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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 2009)
The INDEPENDENT, November 5, 2009 Page 11 Chalk Talk Chalk Talk is a column of information about Vernonia schools. This column was provided by Superintendent Dr. Ken Cox. #9, Michell Maller and #8, Katy Wilson work on a return shot while #15, Bonnie Birkmaier waits for the next play during one of the first games of state volleyball playoffs on Satur- day, Oct. 31. Vernonia won in four games against Clatskanie, then lost against Neah-Ka-Nie on Nov. 2 in double overtime, ending their run at a state title. Halloween is now behind us and so is the bond election. I know I speak for the students, parents, teachers and administrators of the dis- trict when I say we are thrilled to see our commu- nity demonstrate its commitment to our schools, and its future. The passing of Bond Measure 5- 197 is a down payment on future generations of Vernonians. At a time when resources are tight, we appreciate that this is a major investment for our community. I want to express my personal appreciation to all of those who have shown such fantastic support for our schools in the past few months. Our children are our future and making sure they have the best education possi- ble is clearly a top priority for our entire commu- nity. Our work is far from over. Rebuilding Vernon- ia’s schools will need the investment of the State of Oregon, the federal government and gener- ous individuals, businesses and foundations from across our state and beyond. A group of community and business leaders from Vernonia and across the state have joined together to raise the resources needed to ensure comple- tion of Vernonia’s schools. This volunteer effort represents Oregon at its best – neighbors help- ing each other build a vibrant and sustainable fu- ture. Please let me know if you would like to join this next phase of our effort. Thirty years of research has shown that “School facility factors such as building age and condition…can affect student health, safety, sense of self, and psychological state.” This, in addition to getting our schools out of the flood Kiwanis seeks members for Vernonia The Kiwanis Club of St. He- lens is sponsoring a new Kiwa- nis Club in Vernonia. The club already has over 20 Vernonia people who have expressed their desire to become a Kiwan- ian. An organizational meeting is scheduled for Monday, No- vember 9, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Vernonia High School Li- brary, located in the modular units behind Washington Grade School. Five members are still need- ed to start a Kiwanis Club in Vernonia. The Club would like to wrap it up at this meeting, elect new officers and set out By-Laws. Kiwanis is a global organiza- tion of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child See Kiwanis on page 20 Coach explains team aspect of wrestling by Chris Barnes VHS Wrestling Coach Winter sports season is just around the corner for Vernonia High School. There is a group of select athletes, parents, and fans for whom winter sports season means WRESTLING, lots of wrestling. Vernonia has a very good wrestling program; second in the district the past two seasons and looking to move up a notch this season. There are four returning state qualifiers and many more re- turning district placers. Over the next four months you will be hearing about these kids and their accumulation of hardware (medals and trophies) as they work their way through the competition. See Wrestling on page 20 Mariolino’s Save Two Dollars Off Large Combo Pizza With this Coupon! Coupon expires 11-19-09 721 Madison Ave.,Vernonia • 503-429-5018 plain, is one of the many reasons we have worked so hard on our new schools design. Providing quality edu- cational facilities benefits not only our students but our entire community. There are many other things that impact how well a student learns. Some of them are the school environment, what is expected of a stu- dent at school and at home, and of course, teacher quality. The school-related factors, as I mentioned above, are in one way or another my responsibility. I am fortunate to have a great deal of help in the form of quality administrators who lead excellent teachers and helpful support staff to provide the best possible education for our children. One of the biggest challenges of my job is getting everyone in the district to work together to look for ways in which we can improve, recog- nizing that we can impact only some of these factors. It is only by reaching out to you as par- ents and community members, and working to- gether, that we can have the greatest chance of improving the future of our children. This fall we are conducting our parent teacher conferences on a slightly different schedule due to the days that have been cut from the calendar. They will be held the evening of November 5 and the morning of November 6, and we invite you to come and meet with your children’s teacher(s) and discuss how they are doing at school. Please contact your child’s building for more de- tails. Please keep checking on the district website for more information on what’s happening next with the new schools. TIRE RECYCLING Sat. Nov. 21 st 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. Nov. 22 nd 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Jim’s Thriftway 660 So. Main, Banks Regular sized tires ....................... $3.00 Tires w/wheels .............................. $5.00 Tractor & Semi Tires (35” or less) $6.00 Car Batteries ................................. $1.00 If you have 20 or more tires, call 503-572-8728 or 503-992-7572 by Nov 18 th & we will pick up Proceeds to Benefit Banks Christian Academy Students’ Washington DC Trip 2010 FYI-The local landfill/dump charges appox. $10.00 per tire 21” or less