Westridge Wildcat News

Dear Westridge Families,

It has been a busy week here at Westridge as we prepare to welcome back teachers and staff on Tuesday. We are excited to spend a few days as a staff this week connecting, learning, and preparing for the arrival of our kids! Noah Hurd (our interim principal) has joined us full time as the countdown to Baby Weaver has passed the two week mark! He is more than ready to jump in seamlessly whenever I leave (just in case you're new to Westridge, I am expecting a baby and will be on maternity leave for the first semester).

In addition to many returning staff, we will be welcoming some new Wildcats:

• Megan Finley - 1st Grade
• Noah Hurd - Interim Principal
• Kara Benston - Student Support Specialist
• Ruby Smith - Medical EA
• Eva Knight - ELL EA
• Brenda Mejdell - Medical EA

As a reminder, first through fifth grade parents will receive an email from your student's teacher by the end of the day on Wednesday, August 24th. Kindergarten parents should have already received an email from the teacher and a link to sign up for their visit.

If you can't find what you need to know here, please feel free to email or call our office with questions.

Laura Weaver

Principal

weaverl@loswego.k12.or.us

New or Updated Information:

Save the Dates

Westridge Daily Schedule

ParentVue

Bus Updates

Medication Drop-Off

K-2 iPad Device Updates

Beginning Strings & Elementary Orchestra

K-12 Student and Family Handbook

Continuing Reminders:

Meal Accounts and Information

Statewide Assessment Notice

Grade Level Playdates

Supply Lists and Supply Drop-Off

Pik My Kid Discontinued

Champions is Hiring

Smart Start

Student Info Verification

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 Assessment Days (Kindergarten families should have received an email on Friday, if you did not, please reach out to the school office)

9/1: First Day of School for All Kindergartners

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

Daily Schedule:

School is from 8:20-2:40 every weekday, EXCEPT Thursdays, which end at 2:00 so that teachers and staff can collaborate in their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).

The ideal time to arrive to school is at 8:10 am. Students will wait outside of the building in designated areas, until they are released to walk to class after the first bell rings at 8:10 am.

K-5th Grade 2022-23 Schedule:

First Bell - 8:10 am: Students are welcome to enter their classroom

Tardy Bell - 8:20 am: If students arrive after 8:20 am, they must check in with the office before going to their classroom

Dismissal - 2:40 pm

Early Release on Thursdays - 2 pm

ParentVUE ParentVUE allows LOSD parents to see information about their students’ class work, attendance, and more. Content varies by the student’s grade level. To log into ParentVUE, go to https://lo.cesdk12.org/losd/PXP2_Login.aspx

Once logged in, your student's ID number is visible on the home page (see photo below). You will need this number to create a meal account for your student.

Remember that class assignments and teachers are not finalized until Wednesday, August 24.

If your child will be riding the bus home from school this year, please click on this link to fill out a Google Form. The Westridge office staff will use this information to create bus tags for K-2nd grade students and a bus roster for all students. More detailed "Go Home Plans" will be emailed to you from your child's teacher on Wednesday August 24th by 4pm.

Bus routes and access points -- or what many call bus stops -- for the 2022-2023 school are now available on the district and school websites under Find It Fast / Transportation. Please review the new routes and select the stop(s) that works best for your family. Families with students receiving special education transportation services will receive bus information directly from case managers next week.

Student Transportation of America (STA) provides bus transportation for LOSD. Drivers will be at Smart Start and the elementary Supply Drop Off/Meet and Greet on August 25.

Walking Zones: Students who live farther than 1 mile from their resident elementary school and 1.5 miles away from their resident middle or high school are eligible for bus transportation. However, typically, service is provided closer to avoid walkers and bikers crossing major thoroughfares. Students may walk up to several blocks to their nearest stop.

Bus registration is not necessary. Routes and stops are designed based on historical patterns and current student residences. Elementary students may sit up to three to a seat, and secondary students up to two to a seat on our buses. Ridership for LOSD fluctuates during the first weeks of school and between mornings and afternoons throughout the year. If ridership requires rebalancing, STA will adjust routes and possibly add more buses once more drivers come on board.

Primary student tags: During the first weeks of school, students in grades K-2 will be given luggage tags on their backpacks to help school staff, drivers, and students remember their routes and stops.

Help prepare your child to ride the bus. Select the stop(s) that works best for your family.

• Visit your stop before school starts to familiarize your child with it.
• Look for visual clues to help them identify when it is 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.

If your child requires medication administration during the school day, please stop by to drop off meds anytime next week in the front office. Our office hours are 7:00am-3:30pm.

Please review the Parent Guide to Student Medications at School

Please bring the following forms as they correspond with your child's' needs:

• A Parent authorization for school staff to administer medication

• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

• Epinephrine (Epi-Pen, Auvi-Q)
  

• Inhaler - Albuterol
  

  
  

Questions about medication or medical needs while at school, please contact our district nurse, Lisa McBee mcbeel@loswego.k12.or.us

K-2 students from last year kept their devices (iPads) over the summer. Computer Network Services (CNS) will remotely erase the K-2 iPads the week before school starts. Your iPad needs to be on WiFi, charged to at least 50%, and any data that is needed should be backed up.

If you need any assistance with technology, you can put in a Technology Work Order Request here.

LOSD Beginning Strings & Elementary Orchestra

Beginning Strings or Elementary Orchestra?

• Beginning Strings

• Beginning Strings is offered after school for interested students in the 4th or 5th grade who have no previous playing experience on violin, viola, or cello.

• No prior knowledge of music reading skills are required.

• Elementary Orchestra

• Elementary Orchestra is offered after school for interested students in the 4th and 5th grades who have at least one year of previous playing experience on violin, viola, cello, or upright string bass.

• Students are expected to have a basic knowledge of music reading skills. This would include those who: have completed Beginning Strings; or have taken private lessons on one of the orchestral string instruments for at least one year; or have been in Elementary Orchestra before.

*Yes, 4th grade students with one year of experience/lessons can join the Elementary Orchestra!

5th grade students with no prior experience are also able to join the Beginning Strings classes!

Please register by September 10th, 2022 to secure your seat! First come, first serve.

Visit our website at www.losdschools.org/domain/59

Contact Information

Darian Todd

Lake Oswego School District Elementary Strings Program Coordinator

toddd@loswego.k12.or.us

LOSD Beginning Strings and Elementary Orchestra Information 22 - 23

Class Days and Times:

• All students meet 3 days a week

• Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 3:00 - 4:15 p.m

• Thursdays: 2:30-3:30pm

• Classes will meet all three days!

• Please plan other activities and appointments outside of these days/times

• We realize that we may need to be flexible from time to time

• Elementary Orchestra begins Tuesday, September 13th.

• Beginning Strings begins Tuesday, September 20th.

Registration Process and Fees

• Register Online: https://www.losdschools.org/domain/59

• Beginning Strings

• Violin

• Viola

• Cello

• Elementary Orchestra

• Violin/Viola

• Cello/Bass

Busing and Transportation

• Students will be bussed from their Elementary School to Strings at the end of the school day for Strings

• After rehearsal (T&W 4:15 pm / Th 3:30 pm) students may:

• Be bussed back to their elementary school:

• Bus transportation will be available for your child to return to their home school after class. You may pick your child up here, they may walk home, or they may attend extended care with your school's extended care program.

• You must be pre-registered with your home school’s provider to attend extended care services before the start of strings classes!

• Be picked up at Uplands by family/authorized adult for River Grove students (carpooling with a friend is a great option!!!)

• Pickup on Tuesday and Wednesday at 4:15, Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.

• Any students that are not picked up at the end of class (10 minutes after class has ended) will go to Extended Care, staff cannot stay late to supervise.

Instrument Rentals

• Violin, Viola, Cello - must be rented from a local music store. Bring your instrument to class each day.

• String Bass is available through the district (limited number of students/basses available). Contact Darian Todd, Elementary Strings Coordinator, for more information.

Click here to see the updated LOSD Elementary School Student and Family Handbook

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!

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.

Menu for August and September are here!

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.

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!

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 excited to have Champions Learning Program joining the Westridge family, partnering with us to operate their Before and After School Program in our school. 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 large Cash Commitment Bonuses for staff hired between now and the start of school. In addition, they will provide 2 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 is 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 on the above incentives, or to apply or send a referral, please reach out to the Area Manager, Stephanie Scanlon at stephanie.scanlon@discoverchampions.com

Links to job postings are below:

Lake Oswego Champions Teacher

Lake Oswego Champions Site Director

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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Zoom Link for PTSO Meetings

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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