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
