It is Classified Staff Appreciation Week and we are so grateful for our amazing Classified Educators (watch a tribute here). Over the last two years, we have seen them truly act with courageous leadership to hold students at the center and bring our shared vision to life. This week we celebrate our staff who have stepped up to the plate by playing many roles and going above and beyond to ensure quality student learning. One custodian, for example, finished up his shift cleaning a school and drove across town to clean another school, covering for a custodian who was out. Or our office staff, who not only keep schools running, but have taken on contact tracing, playing a key role to keep staff and students safe. Mr. Rodgers said when times are tough “...look for the helpers.” Thank you to our helpers who show up day after day welcoming the hard work of their roles and leading with integrity, honesty, empathy, kindness, humility, and joy. Join me in thanking our amazing classified educators this week and every week!

We are thrilled to announce Summer Experience is back for a second year at the Medford School District. This is an opportunity to engage our students in hands-on, minds-on, anytime, anywhere learning! We are looking to fill a number of positions this summer and need your help. The more staff members working Summer Experience, the more students we can serve! The application is officially open and you can apply here.

This is a great opportunity to try a new position or try something creative in the classroom. Plus, we are offering high compensation, including curriculum rate for teachers, and significant prep hours. Similar to last year, sessions will run Monday through Thursday (no Fridays!) from 8-noon. There are three sessions:

• Session 1: Tuesday, June 21 - Thursday, July 7

• Not in session on June 20 or July 4 for holidays

• Session 2: Monday, July 11 - Thursday July 28

• Session 3: Monday, August 1- Thursday, August 11

If you have any questions, please email our summer experience team at: summer.experience@medford.k12.or.us. Know someone who might want to apply? Share our recruitment flier!

On March 14, we are moving to optional masking. We get to see our students’ smiles again! In addition to optional masking, OHA/ODE is pausing contact tracing. (According to OHA, the decision to pause contact tracing and quarantine is based in science and acknowledges that these practices now have very limited if any impact on the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities.) We will notify classrooms in the event of a case, but no quarantine is required. Students or staff who have COVID-19 must isolate for five days. Of course, you can still choose to wear a mask. Please help in promoting care and kindness for ALL choices, masks or no masks. Our next On the Record is March 30 at 4:00 PM. You can find details on our On the Record Website. Early questions can be submitted on this form.

As you may know, we launched our Story of a Student project earlier this year. The project aims to collaboratively create a guiding document (see our Leadership Definition for an example) that, while aspirational in nature, guides our work to help students achieve their potential and own their present and future! You’ll remember we sent out a survey to staff, students, and families asking: At the end of your time in school and during your school years, what qualities, characteristics, and skills do you hope to possess? Who do you hope to be? Check out our Top 30 Attributes, which we will discuss with our Design Team (committee of staff, students, and families) in the upcoming month. We will rollout a draft document to staff for feedback later this spring! For questions on Story of a Student, contact Communications and Community Engagement Director Natalie Hurd.

Our Attendance Zoning committee (made up of staff and families) is hard at work on new boundaries for the 2023-24 school year when Oakdale Middle School opens. We will be presenting several scenario proposals to the community in April with the Board of Directors slated to vote in late May or early June. More details on when you can weigh in coming soon. Keep an eye on our AZ website for updates.

Keep an eye out for the Regional Climate Survey! Southern Oregon Regional Educator Network (SOREN) partnered with teachers, union reps, school administrators, and Panorama Education to survey school staff in Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath Counties to get a barometer on how educators are feeling after two very unique school years. Your participation is invitational and completely confidential, which means that no one in your district will ever see your individual responses. The results of this survey will help the SOREN Advisory Team and school districts better understand experiences of educators in our region so they can celebrate strengths and identify opportunities for the system to improve. We will also be sending out the MSD’s Work Well survey in May as a tool for us to learn how we can better support our staff.

Asante and Providence are looking for community members to take their Health Needs Assessment survey. The survey helps inform hospitals what the community's most pressing needs are. The results from the survey will help hospitals provide those needed services and determine which community-based organizations to donate to. You can fill out the survey here.