Westridge Wildcat Newsletter

Hello Westridge!

And all of a sudden, it’s February! We have a lot to look forward to this month with Black History Month, friendship celebrations, our first Heritage Celebration, OBOB, STEM Night, report cards, and more all packed in! Read on for details. Let’s make it a great month!

Laura Weaver

Students at Westridge earned a donut party for their fundraising success in the Winter Break Read-A-Thon.

New or Updated Information:

Save the Dates!

Report Card information

STEM Night

Westridge Spirit Wear

Nurses Notes

Counselor's Corner

Pants Needed!

Yearbook Contributions- Deadline approaching

Westridge: Our Heritage Celebration Info (updated!)

Continuing Reminders:

Safe Driving reminder

Lunar New Year

Kids Storytime

Dance Showcase Performance

Lost and Found

Tardy Reminder

School Newspaper Contribution

Registration for 2022-2023 School Year

Pacer Jr. Dance Clinic

Opt Out Form: State Assessments

Reporting Tardies and Absences

Statewide Assessment Notice

SCHOOL CALENDAR:

LOSD SCHOOL CALENDAR 22-23

2/5: (Sunday) Wildcats: Our Heritage Celebration 2-4pm at Westridge

2/10: Report Cards viewable in ParentVue

2/16: PTSO Meeting: Board proposed changes to Westridge PTSO Bylaws and discussing elections for next year's Board. 7-8PM

2/20: No School - Presidents' Day

2/20: DEADLINE: To submit candid photos for the yearbook to YearbookWestridge@gmail.com

2/23: STEM Night 5:30-7:00 pm - More details coming soon!

2/28: Restaurant Night: Chipotle 4-8pm

3/16: 1st Grade Music Concert in the gym 5:30

4/20: 3rd Grade Music Concert in the gym 5:30

5/18: 5th Grade Musical 6:30

5/19: 5th grade musical assembly - Time TBD

PTSO Event's Page Calendar can be found here for more info on Parents Nights out and Meet Ups!

The Lake Oswego School District uses a standards-based report card for students in elementary schools. This report card measures a child’s progress toward proficiency or mastery of the priority standards in Reading, Writing, Language, Speaking, and Math.

This approach provides the means for communicating a child’s learning in more specific terms. Standards-based reporting articulates clear end-of-year grade-level standards for each subject. Using the scale below, teachers will communicate where a child resides on a learning continuum by indicating the student’s progress toward mastery of each identified grade-level standard.

The standards-based reporting scale:

4: The student works consistently at an in-depth and complex level within or beyond the end-of-year standard*

3: The student meets the grade-level expectation of the standard

2: The student nearly meets the end-of-year standard

1: The student demonstrates limited proficiency on the end-of-year standard

Important notes about the scale:

● Reporting is based on the end-of-year grade-level expectation. Therefore, proficiency would not be expected in the middle of the school year.

● A “2” represents the expected target for the majority of the school year as this indicates the child is progressing with the standard as expected. A “3” will be given when the student completely meets the grade-level standard.

● Details of what is expected at mastery level can be found on the report card or on the list of assessed grade-level standards.

● A “1” may prompt additional communication from the classroom teacher so parents will better understand their child’s learning journey.

*It is rare that a child will receive a “4” especially at the end of the first semester. A “4” score may prompt additional communication from the classroom teacher to discuss ways he/she is meeting the child’s unique learning needs.

Behavior Learning Targets are approached differently than end-of-year standards. Report cards will be available in ParentVUE on Friday, February 10. For more information about your child’s progress, please contact the classroom teacher.

Click here to shop for Westridge Spirit Wear!

February is National Heart Health Month. Click this link to see 10 ways you can help keep your students heart healthy.

Sleep Matters!

Studies suggest most students do not get enough sleep. This puts them at a higher risk of health problems and injuries. Click this link to learn more about sleep and your student including how many hours are recommended.

If you would like to speak to your school nurse, click the link below for contact information.

Contact your District Nurse

Dear Westridge Families,

This month, we will be investing our time and attention on the character trait of HONESTY in our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons, classrooms, and throughout our school community. Practicing HONESTY helps strengthen our relationships and reduce stress. Practicing honesty in our daily lives also allows us to live in accordance with our personal values.

One way to think about HONESTY is “being truthful in what you say and do.” HONESTY is one of three traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Well. Throughout the school, students will be developing skills like emotion regulation, self-advocacy, and friendship skills.

Through our School Counseling Lessons this month, students will learn about practicing honesty through expressing who they are and the strengths they bring to our school community. Our community is stronger because of each student’s individuality, and we seek to nurture each student in embracing the unique qualities that make them who they are.

Our monthly letters include activities to explore HONESTY further as a family.

Enjoy connecting together with the PurposeFull Pursuits inside the PreK - Grade 5 Honesty Family Letters!

Thank you for partnering with us to engage our students in social emotional learning and growth. Please reach out if you or your student would like more support.

Sincerely,

Gary Kieser

kieserg@loswego.k12.or.us

Due to the weather, the field gets a little muddy this time of year! We are looking for gently used elastic waistband pants in all sizes. (SM-XL) so that kids can change if they slip or have an accident while at school. Donations can be dropped off at the front office.

Thank you so much!

Dear Westridge Families,

Please be mindful of safe driving while in the Westridge school zone and surrounding neighborhoods. We have had complaints of drivers making illegal U-turns in our driveway, putting our students who walk to and from school in danger. This is also an excellent time to remind parents of high school aged students to be aware of crossing guards and following the school zone speed limit of 20 mph on their way to and from LHS. Thank you for your partnership in keeping our students and staff safe!

Our first ever Wildcats: Our Heritage Celebration is ON SUNDAY! We invite you to stop by for an afternoon of global culture and entertainment on Sunday February 5th from 2-4pm in the gym. It's free! Get ready to travel the world and visit cultures that have significant meaning to our Westridge family. Expect food sampling, entertainment, storytime, and an International Fashion Show put on by our students!

Please check the Lost and Found that is inside the school near the gym. Thank you!

The school building opens at 8:10am and arriving as close to that time as possible benefits your child! Allowing students time to settle in and get started with their class makes for a calmer start to the day and ensures children are a part of the community building and academic content that begins right away. In the last weeks of school, tardies have been nearing 30 per day! We appreciate your help in getting kids here on time!

Online registration and more information can be found here

Note: If your child is currently enrolled in a LOSD school, you do not need to re-enroll for next year. Your child will automatically move up to the next grade in our computer system. The only exception to this is if your child is enrolled in the Pre-K program - then you DO need to enroll your child in Kindergarten. Please give us a call if you have any questions!

Saturday February 4, 2023

Lakeridge Middle School Stage

Do you like Hip Hop? How about Flamenco? YOU ARE INVITED to join us at Lakeridge Middle School for the debut Dance Showcase Performance. A select group of our talented middle school dancers will wow you with their skills in a dance extravaganza. It's coming up on Saturday February 4th, at 7 PM, and it's free!! Come to the LMS Dance Showcase and cheer on Lakeridge students as they tumble, groove, and cartwheel across the stage. One night only!!!!!

Free, all-ages show (donations gladly accepted). Please note: There is a basketball tournament that day, so please allow extra time for parking.

Black History Month, is an annual observance paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.

American Heart Month is a time to focus on cardiovascular health.

National School Counseling Week, February 6-10, celebrates the unique contribution of school counselors in our school systems.

National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day, February 15, recognizes the partnership with our SROs and the relationships they build with the students and staff in helping keep schools and communities safe.

Presidents' Day National Holiday

Each school year, Oregon students take assessments to meet federal requirements. The purpose of these assessments is to provide data that schools can use to ensure that every child is on track and achieving learning goals.

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.

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.

https://www.safeoregon.com/

(Students should also be aware that intentionally providing a false report is a serious offense.)

Stay connected to the district and your school(s) and receive urgent notifications by subscribing to the Lake Oswego Schools App.

For the safety of children, volunteers are required to have an approved background check when volunteering in schools. Please click here: Volunteer Application for LOSD to start the online application and background check process.

Please contact the office any time your student will be absent or be late for school. Anytime your child arrives at school after 8:20am, they will need to report to the office to get a tardy slip and report their lunch choices. When reporting absences, please email both Andrea and Jodi.

Office phone number and voicemail: 503-534-2371

Attendance Secretary: Andrea Murphy (murphya@loswego.k12.or.us)

Principal's Secretary: Jodi Steward (stewardj@loswego.k12.or.us)

Shop Spirit Wear

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Find us on Facebook!

Follow us on Instagram @westridge.ptso

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: 503-534-2371