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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 2021)
Schools January 21 2021 11 Schools Update: Youth Reengagement Pilot Project By Jamie Hamsa This pandemic has been a challenging time, with one of the multitude of effects being students falling behind in academics. In October 2020, Verno- nia School District (VSD) has responded to parent, student, and community concerns by pursuing spe- cific funds and developing a response plan to address this issue through Oregon Department of Education’s (ODE) Youth Development Division (YDD) Reen- gagement Opportunity Grant. On December 10, it was announced that Ver- nonia School District was not only awarded $120,000 for local efforts but an additional award as a partner with Northwest Oregon Works for $290,000 towards a regional effort across Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, and Tillamook counties. The Youth Reengagement Grant Pilot will serve youth age 14-21, who are three or more credits behind their perspective peers to reach academic suc- cess. ODE released funds January 4 and the pilot proj- ect duration will run until June 30. The pilot program will implement the evidence based program, Check & Connect. Vernonia School District Superintendent Aar- on Miller shared that “the grant will provide much needed supports for our students who are struggling with school, whether due to Distance Learning, or other issues. This will be a great resource for our staff working to return students back into our schools, and actively engage them in their learning and the devel- opment of their futures.” Check & Connect is a nationally-recognized program with proven success. Of the dropout preven- tion interventions reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse, Check & Connect is the only program found to have strong evi- dence of positive effects on staying in school. Check & Connect is a model of ongoing, systematic interven- tion and support to promote students’ engagement at school and with learning. All eligible students and their families will be invited to voluntarily participate in this opportunity. Check & Connect works with students by building a persistent, positive, and trusting relationship with stu- dents and their families to facilitate home-school col- laboration. Each student participating in Check & Con- nect is assigned a trained mentor from existing school staff that take on a unique, specialized role. Check & Connect mentors seek to build long-term, sustained re- lationships with participating students and families by providing weekly, individualized support for youth to reach their academic, career, and wellness goals. The Youth Reengagement Pilot will build on existing programs, services, and resources within the home, school, and community to best connect youth to address targeted needs. Mentors will also assist in connecting youth, as needed, to social service agen- cies, career, trade, apprenticeship, and volunteer op- portunities from businesses. Once enrolled, we will use a two pronged approach for reengagement and re- tention: remove barriers and incentivize participation. Each mentor will work with students and families to identify barriers to access and engagement. These barriers could include: lack of transportation, technology needs, lack of money for food/clothing/ rent/childcare, mental/physical health needs, employ- ment, etc. Student participants will also have access to incentive funds to recognize sustained participa- tion and celebrate accomplishments of individualized goals. Incentives will be aligned to student-identified areas of interest or motivation and will be designed to build positive associations with goal attainment and persistence. An additional component of the program is going beyond forming positive, trusting relationships with adult mentors but also reducing isolation and in- creasing peer connection through building capacity to offer access to student tutors. Students that have demonstrated academic success across differing grades and subjects of need, not enrolled in the Youth Reengagement Pilot, will have the opportunity to apply for a paid position. They can build their resume and receive necessary training to provide tutoring to students enrolled in the Reen- gagement Pilot. The VSD is deeply committed to building a youth-centered program that is responsive to and re- flective of the needs of our students and families with- in a short duration to inform continued efforts past June 30, 2021. To that end, we have designed a pilot program that will seek and elevate student and family voice as we work to develop, improve, and refine our sustainable program model. The program will employ an asset-based approach that honors the contributions and strengths of participants. Throughout our work, we will seek to remove barriers to access and engage- ment for students and families. For more information to participate as a stu- dent or assist in efforts as a community member or local business, please contact Jamie Hamsa, Director of Social Emotional Health & Wellness, jhamsa@ver- noniak12.org or at (971) 248-5101 or Rachel Wilson, Vice-principal Vernonia Schools, rwilson@vernoni- ak12.org (503) 429-1383 or (503) 429-1333 x 1383. School Board Report At the January 14, 2021 School Board Meeting: Brown, which should make it easier for students to return. Return to In-Person School – Super- intendent Aaron Miller told the Board that the District is continuing to plan for returning to in-person school on Febru- ary 8 for K-2 students and for K-5 stu- dents at Mist School, but it will depend on the state metrics and the county num- bers. He said once those first students are back, the rest of the elementary stu- dents would join them in two weeks, and then middle school and high school would return two weeks after that. He said middle and high school students would only attend in-person school for two days each week and would have three days at home. Masks and physical distancing will be required. Miller said he does expect a reduction to the state metrics to be announced at a January 19 meeting scheduled by Governor Kate Board Appoints to Fill Vacancy – Af- ter interviewing and discussing two po- tential candidates, the Board voted to appoint Amy Cieloha to fill vacant posi- tion 3. Following the vote of the Board, Cieloha took the oath of office and took part as a Board member for the rest of the meeting. The term will expire June 30, 2021. Board Accepts Staff Resignations – The Board accepted the resignation of high school social studies instructor By- ron Brown, and graduation coach Dana Hyde, both effective June 30, 2021. School Board Recognition Month – Superintendent Aaron Miller thanked the members of the School Board and recognized their service to the commu- nity and School District, as January is School Board Recognition Month. Student Presentations – JoLee Gra- ham, Lorrie Shipley, Makenlee Espi- noza from Mist Grade School shared information about their Native Ameri- can studies. Public Comment – Juliette Safier, President of the Teachers Union, asked that when the District, Board, and com- munity talk about students starting school back in the building that it is not referred to as “back to school.” Safier noted that students and teachers are al- ready in school and have been work- ing very hard since beginning to attend school virtually. FOR TOWING EMERGENCIES IN AND AROUND THE VERNONIA AREA 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 Vernonia School Board Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 11, at 6:00 pm. Please check the District’s website for updates/ changes: www.vernonia.k12.or.us TOO BUSY? Call your LOCAL bookkeeper R Y O A LL PL P US LLC Edi Sheldon 503-429-1819 edisheldon@gmail.com Licensed tax consultant • Full service payroll Personal & small business bookkeeping • QuickBooks assistance CORPS, S-CORPS, LLC, Partnerships • Personal one-on-one service LTC #29629 - Oregon licensed tax consultant RTRP #P00448199 - designated as a registered tax return preparer by the Internal Revenue Service The IRS does not endorse any particular individual tax return preparer. For more information on tax return preparers, go to www.IRS.gov. 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