Your PTO
In This Edition:
- Student Emergency Supply Kits - NEW!
- Medical Alert from District Nurses - NEW!
- Ready Schools, Safe Learners Mask Update
- Library News! September is Library Card Sign-up Month! - NEW!
- Calling All Recyclables for the Oak Creek STEM Lab! - NEW!
- Rainy Days Are a Coming! - NEW!
- Lost and Found! - NEW!
- i-Ready
- Arrival/Dismissal Routines and Bus Routes
- Breakfast and Lunch Routines
- Medication Drop Off
- Student Illness Reminders: When to Keep Home from School
- Oak Creek FAQs
LOSD District News:
- How to Find LOSD Covid-19 Information - NEW!
- Nutrition Services
- Annual State Testing Notice from ODE
- Back to School Clothes at Clothing Closet
- Hunger Fighters
- SafeOregon
- Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
Dates to Remember!
September 22: Back to School Night (more info coming soon!)
September 26: Mod Pizza Dines Night for PTO! (details below in PTO Corner)
October 8: No School (Professional Day)
October 14: School Picture Day
October 22: Early Dismissal @ 11:00AM
October 28/29: No School (Conferences)
Student Emergency Kits
If you have not already done so, please put together a student emergency supply kit to bring to your student's teacher. You can find the Emergency Supply Kit List here.
Kits will be kept in your students classroom for the duration of the school year and sent home with them at the end of the year.
Message from LOSD District Nurses
Ready Schools, Safe Learners Mask Update
On September 9, 2021, Oregon Health Authority updated guidance requiring face coverings in all K-12 indoor and outdoor settings. All individuals 5 years of age and older are to wear a face covering outdoors when individuals cannot or do not consistently maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance from people not in their household.
This update means that when our students are outside for any school-related activity (including recess) and cannot maintain at least 6 feet of distance between themselves, they will need to wear masks. Students will be told by their teachers that we will start implementing this rule immediately, effective September 10, 2021. This is a great opportunity to discuss safety protocols with your children tonight. Thank you for your partnership!
Library News! September is Library Card Sign-up Month!
Calling All Recyclables for the Oak Creek STEM Lab!
Before tossing into your recycling bin, the STEM Lab and Mrs. Speer are looking for donations for the following items:
- Egg Cartons
- Empty toilet paper rolls
- Empty paper towel rolls
- Empty yogurt cups
- Shoe boxes
- Flattened cereal boxes
- Flattened cardboard
- Plastic cups
- Yarn/string
- Straws- paper or plastic
- Used golf balls and ping pong balls
Please make sure items are clean and dry before sending them to school.
If you're able to send any items in, please have your student place the item(s) in the bin that is in the hallway outside the the iLab.
Thank you!
Mrs. Speer
Rainy days are a coming!
Please make sure your student has proper clothes for recess.
Rain Coats and water resistant shoes are essential for all students.
Recess will still happen even in the rain. Students will be sent out as a complete class. For health and safety reasons students WILL NOT be able to remain inside. Under extreme weather conditions alternative arrangements will be made. If possible, please pack an extra set of clothes for really muddy days!
Along with rainy weather is colder weather. Windows will be kept open so please make sure your student is dressed appropriately for cooler classrooms.
In addition we will plan to eat outside, under cover, as often as possible.
Thank you!
Lost and Found!
We are only into our third week of school but we have accumulated a substantial amount of jackets, water bottles, and various other items. We will hold onto found items until the winter break. After that, items will be donated. Parents or students may come into the vestibule and search lost and found between 8:10 am and 3 pm on school days. Thank you!
Counselor Corner
Oak Creek Resources and Programs
Oak Creek is very fortunate to offer services for students or families experiencing need, thanks to the federally funded Title IA program, the Lake Oswego School District, generous donations from our community, PTO, Lake Grove Presbyterian Church, BeeLine Foundation, Love Inc., Kiwianas, and the Lake Oswego Rotary Club.
This form: OC Resources and Programs can be returned to your student’s teacher, the school counselor, or the front office. It will be kept confidential.
Dear Oak Creek Families,
For September, we have two Social Emotional Learning (SEL) themes: Courage and Respect. These character traits are vital to our return to full-day school days.
This month we’re talking about the virtue of Courage - to help our children be courageous and learn to conquer things that frighten or scare them. Children need reassurance that fear is one of our feelings and to help them understand that it’s okay to feel afraid. Courage isn’t fearlessness, but instead our ability to choose the right thing even when we are scared! The definition we will be talking about is: Courage is to choose what is good, right, and kind even when it is hard or scary.
This month we’re also talking about the character trait of Respect. The dictionary defines it as the value of admiring another person for who they are and what they do. The definition we are using in class is: Respect: seeing good in people and things (and treating them with care). We are also talking about Respect in the context of using good manners, not using inappropriate or offensive language, being courteous to one another, resolving conflicts peacefully, and treating one another as we would want to be treated (and how they want to be treated!).
We believe involving families in our Social Emotional Learning is important. The letters linked below include activities, conversation starters, reading lists and more for you to explore Courage and Respect as a family.
Courage:
K-2 Courage Parent Letter (English) K-2 Courage Parent Letter (En Español )
3-5 Courage Parent Letter (English) 3-5 Courage Parent Letter (En Español )
Respect:
K-2 Respect Parent Letter (English) K-2 Respect Parent Letter (En Español)
3-5 Respect Parent Letter (English) 3-5 Respect Parent Letter (En Español)
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our SEL curriculum. Please let us know if you have any questions!
Sincerely,
Roxanne Davidson (Grade 2-5) and Jodi Pope (Grades K-1)
Oak Creek Elementary School Counselors
davidsor@loswego.k12.or.us popej@loswego.k12.or.usiReady Assessment
This Fall, all students in Grades 1-8 will complete two online i-Ready assessments in class. One is for math and the other is for reading. i-Ready is a program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform and tailor instruction to accelerate growth. This is the first of three i-Ready assessments we give each year, and results will be shared with parents in October.
The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s skill level. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.
In Lake Oswego, the Fall i-Ready window is open from September 7 to October 8.
Arrival/Dismissal Routines and Bus Routes
Families are welcome to drop students off beginning at 8:00 am, where students can line up in with their class in physically distanced lines. Students will be let into the building starting at 8:10, and class begins promptly at 8:20. Students will continue to enter their classrooms through assigned entrances (see below). We are asking that parents and caregivers do not park and walk their child/ren in. We will have many warm and welcoming adults who will be there to support students through the arrival process.
Arrival/Dismissal Times:
Elementary
MTWF: 8:20 a.m. - 2:40 p.m.
TH: 8:20 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Click here for the full schedule on the district website.
Assigned Location for Lining Up and Entering the Building:
- Kindergarten and 1st Graders: At the front entrance under the overhang
- 2nd and 3rd Graders: Near the garden area (to the left of the front entrance)
- 4th and 5th Graders: Near the West door to the building near the bike racks (to the right of the front entrance)
Please note: if your student is tardy (arrives after 8:20), please have them go through the front doors to the office to check in.
Parent Drop Off Notes:
In order to help with student safety and traffic flow in the lot and the neighborhood, please:
- avoid arriving early.
- pay close attention to staff.
- pay close attention to pedestrians in the lot and neighboring streets.
- if driving, come north up Kingsgate only, then through the parking lot.
- encourage children who can to unbuckle car seats and get out on their own.
- support your children who need assistance unbuckling.
- say goodbye quickly and move safely out of the lot.
Buses:
All busses will arrive at the Melrose gate. Students will get off the bus at 8:10. We will have staff there to greet students and walk them to their teacher. Bus routes can be viewed here: LOSD 22-22 Bus Routes
Walkers:
Walkers should arrive between 8:00-8:10, but not before. Parents will need to walk students to school. Only the Kingsgate Crosswalk will have a duty.
- Students will be walked by an adult to the the bus pick up area (on Melrose) or the parent pick up area (in front of the school).
- Cars can begin lining up at 2:35.
- If you are meeting your child on foot, you can wait in one of the marked locations for your child to walk to meet you, (masks are not required, but strongly encouraged).
- Please read below for specifics for each grade level:
Breakfast and Lunch Routines
In order to keep our students safe we will be eating lunch outside as often as possible. When we do have to eat inside, due to rain or other weather related conditions, classes will spread out into the hallways to ensure 6 feet of distance is maintained between unmasked individuals. We have ordered mats for all students to sit on during lunch. Towels are no longer needed... thank you for your help with this!
Breakfast will not be served at school in the morning. Instead students can order a Grab-N-Go breakfast to take home at dismissal to eat the following morning before coming to school.
Please see the lunch/breakfast menu for Aug/Sept here: LOSD Aug/Sept Lunch/Bfast Menu
Medication Drop off
If your child has medication that they must take during the school day, or emergency medications that the school must keep on hand (EPI pens, etc.), please bring these medications as soon as possible, in their original containers. Please double check for expired medications as we cannot receive expired meds. PLEASE read this document regarding what is accepted and what is not, prior to bringing medications to the school.
The office is open and available to receive medications from 7:00am-3:00pm. The process can take a bit of time, so please be patient as we work through this very important piece of your child's wellness and safety.
Questions about medications or procedures? Contact the Oak Creek front office staff at 503-534-2323 or email our District Nurse, Ann Nelson at nelsona@loswego.k12.or.us.
Student Illness
If your child will be absent, please email your student's teacher and copy the office. Please list the date your child will be absent and any illness symptoms. See the guide below for information on when to keep your child home from school.
FAQ's
What is the daily schedule?
First Bell - 8:10 am: Students are welcome to enter the building.
Tardy Bell - 8:20 am: Students who arrive later must check in with the office and receive a Tardy slip before going to their classroom.
Dismissal - 2:40 pm: Students taking a bus home will exit the building through lower doors, students being picked up by parents will exit the building through the top floor doors, students staying for after care will go to the assigned classroom.
Early Release on Thursdays - 2:00 pm
Will students and staff be wearing masks?
Yes, currently all students, staff and anyone who enters the building are required to wear masks. Additional information about mask requirements can be found here.
Will Extended Care be open?
Yes! Extended Care will be held at Oak Creek Elementary. Additional information and registration can be found on the Community School Extended Care website here.
If you are still looking for an answer, please let us know by clicking here to submit your question.
PTO Corner
Dear Oak Creek Community,
The Oak Creek PTO is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) created to support Oak Creek Elementary School. Donations to the PTO are tax deductible and all the money we raise stays at our school. We provide services, scholarships, supplies, community building events, and grants to our teachers.
Donations
To make a donation, please click here: OC Donation
Playground
Thank you to all that have donated to our playground fund. We are planning the upgrade to the playground over the November break. Look forward to some great new pieces of equipment and increased accessibility.
DirectorySpot
The school directory may be accessed through the website or on a phone through their app. Please send an email to OakCreekElementaryPTO@gmail.com if you would like to have your information removed fully from the directory. You will not receive emails with PTO information if you are removed fully.
*ATTENTION* You will need to login to DirectorySpot.net and unhide your information if you would like any families to see some of, or all of, your information. This is a blanket change for all schools and new this year.
The new families to our school will be added in October. You may request to be excluded even before you are in the system. DirectorySpot is used in all the Lake Oswego School District schools so you will not need to adjust to a new system in middle school and high school.
Willamette Valley Pies
A flyer will be sent home this week for our first fundraiser. Willamette valley pies may be ordered online. Order Here View the pies and their descriptions HERE. Pick up will be Tuesday October 19th 2:30pm- 4pm at Oak Creek in the covered area behind the school.
Yearbooks
Yearbooks are up for pre-order and are $20 until February. Pre-orders will be unavailable, and you will need to purchase them in person for $25 each after they arrive. Pre-Order Here
Mod Pizza
Oak Creek Dines returns with our first Mod Pizza day. Order your pizza on Sunday, September 26th using the code “GR199075Z”. 20% of your meal payment will go to the Oak Creek PTO. We need 20 families to sign up here to make it a go. Sign Up Here
Thank you for your support and doing your part in our wonderful community.
Sincerely,
Oak Creek Elementary PTO Executive Committee
Kirstin Martin / President
Samantha McCaskey / Treasurer
Jesse Nguyen / Assistant Treasurer
Juli Webster / Membership
Rachel Wilde / Secretary
Wendy Jenkins / Parental Involvement
Iris Tilley / Sustainability
LOSD District News
How to Find LOSD COVID-19 Information
We have made all of our COVID-19 information easier to find on our district and school websites. Look for the new LOSD COVID-19 Information graphic (above) and find information about guidance, protocols, notifications and more.
Included is a new COVID-19 Dashboard, which notes all active cases in each school currently. Active cases are people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are currently in their 10-day isolation period. Once the isolation period is complete, the case is removed from the dashboard. The dashboard is updated with exposure notices.
Also new is the recording of last night's Information Session about exposures and quarantining. We anticipate making these Information Sessions regular events to make sure we address all of your questions and concerns. Look forward to notices about upcoming sessions.
Free Meals for All Students
This school year the Lake Oswego School District will be offering breakfast and lunch meals (one breakfast and one lunch per student per day) at no charge to all students. Breakfast meals will be served in Grab-n-go style as students arrive to school. Lunch meals will offer healthy tasty entrees, fresh fruits and vegetables with a seasonal rotation of local farm produce and organic products when available.
For information about Food Services, please click here to visit our web page.
For information about part-time job opportunities in Food Services, please click here to visit the employment web page.
Annual State Testing Notice from ODE
Back to School Clothes at Clothing Closet
I Love Lake Oswego Clothing Closet is a donation-based closet that provides clothing items and hygiene products for residents, students, and employees that work or live within Lake Oswego.
Open Saturdays
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Visit https://www.ilovelakeoswego.com for more information.
Hunger Fighters
The pantry will be open all summer for contactless curbside pickup every Saturday from 1-2:30 p.m. Visit the website for more info. www.hungerfightersoregon.org
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.)
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.
About Oak Creek
Reach out to us if you have any questions or need anything!
- Principal Barb Keeton: keetonb@loswego.k12.or.us
- Secretary Carrie Beach: beachc@loswego.k12.or.us
- Secretary Tanya Goodwin: goodwint@loswego.k12.or.us
Address: 55 Kingsgate Rd., Lake Oswego, OR 97035
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakCreekPTA/