WLWV Community Update

January is School Board Recognition Month, and the West Linn-Wilsonville School District wants to thank the WLWV School Board for its hard work and dedication to serving our students. Thank you to Board Members Chelsea Martin, Dylan Hydes, Betty Reynolds, Ginger Fitch, and Regan Molatore!

The Oregon Teacher of the Year program is expanding to celebrate exemplary educators in every region of the state, and West Linn-Wilsonville needs your help. To nominate a teacher simply go to the Oregon Teacher of the Year website. Nominations are open statewide until Jan. 31.

Each of the 19 Oregon Education Service Districts, including Clackamas Education Service District, will select a winner from their region. Regional winners will be honored across the state in May, and the Oregon Teacher of the Year will be named in September. Regional Teachers of the Year will receive a cash prize of $500 and the Oregon Teacher of the Year will receive a $5,000 cash prize, with a matching $5,000 going toward their schools. The Oregon Teacher of the Year will then serve as spokesperson for Oregon teachers for all of 2019.

K-12 student registration for the 2018-19 school year opened Jan. 2. Registration information and registration forms for new students can be found at: wlwv.k12.or.us/domain/88. Registration information for preschool is also available on the District website, including the benefits of enrolling students in WLWV schools before kindergarten.

The West Linn-Wilsonville School Board determines whether or not the District will participate in Open Enrollment, which allows for families outside the District to attend WLWV schools. The Board also determines the number of inter-district transfers the District will allow. Those decisions will be made by March.

With a New Year comes a new WWEA — or at least a new name for what is now the West Linn-Wilsonville Education Association, at least. Formerly the West Linn Education Association, the new name recognizes its inclusion of all WLWV certified staff in both West Linn and Wilsonville. The name signals that while WLWV is made up of two cities, we are one school community.

"It's a long time coming and it's a change we're very excited to make," said WWEA President and Athey Creek Middle School Teacher Lane Johnson. "The words that we use are important, and what we choose to call ourselves is important. I'm happy we were finally able to officially add Wilsonville into our name."

As we head into the New Year, West Linn-Wilsonville is looking forward to continuing its partnership with SafeOregon — an effort to further improve student safety.

Many students already report issues of safety concerns, bullying, harassment, or possible suicidal thoughts to trusted adults around them, and the District will continue to foster an environment where children feel comfortable to confide in parents, teachers, school counselors, or building administrators. But in an effort to provide even more resources for students, the State of Oregon has developed an additional channel and method for obtaining help called the SafeOregon Tip Line.

The goal of the SafeOregon tip line is to prevent threats to school safety by providing schools and communities with a relevant reporting tool. Tips can be submitted by students through email, phone, text messages, the Safe Oregon mobile app or web portal. Tips are quickly reviewed by SafeOregon technicians, and are then passed to school administrators and local law enforcement agencies. If the tip requires an urgent response, technicians from Safe Oregon will call 911 for immediate help, as well as provide information to West Linn-Wilsonville school administration or school officials.

West Linn-Wilsonville administration responds to all tips in an appropriate and timely matter, which can include gathering more information, communicating with key stakeholders, using the District Threat Assessment System, using the District Suicide Risk Assessment process, connecting the student with additional resources, contacting law enforcement, or any other responses that are appropriate.

You can learn more about Safe Oregon at http://safeoregon.com/, or contact your student’s counselor for more information.

As we say goodbye to December and hello to the New Year, the temperature outside continues to stay frigid. School schedules may be affected by snow or icy weather. The West Linn-Wilsonville School District generally announces school closure or delayed opening by 5:30 a.m. All Portland-Metro area media outlets announce the information on TV newscasts and online.

The School District will also notify parents via FlashAlert as well as via ListServ. Parents are encouraged to subscribe to both services if they haven't already. Even if you have previously subscribed to FlashAlert, it is important that you check your subscriptions as the FlashAlert service routinely removes subscriptions that have not been recently updated. Please note that FlashAlert is not a West Linn-Wilsonville system and the district can only provide limited help. Families are encouraged to consider getting the free FlashAlert Messenger app from the Apple AppStore or Google PlayStore.

The School District makes inclement weather decisions based on the ability to operate school buses safely, the ability for students and parents to get to school safely, and the ability for employees to get to work safely and on time. The decision to open, close, or delay the start of school is made for the entire West Linn-Wilsonville School District. That means that while inclement weather conditions might occur in only certain areas of the district, the decision to close or delay the start of school will be made for all schools. Families will also be notified when the District elects to utilize snow routes due to inclement weather.

The West Linn-Wilsonville School District recently updated its District Equity Action Plan, which is utilized by all WLWV schools. The purpose of the district's Equity Action Plan is to articulate our equity-related priorities for the coming year in alignment with the WLWV District goals, school-based Equity Teams, and overall mission of the district: "How do we create learning communities for the greatest thinkers and most thoughtful people...for the world?"

A few WLWV teachers, counselors, and administrators also took part in a Clackamas ESD Equity Seminar on Jan. 3, where keynote speaker Carmen Urbina led educators from all over the region in equity work.

School Board Meeting: Monday, Jan. 8 — The West Linn-Wilsonville School Board will hold a public meeting starting at 6 p.m. on Jan. 8 in the District Office; 22210 SW Stafford Road, Tualatin. View the night's agenda ahead of time.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, Jan. 15; NO SCHOOL — There will be no school on Jan. 15 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Early Release, Professional Growth Wednesday: Wednesday, Jan. 17 — Professional Growth Wednesdays include a two-hour early release on select Wednesday afternoons to allow educators time to collaborate and participate in professional development opportunities.

School Board Work Session: Monday, Jan. 22 — The West Linn-Wilsonville School Board will hold a public work session beginning at 5 p.m. at the District Office; 22210 SW Stafford Road, Tualatin.

End of Semester: Friday, Jan. 26 — The last day of the semester for WLWV middle schools and high schools is Jan. 26.

Certified Work Day (Middle and High): Monday, Jan. 29; NO SCHOOL — There will be no school for middle and high schools on Jan. 29 due to a certified work day.

• Updated 9/15/2017 Student Rights and Responsibilities

• FlashAlert

• ListServ

• Updated Equity Action Plan

• Education Foundation

• Music and Arts Partners (MAP)

• Volunteer in WLWV Schools

• SafeOregon Tip Line

• Bus Routes

The West Linn-Wilsonville School District is nationally recognized for its high student and staff achievement, including one of the top graduation rates in the State of Oregon. West Linn-Wilsonville serves nearly 10,000 K-12 students across 16 schools in West Linn and Wilsonville, with a mission of creating learning communities for the greatest thinkers and the most thoughtful people for the world. WLWV strives to provide challenging education opportunities that prepare students to be college and career ready.

Website: wlwv.k12.or.us
Location: 22210 Southwest Stafford Road, Tualatin, OR, United States
Phone: 503-673-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/WLWVschools
Twitter: @WLWVdistrict