District Wide News

The last day of the 2012-13 school year is Thursday, June 13, which is a half-day of school for students.

Because of bond construction projects (thank you, voters!), two schools will get out earlier. The last day of the school year for students at Menlo Park Elementary and Ventura Park Elementary is Tuesday, June 11, which is a full day of school. Both schools, along with the North Powellhurst building, will be closed to the public this summer while construction goes on.

Please mark your calendars now for a change to the school start date for the fall. The 2013-14 school year begins on Monday, Sept. 9, one week later than normal. That’s right. Summer break will be one week longer this year.

May 2013 Happenings
June 2013 Happenings

The fifty-seventh annual commencement of the David Douglas High School Class of 2013 will be held on Wednesday, June 5th at 7:00pm in the Earl A. Chiles Center, University of Portland. Admission is by ticket only.

For those of you unable to attend, we will be streaming the ceremony live here beginning promptly at 7:00pm on June 5th. Please check back at that time.

It was a big weekend at the OSAA State Band/Orchestra Championships for David Douglas High School and the entire District music program.

The David Douglas Budget Committee has unanimously approved a 2013-14 school year budget. For the first time in three years, the budget does not include any significant cuts in personnel or service. It also does not include any significant additions to programs, but seeks to maintain current service levels.

The David Douglas School District has received an Equal Opportunity Schools matching grant that will allow David Douglas High School to expand its Advanced Placement (AP) course offerings and recruit more students into the high-rigor classes, especially underserved students.

Swim Lessons
These are the lessons that have been a David Douglas School District favorite for many years!
Sessions are:
Session I June 17–June 28
Session II July 8–July 19
Session III July 22–August 2
Session IV August 5–August 9 (short session)

Five of the seven positions on the David Douglas School Board will be open for election on the upcoming May 21 ballot. The deadline for interested candidates to file for election has passed, and the District has eight candidates running for the five open positions.

As a parent, one of the most important interactions you will have with your student's teacher is at the Parent-Teacher Conference. This is your chance to find out directly from his or her teacher how your student is doing, what his or her strengths are, and what they need to work on.

The 2013 Oregon State Legislature is now officially in session. During this session, the Legislature will adopt a new budget for the next two years, including for K-12 education.

The David Douglas School District this year received a $30,000 CLASS design grant from the Chalkboard Project. We have created a web page under our Features section designed to provide our community with the purpose and progress of this collaborative effort.

If your child qualifies for free or reduced-price meals at school, you may also qualify for a program that offers reduced-cost internet connection at your home. About 80 percent of David Douglas families qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches. Many of them would also qualify for this program.

Each year, the Oregon Department of Education produces report cards for all schools and school districts. These report cards were mandated by the 1999 state legislature and provide educators with an opportunity to communicate with our community about how our schools are performing.

The State of Oregon has released results of its new ratings system for schools, a change as a result of Oregon receiving a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law. The new ratings system puts schools, based on academic performance, into one of 5 tiers. In addition, the state identified the lowest performing schools as either Priority schools or Focus schools, meaning those schools will receive additional attention in helping them improve.

Welcome to the David Douglas School District Volunteer Help Wanted section. Just like a newspaper's help wanted section, this page is designed to match people looking to volunteer in our schools with specific volunteer needs in our schools.

Click here to view Volunteer Procedures.

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Register Now for Fall Soccer!Students, ages 4-14, can register for David Douglas Soccer from now until Sunday, July 28th. The registration fee is $80, with an additional fee for uniforms - $20 for Micro, and $35 for U8 and above. Note: Past fees must be paid in full; if current fee is not received within ten days of DDSC receiving the registration, or if alternative arrangements have not been made with the treasurer, the players’ registration will be denied.

Students can register online at www.ddsoccer.org/registration.html using either a Visa or MasterCard. A registration form can also be downloaded online and mailed with a check to: David Douglas Soccer, PO BOX 9100, Portland, OR 97290.

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Whether your student is in elementary, middle, or high school, parent-teacher conferences are an important opportunity to discuss how your child is doing in school. It is also an opportunity to strengthen the partnership with your child’s teacher.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you prepare for your conference:

• Look over recent assignments and test grades so that you know how your child has been performing in class.