Brockett Bulletin

Jen Duryee is the recipient of McMinnville School District’s first Edustaff Excellence Award for her service as a substitute teacher in our district since 2019. Nominated by teachers Callie McIrvin and Nikki Cedergreen, Jen was surprised with the honor today in front of a class of fifth graders (and her third grade daughter who was in on the secret).

The recognition noted her exceptional contributions, flexibility and dedication to the school. Congratulations, Jen! See more photos on the MSD Facebook page.

The MSD Calendar Committee is working on future academic calendars and would like your input on the following:

• Number of calendar years to adopt
• Number of days off during the year
• When to start the school year

Please note that the input is one of several factors that must be considered by the committee. Find out more and click to the survey here.

This week, Patton students had a chance to try “Cowboy Salad,” a mixture of chives, corn, cilantro and beans and rate how they liked it. The event was a partnership between the OSU Extension Service’s “Food Heroes” program and MSD Nutrition Services and included MSD School Board member Abbie Warmbier serving samples and explaining the voting process.

The votes came in with a wide majority for “Liked It” or “Sort of Liked It.” Only 15 percent voted for “Don’t Like it Yet.” Next week, Duniway students will have a chance to try a recipe with winter squash. See more photos on the MSD Instagram feed!

The MSD Wellness Summit is scheduled for Wednesday, March 5 at 6 p.m. at Duniway Middle School. The summit will focus on what we, as a community, can do to improve the mental health and safety of our students. Find out more here.

Third and fifth grade students and teachers attended this week’s School Board meeting to talk about the “Learning Pit” approach to perseverance and collaborative learning. Thank you, Cougars!

Click here for more info about the “Learning Pit.”

A serious traffic accident blocked the intersection of highways 99 and 18 this morning, which caused delays in buses reaching Lafayette. While the district notifies families about delays when possible, using the FirstView app tracks your bus in real time (which can keep your child from standing outside in freezing weather longer than necessary). Click here for more info about FirstView and how to download and register.

FirstView requires a password-protected account for app set-up, which means only you can view your student’s stop. You will need your students' school-based ID number (the 6-digit number they use to sign into their Chromebooks) and the bus route number to set up the links.

Note: our bus provider, First Student, recommends the “Classic” version of the app.

Willamette Elementary received eight new soccer balls, a gift from the local Traveling Light Foundation (TLF). TLF board member Nick Godfrey (pictured) delivered the balls this week during a foggy recess day, which did not deter the students from taking them immediately off to play. Thank you, TLF!

Monday is the Martin Luther King Day holiday. No school for students. The next upcoming no-school days are Monday-Tuesday, Jan. 27-28 for teacher in-service/grading days.

Elementary students will have a chance to try Lucy Rose apples, watercress, honeydew, Daikon radishes and pea tendrils during their Fresh Fruit & Vegetable program in-class snack time. Find more info here.

Pre-K through third grade families are invited to an event with bilingual storyteller Jose-Luis Orozco on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 9:30 a.m. - noon for a fun morning of songs and music. The event is designed to help you improve your child’s language skills through songs, rhythms and games.

Find out more under your school’s Peachjar button and sign up for the free event here.

The McMinnville Library is hosting a series of free game-based events for young children to learn about money. The first one is Tuesday, Jan. 28 (no-school day) at 2 p.m. Find more details under your school’s Peachjar button.