The Current

Message from the Superintendent: See Our Bond Projects Taking Shape

Spring Break Next Week

Respect Week Sparking Inclusion Revolution

Disability Awareness & Cooperation in Our Elementary Schools

Recognizing Arab American Heritage Month

LOJ Student Wins Regional Spelling Bee

Music to Our Ears: Honoring Students

Lake Oswego's Amazing Educator

Educational Data: Discipline, Safe Oregon, and School Incident Reporting

Board Approves Integrated Grant Proposal

Advisory Committee Applications Due April 7

Openings in Elementary Immersion Programs

Asian Cultural Festival April 8

Career Night and Job Fair April 11

LO Sustainability Resource Fair April 15

Gather Items for Shifting Gears Gifting Gears

Health Information:

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

Enrichment & Recreational Programs

• Learn More About Lakeridge Cheerleading

Community Reminders:

• Pedestrian Path on Stafford Closed, Re-routed
  

Regular Reminders:

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

All public schools in the state of Oregon, including LOSD schools, are out for Spring Break next week. There will be no classes from March 27-31. School will resume on Monday, Apr. 3. Enjoy the break!

In honor of National Disabilities Month, our exemplary Learning Specialist Erin Cealey at Lake Oswego High, and student representatives from her inclusion leadership team, showcased many inclusion initiatives at our School Board meeting Monday.

Erin has matched her passion with a purpose and helped our learning community become a Special Olympics Unified Champions School to provide everyone a chance to participate in sports and activities regardless of their abilities. In sparking an "inclusion revolution," Lake Oswego High hosted Respect Week filled with activities that demonstrated inclusion is more than words. Language affects attitudes and attitudes affect actions. The week was so impactful that Oregon Special Olympics has asked Erin to roll out Respect Week statewide.

All March, our elementary schools have been honoring National Disability Awareness Month along with our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) character trait of cooperation. Students engaged in thoughtful lessons and classroom conversations, as well as used diverse resources to emphasize inclusion, empathy, different abilities, and teamwork. In collaborating with all school staff, students made literacy connections to disability awareness book collections with read-alouds in classrooms and during library time. Students were enthusiastic and had reflective questions and insights, demonstrating vulnerability and a sense of belonging in their sharing, which only furthered the depth of meaning of disability awareness beyond a monthly theme.

As we head into April, which is National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAM), our School Board celebrated Arab American heritage with a resolution encouraging our schools to infuse instructional learning activities to incorporate the contributions of Arab Americans throughout the school year.

An estimated 3.7 million Americans have Arab roots, according to the Arab American Institute, with ancestries traced to 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Immigrants with origins from the Arab world have contributed to virtually every aspect of American society including advancements in science, medicine, law, business, education, technology, government, military service, and culture.

LOJ eighth grader Rohan Sekar won the regional Scripps Spelling Bee by spelling oxyblepsia correctly (and many other words!) and is now headed to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national Scripps Spelling Bee.

Ten students from across the region met last Saturday at the Lakewood Center for the Arts. These students had already: 1) competed at the classroom level and earned a spot at their school bee; 2) won their school bee; and 3) scored in the top ten in the region on an online qualifying test.

Impressively, both the Lake Oswego and Lakeridge Middle School champions outscored almost 40 other students on the online qualifying test to earn a spot at regionals. The LMS school winner, Iris Vanderlip, got out in the third round on Saturday but stayed at the event to root for Rohan until the end, "hoping that someone from Lake Oswego would win."

Congratulations to all of our LOSD music students for representing our district at prestigious honor groups this year. These students auditioned for and were accepted into the following ensembles.

National Association for Music Education All-Northwest Ensembles

Alana Penoyer, Clarinet, LOHS

Elaina Stuppler, Trombone, LHS

Jacob Park, Cello, LHS

Jude Brandt, Bass Clarinet, LOHS

Kevin He, Trombone, LOHS

Nicholas Hosking, Bassoon, LHS

Sam Lines, French Horn, LOHS

Oregon Music Education Association High School All-State Band, Choir, Orchestra

Aidan Kwapisz, Viola, LOHS

Alana Penoyer, Clarinet, LOHS

August Kennedy, Bass Voice, LOHS

Ben Hovey, Tenor Voice, LOHS

Brooke Plasse, Trombone, LOHS

Cate Hoffman, Soprano Voice, LOHS

Clare Christensen, Soprano Voice, LOHS

Edith Allen, French Horn, LHS

Elaina Stuppler, Trombone, LHS

Emel Alhumaid, Alto Voice, LOHS

Faith Walker, Alto Voice, LOHS

Henri Danzelaud, Cello, LOHS

Ian Ko, Cello, LHS

Jacob Park, Cello, LHS

Jiyu Yang, Cello, LOHS

Kevin He, Trombone, LOHS

Leyla Gore, Alto Voice, LOHS

Mateus Wehn, Tenor Voice, LOHS

MieSo Kim, Alto Voice, LOHS

Nicholas Hosking, Bassoon, LHS

Owen Weddle, Trombone, LOHS

Philip Rha, Viola, LOHS

Sam Lines, French Horn, LOHS

Sarah Hohndel, Tuba, LOHS

Shea Bamford, Alto Voice, LOHS

Tyler Waltner, Tenor Saxophone, LHS

Veronica Horyelov, Violin, LOHS

Wyatt Sturn, Cello, LOHS

Oregon Music Education Association Middle School All-State Band, Choir, Orchestra

Adam Koh, Tenor Voice, LOJ

Ben Shannon, Tenor Voice, LOJ

Cadence Walker, Alto Voice, LOJ

Charlotte Hooper, Trumpet, LOJ

Elise Hooper, Flute, LOJ

Elise Ziegenbalg, Violin, LMS

Jack Weber, Baritone Voice, LOJ

Jaeyun Lee, Violin, LOJ

Jasmine White, Violin, LOJ

Kalea Chow, Flute, LOJ

Kate Binkley, Alto Voice, LOJ

Kate Binkley, Flute, LOJ

Nicole Richmond, Tenor Saxophone, LOJ

Rose Negrete, Bass Voice, LOJ

Rose White, Violin, LOJ

Sicily D’Orazio, Alto Saxophone, LOJ

Sophia Han, Violin, LOJ

Weston McNerney, Trumpet, LOJ

Oregon Music Education Association Elementary Honor Choir

Alison Blem, Palisades

Elliot Kalin, Forest Hills

Emeline Buenjemia, Forest Hills

Emma Rodgers, Westridge

Emmaline Bunch, Forest Hills

Isla Mae Philpott, Palisades

Jeannine Yang, Palisades

Juliet Weber, Forest Hills

Kira Bryson, Palisades

Lucy Colton, Westridge

Margot Hall, Palisades

Molly Welter, Westridge

Owen Adams, Westridge

Paige Jaster, Forest Hills

Paige Powers, Forest Hills

Shea Noll, Forest Hills

Tessa Rudig, Westridge

Western International Band Clinic Ensembles

Anna Pelletier, Flute, LHS

Emory Guyer, Flute, LHS

Nicholas Hosking, Bassoon, LHS

Owen Weddle, Trombone, LOHS

Pamplin Media Group has published its annual Amazing Educators special section honoring 28 local teachers. Based on nominations from students, residents, and fellow educators, Breck Foster has been selected as this year's honoree representing Lake Oswego. She is a Lake Oswego High School social studies teacher and sustainability advocate who has helped students learn about and take action on climate change. Please join us in congratulating Breck and learning more about her and all of the 2023 Amazing Educators in this week's edition of the Lake Oswego Review.

Integral to learning and improving is assessing data. In continued transparency, district staff shared an update on educational data related to discipline, Safe Oregon, and school incident reporting at the School Board meeting. For the complete presentation, visit the School Board meeting agenda and video for March 20, 2023.

Safe Oregon and LOSD Incident Reporting links are listed at the end of this newsletter.

Our School Board approved the LOSD proposal for the 2023-2025 Oregon Department of Education (ODE) integrated grant. The integrated plan includes community engagement, needs assessment, planning, and budgeting for six programs (Student Investment Account, High School Success, Early Indicators and Intervention Systems, Continuous Improvement, Career and Technical Education, and Everyday Matters). The combined estimated grant allocation for two school years (2023-2025) to LOSD is $14,574,806.62. For the complete presentation, visit the School Board meeting agenda and video for March 20, 2023.

Our schools need you! Please consider applying for an advisory committee for terms starting next school year. There is one application for all committees; in the form mark the committee that is of interest to you. Only committees with vacancies -- School Advisory Committees (SAC) and Long Range Facility Planning (LRFP) -- are listed in the application. See the charters posted on the School Board Advisory Committees web page for more information about each committee.

Applications are due Friday, April 7 at 5 p.m. Recommendations and selections will be made in April. All applicants will be notified by May 1.

We are continuing to accept applications for our Spanish and Mandarin Chinese Immersion programs from students who reside within the district on a first-come, first-served basis until April 28.

• 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. Students who reside outside of our district need to follow the standard transfer request procedures, which are outlined on the district website under Registration and Transfers. We will notify transfers of their possible placement in our immersion programs in June.

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

If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Oliva, olival@loswego.k12.or.us.

Mark your calendars for Lake Oswego Asian Cultural Festival. Lake Oswego High School’s Asian American Student Union is hosting the second annual Asian Cultural Festival on Saturday, Apr. 8. The event will feature free Asian food, music, and activities from over 30 organizations/restaurants between 2 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., as well as cultural performances from 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. The show features a variety of spectacular performances including lion dancers, taiko drumming, music, martial arts, and more!

Tickets for the performances ($5) are limited and can be purchased on their website www.asianfestivallo.com. The first 100 tickets purchased with the promo code EARLYBIRD23 will get 20% off!

LOSD is partnering with the City of Lake Oswego’s Sustainability Advisory Board, Lake Oswego Sustainability Network, and Oswego Lake Watershed Council to host the second annual Lake Oswego Sustainability Resource Fair.

Saturday, Apr. 15

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Lakeridge Middle School

At this free event, participants of all ages can 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.

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

River Grove PTO is hosting its second annual Shifting Gears Gifting Gears community service event on April 13-15. All in the community are invited to donate sporting gear in good/working conditions that your family has outgrown. All are also welcome to stop by the event to receive items for free. It's a great way to upcycle sporting gear. More details coming soon. In the meantime, start your spring cleaning!

Handwashing

While hand sanitizer is a great option, it cannot replace good handwashing. Be sure to wash your hands after using the restroom, sneezing or coughing, or touching your face to help keep our community healthy.

Allergies?

If your student has a health plan that includes an Antihistamine (Benadryl), please be aware that you must provide it. If your child has an allergic reaction or potential exposure to the allergen and you have not provided it, we will have to call 911 per the regulations and guidelines of OHA/ODE/CCESD.

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

Contact your District Nurse

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.

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.