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