Greetings West Linn-Wilsonville School Community -Welcome to the West Linn-Wilsonville School District! This is an exceptional place of teaching, learning and community support. Between our incredible students, dedicated staff, supportive School Board and wonderful community, I can’t imagine a better place in which to learn and lead.
What makes this district so special is that while we draw upon students, families and patrons from two cities, we are ONE community, made stronger by our mission of creating learning communities for the greatest thinkers and most thoughtful people for the world. We have compelling District Goals, that drive strategies and actions for improving how we teach, learn and lead in cultures that are inclusive, courses that are academically rigorous and results that generate equitable outcomes for each child.
This year, our West Linn-Wilsonville theme is “Leading Together”, and I invite members across our community to engage and participate in ways that strengthen our district mission and shine a light on the endeavors of our amazing students.
To a great year!
Kathy Ludwig, Superintendent
The West Linn-Wilsonville School District was recently awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). It's the 25th-straight year the district has received the award, marking quite the milestone.
Ther Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
The CAFR is judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.
Lowrie Primary School underwent a change this summer that is sure to have students and families alike excited for the first day of school on Aug. 27. The change comes in the form of new principal Sarita Amaya, who follows in Patrick Meig’s footsteps as the next leader of Lowrie Primary.
Amaya comes to Lowrie from the Beaverton School District, where she most recently served as Assistant Administrator for Multilingual Programs. She brings a broad and diverse background in education to Lowrie Primary, which is a testament to her long-time commitment and passion for public education.
Originally from Oregon, Amaya graduated from the University of Oregon before earning a master’s degree in education from Arizona State University. She began her teaching career in Phoenix as a dual language teacher before returning to Oregon to work in the same role in the North Clackamas School District. A classroom teacher for a total of 14 years, Amaya then joined the Oregon Department of Education in 2014, working as an Education Program Specialist in Policy and Partnerships. She was hired as ODE’s Equity Director in 2015 before going back to school to serve as assistant principal at Elmonica Elementary in the Beaverton School District.
“I would say that my administrative experience is very multi-faceted,” she says. “Working with the Oregon Department of Education was an exciting time. We created a model of early learning that started with expected mothers and lasts all the way until those children are age five. My role was to ensure that voices of historically underrepresented communities were at the forefront of that process, and I learned a lot about relationship-building and establishing trust with so many different people.” [READ THE FULL STORY]
Justin Taylor’s journey through the West Linn-Wilsonville School District is a testament to his own resolve, and to the power of public education. His path to graduation was full of twists and turns, but thanks to hard work, dedication in the classroom, and some help from staff and peers, Justin walked across the Rolling Hills stage this past June as a 2018 Graduate of Wilsonville High School.
Now a customer service employee ZOUP Eatery, Justin began gaining traction in his educational career when he joined a wealth of school and work programs during his time at Wilsonville High School. He joined the district’s Youth Transition Program in 2016, where he gained real-world job experience and learned a variety of job-specific skills.
A partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation Oregon and the University of Oregon, the district’s Youth Transition Program serves roughly 50 students across West Linn-Wilsonville’s three high schools. The Youth Transition Program works to pair students with job and internship opportunities throughout the community, allowing students to learn real-world job skills, build resumes, and gain valuable experience.
His experiences with YTP gave him the confidence to apply and interview for a part-time position at ZOUP in December of 2017. He was hired in January when he quickly completed training and received his Food Handler’s card. He soon mastered taking the bus to and from school, and then to work in the afternoons.
With the help of his combined team made up of his Special Education case manager, Youth Transition Program coordinators, vocational rehabilitation staff, and ZOUP managers, Justin was able to master his daily routine, cheerfully tending to the lunch crowd at ZOUP for nearly two full years now. His ZOUP managers praise Justin for his ability and friendly demeanor, even giving him additional responsibilities in recent months.
Justin’s experiences helped propel him to graduation in the spring, and he now gets ready to return to the district’s Adult Transition Program in the fall. Congratulations Justin — thank you for being a terrific steward of the West Linn-Wilsonville School District.
