June 2024 Community Update
June 2024
Welcome to the last edition of the NSSD Community Update for the 2023-24 school year. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about what's happening within your school district! If you missed previous editions, you can find them below.
Update on the Ty Hart Memorial Fitness Center
As the fitness center looks more and more polished on the outside, the inside is also taking shape! Check out this cool video for a bird's eye view! Plywood walls take the rooms from imagination to reality and stairs now lead up to the loft. Thanks to the hard work of the clean-up crew, the space is ready for painters! Outside, the two-tone siding and awnings are looking great and the glass garage doors let so much light into the space. Rose Contracting and Painting just finished sealing the beautiful wood interior. Great work everyone! If you'd like to leave your mark on this amazing project, please contact staytonboosters@gmail.com. Go Eagles!
Keep an eye out on the Stayton Booster Club Facebook page for more updates!
NSSD staff will once again serve free lunches to all kids 18 and under this summer Mondays-Fridays, between July 9 - August 9. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a Federal program that sets standards and provides reimbursement for healthy meals and snacks served to eligible children. All meals must be eaten on-site. Parents may also purchase a meal to eat with their children.
Stayton Middle School/July 9 - August 9: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm (1021 Shaff Rd.)
Mari-Linn-School/July 9 - August 2: 11:15 am – 12:15 pm (641 5th St, Lyons)
🦅 Celebrating our Graduates 🦅
We celebrate a momentous occasion—the graduation of the high school class of 2024. We commend the 150 outstanding students who have reached this significant milestone. Among them, 120 graduates hail from Stayton High School and 30 from Options Academy, each one contributing uniquely to this vibrant and accomplished class.
Our heartfelt congratulations go to the valedictorians—Gavin Criswell, Christine McCants, Molly Schotthoefer, and Aunika Thiessen—and to the salutatorian, David Trott, whose dedication and hard work have led them to the pinnacle of academic excellence.
Looking forward while appreciating how far they've come!
It's become an annual tradition for seniors to travel back to their elementary and middle schools on graduation day. It's hard to tell who enjoys it more: the wide-eyed Kindergartners who seem a little star-struck, the middle-schoolers who are getting close enough to imagine themselves in robes and tassels one day, the seniors who are simultaneously flooded with fond memories and a sense of relief or the staff who embrace their former pupils as they beam with pride and joy.
Marie Ptacek
Ken Huie
After 5 years of hard work with NSSD, Ken Huie is retiring from our custodial team. We hope he puts those new BBQ tools to good use!
Dedication through the Decades
We would also like to take a moment to extend our deepest gratitude to the dedicated members of our school district who have reached significant milestones in their service. Their commitment and hard work have been the backbone of our educational community. We thank them for their years of invaluable service and for making our schools a place of growth, learning, and excellence! 💙
10 Years of Service
15 Years of Service
20 Years of Service
25 Years of Service
NSSD 2024-25 Budget Approved and Adopted!
The North Santiam School District 29J Budget Committee approved the proposed budget on May 9, 2024, and it was adopted by the NSSD Board of Directors on June 20, 2024. As we continue to hear about more school districts making drastic cuts and even borrowing funds to pay for the remainder of their 2023-24 payroll, we feel it's important to continue to reassure our community that the NSSD is on stable financial ground. Some citizens in neighbor school districts have asked how their local school board didn’t see the proverbial budget cliff coming. Here at NSSD, it has been a long-standing practice for our Director of Business & Fiscal Services to provide a written financial report at each monthly board meeting. We feel this type of transparency is vital to avoid surprises such as other districts are currently navigating and for our local school board to fulfill one of their primary duties - oversee the district's financial affairs.
NSSD Board members receive monthly financial reports reviewing the adopted budget, actual revenue, expenditures, and budget projections through June 30 of that particular fiscal year. Each month, a running total indicates how much funds the district estimates will be left over at the end of the school year, barring unforeseen events such as a massive equipment failure. This is referred to as the "Ending Fund Balance," and most auditor agencies strongly recommend that this figure be equal to 2-3 months of district operating expenses. NSSD estimates its ending fund balance for 2023-24 (minus contingencies) will be $3,062,311. This is equal to approximately 3 months' worth of the district's operating expenses for the first three months of the fiscal year. In other words, the district could continue to function for 3 months without any new money coming in.
So, what does this mean for 2025-26 and beyond? There are some unknown factors, many of which are out of a school district's control. These include things like student enrollment, inflation, PERS rates, and unemployment liability, as well as the legislature's decision regarding how much funding will be earmarked for education. The one thing we know for sure is that there are many continuous, experienced, and knowledgeable eyes watching our finances and making adjustments as needed.
We thank our NSSD Budget Committee members for their time and oversight of this very important process. The committee includes all school board members as well as Brandon John, Brunk Conley, Casey Dark, Moria Thiessen, Scott Knox, Karen Odenthal, and Randy Forrette.
STAYTON HIGH
2024 OSAA Track & Field State Finishers!
Haley Butenschoen was state champ for the second year in a row in the 800 and set a new school record
Evelyn Welch was 4th in the 300 meter hurdles and set a new school record
Alexie Nussbaumer finished 7th in the discus
🎺🥁Jazz Band Places 3rd at the OMEA State Championships🎷🎸
MARI-LINN
Community partnerships are vital for a school's success. This is highly evident in the relationship between Mari-Linn School and the Lyons Rural Fire Department. The fire department can regularly be seen at school events, from the back-to-school open house to the end-of-the-year field day! Recently, 7th graders visited the station and tried their skills of putting on gear, pulling "Rescue Randy," handling water hoses and practicing search and rescue procedures. Then, they were treated to a pizza and root beer float party. There are too many great photos to share here, so please check out this link to Facebook: 7th Grade Field Trip.
Earlier in the month, the fire department visited the school to teach CPR to middle schoolers. They also learned the proper procedures for using an AED (automated external defibrillator) and where to find them in the school.
SSSSSpecial Show and Tell
Third grader Regan Martin helped classmates celebrate the last day of school by bringing her friend Kaa to the party. The 6 year old Ball Python belongs to her grandmother but has clearly been impactful on Regan's childhood. She brought some old sheds and a book with facts about pythons to elevate her show-and-tell time to the next level!
STAYTON INTERMEDIATE/MIDDLE
Congrats to these Meet of Champions competitors from Stayton Middle School!
Brandon Wagar took 3rd in the 3000 meters
Mila Morley took 2nd in javelin
Daniel Young finished 27th in the 800 meters
Fifth graders get busy in Biz Town
Recently, 5th graders took a field trip to JA BizTown in Portland. This hands-on learning environment allows students to interact with a simulated community and economy and take on the challenge of managing organizations.
Students prepared for their visit with classroom lessons, including market economy, free enterprise concepts, and civic responsibilities of community-contributing citizens. They learned how their interests and skills can one day lead to future careers. They filled out a job application, experienced the job interview process, and learned how elected officials acquire their positions. They learned about key factors in operating a business, such as teamwork, operation costs, pricing, and advertising. Then, there was a final in-class debrief lesson to tie it all together!
Let the Pentagames Begin!
STAYTON MIDDLE & SUBLIMITY
Back Row: Landin Springer, Daniel Young, Tyler Jentzsch, Christian Hand, Brandon Wagar, Noah Gallion, Zoey Walling & MK Roberts
Front Row: Lilian Angelo, Alyssa Owen, Adrianna Gilmore, Alyssa Schotthoefer, Kendall Moore, Daniel Corbett, JT Gott, Greyson Criswell & Mark Lowery (not pictured-Owen Brown)
Pentagames, Inc. is a non-profit organization that facilitates an annual math contest designed to promote mathematics for seventh and eighth-grade students. They compete in teams of three in different events and showcase their intellectual abilities in the same way that an athletic contest displays physical skills. It promotes and encourages student participation in math by offering students the opportunity to experience the excitement and challenge of competition in an academic arena. Both Sublimity and Stayton Middle Schools sent teams to the local competition in April, hosted by Cascade High School.
Sublimity's Algebra Team took 2nd place overall, with all three members finishing strong individually: Daniel Young-1st, Landin Springer-3rd and Alyssa Schotthoefer-5th. Greyson Criswell's 2nd- place individual finish helped the 7th grade team, which also included Kendall Moore & Mark Lowry, place 1st!
Stayton Middle's Algebra 1 Team (Brandon Wagar, Tyler Jentzsch, Noah Gallion) placed 3rd overall, and Owen Brown placed 4th individually among the 8th-grade competitors.
Staff advisors included Paulie Lime (Sublimity) and Wayne Lindsey (Stayton Middle).
WELL DONE EVERYONE!
SUBLIMITY
Science Takes Center Stage at Sublimity
Sublimity middle school was honored to host some special guests who shared their expertise in their respective fields. They were visited by a paleontologist, geologist and an astronomer who brought the world of science to life and no doubt inspired some to consider a career in science! Also, during the month, grades 6-8 had opportunities to share their own knowledge on a variety of topics. 8th graders tackled questions such as how different environments impact the growth of arugula and what causes ice to melt the fastest. 7th graders studied notable scientists and created displays about their lives and accomplishments. 6th graders presented a Career Fair to inspire others to dream big and imagine endless possibilities!
8th graders addressed some key questions at their science fair
7th graders profiled notable scientists with impressive flair
STAYTON ELEMENTARY
Stayton Elementary ended the school year with a flurry of field trips and special events. They visited the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Coast Aquarium, and the Ag Fest. The third grade visited their new school campus for next year to help for a smooth transition (Stayton Intermediate) and also spent time at the Stayton pool for swimming lessons. This annual event for all district third graders is made possible by the Kiwanis Club of Stayton. There was also a school-wide BBQ where family members were invited to join their students for lunch. Supt. Loving joined the fun as well and helped the wonderful cafeteria staff serve all the extra meals.
Thank you Kiwanis!
Aquarium Fun!
Over 530 meals served that day!
They ended the year with a summer reading kick-off event to inspire students to keep honing their skills over the break!
Summer in the North Santiam School District 🔆😎
School Office Closures:
- Stayton Elementary: closed July 1 - Aug 5
- Stayton Intermediate: closed June 26 - Aug 2
- Stayton Middle: closed June 26 - Aug 2
- Stayton High: closed June 24 - July 30
- Mari-Linn: closed June 21 - Aug 1
- Sublimity: closed June 24 - Aug 1
Summer Sports:
- SHS Sports Camps:
- Tennis: Ages 9-14, June 17 - 20, 5:30-7:30pm, $40, Registration
- Girls Basketball: Grades 1st - 9th, June 18 - 20, 9:00am-12:00pm, $50
- Youth Soccer: Grades 1st - 8th, June 24 - 26, 10:00am-12:00pm, $40, Registration
- Wrestling: Grades 6th - 12th, June 24 - 25, 2:00-4:00pm, $30, Registration
- Boys Basketball: Grades 3rd - 8th, June 25 - 26, $30
- Kids Volleyball: Grades 4th - 8th, Aug 5 - 7, $40, Registration
- High School Volleyball: Grades 9th - 12th, Aug 12 - 14, $40, Registration
- North Santiam Youth Athletics: (Players, sponsors, and coaches wanted!)
- Volleyball: Grades 3rd - 6th, Sept 9 - Oct 26, $45, Registration
- Soccer: Kindergarten - 4th Grade, Sept 9 - Oct 26, $45, Registration
- Flag Football: Grades 1st - 6th, Sept 9 - Nov 1, $65, Registration
- Fundraiser Adult Slow-pitch Softball: Tues/Thurs throughout August
$350/ Team, Registration
Summer Events
- Mari-Linn PTA Parking Lot Sale: Aug 16 - 17
Stayton High School Eagles Days: August 8-9
Open House Nights for K-8's: Wednesday, Aug 28th
- Sublimity: 5:30-7:00 pm
- Mari-Linn: TBA
- SES: 5:30-7:00pm
- SIMS: 3:30-6:00pm
Back to School:
- First Day of School (1-9): Tuesday, Sept 3rd (some Kinders have staggered starts so parents should connect with their school)
- First Day of School (10-12): Wednesday, Sept 4th
Below are items or people the district is currently "ISO" (in search of).
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
- Special Education Teaching Positions: Lifeskills (K-3)
- Teaching Positions: 4th grade
- Classroom aide: Reading/Resource Room
- Custodian: Swing shift
- Middle School Coaching Positions: 7th grade Football Assistant
- High School Coaching Positions: Dance team
To learn more about these positions and to Apply, click the link.
DONATION OPPORTUNITIES
- Mari-Linn PTA is accepting donation items for their annual rummage sale on July 20th from 3-5 pm. For more info, email to marilinnpta@gmail.com or follow their Facebook page.
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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.
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Contact Info
Phone: 503.769.6924
Address: 1155 N 3rd Ave, Stayton, OR 97383