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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2022)
Schools January 6 2022 9 Schools Update: Strategic Planning Survey Update By Superintendent Aaron Miller The Vernonia School District is seeking input from the community as it works to develop a long-range Strategic Plan on how to best implement educa- tional programming that will align with the VSD School Board of Directors’ pri- orities. This work will also be a chance for patrons to engage with the District on how to best utilize state Student In- vestment Account (SIA) and some Fed- eral Covid relief funds. Please help the District “Clear Paths” for our students’ successes at school, so we can “Build Bridges” to their future successes in life. Surveys will be available on the VSD website (www.vernoniak12.org) and at the school for community mem- bers to begin providing that input. Other opportunities to hear about the District’s priorities, its current long- range plan, and to help move this work forward will include in-person and vir- tual meetings in late January and early February. Exact dates for these meet- ings will be announced soon, and posted on the District’s website. SIA funds are aimed at reducing academic disparities for students of color, students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students who are impacted by poverty, homelessness, and foster care through four main com- ponents for school district expenditures: • Reducing Class Size • Providing students a “well-rounded education” • Increasing Instructional Time, and • Students’ Health and Safety The District’s current Strategic Plan, implemented over the past five years in- cluded three main areas of focus: • Students graduate from high school ready for college, career, and civic life • Improve and maintain positive com- munication and relationships between staff, students, parents, and the commu- nity • Become a financially stable and thriv- ing district where students and staff flourish The District Board of Directors re- cently adopted District Priorities are: • Improving Academic Proficiency Levels for All Students • Providing Innovative Career Path- ways for All Students • Providing Inclusive/Equitable Pro- grams and Opportunities for All Stu- dents Your opinions and input on all these topics are encouraged and welcome. Access to these surveys and meetings will be available soon. Please help our students, staff, and community by participating and helping our schools clear our students’ pathways to success, and build bridges to their future! Vernonia School Board Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for January 13, at 6:00 pm. Please check the District’s website for updates/changes: www. vernonia.k12.or.us Superintendent Explains School COVID Closure continued from front page snow and ice that made driving dangerous. “Moving to Distance Learning is going to be our last choice every time,” said Miller. “We have the ability. If we have to do it we need to take a day and get everybody prepared, including students and staff, but it’s not even close to our first choice. It’s not near- ly as effective as being on-site. I think we’ve seen the results of that nationwide, with kids not participating. It’s just a difficult situation to try and teach in. As much as we have the capability to do it, it’s not some- thing we’re going to switch back and forth to, unless we absolutely have to. It’s not the best model to edu- cate our kids.” Miller said in a letter to parents that the clo- sure came after a wrestling official who had worked two recent Vernonia meets, one of those a home meet on Friday, December 10, tested positive for COVID, had been contagious, and had close contact with a number of Vernonia athletes and staff. Miller said that exposure resulted in positive tests for several students and then several staff members also became sick. After doing some contact tracing, Miller said the District realized without quarantining, the District was at risk for a large exposure. “It happened really quickly but with the way things are going right now, sometimes we have to make an immediate decision.” In addition, Miller said the school schedule naturally lent itself to a closure. He said with one day needed to transition to Distance Learning, and the last day of school before the start of the holiday sched- uled to be a half day, it didn’t make sense to make the switch. Miller said he would ask the School Board to approve making up the three lost days of classes by us- ing three days built into the schedule as snow make-up days, one each in March, April, and May. “We don’t want to give away student contact days where we’re instructing our students through online learning,” explained Miller. “We decided that we can utilize those days more effectively with in-per- son learning than we could by switching to Distance Learning.” Miller said the District did go ahead and host two basketball games on Saturday, December 18 and Monday, December 20 after cancelling a league game on December 17, but did cancel a game scheduled for December 28. “We decided that as long as we could field healthy teams and not worry about spreading to others, we would go ahead and not fall behind and have to alter the athletic schedule.” Miller said any other snow days or other clo- sures this year will likely be added on to the end of the school year, or could potentially impact the Spring Break vacation, currently scheduled for March 21-25. Vernonia’s Voice is published on the 1 st and 3 rd Thursday. Look for the next issue on January 20. Vernonia Dental , D MD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER Family owned & operated for over 50 years 834 Bridge St., Vernonia (503) 429-6364 an • chains • antifreeze • winter tires mounted & balanced • wipers • kerosene • flashlights • boots • propane • batteries • lamp oil • gas cans • generators . 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 Church Directory Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Sunday Schedule: Sacrament Meeting: 10:00 am Sunday School & Primary: 11:20 am Relief Society, Priesthood and Young Women: 12:10 pm Roger Cook, Branch President 1350 E. Knott Street 503-429-7151 Grace Family Fellowship Sunday School: 9:00 am Worship Service: 10:30 am Thursday Prayer: 6:00 pm Greg “Mac” McCallum, Pastor 957 State Avenue 503-429-6790 Nehalem Valley Bible Church Sunday School: 9:45 am Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 am Sunday Evening Service 6:00 pm Mark Organ, Senior Pastor Gary Taylor, Associate Pastor 500 North Street 503-429-5378 https://www.nvbiblechurch.org St. Mary’s Catholic Church Sunday Mass: 12:00 pm Fr. Joshua Clifton, Administrator 960 Missouri Avenue https://www.facebook.com/ StMarysOfVernonia 503-429-8841 Vernonia Christian Church Worship Service in Youth & Family Center: 9:30 and 11:00 am www.Vernonia.Church Sam Hough, Pastor 410 North Street 503-429-6522 Vernonia Seventh-day Adventist Church Sabbath (Saturday) Services Sabbath School: 9:30 am Worship Service: 11:00 am Pastor Antonee Leo Aguilar Email: antonee.aguilar@oc.npuc.org https://VernoniaOR.AdventistChurch.org/ 1294 Nehalem Street 503-429-8301
