Dear Parents,

This week I would like to devote this Update to some of the more frequent questions I have been receiving regarding the Boundary Proposal as well as the answers that I have.  I understand that this has been a topic that has been under discussion for many years and for some folks, you just want to be done with the conversation.  However, I feel the need to share information as I receive it to make sure people have the answers they need.

Question:  My child is a current 4th grader and they have changed schools every year since kindergarten.  If they live in a proposed boundary area, they will have made seven school transitions in seven years of school by the time they enter middle school.  Is there any way some adjustments can be made for this particular group of students to provide them with a sense of stability?

Answer:  This question came up early in the discussion and was forwarded to the Board Subcommittee.  I was provided potential numbers at each grade level and am looking to see how or if we could fit all of these students in at BCS if the current 4th graders were allowed to grandfather to BCS..

Question:  Will Hollyrood still be utilized?

Answer:  For the next couple of years we will still utilize Hollyrood because there will not be enough space at the Fernwood campus for all of the students grades K-8.  As the older students matriculate out and our overall size gets smaller, we will look at combining campuses to get everyone under one roof which is a better use of resources.

Question:  I currently live in one of the boundary areas and will be expected to move my child to the new school.  What are the chances that we could ask for an exemption to have our child stay at BCS?

Answer:  Due to the physical plant classroom limitations, students would not be allowed an exemption or to transfer into BCS.  The most recent numbers already have most class sizes above 25 for next school year and with each transfer, that just increases class size.  And the district will not provide more staffing for transferred students after the decisions have been made.

Question:  If I live in one of the boundary areas and can grandfather to stay at BCS, do I have to?  Can we go ahead and send our children to the new school so they can get to know some students before moving on to high school?

Answer:  Yes, that is something that you can do.  Families at other schools who have faced the same decision have made that choice to help make the high school transition just a bit easier, especially if they know that is where they are going to end up.  But ultimately this is a family by family decision.

Question:  With BCS growing smaller over time, what does that mean for the opportunities for our middle school students?

Answer:  With fewer students comes fewer teachers which in turn provides fewer opportunities.  In my experience as both a middle school and a K-8 principal, it will be challenging to provide a similar program to what they will be offering at the middle schools as our middle school and overall numbers diminish.

Question:  What about grandfathering current middle school students to Grant High School?

Answer:  Currently only the current 8th graders are guaranteed to Grant High School.  The Board did ask the Subcommittee to consider extending that to the 6th and 7th graders but no decision has been made at this time.

Question:  When is the next listening session?

Answer:  Monday, September 18, 6:00 at the BESC in the Mazama Room

Question:  If I want to provide input directly to the Board Subcommittee, where do I send it to?

Answer:  Go to the following link:   https://www.pps.net/middleschools and on the left hand side of the page there is a Comments tab.

I will keep you posted as to further frequent questions as well as upcoming Listening Sessions.  I want to thank you all for the conversations regarding this topic.  I also want to thank you for being so understanding and respectful of where I fit in this whole discussion.  Having gone through this experience at other schools I have learned that my role is to be a conduit of information while people at the District and Board level make the difficult decisions.  I will continue to work hard to provide you as much information as I am able throughout this process and I value each and every conversation because these decisions are impactful to many families.

Have a great weekend!

John Ferraro

PARENT LETTER

Beverly Cleary Middle School ONLINE Elective Forecasting Directions 2017-18

Please complete by: April 28th

BEFORE YOU START you will need three things:

1. A current and valid email address that can be accessed by a computer.
2. Parent Approval of your elective choices. Your parents are required to sign your form upon completion of your forecasting survey, before you return it to the main office.
3. Internet access - The survey can be completed online, with computers or mobile devices, but parents, or students, will need email access to print the attached form that will be generated and sent to you via email.

Please review and consider your elective choices before you start the survey. PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR ELECTIVES CAREFULLY, as we will not be making schedule changes in the Fall.

(It is suggested that students complete their forecasting survey at home, with parent support. If this is not possible, students may have access to school computers before and after school, or during lunchtime, to take the survey and/or print their forms.)

● Sign in to the survey using your Apps for PPS account.

● Complete and Submit the survey.

Note that some questions will require an answer. This is to assist in processing and decision making. Please answer accurately.

● After completing the survey, an email will be sent to your submitted parent email address, with an attached PDF document containing your forecasting information.

***World Language is no longer a required course for 7th and 8th Grade.  If you want your student in Language, they need to take it as an elective   
*We are excited to start a 6-8 band program.  These are year long electives
*Study Hall can be taken multiple times throughout the year                                                                                              

6th Grade Elective Registration:

*Current 5th graders choose from Elective: Course Description

*Current 5th graders choose 6th Grade Forecasting 2017-18

7th Grade Elective Registration:

*Current 6th graders choose from Elective: Course Description

*Current 6th graders choose 7th Grade Forecasting 2017-18

8th Grade Elective Registration

*Current 7th graders choose from Elective:  Course Descriptions

*Current 7th graders choose  8th Grade Forecasting 2017-18

***If you are having trouble with accessing your emailed forecasting form, the forecasting survey, or need any other support in completing this process, please contact the Bevery Cleary Fernwood office. We will work to assist you in submitting your information accurately.

Thank you for your participation and support!