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LMS Weekly Newsletter
April 14, 2024
Dear LMS Families,
We had a wonderful week of sunshine that allowed students to be outside for recess; unfortunately the solar eclipse was mostly covered by clouds. We did, however, get to watch the livestream from other parts of the country and it was super cool!
Our student leaders hosted 5th graders for tours and question/answer sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday to help them learn more about what it's like to attend Lane Middle School - they did an amazing job! Our band and choir not only performed in the morning for our 5th grade guests, they performed that night at their concert as well - and then again the next morning. Our dance class also performed for the 5th graders and gave them a glimpse of what Lane has to offer.
Online Bullying
This past week we have seen an uptick in social media abuses that are considered bullying and are doing serious harm to students. There is a link to a form posted that students are using to submit "confessions" about other people. We are working with IT to see if we can identify the source of the google form, but these issues are rarely resolved by finding the source. Here is what we need to do:
- Talk with your student about this and check to see if they are following accounts like "lanemsconfessions" - that's the one I see right now, but there could be more.
- If they are FOLLOWING this account, have them report it and UNFOLLOW.
- If they are being FOLLOWED by this account have them report it and BLOCK the account.
- If they are impacted by what is being posted let me know and our counselors will be available to support them.
These pages DO NOT have life if no one follows them or participates. The only way to prevent these pages from impacting our kids is to have them report it. Please, if you have Instagram, go on and report it yourself as many times as you can until Instagram takes it down. If you read some of the comments you will be horrified by what our students are saying about their peers.
There are likely other confessions or gossip/tea accounts on TikTok as well - please talk with your student about how they can protect themselves and their friends from being targeted by this kind of online bullying.
Monday morning, whoever is still following or being followed by this account will be invited into my office to be interviewed, and consequences will be assigned as appropriate. Students need to understand that as bystanders they are participating and encouraging this online bullying - it will only continue if there is an audience and as a community we all have a responsibility to report and avoid being caught up in it.
Thank you for your help with this! It takes all of us together to protect our students from online bullying.
OSAS Testing
OSAS testing is approaching and we need your help to make sure that we are ready. If you would like to exempt your student from testing you will need to submit the necessary forms no later than Friday, April 19th. We have extended the deadline to accommodate some late forms coming in. We are running a modified schedule and need to create groups for students to test, keeping in mind those students who have accommodation needs on their IEPs, so it is imperative that we have accurate lists of students who are testing before testing begins. 8th graders will take their OSAS Science test on April 24th, and the other tests will begin on April 30th.
LMS is a closed campus
I just want to remind our community that LMS is a closed campus. Once a student gets on the bus to come to school or arrives on campus, they may not leave without a parent/guardian calling to sign them out. That means students may not walk to the store once they are dropped off. We appreciate your support with this as we endeavor to keep our students safe.
I know this was a lot of information and I appreciate you taking the time to read through it. We love our kids and love our community, and we certainly value your efforts to work with us.
Warmly,
Rosemarie El Youssef
LMS Principal
503-916-6355, ext. 72700
OSAS Testing Forms
Our end of year state testing (OSAS) is coming up. These state tests provide insights into our students' learning and how we can improve teaching practices as a school. All students will take the ELA tests April 30-May 2 and the Math tests May 7-8. We will test during a 2-hour block at the beginning of each of those days, followed by a modified class schedule. In addition, 8th graders will take a Science test on April 24.
If you would like to exempt your student from testing, please find the appropriate form. 8th grade families, there is a separate form for opting out of the science test. Please fill out the opt out form and return to the main office or email to lhammett@pps.net by Friday, April 19. If you would like additional information about OSAS including practice tests, please see the ODE portal here.
Please see the message below from the PPS testing department regarding opting out of these state tests.
Dear PPS families,
As required by the Oregon Department of Education, we are providing you with the 30 Day Notice and Opt Out Form for Statewide Assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The notice is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian and Somali on the PPS Research, Assessment, and Accountability website.
Statewide testing is part of our balanced assessment system that offers all students, especially historically underserved students, opportunities to demonstrate their progress. Information provided by student assessments is critical in helping us determine district and school priorities for improving student learning.
If you have questions, please contact your school office.
Thank you,
PPS Research, Assessment, and Accountability Department
SUN SCHOOL
Nothing new to report! Please contact Will (wigrebner@pps.net) if you have any questions.
PTA CORNER
PTA NEWS
BOTTLE DROP TO RAISE MONEY FOR KONA ICE TRUCK:
We are raising money for the Kona Shaved Ice Truck to come to the school at the end of the year!! And we’d love your help! You can grab a blue bottle drop bag from the school office to bring home, email us at lanemspta@gmail.com to coordinate getting a bag, or bring your cans and bottles to the school. When your bag is full, you can drop it off at the school or you can return directly to a bottle drop site that is available at most grocery stores.Thanks for your support in this!!
JOIN THE PTA BOARD
Are you interested in getting more involved and helping support our awesome school? There are plenty of opportunities, big or small. Please reach out to us if you are interested in joining the PTA board for next year or becoming a grade level rep. lanemspta@gmail.com
PROJECT OR EVENT IDEAS💡 We are drafting our budget and plan this month for next year and welcome any ideas. Send us your ideas! DC/NY Trip Fundraising Check out this slideshow to learn more about fundraising for the DC/NY trip. Please consider giving or sharing the link to the Teacher Sponsored GoFundMe Equity Scholarship Funding - monies will go directly to the students in greatest need, distributed by a group of teachers and parents for accountability: PTA LINKS - Join our email list or contact us at lanemspta@gmail.com
IMPORTANT DATES AHEAD
Arab-American Heritage Month
National Poetry Month
Passover - 4/22 and 4/30
OSAS Testing Opt Out Forms DUE - 4/19
OSAS Science (8th grade only) - 4/24
OSAS ELA Test - 4/30-5/2
OSAS Math Test - 5/7-5/8