Thank you for your continued patience as we plan for the reopening of schools. In our best efforts to keep our families informed, we want to provide a few updates to some specific aspects of WLWV reopening plans and our school district services.

Please know that plans are subject to change depending on possible adjustments in guidance from the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Education. If you have not yet seen our framework “Two Options for Returning to School” in 2020-21, please visit the district website. Our website will continue to be updated with the latest information for families.

The Instructional Day: Plans to be Shared Soon

The detailed plans for how the school day will look at primary, middle, and high school with the hybrid model (at-site/at-home) are still being developed by teacher-teams and administrators. These teams are considering how to arrange the school day and courses so that students are most successful while at school and while at home. The schedules and flow of the day also takes in account limiting the number of cohort groups and possible interactions during the day. Students will be kept in as few cohorts (intact groups) as possible to minimize exposure to more people than necessary. Intermittent breaks and cleaning must also be included in the course of the day which effects schedules and time. 

Next week, we plan to engage some students and parents in small focus groups for feedback on the ideas being considered. Further adjustments will be made after receiving their feedback. We plan to roll out the plans that describe the instructional day with families the following week.

Shortened School Day; No Early Release Wednesdays

We need to create a highly effective balance between academic learning for our students AND keeping a healthy and safe learning environment based on protocols from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). This means maximizing classroom time while students are at school for direct instruction from teachers and careful, effective use of collaborative time with peers. It also means frequent cleaning of high-use spaces and areas of the classrooms before, during, and after each cohort group. OHA also strongly recommends minimizing students to as few cohorts (intact groups of students) as possible during the course of the day to reduce the risk of exposure.

Therefore, our plan includes shortening the school day by 50 minutes. Each school day would last 5 hours and 30 minutes. A shortened day allows us to minimize the exposure of students and teachers to fewer cohorts each day as advised by OHA. The use of time after students leave will mostly be spent by teachers and staff to clean classrooms at the end of the day; that will follow with the usual time for meetings (virtual or on-site), teaming, and preparation time for the next day’s cohort of students, and connecting with students and families.

Due to the shortened school day, we will suspend Early Release Wednesdays for the 2020-2021 school year. Each school day will be a consistent length of time across the year.

At this time, we are planning to set school times for the 2020-21 school year to be:

• Primary School: 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• High School: 8:40 a.m. – 2:10 p.m.
• Middle School 9:20 a.m. – 2:50 p.m.

What is cohorting and contact tracing?

A stable cohort group would be a group of students no larger than can be accommodated by physical distancing guidelines and who will spend a sustained amount of time together. A group of students on the bus may be one cohort; a group of students in a class may be another cohort.  Students can be part of more than one stable cohort during the school day. (According to OHA, students passing in the hallways or merely in the same building are not considered a stable cohort group.) The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) have advised schools to minimize the number of cohort groups during a day as well as restrict the interaction between students in different stable cohort groups. This is because with each new cohort there is increased risk of exposure. 

Contact tracing relies on record keeping of each stable cohort so that in the event of a presumptive or positive case of COVID-19, OHA can reach out — through trained contact tracers — to inform those possibly exposed to the virus. Each school bus and each school will keep daily contact tracing logs of each cohort group.

Dual Language Program

The Dual Language Program will continue as usual next year for students who select the Hybrid Model (on-site/at-home). Unfortunately, the WLWV K12 Online Program does not have a dual language offering. It does, however, contain Spanish learning components and opportunities. All students may also continue using their Rosetta Stone accounts at home for practice and fluency. If a family selects the district Online Program for the year due to COVID-19 concerns, their student’s spot in the program will be saved and they will be able to return to the district Dual Language program the following year. No testing will be required to re-enter the program. Cohorts for dual language classrooms will be created using the same physical distancing guidelines used across all West Linn-Wilsonville schools and grade levels.

Students with an IEP or 504 Plan, TAG, or ELD services

All students who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan, Talented and Gifted Plan, or who receive English Language Development services will continue to receive the instructional supports and accommodations as described in their plans. For families enrolling in the WLWV K12 Online Program, a meeting may be required to determine how your child’s individualized plans would be implemented through the online model.

Transportation Plans

Bus transportation will continue to be provided to all schools next year. The WLWV School District and First Student are developing protocols for loading and unloading that includes visual screening for students exhibiting symptoms along with a log for contact-tracing. It will be expected that any student exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms would stay at home. 

Students riding the bus will be spaced further apart from one another. Potential exposures on a bus are significantly reduced by three feet of distance, in combination with seatbacks that provide physical barriers between rows.

Buses will be cleaned frequently, with targeted cleanings between routes, and with a focus on disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces of the bus. Bus drivers will be required to wear face coverings.

Families are encouraged to drive their children if possible to help with physical distancing.

School Meals

Packaged lunches will be made by the district and available for students to pick up and eat with their cohort group in designated spaces. There will be no self-serve, buffet-style meal service.

Visitors and Volunteers Suspended for 2020-2021

In order to minimize exposure of students and staff, we will be suspending on-site visitors and volunteers for the school year. Itinerant staff and substitute teachers are not considered visitors.

Will the 2020-2021 Calendar Year look the same?

The calendar will be adjusted to reflect the suspension of Early Release Wednesdays. It is also possible that once all the detailed plans are in place regarding school schedules and planning time/staff development days for teachers, that some additional adjustments may need to be made to the 2020-21 calendar. If so, we will share the changes with families as soon as possible.

District Website: Location for Reopening Schools Information

We realize there was a lot of information in this update.  Much of this information will be added to our district website, “Reopening Schools 2020-2021” and we will continue to update the site over the coming weeks. You may want to check it from time to time: https://www.wlwv.k12.or.us/Page/16141.

The West Linn-Wilsonville School District has had teams of administrators, nurses, teachers and staff working diligently to unpack the many components of the Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance from Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

Their work will contribute to our district’s Operational Blueprint that addresses: how to protect students and staff from the spread of COVID-19, including physical distancing while at school and on the bus, and how to ensure rigorous learning environments for students.  

WLWV Plan for Reopening Schools Presents Two Options

The plan for delivering instruction hasn’t been fully finalized, but an overall framework has been determined and we would like to share that with you today.  Your family will have a choice to make in the coming month, and we want to provide you with the general outline for our reopening plans now so that you can make an informed decision.

As we approach the next school year, your students will have two learning options within the West Linn-Wilsonville School District for the 2020-21 school year.

[READ ABOUT THE TWO OPTIONS]

 

June 19, 1865, was a monumental day in American History, also known as Juneteenth, marking the unofficial end of slavery in the United States when federal orders were given in Galveston to free all previously enslaved people across the State of Texas.

Yet more than 150 years since that pivotal day, racism remains prevalent across our country and across our communities. It is important to reflect on this historic day and even more important that we recommit to disrupting systemic racism across the United States, Oregon, and West Linn-Wilsonville.

I have been asked recently, how our school district teaches students about racism and how we have made changes in our instructional practices as well as provide supports to our students of color. It is important to both recognize the work that has been done and our ongoing commitment to doing better.

READ ABOUT HOW WEST LINN-WILSONVILLE IS TEACHING ABOUT RACISM IN SCHOOLS

Earlier today, the Oregon Department of Education released its initial guidance for reopening schools for the 2020-21 school year. The district will incorporate that guidance into our own plans as we work toward reopening schools in the fall. Once plans are developed, the district will submit an Operational Blueprint for Reentry to the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) for approval. We will continue to provide updates to our families as plans are created along the way, including opportunity for parent input.  

Several key elements will guide district planning for reopening, including:

1. Public Health Protocols
2. Facilities and School Operations
3. Response to Outbreak
4. Equity
5. Instruction
6. Family and Community Engagement
7. Mental, Social, and Emotional Health
8. Staffing and Personnel

We appreciate our community’s patience and understanding as we create a plan that is safe for all students, staff, and families that also ensures the best possible learning environment for all students.

We would also like to remind families at this early stage that the district plans to offer a comprehensive optional K12 Online Program for students and families who prefer to learn from home next school year.

The program will include a grade level, standards-based, digital curriculum for at-home learning paired with a highly-qualified WLWV teacher to support parents and students as needed. If you are interested in registering your student for the online program for the 2020-21 school year, please fill out this online form.

  

More than 750 high school seniors received their high school diplomas last week marking the end of tremendous K12 careers in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. While the Class of 2020 couldn't celebrate with their traditional graduation ceremonies, students were honored through special drive-through graduations on June 2-4. Students had the opportunity to hear their name called, walk across the graduation stage, receive their diploma, and celebrate with friends and family at various picture stations. 

The one-of-a-kind celebrations took place over a series of hours to accommodate for social distancing and ensure students were recognized properly. Thank you to all of the staff for helping make these celebrations possible. Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

Dear West Linn-Wilsonville Community,

I am writing today with a heavy heart as we continue to respond to acts of racism — whether overt, covert, violent or passive — and strive forward to be better as a school community, better as cities, better as a state and better as a nation.

The recent murder of George Floyd, a black man, pinned down by a Minneapolis police officer’s knee has launched understandable public outpouring of anger, frustration, heartache, and grief even in our own community here in West Linn-Wilsonville. A single event becomes one in a series of events or experiences that cry out to be addressed, named, challenged, and changed.

This year, our School Board, District leaders, teachers, and staff added the phrase, “disrupt systems of racism” to our District Goal #1. This added language was intentional, signaling an expectation and deliberation for us to root out racism in our schools, our curriculum, and our culture, thereby ensuring welcoming and inclusive learning spaces for every one of our students.

We are committed to promoting anti-racism and social justice in our schools. In addition to a District Equity Team, each school’s Equity Team identifies actions and systems that serve to support our students of color and disrupt institutional racism. It is time for us to be better.

We are saddened that these recent events are so raw and real to many of our families here in West Linn and Wilsonville. Even though we are physically separated during this time, we want to make ourselves available to our students and families most impacted by the recent events. Please contact a teacher, school counselor, principal or myself, if you need help or need comfort and assurance.

We want to affirm our racial, cultural, ethnic, linguistic, gender, economic and religious diversity as a strength in our community, our state, and our nation. Each child, each student has a right to thrive.

Today, we share the grief of a family who has lost a loved one. We share the persistent outrage and frustration of those who experience marginalization, discrimination, and unjust treatment. And we commit to change, prompted by poet Maya Angelou’s words: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Thank you for supporting our efforts as a school district and keeping us accountable to being better.

Sincerely,
Kathy Ludwig, SuperintendentEstimada Comunidad de West Linn-Wilsonville,

Estoy escribiendo hoy con el corazón pesado, a medida que continuemos respondiendo a actos de racismo-ya sean evidentes, disimulados, violentos o pasivos-y nos esforzamos por ser una comunidad mejor, mejor como ciudades, mejor como estados y mejor como nación.

El reciente asesinato de George Floyd, un hombre afro-americano, inmovilizado en el piso por la rodilla de un policía de Minneapolis, ha lanzado un desbordamiento de ira, frustración, dolor y aflicción del público y aún en nuestra comunidad aquí en West Linn-Wilsonville. Un sólo evento que llega ser uno en una serie de estos, o experiencias, que hacen un llamado a ser abordados, nombrados, retados y cambiados.

Este año, nuestros líderes del Distrito, Consejo Ejecutivo Escolar, maestros y personal, agregaron la frase “interrumpir los sistemas de racismo” al Objetivo #1 del Distrito. Este lenguaje agregado fue intencional, señalando una expectativa y deliberación para que saquemos de raíz el racismo en nuestras escuelas, nuestro currículo y nuestra cultura, de ese modo asegurando la bienvenida y espacios de aprendizaje inclusivos para cada uno de nuestros estudiantes.

Estamos comprometidos a promover la justicia social y el anti-racismo en nuestras escuelas. Además de un Equipo de Equidad en el Distrito, cada Equipo de Equidad en las escuelas, identifica acciones y sistemas que sirven de respaldo a nuestros estudiantes de color e interrumpe el racismo institucional. Es tiempo para que seamos mejores.

Estamos entristecidos de que estos eventos recientes están en la superficie y de manera real para muchas de nuestras familias aquí en West Linn y Wilsonville. Aunque estamos físicamente separados durante este tiempo, queremos hacernos disponibles a nuestros estudiantes y familias más impactadas por los recientes eventos. Por favor contacte al maestro, consejero de la escuela, al director o a mí misma, si necesita ayuda, confort y seguridad.

Queremos afirmar que nuestra diversidad racial, cultura, étnica, lingüística, de género, económica y religiosa, es una fortaleza en nuestra comunidad, nuestro estado y nuestra nación. Cada niño, cada estudiante tiene el derecho de prosperar.

Hoy, compartimos el dolor de una familia que ha perdido a un ser querido. Compartimos la indignación persistente y frustración de aquellos que experimentan marginalización, discriminación y trato injusto. Y nosotros nos comprometemos al cambio, incitados por las palabras de la poeta Maya Angelou: “Haz lo mejor que puedas hasta que sepas mejor. Entonces, cuando sepas mejor, hazlo todavía mejor” (“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”).

Gracias por respaldar nuestros esfuerzos como distrito escolar y manteniéndonos responsables a ser mejores.

Atentamente,

Kathy Ludwig, Superintendente

The district released the Budget Listening Session Webinar on Friday, May 29 ahead of the Budget Process. The Budget Webinar is a pre-recorded video delivered by Superintendent Kathy Ludwig that outlines the current financial landscape, district priorities, and what community members can expect as we prepare for the budget process beginning with the June 8 School Board Meeting.

Budget Webinar

Budget Webinar Feedback Survey

This Budget Webinar is not a live webinar, but instead an opportunity for the community to learn and provide preliminary feedback before the Budget Process begins. As a reminder, you can find the full Budget Process Timeline below. Thank you for your participation and for providing valuable feedback through the online survey.

Budget Process Timeline

• June 8— Superintendent's Budget Message during School Board Meeting (the Budget Committee receives the budget message and Proposed Budget document. The proposed budget is available for public review at this time.)
• June 22— Budget Committee Work Session
• June 24— Additional Budget Committee Work Session (if needed)
• June 29— Budget Hearing and Adoption

    

Congratulations to our Adult Transition Class of 2020! Students who completed the program and will be transitioning after this school year were celebrated at Arts and Technology High School this afternoon with a special ceremony.

Students received special diplomas and heard their names called as they walked across a graduation stage on Wednesday, May 27. Thank you to our hard-working staff for putting together a safe and fun celebration!

For the second-straight year, West Linn-Wilsonville student-athletes proved why they're among the best in the state.

The Oregonian Cup is arguably the best indicator of success in high school athletics in any given school year. The Oregonian Cup is given to the high school who demonstrates the most cumulative success across all sports in any given year based on a points system. Schools are also awarded points for academic success, meaning student-athletes need to demonstrate well-rounded abilities to earn the top prize.

The final results were tallied and 2019-20 winners were announced in May, showing that Wilsonville and West Linn high schools have some of the best athletes the State of Oregon has to offer. Wilsonville High School finished first in all of 5A while West Linn High School finished second in all of 6A for the second year in a row.

Congratulations to the many successes of our 2019-20 student-athletes!

Thousands of community volunteers donate their time to West Linn-Wilsonville schools and students every school year. Even during a worldwide pandemic, many parent and community volunteers across the district have offered both time and resources during distance learning. Our community volunteers play a pivotal role in creating safe and welcoming schools that allow our students to thrive.

And, speaking of volunteers, it's not too early to make sure you're registered to volunteer in schools next year. Even if you registered to volunteer this year, it's always a good idea to make sure your registration is up to date, and you are registered at the school(s) you wish to volunteer at. If you are volunteering at a new school next year, you will need to re-register for that new school. Volunteers need to re-register every three years.

Interested volunteers can register by visiting the district website. Simply click ‘Start’ to fill out your application, which includes a background check. The first time that volunteers sign-in to volunteer at any WLWV school they will be prompted to accept a Volunteer Agreement. Volunteers must also re-register every three years, or when volunteering at a new school.

Volunteering in WLWV schools is an extremely rewarding experience. Your time is greatly appreciated by both staff and students!