Westridge Wildcat Newsletter

Hello Westridge Community!

With today’s assembly about empathy, and as we head into the three-day weekend honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., I was reflecting on his words, “The time is always right to do what is right.” They hold special significance in our school setting and beyond! In addition to the academic learning at Westridge, students are learning to become empathetic citizens who take action for what they believe in. We appreciate partnering with you in the social-emotional learning of our children.

Have a wonderful weekend and we’ll see you back here on Tuesday!

Thank you,

Laura Weaver

New or Updated Information:

Save the Dates!

Tardy Reminder

School Newspaper Contribution

Continuing Reminders:

Registration for 2022-2023 School Year

Kindergarten Counts Information Night

Westridge: Our Heritage Celebration Info

Nurse Notes

Counseling Corner

Pacer Jr. Dance Clinic

Opt Out Form: State Assessments

STEM Newsletter and IG Page

Reporting Tardies and Absences

Statewide Assessment Notice

1/16: No School - MLK Jr. Day

1/18: Registration opens for 23-24 school year

1/18: Kindergarten Counts Information Night 6:00pm

1/19: PTSO Meeting 7pm at Westridge and on Zoom

1/23: PTSO Fundraiser - Aji Tram 12-9pm (flyer below)

1/27: No School - Grade Prep Day

2/5: (Sunday) Wildcats: Our Heritage Celebration 2-4pm at Westridge

2/20: No School - Presidents' Day

PTSO Event's Page Calendar can be found here for more info on Parents Nights out and Meet Ups!

The school building opens at 8:10am and arriving as close to that time as possible benefits your child! Allowing students time to settle in and get started with their class makes for a calmer start to the day and ensures children are a part of the community building and academic content that begins right away. In the last weeks of school, tardies have been nearing 30 per day! We appreciate your help in getting kids here on time!

Kindergarten Information Night

January 18th 6-7 pm.

All resident elementary schools

Immersion Program Information Night

January 25th

Mandarin Chinese 6pm, Spanish 7 p.m.

Palisades World Language School

Online registration and more information can be found here

The Culture of Belonging Committee is excited to present Westridge's first ever "Wildcats: Our Heritage Celebration" event on Sunday, February 5th from 2-4:00pm in the gym. We invite you to experience the countries and cultures that are special to our Westridge community. Your child will have the opportunity to "travel the world" and experience these countries and cultures complete with a passport to be stamped! You can also expect entertainment throughout the event. Open to families! Would you like to participate in the event? Here are 3 different ways:

1. Country host: Volunteers who want to put together a table to represent a country close to your heart

2. International fashion show: would your student enjoy showing off traditional dress from a special country?

3. Story time: would you, your student, or a grandparent like to read a book that represents your culture?

If you're interested in any of these opportunities, Sign up here:Volunteer Sign Up

Goedenmiddag (good afternoon) Westridge! I am Han Lievens, a native of Leuven, Belgium, and my son, Daniel, is in the second grade. I’d like to share a brief overview of some fun facts about Belgium and its diverse cultures with more to come at the Heritage Celebration on Sunday, February 5th.

Belgium is one of the smallest countries in Europe (it’s about the size of Maryland) and comprises two main regions: Flanders, which is in the north and Dutch speaking and Wallonia, which is in the south and French speaking. Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium, but also serves as the governmental and administrative capital of the European Union.

Belgians (myself included!) are very proud of their food culture. You may already be aware that some of the best chocolates and beer in the world are made in Belgium, but did you know that most food historians agree that fries originated there too? Frieten, as they are called in Flemish Dutch, are available from carts called fritkots and are served with a variety of mayonnaise based sauces - a family favorite!

To find out a bit more, please take a look at this video created by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tot Ziens! (See you soon!)

Mrs. Lang has created a newsletter so that families can follow along with the projects that are happening in STEM class! She also posts about donations needed for upcoming projects. Click here to check it out! You can also follow along on Instagram by scanning the QR code.

January 2023

Dear Wildcat Families,

As we start the new year of 2023, we will be spending the month

of January practicing the character trait of PERSEVERANCE

in our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons. The definition

we will be using for Perseverance is: pushing yourself to work

through challenges and obstacles.

A lot of research today is telling us that the highest indicators of success in our kids isn’t just about their grades or their IQ. The number one skill that helps people of all walks of life be successful is GRIT! Grit is the ability to persevere in the face of adversity or even failure.

Over the course of the month, we will talk about inspiring people who faced many failures before they found success. We will talk about what it means to navigate tough stuff, even when it feels overwhelming or really hard. We will talk about having a Growth Mindset; to see challenges and failure as an opportunity to grow instead of a brick wall. During my SEL time in each classroom we will also talk about Anxiety/Worries and how to push on through when things get tough.

Ways to reinforce our teaching hers at school is to let your child know it’s ok to not be perfect. Students are often expected to perform their best from tests to on the field. Complimenting their effort, determination and good character does much farther than the outcome!

Here are links for extension activities to explore PERSEVERANCE further as a family:

Kindergarten Perseverance Family Newsletter

1st Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter

2nd Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter

3rd Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter

4th Grade Perseverance family newsletter

5th Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns at kieserg@loswego.k12.or.us.

Sincerely,

Gary Kieser

Westridge School Counselor

New Year's Day, January 1.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 16, honors Reverend King's life and commitment to equality and unity.

Lunar New Year, January 22, is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.

What services does your school nurse provide?

School Nursing by Definition:

School nursing, a specialized practice of nursing, protects and promotes student health, facilitates optimal development, and advances academic success. School nurses, grounded in ethical and evidence-based practice, are the leaders who bridge health care and education, provide care coordination, advocate for quality student-centered care, and collaborate to design systems that allow individuals and communities to develop their full potential. (Adopted by the NASN Board of Directors February 2017.)

Some of the services provided by your school nurses:

• Provide first aid care and health assessment;

• Write care plans and coordinate the care of students with chronic or acute health conditions;

• Communicate with teachers and staff to ensure the safety and well-being of students;

• Administer medications and monitor delegated medication administration;

• Assist in the evaluation of students for Special Services (Special Education);

• Coordinate and provide vision screenings and vaccination clinics;

• Track and monitor immunizations and dental care and;

• Educate and train staff on: asthma, life threatening allergies, diabetes, and blood borne pathogens.

If you would like to speak to your school nurse, click the link below for contact information.

Contact your District Nurse

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