Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 1998)
County students fail to meet state standards PFSSIE U OF *: E r ;; p a EUGENE V0L.117 N0 45 According to information released at the Morrow County School Board meeting Monday, many Morrow County school children are not meeting WETZELL OR K p f r OR t. i p 97403 8Pages Wednesday, Novembern, 1998 MorrowCounty,Heppner,Oregon Presentation planned at St. Patrick Church Doctor Jerry Boussell Jr. and his wife Sheila O Connell Roussell play Joseph and Mary in "Herstory: The Mother's Tale ' A presentation o f "Herstory" w ill he held in Heppner on Saturday. November 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the St. Patriek Church Parish Hall. Although no actual price is placed on the tickets, a donation o f $10 is suggested. Proceeds from the event w ill go to the Heppner Neighborhood Center. Tickets are available in Heppner at Murray Drugs. 676- 9158. Heppner T V . 676-9663. and Morrow County Abstract and Title. 676-9912. In lone tickets are available from Anne Morter. 422-7429. and in I exinuton from Martha Munkers. 989-8532. For more inform ation, call Father Gerry Condon. 676-9462. According to a news release, it was early in 1992 as Father Condon, pastor o f St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Heppner sat reading "The Catholic Sentinel," w hile sipping a cup o f Hew ley's tea." "The Sentinel" had featured a company o f artists from St. Francis o f Assisi in Bend who had dedicated their time, energy and talent to producing a new way to offer the Gospel story, through drama and song. Father Gerry had long believed in the power o f the arts to celebrate and proclaim sacred story, said the release, and he knew immediately that he wanted to bring "Herstory" to his "beloved people o f Heppner". This was only the beginning. By early in 1993. Fr. Gerry wanted his friends back home in Ireland to "share in the joy o f Herstory". So the company packed up the sets and costumes and followed him to the other side o f the world to offer the gift o f their song across the Emerald Isle from Dublin to Lim erick. Since that day. according to the release. "Herstory" has touched the lives o f more than 130.000 people who have shared in the live performances in the United States. Canada and Ireland. The company has produced an original cast cassette, a C D o f the music, an audio recording o f their performance at the Religious Education Congress at the Anaheim convention center and. this Christmas the video w ill be released. "Herstory: The Mother's Tale" was written by playwrights Sheila O'Connell-Roussell, Terri Vomdran Nichols and composer Roger Nichols. It is a three act play with 15 original songs and approximately one hour o f incidental music which underscores the drama. Roger Nichols wrote and performed the music for "Herstory" as well as collaborated on the lyrics. He co-wrote numerous songs with lyricist Paul W illiam s, resulting in many hit records. "We've Only Just Begun,” and "Rainy Days and Mondays," among others. His music has been recorded by many different artists, including three songs by Barbra Streisand. He has three gold records, two Grammy nominations and one Emmy nomination to his credit. Terri Vorndran Nichols, co- playwright and co-lyricist, is an author with a B.A. in liberal arts from Thomas Aquinas College and a C alifornia teacher’s credential from Loyola Marymount University. Nichols and Sheila O'Conneil-Roussell are dedicated w riting partners. O'Connell-Roussell. co- playwright and co-lyricist, plays Mary o f Nazareth and various other roles in the production o f "Herstory". A singer, songwriter and playwright, she is the director o f Faith Development at St. Francis o f Assisi Church in Bend where she offers scripture classes, lay leadership training and pastoral care. A teacher and speaker. O'Connell-Roussell earned her BA in theater Arts and M A in religious education from Loyola Marymount University. Los Angeles. She has a master's degree in divinity and is a candidate for her doctorate in ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Dr. Jerry Roussell. Jr., plays John the Beloved and various other roles in the production. His debut in acting was opposite Sheila, in the musical. Back To Eden. He has a doctorate o f ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo. California, as well as a BA in humanities and a master's of d ivin ity from Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. He pioneered programs in pastoral ministry at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles and Marylhurst University. Oregon. He is coordinator o f pastoral care on the hospital staff o f St. Charles Medical Center in Bend. In "Herstory". the audience w ill meet Joseph, Anne. Elizabeth. John the Baptist. Salome. King Herod, the Samaritan woman at the well. Martha. Claudia-the w ife o f Pilate and Mary Magdalene - and experience how their lives are transformed through their encounters with Jesus. In the presentation Mary remembers her personal joys as well as sorrows - the challenge o f being an unwed mother, a refugee in a strange land, a frantic mother o f a missing child. a grief-stricken witness to her own son's suffering and death. benchmarks mandated by the state o f Oregon. M CSD assistant superintendent Michael Keown told the board that while more children in the younger grades are meeting the standards set by the State Board o f Education in 1996. a majority o f children in the upper grades are not meeting those standards. In reading. 64 percent o f 10th graders in Morrow County Schools are below the standard, according to 1998 Oregon State Assessment Group Results. Twenty-five percent met the standard and I I percent exceeded the standard. In math. 74 percent o f 10th graders are below the standard. 19 met the standard and seven percent exceeded. In w riting 50 percent are below, 28 percent met and one percent exceeded. Another 21 percent met the standard conditionally. When a student meets the standard conditionally, most o f the child’s scores met the standards and work samples were also included. In mathematical problem solving 59 percent did not meet the standard. 36 met. one percent exceeded and another four percent met the standard conditionally. In the eighth grade in math. 65 percent o f the students are below the standard. 18 met the standard and 18 are below. In reading. 68 percent o f the eighth graders are below. 16 percent met and 16 percent are below. In w riting 60 percent did not meet the standard. 19 met and one percent exceeded with another 20 percent meeting the standard conditionally. In mathematical problem solving 65 percent did not meet, 24 percent met and one percent exceeded with nine percent conditionally meeting the standard In the fifth grade in math. 54 percent o f the students did not meet the standard. 39 percent met and seven percent exceeded In reading. 46 percent o f the students did not meet the standard. 43 met and 11 percent exceeded. In w riting 50 percent failed the standard. 22 percent met and one percent exceeded w ith 27 percent meeting the standard conditionally. In mathematical problem solving. 48 percent were below the standard. 38 percent met the standard and 14 percent met the standard conditionally. No one exceed the standard. In the third grade in math. 46 percent o f the students were below the standard. 36 percent met the standard and I 8 percent exceeded. In reading 34 percent did not meet the standard. 42 percent met the standard and 24 percent exceeded. The third graders were not tested in w riting and mathematical problem solv ing. The school district has begun a program on Fridays to assist students having problems meeting the benchmarks. Teachers are available at the schools on a volunteer basis on those days, however, the teachers are paid for their time. The county trends m irror the state statistics, w ith 63 percent o f the students in third grade statewide. 30 percent o f the fifth graders and eighth graders and 20 percent o f the 10 graders meeting the standards. Further county breakdowns are as follows: Reading/Literaturc (Three categories in order-percentage that does not meet, meets, exceeds)- Grade Lhree: Heppner Elementary School-26. 44 and 29; lone Elementary School-25. 25, 50: Sam Boardman Elementary School-52. 37. I I ; A.C. Houghton Elementary School, lrrigon-23. 48. 30. -Grade Five: HES-35. 62, 3; IES-23. 54. 23; SBE-49. 37. 14; ACH-58. 34. 10. -Grade Eight: Heppner Junior High School-55, 23, 23: lone M iddle School-13, 38. 50; Columbia M iddle School. lrrigon-76. 13, 12. -Grade 10: Heppner High School-48. 31. 21; lone High School-67. 22. I I : Riverside High School. Boardman. 71, 23. 7. Mathematics (Three categories in order-percentage that does not meet, meets. e.xceeds)-Grade Three HES-39. 46. 14; IES-50, 38. 13: SBE-71. 15. 15: A C H - 23. 52. 25. -Grade Five: ! .ES-32. 62. 6; IES-62. 3 1 .6 : SBE-65. 26. 9; ACH-53. 40. 7. -Cirade Light: HJHS-32. 26, 42: IMS-0. 63. 38; CMS-78. 12. 10 . -Grade 10: HHS-49. 39. 12: IHS-72. 11.17: RHS-84. 13.6. W riting (Fdur categories in order-percentage that does not meet, conditionally meets, meets. exceeds. In the conditional category. the majority o f scores meet the criteria, combined with the addition o f * o rk samples.)- Grade Three: no testing. -Grade Five: HES-36. 32. 29. 3: IES-23. 23. 46. 8: SBE-62, 22. 16.0: ACH-52. 30. 18. 0. -Cirade Eight: HJHS-36. 16. 48. 0; IMS-50. 17. 33. 0: CMS- 67. 22. 10. I. -Grade 10: HHS-31, 17. 53, 0: IHS-33. 33. 33. 0: RHS-60. 20 . 18 . 2 . Mathematical Problem Solving (four categories in order-percentage that does not meet, conditionally meets, meets, exceeds)-Grade Three: no testing. -Grade Five: HES-29, 11.60. 0; IES-50. 14. 36. 0; SBE-48. 13 .4 0 .0 : ACH-64. 18. 18.0. -Grade Light: HJHS-32. 10. 58.0: IMS 13. 0 .6 3 . 25: CMS- 78. 10. 12. 0. -Cirade IO-HHS-54. 5. 39. 2: IHS-44. 0. 50. 6; RIIS-63. 5.32, 0 . In other business, the board: -adopted the criteria and qualifications sought in a new superintendent, set the salary range, established the same process for in-district as out-of- district applicants: and established guidelines for the screening committee; -heard a report from Robert Armstrong of the Oster Professional Group. CPA’s, PC. o f a favorable audit for the district: -approved the first reading o f revisions to licensed personnel policies: -heard the 1998-99 misassignment report: no teachers were misassigned at A.C. Houghton, Columbia M iddle School and Heppner Elementary School; Heppner High School-karen Beck, two periods pre-integrated math. Juan Elguezabal, advanced conditioning, and Jason Just, one period physics; lone Schools-Duane Neiffer. two periods biology I. Jim Raible. one period each Spanish I and II. Dean Hunt, two periods PE. Dale Holland, one period PE. Steve Schaber. one period each weight training and Spanish. Robin Graff, one period weight training. Mark Bird, one period Spanish; Riverside High School- Tim Beatty, one period each chemistry and physics. Rick Danielson, two periods physical science. Mark Jones, one period PE: Sam Boardman Elementary - Brenda P ro fitt. fu ll misassignment in special education. -received a report on staff inserv ice attendance; -received a report on lack o f federal funding for buses to evacuate Boardman schools in the event o f an accident during the chemical agent disposal at the Um atilla Army Depot Stan- reported that he has written letters to Congress, called Washington. DC’ .. and contacted the producer o f the television show "60 Minutes" concerning the issue. Starr said that it was "unconscionable to have 900 kids 13 miles from the depot with absolutely no protection whatsoever " -heard a report that the Morrow County Unified Recreation District advisory vote, asking citizens whether MCURD funding should continue, passed by a large m ajority; -learned that a grant from IJ.S. West for video conferencing equipment was approved for Riverside High School: -adopted the budget calendar for the 1999-2000 budget; -approved resignations for Karen Talaski. CMS science teaching position: Carol Knudson. C MS. art teaching position: Paul Hibbard. C MS assistant boys' basketball coach; -approved request for maternity leave for Alm a Jane Ginther. December 10-January 31. from A.C. Houghton educational assistant position: -approved employ ment for Ron Brisbois. extra duty Heppner Junior High School head boys' basketball coach: Keelie Keown. extra duty contract transfer frorp Heppner High School assistant boys’ basketball coach to assistant girls' basketball coach: Poul Murtha-extra duty. CMS assistant boys' basketball coach: -appointed Julie Weikel to the Boardman-lrrigon Advisory Committee Position «2: -accepted a donation from Wal-Mart o f seven pallets ot popsicles valued at $3.066 to be given to students: -adopted a textbook. "The Visual Experience." for secondary art classes: -heard the follow ing announcements: Nov II- Veteran's Day holiday, no school; school w ill be held on Friday. Nov. 13; Nov. 16- parent-student-teacher conferences. 11 a.m to 8 p.m.. no school; Nov. 24-liccnsed negotiations, district office. 6 p.m.: Nov. 25-early school dismissal: Nov. 26 and 27 Thanksgiving holiday. no school: Nov. 30-licensed negotiations. RHS. 7 p.m.: Dec. 14-next regular meeting. CMS library. 7:30 p.m. Elementary kitchen vandalized The Heppner Elementary School kitchen was vandalized some time over the weekend, according to the police and school officials. Heppner E lementary Principal B ill Karwacki told the Morrow County School Board Monday night o f the incident, but added that the vandalism, which was discovered early Monday morning at the old ju n io r high school building, did not prevent the school staff from serving meals. In another incident Oct. 29. the hair salon. I lair I Am. owned by Leah Brosnan. was also vandalized and burglarized No school Monday There w ill be no school for Morrow County students on Monday, Nov 16. because o f p a re n t-s tu d e n t te a ch e r conferences Conferences w ill be held from 11 a m. to 8 p.m. Monday. School w ill, however, be held on Friday. Nov. 20 that week School w ill also be held this Friday. Nov. 13. because school was closed on Wednesday. Nov. I I , for the Veteran’s Day holiday. Parts and Labor 10% OFF starting Nov. 2 Good thru Feb. 28 (all work done in our shop) M orrow C ounty G rain G rowers Lexington 989-8221 • 1 -8 0 0 -4 5 2 -7 3 9 6 for farm equipment. wit our web site at www megg net
