schools
june18
2020
11
School Board Report
At the June 11, 2020 School Board
Meeting:
Board Adopts Budget – After holding
a budget hearing at which there was no
public testimony either for or against,
the Board adopted Resolution 1920-04
for the 2020-21 budget as recommended
by the budget committee.
Board Accepts the Resignation of Mist
Teacher Joan Jones – Joan Jones, a
teacher at the Mist Grade School for 21
years, has informed the District that she
is resigning her position effective June
30. In her letter of resignation Jones said
she is taking a position teaching 1 st grade
at Jewell School. Jones said it has been
an honor to work with amazing students,
parents, instructional assistants, vol-
unteers, and the Mist-Birkenfeld com-
munity. She thanked the School Board
and Superintendent Aaron Miller for
acknowledging the importance of the
Mist School, for preserving the historic
building, and for keeping it open so local
children could attend school in their own
community.
Principal Reports – Elementary Princi-
pal Michelle Eagleson said her staff felt
like they got to know their students and
their families better this year while do-
ing Distance Learning during the shut-
down. Eagleson and High School/Mid-
dle School Principal Nate Underwood
thanked their staff for their work during
the shutdown. Superintendent Miller
also thanked all staff for their efforts.
Superintendent Report – Superinten-
dent Aaron Miller told the Board a to-
tal of 12,184 meals were provided for
students during the shutdown; Miller
thanked the food service crew for their
work through the shutdown to feed the
students of the District.
Miller said a survey has been
posted on the District’s website asking
families what they want to see when
school reopens in the fall, and also
asking how distance learning worked
for their family. He said the District
has formed a Reopening Committee to
consider the needs of students, staff,
and families and create a plan for the
District in September.
Bond Update – Superintendent Miller
said the art room project is making
progress and is on schedule. He said
sidewalks are being installed at Mist
Grade School, and he will be ordering
new playground equipment for Mist
and the Vernonia Schools. He said
new security cameras will be installed,
and the second set of front doors will
be moved further into the interior of
Community Action Team
Vernonia Head Start
Community Action Team,
Vernonia Head Start has continued to
serve families virtually for the past few
months during these uncertain times.
Staff has been creative in connecting
and supporting families. Children have
enjoyed getting to see staff and friends
during virtual zoom meetings. Weekly
educational activity packets were given
out for families to support school readi-
ness skills at home, individualizing for
children. Summer activity buckets were
delivered and staff enjoyed seeing the
children’s smiling faces, respecting so-
cial distancing.
Local Head Start programs are
now recruiting 3 and 4 year olds for the
2020-21 school year. Heads Start offers
a comprehensive preschool experience
at no cost to qualifying families.
The program offers parents op-
portunities to learn and grow along with
their children; receive guidance to com-
plete medical, dental, and nutritional
assessments; get on the job training
in the early childhood field, and learn
about local opportunities for the whole
family.
Children receive USDA ap-
proved lunch plus breakfast and/or
afternoon snack on each day of class.
(Head Start and USDA are both equal
opportunity providers.)
For more information you may
phone local Head Start centers: Verno-
nia (503)429-9243, St. Helens/Scap-
poose (503)397-4114, Clatskanie/Rain-
ier (503) 728-2940, Astoria (503)325-
5421, Warrenton (503) 861-9681, and/
or Seaside (503)738-0873. The Head
Start Admin Office is located in Rainier
and can be reached at (503)556-3736.
Community Action Team,
Head Start programs will continue to
support children and family throughout
the summer.
the building and enclose the office win-
dows and door to create a security barri-
er to the rest of the building; visitors will
need to be buzzed in by staff before they
can enter the main building. Miller told
the Board the District is moving forward
with a plan to drill a well to be used to
irrigate sports fields and the greenhouse.
He said after completing the above proj-
ects there will still be funds left over to
act as seed money toward completing a
grandstand at the football field/track, but
Board Approves Out of State Travel –
The Board approved out of state travel
for the 2020-21 school year for the Se-
nior Disneyland Trip and the 8 th grade
Close-Up Trip to Washington, D.C.
Next School Board Meeting – Sched-
uled for July 9, 2020.
P.E.O. Sisterhood
Awards Scholarships
The P.E.O. Sisterhood, St. Hel-
ens Chapter BO, has awarded scholar-
ships to nine Columbia County women
this year for a total of $17,760 awarded
for the Fall 2020 school year.
The Chapter BO Local Schol-
arship and Ida Loyd Walrod Memorial
Scholarships are awarded to graduat-
ing high school senior women. The
Ida Loyd Walrod Memorial Scholar-
ship, administered by Chapter BO,
was awarded to Tommi Ota of Verno-
nia. The two chapter local scholarships
were awarded to Taryn Verzino of War-
ren and Jada Dickerson of Scappoose.
The Oregon Marguerite Schol-
arship and the Oregon Scholarship
are administered by the Oregon State
Chapter of P.EO. They are scholarships
for women already attending Oregon
colleges or vocational schools. Sidney
Allen of Columbia City, and Mariya
Hawkins and Abigail Marx, both from
St. Helens, were awarded Oregon Mar-
guerite Scholarships. Oregon Scholar-
ships were awarded to Krista Rosales
from Scappoose, Jodelle Marx from St.
Helens and Anastasia Browning, cur-
rently living in Eugene.
P.E.O. is a philanthropic orga-
nization where women celebrate the ad-
vancement of women; educate women
through scholarships, grants, awards,
loans and stewardship of Cottey Col-
lege; and motivate women to achieve
their highest aspirations.
Thank you to the friends, fam-
ily, and local businesses who support
the Poinsettia Sale, which makes these
scholarships possible.
Cedar Side Inn
Specialty Pizzas
Taco Tuesday
from opening until 9 pm
3 hardshell or 1 softshell $4.25
11:00 am - 9:45 pm Every day
Check our Facebook page for daily specials
756 Bridge Street, Vernonia
Don‛t worry.
We‛ll go to Meyer‛s Auto Body.
I hear they‛re out of this world.
FOR TOWING EMERGENCIES
IN AND AROUND THE
VERNONIA AREA
there will still be a need for more fund-
raising.
503-429-5841
Don’t Sell it!
Pawn it!
For fast cash!
Police and County personnel are required
to use a rotation of available providers,
UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY ASK
for a service by name.
REQUEST TOWING SERVICE FROM
Meyer’s
Auto Body
Baseline
Pawn, Inc.
493 Bridge Street
VERNONIA • 503-429-0248
2245 Baseline St., Cornelius
(Across from Fred Meyer)
503-530-8119
State Licensed PB-0388
Open
everyday
at 10 a.m.