Greetings West Linn-Wilsonville Community!
It seems that fall has succeeded in its determination to arrive! It has been a very busy AND very productive time within our schools. The thoughtful conversations and goal sharing among children, parents, and teachers at conferences, as well as the outstanding student performances and displays of their work, serve as evidence of the quality of teaching and learning occurring at both school and at home.
Over the past several weeks our community has generously shown their support for children and schools in many ways. Our Music and Arts Partners hosted an outstanding fundraising event highlighted by the amazing performances of our students (you may have caught some at a recent Blazer game as well). Wilsonville High School hosted the fall conferences for the Oregon Council of Teachers of English and the Oregon Arts Education Association bringing together teachers from throughout the state to learn from each other and from national experts. City leaders in Wilsonville staged a wonderful dedication ceremony for the Beauty and the Bridge project commending the perseverance, the collaboration, and the willingness to engage our children in contributing to this beautiful display of community art. And the West Linn-Wilsonville Education Foundation in conjunction with the West Linn and Wilsonville Chambers of Commerce hosted a wonderful Crystal Apple celebration, honoring teachers and teaching in our District. Maura Hanlon of Boones Ferry Primary and Kevin Egan of West Linn High School, were recognized as representatives of the outstanding educators in West Linn-Wilsonville Schools. Our volunteers and Parent-Teacher organizations are in full swing as well hosting a variety of informational events and healthy and fun fund-raising events (I love those runs!). Again, thank you for the support for and interaction with our schools and our students.
Recent school report cards reflect the outstanding academic performances of our students last year and despite great achievements, our school leaders are reviewing the results looking for areas to improve. Most of our 8th and 9th grade students have successfully completed versions of the ACT, which will provide valuable information for charting their path toward career and college readiness. Most 10th and 11th graders have recently taken the PSAT, another important measure in benchmarking high levels of preparation for post-secondary experiences. Also, in the spirit of growth mindset, staff and students at West Linn High School are learning to successfully operate at high levels as restoration continues in the aftermath of the fire at WLHS. We appreciate all the teamwork and support we have received on behalf of our students.
I know that many of you have experienced conversations and conferences with and for our children these past weeks. I appreciate all the thought and preparation that go into these conferences and the personalization that is apparent. I suspect much of the talk explored strategies for helping each child continue to grow in their confidence and belief in themselves as learners. Carol Dweck reminds us that we give our children a gift when we “teach them to love challenges, to be intrigued by mistakes, to enjoy effort, and to keep on learning.” Thank you for sharing these gifts with our children every day.
With Spirit,
Bill