The Roadrunner Report
The Rundown on Ridgewood Elementary - Sept. 21
Dates to know...
9/25 - Picture Day
9/27 - Passport
9/28 - Spirit day - wear college gear or Ridgie wear
10/5 - Walk or Bike to School day
10/9 - PTC meeting, 6:30pm - Middle School options
10/10 - Coffee with the Principal, 8:30-9:30am
10/12 - Jogathon!
NEW - Ridgewood celebrates 60 years on Friday, November 2nd. Open house from 5:00-7:00 and a dancing through the decades from 7:00-8:00. All are invited!
Conference dates for 2018-19 - No School October 25 & 26 and April 18 & 19
Principal Perspective - Talking about Personal Safety with Children
You’ve likely heard the term “stranger danger,” the idea that children need to be wary of strangers. Did you know that many organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), doesn’t support the “stranger danger” message? Here’s why. NCMEC says children do not fully understand the concept and are confused by the idea of “good” and “bad” strangers. They will often describe a stranger as someone who is “ugly or mean” and don’t perceive “nice-looking or friendly” people as strangers.
NCMEC suggests empowering children with positive messages and safety skills that “will not only build their self-esteem and self-confidence, but also help keep them safer.” This includes learning how to recognize and avoid potentially dangerous situations, as well as learning effective steps to remove themselves from the situation.
It is important to teach children in a way that allows them to understand the situation without scaring them. Here are a few tips for parents:
- Instruct children to always join a friend when walking or biking to and from school.
- Teach children to never take short-cuts or go into isolated areas.
- Walk the route with your child, pointing out landmarks and safe places to go if they need
- help. A safe place can be a police station, fire station, church or retail shop along the route.
- Make sure your child knows that adults shouldn’t ask children for help.
- Teach children to trust their feelings if they feel uncomfortable, scared or confused.
- Teach children that it is more important to get out of a threatening or uncomfortable situation, than it is to be polite.
Please see the attached discussion guides below offering age-appropriate messages and strategies. There are also great resources on this Kidsmartz website.
Start & End Times
8:00 a.m. - Student supervision begins under cover
8:10 a.m. - Breakfast open, BeepBeep store open on Fridays
8:25 a.m. - Bell rings and students head to classrooms, hang coats & backpacks
8:30 a.m. - Class begins, students are in classrooms ready to learn
1:35 p.m. - Dismissal time on Wednesdays, beginning September 5th
3:05 p.m. - Dismissal time on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
Office Hours: 7:30-4:00 daily
Our office hours will be 8:00-4:30 beginning Monday, October 8th.
BeepBeep Winners
Deadline for Free and Reduced Meals
You may apply for meal benefits for the current school year at www.schoolcafe.com or contact the school office for a paper application. You may reach us at 503-356-2440 with any questions, or to have a paper application sent home with your student.
Volunteer Corner
Ridgewood Volunteer Needs
Party Planners for Mrs. O'Neill -- 1-2 people to assist!
Contact Mrs. O'Neill to see how you can assist planning parties. First party is Oct 31st. Sarah_O'neill@beaverton.k12.or.us
"Read to Me" -- Kindergarten kids
Read for 10 min 1:1, with two children, one day per week, 8:25-8:50. 2 volunteers needed each day, and will have the same kids each time you read with them. Please contact, our reading intervention specialist, for more information and scheduling. Cyndi Simantel Cynthia_Simantel@beaverton.k12.or.us
Volunteer ID Badges -- Sept 25th.
Regular volunteers have an opportunity to get your own personalized ID badge on Tues, Sept 25th at the beginning of picture day. Please report to the playroom between 8:10-8:40 for your picture, then see Dede for your Ridgewood lanyard. Contact Dede Morris dorothy_morris@beaverton.k12.or.us for questions and details.
Passport Volunteers -- Sept 27th.
6 needed in a.m. shift, 3 in p.m. shift. Click HERE to view Passport Information sheet, and click HERE to sign-up and view when your child(ren) will be participating. Contact Lucia Dallas with questions. lucia_rios@hotmail.com
Staff Treats - First Wed of the month for Jan, April, May and June
A few more slots to fill! Sign up HERE with a friend or two to provide the treats, a one time commitment. More info on the link to sign-up. Contact Jennifer Browning jensbrowning@yahoo.com with any questions.
Library Needs a few more volunteers -- flexible hours.
Help shelve books, facilitate the birthday book program, repair damaged books and tackle other projects in a (generally) peaceful setting. Training is provided. Typically once or twice a month for approximately an hour. Chocolate provided!! To volunteer, contact our librarian Carla Bergin at carla_bergin@beaverton.k12.or.us or Jane Kleist-Tesch pptjmk@earthlink.net
Ridgewood's annual Jog-a-thon -- October 12.
Classroom helpers, lap counters, day-of organizing, cheering, running, so many ways to help! Contact Orissa Crispin orissa.crispin@gmail.com for more info.
Recognize a deserving volunteer? Drop his/her name in the “Big Beep” bucket in the front office, near the volunteer sign-in computer. A winner is selected at each month’s PTC meeting.
Thank you for supporting Ridgewood!
Orissa Crispin and Julie Larson
Ridgewood PTC Volunteer Coordination Team
Student Absences
Please notify the school by 9am if your student will be absent or late. You may do this any of the following ways:
· Call the Attendance Line at 503-356-2441 and leave a message.
· Call the school office at 503-356-2440
· Email the office at RDGWD-Communications@beaverton.k12.or.us
Counselor Corner
Callie Taylor is now Callie McAuliffe! You may reach her at her new email, callie_mcauliffe@beaverton.k12.or.us , or 503-356-2444.
Passport Program
Students can learn 1 level or all 5 levels each month. For every level they achieve they will earn stamps in their 2018-2019 Passport. When a student learns level 5 of any month they will have their picture taken and placed on the Passport bulletin board in the main hallway. Students studying Level 5 all year will also receive a special prize at the end of the year. In addition to the monthly maps, students can study and be checked for the all the U.S. states and capitals, as well as finding Ridgie as he travels to exotic places every month starting in October . Details for “Where is Ridgie?” activity to follow.
Starting in September, each student will receive a Passport that contains a page for each month of the school year. As students pass different levels, they receive colorful and interesting stamps from those countries of the world. At the end of the year, students will receive a “Passport Certificate” with the total amount of countries, states and capitols calculated that he or she has completed.
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!! Volunteers are an integral part of the Passport Program! We need volunteers to help check students the last Thursday of each month. Dates are listed below and are also on the Ridgewood website calendar. This is a great opportunity for you to interact with Ridgewood students at all grade levels from 1st - 5th. It’s a lot of fun and we would love to have you join us! If you are interested please sign up through MyVP or email Lucia or Meghan
Testing is held in the cafeteria, with morning and afternoon sessions on the following dates: Sept. 27, Oct. 18, Nov. 29, Dec. 20, Jan. 31, Feb. 28, Mar. 21, April 25, and May 30.
We need to have approximately 10 volunteers checking students, but you can test any day/time that works for you. You do not have to commit to every month, but we would love to see you!
Thank you, we look forward to meeting you, Your Passport Program Coordinators, Lucia Dallas lucia_rios@hotmail.com Meghan Baker thepdxbakers@gmail.com
Call for Clothes Closet Donations
We desperately need:
Shoes (boys and girls size 1-4)
Girls M-L clothing (7/8 and 14/16)
Boys M clothing (7/8 and 10/12)
If you want to do a fall clear-out of your students’ closets, please bring in any clothing donations that are still in “lend to a friend” condition. They should be stainless and not have any holes or tears. There is a bin labeled with “Clothes Closet” in the front hall for donations.
Green Team News
International Coastal Clean-Up Day is Sept. 29th. Join Green Team members and SOLVE for a Beach Clean-Up Sept. 29th from 10:00am-1:00pm at Cannon Beach. In Oregon we’re lucky to have access to lots of different bodies of water to enjoy. Our beautiful waterways get a lot of use over the summer and could use a little TLC. Can’t make the 29th? Check out other opportunities with SOLVE! Register and sign-up on SOLVE’s site. Contact Becky Lanford with questions rebeccalanford@gmail.com.
Chess Club News
Join the Ridgewood Chess Club! Chess has been a part of the Ridgewood community for 27 years and we’re excited to continue this great tradition. Come learn and play this fun and complex game of attack and counterattack. Chess is a wonderful laboratory for thinking and life skills. Students develop their capacity for independent thought, their decision-making skills, and their ability to focus on a complex task. Many students find the skills they learn playing chess translate to improved academic performance, and to other aspects of life.
Chess Club will meet Tuesdays, October 2nd-December 11th, 3:05-4:35pm. We will have 2 coaches to meet the needs of beginners and more advanced players.
Cost: $190.00 (meets 10 times). Full and partial need-based scholarships are available thanks to the PTC. Please contact Jane Kleist-Tesch to be considered or for more information. (pptjmk@earthlink.net or 503-490-3628)
Register online through Chess Odyssey: http://www.chessodyssey.com
Questions? Jane Kleist-Tesch 503-490-3628, pptjmk@earthlink.net or Chess Master Pete Prochaska 503-504-5756, office@chessodyssey.com
After School Enrichments
Coding with Kids - Computer Programming Classes
Cub Scout Pack 122 - Scout me In
Girl Scouts - Join us to Get Started!
Kids Like Languages - Spanish
PlayFitFun! - After School Program
Science Matters - STEM Club
Ridgewood Elementary School
Email: RDGWD-Communications@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/schools/ridgewood/
Location: 10100 Southwest Inglewood Street, Portland, OR, United States
Phone: 503-356-2440
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RidgewoodElementary/?ref=bookmarks