Westridge Wildcat News

Dear Westridge Families,

The start of school is getting closer and our staff is excitedly planning and preparing to welcome everyone to Westridge for a fun-filled year of purposeful learning!

This weekly newsletter for families comes out each Friday to keep you informed about school news and events. Each week it will start with a note from the principal, followed by upcoming dates and a table of contents that will highlight new information and let you know which topics are repeated from a previous week. The newsletter will highlight events, celebrations, PTSO announcements, district reminders and more! As always, if you can't find what you need to know here, please email or call our office with questions.

Enjoy your last weeks of summer and we'll see you soon!

Laura Weaver

Principal

weaverl@loswego.k12.or.us

New or Updated Information:

Save the Dates

Grade Level Playdates

Supply Lists and Supply Drop-Off

Bus Updates

Meal Accounts and Information

Statewide Assessment Notice

Continuing Reminders:

Pik My Kid Discontinued

Champions is Hiring

Smart Start

Student Info Verification

8/14: 1:00-3:00 2nd Grade Playdate on the Playground (PTSO)

8/15: Office Opens

8/19: 4:00-6:00 5th Grade Playdate on the Playground (PTSO)

8/20: 10:30-12:00 Kindergarten Playdate on the Playground (PTSO)

8/21: 3:00-5:00 4th Grade Playdate on the Playground (PTSO)

8/22: 2:00-4:00 1st Grade Playdate on the Playground (PTSO)

8/24: Class rosters will be finalized and teacher welcome letters will go home by 4:00pm

8/24: 5:00-7:00 3rd Grade Playdate on the Playground (PTSO)

8/25: Smart Start 1-3pm and Supply Drop-Off 3-4pm (more info below!)

8/29: First Day of School for 1st-5th Grade!

8/29-8/31: Kindergarten Assessments (more info coming soon!)

9/1: First Day of School for All Kindergartners

9/20: Back to School Night 5:30-7:00

In lieu of a gathering on the playground during supply drop-off, PTSO will be hosting grade-level specific playdates before school starts. See dates in the calendar above for each grade level and watch for an email from your grade-level representative with more information! Please reach out to PTSO with any questions at westridgeptso@gmail.com.

On Thursday, August 25th from 3:00-4:00pm, you can stop by Westridge to drop off your supplies and meet your teacher! This will give you a chance to find your classroom, meet your teacher, and drop off your supplies (if you have them - if not, that's ok).

Families will receive a "Welcome to my Class" email from their teacher by 4:00 pm on Wednesday, 8/24 which will let you know where to go for the Meet & Greet.

In addition, our Champions Extended Care providers will also be at the Meet & Greet on 8/25 from 3:00-4:00 (in the gym) to answer any questions you may have.

You can find school supply lists for next school year on the Westridge website!

Student Transportation of America provides bus transportation for Lake Oswego School District (LOSD). Our bus drivers look forward to getting to know your child and being a part of their amazing school experience.

Students who live further than 1 mile away from their resident elementary school are eligible for transportation services. However, service is typically provided much closer to avoid crossing busy streets. Bus registration is not necessary.

Access points -- or what most call bus stops -- will be made available by mid-August. Look for an email from LOSD notifying you when access points are posted on the district and school websites under losdschools.org/transportation.

Help prepare your child to ride the bus.

• Select the access point(s) that work best for your family.
• Visit your access point before school starts to help familiarize your child with their designated stop.
• Look for visual clues to help identify when it’s their time to get off the bus.
• Kindergarteners need an adult to greet them off the bus. Bus drivers are obligated to return unattended kindergarteners to school for safekeeping. Please be sure to be at your child’s stop ahead of time to help keep the bus moving for all onboard.
  

The universal free meals waiver with USDA expired on June 30, 2022. That means starting this school year LOSD will be serving meals under the free, reduced, and paid categories.

Please be sure to set up your student's meal account or apply for free/reduced meals. Look for Meals under Find it Fast on district and school website homepages for account setup and application information, and more.

The Oregon Department of Education publishes an annual notice regarding state assessments in English Language Arts and math. Please review the Annual Notice for Statewide Tests for information about why participation matters, the right to opt out, and test windows.

We will no longer be using PikMyKid as a dismissal program for the 2022-2023 school year. More information will be coming forward as we create a new dismissal procedure for the new school year, but until then, feel free to delete the app.

We are looking forward to having Champions Learning Program join the school to lead our Before and After School Programs. The enrollment, thus far, is more than double what was anticipated, so Champions is still needing to hire SEVERAL more staff members to ensure all enrolled families can be supported.

They have added bonuses for staff hired between now and the start of school and, in addition, they will provide two weeks of free tuition to a Champions family, for any referral hired. They even are offering donations to the Charity of your choice if you refer someone who is hired on to the Champions Team.

If you , or someone you know, loves connecting with children, this could be a great Part Time Job with Full Time Benefits. Think about who you would recommend and trust with your own children, they might be the perfect person interested in working a few hours a day.

For more details or to apply or send a referral, please reach out to the Area Manager, Stephanie Scanlon (stephanie.scanlon@discoverchampions.com).

Here are the links to the job postings:

Lake Oswego Champions Site Director

Lake Oswego Champions Teacher

Smart Start Thursday, Aug. 25, 1-3 p.m.

Smart Start is an opportunity specifically for our students with 504s and IEPs, and their parents and guardians, to make introductions and connect with their teachers and to feel prepared and welcomed for the start of school. For the 2022-23 School Year, Smart Start is in person Aug. 25, 2022, from 1-3 p.m.

Teachers will be familiar with your student’s plan and accommodations. To help get to know your students, please complete the attached one-page profile or create one on your own ahead of time, and give it to the teacher at the Smart Start introduction.

Also, to assist in your family’s preparation for the new school year, please click here for a Smart Start checklist for parents and guardians of students with 504s and IEPs.

See you on Aug. 25!

LOSD needs parents/guardians of all students enrolled for the 2022-23 school year to log into ParentVUE and review/update your students' information through the Register/Verify tab. This benefits both families and schools by:

• Ensuring that schools have accurate information to reach parents and other contacts in both emergency and non-emergency situations. Verification is important even if your address or contact information has not changed over the past year because the school may have incorrect information from a previous year.
• Confirming parent email addresses for Google Classroom and other applications to participate in your student's learning.
• Enabling distribution of key information in the district's K-12 Family Handbook.

If you have forgotten your ParentVUE password, go to the login page, click "I am a Parent," then click "Forgot Password." If you are unsure whether you have a ParentVUE account, contact your student's school. For assistance with the verification process, refer to the user guide on the LOSD website or contact your student's school.

If your student will be returning to Westridge next year (or if you have a 5th grader going to Lakeridge Middle School), then there is no action needed on your part.

If your student will be attending a school other than Westridge (or Lakeridge Middle School), please email Andrea Murphy at murphya@loswego.k12.or.us as soon as possible.

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Email: westridgeptso@gmail.com

Yearbook Photos: yearbookwestridge@gmail.com

All members of our community are committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment that cultivates empathy, creates challenging opportunities, and fosters lifelong learning.

Email: weaverl@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org/wr
Location: 3400 Royce Way, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: 5035342371