Eagle News - Sept 15, 2025

It's now the middle of September and the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. We've included helpful information on this, plus much more, in this Newsletter.

We truly appreciate how our community values the ongoing professional development and learning of our staff. On Monday, September 22nd, all of our Washington staff will be engaged in a full day of professional development. Among the many district-wide and school-specific offerings, our Washington staff will primarily focus on the following:

• Early Literacy and Bridging for English and Spanish
• Continuing Training in the Science of Reading in our classrooms
• Deepening Math lessons and engagement strategies

Our school is ramping up with activities and learning. According to our data this newsletter is being read by 145 parents, community members and staff. Its packed with important and useful information to make this year great. If some one is not able to receive the weekly newsletter, please call our office. We are more than happy to help.

Go Eagles! 🦅

Warmly,

Alfredo Belanger, Principal

Antonio Ramos, Asst. Principal

The start of National Hispanic Heritage Month!

September 15th--is the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15th through October 15th every year. Today many of our Washington staff marked the occasion by wearing traditional Hispanic clothing to honor Hispanic heritage month.

The September 15th date is important because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16th and September 18th, respectively. El Día de la Raza, which is October 12, also falls within this same 30-day period.

Hispanics in America are a driving force for prosperity, power, and progress in the United States.

• Latinos are a key contributor to the nation's economic prosperity. In 2023, the U.S. Latino GDP reached $4.1 trillion, representing 19.5% of the U.S. population and accounting for 30.6% of the growth in the national GDP since 2019 UCLA Newsroomblogs.callutheran.edu
  

• Latino entrepreneurship continues to surge. In 2023, Latinos were behind 36% of all new businesses launched in the United States McKinsey & Company, Forbes
  

• Educational attainment has seen notable progress. In 2021, about 23% of Latinos aged 25 to 29 had earned a bachelor’s degree, up from roughly 14% in 2010 Pew Research Center Furthermore, among all Hispanics aged 25 and over, 19.1% held a bachelor's degree or higher in recent data, an increase from 13% in 2010 pnpi.org

We have much to celebrate in our Hispanic community, among students, families, and staff. We encourage you to find opportunities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage throughout the year, and especially from September 15 to October 15.

Our Eagle Code—Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible—guides students in the classroom, cafeteria, playground, buses, and more. PBIS helps us create a safe, respectful, and welcoming school for all.

This past week, students took part in PBIS Rotation Stations to review our Eagle Code expectations. These lessons give students and staff a chance to be clear on what it looks like to be safe, respectful, and responsible in key areas of our school. This round, we are focusing on expectations in the cafeteria, playground, and school buses. Thank you for specialists for leading that work and all staff for supporting our students on the daily.

This week our school started our weekly Community Time assemblies (20-minutes once a week).

• Thursdays for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders

• Fridays for K, 1st, and 2nd graders

These short gatherings help us build culture, celebrate, and learn together. They also give grade-level teachers extended time for their professional learning community work. From time to time, we’ll share Community Time highlights here in the newsletter.

This past week the the Student-Parent Handbooks were passed out to students. The eldest student in each family at Washington received a printed copy of the hand book. Our Woodburn community expects our schools to provide the best education possible in a positive and safe learning environment. The policies and procedures outlined in this handbook will help us do that. These policies and procedures are designed to promote an atmosphere for learning while keeping all our students and school personnel safe. Please take some time to review the handbook carefully. If you have any questions, feel free to contact your building principal (Mr. Belanger or Mr. Ramos) or the district office. We encourage students, parents and other community members to be familiar with this information and to help us implement these procedures so all our students can be safe while learning.

• English: Student-Parent Handbook
  
• Español: Manual Para Estudiantes y Padres
• Russian: Руководство для учеников и родителей

Parents and families, please review this Responsible user agreement for Student Technology. The RUA outlines the pledge for all students to follow. Below is a preview of the Pledge for students. The full version of the RUA is linked from WSD IT departments website. if you would like to read it.

Student Pledge for Device Use

I will never leave the device unattended.

I will never loan out my device.

I will charge my device battery daily.

I will keep food and beverages away from my device.

I will not disassemble my device or attempt any repairs.

I will protect my device by only carrying it while in the sleeve and bag provided.

I will use my device in ways that are appropriate and meet Woodburn School District expectations.

I will not deface the serial number or device label.

I understand that my device is subject to inspection at any time without notice and remains the property of WSD.

I will follow the policies outlined in the device Responsible Use Agreement while in and out of school.

I will file a police report in cases of theft and vandalism.

I will be responsible for all damage or loss caused by neglect or abuse.

I will return the device, sleeve, bag, and power cords in good working condition.

I will protect my personal information and that of others in the school district.

Some quick reminders for afternoon car pick up and morning drop off. We open our doors at 7:20 AM for all students. Please plan to arrive between 7:20–7:50 AM. During the first few days, arrival and dismissal may take a little longer as new families learn the routine—thank you for your patience!

Morning Drop-Off

• Drop-off is in the west parking lot by the gym entrance.

• Please stay inside your vehicle and say your goodbyes from there.

• Do not exit your car in the drop-off line—our staff will be on hand to assist students safely.

• Have your child ready to exit with their backpack and belongings in hand to keep the line moving smoothly.

Afternoon Pick-Up

• Dismissal is at 2:20 PM.

• Families must use the car line beginning at the gym doors.

• Please remain in your car—our staff will radio for your child, and we will bring them to you at a designated pick-up spot.

• If student is not ready, you may be asked to park in designated spot.

• Important: For safety, every student must be individually checked out before being released to a parent or guardian.

• Monday 9/15 - Washington School Site Council Meeting
• Tuesday 9/16 - 2nd, 4th, and 5th Grade Field Trip to Powerland Heritage Park

• Monday 9/22 - Professional Development day (No School)
• Monday 9/22 - Parents' Club Meeting (PUENTE)
• Thursday 9/25 - Vision Screening for K, 1 and 3rd grade
• Saturday 10/4 - Woodburn Fire District Safety Fair

Want to keep up to date? Check out out WSD Event Calendar

There are three steps you'll need to take to become a volunteer:

• Read this Volunteer Handbook
• Watch this Safety Presentation
• Complete this Volunteer Packet, your application, the online volunteer training, and an online criminal history verification information form

You will need either a driver's license or other state-issued ID for safety reasons.

You can complete your training online, and turn in your completed volunteer packet to the Washington office at any time during regular office hours (school days, 7:20am-3:30pm)

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to us! You can reach administrators by email at Abelanger@woodburnsd.org or Aramos@woodburnsd.org or by phone at (971) 983-3050, or by clicking on the "Contact" button at the bottom of the newsletter. We'd love to hear from you!

Home of the Eagles

Email: Abelanger@woodburnsd.org & Aramos@woodburnsd.org

Website: http://washington.woodburnsd.org/

Location: Washington Elementary School, East Lincoln Street, Woodburn, OR, USA

Phone: (971) 983-3050

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoodburnWashingtonElementary