Falcon News

Dear Forest Hills Families,

As I am sure you have heard, the closure will extend through the end of the school year. This news was not altogether unexpected, but difficult nonetheless. The Forest Hills team misses you and look forward to seeing you again. One bright spot is that the extended closure gives us a renewed call to be the best teachers and school we can be in the virtual environment, which includes staff meetings!

In our continued transition to Distance Learning for All, you will see some changes to online learning next week. Social emotional learning (SEL) and STEM lessons will be posted on Mondays by our Counselor, Ms. Drimmel, and STEM Teacher, Ms. Jordan. Music and PE lessons will be posted by Ms. Hedgepeth and Ms. McDonald twice per week.

Classroom teachers will continue to post teacher-led activities, but will move from reviewing previously learned content to introducing new content. Supplemental activities, such as independent reading and practicing math facts, will also become a bigger part of the academic diet of your child.

Students will be able to engage with posted lessons flexibly and with consideration for varied home schedules. Teachers and specialists will continue to provide feedback and support so that our students progress in their education and are prepared for the next grade level.

Special education services will also begin next week. Case managers will contact and work with families of students with individualized education plans (IEPs) to provide support as needed.

Enjoy the sunny weekend and thank you to all for your support and flexibility!

Principal Shuckerow

Are you interested in contributing to a dynamic volunteer organization dedicated to advancing our community's commitment to educational excellence?

Please consider applying for the Lake Oswego Schools Foundation Board of Directors. The Foundation is seeking parents/guardians, students and community residents to serve on its Board of Directors. Board members must demonstrate a commitment to the Foundation, the School District and the Lake Oswego community.

The term for new board members will begin June 2020. Board members commit to a two-year term and may serve up to three terms. Please click HERE to download. The application provides more information about being a board member.

Interested people should submit applications by Friday, April 24, 2020. The Nominating committee will review applications and conduct interviews the week of April 27, 2020. Please send your completed application via email to woolfw@loswego.k12.or.us.

Having trouble with your device? Please submit a help request ticket here or go onto losdschools.org if you run into any technology concerns. Your help request ticket will get routed to the best person to assist you with your needs.

Having trouble with student user names and/or passwords? Your school library tech can help -- please click here for their emails.

Distance Learning Resources on losdschools.org is a new central location for parents and guardians to find resources, instructions and supports while schools are closed.

Resources range from setting up Seesaw and Google Classroom and submitting a requests for tech support and passwords, to participating in our "grab and go" meal service and registering for emergency childcare.

LOSD elementary schools are using a platform called Seesaw to manage home learning activities and family communication. Please take the time to review the information in this guide: Seesaw for Families.

As you review, please note the following:

• There are two different apps: Seesaw Class app (for students) and Seesaw Family app (for families). Both students and families can log in online at https://app.seesaw.me
• Students and family accounts have been recently transferred to the new district wide system. You may need to sign out and sign back in if you encounter issues.
• K-2 students who do not already have a Seesaw account will be emailed by their classroom teacher.
• Grades 3-5 students will use their Google Account login credentials.

This is Michael from the CNS department at Lake Oswego School District. I'm going to give you a quick tutorial on Self Service.

Student iPads are centrally managed by the district; meaning, an Apple admin adds and removes apps and configurations for each device. Apps are vetted and approved by the Director of Technology and must comply with COPPA/FERPA guidelines. When free apps are approved, they're placed in Self Service. Think of Self Service as the District's app store. Paid apps are not placed in Self Service; instead, they're installed automatically. If your student is missing an app on their school iPad, please submit a work order here. Thank you and stay safe.

Hotspots are in high demand around the country with many more individuals working online from home. LOSD has ordered hotspots for those students who do not have any Internet access at home. As soon as the hotspots arrive at LOSD, we will be reaching out to those students to coordinate a delivery.

We understand as students begin their distance learning opportunities that you will have even greater demands on your home bandwidth. We want to assure you that the distance learning opportunities will be flexible, allowing students to engage online at different and various times to accommodate teachers, staff, students and families’ demands of working from home.

Here are some additional tips to help all of us working from home:

• If you have a modern cell phone, it is very likely able to function as a hotspot. If you need help with that, you can call your service provider. The steps vary by provider and phone.

• Many local Internet providers have initiated free programs to help during these times. We can't guarantee that your local companies have such a program but they just might. It is worth a call to your local phone company (think of who would give you an old-fashioned landline) or your local cable TV company. This would be the best option in most cases — free and possibly the best quality of service.

• Comcast recently announced that they have opened free access to all of their "public" hotspots - https://corporate.comcast.com/covid-19. Go to http://wifi.xfinity.com/, click on "Find a Hotspot," enter your zip code, and you will get a map of the areas where this should be available.

• Comcast also has their Internet Essentials program that they are offering to qualified homes for no charge for two months. More information is available at https://internetessentials.com.

• If you have wifi to share, consider creating separate guest Wi-Fi access on your home account. By calling it "Student" with no password, you allow guests to use the Internet connection. Here's how to share our wifi safely:

  https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-iot-how-to-share-your-wifi-with-guests.html

Thank you for your understanding, flexibility and resourcefulness as we navigate this new way of teaching and learning.

LOSD is providing free meal service for all students in need -- no sign-up required. The “grab and go” meals will be packaged individually, consistent with the requirements provided by the Oregon Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Meals are available for pick up at any one of the following four schools every Monday and Wednesday, between 10:30-11:30 a.m., until further notice:

• Lake Oswego High School

• Lake Grove Elementary School

• Lakeridge Middle School

• Lakeridge High School

Recipients may pick up the “grab and go” meals at the front entrance of each school. Students or a parent or guardian may pick up on behalf of a student by showing enrollment ID number or by providing the student’s name. Pick up will be for 2-3 days worth of breakfast and lunch meals.

For questions about the meal service for students, please email LOSD Director of Food Services Christ Hogan at hoganc@loswego.k12.or.us.

Additional Community Resources

Hunger Fighters is continuing to serve all families in Lake Oswego on Wednesdays between 4-6 p.m. and Saturdays between 1-4 p.m. Please check the Hunger Fighters website for updates and more information. Local businesses and individuals have donated generously, and Hunger Fighters is prepared to serve all in need.

Mountain Park Church is offering free sack lunches to any family in need on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, between 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Families can either register online or via phone. Families need to register for the upcoming week by Sunday at 8 p.m.

We understand the additional hardships brought on by school closures. Please consider participating in these meal services provided by LOSD and our community partners.

We care deeply about the social and emotional well being of our community, and want you to know that LOSD school counselors and social workers are available if ever you need them. Please email your school counselor. Or, if your concern is urgent, please call the 24-7 Clackamas County Crisis and Support at 503-655-8585.

Forest Hills, Hayley Drimmel, drimmelh@loswego.k12.or.us

Hallinan, Brittany Erspamer, erspameb@loswego.k12.or.us

Lake Grove, Wendy Post, postw@loswego.k12.or.us

Oak Creek, Diana Thompson, thompsod@loswego.k12.or.us

Oak Creek, Hannah Dawson, dawsonh@loswego.k12.or.us

River Grove, Blaise Hammer, hammerb@loswego.k12.or.us

River Grove, Jodi Pope, popej@loswego.k12.or.us

Westridge, Gary Kieser, kieserg@loswego.k12.or.us

Lake Oswego Junior High

Carrie Trullinger (6th grade), trullinc@loswego.k12.or.us

Molly Healy (7th grade), healym@loswego.k12.or.us

Emily Gillard (8th grade), gillarde@loswego.k12.or.us

Lakeridge Middle School

Monica Binder (6th grade), binderkm@loswego.k12.or.us

Marcy Watts (7th grade), wattsm@loswego.k12.or.us

Callista Charon (8th grade), charonc@loswego.k12.or.us

Lake Oswego High School

Molly Clark, (9th grade), clarkm@loswego.k12.or.us

John Benz, (A-Ha, 10th-12th grade), benzj@loswego.k12.or.us

Michele Tyra, (He-O, 10th-12th grade), tyram@loswego.k12.or.us

Molly Ferris, (P-Z, 10th-12th grade), ferrism@loswego.k12.or.us

Sina Wibstad, School Social Worker, wibstadt@loswego.k12.or.us

Lakeridge High School

Brent Prasnikar (A-Di), prasnikb@loswego.k12.or.us

Debra Stevens (Dh-Kh), stevensd1@loswego.k12.or.us

Olivia Young (Kl-Pq), youngo@loswego.k12.or.us

Lee Brown (Pr-Z), brownl@loswego.k12.or.us

Suzanne McCann, School Social Worker, mccanns@loswego.k12.or.us

We all play an important role in helping each other. While it is natural to experience fear and anxiety, children and adults may be particularly worried about themselves, friends and family getting ill with the Coronavirus. It is important to support each other in managing our feelings and anxiety in healthy ways to reduce the effects of stress on our health. ODE has prepared the following ways in which we can support each other during this time of uncertainty.

Here are five ways adults can support children and each other:

1. Remain as calm as possible. The most important thing that we can do is to remain as calm as possible. Consider small things that you can do each day to calm your mind and body. Even a moment or two of quiet can go a long way. You can model this for your children, or have them practice calming strategies with you.

2. Children are looking to us for guidance. Children will often mirror our emotions, words, and body language. You do not have to be perfect, but do pay close attention to what you say and do, what media you interact with and how it affects your mood and behavior. It is important to stay updated, but also to take breaks from the news when overwhelmed.

3. Provide a safe emotional place. The more we can provide a safe emotional place for ourselves and children, the less fearful and stressed we will become. Children often fear what they do not understand. Make time to listen, and calmly and directly provide them with clear and accurate information that is appropriate to their age. Expect them to ask the same question more than once. If you’re not sure of the answer you can find information about COVID-19 and how to talk with children on the CDC and OHA websites.

4. Take action. There is a great deal that we cannot control right now, and feeling powerless may increase our anxiety and distress. The more we empower ourselves and children to control the things that we can, the better. Use this as an opportunity to teach children how to reduce the spread of disease. That may mean offering instructions about washing hands for at least 20 seconds, keeping at least six feet away from others and coughing or sneezing into a tissue and discarding it. It is important to remember that exerting too much control of children’s lives might lead them to feel more anxious. Allow them to make age-appropriate decisions about how to spend their time.

5. Find ways to stay connected with others. Being alone or isolated from friends, family, classmates and other supports can make being out of work or school particularly challenging. Make sure to connect with others at a distance as much as possible. Use the telephone, video conferencing and other forms of messaging and communication to keep in touch, and schedule time with others. Help children to connect with friends and family, and schedule as much quality time with them as possible. Also, make sure to take time and space away from others if needed.

Remember, we are all in this together.

LOSD is providing emergency childcare for first responders, emergency workers, health care professionals and all who are working on the frontlines to keep our community safe and whole. Childcare is consistent with the guidance and requirements provided by the Early Learning Division of ODE.

To find available childcare providers in our area and to begin the registration process for this emergency service, please call 211, an information service that connects people with health and social organizations.

If you called 211 earlier, and did not get referred to LOSD, please try again. We've been assured LOSD is now listed.

At this time, we cannot allow parents or students to enter school buildings. In a few weeks, we will reevaluate and may consider scheduling time for parents and guardians to request access to lockers and desks.

Most district work and functions can be done remotely, but a few essential tasks require an onsite presence. For the safety of our staff and the community, we are restricting the number of people entering schools to essential staff only.

Help spread the word! Online registration is opening January 22 for all students who will be new to LOSD in the 2020-2021 school year. If you know anyone who is new to the area or has incoming Kindergarten students, please be sure to tell them.

Prior to registration, verify your resident school: LOSD School Boundaries Map. Lake Oswego School District welcomes Kindergarteners who will be five years old by September 1. Questions can be directed to the Forest Hills front office: 503-534-2350.

Forest Hills Elementary PTO is on social media, and is a great way to stay up to date on PTO events. Find us on Facebook and Instagram by clicking the icons below.

Past Falcon News Editions

• Falcon News April 4, 2020
• Falcon News March 31, 2020
• Falcon News March 7, 2020
• Falcon News March 1, 2020
• Falcon News February 22, 2020

Other Helpful Links

• Forest Hills Homepage
• Forest Hills Calendar
• PTO Homepage
• PTO Facebook Page
• PTO Instagram | foresthills.pto
• PTO Registration
• 2019-2020 School Year District Calendar
• Transportation Registration Form, 6-digit student ID required
• Meal Prices and Payment Options
• Free and Reduced Price Meals Information or call 503-534-2361
  
• Extended Day Program (before and after school child care)
• LOSD District Kindergarten Page
• Talented and Gifted

Email: patrick.shuckerow@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org/fh
Location: 1133 Andrews Rd, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: 503-534-2350