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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2003)
Students make meetings fun; schedule changes possible This month's column is by Vernonia High School Prin cipal Mike Durbin, and Activities Director Patty Dick- ens-Turk. Grade Point Average by .5 or better. In addition, 34 had a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Ten others re Student presentations pro are required by the state (the ceived perfect attendance awards. Our students vided a much-appreciated relief state measures instructional consistently strive to improve. When given the opportunity to prepare an ar Another important influence in our school is *■ from the district financial crisis time in hours, not in days). By ticle for “Chalk Talk,” I knew I wanted to highlight at the Vernonia school board approving a new block sched the VHS Student Council and leadership class. kids and what great things they are accomplish meeting March 13th. Brittney ule, the district gains instruc Under the direction of Student Body President ing. There aren’t a whole lot of positives about Kerns introduced a preview of tional hours due to the reduc Heather Forster, students take part in and con education in Oregon out there right now, so I the sixth grade play “The Big tion in passing time between tribute to many charitable endeavors. This year wanted my focus to reflect on great things that alone, the students have raised $2,680.30 for Assignment.” Kerns, working classes. our kids are doing. I approached Ms. Patty Dick- with teachers Marilyn Peterson Juvenile Diabetes, Heather’s President’s Chal The proposed schedule ens-Turk, our Leadership/Activities Director, for lenge. Further, our students collected and donat and Cathy Ward, is writing and would have junior high and high details on this year’s key activities connected to ed over 1,000 pounds of food for the yearly food directing the play as part of her school students attend three leadership and Renaissance. I got quite an ear senior project. The perform 90-m inute classes, one 60- drive and collected 46 pints of blood at the ful. I then asked Ms. Dickens-Turk to prepare ance will be April 3 at Washing minute class and a 30-minute Blood Drive held in February information so that I could share it with you. ton Grade School. advisory period Monday Beside group efforts, individual stu What she wrote is exactly how I feel; there Amy Rombach, junior high through Thursday. That corre dents also stand out from the crowd. fore, I thought it would be best to share representative, told the board sponds to the current seven- Last year, nine students took the Basic the piece with you as it was presented that the eighth grade is having period day, which contains an Firefighter training through a partner to me. a plant sale to raise the $1200 equivalent number of instruc ship between VHS, the Vernonia Rural “Kids today are disrespectful, rude needed to fund their trip to Wild tional hours. A substantial dif Fire Protection District and the Mist- and slovenly. They do not care about their fu Waves in the spring. Orders ference is that Friday’s sched r Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection District. tures or their communities.” These may be state can be placed with any eighth- ule would release students at Of these students, five remain as volun ments many people believe, however, in my role grade student or by contacting approximately 1:30 p.m. The teers helping the community. This year another as teacher and activities director at Vernonia Kathy Fetch at WGS. Rombach remainder of the day would be ten students have enrolled in the program. Se High School for five years, I have witnessed just also told the board that over 40 K-12 staff common preparation nior Paul Orlando volunteers daily at the Senior the opposite. The majority of our students are students have turned out for time and district staff develop Center while two others donate time to Head polite and respectful. In addition, they strive to track this season and more are ment. Start. Likewise, senior Jake Brock, and a num achieve academically and greatly contribute to expected. ber of students and adults assisting him, held a Funderburg told the board the betterment of the local community and be High school students Torin benefit concert for Juvenile Diabetes, raising that, only by training and im yond. Tierney and Jason Hennessey proving staff perform ance, over another $1,000. Then, there are our stu The evidence of the students’ positive charac gave a report about the just could the district improve the dents like Rachael Bentsen who was in the top ter, achievements and volunteerism often re three for the scholarship award from the Daugh completed W ildlife Science quality of instruction. Staff de mains unmentioned or unnoticed. My purpose in class. The class took two field velopment time would be used ters of the American Revolution, and the four addressing the reading audience through this fo trips and spent a great deal of to improve academic perform members of last year’s Quiz Bowl team, which rum is to highlight several of the many accom time outside. They also made ance, train staff in best prac brought home the league first place trophy. plishments of Vernonia High Schools’ students. and placed two different types There are many more students like those men tices, create professional learn First, academic achievement is recognized of birdhouses, using GPS sit ing teams across the curricu tioned here, and I apologize to any individual I through the Renaissance Awards Program at the did not name. ing, along Webb Way and near lum, and create opportunities to end of each term. Since its inception in 1999, Vernonia Lake, and will contin fulfill the district’s guiding princi Although it is true that a few individuals do fit the number of students improving their GPA has ue to monitor them. Teacher ples and budget goals related the stereotype of the misbehaving or rebelling continued to rise. At the Renaissance Assembly teenager, at Vernonia High School, they are the Dennis DeWitt required class to accountability. Scheduling held on December 18, 2002, 79 high school stu participation in habitat restora athletic events on Friday or minority. The majority of our students are teen dents received recognition for improving their role-models of whom we all can be proud. tion work at Jackson Bottom Saturday would reduce both Slough, Tierney said, who missed instructional time and added that he thought he was substitute costs. Funderburg picking up garbage. stressed, however, that the VHS student public relations schedule is being proposed pri representative Sammy Purvee marily as a means of improving told the board that Leadership the quality of instruction, not as class presented an assembly in a money-saving device. an attempt to communicate the Adidas • Puma • Nike • Airwalk * Converse W ashington Grade School damage done by chewing to teacher llene Grady said that YOUTH BASEBALL/SOFTBALL SHOES bacco. Leadership is also pur WGS teachers were individual suing four projects, Purvee ly polled and that the proposal N IK E & A D ID A S said; development of a com- received 100 percent support. mons/lunch area for student $TC99 Revenue “Adjustment” starting at use; pursuit of a grant to devel The district has been in op a sports complex/track that would allow VHS to host track formed that excess timber rev YOUTH - ALL ON events; purchasing textbooks enue from prior years would all SPECIAL for junior literature classes and be deducted from this year’s Bats, Balls, Batting LARGE SELECTION development of a peer-coun revenue. In the past, similar corrections have occurred over seling program. OF BALL GLOVES Helmets and Protective • Coats IN STOCK! WILSON, a tw o-year period, m aking Equipment, Uniform • CUSTOM PATCHES RAWLINGS, Class Schedule budget adjustm ents easier. our specialty Undershirts Sliding MIZUNO, NIKE, The instructional calendar Funderburg will provide more LOUISVILLE, • ALL SCHOOLS! Shorts and More! proposed for the 2003-2004 information at the April m eet EASTON • INCREDIBLY FAST! school year includes early re ing, but he expressed the hope X77 E. Main starting at lease of students on Fridays. that, with m easures already Hillsboro “A TRUSTED NAME According to Superintendent taken and by using the contin SINCE 1946!” Mike Funderburg, Vernonia gency fund, the district will be M-F 10-6 SAT 10-4 JACKETS students receive many more able to finish the year without SO3.648.X541 W e e k d a y s 9 a m - 7 p m , S a tu r d a y 9 a m - 5 p m , S u n d a y 1 2 :3 0 - 5 p m hours of instructional time than cutting any more days. 2 0 1 6 Pacific Ave. • F o rest G ro ve • 5 0 3 -3 5 7 -5 1 2 0 SPRING IS HERE, SO IT’S TIME FOR BASEBALL & SOFTBALL! Great Deals on: LETTERMAN JACKETS FAST!! *19” FRYE’S » A T H L E TICS Lahaies.com
