Dear WLWV Families,

It is with great excitement that I welcome all of our students, staff, families, and community members to the 2023-24 school year. 

As we get ready to embark on another school year together, I would like to share with you this year’s theme:  Elevate. Building on our good work from last year (“belief & belonging”), we will focus on ways we can  elevate the student experience in the classroom, our teamwork, and our leadership thinking. 

• The student experience — Where can we expand access? Do all students feel a sense of belonging? How do we create meaningful engagement learning opportunities? How do we elevate our students’ experience at school?
• Teamwork — How can student groups, teachers’ Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and district departments leverage collective thinking and diverse perspectives to elevate learning outcomes for students? 
• Leadership Thinking — Every educator and student has the opportunity to lead; in their classroom, on the field, in the school, in the community.  Elevated leadership considers complexities that may exist or arise in classroom or school settings or community situations. Like the submerged half of an iceberg, there is so much we cannot see immediately unless we take the time to listen and learn from one another; to take a deeper dive towards what is happening below the surface in order to make more informed, collaborative and better decisions.

You will see in our District Integrated Plan and our  School Work Plans, which will be updated this school year, goals that build upon, or  elevate, our progress and efforts from last year, so that all students live into their potential and achieve beyond their own expectations. 

I enjoyed seeing a number of students and families at our Family Empowerment Center back-to-school resource event, new student orientations, and other back-to-school events. It is clear that West Linn-Wilsonville is a community bursting with support for our schools and our students.

Please visit our district website and school websites to review important back-to-school information and do not hesitate to call your school offices or our district office if you need any assistance. Thank you for partnering with us and learning with us. 

We are all looking forward to our first day of school, tomorrow, August 29th, and for this new school year.

Most sincerely,

Kathy Ludwig