March 2024 Community Update
March 2024
Welcome to the latest edition of the NSSD Community Update! We're excited to connect with you, our community partners, and share the wonderful things happening within your school district! We are thrilled to see how many folks have been reading our updates and seek to keep expanding our reach. If you know someone who might enjoy learning about NSSD, please pass this along!
If you missed previous editions, you can find them below.
🏀🏀 Calling All Eagle Alumni Basketball Players! 🏀🏀
Are you ready to relive your glory days? Then it’s time to get your team together for the Alumni Basketball Tournament on April 20th and 21st!! Registration is due by April 6th, 2024. Email any questions to Cade Nau at cadenau777@gmail.com. The entry fee is $250 per team.
Juntos Comes to Stayton
Stayton Boosters/Ty Hart Fitness Center Update
There has been a lot of progress since last month. We have WALLS! Typically, these newsletters recount things that happened in the previous month. The walls started going up in March but we couldn't wait! Recently on the Booster's Facebook page, they gave shout-outs to Advanced Mobile Welding and Mike Adams Construction for their contributions to this latest development and so we join them in expressing our gratitude.
In addition, they honored Stayton Builder's Mart as well as Casey Dark and Emery and Sons Construction. Casey is one of the key people leading the Ty Hart Memorial Fitness Center project. He has taken ownership of the field entrance, sidewalk placement, ticket booth design, fitness equipment, and many other important decisions. Emery and Sons Construction continues to donate time and materials to all portions of the project. They've added a new video update, so check it out at Emery & Sons Construction Group. Stayton Builder's Mart donated all the foundation insulation and helped secure a huge discount on the metal siding, which saved around $25,000!
Call it "Eagle Country," call it "the village," call it "community spirit," no matter the name, it is a reminder that when we come together with open hearts and outstretched hands, there's no obstacle too great, no challenge too daunting, and no dream beyond our reach.
If you'd like to leave your mark on this amazing project, please contact staytonboosters@gmail.com. Go Eagles!
2024 Booster Auction Recap
Just when we think they can't top last year's event, they go and do it again! This year's event brought in over $311,000, which shatters all previous records. While a large portion will go toward completing the fitness center, the teams and clubs that donated or helped with the event will be rewarded with funds going directly to their programs. The Boosters will also use some of the proceeds to partner with the district to help pay for things like the PTNW athletic trainer, uniforms, equipment, facility upgrades, and scholarships.
Want to learn more about this amazing group and leave a lasting imprint on Stayton High School? If so, you are invited to attend their monthly meeting on the 3rd Wed. of every month in the SHS library at 7 pm. You can also visit their website or Facebook page.
Stayton City Council Honors Academic All-Stars
The Stayton City Council had a large turnout at one of their recent meetings. There was a special item on the agenda to acknowledge the hard work and determination of students from Stayton High School and Regis/St Mary's High School who achieved a 4.0 during the first semester. Pictured below are students from Stayton HS, posing with the mayor and council members and the certificates they received in honor of their hard work. Mayor Brian Quigley remarked, "It was a great opportunity to recognize local students for their dedication and commitment to excellence in education. It was very fun to interact with students, their families, and their teachers. They should all be proud of their achievements!“
We'd like to thank Mayor Quigley and the council members for taking the time to acknowledge these outstanding students! We value the deepening partnerships with our local city governments as we work together to build a brighter future.
Budget Season is Upon Us
Budget planning is in full swing right now. This means many, many meetings for our superintendent and business director as they consult with department directors and building leaders. Being fiscally conservative has long been a deep-rooted NSSD philosophy, and planning for needed possible contingencies has always been part of the budget making equation. Both past and present board and district leadership have placed us in a safe budget position.
That said, one question that seems to echo both internally and in the community is, "will there be cuts for NSSD like we hear about for other districts?" The short-term answer is no. While there are no plans to cut current staffing or programs for the coming year, we are keeping a watchful eye on enrollment numbers.
Student enrollment numbers are the basis for any public school district budget plan. The state uses a complicated revenue distribution formula that tracks the number of enrolled students in each district, the number of days those students are enrolled, and how many students are identified into categories of extra need. These include students in ESL programs (learning English as a 2nd language), Special Education, and those living in poverty, to name a few.
The state then calculates other factors such as teacher experience, transportation costs, and each district's local tax revenues to arrive at an "extended ADMw" which stands for weighted average daily membership or, in other words, the amount districts receive for each student. This amount varies per district, with the range being around $9,500-$10,200 per student. For the 2023-24 school year, the NSSD is receiving $9,893 for every student who is enrolled full-time from Sept. 2023 through June 2024.
Now let's get back to student enrollment and how it affects a district's general fund budget. When student enrollment fluctuates, up or down, that fluctuation is often spread across all 13 grade levels rather than one specific grade. If enrollment fluctuation was all at the same grade level, the school could simply adjust the number of dollars budgeted for that specific grade. In reality, the distribution is typically seen in small numbers over multiple grade levels, which makes the budgetary responses more challenging. Essentially, schools end up with less funding because there are fewer students without a decrease in the cost of actually operating schools or classrooms.
In the past two years, the overall NSSD student enrollment has been holding fairly steady. That said, in the same time period, we have been seeing lower-than-usual Kindergarten classes. This lower kindergarten enrollment aligns with the national birth rate decreases we have heard about for the last 5-8 years. It is too soon to know if these smaller kindergarten classes are isolated or the beginnings of a pattern, so we will continue to monitor this trend closely and plan accordingly.
Again for the 2024-25 school year and beyond, we feel confident we can remain steady at our current levels and focused our mission to continually improve student outcomes. In fact, we are adding two new positions to address the increased student behavior and social-emotional needs of our students in grades K-8. We plan to revisit this topic regularly (it's best digested in small bites!) so stay tuned for more articles.
Bio-Medical Sciences Pathways
We're excited to shine a spotlight on SHS’s Biomedical Sciences Pathway! SHS prioritizes Career Technical Education to help our kids prepare for their careers after school, and a star part of that is the Biomedical Sciences Program, which provides opportunities on par with those found in America’s most elite high school science programs. Our Biomedical pathway prepares students for a wide range of careers, including medicine, biological sciences, nursing, pharmacy, emergency medicine, forensics, bioengineering, imaging, and more.
Students have the opportunity to embark on their journey through our Biomedical Sciences Pathway in two exciting ways. They can start with our Health Occupations course, where they gain hands-on experience in nursing, forensics, EMT, dentistry, and sports medicine among other diverse career fields. Alternatively, students can explore the Principles of Biomedical Sciences course, immersing themselves in the world of medicine through forensic investigations before delving into advanced topics such as clinical medicine, genetics, emergency response system design, bioengineering, and space medicine. Subsequent courses like Human Body Systems, Medical Interventions, and Medical Terminology offer students further opportunities to delve into clinical applications of anatomy and physiology, design vaccines, and genetically engineer organisms, preparing them for success in college premedical and science courses as well as careers in medical research.
Our Health Occupations students are enthusiastic about their coursework, eagerly anticipating each new career module. Whether it's nursing, EMT, dentistry, or another field, our students are excited to learn and grow. The diligent educator leading our Biomedical program, Mr. Matt Jones, takes pride in the growing confidence of our students, emphasizing that there is something in Biomedicine for every student and that the program provides a strong foundation for competitive careers in medically related fields, while working to increase medical care access in rural communities like the Santiam Canyon.
Students also have the opportunity to participate in internships, shadowing medical professionals in our community. This spring you'll find our Biomedical students interning at Santiam Memorial Hospital, while students in the classroom engage in DNA fingerprinting, learn about anatomy and physiology, participate in dissections, and learn about genetic engineering, all while being able to earn college credit in a high school classroom.
In the near future, graduates of our Biomedical Sciences Pathway will be bringing their expertise and skills to communities across North Santiam. Congratulations to all involved for their outstanding work! To learn more about SHS’s Biomedical Sciences Pathway, please check out its page on our website.
Students practice taking each other's blood pressure.
Students demonstrate EMT skills with an inflatable splint.
Students practice drawing blood from a dummy arm.
Kizzy Starbuck & Darcie Hubert
After the smashing success of the Boosters auction, it was pretty obvious who should be honored in this issue. While the auction takes the efforts of MANY individuals, the co-chairs of the auction committee helped lead them to their biggest year ever!
NSSD staff and fellow Boosters refer to them as the "power duo of the century" and share they are eager to respond to requests and seem to have solutions to any problem or barrier that comes up. They note their support of Stayton High School goes well beyond the Booster auction and when they say, “We do it for the kids,” they mean it. They do not seek praise or attention and do not boast about their accomplishments. They serve with their hearts and give it their all. They have left a legacy of leadership and have blazed a path that will continue to benefit students of Stayton High School for years to come.
SHS Athletic Director, Darren Shryock, had this to say, "Two amazing women who work hours and hours helping give our kids the best of the best. I can't tell you how many times I've told them they've done enough and the response is always, 'We enjoy this; it is for the kids.' It is no coincidence that the Booster Auction this year set records. Every time Darcie and Kizzy are involved, it is going to be superb. We are so fortunate to have them both as Eagles. We are better because of them!"
STAYTON HIGH
Winter Sports Wrap-Up
Sophomore Leonardo Michel finished 3rd at the state wrestling meet at the 138 lb. weight class! The girls' basketball team advanced to the "Elite Eight", which meant a trip to the state championships. They lost a couple of heartbreakers and did not advance further but, this team is young and is expected to go far in the coming years. In fact, their new coach, Tal Wold, was voted the Oregon West Conference Coach of the Year! The cheerleading team placed 5th at state and we also have some late-breaking news regarding the Stayton Highlights - they just placed 5th at their state competition in the 1A-5A Pom Division! (not pictured)
Our Eagles excel in academics in addition to athletics. The following teams averaged GPA's of 3.5 and above during the season:
Boys' Swimming 3.82
Girls' Swimming 3.69
Girls' Basketball 3.66
Boys' Basketball 3.79 (#1 in the 4A division)
Eagles Trade in Blue & Gold for Red & Black
Building connections and a sense of belonging is integral to the work of SHS staff. The more engaged a student is in their school in terms of participation in co-curricular activities and development of meaningful relationships with staff and fellow students, the more successful they are. Recently, SHS Counselor Wendi Nyquist, organized what they call a "Connections Field Trip" to take 60+ kids to a Portland Trailblazer basketball game. The goal of these trips is to provide an opportunity for kids to engage with each other and staff outside the normal routine of a school day. They try to choose opportunities that some might never have a chance to experience, such as a ski trip or a professional basketball game. It seems pretty clear by the smiles that it was a success!
Beautification Committee
SHS is getting "beautified"! The new Beautification Committee is under the direction of Assistant Principals, Joe Traeger and Brad Emmert. They are freshening up walls, bringing school colors back to the hallways, and fostering school pride!
Collaborating with the wood shop and art classes, the group is working on hallway murals and wooden art installations. They're honoring student-lead SHS traditions by elevating spots like the "Pencil Wall"; formerly one-dimensional artwork that is now a wooden pencil sculpture that students can pat for good luck on upcoming tests. Future improvement ideas include a CTE hub, where the high school can spotlight all the Career and Technical Education happenings and opportunities. School spirit is putting a new shine on the high school! Great work, Eagles!
STAYTON INTERMEDIATE/MIDDLE
February was American Heart Month, a time when all people are encouraged to focus on their cardiovascular health. The Stayton Fire Department visited middle school students to bring awareness and intentionally address the heart disease epidemic and empower students with skills to intervene in case they are ever called to act. They showed students how to use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and demonstrated the proper techniques for CPR. Thank you, Stayton FD! These are lifelong skills that make everyone around them a little bit safer.
SIS 5th Graders Master the Ocean
... or at least a portion of it! 5th graders in Ms. Upchurch's class got a hands-on lesson in ocean salinity and how solids can dissolve into liquids with their Tiny Oceans class lesson. In pairs, they made observations and predictions, experimented, and recorded their results, putting the scientific method into action. With a curious mind and great teaching, simple supplies are transformed into excellent learning opportunities!
STAYTON ELEMENTARY
The favorite part of holding their meetings in schools for board members is the opportunity for student interaction. Ask a board member why they chose to run for office and they'll likely tell you it's because they wanted to have an impact on student outcomes. Having the chance to experience student growth and learning in-person, makes all the time and energy it takes to be on a school board worthwhile.
One highlight of the meeting included a video shared by Principal Wendy Moore of an amazing rap, created by two students, proclaiming their love for school! She was also joined by 1st-grade teachers Dodi Holm, Juliana Purnell, and Emerson Carl who explained a recent lesson on creative writing that included an author's study of Mo Willems (e.g. Elephant and Piggie, Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus). Students wrote and illustrated their own stories and four were even brave enough to come read them out loud at the meeting to the delight of everyone in the audience.
The Best Exercise for the Heart is Reaching Down to Lift Others Up
The American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge (formerly Jump Rope for Heart) is a service-learning program that educates students and families about heart-healthy habits while raising awareness and lifesaving funds for people with cardiovascular disease. PE teacher, Chuck Larimer, has made it his personal mission to embrace the program and inspire his students. He has been facilitating this event for 26 years (24 at SES + 2 in Mill City) and has helped his students raise a combined total of $130,648! Last year was his best ever at $14,152 but, this year's total of $10,219 is also impressive. Schools earn 10% back in US Games Certificates for free PE equipment so it's a WIN-WIN!
Chuck goes the extra mile to inspire his students to participate. If you've ever encountered a guy around town with a spiky mohawk or a striped head of hair, it was probably him. The class who brings in the most donations gets to choose his hairstyle that year. This undoubtedly contributes to the high level of participation and we are so thankful he (and his wife) are willing to "take one for the team"!
SUBLIMITY SCHOOL
Spirit Week Shenanigans!
And just for fun, we thought folks might enjoy these photos of students twinning with staff members during spirit week!
MARI-LINN
Every year, the Mari-Linn PTA challenges each class to compete against each other to raise money for the PTA fund. After many successful piggy bank raids and even more requests made to family and friends, the total raised this year was $1,545.65. This year's top collectors were:
1st place- 5th Grade with 17,467 points (Mrs. Martin)
2nd place- Kindergarten with 15,055 points (Ms. Rogers)
3rd place- 1st grade with 11,205 points (Mrs. Coblentz)
For their efforts, the classes got to choose from rewards such as a fieldtrip, art in the classroom, and a movie day. Big thanks to everyone who contributed to the cause!
One of the ways the PTA supports the school is to help fund fieldtrips. Ms. Carlile's sixth grade Language Arts Class recently went to see “The Lightning Thief” musical at the Oregon Children's Theatre in Portland. After the show, they toured Powell's Bookstore. Visiting an actual bookstore and leafing through pages is becoming a rare experience for many kids, and some were quite overwhelmed at the sight of so many books in one place. We are so thankful the Mari-Linn PTA has chosen to sponsor this experience for our students.
Check Out Our New Website!
Your feedback is important to us! We're working on smoothing out any bumps with the new site, so if you find something we're missing, please let us know with this form. If you have any pages from the old site bookmarked, you'll want to update the links.
Below are items or people the district is currently "ISO" (in search of).
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
- Administrative: Director of Special Services (Special Ed)
- Elementary Teaching Positions: Reading Specialist, 1st - 5th grades
- Middle School Teaching Positions: Language Arts, 6th Gr Science
- Licensed Positions: Behavior Specialist, Counselor
- District Office: Accounting/Benefits Specialist
- Classroom Assistant Positions: multiple positions
- High School Coaching Positions: Varsity Boys' Basketball Head Coach
To learn more about these positions and to Apply, click the link.
DONATION OPPORTUNITIES
- Mari-Linn 8th graders continue to collect bottles and cans for their Promotion After-Party. These (clean) items can be dropped off at the school between 7:00 am - 3:00 pm.
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Our fantastic schools are a reflection of our community. We sincerely appreciate all the community engagement, volunteers, and sponsors who make our district a great place to learn and we seek to build deeper relationships for the success of our students and the future of our communities.
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Contact Info
Phone: 503.769.6924
Address: 1155 N 3rd Ave, Stayton, OR 97383