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SSD District Updates Newsletter
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January 5, 2024
Mark Your Calendars...📆
- January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (No School)
- January 20: Early Learning Fair - 9-11am, District Office Multipurpose Room
- January 23: PreK Program Open Houses - 4-6pm (Middleton, Ridges, & Hawks View)
- January 25 - High School Conferences - 4:30-8pm, SHS
- February 9 - PreK Interest Forms Deadline
- February 19 - President's Day (No School)
Celebrate Sherwood Schools: Ridges Elementary Month
As you may know, our district's theme for this year is "Celebrate Sherwood Schools!" This year-long theme is all about celebrating what is great about our schools, focusing on the achievements of our amazing students -- and on expressing our gratitude to you, our parents and families, for your role in those achievements!
As part of this year-long focus on celebration, each month we will highlight one of the six schools in our district. This month, please join us in celebrating Ridges Elementary School!
First opened in 2009, Ridges Elementary is the largest of our four elementary schools, with over 670 students and 83 teachers/staff members. When on campus, visitors will notice two distinct sides of the building: the “Laurel” side, which houses grades 3-5, and the “Edy” side, which houses grades PreK-2. These two sides reflect the building’s original configuration, which housed both Laurel Ridge Middle School and Edy Ridge Elementary, and was often referred to by district staff as “the Ridges.” When Laurel Ridge merged with Sherwood Middle School in 2020, the building was converted to serve a larger elementary enrollment and renamed as Ridges Elementary as an homage to its previous nickname.
The mascot of Ridges elementary is a wolf, a fitting symbol for a school that focuses on community and belonging for all members of its “pack.” From school spirit days and the annual Fun Run, to philanthropic efforts -- such as the “Kids Helping Kids” holiday drive event -- Ridges Wolves embrace a school-wide sense of teamwork, generosity, and connection in all they do. Additionally, the staff of Ridges Elementary strive to ensure that every student has at least one adult on campus they feel connected to, creating an even stronger sense of school community each and every day.
We invite you to join us in celebrating Ridges Elementary during the month of November! To learn more about Ridges Elementary, visit their website at https://re.sherwood.k12.or.us.
Another great way to celebrate Ridges is to support the Ridges Elementary PAC! For information on fundraising, volunteer needs and more, visit https://ridgeselementarypac.org or follow on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RidgesElementaryPAC).
State Assessment Information
Our annual state assessment window will be coming up soon, and we are committed to making sure families are well-informed about the state tests that your child(ren) will be taking. Please take a moment to visit our newly-expanded State Assessment Information website, which includes resources from the Oregon Department of Education to help you better understand the testing process and how test results are used.
WHAT IS ASSESSMENT?
The video below from the Oregon Department of Education provides more information about how assessments are used in our schools.
DID YOU KNOW?
The seven Oregon public universities have a policy in place that allows high school students to use their state assessment results to qualify for exemption from developmental courses in mathematics and English during their first year of university attendance. Click the link below for details!
We encourage families with questions or concerns about the state assessments to contact their child's school office, teacher, or school counselor.
School Board Recognition Month
The Sherwood School District is joining Oregon's other 196 school districts in celebrating January as "School Board Recognition Month." As volunteers, our school board members spend countless hours year-round working to serve the students, staff, parents, and community members of Sherwood, with a focus on providing the best possible education opportunities for K-12 learners in our district. Please join us this month in thanking our Board of Directors for their dedication and service to our schools!
Lunch Account Balance Information
We're back from Winter Break, and it's a great time to check on your student's lunch account balance! Negative balance notifications are emailed to families every Wednesday, but unfortunately these emails can often be sent to the spam folder. This means that your student’s account balance may be negative without your knowledge.
We encourage parents to view their students’ meal account balances regularly on the ParentVUE Portal. Instructions for navigating the ParentVUE website can be found here. Payments for lunch accounts may be made online by credit/debit card or eCheck/ACH, or in person by check/cash at your student’s school.
2024-25 PreK Program - Now Accepting Interest Forms!
Attention Families! Will you have a 4 year old on September 1, 2024? Get your preschool decisions made now! Sherwood School District's PreK Program is accepting interest forms, and spots will be assigned starting February 9, 2023. We are ready to welcome your young learner to Sherwood School District's 2024-2025 PreK Program!
Please visit our website at Early Learning and PreK for additional details, or complete the interest form at the link below.
SHS Booster Club Bowling Fundraiser - January 15
Save the date! The Sherwood Booster Club will be participating in the Langers Entertainment Center Make a Difference Monday bowling fundraiser on January 15. Stop by Langers to bowl anytime between 11:00am-10:00pm. Langer’s will be partnering with Sherwood Booster Club and donating 100% of the bowling & shoe rental revenue. It’s that simple! Come on down and have a night out with the family, friends & teammates!!!
The Sherwood Booster Club is proud to promote athletic excellence, a positive community image, and competitive programs by providing financial assistance and support to our student-athletes, coaching staffs and athletic department through our fundraising and community donation programs.
Voices for the Performing Arts - Auditions for Grades 4-8
Is your student interested have a passion for being on stage? Voices for the Performing Arts will be holding auditions on January 9, 3:45-5:45pm at the SMS Auditorium, for students in grades 4-8 to participate in an upcoming play. To audition, please see the link below for instructions and registration form. For more details, please see today's newsletter from your child's school (Elementary and SMS only).