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!
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proposed for the 2003-2004 information at the April m eet
EASTON
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school year includes early re ing, but he expressed the hope
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starting at
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“A TRUSTED NAME
According to Superintendent taken and by using the contin
SINCE 1946!”
Mike Funderburg, Vernonia gency fund, the district will be
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