schools
Vernonia School Board Report
At the August 14, 2014 Vernonia
School Board Meeting:
Security Cameras Being Installed- Su-
perintendent Miller told the Board that
installation of a security camera system
Board Hears Questions About K-2 is being completed with cameras in stra-
Blended Classes-Over twenty people tegic locations to deter vandalism.
were in attendance, most were there to
ask questions about the District’s plan to Miller Gives Construction Updates-
group all kindergarten through second Superintendent Miller told the Board
grade students together for instruction that Spencer Park construction is con-
this coming school year. Superintendent tinuing with all the new dirt in place and
Aaron Miller addressed the audience that the backstop at the new softball/
concerns for over an hour. (See full sto- baseball field is being installed. The
ry on front page.)
project is on schedule to be completely
Schools Update:
Blended Classes
By Aaron Miller

Vernonia School District
students will see some new and
returning faces in the classroom this
fall, as summer hiring welcomes three
teachers into the district. Laura Blacker,
a recent school volunteer and student
teacher, will teach fourth grade, filling
in for Robyn Richmond who is taking
a year’s leave of absence. Margie Fry,
a fifth year teacher returning to Oregon
from North Dakota, will be joining
the kindergarten through second grade
teaching team and Steve Whiteman
will rejoin the high school staff
teaching physics and an upper level
math course.

The addition of Mr. Whiteman
will add a much needed section of
math for high school students, while
the hiring of Ms. Fry will enable our
primary students in grades K-2 to have
much smaller class sizes with five
teachers rather than four. Class sizes in
K-2 classrooms are presently projected
at 23 or 24 students, whereas they
would have been 29-30 without this
new position.

The decision to move to a K-2
blended model was made after much
deliberation by the entire teaching
team, who has already spent several
days of their summer developing plans
to address the unique needs of this
blend.

While smaller class sizes for
these critical primary years were a very
strong consideration, they were by no
means the sole reason for this decision.
Please find bulleted below several
other reasons and considerations that
went into this choice.
• Other grade configurations (with
either 4 or 5 teachers) left large
disparities in class sizes, and/or had
unacceptable class sizes.
• These blends allow for more effective
differentiation of instruction to meet
individual student learning needs.
• VES teachers already utilize an
effective K-2 reading program, and
will expand the concepts of effective
grouping, and meeting individual
student needs, to math, science and
social studies.
• We have an extremely successful
model for effective blended classrooms
in our own Mist Grade School’s
Kindergarten-5th grade program.
• Blending primary grades will allow
us to maintain an effective full-day
kindergarten program, prior to state
funding availability in 2015-16.
• A long-term, consistent grade level
configuration will be possible. In
the past five years we have had K/1,
1/2, 2/3 and 4/5 blends. By creating
K-2 blends we will eliminate this
reactionary practice and allow for
a consistent primary program, with
equitable class sizes.
• All five K-2 teachers will be working
closely together to ensure consistency
of curriculum and that each student
is working at their optimum level of
productivity.

A parent information night
will be held early in the school year
to provide parents with an opportunity
to ask further questions. See your
students’ backpacks during the first
week of school for further information.
Prior to that, questions can be
submitted to Aaron Miller at the VSD
Office, 503-429-5891 or via email.
Titus & Son’s, Inc.
Serving Your Communty Since 1987
55670 Timber Road
Vernonia, OR 97064
CCB# 55056
General Contractor
Dan Titus
Owner
Ph. (503) 429-5005
The
august21
2014
constructed by the September 1 st dead-
line. The SHPO (State Historical Pres-
ervation Office) monument that is a
requirement of FEMA should also be in-
stalled by September 1. Permits for the
new shop were approved and construc-
tion should begin shortly. The new soft-
ball field at the new school is on hold.
13
Board Accepts Morrow Resignation-
Superintendent Miller informed the
Board that he has received the resigna-
tion of band teacher Andy Morrow. The
Board voted to accept the resignation.
School First Days- Friday, September
5 th will be the first day of school for 6 th
and 9 th graders and foreign exchange
Board Approves Administrative students as well as for and kindergarten
Agreement- The Board approved a assessments. All other students start on
three year Administrative Memorandum Monday, September 8 th .
of Agreement with administrative em-
ployees.
School Bus Routes
Announced for Fall
This is a summary of all main bus routes; these are estimated
times. There will be a 5 minute window of time allowed for
pickups on routes and all route times are subject to change due
to additional stops and unforeseen traffic issues.
Special needs and in town small buses will be determined at
the start of school pending notification of riders.
Special needs and out of town small bus will be determined
at the start of school pending notification of riders.
Small bus routes change all during the school year as they
carry all of our smallest riders and they vary daily.
Timber Route AM
7:09AM Clear Ck Rd.
7:11AM near 55670 Timber Rd.
7:15AM near 57139 Timber Rd.
7:20AM Kirk Rd.
7:21AM Airport Rd.
7:24AM Hwy 47/Timber Rd.
7:26AM Storage Too
7:30AM 1 st /Cougar St.
7:32AM Maple St.
7:33AM Columbia Ave/Rose Ave.
Pebble Ck. Route AM
6:45AM Arctic Way
7:05AM Hwy 47S near tree farm
7:09AM Peterson Rd.
7:12AM Johnson Rd.
7:15AM bottom of McDonald Rd.
7:20AM Seidleman Rd.
7:25AM near 58021 Pebble Ck Rd.
7:30AM Chinese Restaurant
7:33AM Elm St.
7:34AM Grove St.
7:35AM Juniper St.
Birkenfeld Route (big bus)
7:05AM Hwy 202/Hwy 47N
(mainline)
7:08AM Battle Ck Bridge
7:10AM Museum
7:14AM Natal Grange
7:19AM Peterson Station
7:24AM Scap/Vern Hwy junction
7:30AM Sleepy Lane
7:33AM Stoney Point Rd.
7:41AM Heather Lane
7:43AM Cherry St.
Birk
the old house of music
“it’s not that far”
www.thebirk.com
Keasey Route
7:05AM Fibre mainline
7:07AM Boeck Rd.
7:15AM Burn Rd.
7:20AM Flack Rd.
7:24AM Eden Rd.
7:26 Stoney Point/Lincoln Rd
7:30AM 2 nd /Nehalem Rd.
7:31AM 3 rd /Nehalem Rd.
7:32AM 5 th and 6 th /Nehalem Rd.
7:33AM 5 th /Bridge St.
7:34AM 4 th /Bridge St.
Scappoose Route
7:11AM near 22071 Scap/Vern Hwy
7:17AM Peterson
7:22AM beginning of Stoney Point Rd.
7:26AM Stoney Point/Woods Rd.
7:30AM Stoney Point/Mellinger Rd.
7:31AM G/State St.
7:35AM B/State St.
7:37AM North/State St.
Sm. bus Fishhawk 1 st Route
6:25AM Fishhawk Rd.
6:40AM Hwy 202 near Shalmon Libels
farm supply
6:45AM near Mist School
6:50AM Mist junction
6:55AM Barkanall to transfer students
Sm. bus Fishhawk 2 nd Route
7:10AM end of Fishhawk Rd.
7:35AM near Shalmon Libels
farm supply
7:45AM Burris Rd.
7:55AM near Big Eddy Park
8:00AM Crawford Rd.
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