schools
Schools Update ~ Thank You
By Dr. Ken Cox
As we look toward to the upcoming holiday
season I want to take a moment to thank all those
who work with the district to make the education and
improvement of our students one of their top priorities.
There are so many that I am sure I will miss someone,
so I will thank those of you who are not mentioned
below first - thank you for all you do.
As I think upon the last few months I can’t help
but once again say thank you to Kathi Knowles and
Deborah Dustman and the rest of the Class of ’73 for
all their work at the Give Back Bash this summer. Their
efforts resulted in a $10,245 check that was presented
to the Vernonia Education Foundation (VEF) at our
Homecoming Football game recently. I would also
like to thank the members of the VEF Board who meet
regularly to find ways to obtain the rest of the funding
we need for our new schools. These board members
include Bill Langmaid (Board Chair), Cari Levenseller
(VSD Board Liaison), Pam Weller, Ronda Lennen
(Class of 1974), Jim Eckland (Class of 1962), who
receives a great deal of support from his wife Kathy
(Class of 1965), Marjorie Carson (Class of 1957),
Camrin Eyrrick, and myself. We are always looking
for others who can help move the VEF forward in
november7
2013
doing good things for our schools, so please contact the
district office if you are interested in helping the VEF
with our fundraising, or if you know someone who you
think could help.
There are two other groups that are constantly
working to make our schools better: the Vernonia
Parent Teacher Association and the Vernonia Boosters.
Both of these groups are constantly providing not only
activities for our students to participate in, but funds
for items that are not in the current budget. We are
all aware of the great burgers and hot dogs that the
boosters provide at all of our home football games and
the recent PTA carnival was also a great success. Many
thanks to the leaders and volunteers of both of these
wonderful organizations! You are all helping us make a
difference.
We recently had a group of volunteers help
install the first playground equipment at the school, a
six-seat swing near the covered play area. I would like
to thank them and all those who made contributions
to the purchase of the swingset, which included many
individuals, the VEF and the PTA. I would also like
to thank those volunteers who take time from their
schedules each week to come and volunteer in our
schools on a regular basis. Some have been coming
for years and their presence is much appreciated. They
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come to help out teachers and to read to and with
students who enjoy their company as they get some
extra practice reading out loud.
Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt
thanks to those who are employed by the Vernonia
School District. No matter what their position, their
work helps our students do their best at school. You
might wonder at my appreciation for them – after all
they are getting paid for what they do. I agree, they do
get paid, but not nearly what they are worth. Nor are
they paid for the extra time they spend or the many,
many extra little things they do, to make our schools
the best they can be.
THANK YOU to our teachers, our counselors,
custodians, instructional assistants, and secretaries.
THANK YOU to our kitchen and maintenance
supervisors, their staff, and to our principals and the
district office staff.
Every day nearly one hundred people come
together to make the education of our children the best
it can be. To them I say THANK YOU!
It is my hope, as the upcoming days bring us
closer and closer to the Thanksgiving break, that you
also take the opportunity to thank these hard-working
members of our community for their efforts on behalf
of our children’s future.
Jacob Levenseller Memorial Swingset Installed
By Aaron Miller
The Jacob Levenseller Memorial
Swingset was installed at Vernonia
Elementary School on Saturday,
October 12. Casey Hunter from JE
Dunn Construction and Susan Ely from
the VCPTA headed up the
volunteer list, and kids
are now swinging again at
recess.
Funds were raised
to pay for the swings through
donations to the Vernonia
Education
Foundation
(VEF) in memory of Jacob
Levenseller, Vernonia High
School Class of 2012,
and through the Vernonia
Community Parent/Teacher
Association
(VCPTA).
Jacob was an avid swinger
at lunch and recess, and
this addition to campus will
be a lasting tribute to his
memory and enthusiasm.
The
list
of
volunteers and donors was long
including: Casey Hunter; Susan Ely; JE
Dunn Construction; Corey Achziger;
Pacific Tractor and Implement,
Hillsboro; Jim and Marie Krahn; Cici
Bell and Jim Buxton; Carol Cline-Davis;
Maggie Peyton; Aaron Miller; DeWayne
Cowles; Casey Mitchell; Jason Grant;
Mike Rylands; Christopher Winter at
Liberty Steel/Skydive; Toledo/Stabilyze
Nutrition Bars; Neil Vandehey; Jeff
Reynolds; Gene Baska; Bill Langmaid;
Michael Roberts; Cari Levenseller;
Vernonia Hardware; Camrin & Brandon
p.m.. The cement set, more chips were
added, the swings attached and students
began swinging at recess on Monday,
October 28. The lines were long, and the
smiles were big.
A ceremony will be held to
dedicate the swings in memory of Jacob
Levenseller, but the date and time of this
event were not yet set at press time.
The Vernonia School District
would like to thank everyone involved in
making this new addition to our campus
possible. Plans remain for adding more
play equipment to the school playground
area, as fund-raising efforts are on-
going. For more information on how to
help with these efforts, you can contact
the VEF or VCPTA through the school
district at 503-429-5891.
Vernonia Students of the Month
October 2013
Jayda Pihl
Grade 4
Jayda is known as a good listener and a very hard
worker. Her teacher also describes her as a
thoughtful and considerate student. Jayda says her
favorite subject in school is math. In her free time
Jayda says she likes to go outside and play.
Eyrrick; Summer Williams; Kinnell
Steward; Jennifer Butcher; Stacy Adams:
Tobi Finzel and Anonymous Donors.
Volunteers began laying out the
plan and digging holes for the swingset at
7:00 AM and finished putting in the last
of the available bark chips around 3:30
Old,
worn out
and rusty?
Need body
work?
Call...
Meyer’s Auto Body
•493 Bridge St•
VERNONIA
503-429-0248
Bethany Stockwell
Grade 8
Bethany is a student who is known for working
hard. She is also helpful and was described as
“happy and spirited.” Bethany says her favorite
subjects are history, art and science. She plays
basketball and in her free time she says says
likes to workout and play soccer.
Devon Shay
Grade 10
Devon's teachers describe him as generous,
compassionate and good with other students.
Devon plays football for the Loggers and runs track
in the spring. He has organized other student
athletes to get together to workout and practice
during the off season. Devon says his favorite
subjects are English and science. In his free time
Devon says he likes to play chess and other board
games. He also likes to run and be outside.
Sponsored by State Senator Betsy Johnson
