Eagle News - Sept 21, 2026

A few weeks ago we presented our School improvement goals to our school community. Our school selected two main areas of focus for improvement this year:

• Reading: We will focus on improving literacy for all students attending our school.
• Attendance: We will improve the overall student attendance compared to previous school year.

We’ve worked hard this past school year to improve student attendance. Last year, 74% of our Eagles attended school regularly, and our goal was to raise that to 77%. For the 26-27 school year, our goal is to reach 80% of our students being regular attenders. We’ll continue celebrating good attendance with incentives and assemblies, and each classroom is aiming to keep attendance above 80%. Thank you for supporting your child in being at school every day—together we can reach our goal!

In reading, our focus is twofold: helping students maintain grade-level reading skills and providing additional support to those who need to strengthen missing skills. With our dedicated staff, we’re committed to ensuring every Eagle continues to grow as a reader. Our Professional Development days will be guided by these two main areas of focus.

Expect to hear more about our work together in the weeks ahead.

Quick reminder for families, there will be no school on Monday, September 21st as its a Professional Development day for our staff.

Go Eagles! 🦅

Alfredo Belanger – Principal
Antonio Ramos – Assistant Principal
📧 abelanger@woodburnsd.org | aramos@woodburnsd.org

We want to make sure every student feels at home in our school. Each week, we’ll share one quick question to ask your child about their school experience. Tap your answer below—it takes less than a minute and helps us support your kids better every day!

Last week, we asked families if there was an adult at school your student could ask for help?. We received 16 responses, ranging from “Yes, Definitely” to “Probably, but they haven't named anyone” Thank you to everyone who shared.

The start of National Hispanic Heritage Month!

Tuesday, 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.

Regular attendance helps students stay connected, confident, and successful at school. Last year, 74% of our students attended regularly, and our goal this year is to reach 80%. We will work together with families and recognize students throughout the year as they build strong attendance habits. Every school day matters!

Every Day Matters and attendance is so important to ensure that students make strong academic progress. We appreciate families prioritizing attendance throughout the school year. Thank YOU!

Below are the attendance measures for the year so far.

• 4- Year Trajectory - This chart shows our trajectory for the last 4 school years. We are starting off strong with a current 10% improvement over last year final rate.
• Regular Attenders Percentage - 80% of our students are currently regular attenders. This means that they have attended at least 90% of the school days. This early in the year it means that they have been absent one or zero days.
• Regular attenders Gauge - This dial will be updated and included in our parent newsletter as we continue the school year. It shows the current percentage of students who are regular attenders for Washington Elementary.

If you have any questions about attendance please reach out to your student's teacher and our school office. At times, this work takes teamwork, and we are here to help.

Before students arrived this school year, our teachers worked hard to create welcoming learning environments where every child feels a sense of belonging. Building strong classroom communities was a focus last year, and this year we are taking that work even further.

Our administrative team recently visited all 24 classrooms, from kindergarten through fifth grade, including our Specials classes. During these visits, we looked for clear classroom expectations, evidence of student input, and the balance between positive praise and behavioral corrections.

We are proud to share that 22 of our 24 classrooms had expectations clearly posted. We also saw evidence that students’ ideas and concerns helped shape these classroom agreements.

Our schoolwide praise-to-correction ratio was 4.5 praises for every correction. This means students are receiving positive recognition about four and a half times more often than they receive a reminder or correction. This is very close to our PBIS goal of five praises for every correction!

Our staff will continue working toward this goal through professional learning, classroom support, and ongoing feedback. Together, we are creating positive classrooms where every Eagle feels welcomed, supported, and ready to learn. We will revisit this data periodically.

Over the summer, a sprinkler system malfunction caused significant flooding in our school library, damaging the carpet and our entire collection of books. A professional restoration company is cleaning all nonporous materials, while porous items that cannot be safely restored must be discarded. The library will remain closed as the damaged carpet is removed and replaced, which is expected to take about two months. We appreciate our families’ patience and support as we work to rebuild a welcoming library filled with high-quality bilingual books that reflect our students, families, and cultures.

Our library has always been an essential part of our work. It is where children discover the joy of reading and borrow books that allow them to see themselves, their families, and their cultures represented in meaningful ways. We firmly believe that every child deserves access to engaging, high-quality books.

We will continue to keep families updated on our progress and share opportunities to support the rebuilding of our library as they become available.

At Washington Elementary, our TAG class is currently learning about sculptures and using their creativity to mold and paint their own animal sculptures. We look forward to seeing their finished creations!

Our Talented and Gifted (TAG) program supports students who demonstrate—or have the potential to demonstrate—advanced academic or intellectual abilities. Students receive instruction matched to their individual rate and level of learning through classroom differentiation, small-group opportunities, acceleration, and other targeted supports.

Learn more about the Woodburn School District TAG program

This past week, we held our first fire drill of the school year, and our Eagles did a great job! Students kept calm bodies as they safely walked out of the building and lined up with their classes. They followed directions, showed responsibility, and cared for one another. Great work, Eagles!

For more information about our school safety plans, please read below.

Our school and district follow the standard response protocols at iloveuguys.com. We have five main kinds of responses that we practice, depending on the kind of emergency we’re facing:

• Evacuate - we use this when we need to move students from one location to another for safety reasons. Most commonly, people think about these as “fire drills.” but we might need to evacuate for lots of different reasons. Students have planned paths for exiting and relocation during an evacuation, and they remain unified and supervised outside the building until the Evacuation protocol is lifted.

• Hold - we use this when students need to stay out of hallways or other areas, most often either for safety reasons or for when there is a medical emergency and we want to preserve the patient’s dignity and to give first responders a clear path to an exit. Students remain where they are until the Hold protocol is lifted.

• Shelter - we use this when students need to take protective actions based on a specific danger or hazard, such as an earthquake or a tornado.

• Secure - we use this to secure the perimeter of the school when there is a potential threat outside of school. In the Secure protocol, in addition to exterior doors remaining locked, students remain inside, and no one is allowed to enter or exit school buildings until the Secure protocol is lifted.

• Lockdown - we use this to keep students safe when there is imminent danger inside the school. From parental custody disputes to intruders to an active assailant, Lockdown uses classroom and school security actions to protect students and staff from the threat. In a Lockdown protocol, interior doors are locked and students stay silent and out of sight until the Lockdown protocol is lifted.

At a minimum, at Washington Elementary School we practice the following every school year:

• At least one monthly Evacuation drill

• At least one annual Secure drill

• At least two annual Lockdown drills

• At least two annual Shelter drills focused on responses to earthquake safety

We have already conducted our first evacuation drill with students.

Your child’s safety is our first priority. If you have any questions about our safety drills and response protocols, or any other safety concerns, please don’t hesitate to call us at (971)-983-3050

We have begun 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.

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.

Washington Elementary is looking for volunteers to support students through the SMART Reading program! Volunteers spend one hour each week reading with students, building their confidence, and helping them discover a love of books. SMART Reading also provides children with books they can keep and enjoy at home.

Training is required before volunteering begins. To learn more or sign up, visit smartreading.org/volunteer or call 541-930-2606.

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.

Oregon Executive Order 25-09 aims to help foster student learning, well-being, and belonging by reducing distractions and promoting healthy, focused school environments. At Washington Elementary our goal is to improve academic outcomes by ensuring students are fully engaged in learning within a distraction-free environment that supports their well-being, focus, and ability to thrive academically and personally.

While students are allowed to have personal electronic devices*, they are restricted to using them only before school and after school. They must be off and away at all other times. Devices must be stored in backpacks or lockers and are not to be stored on students. If you are fearful of theft or loss, please leave the device at home.

*Personal Electronic Devices include any item that can send and receive phone calls, text messages, and access internet/social media. I.E. phones, watches, tablets, etc.

The Student-Parent Handbook is available online. It provides important information about school schedules, attendance, meals, transportation, health and safety, student rights, behavior expectations, district policies, and family resources.

Families and schools are important partners in student success. By reviewing the handbook and working together, we can create a safe, supportive, and positive learning environment for every student.

If you would prefer a printed copy, please call the school office to request one.

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)

Also: WSD Volunteer Webpage

All children need healthy meals to help them learn. The Woodburn School District Nutrition Services offers students delicious, healthy, nutrient-rich meals every school day for both Breakfast and Lunch at no charge to students.

Click the link to MenuLogic for Washington's upcoming breakfast and lunch menu. You can also print out the menu for the month.

• Monday 9/21 - Professional Development day - No school for students
• Monday 9/28 - WES PUENTE Meeting
• Wednesday 9/30 - Kinder Families Estrellita Training Part 1
• October 7-8 - Fall Parent Teacher Conferences

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

To make communication easier, our Smore newsletters has included an in-browser translation feature. Instead of sending two editions, English and Spanish, families can simply select their preferred language directly in the browser to view the newsletter in real time. We hope this makes staying connected even more convenient for everyone! If you have any question about anything on the newsletter please give our office a call.

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