The Current
LOSD News • April 16, 2021
In this Message:
Message from the Superintendent
All In! Grades K-12 In Schools
New Summer Program Information
Wednesday Workshops Sign Ups
Status of State Assessments
New Quarantine Rules for Schools
New Lake Grove Principal Jennie Knapp
LOSD 5th Grade Food Waste Project
QPR Suicide Prevention Training for Parents
LOSD CARES Virtual Workshop
TAG Advisory Committee Meeting
Teen Lounge Opening
School Board Candidate Forum
Equity Summit: Save the Date
City of LO Community Policing Survey
Regular Reminders:
- Get Social: Follow, Share, Engage @wearelosd
- What's New at Community School
- Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
- Back-to-School Clothes at Clothing Closet
- COVID-19 Vaccine Information
- 3 Ws: Watch Distance, Wear Mask, Wash Hands
- Safe Oregon
Message from the Superintendent
As we enter into the last quarter of this school year I want to provide an update on our current status, and discuss thinking for next school year.
Fourth Quarter 2020-21 Update
Throughout this unprecedented time of continually shifting guidance, LOSD and the Lake Oswego Education Association (LOEA) have made agreements developed collaboratively based on information available at the time. These negotiations led to the temporary Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in the fall, which expires at the end of this school year, June 30, after which LOSD will revert to the previously negotiated agreements. Those agreements allow full-time, in-person instruction resuming for the 2021-22 school year.
With the resumption of in-person learning this spring, and with more data on COVID-19 becoming available, District Administration and the School Board recently requested LOEA to reopen portions of the MOU; in particular, we sought to add more in-person learning time on Wednesdays. However, the LOEA has indicated that they prefer to continue the balance of this school year with the previously negotiated MOU that expires June 30, 2021. We remain open to revisiting the MOU should their position change.
The district is moving forward and exploring the possibility and interest in expanding our successful Wednesday Workshop program to include in-person enrichment experiences for our elementary students.
Five Full Days in 2021-22 School Year
We are also solidifying plans for resuming our pre-pandemic educational programming, five full days a week, starting in the fall. We believe evolving state guidance and vaccination distribution will allow this to be possible.
The past 14 months have been trying on all of us. I am looking forward to a renewed start in the fall.
All In! LOSD Students Grades K-12 In Schools
New Summer Program Information
LOSD is solidifying plans for our robust summer program. Following is a preview -- more details to come. The summer program will include:
Academic support for students rising to grades 1-6 with unfinished learning as determined by diagnostic assessments; students rising to grades 7-8 needing math and literacy instructional boosts; and students rising to grades 9-12 needing credit recovery towards graduation. In-person classes will be offered five days a week, July 12-30, from 8-11:30 a.m. Some high school credit recovery classes will be offered online. Families will be notified by principals with program specifics.
Kindergarten Transition to support our youngest students in acclimating to school before entering kindergarten in the fall. Kindergarten Boost is a two-week program, offered July 26-29 and August 2-5, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Registration will be with LOSD's Community School.
Enrichment classes and camps for all students to create connections and experience something fun and new; these experiences will be offered in the afternoons of the academic program, as well as throughout the summer. Registration will be with LOSD's Community School.
Emergency Childcare for school-aged children who need adult supervision during the summer months; this program is guided by state and county regulations for childcare during the pandemic, until further notice.
We will be able to offer for free the academic program and supplement the enrichment programs through the new Oregon Department of Education’s Summer Enrichment Grant.
LOSD’s Community School and educational leadership will be running the summer programs. LOSD has hired Jackie Clee to serve as Director of Community School while Vanessa Davalos is out on parent leave. Additionally, LOSD is in the process of hiring principals for the K-5 and 8-12 summer academic programs; we anticipate announcing those positions by the beginning of May. These principals and Jackie will be working together to support students participating in multiple summer program offerings.
Wednesday Workshops Sign Ups
Through a partnership with the Lake Oswego Schools Foundation, LOSD is offering Wednesday Workshops enrichment classes to create more connection experiences for our LOSD elementary students. Classes are free of charge.
Wednesdays, Apr. 21- May 26
10- 11:00 a.m. or 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Please click here to go to the Wednesday Workshops landing page on the LOSD website for more information and to register for a class.
Status of State Assessments
Oregon school districts are required to administer state assessments this spring in English Language Arts (ELA), math, and science. The Oregon Department of Education’s request to waive these assessments due to the pandemic was denied by the federal government. A revised waiver has been conditionally approved to require fewer assessments at each grade level this year. In addition, the ELA and math assessments have been shortened and will take less time to complete this year.
Any parent who does not wish their student to take these assessments is asked to notify the school using Oregon’s legislated processes:
- ELA and/or math (grades 3, 4, 6–8 and 11): submit the state opt-out form to your child’s school. The form is available on the State Assessments page of the District website.
- Science (grades 5 and 8 only): submit a written request for exemption to your child’s school (email or US mail).
New Quarantine Rules for Schools
Clackamas County Public Health has issued new guidance that supersedes all previous requirements regarding quarantining and schools. Following is a summary of the new quarantine requirements effective for new cases starting April 12, 2021. Questions may be directed to COVIDschoolliaison@clackamas.us.
A person who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to ISOLATE for 10 days (and be fever-free for 24 hours and their symptoms are improving).
Close contacts of someone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to QUARANTINE for 10 to 14 days depending on where the exposure occurred. A close contact is someone who was within 6 feet of the infected person for more than 15 cumulative minutes in 24 hours.
A 14-day quarantine will now be required for high-risk exposures in school related settings: Such settings include sports practice, games and travel, certain extracurricular activities, and social gatherings.
Individuals who live in the same household as someone who tests positive for COVID-19 are required to quarantine for 14 days.
A minimum of 10-day quarantine will be required for controlled, low-risk settings: Such settings include classrooms and buses. Individuals doing the minimum 10-day quarantine should continue to monitor themselves for symptoms during days 10-14. Individuals may choose to quarantine 14 days.
Per public health authorities, testing out of quarantine will not be an option for Clackamas County. While the CDC presents a third option of ending quarantine 7 days post-exposure with a negative PCR-test on day 5 or later, local public health authorities are ultimately responsible for establishing local quarantine guidelines.
See the full message on the district website under District Nurse News or click here.
New Lake Grove Principal Jennie Knapp
We are pleased to announce that after a competitive process we have hired Jennie Knapp as principal for Lake Grove Elementary. Since February, Jennie has been serving as the interim principal and she will continue as the principal of Lake Grove permanently.
Jennie replaces Scott Schinderle, who was hired as Executive Director of Student Services for LOSD.
Please join us in congratulating Jennie on her new position.
LOSD 5th Grade Food Waste Project
Check out their PSAs new link to learn more and see how you can make a difference! This project was made possible thanks to a World Wildlife Fund grant, curriculum and resources adapted from Oregon Green Schools and WWF, and guidance from the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network. Thanks also to the teachers that collaborated on this effort: Breck Foster (LOHS), Faith Jordan (Forest Hills STEM Facilitator), Laura Wolf (Oak Creek RTI Coordinator) and Larry Zurcher (STEM TOSA). Finally, thanks to all the students who engaged in this learning!
QPR Suicide Prevention Training for Parents
Parents and guardians of LOSD middle and high school students are invited to join Counselor and QPR Trainer, Marcy Watts, for a suicide prevention training called QPR.
April 27, 2021
Two session times (only attend one session)
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
6-7:30 p.m.
QPR is intended to offer hope through positive action. By learning QPR, you will come to recognize the warning signs, clues, and suicidal communications of people in trouble, and gain skills to act vigorously to prevent a possible tragedy.
Registration is limited to 60 people per session Click here to register.
Important Note: QPR requires that all participants have their cameras on at all times during this training. Please contact Marcy Watts if you have any questions or concerns. wattsm@loswego.k12.or.us
LOSD CARES Virtual Workshop
Wednesday, May 12
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
TAG Advisory Committee
All are welcome to observe the meeting.
Thursday, Apr. 21
6-7:30 p.m.
Please see the district calendar for information to access this meeting.
Calling All 5th Graders – The Teen Lounge Welcomes You!
Join the LO Teen Lounge for a meet & greet for incoming 6th graders! We will be hosting both a virtual and an in-person tour of the Lounge, as well as offering summer drop-in hours for incoming grades 6-12.
Virtual: Friday, May 14; 5-6pm: Hear all about the Teen Lounge and take a virtual tour! To register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuduqrrD0iHNPcVis7DddIH39qt5iQD-O7
In Person: Friday, May 21; 4-7pm: This is open to all students, and it is the first opportunity for current 5th graders to see and visit the Teen Lounge. Parents are also invited, and will have opportunities to talk to staff about all of LOPR’s teen programming opportunities.
The LO Teen Lounge is located at 1060 Chandler Rd., Lake Oswego. Learn More at www.LOTeenScene.org. Any questions, please contact Jordan Morales at 503-534-5434 or teenprograms@lakeoswego.city
School Board Candidate Forum
Tuesday, Apr. 27
6:30 - 8 p.m.
Four of our high school students will be moderating the forum.
Lake Oswego Equity Summit: Save the Date
Join us in our first virtual Equity Summit: A Spirit of Unity. All are welcome to participate and registration will be available in May.
Saturday, May 15
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
This Equity Summit is being planned by the Lake Oswego School District, the City of Lake Oswego, the Chamber of Commerce, Respond to Racism and LO for Love. Together we will take another step forward in ensuring equitable access, inclusion and opportunity for all our community members.
For questions, please contact Teresa Sanchez at sanchezt@loswego.k12.or.us or Megan Phelan at mphelan@ci.oswego.or.us.
City of LO Community Policing Survey
As part of the community policing dialog, the City of Lake Oswego's community survey is open. The City invites you to share your thoughts on community policing, which will help the City evaluate existing policing systems, policies, and practices. The survey is open to everyone who lives, works, or visits Lake Oswego. Please share your thoughts by Friday, Apr. 23.
For more information about community policing, visit www.lakeoswego.city/community-policing.
Get Social: Follow, Share, Engage @wearelosd
Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
Back-to-School Clothes at Clothing Closet
Back-to-school clothes are available for free at the I Love Lake Oswego (ILLO) clothing closet located in the house that is green on the Lake Oswego High School campus. Lake Oswego families who needs clothes are encouraged to come and shop.
Open Saturdays
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
On rainy days ILLO will need to limit shoppers inside for social distancing. Face masks are required. Please park by the district pool and walk up the driveway to reduce interference with the neighboring Hunger Fighters food pantry.
For more information, visit www.IloveLakeOswego.com.
What's New at Community School?
The LOSD Community School is offering virtual enrichment programs and activities for students of all ages including culinary, STEM, arts, language, and athletics.
SafeOregon
Parents 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.
(Students should also be aware that intentionally providing a false report is a serious offense.)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Vaccinations are our strongest tool as we work to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the vaccine supply becomes more readily available, providers in Clackamas County are working to establish regular vaccination opportunities for county residents.
For vaccine opportunities please visit: https://www.clackamas.us/coronavirus/vaccine That website will be updated as more opportunities become available. For questions about eligibility, please visit: Vaccine Eligibility
3 Ws: Watch Distance, Wear Mask, Wash Hands
Lake Oswego School District
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/LOSDProud
Twitter: @LOSD_Proud