Staff Talk
A Newsletter for Beaverton School District Employees
Budget Committee Meeting - April 22
The purpose of the meeting is for the Budget Committee to receive the Budget Message and to take comment from the public on the budget. Meeting materials will be posted to the Annual Budget webpage on April 22, 2019.
A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained on or after April 22, 2019 at the District Administration Center, 16550 SW Merlo Rd., Beaverton between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Annual Staff Survey
**If you did not receive an email with the links to the Staff Survey, please check your "Clutter" box. You can also click the links below to complete the survey.
The purpose of BSD's Annual Certified/Classified/Administrator Survey is to assist the District in evaluating our progress and planning for the future, informing curriculum adoptions, strategic plan measures, and more.
The Certified Staff Survey is for all Certified employees who work for the Beaverton School District, either part-time or full-time. It is not for volunteers or contractors. The Classified Staff Survey is for all classified employees who work for the Beaverton School District, either part-time or full-time. Last year's survey reports can be viewed on the BSD Research and Reports Page.
This survey is voluntary. You may opt out of completing the survey at any time, without penalty. All survey data will be summarized so that each person who answers will remain anonymous. Nothing in the survey content or District software will be used to personally identify you. Comments will be listed separately for administrators to read. This way, readers will not be able to identify someone by looking at the other answers they gave. This year, the survey is split into two parts to further keep them confidential. Questions regarding your work site location(s) are stored separately from demographic questions. The demographic questions and associated responses will be reported at a District-level only, not by specific site.
A question marked with an asterisk does require an answer and may shorten the survey for some staff. It is OK to go back and change your answer to a previous question, but you must finish the survey in one sitting.
If you have questions, email Rayna Flye.
Thanks for participating in the Annual Staff Survey!
Surveys:
Certified Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019certified
Classified Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019classified
Equity Leadership Team (ELT) Cohort #13
If you or colleagues you know who might be interested in this opportunity, please share the application. Please contact Pat McCreery (pat_mccreery@beaverton.k12.or.us) if you have any questions. The deadline is Friday, April 26, 2019.
Administrative Transfer Announcements
The following administrator transfers are effective July 1, 2019:
Cheryl Ashdown, Westview High School Assistant Principal, will transfer to Whitford Middle School Assistant Principal. Cheryl began her career in Beaverton as a science teacher at Stoller Middle School before moving into administration in 2004.
Doug Boyer, Southridge High School Assistant Principal, will transfer to Aloha High School Assistant Principal.Doug began his career in Beaverton as a science teacher at Southridge High School before moving into administration in 2007.
Maria Copelan, Health and Science School/School of Science and Technology (HS2/SST) Assistant Principal, will transfer to Beaverton High School Assistant Principal. Maria has been the World Affairs Council Global Teacher of the Year, a personnel specialist, a general education teacher and a teacher of English Language Learners.
Allyson Dubuque, Beaverton High School Assistant Principal, will transfer to Five Oaks Middle School Assistant Principal. Allyson has over fifteen years of teaching experience and served as a summer school coordinator.
Cynthia Lam Moffett, Elmonica Elementary Principal, will transfer to Errol Hassell Elementary School Principal. In addition to being a principal, Cynthia has also been an assistant principal at Aloha Huber Park K-8 and a teacher at Hiteon and Kinnaman elementary schools.
Kalay McNamee, West Tualatin View Elementary Principal, will transfer to Elmonica Elementary School Principal. Kalay has also been an assistant principal at Jacob Wismer Elementary and a first and fifth grade teacher at Hazeldale Elementary.
Tina Myers, Whitford Middle School Assistant Principal, will transfer to Westview High School Assistant Principal. Tina has also been an ESL teacher, student supervisor and assistant principal at Meadow Park Middle School.
Sho Shigeoka, Administrator for Equity and Inclusion, will transfer to Southridge High School Assistant Principal. Sho began her career in Beaverton as a Westview High School counselor before becoming the Teaching and Learning Equity Coordinator. She has been the Administrator for Equity and Inclusion since July 2014.
Greg Therrien, Aloha High School Assistant Principal, will transfer to Mountainside High School Assistant Principal. Greg joined the District in 1997 as a math teacher at Meadow Park Middle School and transferred to Westview High School in 1999 where he taught math and later served as a student supervisor and interim assistant principal.
Scarlet Valentine, Errol Hassell Principal, will transfer to West Tualatin View Elementary School Principal. Scarlet has also been an assistant principal at Meadow Park Middle School. In addition, she has been a middle school language arts, reading, math and social studies teacher, a Title 1 Coordinator and Human Resources Administrator at OSU and a police officer and Crime Prevention Specialist for the City of Corvallis.
Jim Weeks, Five Oaks Assistant Principal, will transfer to Southridge High School Assistant Principal. Previously, Jim has been an assistant principal at Beaverton High School and Merlo Station Community High School and a language arts teacher.
Malindi Zimmer, Elmonica Assistant Principal, will transfer to Beaverton High School Assistant Principal. Malindi has been a student supervisor and AVID coordinator at Whitford Middle School and has taught ESL at both Whitford and the International School of Beaverton.
National Board Certification Information
STATE REIMBURSEMENT MONEY IN OREGON
FOR NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION
(Rules governing the disbursement of these funds are up for final approval from TSPC in July 2018.)
Here’s what you need to know:
Who can be reimbursed:
- A teacher holding an active and valid Oregon license who was employed in an Oregon public education program in a teaching assignment at the time the eligible expense occurred and at the time of reimbursement AND
- Has been granted an initial or renewed NBCT certification after July 1, 2017.
When and how can reimbursement be made:
- A qualifying Oregon teacher (as described above) who seeks reimbursement of eligible expenses (as described below) should contact TSPC about applying for reimbursement after that teacher has officially been granted the initial or renewed national board certification.
What expenses can be reimbursed:
- Reimbursement is for the following actual, direct and eligible expenses towards obtaining initial or renewed national board certification:
- Up to a $2600 total for expenses related to initial certification including: $300 for eligible orientation expenses (approved by TSPC), $400 for eligible cohort expenses (approved by TSPC), $1900 for eligible component expenses
- Up to a $1450 total for expenses related to certification renewal including: $100 for eligible orientation expenses (approved by TSPC), $100 for eligible cohort expenses (approved by TSPC), $1250 for eligible component expenses
- An applicant may NOT be reimbursed for the following national certification expenses: Registration or cycle fees, Component retakes, Returned check fees, Any fees refunded or waived by NBPTS, Re-authorization fees, Any expenses reimbursed by a school district, Any expenses incurred to obtain academic credit that is not directly attributed to direct costs for components, orientation/cohort/renewal programs.
Bonus benefit for Oregon National Board-Certified Teachers (NBCTs):
- If an Oregon teacher holds a valid & active National Board Certification, their Oregon license is renewed without charge.
LGBTQ+ Staff Affinity Group
If you are a staff member who identifies as LGBTQ+, consider joining the District’s LGBTQ+ Staff Affinity Group. We:
- Advocate for an inclusive and affirming environment for BSD students, staff, and families
- Discuss and collaborate around the challenges and successes of supporting LGBTQ+ students, staff, and families
- Support one another through developing and sharing resources and strategies in various capacities including curriculum.
- Build community amongst LGBTQ+ staff in our district
If you’re interested, please email Gretchen Mollers (gretchen_mollers@beaverton.k12.or.us).
Actions for Allies: whether it's on your Facebook, your Instagram, or Snapchat, create a post about the Day of Silence, which is on April 12th this year. The Day of Silence is a student-led national event where folks take a vow of silence to highlight the silencing and erasure of LGBTQ people at school.
Screening of Resilience at Beaverton High School - April 17
What: Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope
The is a short but powerful film with great foundational knowledge to compliment any trauma informed care work you are doing in your buildings and that we will continue to focus on at BHS in the fall and beyond.
Invitation to Shop at Nike Company Store
THPRD Visioning Taskforce - Students & Staff?
Volunteer Spotlight: Kate Richman
Kate also took on the role of Volunteer Coordinator. While she helps take care of children, Kate has been responsible for recruiting and scheduling volunteers.
"Since 1981, Kate has helped organized the whole volunteer effort here at CEYP and there is really no way to thank her for all she has done for the program over the years. I hope she knows we appreciate every single day she has given to us," say Jill Simmons, Early Childhood Educator.
"Working with the many volunteers over the years has been the highlight of my time at CEYP. The volunteers have made our teen parent program unique, and many parents have been able to benefit from the program. The volunteers and staff at CEYP inspire the students to recognize their abilities and realize their potential - giving them confidence in themselves. CEYP has been a gift to me, a gift that has kept on giving and I have enjoyed every minute I have volunteering here," says Kate.
Kate has decided to retire her post at CEYP and was celebrated with a lunch and tea with current and former CEYP volunteers at Merlo on April 10, 2019. A plaque with her picture will adorn the walls of the daycare as a token appreciation for all she has done to support the program.
Thank you, Kate. Because of you, WE are stronger.
Bradford Hill named NSTA Distinguished Teacher
The 2019 NSTA Teacher Awards program, which honors K–12 teachers, principals, professors and other science education professionals for their outstanding work and achievement in science education. The awards will be presented at a special banquet and ceremony on Friday, April 12, 2019, at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in St. Louis, Missouri.
The National Science Teachers Association annually awards one to three Distinguished Teaching Awards in the field of K–16 science education. The awards are designed to recognize current NSTA members who are classroom teachers at the elementary, middle school, high school, and undergraduate levels and who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of science teaching.
“Through their hard work and dedication, these outstanding educators are making a difference,” said NSTA President Christine Royce. “They make science come alive for their students and help them realize the importance of science in their daily lives.”
Congratulations, Bradford!
BSD CTE Partnerships Featured in Metro News
Stoller MS Receives Carmen West Memorial Award
Stoller Middle School recently received the Carmen West Memorial Award for Outstanding Progress for English Learners – On-Track to Proficiency for 2019 at the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) Confederation of School Administrators (COSA) English Learners Alliance Conference.
In commemoration of Carmen West and her tireless advocacy for emergent bilingual students, this memorial recognition honors Stoller Middle School for their commitment to the academic and linguistic development of their students.
“This is my first year at Stoller Middle School. One of my first impressions of Stoller was the commitment teachers have to all students. Stoller has 43 home languages represented school-wide. Our total student body is 1,560 representing 47 countries. It is one of the most diverse schools in our area. The success of our students depends on having teachers who believe that every student is best served by strong teacher collaboration, especially for those students who need extra support in the area of language development. Teachers adherence to strong instructional practices and commitment to student growth is at the center of our Stoller community," says Veronica Galvan, Principal.
The award comes with a plaque for the school and an award of $2,500 to be used to further the excellent work in their English Language program.
Congratulations, Stoller Middle School for ensuring ALL students are college and career ready!
Equity Seminar Series: A Tour of Oregon's Hidden History of Discrimination, Displacement and Segregation
For the past 10 years, the Beaverton School District has partnered with Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District (THRPD) and the City of Beaverton to offer an Equity Seminar Series (ESS). The ESS is an ongoing professional development opportunity for the employees of the three public organizations that serve the Beaverton community.
The mission of the Equity Seminar Series Planning Team is to support the development of inclusive and culturally relevant organizations in Beaverton through high quality professional development. On April 9, leaders and educators from these organizations participated in a bus tour of Portland, provided by the Fair Housing Council of Oregon, to understand the history of racism, discrimination and displacement. The following is a reflection from one of the participants, Pat McCreery, a social studies teacher at Westview High School and TOSA in the Office of Equity & Inclusion"
"When the Atlantic Monthly, CNN, the New York Times, and Fox News all affirm that Portland is the whitest major city in the United States, it's hard to argue otherwise. And yet we're reminded, via the Fair Housing Council's "Fasten Your Seatbelts, It's Been A Bumpy Ride" bus tour, it hasn't always been that way. An interactive tour through some of Portland and greater Oregon's revealing sites, the bus tour reminds us of the thriving African-American, Japanese-American, Chinese-American, Romani-American, and other communities that have existed in the spaces we inhabit. It also reminds us of the exclusionary acts we've inherited, and of the exclusionary acts of which we're capable if we don't keep a vigilant eye on the lessons of history. It also reveals the historical and contemporary power of being an ally and an upstander. If you're able, as an educator serving the members of our community, in this larger space we share, take advantage of the opportunity to learn of some lesser known histories that help us better understand our collective roots, and possibly our shared future."
Vaping, JUULing and Teens: Get the Facts - A Community Conversation
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration called the issue of teenage vaping an epidemic.
In a recent survey, 24% of BSD 11th graders said they had tried an e-cigarette or vaping product at some point. How did we get here? More importantly, as parents, students, community members and educators, what can we do about it? The District launched an anti-vaping/JUULing campaign in February and shared articles, posters, flyers and social media posts and has created a webpage with information and resources for parents https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/PS/Pages/Vaping,-JUULing-and-Teens-Get-The-Facts.aspx
On March 20, the Beaverton School District in collaboration with Washington County Public Health, Providence Health & Services, Providence Rebels for a Cause, Beaverton Police Department and KGW, held a Community Conversation on the topic. The town-hall style meeting featured a panel of experts, students, and staff who shared important facts and information and answered questions from the audience.
BSD Teams Compete at the OBOB State Competition
Congratulations to the BSD Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) Regional Winners (Region 1):
3-5 Division:
- Scholls Heights Elementary School, Peadexshwizs
- Bethany Elementary School, The Booktastic 4 - (Finished 3/4 at the State Competition)
- Conestoga Middle School, The Book Warriors - (Finished 4th at the State Competition)
- Stoller Middle School, Fire-Breathing Jaguars
The teams competed in the State Oregon Battle of the Books on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Chemeketa Community College.
Stoller MS Chess Team Wins Again!
Congratulations to team members Sudarshan, Kyle, Roshen, Egan, Arnold, and Ethan! This is the 5th consecutive state championship won by the Stoller chess team.
BSD Students Earn High Marks in Scholastic Art & Writing Competition
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have grown during the last 90 years to become the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the nation’s largest source of scholarships for creative young artists and writers.
Below are the Beaverton School District students honored in this years competition:
Aloha High School:
- Tania Bejarano - Gold Medal - Digital Art - Desolate
- Eli Boverman - Silver Medal - Drawing & Illustration - No, Thank You.
- Isabel Kristensen - Silver Medal - Photography - Playground
- Chloe Montague - Silver Medal - Photography - Destination
- Annarose Speede - Silver Medal - Drawing & Illustration - Deadlines, Silver Medal - Drawing & Illustration - Pay Attention, Gold Medal - Painting - Things with Wings, Silver Medal - Painting - Lynda
Southridge High School:
- Yesmin Chua - Silver Medal - Ceramics & Glass - Nyotaimori Plates
Sunset High School:
- Russell Chai - Silver Medal - Photography - Nonchalance
- Molly Hunter - Silver Medal - Ceramics & Glass - stage four
- Thulni Liyanaarachchi - Silver Medal - Design - Examine everything
- Len Nguyen - Silver Medal - Art Portfolio - The Sword of Heaven's Will
- Cameron Paterson - Silver Medal - Design - Tokyo Heat
- Eva Siffert - Silver Medal - Photography - Sunset in PNW
- Aspen Stoyer - Gold Medal - Photography - Olivia 1
- Tristan Young - Gold Medal - Digital Art - The True Exit
Westview High School:
- Andrea Tongsak - Gold Medal - Person Essay & Memoir - Dear Peter Wang,
Cedar Park MS MathCounts Team Wins State Championship
The Cedar Park Middle School, Stoller Middle School and Whitford Middle School MathCounts teams were three of the top eight ranking teams at the Oregon State Competition last month. Cedar Park Middle School ranked 1st. The Cedar Park Middle School is comprised of Suyash Pandit, Yusef Arifin, Sohan Clemons and Noah Unger-Schulz. Coaches: Sandra Miller and Steve Tufty, a volunteer.
Suyash Pandit ranked 2nd place at the Oregon State Competition and will travel with Cedar Park Middle School coach Sandra Miller to Washington, D.C. to compete in the MATHCOUNTS National Competition in May.
Congratulations, Cedar Park!
Five Oaks and Mountain View MS CrossTown Classic
The idea was pitched by Dana's advisory class as a fundraiser in which both schools would split the profit. Sandy from Five Oaks, who is the after-school basketball club advisor was recruited and the plan was in motion. The event was held on March 19 at Aloha High School.
An estimated 400 people were in attendance including students, families, and teachers. Students from each school played three quarters and teachers hit the court the fourth quarter. Mountain View took the win, but everyone agreed that it was an amazing event that brought the community closer together.
The CrossTown Classic also featured concessions sold by students and the Mountain View Middle School Padres Unidos and many raffle prizes donated.
Continuing Education for Young Parents (CEYP) Program Featured on KATU
BSD Successful at Beaverton-Hillsboro Science Expo
The Expo, co-chaired by Caitlin Everett, K-12 Science TOSA for Secondary Schools, brings together more than 100 students from more than 10 schools in the Beaverton and Hillsboro school districts to compete for scholarships, cash awards, and the grand prize: an all-expense paid trip to the 2019 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, Arizona in May 2019.
The Intel ISEF, a program of Society for Science & the Public (the Society), is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. Each year, approximately 1,800 high school students from more than 75 countries, regions, and territories are awarded the opportunity to showcase their independent research and compete for on average $4 million in prizes.
Intel ISEF unites these top young scientific minds, showcasing their talents on an international stage, where doctoral level scientists review and judge their work.
Three BSD students qualified for the ISEF:
- Divya Amirtharaj, Westview High School: "A Secure Implementation of Mendelian Randomization via Multi-Party Computation"
- Rohan Ahluwalia, Westview High School: "A Novel Optical Diagnostic Method for Non-Invasive Detection of Blood Glucose using Reverse Iontophoresis Modulation and a Personalized Neural Network"
- Lauren Li, Westview High School: "Tracing Cell Lineages from Single-Cell Data using Markov Affinity Estimation"
MHS Student Named 2019 Student of the Year by Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Students of the Year is a seven-week philanthropic leadership development program during which students foster professional skills such as entrepreneurship, marketing, and project management in order to raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the world's largest nonprofit fighting blood cancer. The title Student(s) of the Year is awarded to the candidate or co-candidates in each community who raises the most funds during the competition.
"Philanthropy is not just about money...it's about feeling the pain of others and caring enough about their needs to help. This is one of those things that I will never regret putting my heart and soul into. I am moved just thinking about the process: the love, the work, the challenge, but mostly because I can see a future where there’s a cure in my lifetime," says Bryce.
"Bryce and her team executed an amazing fundraising campaign that involved many events including a benefit concert at Star Theater. Our 2019 program finished with twelve high school students raising more than $170,000 together. Clearly, Bryce made an incredible impact," says Jordan Earls, Campaign Manager - Students of the Year.
School Board Spring Work Session
Monday, April 15, 2019
3:00 p.m.
Mountainside High School
12500 SW 175th
Beaverton, OR 97007
Budget Committee Meeting
Monday, April 22, 2019
6:30 p.m.
Administration Office
16550 SW Merlo Rd.
Beaverton, 97003
School Board Business Meeting
Monday, April 29, 2019
6:30 p.m.
Administration Office
16550 SW Merlo Rd.
Beaverton, 97003
Beaverton School District
The district prohibits discrimination and harassment based on any basis protected by law, including but not limited to, an individual's actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national or ethnic origin, marital status, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, familial status, economic status, veteran status, or because of a perceived or actual association with any other persons within these protected classes.
Email: melissa_larson@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: www.beaverton.k12.or.us
Location: 16550 SW Merlo Rd, Beaverton, OR, United States
Phone: 503-356-4360
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeavertonSchoolDistrict
Twitter: @beavertonSD