EPSD9 Community Newsletter

Few numbers changed overnight from Tuesday's election in Jackson County, but backers of Eagle Point's school bond were feeling the impacts of the measure's apparent failure while maintaining their resolve to work with what they have.

The $58.2 million bond was losing by a margin of more than 41 points, according to the Jackson County Elections Office's latest preliminary count conducted at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Of the 5,996 votes cast in favor or against the measure — which sought to add high school and middle school classrooms across the district and improve safety, among other items — 4,245 voters — 70.8% —rejected the bond.

Matt Stone, chairman of the Eagle Point School Board, said Wednesday that board members were disappointed the bond did not pass, but they are resolute in their mission going forward.

"It doesn't change what we need to do each day with the school," Stone said. "We want to work to ensure that our students have the best experience in school as possible."

Stone was honest in his assessment of what a defeat of the bond would mean — that certain projects originally on the $58.2 million list would not be implemented. That includes the replacement of the K-5 structure at 95-year-old Shady Cove Elementary.

"It doesn't change any of those projects that we needed," Stone said. "It just means that our amazing staff and the maintenance department are going to have to keep working just as hard as they ever have to ensure that we maintain what we do have."

The updated preliminary numbers from Tuesday night showed that the leads in a handful of localized fire district levy renewals were holding. A combined 9,424 ballots have been received in the highly localized special election out of 33,663 eligible, bringing voter turnout as of Wednesday morning to 28 percent.

The Jackson County clerk has until Nov. 14 to collect valid postmarked ballots by mail; until Nov. 24 to resolve challenged ballots; and until Dec. 4 to certify election results.

The following results as of 8:30 p.m. are preliminary, and the final results are weeks away. The Jackson County Clerk's office has until Nov. 14 to collect valid postmarked ballots by mail; until Nov. 24 to resolve challenged ballots; and until Dec. 4 to certify election results.

Here are the unofficial numbers. Jackson County election officials:

Measure 15-221, Eagle Point School Bond — No: 70.80%; Yes: 29.20%

By NICK MORGAN and KEVIN OPSAHL Rogue Valley Times, Nov 8, 2023

The Agricultural Sciences curriculum at Eagle Point High School is one pathway in the Career Technical Education (CTE) curriculum. There are three distinct fields of education in the Ag program; Agricultural Mechanics, Plant Sciences, and Animal Sciences. The new Agricultural Sciences building, which has been mostly funded through donations and grants, includes two classrooms and a lab to expand the learning potential for students.

"The two new Agricultural Sciences classrooms and lab are incredible for teaching and learning, and the possibilities are exciting," says EPHS Ag teachers Laura Estes and Keegan Hertensen who moved into the space in early October.

Ms. Hertensen was not someone who grew up in an agricultural environment or had exposure to farm life. She was first introduced to Agricultural Sciences when she enrolled in an Ag class as a student. Ms. Hertensen's Ag teacher had such an impact on her that she wanted to be able to do the same for another. The class also allowed her to go to college, pursue a future, and be a better human.

Agriculture education is Mrs. Estes's passion, and she is dedicated to enhancing the agricultural knowledge and experiences of both traditional and non-traditional agriculture students.

"We want kids to believe in themselves. They can do hard things and sometimes they can't see that they can. When I was a student, people expected something out of me and I wanted to live up to that. Kids sometimes tend to have low expectations of themselves and I'm able to show them how they've already displayed that they can." " Says Mrs. Estes

So what does this new learning environment do for teachers and students? Ms. Hertensen's classroom has a vet-med lab learning space attached to it. In this lab, students are able to apply the Ag curriculum to the real world with hands-on scenarios. With these real-life lessons, students are able to understand and comprehend what they are learning, and everyone has a better experience.

Ms. Hertensen explains, "With learning, it's more than reading a book and thinking how this applies to real life, you actually get to do the action. It would be like taking a wood shop class without the shop or an auto class without the wrenches and cars. Many of our students learn best through hands-on practice and application, you learn best by doing."

In order to provide students with the skills they need to get a job post-high school, students need to be able to practice skills in the classroom before the worksite. If teachers are not able to show this, it's very challenging for students to succeed. What EPHS teachers are doing in this new building, is modeling industry standards.

Not only were the teachers eager to see the site, EPHS students were so excited to get into the new classroom, that they helped their teachers move into the new space!

After interviewing a few students about their perspectives on the new building, here is what they had to share.

Rick, a junior at EPHS is excited about the new Agricultural Sciences building because of the experiences that are possible for learning through hands-on lessons. "With the shoot and the arena on site, we can break down the lesson and learn in stages. I learn a lot better this way and so do many other students. You have to do it to learn it."

"The sky is the limit for us", says Ila, a Junior at EPHS. "Safety is a major factor with large animals. We have to have a safe environment for the animals and for us." The new Ag Building not only meets this safety need but also allows so many more possibilities. For example, whenever students had an off-site learning lesson, like Mr. Wolf's Ranch for Ultrasound, students had to obtain permission slips, shuttle busses, and plan an off-campus day, and unfortunately, several students missed out. Now with the new classroom setup, students can do that right at school and everyone can participate.

Cody, FFA Chapter President and EPHS Senior said, "The new building's arena is what FFA students need to practice for events and obtain experience. For several of them, the Jackson County Fair is the first time they are in an arena performing and it's a big learning curve." With the size of the arena in the new ag building, we can learn from each other and practice in a realistic setting.

EPSD9 is excited to see this program continue to grow and develop with new learning experiences. The Agricultural Sciences Program at Eagle Point High School is currently serving 216 EPHS students and 54 8th-grade students from EPSD9 middle schools. For more information about CTE and Ag Sciences, please visit the EPHS website at www.eaglepnt.k12.or.us/ephs

The play Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, is a unique style of live performance where the audience gets to be part of the show and even selects the next play performance. Since the audience chooses, the performers, host, and stage manager have no idea what's coming next. This style of performance leaves everyone scrambling, which produces a fun-filled evening full of laughter, emotions, creativity, and a bit of chaos.

Cora, Play Host, and Evelyn, Stage Manager, are both Seniors at Eagle Point High School and spoke to what theatre and this event mean to them.

As the Host, Cora's job is to influence and regulate the flow, interact with the audience, and determine the duration of each play. The play order is randomly chosen by the audience interacting with the Host. Once the next play is selected, the performance begins with Cora saying "Go" and ends with her saying "Curtains." It's a big responsibility!

Evelyn's role as the Stage Manager revolves around memorization and on-the-fly creative problem-solving. Unlike a regular play with set scene changes, Evelyn doesn't know what's coming next. Since the audience chooses, Evelyn has all the plays memorized so she can pull the information needed to set the scene off the top of her head.

Each play is very different, ranging from comedy to heartfelt drama, creating a completely different show each night and keeping everyone on their toes. The script is designed to be interpreted by the actor and creates an environment where off-the-cuff responses and hilarious surprises are easily produced.

Cora has participated in performing arts for most of her life and started with a choir before moving into theatre and acting. Cora auditioned for the play Alice and made the cut, since then, she's been all in and enjoys her time on stage. Through theatre, Cora has discovered that she is quite comfortable with public speaking and feels the ability to do so comes naturally.

"There is nothing like the feeling you get when all the lights are on you and the audience is cheering and clapping for you," Cora said.

Evelyn has been in theatre since Freshman year. She knew right from the start that acting wasn't for her, but stage production and management were a perfect fit.

"In order to produce a great show, you just have to roll with it, when things don't go as planned, you make it the new plan and just go with it," Evelyn said.

So if you are looking for a fun-filled evening and a great show, stop by the Eagle Point High School Cafeteria at 7 PM, November 16th - 18th.

www.eaglepnt.k12.or.us/ephs

EPHS Theatre Instagram

EPSD9 utilizes Remind for 2-way communication in our classrooms. Teachers can use Remind to reach students and parents on any device, including texting-only phones—no smartphones necessary. Remind is a free, safe messaging tool that keeps families up to date with what’s happening in the classroom. Teachers can send messages to an entire class, smaller groups, or individuals. These quick, simple messages can help you and your student stay informed.

To get started, ask your student's teacher for the Remind Class Code and text it to 81010 to join.

Eagle Point School District 9 App
The EPSD9 District App is designed for parents, students, employees, and community members. Stay up to date with District messages, headlines, calendar events, attendance, and more. Download the EPSD9 App to your phone, tablet, or smart device. Click the link below that matches your device.

Apple App Store or Google Play Store

What’s next for our school district? You can get the latest information (and voice your opinions) by adding your name to Superintendent Andy Kovach’s Key Communicator emailing list. It’s easy, just CLICK HERE.