November is such a wonderful time to focus on the importance of practicing gratitude. As we honor our veterans and look forward to Thanksgiving traditions, this month is often full of kindness and service to others.
In the spirit of gratitude, I would like to share a few things that I am thankful for this year:
Our incredible students and their eagerness to learn from the heroes among us. Activities in honor of our veterans were held across our district in recent days. Our students marched in the Veterans Day parade, displayed flags, shared stories about their loved ones who have served our country, and more. I could not be more proud.
Our school employees who are helping our students grow into responsible citizens and contributing members of our community. Our staff work together every day to ensure students are receiving the care, support and instruction needed to graduate from high school with plans for their most successful futures.
Our families and community supporters who partner with our schools to provide students with the opportunities they need and deserve for a thriving education. I’m grateful to each of you for working alongside us to ensure a high-quality education for all students. I’d also like to thank all the families who were able to participate in last week’s Parent-Teacher Conferences.
Our great nation, where public education allows us to build strong communities together. November 18-22 marks American Education Week (AEW), a time to honor public schools as vital to our nation’s strength and our communities’ success. To learn more about our shared commitment to public education, you can view the 2024 AEW proclamation signed by our School Board here.
As I strive to practice gratitude each day — not only in November — I’m reminded of the power of focusing on what we have, rather than what we lack. With that spirit, I want to thank you for being part of our district family. I wish you and your loved ones a season filled with gratitude and joy.
Sincerely,
Jared Cordon
Superintendent
RHS students meet with veterans
Social Studies teacher Ms. Pitts is teaching an elective this school year about the Vietnam War, and her students were honored to host guests from the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 805.
Chapter President Bill Duncan, Vice President Roger Boucock and Rick Sciapiti stopped by RHS to share their perspectives with students. As the class wrapped up its unit on post-traumatic stress disorder, these veterans shared their powerful personal stories, offering students valuable insight into their experiences during the war and their journey with PTSD.
The class also raised funds for the Disabled American Veterans group and created a Field of Flags display on campus.
Display of respect and thanks
Melrose Elementary students came together to show gratitude for our local veterans in a heartwarming assembly. With patriotic decorations and heartfelt speeches, students shared stories, poems, and songs to honor family members who have served our country. This beautiful display of respect and thanks reminds us all of the sacrifices made by our veterans.
Annual 9th Grade Café
Roseburg High School held its annual 9th Grade Café, turning the library into a cozy space for staff to have one-on-one interviews with our ninth-graders. This event is all about building connections, hearing directly from students about what's working, and collecting valuable insights to help improve their transition into high school.
Throughout the day, students sat down with staff for conversations about their goals, grades and any challenges they’re facing. By listening and understanding their experiences, RHS staff can craft meaningful interventions, celebrate successes and make the high school experience even better for our students.
We’re proud to support our ninth-graders and help set them up for success!
Creating moments of inclusion
Jo Lane and Fremont eighth-graders wrapped up their football season with an unforgettable game and a special moment for a dedicated teammate.
The teams collaborated to celebrate Caleb Chartier, team manager from Jo Lane who uses a wheelchair. With the support of teammate Kamden Decker, Caleb started the second half with a 50-yard run. Players and fans from both sides cheered Caleb on as he scored the touchdown.
This season highlight was made possible by Jo Lane coach Kevin Wicks, who coordinated the play with Fremont. Caleb has been Jo Lane’s football team manager for the past two years and the boys basketball team manager for three years. He’s also been team captain for the last two football games.
The game was a perfect example of how our schools come together to create moments of inclusion, teamwork, and support. A big thanks to Kevin Wicks, the Jo Lane and Fremont football teams, and everyone who helped make this an unforgettable experience for Caleb and our entire school community.
Learning different energy sources
Cynthia Dinardi’s fourth-grade class recently explored electrical energy and what causes power outages in cities. Students learned about different sources of energy, including thermal, motion (air) and sound.
During the “Too Many Devices” demonstration featuring the fictional town of Ergstown, students focused on a key concept: Energy can transform from one form to another through electrical devices. Each group received a solar panel, two buzzers, and four wired clips to experiment with outside.
Students connected one buzzer to the system, listened and observed, then discussed how the buzzer made a loud sound. They connected a second buzzer to the system and observed that there was less of a buzzing sound. They finally connected a third buzzer to the system and found that there was no buzzing sound!
Students concluded after observing, experimenting and collecting data that there wasn’t enough electrical energy to make all the buzzers work at once. There were too many buzzers in the simple electrical system. After discussions, they realized that maybe that is what caused the blackout in Ergstown.
Mrs. Dinardi further illustrated this energy usage by filling a pitcher with water to demonstrate the limits of energy transfer. As she filled the first cup, she moved on to the second, but by the time she reached the third, the pitcher was empty, demonstrating that energy can be depleted.
This hands-on lesson not only reinforced important scientific concepts but also encouraged critical thinking and collaboration among students, highlighting the dynamic learning taking place in our classrooms.
Exploring stability and change with the STEAM Team
The STEAM Team was excited to introduce students to the cross-cutting concept of Stability and Change. This concept shows that every place you find yourself there are systems within systems. In those systems are changes that help the system thrive and bring stability as well as changes that can make them unstable. During the Air Pressure lesson, students learned about high and low pressure systems. When air pressure changes, so does our weather. Students were able to make their own barometers so that they could track the air pressure.
Next, STEAM took students on a water journey and experienced changes that were fast like water evaporating in the desert and changes that were slow like a molecule of water frozen in a glacier for 3,000 years. Students received a bead as a souvenir from each stop in their own water journey to wear on their necklace.
The next cross-cutting concept that STEAM will introduce will be Structure and Function.
With this concept, students will look at how an engineer can change the structure of a remote control car to better herd sheep (ping-pong balls) into a corral. This will be the first all-district competition for this year!
Lions supporting students’ well-being
A huge thank-you to the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation, the Roseburg Lions Club, and their incredible volunteers for bringing vision screenings to our elementary and middle schools!
Equipped with high-tech vision screeners, the Lions work quickly to assess each student. This impressive technology can identify up to 13 vision impairments in just 5 seconds, making it possible to screen an entire class in under 10 minutes.
In a quiet room, students line up to look into a machine that uses color flashes to analyze their vision. A blue flash signals clear results, while red indicates a possible issue, allowing parents to be notified for further examination.
Thank you to the Lions for supporting our students’ well-being — one eye exam at a time!
Coca-Cola Scholar semifinalist
Congratulations to RHS senior Mae Holborow! Mae has been named a semifinalist for the 2025 class of the Coca-Cola Scholars Program.
She’s among 1,336 high school seniors chosen from a pool of over 105,000 applicants from across the country. These students were selected based on academic excellence, leadership, and service demonstrated in school and community activities.
Garrett Hanna, senior vice president of strategy and procurement at Timber Country Coca-Cola, stopped by Roseburg High School to present Mae with a gift basket and to congratulate her on this achievement. He noted that Mae is among four students to make it to this stage of the scholarship program within the bottling company’s region.
“It’s a pretty big deal for us,” Hanna said. “It’s awesome to see our students excelling.”
Mae is in the running for a $20,000 college scholarship. Semifinalists will now complete Phase 2 of the application process, which includes essays, a recommendation and a transcript. A committee will identify 250 regional finalists in January, and then 150 Coke Scholars will be named in February to receive the scholarship and attend Coca-Cola Scholars Weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, in April.
“We believe that identifying these young leaders throughout the country and encouraging their passion for serving others not only empowers the students, but also lifts up those around them,” said Jane Hale Hopkins, president of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. “The Coca-Cola system is dedicated to giving back to the communities they serve, and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is proud to be a part of that commitment.”
Make a Difference Day - Douglas County!
We are so proud of our community for participating in Make a Difference Day - Douglas County! Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time across two dozen project sites throughout the area, including three of our elementary schools!
School gardens and grounds at Fir Grove, Eastwood and Green received some tender loving care, with weeds pulled, bushes planted, paint refreshed and more! Thank you to Umpqua Valley Farm to School for facilitating the school garden projects.
This community is full of heroes!
Encouraging healthy choices
This event wouldn’t be possible without the support of our local partners from Thrive Umpqua - A Certified Blue Zones Community, City of Roseburg Government , Roseburg Police Department, Roseburg Fire Department, Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Douglas County Fire District No. 2, First Student and Mid Columbia Bus Company. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!
Classified and licensed openings
We post new positions regularly! Apply online through Frontline Education.
- Teacher/Staff on Special Assignment - Behavior Support, District Office.
- Child Development Specialist, Winchester Elementary.
- Wrestling Assistant Coach, Roseburg High School.
- Middle School Track Coach, Joseph Lane Middle School.
- Varsity Softball Assistant Coach, Roseburg High School.
- Food Service Assistant (3 hours), Roseburg High School.
- Food Service Assistant (4 hours), Roseburg High School.
- Food Service Assistant (3.5 hours), Roseburg High School.
- Instructional Assistant I, LRC (6 hours), Eastwood Elementary.
- Instructional Assistant I (5 hours), Sunnyslope Elementary.
- Instructional Assistant I (4 hours), Winchester Elementary.
- Skills Trainer, temporary (8 hours), Winchester Elementary.
- GED Teacher, Roseburg High School.
- Language Arts Teacher, Roseburg High School.
For more information, call Human Resources at (541) 440-4008 or visit our HR page.
About us
Website: https://www.roseburg.k12.or.us
Location: 1419 Northwest Valley View Drive, Roseburg, OR, USA
Phone: (541) 440-4014
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseburgPublicSchools