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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2019)
october17 2019 free VERNONIA’S volume13 issue20 reflecting the spirit of our community Opportunity Rooms Offer Alternative Discipline Model School District is taking a positive and caring approach to students with behavior issues By Scott Laird The Vernonia School District (VSD) is broadening its pro- gram to find better ways to deal with discipline issues in the classroom and on the school cam- pus. The Opportuni- ty Room, OR for short, is a place where teachers can send students who are causing disruptions in the classroom so they can get refo- cused on learning, and a place where students can go to self regulate. This year the District has split the Opportu- nity Room into two sections, OR I for students in the Elementary School and OR II for middle school and high school students. “These are students for whom classroom interventions haven’t worked – things like asking the student to get back on task, moving their desk, those types of things,” explains Rachel Wil- coxen, the District’s Vice Principal for K-12 who is in charge of discipline. “So, if it’s time for them to take a break, they go to the OR.” This year OR II has a certified instructor in the room – former middle school language arts teacher Justin Ward – along with two instructional as- sistants. Ward works with teachers to make sure students in OR II get lessons to work on while they are out of the classroom, so they are not missing too much instruction. He also works with parents to address behavior issues, and with students to help them take respon- sibility for their actions and find ways to make better choices in the fu- ture. Students spend as much time as neces- sary in the OR so they can get back on track and be ready to learn. Wilcoxen says usually students do not go back to the class they were sent from, but wait until the next period before they return. In-school suspen- sions are also served in the OR, along with students who have earned a lunch time suspension for being excessively tardy or absent. “In the past this would have been considered the detention room,” says Wilcoxen. “But our goal is not just to punish them, our goal is to find out what the lagging skill is and figure out what we can do to help them be success- ful in the classroom. This gives kids a chance to get back on track instead of having their behavior derail their whole day.” continued on page 6 The Nehalem Divide Tunnel The hidden tunnel is just one historically significant site along Columbia County’s Crown Zellerbach Trail By Scott Laird nomah Channel at Chapman Landing near Scappoose to the outskirts of Ver- nonia. The trail is currently undergoing a series of upgrades, initiated by the CZ Trail Advisory Committee, that include trailhead improvements and interpre- Vernonia and the surrounding region is loaded with historical sites of interest, especially sites pertaining to logging, railroads, and early pioneer history. The Vernonia Pioneer Museum and Columbia County’s Historic Court House Museum in St. Helens, both doc- ument the vibrant history of the region and are great resources for anyone inter- ested in learning more about Columbia County’s fascinating legacy. The Crown Zellerbach (CZ) Trail is a 25 mile hiking, biking, and horse trail which runs from the Mult- tive signage and displays that will fo- cus heavily on the historic significance of the logging and railroad operations along the trail. Trail improvements are being funded through grants awarded to the County by Oregon Parks and Recre- ation Department and Travel Oregon. Casey Garrett is the Director of Parks and Facilities for Columbia County and is a member of the advisory committee. Garrett says there will be six designated trailheads with parking areas, kiosks, and interpretive signs, with several other historically continued on page 14 Voices From the Mill Pond Cover Photo Winner: Kari Anne Budge Beginning in February, photog- raphers heeded our call and submitted images for the coming book about Ver- nonia, Voices from the Mill Pond. One photo would land on the book’s cover. Over a hundred fabulous images poured in, and when the submission peri- inside 10 where do you read the voice? 12 vhs fall sports report 12 9/11 memorial march Photo by Debby White od ended, it was time to choose a cov- er. Important elements were the pond, of course, but also the photo’s compo- sition. Orientation and size mattered. Would the title and subtitle be clear against the colors? Was the visual activity in the photo subdued enough to complement the text? And was it an absolute- ly gorgeous photo in its own right? Ve r n o n i a ’s Voice and Hands on Art are delighted to present the cover of Voices from the Mill Pond. Kari Anne Budge sent in this exquisite photo that met every condition. It was the perfect Photo by Cassandra Armstrong choice for the book. We would also like to acknowl- edge two photographers whose submis- sions came in a close second. Thank you to Debby White and Cassandra Arm- strong for their stunning images. The 180-page book of photos, writings, and artwork from Vernonia residents will be available locally and on Amazon in early December. The perfect gift for the holidays.