FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 21,2003
Raising the Standards of Education
B> Wade Smith, Principal of Heppner Schools
In a tim e w hen schools across Oregon are slashing
days, cutting programs, and reducing educational standards,
Heppner Junior-Senior High School is doing just the opposite.
Not only are we "thinking” outside the box, we are "acting”
on our visions. From academ ics to athletics, the stalTand I
are raising the standards on our educational and athletic
program s. As we finish out this school year, 1 w ould like to
give our students, parents, and community members a glimpse
o f the direction we are heading and the undoubted success
we w ill all reap from our academ ic and athletic paradigm
shift that is already underway.
( )ne o f the key elements o f any successful educational
institution is the celebration o f success. O ver this academ ic
year we have m uch to rejoice in. From indiv idual academ ic
student accom plishm ents to musical achievem ents to team
competition v ictories, we all must applaud our students’ efforts
in their endeavors. Therefore, com e one com e all, w hether
y o u ’re a parent, grandparent, or com m unity m em ber, to
Heppner Junior/Senior High School’s first ever Community'
Celebration o f Excellence. Sponsored by the Heppner Site
Council, we are holding a free barbeque, awards cerem ony
and dessert on Tuesday, M ay 27 at 5:30pm. Com e and enjoy
a b u rg er or hot dog w hile ou r band perform s in the
background. There will be plenty o f classroom displays to
enjoy in our open house format. The awards cerem ony will
start at 7 p.m „ with dessert served at 8 p.m.
A nother upcom ing and exciting event is scheduled
for our athletic program this sum m er, the H eppner Youth
Sports Academy. Pioneered by our athletic department, this
program strives to provide sports instruction to the youth and
coaches in Heppner. This is an attem pt to create a low cost
cam p for our youth to hone skills and receive top-level
instruction. The goal is to accom plish this without having to
leave tow n and pay large sum s o f m o n ey for cam p
experiences. Heppner Youth Sports A cadem y serves a dual
purpose in that it allows the local coaches an opportunity to
observe top level instructors and clinics and question top level
instructors on teaching technique, gam e planning, practice
planning, and all other facets o f coaching. This is a no cost,
low im pact way for coaches to access these professionals
without packing up and leaving town. The academ y strives
to create a team w ork atm osphere am ongst coaches within
each program . A scope and sequence o f instruction that is
guided by top level coaches and owned by all coaches. Well-
trained connected coaches teaching com m on skills and
attitudes serve the best interests o f our youth. Heppner Youth
Sports Academy strives to provide instruction in the following
areas: Football, Basketball, Golf, Volleyball, Track, Softball
and Baseball. This summer we have a football camp scheduled
for June 11 -13, a basketball camp June 15-17, and a volleyball
cam p June 18-20. All cam ps will provide instruction for
Heppner athletes and coaches. Please contact the school for
more information and registration.
As the school year winds down, underclassmen have
been busy registering for next year’s classes. As many o f you
m ay have heard, we have m ade significant changes to the
curriculum offered at the junior high and high school levels.
Although we are reducing staff, with creative planning and a
new approach to how curriculum is delivered, we are vastly
expanding our academic offerings. One o f the biggest changes
is in our language arts program . In the past, and still
predominant amongst most schools across the state, students
w ere tracked into classes based solely on their grade o f
enrollm ent. Sim ply stated, an eighth grader was placed in
eighth grade language arts regardless if their abilities were
above eighth grade standards or below. N eedless to say,
especially as class sizes grow, it is difficult to expect significant
student achievem ent w hen there is such a discrepancy in
abilities. Instead o f tracking by grade level, w e are now
tracking by ability level. Thus, students in junior high that need
a slow er-paced class w ill be grouped together w ith other
students o f like ability. Sim ilarly, students that are able to
succeed at an accelerated pace will be placed in a class suited
more to their needs. We are doing this both at the junior high
and high school level. Determination o f student placement is
based objectively on four criteria: student achievem ent on
the state reading assessment, achievement on the state writing
assessm ent, their STAR reading score, and their current
academic accomplishments. For juniors and seniors who have
the skills and determ ination to take an accelerated path, we
are now offering an honors language arts class. The students
enrolled in the honors class will also receive college credit for
their hard work.
A nother vast change is taking place in the m ath
curriculum. Similar to past practice in the language arts field,
we have placed students in classes based prim arily on their
grade level not necessarily on ability. Like the language arts
form at, w e are now going to place students in classes that
Fossil C ru is e - In
S a tu rd a y , June 14th
fr o m 11 a .m . - 3 p
best m eet their needs to insure adequate learning and future
success as they progress through high school. At the high school
level students w ill find a vastly different approach to curriculum.
No longer are we presenting our mathematics in the integrated
approach that we have over the last seven years. As m any
school districts have discovered, this m ethod w as not as
successful as it w as prophesized to be. We are now going
back to the tried and true, successful approach o f the standard
pre algebra, algebra I, geom etry, algebra II, and calculus
curriculums. Like our ju n io r high m athematics, our schedule
matrix allows students to take the appropriate class based on
ability, not on their enrollment year. This will allow future high
school students w ho have strong m ath skills to finish w ith
calculus, rather than pre calculus or integrated III as our current
system precludes.
As our students enrolled this week, I was also pleased
to announce another offering for those who wish to challenge
themselves in the social sciences field Next year, we are offering
an honors social studies class to juniors and seniors up for the
challenge. As a college level class, students will receive college
credit for their hard w ork and achievem ent. It will be an
intensive reading, writing, and discussion based class that will
allow our students to take a deeper look into governm ent,
economics, and the study o f historical cultures and events.
Next to nursing, one o f the fastest growing professions
in the U nited States is exercise science. This is a broad field
that encom passes everyone from personal fitness trainers, to
team trainers, to physical therapists. We are now offering to
juniors and seniors who are willing, an introductory to exercise
science class. This class will cover topics such as sports nutrition,
biomechanics and kinesiology, ergogenic aids, injury treatment
and healing, and team psychology to name a few.
As our students work diligently in high school preparing
for their futures, many have plans to attend college. In the past
our counselor, Mrs. Hardman, has worked hard trying to give
our students as m uch help as she could w ithout having set
tim es w hen she could w ork w ith our seniors on their future
plans and preparation. N ext year, w e have set aside tw o
elective college counseling classes designed specifically for
seniors who are taking the college track. M uch more than just
a free period to work on college essays, this class will explore
college options; students will evaluate different colleges and
their benefits and drawbacks; there will be specific instruction
on financial aid such as loan, grant, and scholarship planning;
and students will receive the one-on-one attention and
appropriate tim e needed to plan their futures. I am expecting
that this class will both broaden the post high school “w orld
view s” o f our students w hile they explore colleges and
universities beyond w hat they thought possible, as well as
helping them and their fam ilies reap the benefits o f diligent
scholarship and application efforts.
For our students that m ay not be college bound, we
have a num ber o f different options for them to explore. O ur
technology and vocational program has im proved their
offerings. Next year we are offering an advanced metals class
to our students wishing to pursue or learn about the metals and
fabrication field. We are still offering a num ber o f technology
and construction manufacturing courses to meet our vocational
students’ needs. Similarly, we will continue to offer accounting
and business classes and com puter courses provided by our
business department. We are “going digital” next year with our
yearbook and jou rn alism classes. We have purchased the
equipm ent and softw are necessary for com prehensive page
layout using A dobe Prem ier0 and Photoshop0 coupled with
digital cam eras and scanners. Students will learn by doing as
they digitally edit photos and compose page layouts and graphic
design.
We will soon be mailing home your student’s proposed
class schedule for next year. Please take a look at the classes
they have chosen. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to
give the school a call. I am sure that you will find the courses
offered as comprehensive and thorough as they have ever been
at Heppner. It is an exciting tim e as we plan for the future o f
Heppner Junior/Senior High School and I am confident that
we are heading in a direction best suited to prepare our students
for life long learning and success.
The school year is
com ing to end for H eppner
and lone students. T he last
school day for seniors is May
30. The last school day for
the rest o f the students is
W ednesday, June 11.
H eppner
H ig h
School’s Spring Concert will
be held Thursday, M ay 22 in
the cafeteria at 7 p.m . The
Heppner Elementary School
Spring Music Program will be
held at 7 p.m ., on Thursday,
M ay 2 9 . A n 8 ,h G r a d e
Celebration will be held at the
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2nd & Main. Fossil • (541) 763-4175
T h e S h e n a n ig a n s
fid d le g ro u p fro m S o u th
M o rro w C o u n ty h a d th e
honor o f opening the d a y ’s
le g is la tiv e s e ss io n at th e
O reg o n
H ouse
of
R e p re s e n ta tiv e s th is p a st
Friday, M ay 16. They w ere
introduced by Representative
G reg Sm ith o f Heppner. The
g roup play ed tw o o f th eir
favorite tunes for the legislators
a n d re c e iv e d e n th u s ia stic
applause.
A f te r
th e ir
p e rfo rm a n c e , R ep. S m ith
visited w ith them and they
w ent on a tour o f the capital
building, w hich included a
climb to the top o f the rotunda.
They also sat in on part o f the
legislative session. D uring a
rec e ss o f th e se ssio n , the
fiddlers w here able to go up
to the podium at the front o f
the house cham ber and sit in
th e s p e a k e r ’s c h a ir a n d
practice holding the gavel.
T hey also enjoyed visiting
G overnor Ted K ulo n g o sk i’s
cerem onial office and took
turns sitting in his chair and
p o s in g fo r p ic tu r e s . T h e
g o v e rn o r h im s e lf w as not
available that day.
T h e S h e n a n ig a n s
group, w hich includes A lex
C a rlso n , K ara C lay, M att
H olland, Eric Jepsen, Kate
Kendrick and Brynna Rust, is
d ire c te d by Peg W illis o f
Pendleton.
S h e n a n ig a n s n e x t
local perform ance will be on
Friday, June 13 in H eppner
w h e n th e y d o th e f in a l
perform ance o f “ The Flood,
We R em em ber.” T his is a
p ro g ra m h ig h lig h tin g th e
history o f the H eppner Flood
w ith pictures, narration and
music.
Local son returns home on
USS Abraham Lincoln
P e tty O f f ic e r 2 n d
C lass G regory M acD onald,
son o f K athy R obinson o f
D ead w o o d an d R o b e rt
M a c D o n a ld o f H e p p n e r,
recently returned from a 10-
m o n th d e p lo y m e n t to the
W estern Pacific and A rabian
G u lf w hile assigned to the
aircraft carrier USS A braham
L in c o ln , h o m e p o r te d in
Everett, WA.
M acD onald w as one
o f m ore than 10,000 Pacific
Fleet S ailors and M arines
aboard the ships o f the USS
A b ra h a m L in co ln C a rrie r
Battle Group and USS Belleau
W ood A m p h ib io u s R eady
G roup w ho participated in
Operations Enduring Freedom
and Iraqi Freedom .
M a c D o n a l d ’s
s c h e d u le d
s ix - m o n th
deploym ent began in support
o f O p e r a tio n s E n d u r in g
Freedom and Southern Watch
in July 2002. A s the battle
group neared completion o f its
d e p lo y m e n t in D e c e m b e r
2 0 0 2 , th e U S S A b ra h a m
L incoln B attle G roup w as
recalled to duty in the Arabian
G u lf in support o f O peration
Iraqi Freedom .
M acD onald is a 1997
grad u ate o f N orth E ugene
H igh School o f E ugene and
joined the Navy in July 1998.
Yard of the Month
cafeteria on M ay 31, w ith a
dinner from 6-8 p.m ., and a
dance from 8-11 p.m.
H H S g rad u a tio n is
Saturday, June 7 at 2 p.m.
lo n e E le m e n ta r y
School will be having a Spring
Concert, Wednesday, M ay 21
at 6:30 p.m. There will be an
Open House at IES on Friday,
M ay 30, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, M ay 29 will be the 8th
G rade D inner starting at 5:30
p.m.
lo n e H ig h S c h o o l
Doris Atteberry (right) was awarded Yard of the Month
graduation is Friday, June 6 at
along with Terri and Jerry (left) Gentry, owners of the
7 p.m .
property at 315 Gale St. Atteberry is only the second
renter to ever be awarded Yard of the Month.
NEW STORE NOW OPEN IN PENDLETON!
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If you are not into custom cars,
we Have a great selection of
new pickups witk 0% financing
available up to 60 months!
See Biff for details
(Ends 6/2/03)
Representative Greg Smith (far left) with the Shenanigans: (back
row L-R) Matt Holland, Kate Kendrick, Eric Jepsen and Kara Clay;
(front row L-R): Brynna Rust and Alex Carlson.
End of the Year school calendar
Da you like aid cuitom care?
Head to Fossil on June 14 where
custom cars will be on display
at Wright Chevrolet
2nd & Main In Fossil
OR...
Shenanigans play for state legislature
S p e c ia lizin g In:
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Owners: Tim 9 t Nelda Coe
Community Celebration of
Excellence to be held at HHS
T h e H ep p n e r J r/S r
and H igh School A cadem ic
High School is presenting the
A w ards will be presented in
to w n w ith a C o m m u n ity
Celebration ofExcellence. The the gym.
event will be held Tuesday,
M ay 27, beginning at 5:30
p.m ., at the H eppner High
School.
Parents, children and
c o m m u n ity m e m b e rs are
in v ite d c o m e to th e free
barbecue and dessert. A lso
Heppner
during the tim e classroom
displays and student work will
G a ze tte -Tim e s
be available for all to see.
676-9228
From 7-8 p.m ., Junior High
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