Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 2014)
schools january16 13 Schools Update ~ Snow Days – Bane of a Superintendent’s Many Duties 2014 By Ken Cox At a recent superintendents meeting the sub- ject of snow days came up and from the comments and stories, it was obvious that the responsibility to make the decision about whether or not to hold school be- cause of weather is among the least enjoyed duties of a superintendent. Stories were told of driving in the early hours of the morning and of the percentage of the dis- trict that is in the hills and mountains. And invariably, no matter what the decision, whether to delay, close, or stay with a regular schedule, someone is going to be unhappy. I feel very lucky however to be in Vernonia and to have Curl’s School Bus Services taking care of this portion of our business. When there is potential for a closure I get a call from Rob Curl, who personally comes out from Hillsboro about 4 AM to begin driving our worst routes. Shelley Hennessy also is out early in the morning checking other routes so by the time I get a call at 5:30 AM, they have a fairly clear picture of what the roads in our district look like. Rob also uses a network of truck drivers working in the area to gather information where possible as well. There have been times when I have gone out myself to check things out, but I have learned to trust Rob and his crew to have the best information. I will also check various weather sites to de- termine how quick it will warm up, or begin to freeze or when the rain will arrive. This provides me with ad- ditional information when Rob and I discuss the road conditions when he calls. Based on the information I have at the time and Rob’s recommendations we move forward and I notify the news media and make the call. NOTE: If you would be interested in getting a text at the same time the news media does you can sign up with the FlashAlert service that the district uses. Information on how to sign up is located on our website. Just click on the ‘Parent Resources’ tab, and then click on ‘Transportation – Weather/Snow Routes’ menu item. We will be working with Curl’s to determine some alternative Snow Routes. Once they have been determined we will be notifying parents and they will be posted on our website as mentioned above. Finally, I want to point out that it is always your choice as parents whether you feel it is safe to send your children to school or not. Their safety and that of staff members is our primary concern when making these decisions. They are not made lightly and are never made just to meet some attendance criteria. Our number of student contact days are limited this year and we want to do everything we can to keep them where they are, but that does not enter into my making these decisions. Finally, just to keep everyone in the loop, I made a recommendation to the School Board at our January 9 th meeting about when we will make-up the days that we have missed due to snow. The School Board approved adding back in February 14 and March 14 as make -up days. As always - the public is always welcome at School Board meetings. Vernonia High School Plans Athletic Hall of Fame Vernonia High School Athletic Director Gordon Jarman has announced plans for an Athletic Hall of Fame at the school. The Hall of Fame is being established for the purpose of recognizing former Vernonia High School student athletes or coaches for their outstanding achievement in athletics while attending Vernonia High School. Also eligible are outstanding community members that have contributed to the Vernonia High School athletic programs, as well as students that have graduated from Vernonia High School and have gone on to achieve outstanding recognition in athletics after they have graduated from Vernonia High School. The official Categories for Selection are as follows: Group one: Older athletes-those nominees that have graduated from Vernonia High School prior to ten years ago. Group Two: Modern Day athletes- those athletes that have graduated from Vernonia High School at least five years previously but not more than ten years. Community Members: Those members of the Vernonia Community that have, over time, exhibited by their volunteerism, dedication to Vernonia Athletics, and contributions to Vernonia Athletics, commitment beyond the normal realm of what is expected for individuals to contribute. The Criteria for Selection is as follows: Team Sports: Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Baseball and Softball. The inductee must meet the following criteria. • The inductee must have graduated from Vernonia High School • The candidate must have been out of school for at least five years before being inducted. • The athlete must have been selected as an all-state athlete on the first or second teams or must have been selected to play in the East West shrine football game, the state all-star basketball series or in the state all-star baseball/softball series. Individual sports: Cross Country, Wrestling, Track and Field, Equestrian, Golf. The inductee must meet the following criteria. • Place first or second in the OSAA sponsored state meet for their sport or, • Place first or second in the OHSET state meets or, • Place in the top three in the state Freestyle or Greco Roman wrestling meet or • Be selected to the Oregon Coaches Cultural Exchange wrestling team. Nominees can be submitted to the Vernonia High School Athletic Director in writing with verifiable qualifications to be considered for induction into the Vernonia High School Athletic Hall of Fame. The Athletic Director will compile all nominations and present them to the selection committee for consideration. After the selection committee has reviewed all nominations they will determine the number and names of BE PREPARED FOR WINTER • chains • antifreeze • winter tires mounted & balanced • wipers • generators • kerosene • flashlights • boots • batteries • lamp oil • gas cans • candles • propane Family owned & operated for over 40 years 834 Bridge St., Vernonia (503) 429-6364 those to be selected to enter the VHS Hall of Fame. That number is not to exceed six individuals and one team per year. The Selection Committee shall be made up of the following people: • The Athletic Director, • The High School principal or his designee, • The president of the Vernonia Boosters or their designee, • Two community members/ volunteers. After the selections to the Vernonia High School Athletic Hall of Fame have been made, an induction ceremony will be held. The athletic director will contact the inductees and inform them of their selection and invite them to participate in the ceremony. Pictures of each inductee will be taken for placement on the Hall of Fame wall, and commemorative wall plaques will be provided for the inductees. The ceremony will be held away from the school site and will include a ceremonial dinner. Vernonia’s Voice is published twice each month on the 1st and 3rd Thursday. Look for our next issue February 6th. Vernonia Students of the Month December 2013 Delaney Draeger Grade 2 Delaney is a smart, hardworking. curious and imaginative student who gets along well with her classmates and always has a good attitude. Delaney says her favorite subject is math. She is involved in Girl Scouts, is raising bunnies for 4H, plays soccer and also likes to run with her mom. She says she likes to play on her iPad and helps take care of her old dog “Jack” in her free time. Myriah Henschel Grade 6 Myriah is a good student who is well thought of by her teachers. Myriah says her favorite subject is math. She is involved in Girl Scouts and plays the clarinet in the school band. Myriah says that in her spare time she enjoys sewing as well as cleaning. Winter Snow Grade 11 Winter is a good student who is very involved in school and community activities. Winter is the Public Relations Representative for the Student Body. He is also part of the Leadership Class and took part this fall in the Oregon Association of Student Councils conference. He is also part of the Forestry Team. He plans to play golf this year. Outside of school Winter is a volunteer with the Mist-Birkenfeld Fire Department and helped coach Little Guy Football this year. He is currently planning and fund raising for his exchange student trip to Costa Rica this summer. Sponsored by State Representative Brad Witt
