Raleigh Hills Newsletter

March 12, 2021

Message from Mrs. DeMartino

Dear Raleigh Hills Community,

This time of year is usually when we at Raleigh Hills start to check through our curriculum to make sure we've taught everything and we start planning how we want the end of the year celebrations to go. This year seems strange because we are doing those things and we're also ramping up for what feels like the beginning of the year. We will be welcoming some students back in just a few weeks! This Friday will be the anniversary of when we said goodbye to students for what we thought would be an extended Spring Break. Little did we know that the pandemic would keep students out of school for a year.

As we transition back, we will be including a section of the newsletter for hybrid. There is a lot of safety information to share and we'll need to collect information from you about going home plans and other things. Even if your child is not returning in hybrid, please take a moment to look over the information and watch the videos. It will be good to see how it will look at Raleigh Hills just in case we need to begin the year in hybrid next year.

Thanks for your partnership through the last year!

Warm regards,

Jennifer

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Middle School Survey for Model Selection DUE MONDAY!

If you have not filled out the survey to select your model (CDL or Hybrid) for the rest of the year, don't forget to do that here or call the front office at 503 356-2160. We need this information to start creating schedules if they need to change. If you don't fill out the survey, you will default to CDL. Once we have all the survey information, we will use it to look at our schedules and determine if we need to make any schedule changes. We will be getting the middle schoolers their new schedules shortly after spring break.

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Return to School Dates and Spring Break Changes

Spring break will be March 22nd -26th.

As we are moving back to in-person school, teachers will have 3 days of training and time to prepare their classrooms to receive students. These days will take place on March 29, 30 and 31. These will be no school days for students. Students will return to CDL on April 1st and 2nd. After that, students who selected hybrid will begin returning as follows:

K-2: April 5

3-5: April 12

6-8: April 19

That is the time when elementary CDL times will change as well. Students in CDL will log on live with their teachers from 12:15-2:30 in elementary.

7th Grade Student Survey

Each year the District surveys students and staff to gather information for planning, program evaluation, and assessment of progress on the District's Strategic Plan.
The student survey takes about 20 minutes during the regular school day. The data gathered from the survey are anonymous; your child will not put his/her name or other identifying information on the survey. Like other surveys, results will be presented only about groups. No individual data will be reported.
Student surveys of middle and high schools included three optional questions for students to identify their gender, ethnicity / race, and sexual orientation. These questions allow for additional levels of analysis of questions on inclusion, safety and bullying.
Your child may skip questions or stop filling out the survey at any time. Refusing to participate or withdrawing from the survey does not affect your child's grades or class standing in any way. If you or your child does not want to participate, your child can read or do some other activity while his or her classmates complete the survey.
A copy of the survey is available from your child's school and is posted at https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/accountabiity/research-reports
After reviewing the survey, if you do not want your child to participate, please notify our front office at 503 356-2160.

Important Information for Hybrid Families

Each year, we ask that parents to fill out and submit the "How Is Your Child Going Home" questionnaire. This form is vital as we rely on you for the most accurate information to ensure that your student gets home safely. We ask that you give us one choice. If you need to make a change, on a certain day, please send a note to the teacher/office. Otherwise they will go home their normal way.

When we know that Transportation has sent information to our families, then we will post the link to the needed form.

Transportation will notify families via email of their bus stop and time. Transportation may tell you that there is no stop available if you are within the "no transportation zone". This means that your student would either walk to school or you may choose to drop off/pick up each day.

If your child goes to daycare (within the daycare busing zone) you must notify the office with this information as soon as possible in order for busing to be arranged to go to daycare. Transportation updates do not happen overnight and any delay in updating this information could effect your child's routing.

Join Beaverton Safe Routes to School on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Baby Yoda’s Safe Journey: A Star Wars Virtual Escape Room. As a continuation of the Star Wars saga, you will encounter familiar characters such as Finn and Ray, C-3PO, Chewbacca, BB-8, and even Darth Vader! To help Baby Yoda participants will learn more about walking, biking, and taking COVID-19 safety precautions all while solving curious puzzles and becoming Safe Routes Jedi Knights. Upon completion of your mission (about 20-30 minutes), 10 Jedis will be selected to earn a Bicycle Prize Pack (Nutcase helmet, bike lock, bike pump, and bike light) on March 31st. Follow the link below to start your journey!

https://forms.gle/56Zzs3oK5Uq8PKMe7

State Testing - REPEAT

There have been many questions about State Testing. We do not yet know if or when we may be administering the state tests this year. Here is what we know so far:

The Department of Education said it will not approve a blanket, nationwide waiver.
The State of Oregon has applied for a statewide waiver. The state has not received a decision on that waiver application.
We need to have a plan in place IF the state waiver is not approved so we have been thinking about a hypothetical “how we might test.”
The Department of Education has given a lot of flexibility, including shortening tests and allowing states to extend the testing window into the fall.
Parents have the option to opt their students out of standardized tests.
If the waiver is not approved, a district that does not participate in state testing puts its Title I funding at risk and is non-compliant.

That is the best information we have so far and I will keep you up to date. You have not missed a deadline to opt out if you choose that for your child. You can fill out the form starting now and we can keep them on file. You can print it and turn it in at the main office or send it electronically after you have filled it out and signed it. If we are notified of a deadline to opt out, I will let you know.

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Book Bus Ending - REPEAT

We are sad to announce that the last day for book bus will be March 17th. We have enjoyed providing this service, but our buses will be needed to transport students for hybrid. We will still have library book check out at Raleigh Hills. Ms. Moore will have an extended time on Wednesday mornings for checking out books. We will send the times when they are available.