EPSD9 Community Newsletter
2023 - 24 School Year, December
School Resumes on Tuesday January 2nd
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Eagle Point High School Pearl Harbor Performance
EPSD9 School Board, November Recognition of Staff and Students
Recognition Assembly Scheduled for December 15th
Emilee Erwin
We are delighted to recognize Emilee Erwin from Mrs. Chenoweth's 2nd grade class. Emilee consistently demonstrates our school expectations of being safe, respectful, and responsible. She has a commendable attendance record, her kindness and helpfulness to peers and teacher have not gone unnoticed. Additionally, she challenges herself to strive for excellence. She is a shining example for every 2nd grader.
Karsyn Crandell
HES is proud to recognize 4th-grade student Karsyn Crandell from Ms. Thronburg’s 4th-grade class for her strong work ethic, steadfast adherence to school expectations, thoughtfulness, and dedication to personal excellence. She consistently demonstrates traits of kindness and trustworthiness and is a leader in her class.
Sara Davis
HES would like to take a moment to recognize the exceptional contributions of our special education resource teacher, Sara Davis. Her unwavering commitment to supporting all students in making educational gains, combined with her remarkable empathy and competency in special education, have greatly enriched the learning experience for our diverse student body. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for her outstanding dedication
Sheila Fortman-Craun
HES wishes to express our heartfelt appreciation for the exceptional work of our Librarian, Sheila Fortman-Craun, in creating an active and enjoyable library experience. Her efforts have not only fostered a love of learning but have also inspired students to actively choose to visit the library in the mornings. If given the opportunity, many students would seize every chance to visit the library. Her dedication to education is truly commendable.
Annual EPSD9 Turkey Basket Giving Event!
Thank you, Main Street Coffee Shop and Little Butte Donuts
for donating Coffee and Donuts for the event!
Eagle Point High School Culinary Arts and Catering
Eagle Point High School's Culinary Arts and Catering program is buzzing with fresh excitement, and it's all thanks to a familiar face. Stacey Matthews has been the Kitchen Manager for Sodexo Food Services at EPHS for several years. While in the cafeteria, Mrs. Matthews built valuable relationships with many students and staff members. These connections have come in handy as she began the 2023-24 school year as the Culinary Arts and Catering Teacher at EPHS!
In Mrs. Matthews's new role, she oversees 200 kids, a drastic change from the nine adults she managed last year. When we asked her about the transition, she shared;
"This is advanced teaching, we are making everything from scratch, and there are many steps involved. I have to be very organized with lesson plans for all my classes. Initially, I was a little scared to come onto campus as a teacher, I wondered if I could do the job and what the kids would think of me in this position."
The students were very receptive to Mrs. Mathews in her new position and excited to be in her class. They enjoyed seeing someone familiar with a great foundation to teach from. The kids feel that Mrs. Matthews has made the class fun with her positive attitude and knowledge of food.
Mrs. Matthews loves to bake and learned from her grandmother and mother. When Mrs. Mathews was a student at EPHS, she participated in the culinary program and is ironically teaching in the same room!
When we asked Mrs. Matthews what she hopes the students gain from the culinary program, she said;
"I do not want these kids dependent or limited to DoorDash or a drive-through for food. I want them to learn how to prepare and enjoy a meal with confidence. I love seeing the kids get excited when they taste something they made, you can see the enjoyment and pride on their faces."
We also interviewed a couple of students from Mrs. Matthews's Culinary Arts III Class, and here is what they had to share;
"I enjoy the hands-on lessons and the teacher makes it fun for us. You actually want to be there, instead of reading how to put a recipe together, we get to walk through it in the kitchen and learn the process. It is not just boring bookwork." - Justin
"I learn better in this environment. At home, I have several sisters and the kitchen is always messy or in use. The kitchen here is all set up and clean and I know where things are. It's a practical space for me to learn in." - Mya
"Cooking creates pride and enjoyment. When you make something and it's tasty, you feel proud of what you made and want to share it with friends." - Angela
"I like that we're graded on the process and how well we understand the recipe, not just the final product. It takes time to get it down and perfect the taste." - Conner
"My favorite part about culinary is that it has helped me learn about myself and what I am capable of. It's been a self-esteem boost, If we are struggling with anything, Mrs. Mathews is right there to support us. When we run into a problem with the recipe and she helps us work through it, I love the instant gratification that follows." - Marley
"This class teaches you collaboration and teamwork. It helps you set up and establish the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. I like being able to take what I've learned and share it with my family and friends." - Karice
"Mrs. Mathews is my favorite teacher! I feel like she understands me and makes school enjoyable!" - Alex
"I love baking and hope other students want to learn like I have. This class is fun, and everyone should try it!" - Shyanne
For more information about the Culinary Arts program at EPHS, please visit www.eaglepnt.k12.or.us/EPHS
Fire Alarm Notice To EPSD9 Families and Community
Dear EPSD9 Community,
Recently, Eagle Point School District 9 has experienced a rash of false fire alarms, initiated by students intentionally pulling fire alarm pull-stations in our White City and Eagle Point schools. We have learned from students some of these incidents may be related to a social media challenge. These false alarms have resulted in the evacuation of school buildings (resulting in disruption of the learning environment), the dispatching of numerous fire engines, and law enforcement response.
Fire alarm calls tie up vital resources that are unable to respond to true emergencies until the alarm is determined to be false, resulting in a potential loss of life and/or property. In cooperation with the Eagle Point Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and the District Attorney’s Office, Jackson County Fire District 3’s Fire Marshal’s Office may be charging “Initiating a false report” against individuals who knowingly initiate a false alarm by activating a fire alarm pull-station when no fire emergency exists.
2022 Oregon Fire Code Section 401.5 “Making false report” reads:
A person shall not give, signal, or transmit a false alarm. See Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 162.375.
Oregon Revised Statute 162.375 “Initiating a false report” reads:
(1) A person commits the crime of initiating a false report if the person knowingly initiates a false alarm or report that is transmitted to a fire department, law enforcement agency or other organization that deals with emergencies involving danger to life or property.
(2) Initiating a false report is a Class A misdemeanor.
Please take a moment to talk with your students about the seriousness of this matter, as such events can cause emotional distress.
Please remind them when it is appropriate to activate a fire alarm pull-station: when smoke or fire is observed.
Thank you
Bus Driver Shortage & Route Consolidation
Notice to Eagle Point School District 9 & Community,
EPSD9 is unfortunately on the verge of having a critical shortage of bus drivers for home-to-school transportation, athletic events, and activities transportation of students. This not only impacts our students but is also very challenging for parents and school administrators.
As of now, there are six posted vacancies, and we're taking steps to mitigate the situation. One of the recent measures taken was the consolidation of one bus route, and we're evaluating two more routes for consolidation. We're doing everything we can to tackle this issue and ensure the safe transportation of students to and from school.
We have revamped our Bus Driver job postings to highlight the benefits of the bus driver position. This includes a hiring bonus of $1,000 and a yearly stipend of $3,500 (prorated to hours worked), a salary range of $17.60 to $25.02 per hour ($20.06 to $27.48 with the yearly stipend), health insurance benefits including Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance, District-paid PERS retirement system, wellness program, gym membership, and more.
Our transportation supervisor and both mechanics have been filling in as bus drivers on daily routes. However, when a bus driver calls in sick, we are unable to operate all routes, and our transportation department has to quickly reconfigure bus routes to ensure students can get to and from school. These route changes lead to modified pick-up and drop-off times for students and parents, often resulting in increased bus time for students. The current situation is not sustainable and is approaching a critical level.
The District is meeting with members of the EPEA Leadership team to discuss this shortage and what we can do to hire and retain more bus drivers, including increasing bus driver wages.
If you know of anyone who might be interested in supporting our efforts, please contact Human Resources at 541-830-1200 or visit www.eaglepnt.k12.or.us
Thank you
~EPSD9 Communications
Supporting Local Families and Local Connections
Toys for Tots and EPSD9
On November 25th, we helped fill an EPSD9 bus with TOYS! Our friends at Rogue Credit Union hosted the event at 1370 Center Drive Medford OR 97501. As people shopped, they remembered to grab something to donate and dropped it off! Thank you to EPSD9's Transportation Mechanic Dan G. and his spouse Rozie and the Two volunteers from Toys for Tots who helped fill the bus!
Toys for Tots
The U.S Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program was established in 1947 by Major Bill Hendricks and his wife. Major Hendricks and members of his Los Angeles Marine unit collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children in Los Angeles on Christmas Day in 1947. The seed had been planted and Toys for Tots was born. The following year the United States Marine Corps Reserve adopted the program and has been bringing a smile to kids' faces across the nation since.
To date, we have supported 18,474 children providing 68,287 toys. We support Ashland, Butte Falls, Central Point, Eagle Point, Gold Hill, Jacksonville, Medford, Phoenix, Rogue River, Shady Cove, Talent, Prospect, Ruch, Trail, White City, Wimer, and every child in between.
Eagle Point School District 9 Key Communicators
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.