Westridge Wildcat News
April 22, 2022
Message from the Principal
Dear Westridge Community,
Last night our 3rd graders shone so bright in Portland, The Musical! The show was vibrant, inspirational, and informative. Mrs. McMahon did such an incredible job guiding our wonderful students through a fabulous performance. Spring at Westridge is a busy time and we are thrilled with the return to building community through events such as these. In the coming weeks there will be more opportunities to connect. We will host after school theater experiences, the return of the Westridge Carnival, field trips, and much, much more!
With joy,
Jules Laaperi
she/her/hers
Principal
Save the Dates!
4/18-5/9 - OSAS Testing (details below)
4/22: Earth Day Westridge Spring Clean Up 2:40-5:00pm
4/25: Elementary iPad Update (see below)
4/29: Yearbook photos are due
5/13: Carnival 5:00-8:00pm
5/27: No School (Grading day)
5/30: Memorial Day - No School
6/10: Last day of school - Early dismissal at 11:00am
Carnival!
The Westridge annual Carnival is Friday, May 13, from 5 - 8 pm at the school. It takes all of us to make Carnival happen. As in years past, each classroom is assigned a booth or game to operate. If you plan on coming to Carnival, please sign up to work a quick shift at our classroom booth.
Sign up for your booth shift here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B45AAA928A0F94-westridge1
Admission is free.
Opt out or Hold Covid Screening Kits:
LOSD is preparing for the last distribution of COVID-19 Student Screening testing supplies.
Please let us know if your student does not need any more supplies through the last collection day, Wednesday, Jun. 8.
If you are interested in un-enrolling your K-12 student in the program, click OPT OUT to complete the OPT OUT form.
If you are interested in your student continuing to participate in the program, but do not need any more supplies, click HOLD to complete the HOLD form.
No need to do anything if your student is planning to participate and needs to receive supplies in this last distribution.
Thank you.
Elementary iPad Update - Grades K-2
i-Ready Spring Assessment
COVID-19 Reported Case Update
The LOSD COVID-19 Dashboard is up to date with the number of staff and students who have reported to LOSD testing positive for COVID-19, regardless of school exposure. At Westridge , we have 1 cases reported in the last week. With any potential exposure, people are advised to watch for illness symptoms and follow Oregon Health Authority COVID-19 exclusion procedures. Please contact Lisa McBee, District Nurse at mcbeel@loswego.k12.or.us if your student has tested positive for COVID-19.
OBOB Update!
A Big Wildcat Congratulations to Alex, Ian, Keelyn, Mason, and Sydney for capturing second place at their Regional Oregon Battle of the Books Competition this last weekend, the highest ever performance by a Westridge team at OBOB Regionals! A special thank you also to Fletcher, who helped the team qualify for the competition. Because of the all-virtual format this year, Alex was able to participate from vacation (check out those shades!)
This special group of fifth graders tore through the competition, winning their first 6 battles in a row to make the Regional Final -- including a dramatic, come from behind victory in the quarterfinals and a perfect score in their semifinal win. In the Championship Battle, they fought back from a deficit to tie the score on the second-to-last question, only to watch a great team from Abernethy Elementary in Portland answer the very last question correctly for the narrowest of wins. There are still a number of Regionals this coming weekend, but so far Westridge's score would have been good enough to win in almost all other Regions contested so far -- they currently have the third highest Championship Round score in all of Oregon.
What is OBOB?
The Oregon Battle of the Books is a reading and trivia competition that serves as a statewide celebration of literacy and good books. 3rd to 5th grade students form teams of two to five members, then read and study from a common list of 16 books selected by the State OBOB Committee each year. Teams square off in a series of "Battles" to show off how much they have learned by answering questions about the books. Watch out if you get a question wrong -- the other team might steal your points!
It is never too early to start thinking about next year's competition. The 2022-2023 books are fantastic, and the almost-final list can be found here (scroll down to the 3-5 division): https://www.oregonbattleofthebooks.org/2022-2023-obob-partial-title-list/
Happy Reading!
Alex zoomed from Hawaii!
The Team!
Congrats to all OBOB teams for a great year
Oregon State Assessments Testing Schedule: Grades 3-5
OSAS Schedule and Reminders
Oregon State Assessment will take place in April and May. Teachers will also be sending out information in their newsletters.
Prepare your student for testing by ensuring:
- They are well rested
- Have healthy breakfast, lunch and snack options
- CHARGED chromebook
- Encouragement - we believe in them!
If a student has a smartphone or watch, these will need to be kept in backpacks during testing as access to them creates an impropriety, per state assessment regulations.
OSAS Testing dates: Grades 3-5
- Feb 24-March 10 - English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA)
- Monday, April 18 - Friday, April 22 - Science (Grade 5 Only)
- Monday, April 25 - Friday, April 29- English Language Arts Testing
- Monday, May 2 - Friday, May 6 - Math
- Monday, May 9 - Friday, May 20 - Make-ups
Oregon State Assessment Opt-Out Form
State law requires us to inform you that a form is available from the State Department of Education that allows you to opt your child out of the math and English Language Arts assessments for the current school year. Should you wish to opt out your child, fill out the form and submit it to the main office at your child’s school. Please note the submission deadlines listed on the form. Meeting the deadline will help the school with planning and preparation. If you wish your child not to participate in the science assessment for grades 5, 8, and 11, submit this request in writing to the principal of your child's school.
If you have questions or want more information about state assessments, please contact your child’s principal or teacher(s).
Click here for opt-out form for Math and English Language Arts.
Volunteering at Westridge:
In order to volunteer, please make sure you have the following on record with the school:
- Show or email your vaccination card to Jodi Steward or Andrea Murphy (stewardj@loswego.k12.or.us or murphya@loswego.k12.or.us)
- Complete the Statement of Understanding prior to your volunteer shift
- Register with Raptor by bringing your photo ID into the office. (If you've registered in years prior, you do not need to do it again)
Student Attendance:
If you need to pick your child up early from school, please let the teacher and the office know ahead of time.
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.)
Contact information for the Westridge PTSO
Find us on Facebook!
Follow us on Instagram @westridge.ptso
Email: westridgeptso@gmail.com
Yearbook Photos: yearbookwestridge@gmail.com
Westridge Elementary School
Email: laaperij@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org/wr
Location: 3400 Royce Way, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: 5035342371