August 2020 Newsletter
Word Of The Month: Distance Learning 

Comprehensive Distance Learning is not online only; it includes blended strategies and opportunities to engage alongside peers as well as at one's own pace. It provides access to standards-based, grade-level or beyond materials guided by teachers. It meets all mental, social and emotional health, and family engagement needs, supporting the whole child through well rounded learning opportunities.

Photo Credit: Central School District 
Highlighting Afterschool & Summer Programs Nationally

Throughout June, the Afterschool Alliance asked you to share your story of how COVID-19 has
impacted afterschool and summer programs and the young people and families who rely on them to keep kids safe and engaged in learning.
The findings are now being shared with federal policymakers - right in the midst of important decisions about federal funding. But there is another opportunity to help keep the story up to date. The Afterschool Alliance and the National Summer Learning Association are asking for responses in this follow-up survey  that focuses on what programming you've been able to offer this summer and what your plans are for fall. 

The survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes and responses will be anonymous. We hope you can take the survey to be entered to win one of the 50 cash prizes drawn randomly as a thank you for your time.
Afterschool Programs Coordinating & Collaborating With Schools

OregonASK has been working with community partners, districts, and the Oregon Department of Education to support how afterschool and community-based organization partners can best coordinate and collaborate with districts to support student and family needs this fall. 

As school districts plan for learning in the fall, they are forced to think beyond the school
building and school staff to create a learning ecosystem that: follows public health safety protocols; keeps our children engaged and learning; and ensures that parents can work

We will all continue to learn about COVID-19 and adapt as best as possible to keep Oregonians safe while trying to help youth grow, learn, and safely engage in positive ways with their communities. Stay tuned as guidance and plans continue to come out this August. OregonASK will send a mid-month update with more information and resources to align as best as possible with the school guidance due out August 11th. We are also continuing to do our best to coordinate with the Early Learning Division, Oregon Department of Education, and Governor's Office in providing guidance for all providers who will be serving school age youth throughout the coming uncertain months. 
Current Oregon Guidance

It's been five months since kids were in school buildings and we're all yearning to reconnect as the school year quickly approaches. Opening up schools safely has been at the top of our minds, particularly as the Governor released the Ready School's Safe Learners: Community COVID-19 Metrics in late July. These metrics were designed to help districts distinguish when in-person learning would most likely be safe to prevent broad spread of COVID-19 through a community. Although the metrics restrict many schools from opening their doors, several districts may qualify for exceptions that would require high levels of coordination with families and community partners.
  1. When COVID-19 not actively spreading among the school community
  2. The case rate in the county is <30 cases per 100,000 population for the past 3 weeks; 
  3. The test positivity in the county is ≤5% in the preceding three weeks; 
  4. Schools complying with sections 1-3 of the Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance.

**If these measures are met, schools could consider offering in-person opportunities within three categories:

  • Providing in-person education for students in kindergarten through third grade. Younger students get the virus at lower rates and also need access to in-person instruction to build literacy and numeracy skills critical to their continued learning. 
  • Remote and rural school districts with ≤100 total students, and remote and rural private schools with ≤100 students 
  • Limited on-site instruction to meet the needs of specific groups of students based on needed educational, relational, curricular, instructional, and/or assessment supports. This includes, but is not limited to, provisions for supporting students experiencing disability, as well as programs such as career technical education (CTE) that may require hands-on demonstration of skills and the provision of secure assessment environments.  
**This is under current guidance, updated guidance is still due out August 11th 
OregonASK Online Training this August
While the fall landscape continues to be uncertain, we will do our best to offer up-to-date trainings that help staff feel equipped to meet students where they are as the engage in a variety of settings. All trainings OregonASK offers are aligned with the Oregon Center for Career Development at Portland State University and have Oregon Registry credit available with the Core Knowledge Category (CKC) listed below.


NEW PRYSM Arts for Informal Educators
6:00 - 8:00 PM Every Thursday in August
8 Hours of Set 2 Learning Environments Curriculum (LEC) credit available 
Register Here  for only $80

This training is an eight hour series provided in four parts over four weeks. The series will cover art curriculum and programming for children of all ages. This comprehensive arts training will model process based, fun, and engaging projects that will give you everything you need to explore 2D and 3D visual art, puppetry, performance, sound, animation, and film. 

Puppetgirl
The training will also provide practice for authentic, culturally responsive and youth-centered engagement strategies. Participants will receive the full four week curriculum with extensions. Training participants will also have access to a free one-on-one coaching support session to help you work toward your goals for implementing art. Materials will be simple and accessible, and all activities have the out-of-school time format in mind to make optimal use of your informal space! Virtual modifications and extensions are included. 
  • Session 1: 2D & 3D Sculpture on August 6th: This training will move participants through a process based journey through drawing and printing tools and techniques, while working to support youth led projects using the Prysm curriculum available with training. The curriculum offers five sessions per week for four weeks worth of activities and guidance for Art Inquiry and Authentic, process based exploration to promote youth. 
  • Session 2: Puppetry & Performance on August 13th: This training will move participants through a process based journey exploring puppet building and experimentation, as well as story telling and live performance tools and techniques. We will learn strategies for supporting youth led projects using the Prysm curriculum available with training. The curriculum offers five sessions per week for four weeks worth of activities and guidance for Art Inquiry and Authentic, process based exploration to promote youth.
  • Session 3: Sound & Movement on August 20th: This training will move participants through a process based journey exploring sound and Movement tools, exercises and techniques. We will learn strategies for supporting youth led projects using the Prysm curriculum available with training. The curriculum offers five sessions per week for four weeks worth of activities and guidance for Art Inquiry and Authentic, process based exploration to promote youth.
  • Session 4: Film & Animation on August 27th: This training will move participants through a process based journey exploring Film and Animation tools, exercises and techniques. We will learn strategies for supporting youth led projects using the Prysm curriculum available with training. The curriculum offers five sessions per week for four weeks worth of activities and guidance for Art Inquiry and Authentic, process based exploration to promote youth.

Summer Activity Guides: Overview
This training will be an overview of all the Quick Guides for Implementation, Guides for Staff and Family and the five thematic unit Activity Guides. 1 hour of Set 1 Learning Environments Curriculum (LEC) credit available
August 10th from 6:00-7:30pm
Register Here  for Free!



2 Weeks Ready Community Conversation
Join OregonASK in an online conversation on what systems and supports Child Care and Afterschool Programs need for an emergency situation focusing on the Columbia Gorge area including Columbia, Jackson & Josephine, and Linn-Benton Counties. Click here for more information about 2 Weeks Ready. 1 Hour of Set 1 Health, Safety, Nutrition (HSN) credit available.
  • Columbia County, August 4th 6:00- 7:00 pm Register Here for FREE
  • Jackson & Josephine, August 12th 6:00 - 7:00 pm Register Here for FREE

How Playful Adults Model Play for Children
Having time to play as an adult has more benefits than most realize. Adults, especially in afterschool programs, are the role models for kids and communicate with them on a regular basis. Therefore it's important to be able to understand their language - play! Participants will explore how kids learn critical lifelong skills through play and examine their own sense of play. 
2 Hours of Set 2 Human Growth & Development (HGD) credit available 
August 19th from 6:00-8:00pm
Register Here for only $20!
Let's Write A Song Together with My Voice Music 
My Voice Music

My Voice Music is offering youth an opportunity to collaborate with professional musicians to create an original song! 

Send in a poem, lyrics, a description of your day, a photo, a drawing, etc. along with your preferred style/genre of music and their musicians will work with you to write and record a song based on that information. To register and to find out more click here!
Staying Physically Active Online This School Year

The Oregon Department of Education and the Special Olympics will be hosting an upcoming virtual classroom training called CAREs (Connecting, All Students with talents and abilities with Relevant virtual health and physical activity instruction Every day!) 

August 5th from 9:30 - 11:30 am, to register click here.

In this webinar participants will learn how to create a virtual classroom for Health and Physical Education. At the conclusion of this training, participants will:
  1. feel confident in their ability to create a virtual classroom using google classroom or PowerPoint.
  2. Understand how to access ODE's Safe Schools, Ready Learners guidelines; CDC School Re-entry Guidelines, and SHAPE AMERICA's school re-entry guidelines to ensure safety for students, staff and families.
  3. Understand how Unified Champion Schools programs can increase inclusion in Physical Education and Health classes.
  4. Take away best practices and examples of practical resources to utilize for hybrid and/or comprehensive distance learning.
Save the Date for Virtual Fall Conference

OregonASK is partnering with 6 other western states as part of the 50 State Afterschool Network to offer a multi-state Virtual Experience this October. The one day multi-state opportunity will be part of our Virtual Fall Conference until we are able to meet again in person. More details to come soon. Join us for this virtual event about the power of afterschool!
October 16th Open Spaces, Open Minds Virtual Experience 2020: 
From Pivot to Reimagine
2020-21 Save the Dates!

September 18th: OregonASK Virtual Partner Meeting

October 16th: Open Spaces, Open Minds Virtual Experience
From Pivot to Reimagine

October 21st: Multi-State Town Hall Celebrating Lights On Afterschool

October 22nd: Lights On Afterschool

December 4th: OregonASK Partner Meeting  

January 21st, 2021: OregonASK Agency Advisory Meeting

February 19th, 2021: OregonASK Partner Meeting

May 14th, 2021: OregonASK Partner Meeting

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