KCSD & Me
December 2022 / Klamath County School District
IMPORTANT DATES
Dec. 6: Spanish FASFA/ORSA/OSAC Night, 6-9 p.m., Mazama High School
Dec. 19-Jan. 2: Winter break. No school.
Jan. 3: Classes resume.
MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
As we head into the last month of 2022, I want to thank our community and families for their support and hard work. It has not been an easy couple of years. But the tide is turning, and within our school communities we are seeing optimism and a return to normal. Our students are embracing academics and extracurriculars with enthusiasm. These past few months, I’ve had a chance to spend quality time in our schools and see students thrive.
Some highlights:
- Within our elementary classrooms, project-based and small group learning is fully under way, providing students with supplemental hands-on work and a chance to learn the material at their own pace. We anticipate this will help students who have learning loss from the pandemic as well as improve the overall academics of all students.
- The Lost River football team won the OSAA State Championship game, 43-0, against St. Paul Nov. 26, crowning the team the 1A 8-Player State Champs. Congratulations to all the players, coaches and supporters of these student-athletes!
- Klamath County School District will be hosting the 2023 Oregon State Robotics Championships for high school and middle school students on March 10 and 11 at Mazama High School. Eighty teams from around the state will travel to Klamath Falls for this two-day event. Our district has nearly 30 high school and middle school teams who will be competing for a spot at this year’s state tournament. Good luck to them all!
- Our community partners continue to support our schools and students. Last month, Chiloquin Junior/Senior High School students participated in a traditional salmon bake and powwow in honor of Native American Heritage Month. I want to thank the Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services Prevention Program, the Klamath Tribal Youth Council, Klamath Tribes Education & Employment Department, Chiloquin High School administrators, On Track OHSU!, FoodCorps staff, and staff from the Klamath County School District Office Title VI and Food Services.
Don’t forget to check your school’s website this month for information on winter programs and activities. We hope you enjoy time with family and friends as we close out the year and celebrate the holidays!
Warm wishes,
Glen Szymoniak
STATE CHAMPS! GO RAIDERS!
Congratulations to the Lost River Raider football team! The team won the 2022 OSAA 1A 8-Player State Championship trophy Nov. 26 in the finals against St. Paul, avenging their only loss this season by winning the championship game, 43-0.
The team was celebrated Nov. 29 with an assembly, slideshow, speeches, and parades through Malin and Merrill elementary schools. Team members walked the hallways lined with elementary students waving signs and cheering for their football heroes. See photos of the celebration here: Celebrating our State Champs or click on the link below.
It has been 18 years since the school last claimed a state football championship. Team members thanked their head coach Dennis Dunlea for coaching them to be good football players and great human beings.
Lost River Principal Angie Wallin said team members are not only talented football players but awesome students as well. “These guys get it done in the classroom, not just on the field. I am very proud of them.”
HAVE YOU TAKEN OUR SURVEY YET?
CELEBRATING NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE
SHOWCASING CULTURE AND TRADITION
The first-ever traditional salmon bake and powwow was a way to celebrate the Native culture within Chiloquin Junior/Senior High School’s student body and honor National Native American Heritage Month, said Will Hess, a Klamath Tribal member who works with students through the On Track OHSU! program. He organized the event with help from Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services Prevention Program, the Klamath Tribal Youth Council, Klamath Tribes Education & Employment Department, Chiloquin High School administrators, On Track OHSU!, FoodCorps staff, and staff from the Klamath County School District Office Title VI and Food Services.
“We wanted tribal students and staff to feel recognized and celebrated in a way that highlights and respects their culture, and also for all students and staff, native and non-native alike to come together and learn about the first foods of the Klamath Tribes and celebrate the rich history of the Klamath Tribes in the Klamath Basin,” Hess said. Read more
MUSIC, ICE CREAM, AND COMMUNITY
FFA STUDENTS COMPETE WELL AT STATE, NATIONAL LEVELS
VETERANS IN THE CLASSROOM
Members of the 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field visited with Ferguson Elementary School students Nov. 10, the day before Veterans Day. Students heard their stories and were able to ask questions. Tony Clark and John Walling visited with the fifth-grade classes, dressing two students in military clothing and gas masks as they discussed how the gear worked to protect active military members. Read more
LEARNING FROM A CHAMPION
KCSD ALERTS!
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Klamath County School District
Inspiring today's students to meet tomorrow's challenges!
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Email: kcsd_communications@kcsd.k12.or.us
Website: www.kcsd.k12.or.us
Location: 2845 Greensprings Drive, Klamath Falls, OR, USA
Phone: 541-883-5000