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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 2001)
The INDEPENDENT, September 19, 2001 Page 9 Vernonia School Board emphasizes improved communications The Vernonia School District Board of Directors approved continued operation of the Mist School, board goals and work ing agreements, and adopted a resolution in favor of the school bond at their September 13 meeting. The board also heard reports from the superintendent and building principals. Superintendent Larry Mc Clellan presented the board with an operational cost analy sis for Mist School. In making the analysis he assumed that operations would continue at the present level and did not in clude the cost of any capitol im provement. Given these as sumptions, the school actually receives slightly more money from the state to operate the Mist School than is budgeted for ts operation. McClellan said that the school also offered an important educational option for elementary students. McClel lan also recommended that the district hire an engineering re view of the facility. The board approved modification of the Long Range Facilities Plan to recommend retiring Lincoln El ementary School, only, and maintaining Mist as an active school site. The board approved agree ments that include job descrip tions for board members, how they operate during meetings, and how the board and super intendent communicate with each othel*. The agreement also requires all members to cast votes on issues requiring a vote, except when there is a conflict of interest. Additional provisions require annual plan ning and evaluation, orientation of new members, and the role of the board chairman. The board established goals for the 2001-2002 school year to support a belief that each student needs to experience success. According to the goal statement, success should be demonstrated in concrete ways and in manners that place each student in a “winner’s circle.” The board selected five goals in the areas of (1) community communication, (2) student safety, (3) district communica tion, (4) instruction/curriculum program, and (5) a secure learning environment. Improving communications and relations between the com munity and the district received particular emphasis. The board has contracted with OSBA (Oregon School Boards Associ ation) for a communications au dit that will study how people currently receive information about the schools. When the results are received the board will develop a plan of action. The board has already start ed a project to develop a net work of “key communicators.” Key communicators are opinion leaders in the community whose views are respected by others. The district has identi fied a number of people and in vited them to a meeting to ex plain the program. Key commu nicators will help correct misin formation and disseminate ac curate information. They will also keep school officials in formed of misperceptions and inaccuracies before they are widely spread. Anyone with an interest in becoming a key communicator should contact the district office. Two additional activities were added to the community communications goal at the board meeting. The board agreed that each board mem ber should attend at least one activity, classroom or program every month. In addition, every month one board member will report on a program, classroom or activity that they have re searched and visited. The pro Country Kitchen & Pizza BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER Soup & Salad Bar • Pies & Pastries “SOFT SERVE” CONES & SHAKES Home of the Paul Bunyan Burger Across from High School OPEN 7 AM - 8 PM Orders To Go 503-429-6523 DELIVERY AVAILABLE gram a board member re searches should be one that they would not normally attend. Board responsibility for the student safety goal is to provide safe, adequate buildings for all students. Activities supporting this goal will include presenta tion of the bond measure to the public and design of a new fa cility. The superintendent will im plement the Teach to the Fu ture program, review the Voca tional-Technical program, con tinue implementation of the Certificate of Initial Mastery and begin steps to implement the Certificate of Advanced Mas Tami McDonald has trained the staff in the Second Step Pro gram that will be used for char acter education this year, and K - 3 teachers have received training in the Open Court read ing program. The theme chosen by the VHS Leadership class for 2001-2002 is RESPECT. Prin cipal Mike Durbin reported that the theme reflects a direction that will build a more positive, respectful and courteous cli mate in the school. Durbin also noted improvements carried out by Vernonia Youth Corp and the Youth Transition Pro gram at Greenman Field. High cally to provide sound, safe and attractive buildings for our stu dents, and praised the efforts of local volunteers to improve our schools, like those who con structed the steps at Lincoln. During the recently added audience comment time at the end of the meeting, Mist resi dent Tom Jones thanked the board and the superintendent for their response to communi ty feeling and their decision to keep the Mist school in opera tion. Jones, who has attended several board meetings in the last year, also said that he was impressed with the direction the board is going. One of late summer’s last days was enjoyed by a Deer Island family who prefer the tran quility of Vernonia Lake to the busier - and noisier - Columbia River beaches. tery in support of the board’s goal to strengthen, improve and expand the instruction/cur riculum. The board’s final goal is to provide a nurturing and emo tionally secure learning envi ronment for all students. Stu dent counseling and manage ment programs will be re viewed and modified as need ed, as will the school and dis trict improvement plans, to sup port this goal. Kirk Sherrill, Washington Grade School principal, report ed that the staff is very excited about spending the “Run for the Arts" money raised this spring to enhance art programs in the school. He also reported that school athletics involves nearly 90 members of the student body in football, volleyball, cross country and cheerlead ing. Superintendent Larry Mc Clellan shared with the board a letter he received from DeLoris Webb regarding the current run-down state of the school’s buildings and grounds. In his response to Webb’s letter Mc Clellan said these were con cerns that he and the board shared, but that limited re sources are focused on main taining small class size and providing support for classroom teachers. He also said that the bond election is an opportunity for the community to decide lo Vernonia School District Upcoming Events September 19 - Vernonia High School Open House September 25 - Lincoln Grade School Open House September 26 - Washington Grade School Open House October 3 - Mist Grade School Open House October 15-19 - Homecom ing Week October 24 - Certificate of Initial Mastery Recognition Night
