Corbett School District Newsletter
November 2024
Corbett SD Calendar Dates to Remember
- November 02 - Corbett Hosts 2nd Round State Volleyball
- November 06 - GS & CAPS Picture retake day
- November 11 - NO SCHOOL-Veteran's Day Observed
- November 11 - Veteran's Day Breakfast
- November 14 - Fall Instrumental Concert
- November 15 - Friday School Day
- November 12-15 -HS Winter Training Camp
- November 15-17, 22-23 - CPAC Performs Clue
- November 18 - HS Winter Athletics Begin
- November 20 - SBHM Parent/Community Workshop
- November 20 - School Board Meeting
- November 21 - End of Trimester 1
- November 25-29 - NO SCHOOL-Thanksgiving Break
Multicultural Calendar
November marks National Native American Heritage Month which honors the cultures, traditions, and histories of all Native people living in the United States. Movember, a month-long fundraiser that aims to raise awareness for men’s issues such as suicide and prostate and testicular cancer.
October 31 – Nov 1 – Diwali
This Festival of Lights in the Hindu faith is a time when different deities are praised. It symbolizes the fight for good over evil.
November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
Remember those lost due to violence or murder because of transphobia on this annual remembrance.
November 29 – Native American Heritage Day
Take time to pay respects to Native Americans who have contributed so much to American history. This day also encourages schools to increase their understanding of Native American history.
Video Message from Superintendent Dr. Derek Fialkiewicz
Big News
Corbett High School named to Advanced Placement School Honor Roll
Congratulations to Corbett High School which has been named to the 2024 AP School Honor Roll! Corbett is a Platinum member of the Honor Roll! Corbett had 100% of seniors who took at least one AP Exam during high school, 65% of seniors scoring a three or higher on at least one AP Exam, and 76% of seniors who took five or more AP Exams!
The 2024 AP School Honor Roll also recognizes Corbett High School as providing all students the chance to participate in AP, including students of underrepresented populations.
Corbett has been recognized for student success in Advanced Placement program while broadening access.
Corbett, Oregon - College Board announced that Corbett High School has been named to the 2024 Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) School Honor Roll, earning Platinum distinction.
The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness.
Corbett had 100% of seniors who took at least one AP Exam during high school, 65% of seniors scoring a three or higher on at least one AP Exam, and 76% of seniors who took five or more AP Exams.
In addition, Corbett was recognized by College Board with the AP Access Award for providing all students with the opportunity to participate in AP courses.
Corbett offers over twenty AP courses, from AP Art History to AP Spanish, including the prestigious Capstone Diploma program which requires students to take AP Seminar, AP Research, and at least four AP courses.
“We believe that all students deserve access to high quality curriculum and instruction, and many of our courses are co-seated with students participating in either AP or high school level assessments. All students are financially supported in accessing the AP exams.” Shared by Principal Kathy Childress.
“AP gives students an opportunity to engage with college-level work, to earn college credit and placement, and to potentially boost their grade point averages,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program for College Board. “The schools that have earned this distinction are proof that it is possible to expand access to these college-level courses and still drive strong performance – they represent the best of AP.”
Corbett to Host 2nd Round of State Volleyball
Corbett Volleyball has advanced to the 16-team 3A State Championship bracket! Corbett will host the 2nd round of playoffs on Saturday at 5:30 in The Nest! Link to 3A State Championship bracket: https://www.osaa.org/activities/vbl
Saturday, November 2nd
Corbett Cardinals vs Scio Loggers
5:30 pm
Corbett HS Gym (The Nest)
OSAA sets ticket prices for all state events, and all spectators must purchase a ticket to attend. Even students with ASB stickers must purchase a ticket.
Adults: $10 Students: $6
Please save time at the gate and purchase your digital ticket(s) now!
Go here: https://www.osaa.org/shop/tickets
Volleyball> 3A> Nov. 2 Corbett vs Scio
B & b Pizza Co. is sponsoring pizza for our student section! Let's pack The Nest and cheer our Cardinals on to victory! Student section theme- Demo Zone (Neon /Construction)
Go Cards!
Regular School Board Meeting
- This meeting will be offered hybrid: in person and via Zoom.
- The meeting agenda including the Zoom link will be posted here 3 days prior to the meeting: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/1554
- Everyone is welcome, and each meeting includes time for public comment. The agenda will provide instructions for public comment.
- 2024-25 School Board Members: Todd Mickalson - Board Chair; Leah Fredericks - Board Vice Chair, Bob Buttke, David Granberg, Dylan Rickert, Ben Byers, Todd Redfern.
- Link to CSD School Board Page: https://corbett.k12.or.us/school-board/
Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024, 07:00 PM
36039 Historic Columbia River Hwy, Corbett, OR 97019, USA
Athletics News
High School Winter Athletics Begin Monday November 18
Please register prior to the first day of practice
To Register visit CSD website at https://corbett.k12.or.us/
and go to the ATHLETICS tab> Register for High School Athletics here.
Or you can scan the QR code to register
First time users tutorial: My School Bucks Online Payments
Pay for High School Athletics online with MySchoolBucks!
Easily pay online for student fees! Create your free MySchoolBucks account to conveniently and securely pay. You’ll be able to quickly browse school items in our School Store, be notified when fees are due, and make payments from anywhere!
Get Started Today:
Go to myschoolbucks.com or download the mobile app MYSCHOOLBUCKS.
Create your free account, Choose Corbett SD39 and add your students using their name and DOB.
Add optional school Product: High School Athletics Registration and Payment Form
Check out using your credit / debit card or electronic check.
We appreciate you using this online option as a way to help reduce the amount of physical cash and checks that our staff would need to handle for these school fees.
If you need assistance with your account, you can find helpful how-to videos and answers to commonly asked questions by visiting myschoolbucks.com. Or, you can contact MySchoolBucks directly by logging into your account to start a chat conversation or give them a call at (855) 832-5226.
Have questions about winter athletics???
- Girls Basketball Head Coach Bill Schimel: bschimel@corbett.k12.or.us
- Boys Basketball Head Coach: Eric Windust: ewindust@corbett.k12.or.us
- Wrestling Head Coach: David VanHorn: dvanhorn@corbett.k12.or.us
- Swimming Head Coach Jeremy Schmidt: jschmidt@corbett.k12.or.us
- Equestrian Head Coach Amanda Tackett: corbetthorses@gmail.com
Boys Basketball Fundraiser Camp
Fall Athletics End of Season Wrap up!
MS XC
Every season I am impressed by the ambition and dedication of our Middle School Cross Country runners. They start workouts for the season before the school year even begins, they train four days a week, and then compete on the weekends. At meets they run a 3K (or more), frequently going up against some of the best runners in the region. And all of that without a track or trail on campus! Some runners were returning for their third season, some were running competitively for the first time–but the entire team finished off the season with a sub-20 minute time! Highlights from this season included: multiple podium placements by Claire Horton; Afton Andrews (6th) and Claire Horton (7th) setting the fastest time ever recorded by a Corbett XC runner for their respective grades/genders; and Top 10 record times being set by Claire Johnson (7th), Ian White (7th), and Ellen Ciecko (8th). And the best highlight of all ~ getting to spend the season with this awesome group of student athletes! Well done, Cardinals–Run Like the East Wind!
~Coach White
MS Girls Soccer is excited for the future!
The team had a great win-loss record and they enjoyed their share of big victories and emotional defeats. In the end, the measures of success are not the teams wins, but rather the wins come in the form of the friendships, lessons and maturing that were a result of effort, commitment to the team and dedication to personally better. As coaches, we are fortunate to have been a part of this .A special thank you to assistant coach Chelsea Blakeley who shared her time and enthusiasm for teaching soccer and coaching young women this season. The success of this team was greatly impacted by her time and dedication to this team. And a big shoutout to the 16 dedicated athletes, parents and fans that helped make this season special! The standard of excellence for Corbett Middle School Girls Soccer is at a new height.
As I look back, I can’t help but also look forward to fall 2025. I am excited to see how these athletes embrace the standard of excellence for Corbett Middle School and Corbett High School soccer next year!
~Coach Brie
MS Boys Soccer: Houck All - Star Soccer team vs. HS JV Soccer team annual game
It was a great game with lots of promising talent showing up ready to play! The Houck All - Stars are going to be a force next year as incoming Freshman. JV won by one goal… final score 2-1. Carlo an 8th grader at CAPS scored one goal, while Freshman Eli and Joel each scored goals. It was such a fun game to watch!
HS Cross Country
Our season isn’t over yet, but Corbett’s 2024 Cross Country season has already been a resounding success. Our team has been led by captains Flynn Parrish and Thatcher Peterson as well as seniors Natalie Matias, Logan Auble, Matthew Caulfield, Caiden McHenry and Bryce Plummer, each of whom have embodied our XC values of Passion, Purpose and Perseverance.
Some of the highlights of this season include:
Our athletes have earned 77 Season or Personal Records (and counting).
Our women’s varsity team is ranked in the top 25% of schools within our classification.
Four of our current runners rank in the top 10 all-time Corbett runners for whom we have records. These are:
Logan Matias is Corbett’s 4th fastest man.
Vivienne Duvall ranks 6th among all Corbett women.
Zevi Gross places 7th among all Corbett men.
Elaia Pastor is Corbett’s 9th fastest woman.
From Ultimook (with the mud pit and river crossings) to the Catlin Gable (with the never-ending hills) to our 2nd Annual Corbett Zombie Relay (with costumes and zombies), our athletes have grown as people and as athletes. We are losing a strong group of seniors, and we have the foundation for exceptional teams to come.
~Coach Rondema
District Wide News
Corbett Performing Arts Club presents CLUE
Corbett Performing Arts Club (CPAC) is proud to present its upcoming production of “CLUE!”. Based on the beloved classic board game and the 1985 hit movie, Clue follows all your favorite characters, from Professor Plum to Mrs. Peacock, as an unusual dinner party descends into deception, blackmail, and comedy. Join us in this race to discover WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT in this murder mystery.
YOU in the MPB with a TICKET!
Co-directed by Beck Knight, Francis Moseley, Arin Spencer-Sherman, and Katherine Zieman! Come and support this talented group of Corbett actors and techs for what promises to be an uproariously fun show full of mystery, comedy, and laughter. Be our guest, as we’re dying to host you.
CLUE performs over two weekends: November 15, 16, 22, and 23 at 7pm; November 16 and 23 at 1pm; and November 17 at 3pm. All performances will be in the Corbett Multi-Purpose Building (MPB) located on the Corbett Main Campus (35800 E. Hist. Col. Riv. Hwy, Corbett, OR).
Advance reservations can be made online using this form https://forms.gle/QBLGf6eqCzAfkLhh8 or via email at cpac14info@gmail.com. Senior and student rates available!
Corbett Performing Arts Club was founded in 2013 by local Corbett director Katherine Zieman and Corbett school teacher Carrie Church in collaboration with Corbett students interested in theater arts. Over the years, CPAC has produced a variety of student and community productions including Anything Goes, Honk!, Into the Woods, Shrek, Frog & Toad, Steel Magnolias, Godspell, Newsies!, Spamalot, Little Shop of Horrors, The Importance of Being Earnest, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
MAKING HEADLINES
The Corbett Music Department is proud to present our Fall Instrumental Concert
The Middle School Strings and Middle School Band, along with the High School Strings, Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, will perform in the High School Main Gym on Thursday, November 14th at 7:00pm. The musician's call time is 6:30pm. We should be done cleaning up around 8:15pm (if everyone helps out).
Any business owners wishing to advertise during our concerts this year please contact Nicholas Budge for more information. (nbudge@corbett.k12.or.us)
C.M.S. Buck Creek Photo Contest Winners!
To conclude six weeks of field studies at Buck Creek (water quality testing, macroinvertebrate and plant identification, soil testing, etc.) Corbett Middle School has a tradition of holding a photo contest. We spend a little time teaching students some basic techniques and tricks for outdoor photography, and then they take to the trail at Buck Creek, working in partner groups to capture some amazing shots. Once back in the building, they crop, edit and share, and then we vote for the two best photos from each class. Here’s a link to the slideshow. Check out this year’s 10 best!
Thank you letter to CHS Key Club
Thank you so very much for lending a hand Jessie and to all of the other students too...Justine, Justin, Sophia, Cameron, Kaylee and Abigail! We were grateful to the Friday folks that helped set up and grateful to the Saturday folks that stayed all day Jessie. How lovely that Cameron came...I was not expecting her. The Harvest Festival was a lot to manage and so we were extremely grateful Jessie for your efforts to get students there in the first place and for your help both days. We had 250 people register for the event and so we really needed the help with the families.
Your Key Club students stuck to their assignments better than any other student group that came out, EVER! I have been doing volunteer coordinating for more than 30 years so I do know a thing or two about this. It was obvious that you all cared about doing a good job and helping us help keep little kids safe. Everyone of your Key Clubbers worked hard and had good, "can do" attitudes. Something that we see less and less of these days.
What a glorious weather day. Everything seemed to go super well Saturday. I am grateful to you both.
Thanks again,
Stephanie
Old McDonald's Farm, Inc.
Donate to Corbett Robotics
School Based Mental Health-SBMH News
Corbett School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH)
If someone is in danger, dial 911.
The School-Based Mental Health staff provide mental health services to all students needing services at the Corbett School District while school is in session.
Need immediate help? Contact Multnomah Mental Health Center.
When you call the Call Center at 503-988-4888, you get:
Free, 24/7 mental health support
Interpretation services for non-English speakers
Referral to low-cost or sliding-scale agencies
Information about non-crisis community resources
Urgent Walk-In Clinic
Need to meet face to face? Stop by our Urgent Walk-In Clinic.
The clinic can help anyone experiencing a mental health crisis at no cost.
Receive immediate care during a mental health crisis
Speak to a psychiatrist or a mental health nurse practitioner
Get help with medication and treatment
Location: Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare Urgent Walk-in Clinic
4212 SE Division St, Portland
Hours: Monday - Saturday 7 am-10:30 pm, Sunday 9 am-9 pm
From the Health Room
The refreshing rain and cooler weather have arrived. Sweater weather is officially here! Several holidays are coming up that will include many food choices. This would be a great time to use the My Plate app to make healthy eating habits easier:
https://www.myplate.gov/resources/tools/startsimple-myplate-app
Parents should be receiving a letter from MESD regarding needed immunizations. If your student has had any recent immunizations please provide the Health Room with the updated information.
Reynolds High School and Centennial High School have a School Based Health Center that is for any school-age child, K-12. No out-of-pocket charges will be billed for the health care provided.
Some of their services include: Illness, injury, and regular well-child exams,
immunizations, mental health services, and prescription medications.
Reynolds Student Health Center
503-988-3340
Centennial Student Health Center
503-988-5488
If you have any immunization or health questions, please call the Health Room at
503-261-4258.
Stay Healthy and Well!
Julie Nakamura, RN
Staff Spotlight
Jeff Mershon
Interviewed by Michelle Carter Smith
Who can say they still live in the same home that their parents brought them home to from the hospital? Jeff Mershon can! There is even a road in Corbett named after his family. The family's hardware store is long gone, but Jeff has kept well connected to his beloved community by being the current senior (longest years as a driver) bus driver for the Corbett School District.
Born at the old Portland Adventist Hospital, Jeff came home to three sisters and hard-working parents. They farmed and his dad was a traveling salesman for many years. When Jeff was young, his dad developed a medical condition that greatly impacted his health and the lifestyle of the entire family. It was too painful for his dad to travel any longer, so the family purchased the Corbett hardware store from the Wand family. As a boy, Jeff had wanderlust and would often go many miles on his bicycle. More than once his parents had to send out a formal search party for him! Jeff was academic, but when he was in high school, "the wheels fell off the bus" as the community was in an uproar over the possibility of the Corbett School District merging with the Reynolds School District. Many of the staff in Corbett had quit, and the replacement staff were seemingly not excited to be the replacements. Jeff grew frustrated and left after his junior year. He passed the college entry exam at age 17 and began working on his associate's degree at Mt Hood Community College. When he was 18 years old and eligible, he earned his GED.
Jeff describes himself as a "gearhead" and has always been passionate about further educating himself on mechanics, mostly diesel. After earning his associate's degree, he went to work for a company called Ger-Brock. Jeff was a mechanic and a transporter of vehicles for the company. He says this is by far the most fun job he has ever had! He worked there for four years and then later worked for various car dealerships as a mechanic.
At age 26, Jeff met and married Marcia, the mother of his son and daughter. Sam is currently living in Beaverton and Danielle lives in Texas. Between the two, Jeff is blessed with 5 grandchildren. Marcia and Jeff divorced after 10 years of marriage, and Jeff went to work for ZAP Motors, a BMW motorcycle shop. Here he repaired and raced BMWs. Jeff did endurance road racing, which is racing on a team for between 4 and 24 hours! Jeff later went to work for Mt Hood Meadows as a mechanic, working on snow cats, buses, snowmobiles, etc. It was here he met his current wife, Cynthia who goes by the name Rock. Working as a ski instructor, Rock and Jeff met and became great friends. Several years later, the two married and have been together for nearly 30 years! Rock had a daughter when she met Jeff and she is now married with three children, living in VA. After leaving his job at Meadows, Jeff went to work for Sester Farms in Gresham as a mechanic of heavy farm equipment. After just a year and a half, Jeff became seriously injured on the job and as a result, was not able to work for three years after that. It was during this time that Rock went to school and graduated with a BSN and became a critical care nurse. Eventually, Jeff decided to go to Reynolds School District and apply as a bus driver. He had been a fill-in driver at age 19 and thought it would be a good opportunity to go back to. He ended up working two years as a full-time driver for the special needs kids in the district. For several reasons, he enjoyed both the kids and the job. After two years, his back pain once again became too much and he had to quit. After taking two years off, Jeff was approached by Allan Greathouse to become a driver for Corbett. That was 15 years ago, and Jeff said he could not be happier with what he gets to do! He has covered every route at some point but has driven the same route for the last seven years. He enjoys driving to the school's sporting events as well, and basketball is by far his favorite sport to watch. Jeff says that respecting the kids is key as he develops relationships with them and their families. When you see Jeff, you will also see either Flora or Furgus, his beloved Carin Terrier dogs who are his support animals. When Jeff was struggling with severe panic attacks several years back, it was suggested he get a support animal. Once he got Nickie, a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog, he dropped 80 pounds of extra weight, came off all his medications, and was no longer pre-diabetic or had high blood pressure.
Jeff is currently enjoying life with Rock in his childhood home, getting to further connect with a community that he has always loved. On days off, Jeff and Rock take their dogs and drive all over the PNW to explore.
Hello from PTA!
We cannot thank you all enough for making this year’s Jogathon so successful. Special shout out to all our lovely volunteers and to the kids for working so hard to run and fundraise!
- Next up— Book Fair! The dates will be December 2nd-7th so stay tuned for more info as we get closer.
- Our next meeting will be November 14th.
Follow us on Corbett PTA Instagram and our new Facebook page Corbett PTA Facebook
Jog-a-thon was a success!
We’re thrilled to announce that your incredible fundraising efforts have paid off— our Jog-A-Thon has currently raised over $43,000 so far and the kiddos ran 19,969 total laps - Impressive! The amazing support we continue to receive will go a long way in helping us support our teachers, staff, and school. This achievement is a true team effort, and we couldn’t be prouder to share it with each of you! We’re beyond honored to be part of the Corbett Cardinals family! Please check out the short video below from your Corbett PTA President!
CHAMPS Class of 2025
CORBETT HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF MAMAS & PAPAS OF SENIORS
- Please save and donate your bottles and cans to help the senior class of 2025.
- Drop off location is across the street from Corbett Water District in the grey shipping container.
- Contact at: champsoregon@gmail.com
Work at Corbett School District
Pay Student Fees Online on the Corbett School District Website
CSD website link: https://corbett.k12.or.us/
Located under three tabs:
- Parents > Pay Fees With MySchoolBucks
- Students > Pay Fees With MySchoolBucks
- Athletics > Pay Fees With MySchoolBucks
To see a full list of approved student fees visit the STUDENTS>Student Fees (2024-25) tab of our website: https://corbett.k12.or.us/
- Athletic participation
- Senior cap and gown
- High school yearbook
- Student ASB card for middle and high school students
- Field trips
- Instrument rental fee
For questions, please contact Brie Windust at: bwindust@corbett.k12.or.us or 503-261-4268.
Stay Connected:
Here are a few ways to stay connected with what is happening within Corbett School District.
- Corbett School District Website: https://corbett.k12.or.us/
- CSD Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/corbettschools
- Corbett Grade School Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corbett_grade_school/
- CAPS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corbettartsprogramwithspanish/
- Corbett High School Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corbett.hs/
- Corbett Athletics Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corbett_athletics/
- Monthly District Newsletter: https://corbett.k12.or.us/parents/parent-news/
Stay Connected
Email: bwindust@corbett.k12.or.us
Website: https://corbett.k12.or.us/
Location: 35800 East Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale, OR, USA
Phone: 5032614268
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corbettschools
Twitter: @CorbettSchools