Vose Owl Notes
Family Newsletter - March, 2026
Dear Vose Families,
Happy March! I am so incredibly happy to be back at Vose and writing to you all again.
As many of you know, I have been away for the last few weeks on a personal leave. I return with a full heart and a renewed sense of energy, ready to dive into what I consider the most rewarding time of the school year. Spring at Vose is when we truly see the "bloom"—the culmination of months of hard work where student growth, both academically and socially, really takes flight.
This is a particularly special week to be back because it is Staff Appreciation Week. While I am grateful for our entire team every single day, this week gives us a dedicated moment to pause and say "thank you" to the people who make the magic happen in our hallways. If you'd like to join me, please check out our calendar and ideas for families for the week below! Nothing makes an educators day more that to receive a special note, drawing or treat from a student or parent/guardian...we do this heart work because we want to make a difference and knowing we've had a positive impact is music to our heart!
Honoring Our Foundation: Classified Appreciation Week
This week is National Classified Appreciation Week, and I want to shine a bright light on our nearly 40 classified staff members. They are the glue and the absolute foundation of what makes our school day possible.
Whether they are our secretaries, custodians, paraeducators (teacher assistants), nutrition services workers, bus drivers, Library Media Assistants, Technology Support Specialists, Family Liaisons, or Bilingual Resource Facilitators—these individuals are the heartbeat of Vose. They ensure our buildings are clean, our students arrive safely, we have two free meals a day for students, our technology functions, and our library is always ready. From positive supervision at lunch and recess to the deep support they offer our families, we simply could not do this without them.
Recognizing Our Specialists
This week also marks National Social Workers Appreciation Week. I want to extend a huge thank you to our School Social Worker, Maria Rodriguez, for her tremendous efforts to ensure our families receive food, housing, and healthcare resources, access to school through our Walking School Bus, as well as vital social-emotional support.
Additionally, though School Counselor Appreciation Week was recently celebrated, I want to officially thank Mara Silvera. Mara works tirelessly on our social-emotional lessons, manages 504 plans, and organizes small groups and check-ins to support the diverse needs of our students and families.
Academic Update: Growing Together
Last month, during our grade level and academic team meetings, our teachers took a deep dive into our current student data in attendance, reading and math. We used this information to specifically plan for small groups to ensure every student gets what they need.
Like many schools across the nation, we are navigating the long-term impacts of the last few years, but we are making growth!
Understanding Our Growth: A Reason to Celebrate!
When we look at our student's progress on these screener assessments, we use a tool called the STAR Screener. Recently, we looked at a specific metric for our 2nd through 5th graders called the Student Growth Percentile (SGP).
Currently, on the STAR Screener Assessment our students had these results:
* Math for 2nd-5th graders (administered in English), our median Student Growth Percentile is the 45th percentile (the goal is 35th).
* English Reading: our median SGP is the 55th percentile (the goal is 35th)
* Spanish Reading: our median SGP is the 51st percentile (the goal is 35th)
What is Student Growth Percentile (SGP)? Think of SGP as a "fair comparison" of progress. Instead of comparing a 2nd grader to a 5th grader, it compares your child’s growth to other students across the country who started the year at the exact same academic level. * If a student has a Growth Percentile of 50, it means they grew as much as or more than 50% of their "academic peers" nationwide.
The Good News for Vose: Our goal as a school was to reach a median growth of the 35th percentile. We are thrilled to share that our students exceeded that goal in Math, and in Reading in Spanish and English!
What does this mean for your child? It means that, on average, Vose students are growing faster than the target we set. Even though many students are still working hard to reach grade-level "proficiency," this data shows that the gap is closing. Our students are making significant jumps in their math understanding and are outperforming the growth targets we established for this point in the year. This progress is a direct result of the hard work our teachers are doing in small groups and the practice you are supporting at home.
While many schools are wondering how to return to pre-COVID achievement levels, our strategy at Vose is clear: we meet regularly to assess exactly what students know and what they still need to learn. Recovery is happening, but it requires consistent effort from all of us.
How Families Can Help
When school and home work together, students don't just catch up—they thrive. Here are a few ways you can assist your child’s growth daily:
Make Reading a Priority: Read to or with your child for 15–20 minutes a day.
Integrate Math into Daily Life: Practice facts during car rides, measure ingredients while cooking, or play board games that involve strategy and counting.
Prioritize Attendance: Every day in school matters. Missing even a few days can significantly set back a student's progress.
Support Executive Functioning: Use checklists for morning and bedtime routines. Praise your child’s effort and persistence, not just the final result.
As we head toward Spring Break, we want to express my sincere thanks for the generosity and care this community shows our school. On behalf of the entire staff, we wish you a wonderful break filled with joy, family, and friendship.
Warmly,
Monique Singleton, Principal
Ellen Arnold, Assistant Principal
Modified from original messages in November and also updated message in January & February:
Dear Vose Families,
As we are headed out of winter, we want to acknowledge the very real anxiety many in our community may be feeling due to ongoing reports of immigration enforcement activity in neighborhoods near our school community. We want to reassure you that we are committed to keeping our school a place of safety, stability, and belonging for every child.
We have continued to share the information we receive with our district’s Public Safety Department and have followed our district protocols to ensure safety. We also have responded by providing support to families and students by meeting with impacted families to connect them with resources, walking and accompanying school busses to ensure students arrive at school and home safely. We want to be sure to provide as much information as possible in this message, so please be sure to review
While we cannot control federal actions, we can control how we show up for our children and one another. Our school has always supported families facing stress, trauma, or uncertainty, and we remain steadfast in that commitment.
Here is what we want you to know:
- Vose continues to be a safe, welcoming, and caring environment for every student, every day.
- We are following all district safety guidelines and protocols, including keeping exterior doors and gates closed and reporting any concerning activity to administration and appropriate authorities immediately.
- Classroom routines and relationships remain steady and predictable, which helps students feel secure.
- We are attentive to students’ emotional well-being, and we are providing calm, supportive spaces as needed.
We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the fear and uncertainty many people are feeling and remind you that our schools are safe and welcoming spaces for all. Here’s what you can expect from us:
School property is protected. Schools are not open to the public. Immigration enforcement agents cannot come into a school without proper legal authority. They must present a judicial warrant issued by a court.
Student and family information is private. Staff will not ask about or disclose immigration status and will not release students’ and families’ contact information. That information is protected by law and district policy.
Local law enforcement are not involved. Under Oregon law, public agencies focus on their local responsibilities and will not engage in immigration enforcement activities. This includes our youth services officers in schools as well as local and state police.
Staff are prepared. Key staff have received training on how to respond if approached by immigration officers or anyone else seeking protected information. We have procedures in place to support students if their families are impacted.
We encourage families who are concerned to create a safety plan. We share this not to cause alarm or anxiety, but because being prepared helps everyone feel more secure in uncertain times and in cases of emergency. A plan could include:
Making sure schools have up-to-date emergency contact information.
Identifying trusted adults who could pick up children from school, if needed.
Talking with children in age-appropriate ways about what to do if they feel worried or unsafe.
If you have questions, please visit our Supporting Immigrant & Refugee Students and Families webpage, where you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions and resources for families.
If you or your family are feeling anxious, please know you are not alone. You are welcome to reach out to us at any time. We are here to support your child and your family. Contact information for our Family Support Team is here:
Call or email to schedule appointment:
Mara Silvera- 503-356-2430 mara_silvera@beaverton.k12.or.us (School Counselor)
Maria Rodriguez- 503-356-2430, maria_rodriguez@beaverton.k12.or.us (School Social Worker
Gabby Ruano Aguilera- 503-256-2430; gabriela_ruano_aguilera@beaverton.k12.or.us (Bilingual Resource Facilitator)
Sara de la Paz Garza, 503-356-2430, ext. 64015 (Family Support Liaison)
Elena Pineda- 503-277-0484; zoilaelena_pineda@beaverton.k12.or.us (Early Learning Liaison- birth - 7 years old)
We so appreciate the active engagement and support from our families and surrounding community. If you are looking for ways to help others in our Vose community, please:
1. Donate to the Vose Free Food Bank by following the instructions below. These contributions will be used to purchase much needed food for our families throughout the year for distribution at our free Food Distribution on Tuesdays at 10am.
2. Purchase items on our Vose specific Amazon wish list and it will be shipped directly to Vose's office. We have already started receiving some donations, which is amazing! Many thanks to those who have already donated! (see QR Code below)
Below is also direct donation link for our Vose Free Food Bank, which serves our families year-round.
Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and your care for our community. Together we will continue to ensure that Vose is a place where every child feels safe, seen, and supported.
With care,
Monique Singleton
Principal, Vose Elementary School
One of the most important ways we ensure a safe and responsive school environment is through the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), a district-wide system designed to prepare students and staff for a variety of emergency situations.
The SRP is not based on one specific scenario—it’s a framework that guides our response to any unexpected event. Whether it’s a weather emergency, a nearby police activity, or a threat inside the building, the SRP provides clear, consistent actions that everyone in our school community understands and practices.
The five SRP actions are:
Hold – Stay in your room or area; hallways are cleared.
Secure – Get inside; lock outside doors.
Lockdown – Locks, lights, out of sight.
Evacuate – Move to a designated location.
Shelter – Follow safety strategies for specific hazards.
These actions are practiced regularly so that students and staff know exactly what to do—calmly and confidently—when an emergency arises.
You can learn more about the SRP on the Beaverton School District’s Emergency Protocol page
Drill Frequency and What to Expect
In alignment with Oregon law and district policy, Vose conducts the following drills each school year:
Fire drills: Monthly, with the first drill within the first 10 days of school.
Earthquake drills: At least twice per year.
Safety threat drills (including lockdown and secure): At least twice per year.
These drills are scheduled thoughtfully and conducted with care. Our goal is to build muscle memory and reduce anxiety by making safety routines familiar and predictable.
We know that practicing these drills can raise questions at home. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of these routines and reassure them that these practices are part of keeping everyone safe.
Thank you for partnering with us to create a safe and supportive learning environment. If you have questions about our safety procedures or the SRP, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Vose Elementary School
Email: ellen_arnold@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: https://vose.beaverton.k12.or.us/
Location: 11350 SW Denney Road, Beaverton, OR, 97008
Phone: (503)356-2430