RRSD #35 Community Update

The RRSD is entering mid-November with optimism and gratitude. Thanksgiving break (Nov. 25-29) and Winter break (Dec. 21- Jan. 5) will be upon us soon. In the spirit of the season, here are two items I am grateful for in our district.

• At the October board meeting I announced that the RRSD achieved its goal of having 100% of its regular staff trained in First Aid/CPR/AED. State law requires that there is at least one employee trained for every 60 students enrolled in our schools which equates to about 10% of our staff. With vision from our school board and the cooperation and support of administration, staff, and staff leadership, the Rogue River School District set the goal for 100% of our staff to be trained. Reaching this goal is a unique achievement that sets us apart from other school districts. Special acknowledgment goes out to Pam Weaver for her work coordinating, tracking, and scheduling to help us meet this goal.

• Our high school FFA team has been on a tear. At Nationals, our Ag Communications placed 20th in the country. Our Milk Quality and Products team placed 22nd in the country. Finnley Perryman was the high individual in the country for the CMT portion of the contest. At State Soils both A and B teams placed first. Madisyn Hutsell took first place, and Amanda LeDoux was second in this competition. At Southern Oregon District events our beginning and advanced teams took first in Soils and Food Science. We continue to celebrate the many successes of our amazing FFA team.

Bond Updates:

• Foundation and utility work is well underway at the site of the new Junior High building. It is exciting to see progress on this major project.
• Plans are finalized for the new single points of entry at the elementary school, and we hope construction can begin in the next few months.
• Sub-contractors are looking at the Plumbing, Electrical, and Mechanical needs of the schools as they prioritize what systems to repair and improve in the coming year.

Early Learning and Wellness Center Updates:

• Outlier Construction plans to start site work for this project before Thanksgiving. The building is designed and in the final stages of permitting. Community members should see signs of construction in the next few weeks.
• The RRSD will put out to bid for a preschool provider sometime in the next month. Established preschool providers will be encouraged to apply to be the provider of services in the new building space starting in the fall of 2025.
• The board is working with La Clinica to finalize an agreement for providing health services to our students in the new building starting in the fall of 2025.

Attendance Matters:

• Student attendance is a strong predictor for their success in school and life. The more school a student misses, the less likely they are to be successful. Please support your child's success by getting them to school every day unless they are sick.

Kudos:

• Pam Weaver gets Kudos this month for her hard work helping the district reach its goal of having 100% of staff first aid/cpr/aed trained and certified. It was a huge task that required lots of organization, scheduling, and coordination. Well done, Pam!
• Ken West is our groundskeeper. Ken maintains our grass fields, makes our walkways and driveways safer by blowing away debris, and does an outstanding job of caring for our grounds.
• Kyle Garrison is our new Athletic Coordinator. He has gotten our athletic programs operating effectively and efficiently. He goes above and beyond to make sure students are aware of athletic eligibility policies and helps them keep on track.
• Mike Longnecker is extremely creative with different teaching tools at RRES, and he is always willing to support other staff in any way he can.
• Melody Rice does an incredible job with creating and maintaining positive relationships with her students at RRES. During challenging moments, she meets them where they are at and gets them back on track.
• Ayrica Hansen goes above and beyond for our students at RRES. She is willing to jump in wherever and whenever she is needed.
• Katie Ross is our Elementary Life Skills teacher. Her students have significant disabilities. She has received praise for how well she works with her students, engaging them, challenging them, and giving them positive feedback.