Westridge Wildcat News
March 4, 2022
Message from the Principal
Dear Westridge Community,
Next week is Classified Appreciation Week! At Westridge, our classified staff includes amazing Chefs, Educational Assistants, Special Education Assistants, Medical Assistants, Secretaries, a Behavior Educational Assistant, a Library Tech, an evening Custodian, and a Building Engineer. Our classified staff is truly essential to the operations and success of our school and our students.
Our classified staff are heroes in our community. They run reading groups, math groups, writing groups, monitor recess, clean the school, cultivate our library, problem solve with students, and much, much more! Consider checking in with your child about our school helpers and the contributions they each make.
Please join me in thanking our classified staff for their amazing efforts and contributions!
Sincerely,
Jules Laaperi
she/her/hers
Principal
The halls of Westridge are full of beautiful work!
Save the Dates!
3/10 -Early Release Thursday - 2 pm
3/10- PTSO Meeting: IN PERSON at Westridge 8:30am
3/10- Virtual STEM Night (Session 1: 5:30, Session 2: 6:30)
3/17 - Early Release Thursday - 2 pm
3/21-3/25- Spring Break - NO SCHOOL
3/31 - Early Release Thursday - 2 pm
4/1- Early Release at 11am (Elementary work day)
4/4-4/8- Scholastic Book Fair
Announcing: Westridge Virtual STEM Night!
Who: All students, K-5, are invited to participate!
What: Students will receive supply bags the day of the event to take home and work through with you as a family. Teachers will hold two identical sessions, one from 5:30-6:15 and the second from 6:30-7:15. There are two sessions so that families with multiple children can attend a grade level session for each child as a family. These sessions will launch the grade level project, which will be completed by you as a family.
Where: At home via Zoom! (Teachers will send out individual links!)
When: 5:30-6:15 OR 6:30-7:15
Why: To build community and enthusiasm for STEM!
OBOB Update!
Our Fifth Grade final was spectacular. Facing some of our hardest available questions, Fungus Chungus and the Reading Rebels combined to answer 31 of the 32 questions correctly, and were so close to sweeping every question. They’ve clearly read and studied so much.
Fungus Chungus built a small lead in the first half on Wednesday and managed to grow it today to take the Fifth Grade title. Congratulations to Alex, Fletcher, Ian, Keelyn, and Mason. They will play in the school final next week against the Fourth Grade Champs, the Wildcat Wonders, for the chance to represent Westridge at Regionals.
Congratulations also to the Reading Rebels, who played great this year, besting all comers aside from team FC. Brynn, Hazel, Sydney, and River are great OBOBers and should feel proud of tying for third place with the RAD Readers in the whole school.
Next week is a big one for OBOB, with the School Final and the beginning of Championship Play in our Third Grade Division.
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 three 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 gets a chance to steal the 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/
PTSO Meeting March 10th!
For the first time in two years, we are welcoming our parents back into the school for our PTSO Meeting. Meeting will begin promptly at 8:30am in RM 132 in the library. You must check in with the Raptor System prior to coming in and show your vaccination card, if you haven't already. We look forward to gathering together. Due to space constraints, we will not be able to accomodate younger siblings at the meeting. Masks required.
This will be held on Zoom as well. Here is the link if you'd like to attend virtually!
Reminders for Parents and Guardians:
- Please have children bring a water bottle to school each day.
- While we encourage children to get outside and play on the playground after school, we do require that children are supervised by an adult while on the field or on the school playground.
- Please remain in your car during pick up and drop off in the car line. If you need to get out of your car for any reason, please park.
- Check the Lost and Found inside the school!
Extended Day Survey:
Dear LOSD Parents/Guardians,
LOSD is assessing its extended day service for students in Preschool - Grade 5. We are opening a survey seeking to identify our families’ needs for before and after school care for the 2022-2023 school year. We know that this has been a pain point for many who have had limited options, and we are developing ways to expand this service for all who need it. Your input in the survey is essential in our planning.
Please click here to complete a survey. This survey will remain open through Monday, Mar. 14. Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Youth Truth Surveys
As part of LOSD’s efforts to create a culture of belonging and to achieve equitable academic outcomes, we will once again administer the Youth Truth survey to all staff, parents, and students in grades 3-12. The Family Survey link is ytsurvey.org/losdfamily22, and it will be accessible beginning Monday, February 28. The YouthTruth survey is confidential, and responses from children and parents will be held in the strictest confidence. We encourage everyone to participate. This will be an important piece of information for administrators to improve our students' experiences at school.
Elementary students in grades 3-5 will also complete the survey between February 28 and March 25. This is a vital opportunity for students to provide feedback and help guide the school’s improvement plan. The survey will take 15-30 minutes to complete and will be offered during school hours.
*Please note that parents may opt their child out of the survey if they would like. Click here for the opt-out form.
March SEL Theme: Honesty
Dear Westridge Families,
This month through our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons, we will be introducing the character trait of HONESTY. As a school community, we will be examining how HONESTY looks, sounds, and feels. During our lessons, we will be referencing this definition:
HONESTY: Living truthfully in your words, actions and thoughts.
HONESTY is not about just telling the truth. It is about living a life that is thoughtful and clear about what we believe is good and just. It’s about making sure what we think is kind and worthwhile also lines up with what we say and what we do. In March, we will talk about the cost of dishonesty and what it does to our bodies and minds. Further, we will connect how HONESTY and KINDNESS are closely related traits.
We have opportunities throughout each day where we can either choose to be truthful, or choose to be untruthful through either our words, actions, or thoughts. As we learn about the importance of HONESTY, we will also understand that being truthful isn’t always the easy choice, but it’s always the right (expected) choice. Students will learn about integrity and the importance of being honest with themselves. This month we will have challenging, but rewarding conversations and as always, we appreciate you partnering with us.
For your reference, here are links for extension activities you may wish to explore further as a family:
K-2 HONESTY Parent Letter (English)
K-2 HONESTIDAD para familias (En Español )
3-5 HONESTY Parent Letter (English)
3-5 HONESTIDAD para familias (En Español )
Sincerely,
Gary Kieser, LPC
Westridge School Counselor
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)
National School Breakfast Week!
Elementary students can participate by taking home a breakfast, while middle & high school students can join us before school in the cafeteria for a nutritious breakfast. A nutritious breakfast ensures students are fueled for learning every school day.
Student Attendance:
If you need to pick your child up early from school, please let the teacher and the office know ahead of time.
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.
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