Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2017)
14 schools september21 2017 School Board Report At the September 14, 2017 School Board Meeting: Loans Paid Off – Superintendent Aaron Miller shared a letter from the Oregon Department of Energy notifying the District that loans L00881 and L00864 have been paid in full. These loans rep- resented the debt the School Bond was intended to retire, which was approved by voters last spring District Hires Project Manager for Bond Projects – Superintendent Aaron Miller told the Board that a contract has been signed with Heery International as their bond Project Manager. (See full story in the Schools Update column on this page.) Board Approves VEA Contract and Administrative MOA – The Board ap- proved an employment agreement for teachers through the Vernonia Education Association (VEA) through 2019. They also approved a Memorandum of Agree- ment (MOA) for employment with the Administration group through 2019, which includes school principals and vice principals. Greenman Field Stadium Update – Superintendent Aaron Miller told the Board that estimates from the City’s en- gineering firm put repairs to the stadium roof in the $12,000-$20,000 range after the stadium was deemed structurally un- safe. He said he is continuing to discuss whether repairs will be done, but that he does not expect the stadium to be re- paired and available for use this football season. (See full story on front page.) New Staff – The Board approved the hiring of Lisa Edwardsen as a new kindergarten teacher. Superintendent Aaron Miller explained that because of increased enrollment in the kindergarten class over the summer, there was a need to expand to two classes, so Edward- sen was hired late in the process, but is quickly getting up to speed. Miller also officially introduced Michelle Eagleson in her new role as Elementary School Vice Principal and Rachel Wilcoxen in her new role as Middle/High School Vice Principal. Enrollment – Superintendent Aaron Miller told the Board that enrollment in the District at the start of the school year was 535 and provided a report which broke down class size for each grade. Oregon Outreach Program – Super- intendent Aaron Miller told the Board that Vernonia Academy, part of Oregon Outreach Incorporated, has begun. The program offers an alternative accredited educational program for students who are having difficulty in the regular learn- ing environment and is open to students in grades 9 through 12. The program currently has six Vernonia students, with room for one more, and three who are bussed from the Rainier School District. Superintendent Report – Superinten- dent Aaron Miller told the Board the community showing of “Paper Tigers” has been moved to Thursday, October 19, from 5-8:00 pm. The documentary film shows how the introduction of Trau- ma-Informed Care impacted students in an alternative high school. Miller told the Board that the Oregon Department of Education has accepted VES’s application to partici- pate in the Oregon Response to Instruc- tion and Intervention (ORTIi) training. Miller said the program offers alterna- tive teaching methods for special educa- tion students. Building Reports – Elementary School Principal Aaron Miller told the Board that the two week Kindercamp was a huge success for the second year, as was Meet the Teacher Night, a first time event. Both programs allowed students and parents to meet their teachers and become familiar with their classrooms and the school building. Miller said an Open House for VES and VHS is sched- uled for September 28 from 6-7:00 pm; Mist School will hold their Open House on October 11 from 6:30-7:30 pm. Miller told the Board that the Formative Assessment Grant was fund- ed for the second year, allowing teach- ers and administrators the opportunity to continue the Focus Schools training. Miller said kindergarten, 4 th grade and Mist School students will take part in Salmon Watch activities on Octo- ber 4. The program, in partnership with the Upper Nehalem Watershed Council, Schools Update: Project Manager By Aaron Miller Putting in motion the implementation of their recently passed $9.1 million bond program, the Verno- nia School District has selected Heery International as their bond Project Manager. Heery is the leading K-12 bond program man- ager in the region and has been providing on-time and on-budget project management from their Portland area office for nearly thirty years. With a staff of over 600 professionals national- ly and 65 locally, Heery provides comprehensive design phase and construction phase services which will assure successful completion of the District’s bond projects and get best value facilities for the funds available. Heery’s vast amount of school district project management experience includes work for Portland Public Schools, Beaverton School District, and St. Hel- ens School District. These districts have all utilized Heery’s services and have been extremely happy with Vernonia Veterinary Clinic Small and Large Animals the work provided. In talking with these other districts, they all had comments on how effective Heery is at completing projects on-time, and in many cases, under budget. Some of the services provided through this Project Manager contract will be oversight of projects, determining the most effective order of project imple- mentation, management of contractors/sub-contractors, obtaining public input, and updating the District and community on progress toward completion. In other Bond news, the District received noti- fication from the Oregon Department of Energy that our two “Cool School Loans” have been paid in full. Paying off these loans was the number one priority of the Bond request, which eliminated over $190,000 per year in principal and interest payments from the General Fund. Thank you again for passing the bond, and sup- porting the staff and students in the Vernonia School District. Oregon Department of Fish and Wild- life, and Stub Stewart State Park, takes students out to Rock Creek to learn about the natural resources in the region. 8 th grade students from Seattle’s Lakeside School will be in Vernonia for a week as part of the program, learning about the region’s natural history, our com- munity’s flood recovery, and performing several community service projects. High School Principal Nate Underwood provided a written report, which recapped end of year activities from the previous school year, and intro- duced new class and student body offi- cers, and several new high school teach- ers. Board Nominates Kintz for OSBA Board – The Board nominated Greg Kintz to be the representative for the North Coast region, position 14 to the Oregon School Board Association (OSBA) for a two year term. Kintz has served in the position since 2009 repre- senting school districts from Columbia, and Clatsop Counties. The OSBA advo- cates for school districts and education issues. Student Reports – Brook Naron, Pub- lic Relations Representative for the Stu- dent Body, provided a report on current activities at the high school, including sports, homecoming preparations, new teachers, the Cheer Squad, senior trip, exchange students, and a fundraiser to raise money for the Red Cross for hur- ricane relief. Wauna Credit Union Announces Adopt-A- Teacher Contest As the school year begins, Wauna Credit Union proudly supports the teachers in the commu- nities it represents. To help area teachers, who often have to dig into their own pockets to provide sup- plies for the classroom, the credit union is hosting an “Adopt-A-Teacher” contest during the month of September, awarding $500 to the winning educator. Students, parents, teachers, principals, and members of the community are encouraged to post a video on Wauna Credit Union’s Facebook page ex- plaining why their favorite teacher deserves to win. The entry with the most votes as measured by Face- book “reactions” will win the grand prize. “Teachers are the backbone of our commu- nity. They put in so much hard work and do so much to ensure our children learn and are ready to lead rewarding lives,” said Pam Weller, Assistant Vice President of Wauna Credit Union. “It’s important and exciting for us to do what we can to help them out, and to reward all that they do.” Wauna Credit Union has a lengthy history of supporting education. The Need more room? Adopt-A-Teacher contest joins a long list of the credit union’s initiatives, including its annual scholarship, financial educa- See us for the lowest prices GUARANTEED! tion outreach, and contribution to area Debit/Credit now accepted Backpack Programs. continued on page 16 Open Mon, Wed & Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Call for Appointments (503) 429-1612 Or 24 hr. Emergency Number (503) 397-6470 700 Weed Ave. Vernonia, OR 5x10 $39 10x10 $69 10x20 $99 RV Storage $149 Outside storage available Totally fenced and gated Padlocks available 58605 Nehalem Hwy South • P.O. Box 292 Vernonia, Oregon 97064 (503) 429-7867 10-6 Tue-Sat 12-4 Sun Vernonia School Board Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. The next School Board Meeting is scheduled for October 12 at 6:00 pm in the Schools Library.
