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Monthly Messenger |
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Colleagues and partners:
For all the challenges facing our schools related to learning loss, emotional and physical health, and reestablishing expectations and routines, this school year has been far more predictable. Predictability and routine lowers stress for students and staff alike, making it more possible to maximize learning time and growth.
It’s been filling my cup to see the work of educators across the region play out in this much more predictable context:
 Rose McGee, a trainer and community engagement expert from Minnesota, leads a story circle training on Oct. 12 at the Washington Service Center in Hillsboro. NWRESD’s equity and family partnerships director S.Z. Liwaru looks on. Story circles are an engagement and leadership development process in which each participant listens to and shares authentic stories.
I hope the enclosed news and opportunities fill your cup too and that you’re able to take advantage of all NWRESD has to offer you.
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In partnership and growth –
 Dan Goldman
Superintendent
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Updated Attendance, 9th Grade on Track Data Now Available Through Our Oregon Schools Data Dashboard
 A screenshot of NWRESD’s data dashboard displays regular attender data for the Astoria School District.
The Oregon Department of Education released At-A-Glance School Profiles and attendance and 9th grade on track data on October 20. Attendance levels were down across the state but 9th grade on track rates were up. For more information, read this recap from Oregon Public Broadcasting's education reporter Elizabeth Miller.
NWRESD’s data team has updated our data dashboard to reflect these new data points.
View Data from Past Oregon Student Health Surveys, Participate in the 2022 Survey
 Image description: Text that says 2020 Oregon Student Health Survey - helping youth to be happy, healthy and resilient overlays orange and blue background colors.
Remember that as you dig into doing a needs assessment for your Integrated Guidance-related work, you might be able to pull data from existing sources. If your school participated in the Student Health Survey in 2020-21, you have access to data points about school connectedness, bullying and social and emotional health.
The county-level reports are below:
All district-level data has been sent to superintendents in districts that participated. If your district needs help accessing your report, email Mary Johnstun at Bach Harrison.
The 2022 Student Health Survey is taking place now. If your district isn’t taking part, please consider participating as a way to gather valuable information about the health and well-being of students in your district, our region, and all of Oregon.
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 Image description: Text over a navy background and colorful border that says: Join Our Team - Executive Director of Early Learning (nwresd.org/careers).
We are seeking a passionate and energetic early education leader with sharp business acumen and an unwavering enthusiasm for improving and enriching the lives of children, families and staff. Come lead a collaborative, equity-focused early education program. The successful candidate will bring enthusiasm and an ability to lead and motivate others. They will be able to think beyond regulations to provide excellence in service and programs while balancing a culture of professionalism and fun.
As a member of the NWRESD leadership team, the executive director of early learning will ensure high levels of collaboration among and between departments, effectively communicate with staff, family, community and school district stakeholders, and ensure program resources and improvement efforts are aligned to meet the commitments established in our strategic plan.
Current early learning programs include Early Intervention, Early Childhood Special Education, Northwest Early Learning Hub, Northwest Child Care Resource and Referral, and the Northwest Parenting Hub.
At NWRESD, we understand our employees are people — people with lives outside of their careers. Our work culture encourages wellness, supports balance and empowers people so they can not only live but thrive. We also offer a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision benefits and access to various tax-sheltered accounts.
 Students in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program at Groner Elementary School in Hillsboro pose for a photo before heading off on a field trip to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. A NWRESD Foundation grant funded the trip.
NWRESD’s Foundation is now accepting mini-grant applications from educators in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. The grant application is open to any educator working for NWRESD or at one of the 20 component school districts in our region.
The foundation supports grants that seek to support children in one of these four areas:
- Birth to age 5 special education
- Early learning and kindergarten readiness
- English language learners and migrant education
- School‐age special education (including regional inclusive services, social emotional learning schools, transition programs)
The application will close at 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 18. All applicants will receive a response about whether they have been funded by Feb. 24, 2023.
Grant requests should not exceed $2,500.
 Student ambassadors from St. Helens High School pose for a photo with their manufacturing teacher at the first in-person Manufacturing Day event since 2019. Photo by Myronda Schiding.
On Oct. 7, 287 students descended on the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center, Research and Development (OMIC R&D) in Scappoose, Oregon, to explore careers in advanced manufacturing. The students met with manufacturing industry professionals and learned about the manufacturing-related educational opportunities available at Portland and Tillamook Bay community colleges.
More than 40 industry representatives from companies such as Rightline Equipment and Jireh Semiconductor offered students a glimpse into an advanced manufacturing career.
 Watch the video above to hear more about what the students learned and why events like Manufacturing Day are important for students.
Advanced manufacturing jobs are in high-demand in the U.S. In fact, the National Association of Manufacturers estimates that because of a manufacturing skills gap in the country, an estimated 2 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled in 2030.
This event aims to shrink that gap and get students excited about the diverse opportunities available in advanced manufacturing.
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 From left: Karen Foley, NWRESD Foundation president poses with Sara Brown Chacon and Rosa Gilbert, NWRESD staff members. Photos by Tracey Goldner.
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 Kim Lyon, NWRESD’s Tillamook Service Center administrator, speaks about a grant she received from the foundation that funded 12 balance bikes and helmets so children who are receiving Early Childhood Special Education services can learn how to ride bikes.
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Thank you to the many community members who joined us on Oct. 26 at our Help Kids Rise Fundraising Reception. With your support, we raised more than $13,000!
It has been a long road back to some semblance of normalcy and being together with donors was truly a cause for celebration! It was so moving to feel the energy and commitment in the room to support our mission and make a difference in the lives of children at risk. Our educators, specialists and students are so grateful for your support.
Check out photos from the event.
We enjoyed hearing from some of the students who are receiving services from Northwest Regional Education Service District.
Watch the video below to meet a few of them:
 A photo of a young woman wearing a black shirt is overlaid with a white play button.
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 November is nationally recognized as Native American Heritage Month. During this month, NWRESD encourages educators to highlight and celebrate the diverse cultures and contributions of our nation’s first people.
At its Oct. 11 board meeting, the NWRESD board of directors officially recognized November as National American Heritage Month and the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day. Read the full board resolution.
This November, move beyond symbolism toward antiracism
Historical narratives told about Native Americans, including the first Thanksgiving, often perpetuate harmful stereotypes and racist ideologies. It is important to set the record straight, acknowledge Native peoples, debunk myths and recognize Indigenous people as contemporaries with dynamic thriving cultures. November offers many opportunities to move past one-dimensional representations of Indigenous people and asks us to add depth to our knowledge and understanding.
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Free, Two-Day Behavioral Safety Assessment Training
Nov. 14-15 - All Day
Portland Community College - Rock Creek Campus
 We're hosting a free, two-day behavioral safety assessment training for educators and community partners. The training will be provided by John Van Dreal, an expert in violence prevention, mitigation and response.
The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 14-15 at the Portland Community College Rock Creek Campus.
Leave with a road map for developing a safer school community. Research shows that schools are safest when violence prevention efforts are coordinated and made up of educators and their local community partners.
The training is free to educators, school administrators, counselors, mental health specialists, social workers, safety specialists, school resource officers and community partners in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. Educators outside our region can attend for a fee. Participants who complete the course are eligible for 16 PDUs.
Integrated Guidance Quarterly Collaborative: Reviewing Data and Preparing for a Needs Assessment
Nov. 14: 3-4:30 p.m.
Virtual
We host quarterly meetings to support school district staff who are working on Integrated Guidance-related projects. We call these meetings Integrated Guidance Community Engagement Learning Collaboratives. These collaboratives are free and open to educators in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties.
Join us next Tuesday to learn about reviewing your data and preparing for a needs assessment.
MTSS Approach to School Attendance
Nov. 16: 1-2 p.m.
Virtual
Learn how to build a strong multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) to promote attendance and decrease absenteeism. We will focus on foundational supports and introduce you to interventions that will help bring chronically absent students back to the classroom. The session is specifically designed for educators and support staff who lead attendance initiatives at schools in Columbia, Clatsop, Tillamook, and Washington counties.
Northwest Regional Educator Network
Winter Application Deadline: Jan. 13, 2023
Statewide, there are far fewer teachers of color than students of color. In order to expand the number of educators of color in our region, the Northwest Regional Educator Network works to improve school environments so they include and center people of color.
The network is designed to support any educator who is interested in learning, creating, advancing and/or sustaining systems of support for Black, Indigenous or other educators of color. Any educator can apply as an individual, team lead or student group adviser. Network staff are available to assist with the application process.
Depending on the tier of support, participants will receive individualized coaching sessions, access to a networking community and resources, and/or access to flexible funds using the budget proposal application.
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The Monthly Messenger is a monthly update for Northwest Regional Education Service District partners. Would you like to see your team's work featured? Email communications. |
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