Westridge Wildcat Newsletter

Hello Westridge Community!

I hope everyone had a nice spring break and is ready to finish the year strong! Next week, you have an opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher at conferences. Our teachers work hard to be in touch consistently throughout the school year, but this is devoted time for teachers to share what they are learning about your children and also a time for you to share what you are noticing outside of the classroom. Research consistently shows that the collaboration between teachers and families leads to increased student achievement and we are so grateful for your partnership!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Laura Weaver

SCHOOL CALENDAR: LOSD SCHOOL CALENDAR 22-23

4/10-4/14: Scholastic Book Fair (eWallets are now open! Here's more information about the book fair and how to set up an eWallet for your child.)

4/10-4/21: Hunger Fighters Food Drive at Westridge

4/13-4/14: Conferences - No School

4/14: Lost and found donated at the end of the day

4/20: 3rd Grade Music Concert in the gym 5:30

4/20: PTSO General Meeting at Westridge Library and on Zoom 7-8pm

5/18: 5th Grade Musical 6:30

5/19: 5th Grade Musical Assembly (Time TBD)

6/2: SAVE THE DATE! Carnival is coming! 5-8pm

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

We are always looking for ways to improve our students' experience here at Westridge and recess is an important part of their day! We are going to be purchasing new equipment (e.g. volleyballs, jump ropes, etc.) based on student input and hope to gradually bring football back starting with 2nd and 3rd grade in the next couple of weeks and then, hopefully, for 4th and 5th grade. In PE, students are reviewing the rules for recess games and focusing on sportsmanship.

We are also looking for additional adult support during recess time. If you would like to spend 30 minutes a week supporting our Westridge community at recess, please read over this document and sign up for a weekly time slot!

Looking for an opportunity to meet and work with other Westridge parents? Interested in creating student and school community events? Consider joining the PTSO Executive Board for the 2023-24 school year! We have 5 open positions: President, Communications Officer, Volunteer Coordinator, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer. Reach out to WestridgePTSO@gmail.com or any current board member to apply or if you would like more information about any of the roles. The application deadline is April 20th. Think you want to share a position with a friend? Co-officers are welcome!

Stop by the Westridge Library before school, after school and during conference days! Students will also have the opportunity to shop as a class and also during
recess so set up your ewallets today! (instructions below)

We're also in need of more volunteers for April 13th and 14th. Sign up here.

Following conferences (April 13th and 14th), the lost and found will be cleaned out and donated. Please encourage your child to check the lost and found. It will also be available by the front door during conferences so that parents and caregivers can go through it.

Dear Westridge Families,

As we enter April, we will be talking about the virtue of Courage - to help our children be courageous and learn to conquer things that frighten or scare them. Children need reassurance that fear is one of our feelings and to help them understand that it’s okay to feel afraid. Courage isn’t fearlessness, but instead our ability to choose the right thing even when we are scared! The definition we will be talking about is: Courage is to choose what is helpful, right, and kind - even when it is hard or scary.

Have some fun connecting as a family this month while practicing Courage. Here are 3 “PurposeFull Pursuits” for you to complete together. How many can you do this month?

1. Reflect, think, and discuss with your student things you both would like to do, but find intimidating or scary. Maybe it’s a new hobby, trying a new game, sharing your art or invention with others, or going on an adventure somewhere. Give 1 of these things a try together and take a selfie to capture the memory!

2. Review Courage as a family! Remember that Courage is choosing what is helpful, right, and kind - even when it’s hard or scary. What’s something that you’ve been afraid to discuss with your student? Something that might be difficult to explain about our community or the world. Chances are they will hear about it eventually and it may come from someone who is less informed or less supportive than you. Have a courageous conversation with your student. It could be about bullying, the environment, uncertainty, etc. Remind them that love and support are 2 tools that we can use to practice Courage. Discuss as a family ways they can practice Courage around the issue you discuss.

3. We have all demonstrated Courage in our lives. Many of us have seen people practice Courage in ways that have inspired us. Stories are powerful tools for connecting as a family. Protect time this week to share stories about Courage with each other (you can use the story prompts to get started). At the end of the conversation, think of 1 way you can practice Courage this week.

We believe involving families in our Social Emotional Learning is important. The letters linked below include activities and conversation starters for you to explore Courage as a family.

Courage Family Newsletters

Thank you for taking the time to engage your family in these activities.. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I can be reached at kieserg@loswego.k12.or.us or 503-534-2371.

Sincerely,

Gary Kieser, MA

School Counselor

What: Come celebrate and support our Pacer Baseball Community with dinner, drinks, friends, live and silent auction, wine wall, party boards and so much more...Tables and tickets are now available!

When: April 15, 2023

Where: Celebrate Catering Event Space, Lake Oswego

Tickets and Tables are now available!

Click here to learn more about sponsorships.

Click here to purchase a table or your individual tickets.

Interested in other ways you can support the auction? Reach out to the committee at Auction.Pacerbaseball@gmail.com

Gratitude Revealed

Thursday, May 4, 2023 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

**Doors open at 6:30 pm**

Hosted by LOHS parents and Gratitude Revealed film distributor, Kirt Eftekhar of Area 23a Films.

Q&A directly after the film

Suggested Donation: $8 for Students & $12 for Adults

Film Summary:

An epic journey forty years in the making, Gratitude Revealed from acclaimed filmmaker, Louie

Schwartzberg, the director of Fantastic Fungi, takes us on a transformational, cinematic experience of how to live a more meaningful life full of gratitude through his intimate conversations with everyday people, thought leaders, and personalities revealing gratitude is a proven pathway back from the disconnection we feel in our lives; disconnection from ourselves, our planet, and each other.

Lake Oswego Asian Cultural Festival on April 8th!

Mark your calendars! Lake Oswego High School’s Asian American Student Union is hosting their second annual Asian Cultural Festival on Saturday, April 8th! The event will feature free Asian food, music, and activities from over 30 organizations/restaurants between 2 pm and 6:15 pm, as well as cultural performances from 6:30 pm to 9 pm. 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!

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.

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