November 2023 Community Update

Welcome to the first edition of the NSSD Community Update! We are seeking new ways to connect with our community partners who may not have a direct link to our schools and therefore might be missing out on all the wonderful things happening. We decided to start with a monthly newsletter that celebrates successes, recaps recent events and previews what's coming up. The highlights will vary monthly but some things readers can expect to see include spotlights on staff, school programs, board activities, volunteers and community partners. We hope this is the first step in building deeper relationships which leads to more community engagement in our schools and more student engagement in our communities!

NSSD recently received a grant from the Doris J Wipper Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation that was used to help give the Stayton Elementary School playground a "serious upgrade", in the words of one student! The woodchips have been replaced with rubber mulch, made from recycled tires, which provides a softer place to land. In fact, when the students were first introduced to it, they could regularly be found "accidentally on purpose" falling down to experience the cushy landing! Principal Wendy Moore remarked, "They love walking on it and say it feels like they are walking on a cloud. This has been on our wish list for a long time and we are so thankful to the Wipper Foundation for helping to make this happen."

Learning is tough work and kids need fuel to get it done! Since 1962, National School Lunch Week (NSLW), has been an annual observance to promote the importance of a healthy school lunch. In October alone, NSSD staff served over 22,100 lunches across the District! To celebrate NSLW, Supt. Loving and board members visited all five cafeterias and ate with students. The meals were delicious and nutritious, and the conversations were priceless. Board members pictured below: top left, Coral Ford & Mackenzie Strawn top right, Laura Wipper & Mackenzie Strawn bottom, Erin Cramer & Mike Wagner along with Supt. Loving

We’re excited to celebrate our Stayton Eagle athletes who have all earned All-State Academic honors. The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) recognizes outstanding academic performance and awards All-State Academic honors to teams who have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher! Congratulations to these students – their dedication on and off the field is truly remarkable, and we couldn't be prouder! If you wish to stay up to date on game dates and times, we recommend bookmarking the SHS page with OSAA. Sometimes game times are changed or postponed and OSAA has the most current info.

Our high school students aren't the only ones crushing it! Brandon Wagar, 8th grader at Stayton Middle School, took 1st place in the Boys Division of the 3,000 Meters Champions, with the top OVERALL time of 10:42.20 at the NW Middle School Cross Country Showdown! Stayton Middle School Boys Cross Country Team took 2nd place out of 15 teams from around the Pacific NW.

Middle School footballers have also also been on a roll! Coach Bryan King has lead his team through two undefeated seasons, first as 7th graders and then as 8th graders. These future Stayton Eagles will be bringing some serious heat at the high school level next year ~ we can't wait to watch them!

Sublimity students were visited by our local heroes from the Sublimity Fire District for Fire Prevention Month. Students learned how to "Get Low and Go" and other important lessons while also enjoying some snuggles with Probie and Barnaby! We are so blessed by the support and influence of our amazing community partners who are helping to shape our future citizens! If you'd like to see more photos, click on the title above.

It was a busy end of the month for Mari-Linn School! Students dressed up to show spirit, marched in their Red Ribbon Week Parade to promote healthy living and a drug-free life and ended the week with a fall carnival! This school truly is the hub of the Lyons community and we are thankful for their support that helped make these experiences so memorable for our students. Here are a few of our favorite photos but if you'd like to see more, click HERE to be directed to their Facebook page. You'll even be treated to some adorable Kindergarteners living it up at the pumpkin patch.

Around the world, Lions partner with medical professionals and community leaders to screen and identify those at risk for vision loss. Every year, the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation partner with our district nurses to offer vision screening at all our K-8 schools with help from the Stayton Lions and parent volunteers. This year they screened 1135 students and referred 194 for additional services.

In addition, Capital Dental screened over 250 students at Stayton schools (Mari-Linn is coming in Feb. '24). So far, they have provided free dental services such as sealants and temporary fillings that are equivalent to over $22,000! They also referred over 50 students for additional care.

Early detection is key for both vision and dental conditions and we thank our partners for helping our students achieve their highest potential!

John volunteers in so many ways its nearly impossible to capture them all! He started volunteering when his grandkids attended but stayed even after they moved out of state! He helps in classrooms and with book sales and fundraisers, even in the evenings and on weekends. He assists during Literacy Nights and has been known to jump into the Cheetah suit at a moment's notice! His jokes are legendary and his sense of humility and servanthood are inspiring. On any given day he can be seen making copies, painting with students, setting up tables, or even hanging curtains! Teacher Cameron Johnson remarked, "All of the students know him and love him so very much. He is always here for our school when we need him. He is a very happy, giving, caring, and hilarious force in our building." He hangs around so much, we even convinced him to be a substitute! It's people like John who raise our schools to the next level.

Interested in putting on your cape to volunteer? You can find information on our website under Quick Links on the homepage.

Lastly, we want to thank YOU, our amazing community! At the beginning of the school year we asked for donations to help put a FREE spirit shirt in the hands of every Stayton High School student, and our community showed up big time! A huge shout out to Stayton Sports and to EVERYONE who donated and supported this goal. This dream has been realized and school spirit flows high in the halls of SHS!

Below is quick preview of some of the things we plan to share with you from November. Also, the annual giving tree is about to launch at SHS. Many of you have helped in the past and it is so greatly appreciated! Please check the SHS Facebook page and website in the next few days for more details. Unwrapped gifts, gift cards or cash donations will be due at the school by Dec. 8th in order for them to deliver to recipients before the break.

• Ty Hart Fitness Center Ground Breaking Ceremony
• Stayton High School Theater Dept. production of Clue (happening Nov. 16-18 at 7:30 pm and Nov. 19 at 2:00 pm )
• Grandparents and Veterans Day Lunch Events
• School Spotlight: Options Academy
• "ISO" (In Search Of) Notices: we've been told by community members, "if we don't know what the district needs, we can't help!". We plan to start including requests for items needed, job postings and volunteer opportunities so stay tuned!

Did you enjoy this newsletter and wish to ensure you receive it monthly? If you received this directly in your inbox, you don't need to do anything. If you don't wish to receive future editions or if this was forwarded to you and you want to be added to the direct mailing list, please click the link below and make your selection. 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.

Do you have suggestions of things you'd like to hear about or other comments to share? Please email them to communications@nsantiam.k12.or.us

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Phone: 503.769.6924

Address: 1155 N 3rd Ave, Stayton, OR 97383

Email: communications@nsantiam.k12.or.us