.Hello from the Executive Director.
"Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle ... a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dream."
- Barbara Winkler
Hello, Bronco Families!
I love gardening! This poem speaks loudly to me this year for many reasons. February is my antsy time. Beautiful, colorful fall has passed. Winter seems to trod on forever. Spring is not coming fast enough for my impatient gardener soul. “Anticipation” is my word this week. There are many reasons for a feeling of anticipation right now. Many of us are anticipating longer, warmer days; bird songs to bring us joy in the mornings; and time where we can play with friends in the sunshine. I think all of us are eagerly anticipating an end to the impacts of the pandemic!
News this week from the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Department of Education brings up another reason for excitement and anticipation. As of March 31st, the state is planning to rescind the mask mandate for indoor activities if COVID case counts continue to decline. Did you know that Oregon has the third lowest COVID case count in the nation and the eighth lowest death rate due to COVID? Oregon health officials attribute these low numbers to vigilant masking and high vaccination rates among Oregonians. It is wonderful that the efforts we've made allow us to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.
The indoor mask requirement and other COVID protocols for schools are still in place and will continue until further notice. Still, we celebrate the great news about the anticipated easing of mask regulations for organizations and communities around the state. Over the next few weeks, we will be examining what the upcoming changes might mean for our school. For now, we continue to follow the guidance of CDC, OHA, and ODE.
You may wonder what there is to consider....many important details are missing from recent news releases that require careful deliberation in determining our next steps. Schools fall under different guidelines and recommendations than other businesses and agencies in Oregon. Each school system is given the responsibility to work with local health authorities on updating/changing indoor masking requirements in K–12 schools after March 31st. The mask “requirement” may change soon, but the “guidance” and “recommendations” for schools will not from what we are being told. Oregon HB 4404 rules require schools to follow the recommendations and advice of the CDC, OHA, and ODE. At this time, all three of these agencies “strongly advise” the use of face coverings in schools. Practice and protocol changes will be required in each school where face coverings become optional, including a return to former contact tracing and quarantining procedures which require out of school quarantining for unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated staff and students. This could result in more time out of the classroom for students and higher absentee rates for staff which negatively impact learning and could present a higher risk of moving to CDL instruction. We must weigh the risks and implications on school safety, attendance, and liability with the convenience and freedom of optional masking.
All of us want the pandemic to end soon and to resume more normal activities with friends and family. Your continued understanding and support makes all the difference in our ability to provide a safe and enjoyable learning and working environment for our school community. Thank you so much!
Warm regards,
Lisa
.Hello from the Dean of Student Services.
Yesterday our 7th graders attended an educational jazz class at the Shedd Institute with Grammy and Pulitzer winning musician and educator Wyton Marsalis and his jazz orchestra. As the artistic director of Jazz at the Lincoln Center, Marsalis works with 15 of the world’s top jazz musicians.
I was struck by the quality of not just the music, but the conversation. Marsalis interactively discussed the meaning of Jazz. He defined it as American music that practices our traditions of listening and responding to others. It is the practice of individual freedom (improvisation) in a group working together.
I wished every family and student could witness how these musicians worked together. Dressed in suits and brown leather shoes, each musician embodied respect and cooperation. They laughed and joked happily together, but also used respectful titles - “Mr. Crenshaw,” “Mr. Nimmer,” etc.
I mention this event because it was a great example of professional readiness. The musicians sat “ready” for an hour in a way students also must practice being ready to be successful. These world-class performers even explained what they were doing. They shared how they must pay attention to notice the dynamics in each other’s voices - for example, listening to how the leader counts the beat before a song begins so they all come in with the same just tempo, but emotion and style. Mysterious? Strong? Tender?
To succeed in a group means using your senses to pay attention to, notice, and respond to others. This does not mean the death of individualism, but rather the birth of it. You have to find your moment, and speak your best when you are given the floor. For anyone to be heard, we find forms and systems where we can all listen and be given turns.
While some people believe that schools may emphasize “feelings” too much, this lesson at the Shedd yesterday is a perfect example of why skills in relationships and paying attention matter. In a business or a community organization, like in music, the individual and the group must co-exist. If a person cannot notice and pay attention to the dynamics of another person, they cannot respond to or build on what they are doing. If we cannot hear, we end up not being heard.
School readiness is readiness to participate in human rhythms of alternating listening and speaking. These are increasingly hard rhythms for students today to learn - most humans are more and more used to the rhythms of electronics, entertainment, and working on their own. Still, at home and school children can practice building up these muscles. Taking turns talking at dinner about your day is one example. Practicing sharing in a small group with equal amounts of time is another.
I encourage any of you who are interested to learn more about Wyton Marsalis and his work to investigate his website and listen to his podcasts. https://wyntonmarsalis.org.
Out of gratitude for his work with our students, I am also passing on his strong recommendations. He encouraged all students to get a copy of the constitution. Even if they don’t read it, he said, just get it and keep it around. He also encouraged them to read Endurance and learn about Sir Earnest Shackelton’s resilience and courage.
Thank you to Mrs. Epperson and the 7th grade parent volunteers who made this trip possible. Even in challenging days, good things are still happening.
- Liz Bruno
.General Information.
Existing Student Re-Enrollment:
The deadline for re-enrollment is THIS FRIDAY! The online form can be found HERE or on our website by clicking on the school information tab and then the admissions ribbon.
Failure to complete and submit forms by 3:30 on February 11, 2022 may result in loss of placement in a class. If you have any questions, please contact the office. We are happy to help!
New Student Lottery Applications:
Siblings who are not currently enrolled but will apply to attend in the 2022/23 school year (as openings become available) must complete the Application for Lottery/Waitlist form. Forms received post lottery will be added to the waitlist. The online form can be found HERE or on our website by clicking on the school information tab and then the admissions ribbon. Applications are due by March 18, 2022 at 3:30pm.
EZ Texting:
You can sign up to receive emergency and weather-related text messages from the CCCS office by texting EZCCCS to 313131. You must sign up annually to maintain the service. Standard text rates apply.
Calendar
Monday, February 21- Presidents Day NO SCHOOL
Thursday, February 17- Lottery Information 6pm VIA zoom
Thursday, February 24- Lottery Information 8:30am VIA zoom
Exclusion Day
If you got a letter in the mail regarding your child's immunizations, please get us updated information ASAP as exclusion day is fast approaching on February 16, 2022
CCCS and SBAC Testing
Every year, students in grades 3–8 and grade 11 complete state tests. These assessments provide useful information for students, parents and schools, although they are only one measure of students' academic success.
Today's state assessments are not the multiple-choice "bubble" tests students experienced in the past. The questions are interactive and go deeper, allowing students to engage with texts, build equations and explain their answers. Students are challenged to think critically and analytically, and apply their knowledge and skills to real-world problems which better prepares them for college and careers.
Standardized test results are generally low-stakes for students, but provide a useful “temperature check” on how students and schools are performing toward the learning standards and where extra attention is needed.
Students in grades 3-8 and 11 will take the Smarter Balanced tests this spring between March and June 8th. CCCS tends to start their testing after spring break. Homeroom teachers will communicate testing plans/schedules via their weekly correspondence to families. Most students participate in state testing, but parents have the right to opt out if they choose. An informational notice about state testing and an opt-out request form are available via the link below. If you choose to opt your child out of state testing this year, the opt-out form must be completed and turned in to the office no later than March 1st, 2022.
If you have any questions at all about state testing or opting out, please contact our testing coordinator Melissa Sepulveda - m.sepulveda@coburgcharter.org Thank You!
State Testing Notice Opt-Out Form can be found HERE.
.PCS Corner.
Hello from PCS (People for Coburg School), the school's parent group. Only 2 things to know or help out with this week….
PCS will meet this Friday, Feb. 11th at 8:30 am (via this Zoom Link; Meeting ID: 810 8114 5305; Passcode: 727309). We would love your help with our spring events, so please join if you’re able (or email PCS if you can’t join but have time to volunteer).
Tasty Tuesdays are off to a great start. We’ve raised approximately $500 from Coburg Pizza & Crumbl, so thank you to everyone who has eaten out the past two weeks. Next Tuesday is at the Gateway location of Chipotle from 4-8 pm (here’s the 2/15 Chipotle Flier). For the full list of upcoming restaurants or to download the fliers, see the PCS Current Events.
Questions or comments? E-mail PCS@coburgcharter.org. Thank you!
.Community Corner.
Thank you to our February sponsor, Kara Schmidt - Principal Broker & Agent with Elite Realty Professionals!
Help support people, that support our school! Kara is a residential real estate broker that works with buyers, sellers, and investors!
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