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Wednesday, April 8, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
SCHOOLS: Staff
is working on
distance learning
Continued from page 1
families to get a better under-
standing of what resources
they need to help us achieve
the »Distance Learning for
All9 directive from the state,=
he wrote.
Scholl9s letter came three
days after Oregon Department
of Education leader Colt Gill
said in an interview with The
Oregonian that we are facing
<the strong possibility that
our students may not come
back through our school-
house doors this academic
year.=
Sisters, along with the
rest of the state, suspended
school attendance on March
16 and the district9s two week
spring break covered March
21-April 5 so Sisters is effec-
tively a week off schedule
from the rest of the state as
far as the guideline laid out
by the Oregon Department of
Education (ODE) to imple-
ment distance learning. That
does not mean the district is
lagging behind.
Scholl explained, <In this
first week back, as we gather
this information, staff will
provide supplemental and
review materials to re-engage
our students. It is our goal
to get supplemental material
out as quickly as possible
and estimate that we should
start disseminating materi-
als by Wednesday, April 8.
By Friday, April 10, it is our
goal to get technology and
other learning materials into
the hands of those that need
it as we transition to distance
learning on April 13.=
The state guideline sug-
gests that all school districts
<go live= by April 13, which
matches Scholl9s goal. Clear
communication with fami-
lies is going to be crucial and
will have to be multi-faceted
in order to reach everyone.
<This is an ever-evolving
situation and we will do
all we can to keep families
updated,= said Scholl.
Scholl acknowledged
in his letter that this alter-
nate way of doing school is
rife with challenges. <We
will need the deep support,
patience, and resilience of
every member of the Sisters
School District including our
families and our students,
as we shift to a model that
attempts to educate students
remotely.=
How materials and
resources will be delivered
and how students will com-
municate back with teach-
ers has not yet been totally
mapped out, according to
Scholl, but staff have already
begun preparing.
He said, <This distance
learning is not just about
online education and may,
in fact, include a blend of
other modes, such as phone
calls, recorded video lessons,
Canvas, Google Meet and
paper packets and materials.=
Pressing questions from
families thus far include what
will be done for students who
don9t have technology (WiFi
and/or computer) to access
education as well as informa-
tion about school-based food
service.
This is an ever-evolving
situation and we will do
all we can to keep families
updated.
— Curt Scholl
Scholl said, <Our pri-
mary goal the week of April
6 will be for staff to survey
all families to determine what
needs are out there, including
school meals and technol-
ogy.= He noted that during
the last three weeks about 50
students were being served
meals and he expects that
number to grow.
Social, emotional and
mental-health support for
students can be tricky when
it comes to not being able to
meet in person, but district
counselors are working on an
outreach plan to help ensure
support is available, accord-
ing to Scholl.
Scholl concluded his let-
ter urging everyone to take
care of themselves and their
families.
<Again, I remind you to
take the time to take care of
yourselves and those that you
love,= he said. <We have an
incredibly strong community
and together we will continue
to navigate the challenges
that this crisis presents.=
BIRDWATCHING:
Now is the time
to pick up hobby
Continued from page 1
western-most migratory pas-
sage for birds and an attrac-
tive home for many fascinat-
ing species. Getting to know
and recognize the various
birds that are part of our
extraordinary, wild commu-
nity is incredibly rewarding.
The East Cascades
Audubon Society9s (ECAS)
premier birding event, the
Dean Hale Woodpecker
Festival was held in Sisters
last spring. People from all
over the world took in this
event because they had the
opportunity to see all 11 spe-
cies of woodpeckers in the
Sisters and Central Oregon
region, and also potentially to
observe 200 additional birds
of the area.
Pick up a book on local
birds that will describe the
best food to attract them,
whether residents or just
passing through the area.
(You can order from Paulina
Springs Books for curbside
pickup or home delivery).
Bluebirds love mealworms.
Hummingbirds like floral
nectars and orioles prefer cit-
rus flavors, while jays dine on
sunflower seeds, etc.
Check out the birding sites
online. Birding Oregon is a
Facebook group open to all
active birders and bird pho-
tographers who wish to share
their passion and knowledge
in a community setting. The
group focuses on sharing
birding experiences, sight-
ings of rare birds, descrip-
tions of interesting behavior,
and helping those new to the
hobby.
Nick Boro, a Birding
Oregon member, grew up
in Sisters and is now living
in Portland and has multiple
bird feeders on his small
patio.
He noted, <My feeders
attract goldfinches, house
finches, house sparrows,
song sparrows, Anna9s hum-
mingbirds, juncos and crows.
These birds frequently come
for food and nesting materials
from my coconut plant bas-
ket. I work and attend school
from home, and seeing these
birds fluttering around helps
keep me sane and brightens
my days.=
Spring is an excellent
time to be a beginning birder.
We9re at the start of spring
migration, that wonderful
time when millions of birds
of all shapes and sizes flutter
their way north from the trop-
ics to breed.
April and May are peak
months for birds both passing
through your backyard or past
your window on their way to
A bird checklist to get you started...
o American Goldfinch
o American Kestrel
o Bald Eagle
o Barred Owl
o Black Capped Chickadee
o Blackbird
o Blue Grouse
o California Quail
o Calliope Hummingbird
o Cooper’s Hawk
o Cow Bird
o Crow
o Dark-Eyed Junco
o Downy Woodpecker
o Eurasian Collard Dove
o Golden Eagle
o Great Horned Owl
o Grosbeak
o House Wren
o Magpie
o Mourning Dove
o Northern Flicker
o Nuthatch
o Pheasant
o Pinyon Jay
o Purple Finch
o Pygmy Owl
o Raven
o Red-Tailed Hawk
o Red-Winged Blackbird
o Robin
o Starling
o Stellar’s Jay
o Turkey Vulture
o Western Blue Bird
o Western Meadowlark
o White-Headed Woodpecker
o Wild Turkey
THE ARENDS & SCOTT REALTY GROUP
Discover the Diff erence
Phil Arends
Superior
Escrow
Execution
Ultimate
Service
nesting grounds elsewhere.
You might even get a couple
nesting and raising young
right outside your window.
New species will be arriving
every day!
You9re just in time to hang
some bird boxes. Many bird
species will take up residence
in boxes, which mimic natu-
ral cavities in trees, but birds
are pretty particular about
moving in. Before you start
throwing up birdhouses,
please check out Cornell9s
Nest Watch site (www.nest
watch.org) which tells you
how big to make the hole,
which direction the box
should face, how high off the
ground, and other tips to help
you get started.
Don9t have a backyard?
There are still plenty of birds
to see from your apartment
window. Hang a feeder on
your deck or porch and hang
around for a while; some
birds will take notice.
Principal Broker
541-420-9997
phil.arends@cascadesir.com
Licensed in the State of Oregon
Chris Scott
Broker
541-588-6614
chris.scott@cascadesir.com
Licensed in the State of Oregon
Stop by and visit with Tiana Van Landuyt & Shelley Marsh.
220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | 541-548-9180
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