Athey Notes
September 12th, 2021
Welcome
Welcome to Week 3!
Welcome to the 3rd week of School! It has been wonderful to see our school come alive again with activities! We were so excited to see over 60 students attend the first Cross Country practice last week! The morning halls were filled with music as jazz band began their first before school rehearsals. Choir students enjoyed the great weather by singing in our new courtyard, only week 2 and they were already mastering rounds. Students of leadership again worked hard to build community on Friday afternoon by giving raffle tickets to students wearing Athey Swag (anything with Athey written on it or wearing school colors - red and black). Each week the students settle more into the routine of school and we can't wait to see you at Curriculum Night on September 22nd so you can learn more about it!
Sincerely,
Joel Sebastian
ACMS Principal
Mark Your Calendar
Sept. 12th Instrument Rental Night
Sept. 15th Picture Day
Sept. 22nd Curriculum Night 6:30 pm
Sept 27th Game Night for 6th Graders
Sept. 28th Early Release 1:45 pm
Week 3 Athey Notes
New Information:
1. Meet our new Learning Specialists!
2. MAP Assessment
3. Curriculum Night
4. Grades are Going in the Book! Learn More About it!
5. Instrument Rental Night Information
6. PTSA 6th Game Night information
7. PTSA Meeting Information!
8. Become a Paraeducator! We Need You!
9. Introducing.... RIVERSIDE HIGH!
10. Menstrual Dignity Communication
Important Information from Last Week
1. Breakfast Is Served
2. Lunch Service Information (How to Pay)
3. Picture Day and Yearbook Order Information
4. Attendance Questions
5. Counseling Corner
6. Cross Country Sign Ups
7. New Safe Entry Procedure
8. How to Become a Volunteer
Welcome our New Staff Members to ACMS! -Part 2
Introducing Our New Learning Specialists and Paraeducators!
Chris Frank - Learning Specialist
My name is Chris Frank and I am excited to be joining ACMS as a learning specialist. This is my tenth year as a special education teacher and have taught the previous nine years in the Gresham Barlow School District. I also have the honor of being an adjunct professor of Special Education at Pacific University, which keeps me busy in the summers. When I am not teaching I am having a blast raising my nine month old son with my amazing partner Morgan Price, who teaches at Stafford Primary. I also keep busy playing music (classical and jazz), riding my bike, playing ice hockey, and doing crossword puzzles.
Mackenzie Hardgrove - Learning Specialist
Hello everyone, my name is Mackenzie Hardgrove.I am a Learning Specialist for the 6th graders at Athey Creek. This is my 6th year in education and my first year as a Learning Specialist. I moved back to Oregon in early August, after spending a little under a year and a half in Montana, as my wife received her Nursing Degree. I have one wonderful cat that loves to let me know when he is hungry. When I am not at Athey Creek, I love making it to the many disc golf courses in Oregon to throw some discs with my older brother and my Dad. I am excited to further get to know the wonderful staff and students of Athey Creek and the community of West Linn - Wilsonville.
Aaron Smith - Learning Specialist
Hello! My name is Aaron Smith. I am starting my 23rd year as a special education teacher, and I am new to Athey Creek. I have two kids of my own, both boys, 5 and 7. I have no pets currently, but we plan to get a dog in the next year. I don't have a favorite dad joke, but I love coming up with them. I forgot what my hidden talent is because I cannot find it.
Kerry Sovde - Paraeducator
Hello! I’m Kerry and I’m new to the Athey Creek team this year. I’m very excited to work one on one with our amazing students and our learning specialists as a paraeducator. I previously worked in a middle school in Oregon City. I live in the district with my husband and our two children who are twins. The kids are off to college so it’s quieter around the house these days. When I’m not at school, you can often find me walking the hills, paddling on the river or enjoying a hike in the beautiful PNW!
MAP Assessment
Curriculum Night
Interpreting Grades in the Grade Book
As we enter the third week of school, grades are starting to be entered for families and students to view in ParentVue and StudentVue. To ensure that families and students understand what they are seeing in gradebooks, we want to outline some of the common practices we have in place at Athey Creek this year.
Two common terms that you will see in all gradebooks are formative and summative. The term formative refers to tasks that a teacher uses to determine what learning a student has and/or has not completed. The term summative refers to assessments or final tasks that a teacher uses to evaluate a student’s content proficiency. Formative is the rehearsal/practice whereas summative is the competition/game/performance.
The formative tasks assigned to students are intentionally designed to create opportunities for students to grow in their learning with the end goal of achieving content mastery. These formative tasks are opportunities for students to “practice;” therefore, they are not part of the calculation that determines a student’s overall grade. For formative tasks, you will see the following codes in the gradebook:
T (Turned In) - The student turned in the task AND it was complete
INC (Incomplete) - The student turned in the task BUT it was not complete
NTI (Not Turned In) - The student did not turn in the task
EXC (Excused) - The student does not need to complete the task
Summative tasks are the means through which students demonstrate their level of content proficiency, therefore, summative tasks are the tasks that are used in the calculation of a student’s overall grade. For summative tasks, you will see the following numeric scores in the gradebook:
5 - Exceeding Expectations
4 - Proficient
3- Nearly Proficient
2 - In Progress
1 - Little to No Evidence
To ensure that the focus is on student learning, an overall letter grade will not be displayed for the first few weeks of school. To see how your student is progressing in their learning, please click on the gradebook for each class.
Instrument Rental Night
And now for something new -
6th Grade Game Night! Put on by YOUR PTSA!
Athey Creek Middle School will host its new Game Night to celebrate 6th graders (in place of Turning Point if you had students here pre-Covid) and allow them to get to know each other as they come together to create a new community. The events will include group activities, games including Game Truck, prizes, food and drinks and lots of laughs!
The event is on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 from 3:45 – 6:30pm with check-in right after school. Please pick up students by 6:30pm. We will provide snacks and dinner.
Please review this packet, complete the forms and return the following to the Game Night box in the front office by next Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
Contract: Required – Both Child and Parent need to read, complete and sign this form.
Emergency Form: Required – Parent needs to complete and sign this form.
Photo Exemption Form: Optional – If you don’t want your child photographed during this event, please complete and sign this form.
$20.00: Include cash or a check payable to Athey Creek PTSA (Scholarships are available for qualified students – please check at office.) *Please note: This will need to be a separate check from any other PTSA expenses.
To create a safe environment, there will be adult chaperones at this event. No one will be allowed to enter or leave the building without passing through a monitored check point. Please make sure your child knows there are to be no electronics at the event, including cell phones (which must be silenced and left in their backpack.) Questions? Contact Krista Oswald kristajoswald@gmail.com or Barbara Stratte barbarastratte@gmail.com.
We need volunteers to help this night run smoothly. If you are interested in volunteering please contact: Kristajoswald@gmail.com
FIRST PTSA MEETING - September 15, 2022 at 4pm!!!
Our first PTSA meeting of the 2022-2023 school year is right around the corner. Please join us to learn more about our exciting upcoming events, as well as the activities we hope to plan with your help.
This year we will try a hybrid approach to meetings. Please come to the school staff lounge to meet in person or join us by Zoom from home. (Link shared soon). Meeting to start at 4pm.
In this first meeting, we have a lot of important business to attend to:
- Voting on our Standing Rules and the 2022-2023 Budget.
- Voting on a Volunteer Coordinator (We currently have one person who volunteered for this position. If you are interested in being a candidate for Volunteer Coordinator, let us know ASAP. Please, however, also consider stepping forward to fill one of our other much needed positions).
Principal Sebastian and Mr. Sweet (our teacher representative) will be in attendance to share important school information.
We will also hear reports from each PTSA board member and about the following events:
- Game Night
- First Dance
Furthermore, we will be discussing filling the following PTSA vacancies. If you, or anyone you know, are interested in volunteering your time please reach out by email. We are still in need of a lot of help this year. The openings include board and committee positions:
- Vice President (Board Position)
- Garage Sale Lead
- TASA Lead
- Website/Communications Lead
I am thrilled at the strong start we are off to this year. None of our great activities or events can happen without all of us working together. We need your support.
Please remember, you must be a Athey PTSA member to vote, you can join here:
https://atheycreek.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true
MemberHub helps you engage your supporters, raise money online with less work, and harness innovation to build up your entire community through GIvebacks. See why over 12,000 organizations and over 2.4 million people use MemberHub to thrive.
Oh! And I'll be bringing cookies to the in-person meeting! See you there!
Thank you all,
Alaina
PTSA President 2022-2023
Become A Paraeducator!
We Need YOU!
Pros of becoming a Paraeducator at ATHEY:
- You'll get to assist incredibly grateful and amazing teachers every day!
- You will be vital to the learning environment of outstanding kids EVERY DAY!
- You only work days students are in school!
- You get to work at Athey (we have fun here!)
- You'll get to come with us to work at the new school when it opens next year!
- Can't say it enough - You will make a difference in students' lives every day!
If you or someone you know is interested, we'd love to hear from them!
Click here to read more!
APPLY NOW!
Introducing Riverside High School
Riverside HS Update: Learn More About WLWV’s Newest School Riverside will be the newest comprehensive high school in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. We are scheduled to open in the Fall of 2023. We look forward to engaging with prospective students and families at upcoming community meetings, at middle school and high school events, and through regular communication updates as we continue to plan and build Riverside High School. Riverside High School will be an International Baccalaureate (IB) School! Learn more about IB at Riverside in this video. We will be hosting a Riverside Community Event where we invite you to engage with us as we build the purpose and identity of Riverside High School. This event will be on Sept 28th, 6:00 pm at the Athey Creek Middle School Campus. Check out this flyer for more details!
Actualización de Riverside HS: Obtenga más información sobre la escuela más nueva de WLWV
Riverside será la Preparatoria más nueva en el Distrito Escolar West Linn-Wilsonville. Está programada para abrir en el otoño del 2023. Estamos deseosos de colaborar con posibles estudiantes y familias, en futuras reuniones comunitarias, en eventos de secundaria y preparatoria, y a través de comunicaciones regulares actualizadas, al estar continuando la planeación y creación de la Preparatoria Riverside. ¡La Preparatoria Riverside será una Escuela de Bachillerato Internacional (IB)! Aprenda más acerca del programa IB en Riverside con este video.
Estaremos presentando un Evento Comunitario de Riverside, donde le invitamos a participar con nosotros al estar construyendo el propósito y la identidad de la preparatoria. Este evento será el 28 de septiembre, a las 6 p.m. en las instalaciones de la Secundaria Athey Creek. ¡Revise este boletín para enterarse de más detalles!
Menstrual Dignity Communication
HB 3294
Last year, the State of Oregon passed House Bill 3294, titled the Menstrual Dignity Act, requiring school districts to provide free menstrual products in all school bathrooms. Research has shown that one in four teens have missed class due to a lack of access to menstrual products and that this disproportionately impacts students of color, students experiencing disabilities, and students experiencing poverty. The new legislation helps students participate actively in classes and school activities by alleviating some of the economic strain and experiences of shame that can often be barriers for students.
In addition to providing products, this program also requires schools to provide education on growth, development, and puberty, which includes menstrual health. This education is positive, taught without shame, and is accessible for all students of all genders and abilities. We know that this may be new for some of our middle school students, and we want to assure families that all students will receive developmentally-appropriate instruction during health and wellness lessons. We would also like to encourage parent-guardians to have conversations with their students at home regarding menstruation, menstrual products, and health.
Thank you for your partnership on this important topic. Families can learn more about HB 3294 by visiting the Oregon Department of Education’s website.
HB 3294
El año pasado, el Estado de Oregón aprobó el Proyecto de Ley 3294 de la Cámara de Representantes, titulado Ley de Dignidad Menstrual, que exige que los distritos escolares proporcionen productos menstruales gratuitos en todos los baños escolares. Las investigaciones han demostrado que una de cada cuatro adolescentes ha faltado a clases debido a la falta de acceso a productos menstruales y que esto afecta de manera desproporcionada a las estudiantes de color, las estudiantes con discapacidades y las estudiantes que viven en la pobreza. La nueva legislación ayuda a los estudiantes a participar activamente en las clases y actividades escolares al aliviar parte de la tensión económica y las experiencias de vergüenza que a menudo pueden ser barreras para los estudiantes.
Además de proporcionar productos, este programa también requiere que las escuelas brinden educación sobre el crecimiento, el desarrollo y la pubertad, lo que incluye la salud menstrual. Esta educación es positiva, se enseña sin vergüenza y es accesible para todos los estudiantes de todos los géneros y habilidades. Sabemos que esto puede ser nuevo para algunos de nuestros estudiantes de secundaria y queremos asegurarles a las familias que todos los estudiantes recibirán instrucción apropiada para su desarrollo durante las lecciones de salud y bienestar. También nos gustaría animar a los padres-tutores a tener conversaciones con sus estudiantes en casa sobre la menstruación, los productos menstruales y la salud.
Gracias por su colaboración en este importante tema. Las familias pueden obtener más información sobre HB 3294 visitando el sitio web del Departamento de Educación de Oregón.
Important Information from Last Week's Edition of Athey Notes
We are now serving Breakfast
Quick Link for Purchasing Lunch
Below is information for Meal Prices and a Link to add money to your student's account.
Meal Prices for 2022-23
Breakfast $2.25
Lunch $3.75 at MS/HS
Milk ala carte is not a covered benefit of the meal program and can be purchased for $.75 cents.
Need to add Money for your student account? Pay Here!
PICTURE DAY IS COMING! Thursday Sept 15th.
Order Student Pictures on mylifetouch.com with your student's picture day ID: EVTP2CHRX
Then order your yearbook on ybpay.com Yearbook ID code: 12414423
2021-2022 Yearbooks have been distributed!
Attendance
Excused Absences
If a student will be absent from school, a parent/guardian needs to notify the school to report the absence. This may be done by entering the absence in ParentVue, emailing the office at perezplj@wlwv.k12.or.us, or calling our attendance line at (503)673-7425 prior to 10:00 am if possible. If a student is absent for four or more consecutive days due to a communicable disease, a physician’s note may be required to return to school. All absences must be excused within 48 hours.When absent, students are required to make up any work they missed. If students are absent for an extended period, they should make arrangements with their teachers regarding missing work and due dates.
Late Arrival/Tardy Policy
If a student is going to arrive to school after the 9:15 AM start time, we ask that a parent/guardian notify our office staff.
When a student arrives at school late, they need to check-in with staff in the front office prior to going to class.
A tardy must be excused within 48 hours, either by a phone call or a note.
Prearranged Absences & Family Vacations
If it is known in advance that a student is going to be absent for two or more days, the student is required to complete a Pre-arranged Absence Form. This form notifies the front office of the intended absence and allows teachers to provide a description of work the student will miss during their absence. If students are absent for an extended period, they should make arrangements with their teachers regarding missing work and due dates. When absent, students are required to make up any work they missed.
Picking Your Student Up From School
If your student needs to leave school during the school day for any reason, please notify the office staff. Before a student leaves school for any reason, they must check-out with the front office. If a parent/guardian needs to pick up their child during class time, we request the parent send a signed note with their child to school. The student should present the note at the office before school. Office personnel will sign the note and the student will then take it with him/her to class. At the appropriate time he/she will show it to their teacher and report back to the office to meet a parent. Before the student can leave campus, the parent must sign the student out in the office. Due to emergencies or unknown circumstances parents can also call to request a student meet them in the office. For safety reasons, leaving school grounds to walk to the store at any time is not allowed.
Counseling Cougar Corner!
Welcome Students and Families to our Counseling Cougar Corner! Our counseling team consists of this partnership:
Alisa Doll
Supporting Students A - K
503-673-7409
Toni Snapp
Supporting Students L - Z
503 - 673-7408
Next, we would like to introduce a few ways we supports the students of ACMS:
Whole Group Instruction - via Advisory, Wellness, &/or other content classes related to topics
Small Group Counseling - specific topics/needs
Individual Counseling - student/family/staff referral
Our Comprehensive School Counseling Program consists of embedding instruction in the areas of Academics, Social & Emotional Learning and College, Career and Life Readiness. We are committed to promoting Casel's five competency areas of: Self Management, Self Awareness, Social Awareness, Responsible Decision Making and Relationship Skills.
Register for Cross Country Today!
New Safe Entry Procedure
As part of the district’s ongoing safety and security review process, Athey Creek Middle School will be implementing an additional safety and security feature at the front entry, a new buzzed-in entryways during the school day.
Schools Move to Buzz-in/Intercom Office Entryways
Once the school day begins and students have completed their arrival process, we will move to a “buzz-in entry” procedure. This means that all perimeter doors to the school building and classrooms will be locked EXCEPT the front doors that lead into the secure, climate-controlled vestibule adjacent to the main office doors. The office doors will be locked.
During the school day, anyone coming to the school will:
- Enter through the front unlocked doors into the vestibule where they will then encounter a locked door at the entry into the main office.
- The visitor will push a button on the door intercom to alert office staff.
- Once an office staff member has identified who has arrived, they will buzz in the visitor so that they can enter into the office.
- Once inside the office, the visitor/volunteer will continue with business-as-usual, e.g. signing in and heading down to a classroom or dropping off a delivery, etc.
Signage will be in place to help families navigate this new entryway practice. This protocol may be lifted during specific school events when large numbers of visitors are expected.
Thank you for your attention to this new protocol. Our hope is that these new protocols will be both safe and welcoming for students and families this school year.
Buenas tardes Comunidad WLWV,
Como parte del proceso continuo de revisión de seguridad y protección del distrito, el Distrito implementará una característica adicional de seguridad y protección en la entrada principal de cada escuela. El cronograma de transición variará para las escuelas primarias, intermedias y secundarias, y todas las escuelas WLWV finalmente implementarán nuevas entradas con timbre durante el día escolar.
Las escuelas se trasladan a las entradas de las oficinas Buzz-in/Intercom
Una vez que comience el día escolar y los estudiantes hayan completado su proceso de llegada, todas las escuelas pasarán a un procedimiento de "entrada automática". Esto significa que todas las puertas del perímetro del edificio de la escuela y las aulas estarán cerradas EXCEPTO las puertas delanteras que conducen al vestíbulo seguro y climatizado adyacente a las puertas de la oficina principal. Las puertas de la oficina estarán cerradas.
Durante el día escolar, cualquier persona que venga a la escuela:
- Ingrese a través de las puertas delanteras abiertas al vestíbulo donde luego encontrarán una puerta cerrada con llave en la entrada a la oficina principal.
- El visitante presionará un botón en el intercomunicador de la puerta para alertar al personal de la oficina.
- Una vez que un miembro del personal de la oficina haya identificado quién ha llegado, llamará al visitante para que pueda ingresar a la oficina.
- Una vez dentro de la oficina, el visitante/voluntario continuará con sus actividades habituales, p. registrarse y dirigirse a un salón de clases o dejar una entrega, etc.
Este nuevo sistema variará ligeramente según la escuela según el diseño del edificio y los factores específicos de la escuela. Habrá señalización para ayudar a las familias a navegar esta nueva práctica de entrada. Este protocolo se puede levantar durante eventos escolares específicos cuando se espera un gran número de visitantes.
Instalación y cronograma del sistema Buzz-in/Intercom
Estos sistemas están en proceso de llegar e instalarse en todas las escuelas. Algunas escuelas tienen entradas más exclusivas que otras, especialmente en la escuela intermedia y secundaria, por lo que este es un proceso que llevará algún tiempo implementar por completo. Para la mayoría de nuestras escuelas primarias, este sistema estará vigente el primer día de clases el 30 de agosto. Las escuelas intermedias y secundarias harán esta transición más adelante en el otoño.
Gracias por su atención a este nuevo protocolo. Nuestra esperanza es que estos nuevos protocolos sean seguros y acogedores para los estudiantes y las familias este año escolar.
Parent Teacher Student Association
We are excited to welcome all prospective volunteers into our schools this school year!
ORS 333-019-1030 remains in effect this school year, requiring all staff and volunteers who interact with students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide a medical or religious exception. All new volunteers will be required to register through the HelpCounter system and must provide proof of vaccination or submit a medical or religious exception to be approved to volunteer.
Volunteer Process for Vaccinated Individuals
During the HelpCounter registration process, individuals will be prompted to upload their proof of vaccination through a Google Form just like last year. That information will continue to be maintained by the Human Resources Department. Once the HelpCounter background check has been completed, and proof of vaccination has been approved, individuals may begin volunteering in schools. Individuals who were approved to volunteer last year do not need to register again this year. Approved volunteers need to re-register every three years.
Volunteer Process for Unvaccinated Individuals
During the HelpCounter registration process, unvaccinated individuals will be prompted to download either a medical or religious exception form. Individuals must submit the appropriate form to their school office either in-person or by email. Once the HelpCounter background check has been completed, and the medical or religious exception form has been approved, individuals may begin volunteering in schools. Individuals who volunteer at multiple schools will be able to do so once approved, regardless of which school they submitted their exception form to.
Thank You for Your Patience
We ask for your patience as our school and district staff process new volunteer registration information. Due to the required steps involved, the process could take a number of days before volunteers receive approval.
Thank you for your support of our students and staff and for your involvement in WLWV schools. We’re looking forward to connecting with students and families next week.
Buenas tardes Comunidad WLWV,Tenemos una actualización importante sobre el proceso de voluntariado para el año escolar 2022-23.
Estamos emocionados de dar la bienvenida a todos los posibles voluntarios a nuestras escuelas este año escolar. ORS 333-019-1030 sigue vigente este año escolar y requiere que todo el personal y los voluntarios que interactúan con los estudiantes se vacunen contra el COVID-19 o proporcionen una excepción médica o religiosa. Todos los nuevos voluntarios deberán registrarse a través del sistema HelpCounter y deben proporcionar un comprobante de vacunación o presentar una excepción médica o religiosa para ser aprobados como voluntarios.
Proceso de voluntariado para personas vacunadas
Durante el proceso de registro de HelpCounter, se les pedirá a las personas que carguen su prueba de vacunación a través de un formulario de Google, al igual que el año pasado. Esa información seguirá siendo mantenida por el Departamento de Recursos Humanos. Una vez que se haya completado la verificación de antecedentes de HelpCounter y se haya aprobado la prueba de vacunación, las personas pueden comenzar a trabajar como voluntarias en las escuelas. Las personas que fueron aprobadas para ser voluntarias el año pasado no necesitan registrarse nuevamente este año. Los voluntarios aprobados deben volver a registrarse cada tres años.
Proceso de voluntariado para personas no vacunadas
Durante el proceso de registro de HelpCounter, se solicitará a las personas no vacunadas que descarguen un formulario de excepción médica o religiosa. Las personas deben enviar el formulario correspondiente a la oficina de su escuela, ya sea en persona o por correo electrónico. Una vez que se haya completado la verificación de antecedentes de HelpCounter y se haya aprobado el formulario de excepción médica o religiosa, las personas pueden comenzar a trabajar como voluntarias en las escuelas. Las personas que se ofrezcan como voluntarios en varias escuelas podrán hacerlo una vez aprobados, independientemente de la escuela a la que hayan enviado su formulario de excepción.
Gracias por su paciencia
Le pedimos paciencia mientras nuestra escuela y el personal del distrito procesan la nueva información de registro de voluntarios. Debido a los pasos requeridos involucrados, el proceso podría demorar varios días antes de que los voluntarios reciban la aprobación.
Gracias por su apoyo a nuestros estudiantes y personal y por su participación en las escuelas WLWV. Esperamos conectarnos con los estudiantes y las familias la próxima semana.