January 14, 2019 Board Meeting Part 1
[00:00:00] West Linn Wilsonville school district school board meeting.
Will you call the roll please, Miss Douglas?  Yellen height here chair fetch Here Eddie Reynolds here. Chelsea King Martin here. And Reagan Molitor is here as well.
Just one change to the agenda. I'm going to go ahead and do my board member report first.  Other than that we'll begin with Communications from Arts and Technology High School Isaac Thompson.  Mona.  Hello, my name is Isaac Thompson. Good evening. And I'm a junior at Arts technology high school and I'm glad to be here tonight to share what's going on at our school things were pretty busy [00:01:00] in December on the 20th.
We had an annual staff and student luncheon planned and supported by our parent organization of the parents prepared an incredible meal of lasagna salad and rolls. It was a chance for our community to come together break bread and celebrate together this luncheon began four years ago. To help our community heal after a loss of one of our students another winter tradition that Arctic is a student holiday gift.
The gifts are always something warm for students to have over winter break this year students received a cozy fleece blanket and a drawstring backpack several Community organizations supported this gift and we thank you to the Wilsonville key Juana's and we'll still go rotary for their support.
There are a few future events that we would like you all to know about this Thursday the 17th. We are hosting a Red Cross blood drive in the Kiba from 9 to 2. Sophomore Courtney Slaughter, [00:02:00] it's pretty funny. When you Slaughter. She's doing blood draw. Anyway is the lead organizer of this event.
There are appointments available. If anyone is interested in signing up to donate blood you can call the school or sign up or go online at the at the Red Cross Blood dot-org thing and search for the Arts and Technology High School. We are looking forward to the end of quarter to on the 25th at our Tech.
We teach we each have sorry. That's like we each each quarter class is awarded credit. So the end of the quarter means the opportunity for a strong finish with the beginning of quarter three on Tuesday the 29th. We will be welcoming new students from our Tech from both Western High School in Wilsonville high school.
We have about 15 new students joining us. We'd also like to invite you to our next Rock concert of the year on January 25th, the end of the quarter. It's going to be at the youth music project in West Linn the set will include a wide variety of rock favorites from Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis [00:03:00] Presley to Space Oddity by David Bowie doors open at 6:30 in the show begins at 7:00 and it's going to rock.
I'm in the Band. I play guitar January is the school board appreciation month, and I would like to thank you so very much for your service to our school. And all the schools in the district by being a school board member. I know that you must go to so many meetings in this time away from your own family, but we appreciate the work you do and make all of our schools.
Great. Thank you.
West Linn High School Ashley Haven.  Hello. Thank you for having me again this evening. December which seems so long ago included some exciting events, including our gender identity plays our holiday instrumental and Choir concerts and our annual 10 days of Joy celebration. This year's 10 days of Joy an opportunity for our students and staff to spread [00:04:00] gratitude and generosity right before winter break was exceptional.
We know that the holidays are not necessarily Mary for everyone and our goal was to generate Joy within our Western Community by creating different ways for them to express their gratitude for others to donate towards our sponsorship of a West Linn family's holiday celebration and to enjoy live music performances and wintry decorations movies and treats.
Our athletic teams were busy over break with practices and tournaments all of them have started their league games and matches and were eager to see what happens as we get closer to playoffs in February and March the music programs are getting ready for their annual spaghetti dinner on January 24th in the Commons at West Lynn at which choir band and Orchestra students.
Not only serve guests a delicious spaghetti dinner, but also perform throughout the evening. It's their big fundraiser of the year and we invite you all to join us for that fun event. Could you tell us what the time is on that once it [00:05:00] starts? You know, we don't have the time. That's okay. Sorry.
Our thespians are currently rehearsing pieces for the regional competition on February 2nd. They will have a showcase performance of their pieces and a potluck which is also a fundraiser for the troop on Friday January 25th in the Performing Arts Center. Our leadership ASB students are preparing a few fun events for our student body on the evening of January 26th.
Our annual winter ball. A formal dance will be held at the Melody Ballroom. All grades are welcome application for teams for of seniors to be a part of West Linns Amazing Race a week-long competition that mimics the popular TV show will be available later this week. An application process for seniors to be part of May Court one of our longest standing West Linn Traditions will be starting in just a couple of weeks our final exams and presentations start on January 23rd.
It's hard to believe that the semester is almost over. We know that it's been a team [00:06:00] effort to help us get to this point and on behalf of the staff and students of West Linn. I want to take a moment to thank you our school board members for everything that you do to help us have a safe and successful educational experience at West Linn High School.
Where. Deeply grateful for your service. Thank you.
Wilsonville High School Mark her eyes to see you. All again. So unified basketball has the first game this Wednesday February. We're also be a crazy month for sports and activities. For example, the choir will be pretty busy so is banned and acting. And sport teams are getting ready for the.
ornaments for example as wrestling and swimming meanwhile students and teachers are working to have everything balanced out. For example, if the competitions and of course finals to do well on those and we're all looking forward to taking our finals.  [00:07:00] It's crazy to realize that senior year is going by really fast.
It feels like in the blink of an eye. It'll already be June ready to graduate. I'm seniors will be having an early graduation which will be on June 6th.  We are also having a school newspaper that's coming out this week. We always have one that comes out every quarter and that's made possible by our awesome journalism and broadcasting classes.
We would also like to thank you for the school board for the support in our school throughout the work you do and the events you support in person and other ways. Thank.
We're
going to move to recognitions and awards and certainly you've been hearing a theme tonight. And as you're peeking over objects on your. [00:08:00] Counter is there it's because January is School Board recognition month. And so we've got a couple of activities planned and not only this school board to recognize but a member in the audience who has also served.
On a board of education will get to that in a few minutes. So to start out I'm going to invite principal Annika Olson to bring in her students and we're going to kick off with a gift of thanks through music.  And I'm going to have Aaron introduce who is walking into the room and the choir teacher.
It is my pleasure to welcome the wonderful Meridian Creek Middle School choir under the direction of Barb Fontana. And Barb is in the back there. She can barbecue just wave to us up here. So we are thrilled and it's nice. Thank you principles and vice principal. Dr. Solarz [00:09:00] for bringing these students with with us.
So thank you so much for both.
[00:10:00] [00:11:00] [00:12:00] [00:13:00] [00:14:00] [00:15:00] [00:16:00] Barb Montana can don't let your students leave just yet. We if they can come back in just for a quick thank you. We had the [00:17:00] clap that we have it. We have a couple of words. We'd like to say. I know they were making a great, you know professional exit.
We just want to recognize that we know it's a school night. And what we've asked of you is no small thing to set aside plans for homework, even on a cold snap night and to ride the bus and to get here but the gift that you give and not just the school board tonight, but all of us I think in this room is really a measurable because it's not just the gift of song.
It's. In all of you and thinking about this is why we do this work. It's because of each of you. So I'm going to let the board if they have any words to say speak and then we have a gift for each of you before you go. So
thank you [00:18:00] for that beautiful gift of music. Thank you for the other lovely gifts. I think it's an honor and a privilege to serve. And it's you and the administrators and the Educators and the families and the community that make it worthwhile, and we should be thanking all of you for this honor of serving on the board.
Thank you.
It is definitely a highlight of my day. If not my week to see you all here in this boardroom singing for us and thank you Barb Fontana for everything you do at Meridian Creek and for these kiddos. I know you stepped up and just ran with it. The very first year of the school is open. It's been really remarkable to see what you've done in that short period of time.
And hearing you all seem just like it brings tears to my eyes. I don't know quite what that is, but it just opens my heart and it brings me joy, so I appreciate you being here and for the work you do. Thanks,
[00:19:00] so we meet every two weeks. If you guys want to come back Really Miss Montana great job with these kids and you guys did a fantastic job. It's really a great way to start our meeting. And you know, I'm half kidding. I mean means like this you might get more attendance at these things. You really did a fantastic job, and I enjoy listening to very much.
Thanks for your time tonight.  All
right. So Kelly is Douglas is going to. Meet you and you want to say a few words about what we've got for them is the thank you. We wanted to thank you for raising your voices and joy, and so we ordered each one of you a personalized individual nothing bundt cake out front and you can eat it on the bus.
You can take it home and share it with your little brothers and sisters your choice, but thank you for coming.
Thank you, Meridian Creek students.
[00:20:00] So what you have before you are many tokens from a lot of folks who couldn't be here tonight who would have either love to have sang to you or spoken on behalf of their school communities, but you've got notes and cards from. All 16 of our schools and and also well wishes from Three Rivers Charter School.
You've got your own little Bundt Cakes there and so in case you're feeling jealous about them getting theirs, I'm going to read the proclamation a little bit later, but I'd like us to this point also thank another fellow board member who has served for at least 15 years, very diligently representing West Linn and Wilsonville.
With Clackamas Community College and I'm going to ask mr. Ron Adams if he'll come up to the [00:21:00] podium next to him. You'll notice is President. Dr. Tim Cook from Clackamas Community College who also made a generous acknowledgement of his time and of mr. Adams by being here tonight, so. I'm going to open the floor to board members who would also like to say a few words to you Ron, but we want to recognize that you have been such a steadfast advocate for public education and also for your communities your Relentless with those raffle tickets, but not but not just that you're Relentless with advocating for children who have seen in this room, but also those at Clackamas Community College and to give 15 years of your service and volunteerism.
Is no small matter and we recognize your work there because our students have gone to Clackamas Community College from lesson Wilsonville school district, and you've been such a champion of public education and we can't thank you enough and. [00:22:00] Your retirement from Clackamas Community College school board board of education is also one that we want to recognize and honor with our school board.
So I'll open the floor now to our school board members to say a few words and then we'll let you say a few words and then we do have some tokens to give you.
All right. I I know most of you I think from having presented. On behalf of the community college in the past. I love that banner up there the meaningful Community Partnerships. Now, that's the few things that I've been relatively successful about regarding a community college is that I continue to say these are we have the same students.
This is not some kind of competition between k12 and community colleges. These are our kids and [00:23:00] I stress that I thought I say that Community is our middle name and they're all my people on the board when they say it's so hokey. Yeah, that's that's so key granted the little bit of a cough. Sorry the emphasis I.
That I really try to make as a collaboration and I was in the legislature. I understand the competitive nature of being down there and and fighting almost for those dollars and to the extent that I'm able to say 200 SBA and legislators and the governor. This is not a competition. This is this has to be a corporation for it to work.
I think the. Their Career Technical emphasis that that people are now finally putting on it as crucial. I think [00:24:00] it's a great opportunity for yourselves and the rest community colleges around the state and certain Clackamas to work together and just absolutely leverage the dollars that we get. And so I would encourage all of you to keep on with that.
I will continue to work with with our group to Lobby where they want me to if any and I just want to reinforce one additional thing and it's a recognition today by community colleges. We have always been frustrated with the sense that. Kids don't come to us students. Don't come to us College ready and then we grape and wine about that.
And the fact is that your students don't come to you [00:25:00] School ready either. That's the real world and community colleges have finally changed the phrase to ask ourselves. Are we are colleges student ready? Rather than students College ready? There's such a crucial recognition of reality and we're doing it at Clackamas tremendous confidence in Tim was in our incoming president.
And otherwise, I wouldn't help higher it believe me the now it's it's going to continue. I was up to the point where I would have to run for. Reelection on a four-year term and I'm slowing down. I just I've served I think hopefully will and they by the way I going out by a fire proof jacket there Thursday night of the college from [00:26:00] 4:30 to 6:00.
It's just a little bit of whatever and I think. It's have to be a row so come along and if you have something you love to say about me and be an opportunity, but thanks for letting me represent yourselves for 15 and a half years. I appreciate it. It's it's been an honor. You'll do a great job and you know that I know that and certainly Clackamas Community College Board knows that because that's one of my jobs.
Don't you so that's enough.
As a parent. As a lawyer of students on occasion in our district and as a board member, I really appreciate your [00:27:00] spirit and your vision that you brought to the work that you've done there at Clackamas County Community College and one of our district goals number three, it has articulated. Our commitment and our value that we place in the work that you do and the work that the community college does and how we really do agree with you that they are our students and we see that vital connection between us.
So thank you very much for your work the board would like to present you with a plaque and I'll read it the West Linn Wilsonville school district and board of directors recognizes Ronald. It was sincere. Thanks for his many years of service support and care for the students of caucus Community College and the West Linn Wilsonville school district and its volunteer contributions to the community of West Linn.
We are very grateful. Thank you. Thank
[00:28:00] you.
[00:29:00] I'm going to read just to wrap this part up. I'm going to read these School Board recognition month Proclamation. And this is as much of an appreciation to our good friend. Mr. Ron Adams as it is to the five of you. Whereas School boards create a vision for what students should know and be able to do.
Whereas school boards established clear standards for student performance. Whereas school board's ensure that student assessments are tied to establish standards. Whereas School boards are accountable to the community for operating schools [00:30:00] that support student achievement. Whereas school board's align School District resources to ensure that students meet standards.
Whereas school board's create a climate that supports the philosophy. That all children can learn at high levels. Whereas school board's build collaborative relationships built on trust teamwork and shared accountability and whereas school boards are committed to continuous Education and Training on issues related to student achievement.
Now therefore we hereby declare our appreciation. To the members of the Weston Wilsonville School District School Board and proclaim the month of January to be school board recognition month. We urge all citizens to join us in recognizing the dedication and hard work of local school board members and preparing today's students for tomorrow's world.
[00:31:00] Thank you. Thank you and thank you for these words and gifts. I know that I treasured them last year and will this year as well
for my school board report today? We received a letter from the Clackamas County Office of the county clerk regarding upcoming elections. And I want to use my portion of the board report to provide that information to the public.
There are two West Linn Wilsonville School District director positions that terms expire this year. One is position to currently held by director Chelsea King [00:32:00] Martin the term expires on July 1st 2019. The second position is director position for dr. Betty Reynolds.  For
some reason it says that her term expires on June 30th 2019. I'm only reading the information we have and then but what I want to indicate to the community that the letter from the clerk's office provides for us, not only that we confirm those with the office of the county clerk, but that there are certain dates that need to occur.
Regarding the candidates filings.  February 10th is the first day for candidates to file for positions [00:33:00] March 21st is the last day for candidates to file for position March 25th is the last day for Canada's to file what is optional voters pamphlet statements, and then the election is on May 21st.
I'm just want to make sure that those States the other consistent with what was in the letter sent to us than as well. The filing fee is $10 or candidates have the option of filing by petition with 25 signatures from registered voters in the. The fee for the voters pamphlet if one chooses to provide a voters pamphlet statement is $25.
Canada's can file again till March 21st, and can file voter pamphlet statements until March 25th. All finally needs are made [00:34:00] at the office filing forms are available at the elections website clock mess u.s. Darkness dot U s--. Under the May 21st 2019 election information link.  if the public has anymore.
Wants to know any more about this. It will be with the board secretary Miss Douglas as well. I may have done other things in the last month, but I can't recall. So kind of let dr. Reynolds go.
Thank you. So it's been an eventful month within the District 80 Creek Middle School volunteers are already collecting Treasures for their gigantic. Don't miss garage sale on April 28th and 29th.  And they're accepting donations. [00:35:00] If anyone cares to drop anything off you can you can be greeted by those very pleasant volunteers.
That's Tuesday mornings. I think every every Tuesday beginning at 8:30 till about 9:30 the West I and I really enjoyed attending the West Linn Heist the Wilsonville High School winter festival. It was an outstanding display of our students talents and creativity and it was overseen by Matt president Shelly come Okawa.
She's just almost as energetic as Ron Adams. So Shelly just did an outstanding job of organizing and I think it was a standing room only crowd. It was very very well done on a sad note. Lambert primaries beloved counselor for 27 years Marc Silverman died in December and his celebration of life was in December.
He leaves such a legacy of [00:36:00] kindness and attending that celebration just showed what community wonderful community that we've developed that we can come together both to share our to celebrate our Joy's as well as our sorrow. And it's really the outpouring I think was a real Testament to the way this community comes together again.
I think it's fitting that we honor drawn Adams tonight. He.
he has invested so many years in what is it 15 and a half years and serving this community through his service on. Clackamas Community College, he has forged a bond. He's also been amended member on member of the legislature and he was on our legislature OSB as legislative policy committee and was a great spokesperson for advancing the [00:37:00] collaboration between k12 and community colleges.
Um, I was he and I have been talking actually since last July when he was thinking about retiring and I did submit an application and was appointed to fill his vacancy last week. So I'm looking forward to doing so I hope I can feel his very big shoes. I've served on their bond committee their chair of their budget committee on their Grassroots advocacy committee.
So hopefully it'll be a seamless transition and I wanted to thank Kathy and dr. Ludwig and share pitch for a sit-down that we had last week about ways that we can collaborate on areas of mutual interest like. Career Technical education dual credit and so many areas where we want to make that transition between k12 and college seamless I serve [00:38:00] in an ex-officio position with the Oregon Community College Association forward and in the last month.
I've met in Salem with their new executive director. I attended one of their meetings at Umpqua Community College attended a legislative briefing today. I mean, it's always with a message of collaboration among education partners and particular now for adequate and stable funding for all education.
I also carried that message to a number of town hall meetings and other meetings with legislators. Very excited that Senator Ron Wagner this this. Our Senator is chair of the education committee. He also served on ways and means there was a fundraiser with Senator Mark has also and he's chair of Senate revenue and Taxation.
So I think it's going to be the best opportunity in at least recent history for [00:39:00] adequate and stable funding for education and also with a very clear eye toward cost.
I'm excited about the passage of always be a resolutions and in particular the Oregon school board members of color caucus resolution. So now we have Representatives OS BMCC to both the forward and to legislative called legislative policy committee. So we'll see that authentic voice represented at the at the policy level.
And I thank you again to dr. Ludwig will be Wilsonville high school will be hosting their first meeting of 2019 and thank you for your assistance and getting that arranged with ospa. I'm continuing my activities on the OSB board continuing with advocacy and reaching out. Two board members Statewide I met with the chair and superintendent of Hood River School [00:40:00] District and was very impressed by their outcomes considering the diversity of their district and many many other board interactions as well.
I was appointed by the national school boards association their nsba president to the nsba policies and rules committee. And that's the committee that said National School boards legislative agenda. So I'll attend that meeting that Republican policy and resolution committee meeting the national Equity Symposium and the advocacy Institute in Washington DC next week.
One of the things that we're stressing on the hill is ideea. The it hasn't been reauthorized since 2002. It has never been funded at the promised level in the 80s. So what I'm looking for is anyone that might have information regarding successes challenges [00:41:00] funding statistics Etc regarding special needs students and the IDE act so that we can be persuasive in our advocacy to on when we Advocate on the hill.
So if anyone has any questions have been answered.
I like to focus my energies and efforts here in the district representing the people who elected me and in that vein, I've spent some time. Speaking with citizens who are concerned or had questions or just receiving additional information with regards to the health and wellness curriculum, which does contain information about human sexuality and and I really appreciated people reaching out and saying hey, I'm like to compact you.
I've got some questions and I continue to be available should [00:42:00] anybody have questions that arise in addition? I've also had the opportunity to speak with a couple of individuals who are seeking to learn more information about running for a school board position this spring and a to I would extend an invite to anybody who does have interest and just wants to know my perspective on the amount of work it takes or doesn't take or what's required of you or even if you just want to know how to file your election paperwork.
I'm certainly willing to share what I know and you can take it. Or leave it. However you choose but my door is always open. I did spend all day before the winter break at would Middle School judging their eighth grade mock Congressional hearings, and that was fun. I also have a. New admiration as well for our teachers because when it was.
V was done. I thought my day was done and then I realized there was still [00:43:00] one more period left in the day, which was my bad, but it was it was a wonderful day, but I just went a little longer than I guess I thought they went. I also had the opportunity to attend attend a handful of winter music concerts throughout our schools have attended our January PTA meetings at my local primary school and.
Sure, and then I just wanted to say thank you so much for the school board recognition. It's very embarrassing and uncomfortable to hear that recognition because I I love this job, and I like what I get to do. So for me, it's an honor to serve and the tokens of appreciation are just embarrassing, but I am also grateful.
So, thank you.
[00:44:00] Hi, I think it's my turn. I do accept donations of chocolate whether it's School Board appreciation month or not. So these are always welcome. Look at this is awesome. Yeah, it is. It's kind of. It is fun. I love reading the cards and looking at the gifts and it's neat to have that to thank you for that.
And I'd say this past month gotchas have been five or six weeks since we last met we kind of had a long break which is unusual for us. We're usually together every couple of weeks in that time. I actually stayed quite busy with the long range planning committee meetings and later tonight. We'll be talking more about what's coming out of that committee.
There's been some really great discussions happening at that committee level of. The future of our school district and it's been a privilege to be a part of that and I had the opportunity also with some of the extra time that we had since we were not meeting with one another so much to communicate more with Community stakeholders, including a city councilor and both of our newly elected state representatives as well [00:45:00] as community members and those conversations have focused on the health and wellness standards and the future of high school and our district, so it's been.
An honor to be a part of those conversations as well. And yeah, I think just the focus has really been on high school as well just in my own mind and my activities at the I attended the West Linn High School CTE display and had the opportunity to see what the students are at, West Linn High or doing with some.
Grant monies and that we received for CTE and was very inspiring to see what those students are learning and how it has shaped their perception of what they can be in the future what they can do today and what they can be in the future and so just nice at that happened around the same time as the long range planning committee discussions were happening around high school.
So that has been very inspiring for me. I think that's it. Those are those are my highlights. Thanks for being here everyone.
[00:46:00] Before everybody left town. I had a chance to attend a holiday concert at Stafford primary where I got to see the. Primary students playing ukuleles which is kind of cool that different schools have different programs for music those all their Senior Choir and ukuleles and that was fantastic. I got to attend Living in America.
There's a play in Miss rise classroom at Willamette primary with dr. Ludwig and Doctor prior, which was a play where the they brought five books together about the colonization of America. The heavy emphasis on Native Americans and the effect that had on them kids were in full costumes each student had three to five roles they were playing.
So it was pretty impressive production. I've had a chance to sit down and meet with both of our new Representatives courting your on of Wilsonville and Rachel Cusack of West Lynn who are both sworn in this morning down in Salem. Both of them have key committee assignments including prusak being on ways and means so I was able to talk to them about.
Issues in our district [00:47:00] and stable funding for schools. And so I'm really excited to see the two of them can do down in Salem yesterday. I had a chance to meet with a group of Cub Scouts who needed a public leader to come talk about what it's like to serve on a local board. And so I had to ask me to fill an hour with 11 year olds.
And so I ended up creating some simulations really had to solve problems about parking and pesticides and. Kids actually very thoughtful and I was it was neat to see some of them change their positions as new information came forward. I wanted to comment on Mark Silverman's passing which was very tragic all three of my kids knew.
Mr. Silverman. He was a pretty amazing guy. They have a wall that landed that discusses kind of a tribute to him and what you'll see on that wall over and over again other words be kinder than necessary. That was his legacy and I just can't think of a. You Know It Is tragically was he left us so early to leave a legacy of be kind of necessary is about as good as any of us could do and lastly I [00:48:00] just wanted to honor my fellow board members up here are five very different people but I won't speak for myself with the four of them bring something very unique and special to this board so I appreciate everyone as a group but also individually put they bring so I want to say thanks to them and I got to make you uncomfortable one more time