After 24 weeks of meticulous research and preparation, middle school students from all across the West Linn-Wilsonville School District participated in the State Science Expo. OF 174 projects from all across Oregon, 10 were WLWV projects, with many students earning recognition for their hard work. 

A virtual science fair, an expert panel of judges consisting of scientists and engineers evaluated projects from April 15-23. Four projects in total ended up earning recognition. Congratualations to every WLWV scientist who participated!

Athey Creek Middle School:

• Matthew Tence
• Zachary Santoso — Third Place in Computer Science and Robotics
• Sam Cline — Honorable Mention in Energy

Wood Middle School:

• Vaani Aga — Medicine and Health Sciences: Third Place and US Air Force Outstanding Project Award
• Yaamini Aga — Medicine and Health Sciences: Third Place and US Air Force Outstanding Project Award
• Aasha Patel — Behavioral and Social Science: Honorable Mention

Rosemont Ridge Middle School:

• Katerina Kitsis
• Ty Schultz-Reynolds
• Genevieve Westerback

WLWV K12 Online Program:

• Hallie Jones
• Niyati Bhaskar — Environmental Science: Third Place

    

Every year, the West Linn-Wilsonville recognizes teachers and specialists who are moving to contract status following three years in the school district during the Evening of Excellent Teaching Celebration.

Hosted by the Human Resources Department and District administration, the Evening of Excellent Teaching took place in the form of a drive-through celebration due to COVID-19 restrictions. Staff were recognized for their accomplishment and contributions to the school district, receiving flowers, treats, and other fun items.

Congratulations to our staff members earning Contract Status! Teachers who were recognized included:

Arts and Technology High School: Alexis Abrams, Laura Beko

Athey Creek Middle School: Avalon Fox, Juliet Prosser, John VanAcker

Boeckman Creek Primary: Bailey Wilcox

Boones Ferry Primary: Amber Brown, Kirsten Haines, Melissa Moore, Paje Morrow, Hillary Peterson, Haley Petty

Cedaroak Park Primary: Holly Bindley, Deana Johnson, Tracy Kirkland, Aimee Palacios

Lowrie Primary: Iluska Ikeda, Amanda Kha, Rachel Moroney

Meridian Creek Middle School: Carly Clark, Leigh Ann Gordon, Dawn Treen

Rosemont Ridge Middle School: Logan Moss, Arianna Schreiber, Sandra Solano-Mitchell

Stafford Primary: Adrienne Eaton, Megan Prior

Student Services: Karen Beardsley, Michelle Bloom, Leslie Coonc, Sarah Hiatt, Baljit Johl, Marian Wattman Oshima

Sunset Primary: Joey Handley, Amber-Dawn Ingwerson, Stacey Lewis, Alexandra Stout, Amber Wagy

Trillium Creek Primary: Kristina Ellis, Sarah Enriquez Wiley, Erica Hironimus, Catherine Ramos

West Linn High School: Michelle Dahl

Willamette Primary: Ellen Feusahrens-Louviere, Heidi Lentz

Wilsonville High School: Michael Mitchell, Sarah Tucker

Wood Middle School: Scott Bates, Tayler Egan, Alison Farrell, Troy Mathews

K12 Online Program: Karen Piuggi, Sophie Kirscht, Amy Schauer

    

West Linn High School Robotics Team 2B Determined was recently awarded the District Qualifiers Chairman's Award, the most prestigious FIRST Robotics Competition award, for their work in the community. They host STEM camps for younger students, volunteer with SOLVE to do environmental sustainability work, and work with Unified students in our district. Two WLHS students were also recognized for their outstanding work in the STEM community, Kate Sousley and Maddie Matthews, with Kate named a semifinalist Dean's List position. Congratulations, 2B Determined!

2B Determined Students teamed up with Wilsonville High School's Error Code Xero Robotics Team earlier in the year to created PPE for West Linn-Wilsonville staff members, giving back to the entire West Linn-Wilsonville community.

    

Thursday, April 8, was the annual Oregon Statewide Transition Conference, where educators all across Oregon come together to share their work to better transition experiences for high school students.

Among the presenters was West Linn-Wilsonville’s very own Youth Transition Program Team, providing conference attendees with a detailed summary of the program’s eight-year journey to what it is today.

The West Linn-Wilsonville School District’s Youth Transition Program (YTP) has become integrated into the very fabric that is West Linn-Wilsonville over the years. One reason for the program’s success is its dedication to inclusion of all students.

A partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation Oregon and the University of Oregon, the district’s Youth Transition Program serves dozens of 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.

YTP staff — including Cathy Smith, Becky Hancock, Carol Davis, and Mary Hanks among others — work collaboratively across schools to connect students with the opportunities they need to grow. They have ramped up efforts in recent years, partnering with WLWV high schools to connect students to Clackamas Community College courses as resources, getting students’ foot in the door for a seamless transition after high school. Watch the full presentation to learn more about what the Youth Transition Program offers students in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District.

   

Several West Linn-Wilsonville high school students are taking part in the Clackamas Education Service District (ESD) Regional Art Show that is currently taking place currently. Students from all across Clackamas County band together every year to showcase their work to the broader community. 

Artworks include paintings, drawings, photographs, graphic art design, and much more. Interested community members can view the virtual art show online, where several student artworks are currently being showcased. 

The Government Finance Officers Association announced that the West Linn-Wilsonville School District has received GFOA's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting on March 26.

The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. In order to be eligible for the PAFR award, a government must also submit its comprehensive annual financial report to GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellent in Financial Reporting Program and receive the CAFR award for the current fiscal year. Each eligible report is reviewed by judges who evaluate the report based on the following categories: reader appeal, understandability, distribution methods, creativity and other elements.

The school district's business office worked with a local graduate student to create a report that met the award standards. The process informed district practices in putting together budget reports moving forward into the future.

In late February, the Rotary Club of Wilsonville awarded the West Linn-Wilsonville School District’s Family Empowerment Center with a $1,500 matching grant. In total, the District will receive $3,000 to go toward resources and basic learning services for students and families in need. Funding will go toward books, supplies, clothing, meals, and other needed resources for school-aged families.

The grant opportunity is just the latest example of a growing partnership between the West Linn-Wilsonville School District and the Rotary Club of Wilsonville.

“This grant will provide much-needed food, clothing, and other essential resources for many of our students and families,” said Maria Horton, WLWV Bilingual Family Engagement Specialist. “We are thankful to Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Wilsonville for their generosity and partnership.”

Many children in the West Linn-Wilsonville School district require essential resources and services, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to affect communities across Oregon. Through this grant, Wilsonville Rotarians will purchase food and food vouchers to be delivered to the Family Empowerment Center for distribution to students and families. In the coming weeks and months, Rotarians will also aid in the procurement of clothing, school supplies, and other needed materials.

"COVID-19 has provided difficulties for all of us, including making service more challenging for our club," said Pat Wolfram, director of the Wilsonville Rotary Foundation, which is the 501(c)3 nonprofit that funds all Rotary Club of Wilsonville service projects. "We haven't been able to do the usual things we do, like our omelet breakfasts at the schools or Through A Child's Eyes for incarcerated moms and their kids, so we've had to be creative as well as agile.

“This new partnership with the school district and the Family Empowerment Center made all sorts of sense. Through this partnership, we were able to leverage our resources as a Rotary Club and tap into Rotary's regional grants, so we can serve local families when and how they need it most, and hopefully help them over some bumps and potholes, on the pathway back to normal, everyday life."

The additional funding will free the Family Empowerment Center to focus fundraising efforts in other areas and increase the variety of resources and support that the Center provides. The Family Empowerment Center recently partnered with Wilsonville High School students to collect and distribute more than 100 dinners and board games to West Linn-Wilsonville families. Thanks to the generosity of the community, the FEC has also managed to collect coats, backpacks, and other supplies for families in recent months.

The resources provided through this grant will help the FEC continue its mission in the West Linn and Wilsonville communities. The vision of the WLWV Family Empowerment Center is to empower families to become active advocates in their children’s education through a culturally responsive holistic approach. The West Linn-Wilsonville School District believes that the empowerment of families’ fundamental rights and needs contribute to students’ maximized success in school and in life. Learn more about the Family Empowerment Center on the District Website.

The Rotary Club of Wilsonville has been serving Wilsonville for more than 40 years. The Rotary Club of Wilsonville is engaged in many ongoing one-time service projects that meet needs in Wilsonville, as well as internationally. Learn more by visiting the Rotary Club of Wilsonville website.

Read this week's newsletter to get caught up on West Linn-Wilsonville School District news and important reminders as we head into Spring Break from March 22-26. Important information in this week's newsletter include:

• Information about the Family Empowerment Center's Back to Hybrid Backpack Fundraiser
• No meal service during Spring Break
• Travel Advisory for all Oregon residents

Access the newsletter online now.

    

Students in grades 7-12 returned to the classroom on Monday, March 15 for their first day of hybrid learning. Students were greeted by teachers, support staff, and administrators before beginning the school day.

Schools welcomed students in the 'A' Cohort on Monday, with students in the 'B' Cohort set to attend school in person on Tuesday. Many students continue to learn remotely through the WLWV K12 Online Program and Comprehensive Distance Learning, meanwhile.