The Current

Message from the Superintendent

Promoting Autism Acceptance Month

Advisory Committee Applications Due Today

Asian Cultural Festival Saturday

School Board Meeting Monday

Board Advisory Committee Meetings

Career Night and Job Fair April 11

LO Sustainability Resource Fair April 15

Re-home Sporting Equipment for S3G

Elementary Conferences April 13-14

Save the Date: Transition to Adulthood Information Night

Openings in Elementary Immersion Programs

Lake Grove Swim Park Now Hiring

Community Movie Night

LMS Theatre Presents Footloose, Youth Edition!

Health Information:

• Reminders from Our District Nurses
• LOSD COVID-19 Dashboard
  
• Community Level: Low

Enrichment & Recreational Programs

• Learn More About Lakeridge Cheerleading

Community News:

• Outside the Art Room Teen Art Showcase, Auction
  
• Become an Honorary Page
  
• City of LO Arbor Month Art Contest
  
• Pedestrian Path on Stafford Closed, Re-routed
  

Regular Reminders:

• Hunger Fighters Oregon
  
• Safe Oregon
  
• School Incident Reporting
  
• Get Social with LOSD

There are no words to express adequately the pain felt when we hear of a school shooting. Every tragic event reopens a wound and affects us deeply. Unfortunately, these events are too commonplace and are a significant reason why LOSD is committed to creating a culture of belonging and promoting health and resiliency in our learning community.

Our district continuously reviews, practices, and improves our emergency prevention and response plans, which can be found on the website under Safety & Security. Gun violence prevention is a key focus and we were one of the first districts in the state to enact policy KGBB prohibiting firearms on school grounds.

As important is our focus on wellness to help manage stress, anxiety, and suicide prevention. We are fortunate to have the expertise of our school counselors, social workers, behavioral specialists, and psychologists supporting our social-emotional learning curriculum, hosting QPR suicide prevention training, offering LOSD CARES workshops, and providing many other resources for our students, staff, and families.

Always, if you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a caring adult in our schools. If you hear or see something, say something. Call 911, report a tip anonymously to SafeOregon, or send an incident report that can be found in school and district newsletters and websites.

A healthy and welcoming environment requires diligence and care. I am grateful for a learning community that works together to prioritize safety.

Autism Acceptance Month, previously named Autism Awareness Month, in April aims to celebrate and promote acceptance for the condition that occurs in one in every 54 children in the United States, including many students in LOSD. Following are a couple of questions answered to build understanding; look for more throughout the month.

What is autism? Autism is a neurological and developmental variation that affects how people with autism think, communicate, and experience the world. Jim Sinclair, an autistic self-advocate and leader in the disability justice movement, described autism in this way: “Autism is a way of being. It is pervasive; it colors every experience, every sensation, perception, thought, emotion, and encounter, every aspect of existence.”

What are neurodiversity and neurodivergence? According to autistic self-advocate Dr. Nick Walker, neurodiversity is the diversity of human minds and includes both neurotypical and neurodivergent brains. Neurodivergent people are those whose minds think, learn, and experience the world in a different, yet equally valid, way. This includes autism, ADHD, mental illness, epilepsy, and others.

Our schools need you! Please consider applying for an advisory committee for terms starting next school year. Applications are due today by 5 p.m. Recommendations and selections will be made in April. All applicants will be notified by May 1.

Monday, Apr. 10

Contract Review Board 6 p.m.

Regular Session following CRB at approx. 6:15 p.m.

Agenda posted on the district website

LOSD Central Office, Boardroom

The Lake Oswego School Board meetings are being held in person and are open to the public. In-person attendance is limited to those who occupy available seating first and observe meeting guidelines for conduct. Doors will open approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the public session. All may observe the public session remotely by clicking here.

Board members take both written and in-person testimony. Click here for instructions for members of the public who wish to provide in-person testimony. Submit an email to the Board Secretary kelli.cranston@loswego.k12.or.us by 12 p.m. day of the meeting. IMPORTANT: Type “In-Person Testimony” in the subject line.

All are welcome to observe the board advisory committee meetings.

Tuesday, April 11

5:15-6:45 p.m. - Sustainability

Wednesday, April 12

7:00-8:30 p.m. - Health & Resiliency

Thursday, March 9

5:15-6:45 p.m. - Culture of Belonging

7:00-8:30 p.m. - Equitable Academic Outcomes

All four meetings are held in the LOSD Central Office Boardroom.

Elementary school parent/guardian-teacher conferences are Thursday, April 13, and Friday, April 14. Elementary students are out of school those days. Classes will resume Monday, April 17.

All ages are invited to learn about the work organizations across our community are doing to advance sustainability, connect with community members who are interested in sustainability, and learn how to help protect the environment, save money, and give back to our community.

Saturday, Apr. 15

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Lakeridge Middle School

Shifting Gears Gifting Gears will be a part of this year's fair!

The second annual Shifting Gears/Gifting Gear community service event is being held in conjunction with the Lake Oswego Sustainability Resource Fair at Lakeridge Middle School on April 15. All are welcome to receive items for FREE.

Shifting Gears/Gifting Gear's goal is to re-home sporting equipment to families that would enjoy it when your family has outgrown it. Volunteers will be collecting donated gear in good/working conditions from April 13-14. It's a great way to upcycle sporting gear.

Please see the flyer for more information on where and when to turn in your donated items on April 13-14.

LOSD is hosting an information night for parents/guardians raising a child experiencing a disability to learn what school, employment, and independent living might look like when school services end. The evening is geared toward teen and adult-aged students. Families and students of all ages are welcome.

Thursday, May 4

6-8 p.m.

Staff Development Room

The LOSD Staff Development Room is in building 2477 on the Lake Oswego High School campus.

We are continuing to accept applications for our Spanish and Mandarin Chinese Immersion programs from students who reside within the district.

• Mandarin Chinese Immersion is accepting applications for students starting kindergarten or 1st grade in the fall of 2023.

• Spanish Immersion is accepting applications for students starting kindergarten in the fall of 2023.

On May 5, we will consider adding students who have requested a transfer into LOSD from outside of the district and have applied for our immersion program.

1. Register your student with your neighborhood elementary school before applying for the immersion program. New student registration is now open on the Registration and Transfer page.
2. Complete the Language Immersion application

Questions? Please contact Lisa Oliva at olival@loswego.k12.or.us.

The Lake Grove Swim Park, owned and operated by LOSD, opens for the 2023 season on June 17, open daily from 12- 8 p.m. through August 27.

The park is open to all LOSD students. Students under 7 years of age must be accompanied by a guardian who has access to the park. All Lake Oswego children are eligible for swim park swimming lessons, even if their household is not eligible for a park pass. Registration for lessons opens closer to summer.

In the meantime, the park needs lifeguards and other staff to operate. Please apply today for summer work.

See Lake Grove Swim Park on the district website for more information.

Lakeridge Middle School Theatre Arts is proud to present Footloose: Youth Edition!

May 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 7:30 pm

May 13, 1:00 p.m.

Lakeridge Middle School

Dress for the show! There will be prizes for the best 80's outfit at every performance!

Tickets are $12 for general seating and are available here: https://www.eticketexpress.com/event/lakeridgejh/footloose

Bike Safety

As the weather improves, it’s a great time to consider getting outside. Your District Nurses want to remind and encourage your student to ride their bike safely and remember to wear a helmet. These resources can help your student get off to a great start.

Bike Safety

Reduced Cost Helmets

Sun Safety

While outside, be sure to protect yourself and your student from harmful UV. Visit this link to learn ways to safely enjoy the sun and what to do if your student gets a bit too much.

The LOSD COVID-19 Dashboard is updated. The dashboard shows the number of staff and students who have reported testing positive for COVID-19, regardless of school exposure.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looks at the combination of three metrics — new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days — to determine the COVID-19 community levels. Using this data, the COVID-19 community level is classified as low, medium, or high. Clackamas County is currently in low (green).

Lakeridge Cheerleading offers three teams: youth (3rd-5th), junior (6th-8th), and high school varsity (9th-12th). Are you interested in learning more about the Pacer program? Please fill out the Google Form to receive team-specific info, spring events, and registration dates:

https://forms.gle/6866LwGbXPyxjD6i8

LOSD facilities are used by community vendors and our schools to offer students enrichment and recreational opportunities after class and during breaks. For a full list of offerings from our schools and community vendors for elementary, middle and high school students, please visit the Community Programs on the district website.

Rescheduled: Friday, Apr. 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. Join Parks & Recreation for an evening of art with Lake Oswego’s talented youth artists! The event features a silent auction benefiting Children’s Healing Art Project. This FREE event is open to all ages and features live music, 2-D and 3-D art, a kid’s art clinic, and more! It will be held at Christ Church Parish, 1060 Chandler Rd., Lake Oswego, in Cummins Hall. More information is available at www.LOTeenscene.org.

The Honorary Page program is back for the 2023 legislative session! There is a one-day, hands-on experience inside the workings of the Oregon House of Representatives. Program hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays. Click here to apply to the Honorary Page Program​​​​

The House Legislative Page Program will also resume later in the 2023 session. This program is a week-long in-depth experience working directly with the Sergeant's Office.

For more information on either of these programs, please email: Civics.Education@OregonLegislature.gov

April is Arbor Month and the City of Lake Oswego is currently hosting an Arbor Month Art Contest for students in grades K-5 residing in Lake Oswego. This year’s contest theme is Trees! Trees! Trees!

Students are invited to create a work of art featuring trees in the Lake Oswego urban forest. Entries will be displayed electronically at City Hall and the Public Library, and prizes will be awarded by Mayor Buck. Entries are due by Sunday, April 23, 2023, by 11:59 p.m. Winners will be notified on National Arbor Day, April 28, and prizes will be awarded at the Lake Oswego Farmers’ Market on Saturday, May 20.

Find information at www.lakeoswego.city/formslf/ArborMonthArt.

The City of Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation is excited to move forward with the Lake Oswego Recreation and Aquatics Center and the Golf Course and Clubhouse renovations. Changing the site to accommodate the design and build throughout the project will impact the pedestrian pathways along Stafford Road. Starting this month, the current north-side pedestrian path will be closed and re-routed to the south side of the street. If you have any questions, please contact Bruce Powers, Project Manager, at bpowers@lakeoswego.city or by phone at 503-697-6575.

Visit the food pantry at 4 Monroe Parkway, Suite A. Deliveries are available on Mondays.

Shop in hours:

• Wednesdays 5-7 p.m.
• Friday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Sundays 3-5 p.m.

Learn more at hungerfightersoregon.org.

Reach out to your principal with concerns 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/ Be aware that intentionally providing a false report is a serious offense.

LOSD Incident Reports are for students and adults to report incidents that occur in school. Incidents may be microaggressions, harassment or discrimination related to race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of identity. Find incident reports on each school's website under Find It Fast / Report an Incident. Incidents may also be reported to an administrator, a trusted staff member, or anonymously to SafeOregon.com.

LOSD has ramped up its social media presence. Please join us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @weareLOSD

Email: info@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org
Location: 2455 Country Club Road, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 534-2000
Facebook: facebook.com/weareLOSD
Twitter: @weareLOSD

You are receiving this message because you are the parent or guardian of a student in the Lake Oswego School District. We hope you will assist us in our efforts to communicate efficiently and economically by continuing to receive these messages. If you need to change your parent email address, please contact your school.