Wednesday, November 11, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
23
Sisters School Board snapshot
By Charlie Kanzig
Correspondent
Here is a snapshot of the
Sisters School District Board
Meeting held November 3 at
Sisters Middle School.
Board members in atten-
dance included Chair Jay
Wilkins, David Thorsett,
Jeff Smith, Edie Jones and
Don Hedrick.
" Middle School Principal
Alison Haney reported that
the earliest date for fifth-
and/or sixth-graders to
potentially return to in-per-
son school will be November
30, which is looking less
likely in light of skyrock-
eting COVID-19 cases in
Deschutes County. The
middle school is doing final
work on their <blueprint= for
reopening. Communication
with parents will continue as
the opening date nears.
Middle school students
are also getting the opportu-
nity to come into the school
for some in-person learning,
with hopes to expand with
the new state health metrics
allowing for more students
to be in the school during a
given week.
Haney also shared that
students who have been
underperforming or needing
technology assistance have
been invited into the school
for in-person support, which
has been very successful.
Haney finished with
some very positive anecdotal
responses from students on
the theme of <belonging=
and <what it means to be an
Outlaw.=
" Business Manager
Sherry Joseph reported that
property tax revenue appears
to be down about 22 percent
compared to last year at this
time, but she is waiting to
see whether it picks back
up over the next month. The
state school fund balance
looks healthy.
" Elementary principal
Joan Warburg reported that
in preschool through third
grade there are approxi-
mately 230 students being
served in-person Mondays
through Thursdays with
Fridays on distance learning.
Fourth-graders are still
fully on the Comprehensive
Distance Learning model,
but have been in the build-
ing for some limited in-per-
son instruction, including
a science project in which
they completed science
experiments involving solar
ovens. She said that par-
ents reported a very posi-
tive response in their kids9
demeanor over the opportu-
nity to come to school even
for a short time.
Fourth-graders are pro-
jected to return on Tuesday,
November 10 with three
classrooms.
" Sisters High School
Principal Joe Hosang shared
that quite a number of teach-
ers have been inviting stu-
dents into the building for
some in-person learning,
including some field work.
Approximately 30 students
went up in small groups
for the Interdisciplinary
Environmental Expedition
(IEE) mountain trip last
week.
Hosang explained that
12 freshmen who received
incompletes for any courses
in the first six-week <term=
were in the building last
week to complete courses
under supervision and
the plan turned out very
successfully.
Staff has also made them-
selves available to students
for emotional support fol-
lowing the tragic deaths of
two seniors earlier this fall.
When asked by board
member David Thorsett
about how the students were
managing overall, Hosang
explained that with the six-
week <terms= in which kids
are carrying only two or
three classes, students are
able to focus better than if
the school had chosen a dif-
ferent model in which kids
would carry more classes at
a time.
Sisters High School had
hoped to bring students
CUSTOM FENCES, DECKS & PAVERS
541-588-2062
CCB#228388
L Locally
o c a l l y Owned,
O wn
ne d C
Craftsman
r a f t s m a n B
Built
uii l t
Residential & Commercial
Custom Ranch & Domestic Privacy Fencing
Decks • Pavers • Gates | Stain & Paint • Repair
p
FREE ESTIMATES & COMPETITIVE PRICING
www.SistersFenceCompany.com
back to in-person learn-
ing by November 30, but
that does not look likely,
unless the COVID infection
rate decreases right away.
Hosang did say, however,
that the state allowing more
limited in-person instruction
as of last week will allow for
more contact with students,
which will help.
" Martha Hindman, spe-
cial programs director, vis-
its all three schools on a
regular basis and has been
heartened by the work being
done with students in per-
son. She announced the
webinar being put together
on Thursday, November 12
by the district9s counselors
in collaboration with other
agencies on the topic of grief
and loss (see ad, page 6) and
commended the counselors
for all the work that they
have been doing.
" Curt Scholl explained
the work the district is doing
to adjust to the new metrics
as the hope of reopening for
grades beyond grade 3 con-
tinues. Unknowns remain
as the infection rates are
spiking and Scholl said the
district wants to be cau-
tious since there are so
many variables to be con-
sidered. Scholl noted the
fourth-grade plan to restart
November 10 and indicated
that re-entry of other grades
will be done gradually.
In regard to enrollment,
numbers are steady, but there
is a definite expectation that
with all the local construc-
tion taking place, enrollment
is almost certainly going to
increase.
" The board adopted
a resolution to support
Patti Norris for election to
Position #3 for the Oregon
School Board Association
(OSBA).
" Some board members
will be attending the OSBA
Annual Conference (virtual)
on November 11.
" The next Sisters School
Board meeting is scheduled
for Wednesday, December
9, at Sisters Middle School.
PHOTO BY JACK TURPEN
Sisters students donated $1,000 to Sisters FAN and the Kiwanis Food
Bank, raised through apparel sales.
SMS “Sisters Strong”
donates to nonprofits
By Charlie Kanzig
Correspondent
Sisters youth donated a
total of nearly $1,000, gener-
ated through sales of <Sisters
Strong= apparel by Sisters
Middle School students.
Funds went to the Family
Access Network (FAN) and
the Kiwanis Food Bank.
Led by Student Body
President Holly Davis and
Vice-President Jack Turpen
the initiative provided $470
each to the two nonprofits.
Turpen, an eighth-grader,
created the Sisters Strong
logo last year which has been
used on T-shirts and stickers,
sold by the students.
According to leadership
teacher Jeff Schiedler, <The
initiative is still going on,
although the focus will now
be on raising money for the
leadership group here at
SMS. They are focused on
student incentives and ini-
tiatives that will promote
attendance, school spirit,
and overall school motiva-
tion. The leadership group
will continue to keep this as
their main focus, especially
if we remain in distance
learning.=
Sisters Strong gear can be
purchased directly at www.
sistersstrong.org.
NuggetNews.com
For all your fall
t
h
g
i
r
s
d
e
e
n
t
c
e
proj
!
s
r
e
t
s
i
S
n
i
e
r
e
h
Lumber • Hardware • Paint
Fencing & Decking • Doors & Windows
FREE
Local
Delivery!
Hours: M-F 8 to 5, Sat. 8 to 4, Closed Sundays
440 N. Pine St. • 541-549-8141 • www.hoyts.net