The Current

Message from the Superintendent

National Suicide Prevention Month

Honoring Labor Day: No School Monday

You're Invited: Back-to-School Night

New All-in-One Application for School Volunteers

Complete Required Tech Consent Forms

Neighbors Urging Neighbors to Drive Safely

Tell Us What You Think: Smart Start Survey

Apply for Your School Advisory Committee

Join Our Team! We're Hiring

Last Call: Verify Your Student's Info

Diagnostic Assessments

Meetings for Elementary Strings & Orchestra

LOSD COVID-19 Information:

• LOSD COVID-19 Dashboard
• Community Level: Low

Community Reminders:

City of Lake Oswego Seeking Your Feedback

Respond to Racism Community Meeting
Regular Reminders:

• What's New at Community School
  
• Hunger Fighters Oregon
• Safe Oregon
  
• Get Social with LOSD

We can all help prevent suicide. Every year, mental health organizations and individuals around the world raise awareness for suicide prevention during the month of September.

One way is to help spread the word: 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code. Text or call 988 to be routed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This new dialing code has been available to everyone across the United States since July 16, 2022.

Monday, Sept. 5 is Labor Day, a national holiday that pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.

Schools will be closed Monday in honor of Labor Day. All classes will resume Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Back-to-school nights are live and in person! Please check your school calendar for times and details.

• Lakeridge Middle School, Wednesday, Aug. 31 (complete!)
• Lake Oswego Junior High, Tuesday, Sept. 6
• Lake Grove Elementary, Wednesday, Sept. 7
• Hallinan Elementary, Tuesday, Sept. 13
• River Grove Elementary, Wednesday, Sept. 14
• Lake Oswego High, Monday, Sept. 19
• Westridge Elementary, Tuesday, Sept. 20
• Lakeridge High, Wednesday, Sept. 21
• Forest Hills Elementary, Wednesday, Sept. 28
• Oak Creek Elementary, Tuesday, Oct. 18
• Palisades World Language School, Wednesday, Oct. 19

For the safety of children, volunteers are required to have an approved background check when spending time in schools.

To help streamline compliance with state and school board policies, which require that all volunteers have background checks and knowledge of other board policies -- as well as state-mandated proof of vaccination (or a qualified exemption) -- we are introducing a new all-in-one volunteer application and approval process through ou Raptor Visitor Management System.

Submitting an online application initiates the background check process. Once submitted, applicants will receive an email upon approval of your background check and you will be given access through the onsite Raptor System at all schools. Please allow up to three weeks to process your approval.

Volunteers need to submit only one application for volunteering in all LOSD schools. Applications need to be submitted annually to capture changes in background checks, policies, and/or vaccination requirements.

Volunteer Application for LOSD can be found on every school and district website under Resources.

Thank you for applying promptly, and for your service to our students and schools. We are grateful for our volunteers.

In order for students to use school district software or any technology resources (devices, digital textbooks, etc.), there are three actions that need to be completed at the beginning of each school year:

1. A parent or guardian must provide consent for each student to use District software and resources
2. A Parent/Guardian and each Student must agree to the Acceptable Use Policy
3. Families must choose to enroll or decline participation in the Device Damage and Loss Protection Program ($20 annual fee per student).

Please find the consent forms and optional protection program information on the district website under Find it Fast / Resources.

A friendly back-to-school message from our Traffic Safety Work Group:

The Traffic Safety Work Group (TSWG) is a caring group of individuals dedicated to making the streets in and around every school as safe for everyone as possible. Members serving you on the TSWG are representatives from every neighborhood, Lake Oswego Police Department, City of Lake Oswego, and LOSD. We are writing to welcome everyone back to an exciting new school year and to remind us all that safety is everyone’s responsibility.

As we all know, school back in session brings a dramatic change to the traffic patterns experienced around all the school campuses. And not just from the morning arrival and afternoon dismissal, but from the increased number of afterschool activities happening, as well. Nobody understands this better than all the families living immediately adjacent to the 11 schools throughout Lake Oswego. Daily, these families experience the inconvenience of the unavoidable increase in traffic and congestion naturally caused during a normal school day. We can all do a lot to ease this burden by slowing down in the school zones, being patient, abiding by all the traffic ordinances, and respecting the property in close proximity to the schools.

Let this note be a friendly reminder that we all play a role in making our streets safe for everyone and that we must work together, with a keen eye toward respect for each other and the community, to limit the inconvenience experienced by our neighbors.

We sincerely thank you for your consideration and action as we move through the school year,

Traffic Safety Work Group

Smart Start 2022 was a wonderful opportunity specifically for our students with 504s and IEPs, and their parents/guardians, to make introductions with their teachers and feel prepared for the start of school. The open house event is hosted every year and feedback about your experience is very helpful for our planning. Please share your input in Smart Start 2022 Survey. Feedback is appreciated by Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Many schools have open positions on their school advisory committees whose members are appointed by the School Board. Please consider applying for one of the schools listed below by Monday, Sept. 12. The board will review applications and appoint new members by the end of September for two-year terms beginning immediately. More information and applications are on the district website under School Board / Committees.

• Lake Oswego High

• Lake Oswego Middle

• Lakeridge Middle

• Forest Hills Elementary

• Hallinan Elementary

• Lake Grove Elementary

• Oak Creek Elementary

• Palisades Elementary

• River Grove Elementary

LOSD has many classified job positions open. Classified employees perform essential work as support staff and paraprofessionals who help our schools succeed. In particular, we need educational assistants, special education assistants, medical education assistants, nutrition services specialists, substitutes, and more. Please consider applying today!

Last call: please verify your student's information before the deadline September 9. All students who are enrolled for the 2022-2023 school year need their information updated. The only exceptions are students who are new to LOSD; information is verified during their initial registration process.

Log into ParentVUE and access the Register/Verify tab. 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.

Three times per year, elementary and middle school students complete diagnostic assessments in reading and math. The results help us determine each student’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year.

This fall, all students in grades 1-5 will take the i-Ready math and reading diagnostics, and middle school students will take i-Ready for math and the HMH Reading Growth Measure for reading. Look for a message from your school with specific dates and information about assessments.

Registration is open for the beloved Elementary Strings and Orchestra after-school program for LOSD students in grades 4-5. Find detailed information about the program on the district website under Community Programs / Elementary Strings.

Plan to attend one of the Elementary Strings Parent/Guardian Information meetings.

Morning Meetings

• Wed. Aug. 31 at Lake Oswego Junior High - Orchestra Room, 8:30 am.

• Tues. Sept. 6 at Lake Oswego Junior High - Orchestra Room, 8:30 am.

• Wed. Sept. 7 at Lake Oswego Junior High - Orchestra Room, 8:00 am.

Evening Meetings

• Wed. Aug. 31 at Uplands Elementary School - Library, 6:00 pm.

• Thurs. Sept. 1 at Uplands Elementary School - Library, 6:00 pm.

• Wed. Sept. 7 at Uplands Elementary School - Library, 7:00 pm.

Things to remember:

• Attendance is optional, especially if you already had a child participate in past years.

• You only need to attend one meeting.

• Get the most up-to-date info for the new school year (what you need, how pick-up works, etc.)

The LOSD COVID-19 Dashboard is updated. The dashboard shows the number of staff and students who have reported testing positive for COVID-19, regardless of school exposure.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looks at the combination of three metrics — new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days — to determine the COVID-19 community levels. Using this data, the COVID-19 community level is classified as low, medium, or high. Clackamas County is currently in low (green).

The City of Lake Oswego is asking for your feedback on a number of topics, including pathways and accessibility. Please weigh in on the City's surveys below:

• Share your feedback on the 2022 Pathway Program sites (Boca Ratan, Douglas Way, Hallinan Street, Lanewood Street/Douglas Circle). Questionnaires are open until September 11.
  
• Comment on the City's draft ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan to Lake Oswego's facilities, programs, services, parks, and public right-of-way accessible to all. Share your feedback and comments through September!
  

Respond to Racism invites you to join its community meeting to hear from a guest panel about banned and challenged books, and efforts to prevent readers from accessing the information they seek.

Tuesday, Sept. 6

6:30 p.m.

Register Today

The LOSD Community School is offering virtual enrichment programs and activities for students of all ages including culinary, STEM, arts, language, and athletics. Check out this week's edition.

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.)

LOSD has ramped up its social media presence. Please join us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @weareLOSD

Email: info@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org
Location: 2455 Country Club Road, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 534-2000
Facebook: facebook.com/weareLOSD
Twitter: @weareLOSD

You are receiving this message because you are the parent or guardian of a student in the Lake Oswego School District. We hope you will assist us in our efforts to communicate efficiently and economically by continuing to receive these messages. If you need to change your parent email address, please contact your school.