Welcome to the Corvallis Advocate’s new column about children, families and education to inform and connect parents, educators, students, experts, and other providers.
Every Thursday, you’ll get an overview of schools, activities, family health, legislation and more. And occasionally, we’ll do deeper dives to explore pressing issues, create solutions to persistent problems, and build community to include a range of voices.
As a brief introduction, let me just say: I am you. I’ve got a preschool-aged son, and this stuff is tough. Right?
But we also have jobs, sometimes a life, and in the midst of it all, we’re trying to make the world a better place for our children. So, I’m here to make things a little easier.
That means covering the things you need to know, and not wasting your time with what you don’t. I want this space to be informative but fun. And you can help. Send news tips, questions, and please, not too much hate mail to peggy@corvallisadvocate.com.
Congratulations, Grads: Graduation ceremonies for Corvallis High School, Crescent Valley High School, Linn-Benton Community College, and Oregon State University were held last week, some in-person for the first time in three years. To everyone who earned their degree — and really, every student who made it through another trying year — we want to say: we’re proud of you.
Maybe I shouldn’t be so sentimental — I’m teary-eyed just writing this, but I think about what so many of you have had to make it through these past years. I can’t wait to see what you do in the future. Take care of yourselves. Take care of others. And by doing so, everything else will take care of itself.
Corvallis Schools Expand Summer Programming: The Corvallis School District (CSD) has expanded its summer programming to help students catch up on academic, social, and emotional skills – plus credits for high-schoolers. Money for extra capacity and staff has been provided by a combination of state grants and federal relief funds.
“Our goal has been to expand the summer programming options for CSD because we believe that summer education will be needed to support the ongoing effects of COVID as we move forward,” said Kelly Locey, communications director for Corvallis schools. “We proactively identify students in need and target the bulk of our services to those students and families.”
Free Summer Meals for Children Start June 23: The free summer meal program begins June 23 in Corvallis and Philomath. Children 18 and younger and students 21 and younger with disabilities, regardless of household income, are eligible. Proof of income, documentation, signups, and applications are not required, but the meals must be eaten on site.
Registered locations are Garfield, Lincoln and Letitia Carson elementary schools (8:30–9 a.m. and noon–12:30 p.m.); Clemens Primary School (12:15–12:45 p.m.); Osborn Aquatic Center (8:30–9:45 a.m. and 12:15–1 p.m.); Orchard Court Apartments (noon–12:30 p.m.); and Lancaster Bridge Apartments (noon–12:30 p.m.).
Meals are served Monday–Friday.
Oregon Revising Kindergarten Assessment’s Culturally Insensitive Questions: Oregon’s Department of Education (ODE) and Early Learning Division (ELD) are redesigning the Oregon Kindergarten Assessment.
“In the past, the state received feedback from families and educators that the Oregon Kindergarten Assessment [OKA] was not a culturally responsive tool and was particularly harmful and problematic for children and families in communities marginalized by Oregon’s education system,” a press release said. “In addition, staff administering the OKA did not receive implicit and explicit bias training. The new tool, or tools, will be designed and implemented using anti-racist practices that are culturally responsive.”
ODE and ELD will be wrapping up family listening sessions this month to gather initial feedback. Testing of the revised questions will begin in fall.
Oregon Ballot Initiative to Take on Gun Control: After the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in late May, Oregon petitioners have stepped up their effort to bring some level of gun-safety legislation to voters. According to a story from OPB, the number of volunteers have doubled in an effort to require permits for anyone wanting to acquire a firearm.
The National Rifle Association responded on its website: “Despite recent data showing that guns being used in Portland’s rising crime rates are coming from 3 sources – stolen, straw purchases, and the underground market (all already illegal means) – these anti-gun citizens are coming after YOU, the law-abiding firearm owners of Oregon, and YOUR guns.”
U.S. Senators announced a bipartisan deal on Sunday that includes enhanced background checks and funding for “red flag” laws, which would allow the temporary confiscation of guns from individuals considered dangerous.
White House Prepares for Vaccine Rollout: COVID vaccines for children younger than 5 are expected to be approved this week, but officials are already preparing for how they will be administered by the end of this month. Plans are contingent upon the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval; an FDA panel recommended both, Pfizer and Moderna, vaccines on Wednesday.
According to a story by the New York Times, 10 million doses have been made available, though orders from states have been characteristically slow, but tend to ramp up over time. Delivery of the vaccines will also differ in that most of these will be sent to physicians and pediatricians to be administered, as opposed to mass-vaccination sites.
Legislative Emergency Board Moves Forward on Mental Health, Early Learning, Tribal Grant: The Oregon Legislative Emergency Board has moved ahead on three agenda items to assist Tribal communities.
The board approved $19 million for the Oregon Tribal Student Grant Program and $1 million for a pilot program that would provide funding for affordable housing projects co-located with child care or early learning centers.
The board also approved a federal grant application for Project AWARE. The $5.4 million grant would focus on mental health, workforce, and infrastructure in Oregon schools.
Later School Start Times: California will become the first state to require schools to start later for sleep-deprived teens.
According to the Atlantic, the American Academy of Pediatrics has been calling for later school start times for nearly a decade. Corvallis High School starts classes at 8:10 a.m. – about average for the rest of the U.S.
According to Dr. Michael Breus’s book The Power of When, teenagers become “wolves” — a period of development in which they fall asleep later and wake later. However, the current culture revolves around a schedule for the small percentage of Americans who wake anywhere from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m., putting as many as 80% of Americans at danger of poor health and crashes during their morning commutes.
But does a later start for high school go far enough?
Studies have shown that a normal wakeup time for children, from preschool all the way up to at least age 16, is anywhere from 5:30 to 8:00 a.m. And yet, elementary schools in Corvallis start at 8:00 a.m., depriving anywhere from 15 to 80% of its students from a natural wakeup time.
This Week’s Question: What are your summer plans? Are you looking for ideas to help you get through the childcare crunch? Email me at peggy@corvallisadvocate.com.
By Peggy Perdue
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com