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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2021)
Schools October 21 2021 11 Schools Update: Employee Needs By Superintendent Aaron Miller As the largest employer in Vernonia, there are 98 staff members working in the Vernonia School District (VSD), and the need for quality employ- ees to fill full-time openings, and substi- tute jobs when people are ill is great. Currently there are three teach- ing positions (1 st Grade, 3 rd Grade, and Metals/Welding), and three Instruction- al Assistant positions open in the Dis- trict. In addition to these full-time posi- tions there is a real shortage of people available to fill in as substitute employ- ees. These same issues are being felt in neighboring school districts as well. If you, or anyone you know, would be in- terested and effective in working with school-aged children, please share this information with them, and have them contact the school district. The district anticipates this is- sue will only get worse as most school districts in the state are scrambling to fill all of their openings. If you are inter- ested in learning more about subbing or working in schools, please contact Su- perintendent Miller at (503) 429-5891. Substitute teachers are one need, but other substitute employees (teaching assistants, custodians, food service workers) are also very hard to find on a regular basis. Substitutes are a daily part of life for students and school staff. Each day there is some position that needs to be filled due to illness, scheduled appointments, or other life happenings. The issue, however, is usu- ally not whether a substitute employee will be needed in the building, but whether there will actually be a person available to fill this need. The number of people willing to substitute in schools is dwindling, whether it be as a teacher, an assistant, a custodian, or an employee in the caf- eteria. This problem is even larger for a community like Vernonia, given the distance from here to other communi- ties of size where more substitutes may live. Substitutes in the education field are becoming harder and harder to come by these days. Substitutes in the VSD are hired through the NW Regional Educational Service District (NWRESD), and are called through an automated system run through their offices. Anyone interested in subbing for the District needs to reg- ister through the NWRESD Human Ser- vices department, who can be reached at (503) 614-1428. You can also call the Vernonia School District Office at (503) 429-5891, if you have questions you would like answered about potential sub jobs here in Vernonia prior to applying through the ESD. School Board Report At the October 14, 2021 School Board Meeting: year. Board Approves Superintendent Contract – The Board voted 5-2 to approve a two year contract through June 30, 2022 with Superintendent Aaron Miller. Board members Amy Cieloha and Greg Kintz voted against approving the contract. Miller provided the Board with an update on staff vaccination status prior to the October 18 dead- line, stating that all staff, except one are either vac- cinated or have received a valid medical or religious exception; he said the Administration is working with the one staff member to resolve their situation and said there should be no loss of staff. Miller told the Board the 4 th grade class has been in quarantine and doing distance learning after 1/3 of the class showed symptoms similar to COVID during the week of October 11, but said no student had tested positive at the time of the meeting. Miller told the Board the remaining $30,279.78 in bond funding would go toward infrastructure for the new Logger Stadium project. Board Approves Administration MOA – The Board voted 6-1 to approve the 2021-2024 Memorandum of Agreement for salaries for the Administrative Group which includes the Elementary, High School/Middle School, and Vice principals, Special Education Direc- tor, and Social/Emotional Health & Well Being Direc- tor. Board member Amy Cieloha was the dissenting vote. Board Approves New Hire, Resignation – The Board approved the hiring of Kyndra Wall to teach kindergarten and the resignation of 3 rd grade teacher Kiara Single, effective December 7, 2021. Superintendent Report – Superintendent Aaron Miller told the Board that enrollment is currently 570; last year attendance was around 530 during the school Principal Reports – Elementary Principal Michelle Eagleson told the Board satellite internet service has been installed at the Mist School and is working well. Eagleson said students participated in the Salmon Watch program on October 14, visiting a lo- cal stream to learn about watershed issues and the life cycle of the salmon. Eagleson told the Board that students who are quarantined can learn along with students in class through distance learning using Google Classroom tools, and said a plan is in place for distance learning should the need arise due to COVID school closures. High School/Middle School Principal Nate Underwood told the Board his teachers are also pre- pared for distance learning, and said students who need to miss class for any reason can access materials remotely through Google Classroom. Underwood told the Board Ms. Bae has in- troduced a Tri-Music National Honor Society for stu- dents in her music programs. Underwood said the Germany Trip for stu- dents being organized by Ms. Keister is still being planned. Underwood told the Board students and staff took part in a “Breaking Down the Walls” program to promote empathy and understanding, and thanked instructor Jim Krahn and his Project Based Learning class for hosting the program. VHS Fall Sports Report continued from page 10 TOO BUSY? Call your LOCAL bookkeeper R Y OLL A P PLUS LLC es on Saturday, October 23, with the 3 rd place match at 1:00 pm, followed by the championship at 3:00 pm. Football – The Loggers lost their first Northwest League game of the season, falling 38-27 to Nestucca on October 8. On October 15 the Loggers hosted Naselle from Washington in a non-league match-up, losing 70-35 in an 8-man game. The team’s league record stands 0-3 with two forfeits, and 1-5 overall. The Loggers will host Knappa in their final contest of the season, their Homecoming Game on October 22. Vernonia Dental 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. Vernonia School Board Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 9, at 6:00 pm due to the Veterans Day holiday. Please check the District’s website for updates/changes: www.vernonia.k12.or.us , D MD Portland Christian on October 14, falling 3-1 in a tightly contested match, before beating Nestucca 3-0 on October 16. Head coach Teresa Williams made a major shift in her lineup toward the end of the season, moving exchange student Zoe Menzolini into the setter role, allowing Williams to switch Brooklynn Walters to an outside hitter position where she is a dangerous attacking option in the Lady Logger offense. The Lady Loggers entered the Northwest League playoffs ranked #9 in the state, and hope to earn a spot in the state playoffs when they host the finals and 3 rd place league championship match- an Columbia Christian, on October 18. The team finished the season with an 11-5 league record, and were 17-5 for the sea- son. Facing a compressed schedule while making up several missed matches due to a COVID quarantine, the Lady Loggers defeated Knappa 3-1 on Oc- tober 7, before falling to second place Portland Christian 3-1 on October 8. The team bounced back with two straight 3-0 league wins over Faith Bible on October 9 and 11, and also grabbed a 3-0 non-league win over a ranked 3A Warrenton squad on October 12. The Lady Loggers fell in their second meeting of the season against . Dr ri s h C M . S c erm u he 622 Bridge Street Vernonia, OR 97064 phone (503) 429-0880 -- fax (503) 429-0881
