Oak Creek Elementary

Oak Creek Families,

We started our morning by celebrating the linguistic diversity of our staff and students during our morning announcements, where 70 different students and staff said hello to our whole school in 21 different languages! There are even a few more languages spoken by students in our school, and we really enjoyed the chance to celebrate this together. We are so fortunate here at Oak Creek and I want to give a huge thank you to Lisa Watzke, our ELD teacher, for showcasing that this morning.

Read below for important information, including photos of student artwork, creativity- our character trait for May, and more! If you have any questions, please see the FAQ section below, or feel free to reach out to myself or Tess Kristoffersson at kristoft@loswego.k12.or.us.

Thank you again for your support from home!

Barb Keeton

Updated in Every Edition:

• Principal's Message
• Dates to Remember
• PTO Corner

NEW In This Edition:

• Purposeful People - May Focus: Creativity!
• Pictures from Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
• Changes to COVID-19 Response

Repeated Information:

• 2023-2024 Verification
• Parent Input for 2023-2024 Class Placement
• Nurses' Newsletter

LOSD District News:

• Changes to COVID-19 Response
• Hiring for School Bus Drivers
• Lake Oswego Youth Football
• Recognitions, Observances in May
• Laker Football
• LOSD Cares
• Tualatin Food Pantry
• "I Love Lake Oswego" Clothing Closet
• SafeOregon
• Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App

May 1-12: OSAS English Language Arts (3rd, 4th, 5th)
May 15-25: OSAS Math (3rd, 4th, 5th)

May 17: 4th Grade Music Performance

May 19: PTO Better Together Celebration

May 24 and 25: 4th Grade Field Trip

May 26: Grade Prep Day - No School

May 29: Memorial Day - No School

June 1: PTO Family Science Night

June 8: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony

June 9: 5th Grade to Oaks Park

June 12: Last Day for Students! 11:00 Dismissal

There are several celebration events in the community this month.

Last weekend on May 6th, William Wu in Mrs.Conrow's class volunteered and performed a Lion Dance debut in Lansu Chinese Garden with students from other Portland school districts.

Check out the nice pictures they have taken from their performance!

Please help your child be ready to do their best on the OSAS state assessment by helping them remember to:

• Get lots of exercise during the day and plenty of rest at night

• Eat a healthy breakfast

• Bring a book to read when they are finished

• Bring their CHARGED chromebook and headphones (we will provide them for students who do not bring their own from home)

• Leave smartphones/watches at home, or turn them into their teacher (If a student has a smartphone or watch during testing it can invalidate their test; smart phones and watches are an impropriety, per state assessment regulations)

• Try their best, have a great attitude and a growth mindset!

Please review the schedule below, and remember to send your student to school on time and avoid scheduling appointments on testing days if possible. Students do better when they can test with their class, instead of having to catch up at a different time.

Practice tests are available using this link https://osasportal.org/students.html

Beginning April 28, LOSD needs parents/guardians of all students enrolled for the 2023-24 school year to log into ParentVUE and review/update your students' information through the Register/Verify tab. This benefits both families and schools by:

• Ensuring that schools have accurate information to reach parents and other contacts in both emergency and non-emergency situations. Verification is important even if your address or contact information has not changed over the past year because the school may have incorrect information from a previous year.
• Confirming parent email addresses for Google Classroom and other applications to participate in your student's learning.
• Enabling distribution of key information in the district's K-12 Family Handbook. If you have forgotten your ParentVUE password, go to the login page, click "I am a Parent," then click "Forgot Password."
  
  

If you are unsure whether you have a ParentVUE account, contact your student's school. For assistance with the verification process, refer to the user guide on the LOSD website or contact your student's school.

Class placement and teacher selection are important processes and ones we feel deserve real attention. Our staff will make placement decisions based, in part, on the information you provide, in an effort to foster the success of your child. Your support and cooperation are appreciated. Before May 15th, click here if you would like to provide information for us to consider when placing your child.

Hey OCE!

Thank you for all of your support with Teacher Appreciation Week!

Volunteer Opportunities!

May Art Literacy

Butterfly Garden Work Party

On May 13th, 10a-2p, come enjoy the sunshine and work on the butterfly garden! We will continue to remove invasive weeds and put stones into the garden. Water and snacks will be provided.

We will be celebrating Walk, Bike, & Roll to School Day on June 5th! The PTO encourages everyone who can to walk, bike, or roll to and from school. Leaving cars at home is better for the environment and helps us be active. For more information, visit the website. Calling volunteers to sign up (scroll past Garden sign up) to support students traveling from further distances. See you on the streets!

Coming soon!

OMSI Night at Oak Creek, June 1st, 4:30-7:30. Free to all OCE families. More information to follow.

Field Day, June 6th, during the school day. Stay tuned for additional details.

Get your OCE spirit wear! Use this link to shop for all of your coyote gear.

Follow us on social media!

Facebook @ Oak Creek Elementary

Instagram @ Oak Creek Elementary PTO

Questions? OakCreekElementaryPTO@gmail.com

Oak Creek Elementary PTO Executive Committee

Kirstin Martin / President

Amanda Schade / Treasurer VP

Samantha McCaskey / Assistant Treasurer VP

Page Donnelly/ Membership VP

Brooke Mattern / Communications VP

Holli Hansford / Co-Events and Enrichment VP

Barry Hansford / Co-Events and Enrichment VP

Steve Farnham / Co-Fundraising VP

Heather Shoyer / Co-Fundraising VP

Lauren Terpstra / Parental Involvement VP

Rachel Wilde / Secretary VP

Teressa Raine / Sustainability VP

Dear Oak Creek Families,

During the month of May, we will be investing our time and attention on the character trait of CREATIVITY in our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons, classrooms, and throughout our school community. CREATIVITY is one of three traits we have focused on throughout the year that helps students Be Well.

The definition students will be learning this month is: Creativity: Using your imagination to create something new or solve a problem.

One of the best things about being a human is our ability to imagine! We have this cool part of our brain that allows us to not just think about survival, but also about sparkly space pigeons or colorful caterpillars or a cardboard box that is secretly a rocket ship. It is that same imagination that makes a sandbox into the moon that is capable of imagining the world’s problems as opportunities for new, bold, innovative solutions. The only way we change the negative normals in our world is to have the Courage and Creativity to think differently and exercise our imagination to help make the world better!

In Partnership,

Roxanne Davidson

School Counselor

Asthma/Allergy Medications at School

It is critical to the health and safety of your student to bring ALL doctor recommended medications to school. Over the summer, speak with your doctor to get the proper supplies for school and then go to the LOSD web page to find the proper forms to be completed with the medications. If your student is in Elementary or Secondary and will store their meds at school, watch for a medication drop off time for your particular school. If they are in secondary and keeping their medication in their possession, please submit the proper paperwork so we are aware of where to find their medication in case of an emergency.

Individualized Health Plan? - Watch for an Email

If your child has a LOSD Individualized Health Plan (IHP) developed in consultation with your District Nurse, please watch for an email! Your response is needed to confirm or update your student's plan. We appreciate your prompt response.

Immunizations

Please review the OHA requirements and information on required immunizations for students. Please make arrangements to complete immunizations and update Synergy over the summer to avoid exclusion in 2024.

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

Contact your District Nurse

Lake Oswego Youth Tackle Football fall 2023 registration is now open! Register HERE

We have much to celebrate, acknowledge, and observe in May. In particular, our district and schools will be bringing attention to Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month. It is also the month we set aside to call attention to Mental Health and Better Speech and Hearing. All teachers and staff are encouraged to find ways to recognize those and other awareness opportunities to help create a culture of belonging in our schools.

Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month

A diverse group whose heritages represent more than 50 ethnic groups and 100 languages, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made enormous contributions to the civic, cultural, and economic fabric of our nation. Read more at these sites:

• Asians/Pacific Islanders

• Library of Congress

• The Art of Asia

• Asia for Educators

• Notable Asian Pacific Americans

• Oregon Historical Society Resources

Jewish American Heritage Month

On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed that May would be Jewish American Heritage Month, recognizing the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. Read more at these sites:

• Jewish American Heritage Month

• The Library of Congress

• Law Library of Congress: Research Guide

• American Jewish Historical Society

• National Register of Historic Places

Mental Health Awareness Month

National Mental Health Awareness Month in May focuses on bringing tools, resources, and education to the general public. During the month of May, the American Counseling Association (ACA) joins the national movement to raise awareness about mental health.

Better Hearing and Speech Month

This annual event provides opportunities to raise awareness about communication disorders and to promote treatment that can improve the quality of life for those who experience problems with speaking, understanding, or hearing.

Apraxia Awareness Month

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a speech disorder in which a child has difficulty making accurate movements when speaking. The entire month of May has been designated Apraxia Awareness Month and corresponds with May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, sponsored by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

May 1-31

Buddha Day/Visakha Puja

Vesak, also known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by Buddhists in South Asia and Southeast Asia as well as Tibet and Mongolia. The festival commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha in Theravada Tibetan Buddhism and Navayana.

Recommended accommodations: Provide food accommodation as requested, and offer vegetarian options when planning menus for events on this date.

May 1-7

Physical Education And Sports Week

May 2-3, 2022

Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr, is the earlier of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam. The religious holiday is celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.

Recommended accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. Employees will likely ask to take a vacation day on this day, and that request should be granted if at all possible. If planning an evening event, provide food accommodations if requested (Islamic dietary restrictions apply).

May 2

International Family Equality Day

Celebrates the diversity and equality of LGBTQIA+ families.

May 4-8

National Teacher Appreciation Week

This is the week to thank a teacher and take action to ensure public school educators are recognized, valued, and respected.

May 5

National Teacher Day

National Teacher Day is a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives. Congress declared March 7, 1980, as National Teacher Day for that year only.

May 6

National School Nurse Day

School nurses work to promote health and provide the best care possible to students and their families. Take time on this day to look at the difference school nurses make in our schools.

May 6

School Lunch Hero Day

May 4-10

Screen Free Week

During the first week of May, take a break from screen-based entertainment like social media and TV and rediscover the joys of life away from screens.

May 9

National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day

National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is a day for everyone to promote positive youth development, resilience, recovery, and the transformation of mental health services delivery for children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families.

May 12

International Awareness Day for Immunological and Neurological Diseases

This day recognizes a host of diseases that include Fibromyalgia (FM), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and Gulf War Syndrome. May 12 was chosen as the day to bring awareness to these chronic diseases on Florence Nightingale’s birthday, one of the most notable figures in history who was thought to have lived with ME/CFS.

May 17

Anniversary of School Desegregation Ruling

On this date in 1954, racial segregation in public schools was unanimously ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, as a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment clause guaranteeing equal protection under the law.

May 17

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia is observed on May 17 and aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide. By 2016, the commemorations had taken place in 132 countries.

May 20

National Bike to Work Day

At the state or local level, Bike to Work events are conducted by small and large businesses, city governments, bicycle clubs and environmental groups. Annually, this observance takes place on the third Friday in May.

May 21

Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Global Accessibility Awareness Day is an awareness day focusing on digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people with disabilities and impairments. It is marked annually on the third Thursday of May. The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access/inclusion and people with different disabilities.

May 21

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

The day provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to advance the four goals of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions adopted on 20 October 2005:

• Support sustainable systems of governance for culture

• Achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase mobility of artists and cultural professionals

• Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks

• Promote human rights and fundamental freedoms

https://www.un.org/en/observances/cultural-diversity-day

May 22

International Day for Biological Diversity

The International Day for Biological Diversity is a United Nations–sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. It is currently held on May 22. The International Day for Biological Diversity falls within the scope of the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals.

May 30, 2022

Memorial Day

This holiday commemorates American men and women who have died in military service.

If we've missed a recognition opportunity, please email mary.kay.larson@loswego.k12.or.us.

The Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority has updated requirements for school districts' communicable disease management planning for the 2023-24 school year. Included are the following changes to our COVID-19 response:

Effective May 11:

• Several sources of COVID-19 data ended. We will archive our dashboard and CDC Community Level metrics shared in our newsletter, website, and school signage.

• A five-day period of isolation for those infected with COVID-19 is no longer recommended for the general population, including people in K-12 education settings. Our schools will continue to follow the recommendation for students and staff to stay home until fever free for 24 hours and symptoms improve.
  
  

Effective June 17:

• The COVID-19 vaccination requirement for public and private school teachers, staff, and school volunteers (OAR 333-019-1030) will be lifted. That means that after June 16, teachers, school staff, and school volunteers will no longer have to provide proof of vaccination or have a valid medical or religious exception on file to be in direct or indirect contact with students.

I Love Lake Oswego Clothing Closet has received an overwhelming amount of support and donation during the pandemic. We want to give back to our community and encourage our community to lean on us not for just hard times, but for up cycling, sustainability, and for our environment. In the past the closet was just for students, and since the pandemic we have opened our doors to anyone within our community.

Visit https://www.ilovelakeoswego.com for more information.

Parents-guardians who have concerns about a student’s well-being are encouraged to reach out to their principal and 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. Students should also be aware that intentionally providing a false report is a serious offense. https://www.safeoregon.com/

In addition, below are reporting methods for parents-guardians or students to use to report issues related to racist, bias, or harassment incidents.

· Incident Report for Elementary School

· Incident Report for Middle Schools

· Incident Report for High Schools

Stay connected to the district and your school(s) and receive urgent notifications by subscribing to the Lake Oswego Schools App.

Reach out to us if you have any questions or need anything!

• Principal; Barb Keeton: keetonb@loswego.k12.or.us
• Administrative Assistant; Terese Kristoffersson: kristoft@loswego.k12.or.us
• Administrative Assistant; Tanya Goodwin: goodwint@loswego.k12.or.us

Address: 55 Kingsgate Rd., Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakCreekPTA/

Interested in OCE Spirit Wear? Check out this website sponsored by our PTO! OCE Spirit Wear