schools
may17
2018
School Board Report
At the May 10, 2018 School Board Meeting:
Budget Committee Approves Budget – After
calling the regular meeting to order, Chair Brett
Costley recessed to a Budget Committee Meet-
ing. The Budget Committee is made up of five
citizens plus the School Board. Budget Com-
mittee member Kelly Murray chaired the budget
meeting. Other citizen members of the Commit-
tee were James Loope, Christina Loope, Steve
Whiteman, and Tobie Finzel. After a brief discus-
sion about several items, including a discussion
about the need to add more student school days
to the District calendar, the Budget Committee
voted unanimously to approve the budget as pre-
sented. The budget will now go the Board for
final adoption in June.
PBL Students Present Grants – Students from
the Project Based Learning (PBL) class presented
grant awards to four local community organiza-
tions and two in-school programs. (See full story
on page 12.)
Board Approves Fee Schedule – The Board
approved a new recommended fee schedule that
increases the cost of all meals by $0.10 and all
beverages by $0.05.
Youth Transition Program – Beth Kintz up-
dated the Board on the Youth Transition Program
(YTP) which she coordinates. Kintz said the pro-
gram, in its third year, assists up to 20 students
each year through grant funding. The program
helps students with documented disabilities that
have barriers to employment, providing pre-em-
ployment transition services. Kintz coordinates
activities for students up to age 21, helping them
prepare resumes, search for jobs, visit job fairs,
fill out job applications, and get hands-on work
experience through on-the-job training, and at the
school store and snack bar.
Board Discusses Facility Safety – Board Chair
Brett Costley led the Board in an open discussion
about gun violence and the safety of students and
staff in the school facility. (See full story on front
page.)
Superintendent Report – Superintendent Aaron
Miller told the Board enrollment was at 544 at the
end of April.
He said the District has opened the hir-
ing process for six student summer internship
positions, two at the school for Maintenance/
Grounds, two with the Upper Nehalem Water-
shed Council for nursery and field work, and two
at Stub Stewart State Park for Ranger Assistant.
Miller updated the Board on bond proj-
ects, telling them the Mist roof is finished and
that a permit from DEQ will allow construction
of the new football field and track to begin this
summer. He said the project to add four class-
rooms at the end of one wing will probably wait
until next summer and the new metal shop build-
ing will either be built this summer or next.
Miller said the District has hired Teresa
Gore to teach kindergarten next year. He said
some current teachers will be changing classes,
including current third grade teacher Justin Bena-
ssi, who will move to teaching high school shop;
Linda Hobart who will move from fourth grade to
first grade; and Andrea Anderson will move from
first grade to teach the first/second grade blend.
Miller said the District is still searching for a HS/
MS language arts teacher, a HS/MS art teacher,
and a fourth grade teacher.
Principal Reports – High School Principal Nate
Underwood updated the Board on work he is
doing to revise current graduation standards for
Vernonia seniors, to bring them in line with state
requirements. Currently Vernonia High School
(VHS) requires 25.5 credits while the state only
requires 24. Underwood said he is looking to
combine some classes and curriculum in the
current classes offered by VHS in an effort to
streamline the graduation requirements. Under-
wood said he will bring back a formal proposal
to a future meeting.
Elementary Principal Aaron Miller pro-
vided the Board with a written report that showed
the grade/class configurations for the 2018-19
school year: two kindergarten classes, and one
each of first grade, first/second grade blend, sec-
ond grade, third grade, fourth grade, fourth/fifth
grade blend, and fifth grade.
Miller said fifth grader Bowen Cottini,
who attends the Mist School, won the Colum-
bia County Spelling Bee and will represent the
County at the State Fair.
Miller reported that the District has once
again received a grant from the Northwest Re-
gional Education Service District to support a two
week Kindercamp in August
prior to the start of school.
Miller told the Board
that Hands On Art will be
sponsoring a children’s the-
ater event on June 5. He also
reminded the Board that Field
Day will be held on June 6.
Columbia County
Students Qualify
for State Spelling Bee
Three students from the Scappoose, Clatskanie, and Ver-
nonia school districts will represent Columbia County at the state
competition after winning the Columbia County Spelling Contest
held by the Northwest Regional Education Service District on
May 10, 2018.
The County Spelling Bee, proctored by David Cook,
posed 25 words to students in each of the three divisions, as well
as five tie-breaker words. Division I had two tie-breakers to de-
termine the winners on this occasion. Winners were determined
by the amount of words they had spelled correctly.
Columbia County school districts sent their district spell-
ing bee winners in three grade divisions: Division 1 for first
through fifth grades; Division 2 for sixth through eighth grades;
and Division 3 for ninth through 12 th grades.
Competing in Division 1 were Kelby Evenson and Chloe
May from Clatskanie, Elowyn Jefferson and Jodell Musgrove
from Rainier, Momi Leininger and Bowen Cottini from Vernonia,
Madelyn Hewey and Marissa Lemon from St. Helens, Ryleigh
Layton from Scappoose. In Division 1 Bowen Cottini took first
place, Kelby Evenson took second, and Elowyn Jefferson was
third.
In Division 2 participants were Taylor Crawford and
Reilly Norgren from Clatskanie, Lola Ramirez and Jackson
Youngblood from Rainier, Kathryn Nelson from St. Helens, and
Kaitlyn Leshley and Bailey Olsen from Scappoose. In Division
2, Kaitlyn Leshley took first place, Taylor Crawford took second,
and Reilly Norgren was third.
Division 3 was a bit smaller with one competitor:
AnneMarie Davis from Vernonia took first place.
All first place winners will go on to compete at the state
competition at the Oregon State Fair on September 1, 2018.
The Oregon Spellers (www.oregonspellers.org) are pre-
senters of the statewide spelling championship with a mission to
“encourage, promote, and recognize spelling excellence for the
youth of the State of Oregon and to provide, with our sponsors,
an annual state-level spelling championship….”
Congratulations to our district and county-level winners!
Vernonia Students of the Month
Board Meets in Executive
Session – The Board met
in Executive Session under
ORS192.660 (2)(i) “To re-
view and evaluate the perfor-
mance of the chief executive
officer or any other public
officer, employee or staff
member...” Upon returning to
Open Session, the Board took
no further action.
No, really. Don‛t worry.
We‛ll go to Meyer‛s Auto Body.
I hear they‛re out of this world.
April 2018
Elementary School
Front row: Henry Vance (1),
Kyleigh Rau (k), Alexus Bernardi
(2), Fisher Rumbolz (k)
Back Row: Orran Peters (4),
Morgan Dennis (3), Kyanian
Scott (4), Haley Schneken-
burger (5), Arlo Hunter (3),
Charlotte Schlegel (2)
Tyler Ridell
Grade 7
Tyler is an imaginative student who has a passion
for reading. His teachers say he’s a mature
student who tries hard in class and thinks about
subjects intellectually. Tyler says his favorite
subject is definitely science. He says he hopes to
try out for basketball next year. In his free time
Tyler says he likes to write fiction stories.
Lily Buchanan
Meyer’s
Auto Body
13
Grade 12
Lily is an active and involved student. She is the
President of the National Honor Society and just
finished helping to organize the S.K.I.D. reenact-
ment. She was part of the Project Based Learning
class and worked on the mural outside the gym
entrance. She did stats for wrestling and also takes
photos for sports activities. Lily says next year she
plans to attend Oregon State University. In her free
time she likes to draw, and go “Cruisin’ with Susan.”
493 Bridge Street
VERNONIA • 503-429-0248
Sponsored by Senator Betsy Johnson