The Growler

• Reminder, No School March 6 & 7
• Family Science Night
• YouthTruth Student and Family Survey in March!
• State Testing Notification
• Hobbit Cloaks- Call for Fabric!
• Lost & Found
• PTO Update
• Ongoing need: Snacks
• Volunteering at School

We will have school tomorrow, March 5th! We will not have school on March 6 & 7, those are furlough days.

Thank you to all of the families that attended Science Night at ScienceWorks last week! We had a great turnout, over 150 people! A big thank you to ScienceWorks as well for granting us access.

Dear Parent or Guardian,

We are writing to let you know that we are asking your child to participate in the YouthTruth Student Survey in the coming weeks. The YouthTruth Student Survey is a nationally recognized survey used in hundreds of schools and districts across the country, surveying hundreds of thousands of students. The confidential survey asks students about their experiences in the school and with their teachers, including how engaged they are at school, the rigor of their coursework, and their preparedness for the future. Our school, other schools, and researchers may use such information for developing plans to help schools and teachers improve. For information about this survey, please visit https://youthtruth.org, or speak to a school administrator.

Although we want to hear from all students, participation in this survey is voluntary.

Please be aware that under federal law, you have the right to review a copy of the questions asked of your child. If you would like to do so, you can view a copy of the survey at school.

Please Participate in the YouthTruth Family Survey! The window is open from today until Mach 28th! Our School Site Council will look at the results from the survey and use it to inform our school improvement plan for next year.

WHO

• Survey one parent or guardian from each household.
• Parents/guardians are invited to take the survey once for each child enrolled

WHAT

• Parents/guardians will share their feedback about their overall school experience.

WHEN/WHERE

• Surveying must happen between 03-03-2025 and end-of-day 03-28-2025.
• Parents/guardians can take the survey on any internet-enabled device.

WHY

• Efforts to improve school culture and student achievement should be informed by family perceptions. Feedback from a diverse range of community members can serve as an actionable, real‐time barometer of factors that influence student success.

HOW

• Respondents will be prompted to select their language of choice from English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, and French.
• The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete.
• The survey must be completed in one sitting.

Here's the link: http://www.ytsurvey.org/asdfamily25

State testing occurs for students in grades 3-5 each year in the spring. Third and fourth grades take Language Arts and Math tests, 5th graders take those test and have an additional test in science. Most testing will occur after spring break. We may have 5th grade do the science test earlier to spread it out some.

Annual Notice for Oregon Statewide Assessments

Under ORS 329.479, districts are required to notify parents of specific state testing information the month prior to when testing begins. To meet this requirement, please include Annual Notice for Oregon’s Statewide Summative Assessments and the following links. Do not include the opt out forms.

• For more information on Oregon Statewide Assessment System, CLICK HERE.
• For information on State Assessment opt-outs and exemptions options, CLICK HERE.

The fifth grade is looking for donations of fabric for their Hobbit cloaks. The fabric should be at least five feet by eight feet, and pretty heavy material, like canvas, denim, duck, upholstery fabric, corduroy, or flannel.

We make some basic snacks available to students that don't have one in the office. The demand for snacks has grown exponentially this year. If you are able to pack a snack or two in your child's bag each day, please do! We are very active here at school and our student's brains need fuel for all that learning. If you are able to purchase any extra snacks to donate to the school, that would help our budget and our students tremendously. Please consider donating some healthy snacks if you are able. Thank you for all that you do to support our students!

How To Become a Volunteer:

Step 1:
Complete the Volunteer Registration Form, which includes the Notice of Background Check form.

Once completed, please submit the forms and a copy of your driver’s license to the Office Manager of the school where the volunteer position is needed. Forms may also be mailed or faxed to the school office. If no school is specified, forms may be submitted to 885 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520.
Once you have passed your background check, you are cleared to apply to volunteer for any position throughout the school year. No additional background check is necessary, however, it is necessary to repeat this process each school year.

Step 2:
Mark your calendar with the agreed upon days and times. Please note that certain positions require training and a time commitment. Make sure you can fulfill the volunteer commitments before agreeing to the position.

Be prompt and dependable. Call ahead if you are ill or unable to keep your appointed times. When you commit to volunteering, people are depending on you.

She, Her

Email: christine.mccollom@ashland.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/o/bes
Location: 1070 Tolman Creek Road, Ashland, OR, USA
Phone: 541-482-1310
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bellview-Elementary-School-104141858437771