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.
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