Communication Internship Opportunity

  The way we our story can make all the difference.  We need your help in sharing our story with our community.  Apply to be a communication intern today.  WWW.OCSD62.ORG/COMMUNICATION-INTERNSHIP We are looking for a group of students who are passionate, or curious, about pursuing a career within the communication field. We are looking for students who are dedicated, responsible, and creative. No prior experience is needed, just a willingness to learn.  This communication internship provides you with a valuable opportunity to gain professional experience before even having left high school. This experience will give you an advantage over others when applying for future jobs and provide you with a valuable reference. It will also help you develop and hone your skills, and make you a competitive candidate for future employers.  Please apply by filling out the form on our website or linked at the bottom of this post. Applications must have a cover letter and a resume (need help? Ask your counselor or the Career and College team!). Applications will be accepted by January 5th, 2024. Applicants will be interviewed the following week and selected applicants will be notified on January 12th.  *This application is only open to high school students currently attending Oregon City High School, Oregon City Service Learning Academy, or Clackamas Academy of Industrial Sciences.    What is this? This communications internship will provide support to our Communication Coordinator in creating content, acting as photographer, editing/updating websites, working on campaign teams, and more.  Who are we looking for?  We are looking for a group of students who are passionate, or curious, about pursuing a career within the communications field. We are looking for students who are dedicated, responsible, and creative. No prior experience is needed, just a willingness to learn.  What is the commitment?  Students must be able to commit to meeting twice a month (either in person or virtually), and be willing to work outside of school hours. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA average and be in good standing with attendance. Students must also be willing to commit through the end of the school year in June.  Do I need any special skills or experience?  No special skills or experience is required, however it will be helpful for students to have some background in either creating social media content, audience analysis, Adobe Creative Suite products (InDesign, Illustrator, Premier Pro, Lightroom, Photoshop), web design or development, Squarespace platform, photography or video production, strong writing skills, storytelling knowledge, or public relations. If you do not possess these in particular, please note what skills and interests you  do  have on your application!    What jobs are in communications? Communication covers a wide array of career opportunities although many of them intertwined with one another.  It is a dynamic, interdisciplinary field. Below is a list of possible career avenues within communications: Photographer Journalist Reporter Editor Copy Writer / Copy Editor Web Design Website Management Content Creator Social Media Manager Public Relations Graphic Design Marketing Campaign Managers Creative Directors Advertising Sports Reporting Technical Writing Healthcare Communication Broadcast Analyst Publishing And Much More Questions?  Email our Communication Coordinator, Caitlin Bergström (caitlin.bergstrom@orecity.k12.or.us)   READY TO APPLY? APPLY HERE

Tuesday, Dec 05 2023

"How To" Contest Now Open!

  www.ocsd62.org/how-to-contest "HOW TO" OPEN NO This year, we’re offering a great opportunity for students to showcase their interests, expertise, writing, and interviewing skills to our greater community. This pairs with our new Strategic Plan’s priority of Career and College Readiness in offering an opportunity for students to explore a skill within a career or industry. So, what’s the opportunity? It's the “How To” Contest! Students grades 6-12 attending Gardiner Middle, Tumwata Middle, CAIS, OCHS, and OCLSA may write a short “how to” article on any topic of their choice, so long as it's appropriate for a family friendly audience. The “how to” article should provide step by step instructions on “how to” do something. Students must find, interview, and quote a minimum of one expert on their chosen topic throughout their piece. Pieces need to be at least one page, using 12 point font, and single spaced. Appropriate source citations may also be included. Articles will be judged against criteria outlined in the rubric listed below.  The top three finalists from each school will be presented to a panel of judges to decide the final two winners (one middle school, one high school). Finalists will have their works published, here, on our website and the two overall winners will have their works published in our monthly community newsletter. For questions, please reach out to our Communication Coordinator, Caitlin Bergstrom or our Career and College Pathways Administrator, Victoria Meinig .   CONTEST DETAILS   Who is this open to?:  This contest is open to our students in 6th -12th grade in attendance at the following schools:   Gardiner Middle School Tumwata Middle School Clackamas Academy of Industrial Sciences (CAIS) Oregon City High School (OCHS) Oregon City Service Learning Academy (OCSLA) When is the deadline to submit? The contest will run from December 1st, 2023 to January 26th, 2024. All submissions must be submitted by 5pm on January 26th, 2024. When will the winners be announced? Winners will be announced on February 5th. How long does it need to be? A minimum of one page. What are the format requirements? 12 point font Single spaced One-inch margins Google Doc, .DOCX, .or PDF What doe s it need to include? Step by step instructions on how to do something. Papers should include evidence of one expert on the topic having been interviewed and quoted throughout the piece. What topics can we write on? Any topic is allowed so long as its school appropriate and family friendly. Who will judge? We will have a panel of five community partners to act as the final judges. Interested in judging or donating a prize? Reach out to Victoria Meinig .   NEED IDEAS OR EXAMPLES OR HELP? How To Writing for Kids Videos New York Times Tips Column New York Times Informational Writing Unit Article Quoting and Paraphrasing Experts and Research In need of a challenge? Turn your "How To" article into a braided essay! Braided Essays and How To Write Them Connect with your teachers and counselors! Connect with our District Career and College Team: Victoria Meinig - Career and College Pathways Administrator Erica Frafjord - Career and College Coordinator Kevin Rich  - Career and College Readiness Specialist

Monday, Dec 04 2023

November Newsletter

  NOVEMBER 30th, 2023 From the Superintendent: It’s the season of thankfulness and being grateful is important to me.  As an adult, I know looking back on my childhood, that I am who I am because of the many great people who were planted throughout my world. I learned that school was full of caring adults and also community members- thank you to my Bluebird leader and softball coaches and my neighbor who taught me how to grow vegetables. I learned quickly that home was an important piece of my world but not the whole thing; there is always so much more!  I am grateful for the Oregon City community, families and staff who care deeply about our students.  In education, we get the privilege of teaching children and partnering with their parents and their community to be exceptional. Conferences provide the opportunity for families to get to know their student’s teacher(s) and for teachers to learn more about their students and their families.  Parents know their students best and we are always thankful for the times we get to collaborate together- thank you to families who came to conferences last week.  We also get the opportunity to help students learn to make friends, learn about their own strengths and natural talents, and to negotiate when things are hard or difficult to do.  The staff in Oregon City School District work hard to serve the students in their care and challenge them to greatness. A big thank you to them as well. Hot Minute in District 62 Join me each week for a Hot Minute in District 62. In approximately 62 seconds we will be highlighting an aspect of our district. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube! OCSD Facebook Page OCSD Twitter OCSD Youtube Chanel Next Month in D62 December 8th - No School - Gardiner, Tumwata, OCHS, and OCSLA December 18th through December 29th  - No School - All Schools - Winter Break   Oregon City Schools Go High Tech   Last year, OCSD staff member Susan Collins lead the initiative to acquire virtual reality headsets for students to practice skills in a safe and controlled environment. These headsets are to help students explore and practice different careers and career skills such as learning how to use a fire extinguisher, repairing an electrical tower, and inserting an IV into a patient in a safe and controlled way.  The youth transition program YTP, has been using virtual reality headsets to explore careers and life skills. There has been a little bit of a learning curve, but more for staff than students. "We had to get used to casting them so we could use them as a class activity. Now that we have that all set up, the students really enjoy the opportunity to do Hands-On activities in a safe, positive, fail-free environment," says Bridges to Independence instructor Katie Wolvert.      RESOURCES We know things don't always go the way we hope or plan. We've put together a few resources to help you and your student in times of need.   www.ocsd62.org/community-resources Winter weather is making its debut, so please remember to dress your students in warm jackets and clothes. If you are in need of warm clothes, please reach out to our Community Education Program and they can connect you with our clothes closet. Finally, we absolutely love seeing your students’ faces in school. It's ok to send them even when they’re not feeling their best. If you are unsure if your student is too sick for school please see the guidance on our website.  Helping your student decide when it’s appropriate to stay home and when pushing through is needed can also be a good teaching moment; we do not want them to be super sick at school but we also know feeling a little sluggish or stuffy is normal from time to time. Being present matters- let’s come to school!      FUTURE CHEFS CHALLENGE Last year we had great success with our Future Chefs Challenge and we wanted to expand and offer it again this year!  This year the Future Chefs Challenge will be open to students grades K-8th grade. A winner will be selected from each elementary school, and each middle school. These chosen finalists will compete in our finalist competition, in person at Gardiner Middle School, on March 20th and 21st.  This year's theme is: THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME – RECIPES FEATURING FAVORITES FROM HOME OR FAMILY RECIPES .   Submit your favorite recipe from home or family recipe for the chance to be named the 2024 Future Chefs Challenge winner! Deadline to register is January 31, 2024. For more information, visit  www.futurechefschallenge.com or if you need a paper recipe form, please contact Jeff Ralston  jeff.ralston@orecity.k12.or.us ENTER THE CHALLENGE SEE LAST YEARS CHALLENGE         Apply for Free and Reduced Meals!      Apply to our free and reduced meal program! Even if your student brings lunch from home, filling out the application has many benefits. Not only does it provide nutritious meals to your student for free, or at a reduced price, but it also offers discount opportunities for college applications, academic tests, and more. If you qualified in a prior year, you must re-apply and be approved in order to avoid lunch charges.  Find out more and apply on the website here:  https://www.ocsd62.org/free-and-reduced-meal-application .    IMPORTANT UPDATES FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS We will be implementing a new communication practice within our district to help all of us be more prepared for when that time comes. Starting in January, parents and caregivers will begin receiving alerts through ParentSquare when their student's school is practicing a drill. The message will note that this is a drill. We've included examples of the drill messaging versus the actual event messaging for comparison. DRILL MESSAGING EXAMPLE Beginning of Drill: THIS IS A DRILL. [insert building here] is currently practicing an [insert drill action here]. Please note that this communication is part of our practice drill process. No action is needed from you at this time. Thank you!  End of Drill:  [insert building here] has concluded the [insert drill action here] This communication is part of our practice drill process. No action is needed from you at this time. Thank you!  NON-DRILL MESSAGING EXAMPLE Beginning of Emergency Communication: [insert building here] has actively [active action here] students and staff. This communication is to inform you of an active [action] at your students school. Please remain where you are and wait for further communication. Updates will be sent when more information is available.  *End of Communications will vary based on the need. Please adhere to the instructions provided in the initial communication and those thereafter.  As a reminder, please ensure that your contact information is accurate in ParentVue.  This contact information is used to communicate with families via ParentSquare ( email, text and phone calls).  In the event of a disaster related emergency, Oregon City School District will work with Clackamas County Emergency Management to utilize the  Clackamas County Public Alerts Notification System. Please use the link to sign up to receive disaster-related alerts that are relevant to Clackamas County. Your cooperation helps maintain a secure environment for everyone. We are committed to keeping you informed during any emergency. Thank you for your understanding and partnership in keeping our students safe.   CAIS OPEN HOUSE Tuesday, December 5th, 2023 Clackamas Academy of Industrial Sciences is holding an Open House for prospective students and families.They are welcome to tour their programs and learn about the tools they use that support their approach to CTE learning.   Please RSVP to the CAIS Open House Day Tuesday, December 5th, 2023 4:00-6:00pm: Tours of building and maker space 4:45-5:30pm: Session1 - Questions and Answers 5:45-6:30pm: Session2 - Questions and Answers   COMPLETE YOUR VOLUNTEER APPLICATION We need you! Our schools need you as a volunteer. Whether its assisting in the classroom, helping with making copies, sorting books in the library, eating lunch with students, chaperoning a field trip... We depend on your help as a volunteer. Our volunteer process does take a little bit of time to complete, so starting it now will ensure you're able to help out as soon as possible. Please note that you must fill out an application each year.  To apply, please visit:  www.ocsd62.org/volunteer Transportation Tips and Reminders The weather is changing, and the days are getting shorter and the dark nights are lasting longer. As drivers and caregivers, please be aware of the darkness in the mornings. Students will be waiting to board buses on the side of the road. Dressing your students in warm clothes with bright colors will help drivers see them. Reflective additions are always a good idea, as well! Remember to check your  e-link  to verify your student's route and bus stop. They may change from time to time as we adjust to combat our driver shortage. We also want to remind you to establish a reliable back up plan for getting them to and from school, should your student's route be cancelled.       NAVIGATING THE WINTER SEASON: KEEPING YOUR STUDENT'S LEARNING AT THE FOREFRONT We’ve almost made it! A few more weeks and then school will let out for the longest break we have outside of summer. If you are like my family and me, that may bring up a whole host of feelings: eagerness to have a break, anxiety about all the things that need to get done before that time, overwhelm with more family events than usual; maybe you are also struggling with financial pressures, missing loved ones,  and managing high expectations to deliver gifts and plenty to people in your life. This can be a confusing time of year and attending school can easily become deprioritized. Here is a checklist of considerations during the season to make sure your child’s learning stays front and center: Your child can go to school even when they aren’t feeling 100%. ‘Tis the season of sniffly noses, scratchy throats, and the like; these present good opportunities to work with your child to identify when it’s appropriate to stay home (consult the  OCSD website for specifics ) and when pushing through is the best course of action. We all know that jobs (and life!) require us to parse out sick days and manage ourselves when we’re not 100%; let’s start building those skills now with our students.  Keep in mind  that healthy habits create strong immune systems: plenty of sleep, balanced diets, and exercise help us fight off winter viruses. Whether an absence is excused (sickness or vacation) or unexcused, the number of days missed is factored into overall attendance for the year. Why? Excused or unexcused absences all mean one thing: your child missed out on learning opportunities. Connection and belonging drive attendance.   When you get down to it, this season is about relationships–it’s a reminder that being together, whether that’s with your family, friends, church and/or community. Schools are powerful communities, ones that cultivate connections and learning.  Research  shows that when students feel a sense of belonging and connection with their school, they are more likely to attend regularly; ask your child who they feel connected to at school. It’s a perfect time to highlight those relationships and remind your child that showing up each day creates stronger bonds with teachers and peers alike.       Create a holiday attendance tracker. Everyone is tired. It’s cold outside. Motivation to attend school can wane during these winter months. Consider an  incentivizing way  to encourage your child to attend school. Choose a defined period of time (say, between now and the holiday break) and identify short term rewards every week when consistent efforts towards attendance occur. Discuss strategies to be successful (putting clothes out for the morning, getting backpacks ready the night before school, etc) and identify one celebration at the end of the entire period (when winter break starts) if your child did their best to get to school. For older students, this may mean a pizza party with buddies and for younger children, this may mean making cookies–just some ideas to refresh motivation around attending school, make the challenge fun, and spark discussion around what creates strong attendance. Your school is a wealth of resources, especially during a season that can be challenging. Remember: your school staff is available to problem solve challenges as they come up. If you are encountering boundaries to  food, secure housing, and/or mental health support,  your child’s school has a team of people who can either provide that resource or give you a pathway to connect with that resource. Don’t let these challenges stand in the way of your child’s learning; in fact, your child’s school community is eager to support you in overcoming these challenges. Let’s show up for each other this season–your school is ready to welcome you and your child! This article was written by Kate Bonilla, EdS, NCSP OCSD School Psychologist Please note: We are updating a few of our web domains. The following websites are experiencing domain changes: Strategic Plan Website - www.strategicplan23.ocsd62.org --> www.ocsd62strategicplan.org Board Resources Website - www.boardresources.ocsd62.org --> www.ocsd62boardresources.org Oregon City Community Education - www.occe.ocsd62.org --> www.ocsd62occe.org OCHS Athletics - www.athletics.ochspioneers.org --> www.ochspioneersathletics.org OCSD Facility and Operations - www.fac-ops.ocsd62.org --> www.ocsd62.org     Quick Links OCSD Website Nutrition Services / MealTime Careers Community Resources Community Education Strategic Plan Code of Conduct Transportation Services

Friday, Dec 01 2023

Information and Resources for Community Tragedy

November 15th, 2023 Dear Oregon City School District Families, You may have heard of the death of Anna Wessel, on November 13th, 2023. With this tragedy, we are making every effort to respond to the needs of all of our students. Our staff/counselors have been available throughout the last few days at the impacted schools to talk with students and help them navigate their emotions.  There has been an outpouring of care and concern by our school community. We know that death can trigger other feelings for adults and students. Some students might express sadness, tearfulness, or even anger over other losses as they experience this grief. This is a natural reaction and we want them to be able to address their feelings. Checking in with your student about this event will give them a chance to talk about how they are doing.    Resources addressing how to support children or others during this time are attached to this message.  Please be sensitive to one another and do not hesitate to reach out to someone if you are in need or see someone else in need. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to connect with your school’s administrator or one of your school counselors.  RESOURCES Trauma: Brief Facts (Spanish)  from NASP Trauma: Brief Facts (English)  from NASP Ten Tips for Parents Supporting Children who are Grieving  (Dougy Center) Grief / Support Handout for Parents  (English and Spanish) from Clackamas Regional Flight Team Addressing Grief  from NASP

Thursday, Nov 16 2023

Help Support the Bridges to Independence's Spa Day

  For the past four years our Bridges to Independence program has hosted a Spa Day on campus. This day is used to teach their students about personal hygiene and provides an opportunity to talk about how to properly socialize at upcoming holiday events.  Spa Day lasts all day, beginning first thing in the morning with students being welcomed with a light breakfast before being assigned a small group to experience the day with. Each group then rotates through various stations. These stations include: learning how to tie a tie, how to shave, how to properly care for their skin, their nails and hair, and how to "reset" themselves by learning a calming Yoga routine. After lunch, with our partners from the Clackamas PTA clothes closet, we welcome the students to choose an outfit to wear to a holiday party. The goal of this event is to make learning about personal hygiene fun and non-invasive. The students shine at the end of the day and relish the opportunity to be pampered.  This event is always so much fun and the students really enjoy it.  We rely on donations of hygiene supplies and volunteers to make sure everyone goes home with the tools they need to be fabulous! If you would like to donate items to this event, please drop the items off at our Barclay Campus ( 817 12th St)  by December 6th. If you would like to volunteer your time, please contact Katie Wolvert (katie.wolvert@orecity.k12.or.us)   Item Donations Needed We're looking for new donations of the following items:  Hair Brushes Hair Bands Face Wash Face Wash Pads Face Masks / Hand Masks / Feet Masks Foot Soaks Etc. Volunteer Your Time We also need volunteers to support this special day. We would love to have the following share their time and expertise with us:  Yoga Instructors Estheticians Hair Stylists Etc.  

Wednesday, Nov 15 2023