Westridge Wildcat Newsletter

Hello Westridge Community,

Today, we had another wonderful Character Trait Assembly put on by Student Leadership. We recognized students who stood out for demonstrating PERSEVERANCE and student leadership performed a skit about our current trait, HONESTY. See below for a picture of the students who were recognized today.

I want to highlight two traits that are especially important on the playground: cooperation and respect. Our goal is that recess is a time for students to develop their independent problem-solving skills and have fun! You can support this at home by asking students about their recess time. Perhaps helping them talk through a conflict, role-play how they could appropriately ask to join in an activity, or emphasize the importance of using respectful language with peers and adults on the playground.

To support the emotional and physical safety of all students, we took a pause on playing football at recess, but hope to bring this back when we are able to ensure that it will be fun and safe for all students who want to join.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, ideas, or celebrations! Enjoy the three-day weekend!

Laura Weaver

New or Updated Information:

Save the Dates!

Help wanted!

Westridge Newspaper Issue 4

Advisory Committees

Substance Use and Prevention Workshop

YouthTruth Survey

Continuing Reminders:

Pants needed!

Yearbook Contribution Deadline

Chipotle Fundraiser

Lost and Found

Registration is OPEN

Newspaper Contributions wanted

Pacer Dance Clinic

February Dates and Holidays

Foundation Gala

OSAS Opt Out Form

Safe Oregon

Volunteer Application

Reporting Tardies and Absences

PTSO Contact Information

SCHOOL CALENDAR:

LOSD SCHOOL CALENDAR 22-23

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 Details below!

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!

It's that time of year where it's helpful to remind our families of several policies in place to keep our students safe and behaviors in line with school expectations.

• Please do not drop students off at school prior to 8:00am. We do not have supervision prior to 8:00am.
• Please do not allow students to play on the playground/field after school without adult supervision.
• Toys, pokemon or sports trading cards do not come to school unless it is a special day in class and teachers have given permission. They are not allowed at recess, or before school.
• Students may not use their phones or watches to text or call home during the school day. Students may use the office phone to call home, if needed.
• There are several RESERVED parking spots in our parking lot. Please do not park in these - even if "just for a minute."

We need you! Please consider applying for our school or district advisory committee for terms starting next school year. There is one application for all committees -- please mark the committee that is of interest to you. Only committees with vacancies -- School Advisory Committees and Long Range Facility Planning -- are listed in the application for this period. See the charters posted on the School Board Advisory Committees web page for more information about each committee.

Applications are due Monday, March 13 at 5 p.m. Recommendations and selections will be made in April. All applicants will be notified by May 1. Thank you!

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!

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

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!

It’s that time of year…Lake Oswego schools administer the YouthTruth every spring to help improve students’ experiences in our learning community. Responses from students, staff, and parents/guardians are incredibly valuable. Principals will be sending the survey link at the end of February, and we ask that you please take 15 minutes to complete it before March 24.

Importance of YouthTruth

YouthTruth (YT) is a national nonprofit that harnesses perceptions to help educators accelerate improvements. Student perceptions are empirically linked to academic outcomes, and student perceptions are leading indicators.

YT survey questions are grounded in research about what matters for student outcomes. The findings are used to inform our long-term strategic plan progress, curriculum and instruction, and professional development to improve practices.

The survey design has been rigorously tested for validity and reliability. Through developmentally appropriate questions, students in all grade levels provide feedback on engagement, academic challenges, relationships, belonging, culture, emotional and mental health, diversity, and inclusion. Elementary students will also provide feedback on instructional methods and middle and high school students will provide feedback on obstacles to learning and career and college readiness. Staff and parents/guardians will be asked to provide feedback on similar topics. All responses are anonymous.

Timing of YouthTruth

Lake Oswego YT surveys will open on February 27 and close at midnight on March 24. Students will complete their survey in school, and staff and parents/guardians will be emailed the survey to complete in their own time. Principals will provide school-specific survey links and parents/guardians are asked to take a survey for each school their student(s) attends.

Please contact your school principal with any questions about the survey. Thank you in advance for taking the time to provide your feedback.

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)

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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