January 2024 Community Update

Welcome to the third edition of the NSSD Community Update! We're excited to connect with you, our community partners, and share the wonderful things happening within your school district! We are thrilled to see how many folks have been reading our updates and seek to keep expanding our reach. If you know someone who might enjoy learning about NSSD, please pass this along!

If you missed previous editions, you can find them below.

November 2023 (over 2300 views)

December 2023 (over 4200 views)

There has been great progress since the groundbreaking on November 10, 2023! You can see updates on the Stayton Booster Club Facebook page. Booster Randy Forrette shared, "We are on schedule for completion for fall 2024. Concrete work should begin by March and we could start assembling the Freres Mass Plywood Panel building shortly after. We need to continue to collect donations. Please contact staytonboosters@gmail.com to donate today!"

The Stayton Booster Auction is coming up on February 10 and they're reporting the number of donations is down from last year. The 2023 auction brought in a whopping $234,000 and with the fitness center in progress, it is critical that this year's event be a big success. They have shared an Amazon list that contains items they'd love to have available that night. Please consider taking a look to see if there is something you'd contribute. For convenience, you can have the items shipped directly to the district office at 1155 N 3rd Ave, Stayton OR 97383 in the name of STAYTON BOOSTERS.

Another option is to buy raffle tickets for a trip to Hawaii. The winner will receive round trip airfare for two and a 5 night stay at the beautiful Outrigger Beach Resort & Spa in Kauai. Tickets are $25 each or five for $100 and are available on their website. You do not need to be present to win! You can also make cash donations by emailing shsboosterauction@gmail.com.

The impact on SHS due to the efforts of the Stayton Boosters and all the individuals and businesses who contribute time, energy and money toward their projects cannot be adequately described in mere words. NSSD students and staff are beyond grateful. Let's help them make this auction a huge success and keep the ripple effect of their impact going as far as the eye can see!

Sublimity, Options Academy and Stayton High students have now joined the rest of our schools in being eligible for one free breakfast and lunch daily at school. Prior to 01/01/24, only 3 of the district's 6 schools qualified for free meals under the federal Community Eligibility Program (CEP). Now, thanks to changes in the criteria and LOTS of paperwork on the part of NSSD staff, every student in the district can eat one breakfast and lunch daily at no cost. Second meals and a la cart items still come with a charge but this now saves a family roughly $85 a month per student for a daily lunch. That number goes closer to $125 if they eat breakfast too!

Principals report fewer students finding their way to school offices looking for snacks and the number of meals served continues to climb. In the first four days of the year, roughly 100 more lunches were served at the high school than the same four days in December and at Sublimity, it was 160!

Superintendent (Supt) Loving shared good soup and great conversations during the second event of the school year. He was joined by Susy Saray who interpreted the exchanges into Spanish on a night designated for those who English is not their primary language.

Supt. Loving is fulfilling a promise he made during his interview process to hold these events regularly. He believes they are important because they provide families direct access to their superintendent to share their experiences and those of their students. He opens the conversations with prompts like, "what are ways we can improve?" and "tell us things that make you proud of your school or district".

This is the second year of the events and participation continues to grow with each one. Typically, a few board members attend as well, in a listening capacity, and both they and Supt. Loving have found the conversations to be engaging and impactful. Please join us at the next event on Monday, Feb 26th at in the Stayton HS library from 5:30-6:30 pm.

If you are in the market for a new mattress, please consider coming to the annual Mattress Fundraiser on January 27th from 10am-4pm in the Stayton High Fieldhouse Gym. This will help fund the Disneyland trip in May where students get the unique opportunity to experience a professional studio. They work with a Disney recording artist, conductor, or composer and learn to play music for one or more scenes in an animated movie. Then their recording is added to the scene where they watch their work magically come to life in front of their eyes! They also learn other aspects of recording studios and how all the different pieces come together for a finished masterpiece.

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FACEBOOK EVENT

We're excited to put a spotlight on the important work done in our district through Options Academy (which you may know by the name of Stayton Virtual Academy or Locust Street Academy). Options Academy provides an alternative to the traditional educational setting that has allowed our district to meet families where they're at and work with students to achieve their goals, whether that may be eventually returning to a traditional classroom or graduating.

At a recent board meeting, Brad Emmert, Assistant Principal and Alt Ed Coordinator, presented to the board with Shannon Sheppard and two students, Haylee Gaona-Lewis and Yesenia Adame. If you'd like to learn more about Options Academy, we highly recommend you watch their presentation (starts at 4:00).

• What is Options Academy?
• Options Academy provides an alternative option traditional learning environments and has two branches, a K-12 comprehensive online school called Stayton Virtual Academy (SVA) and an in-person alternative high school named Locust Street Academy (LSA).
• How many student attend Option Academy?
• Currently 79 K-12 students attend SVA and 26 students attend LSA.
• What's the advantage of choosing Stayton Virtual Academy (SVA)?
• SVA provides a comprehensive, rigorous school with daily supports and the flexibility of being online. As Shannon Sheppard, a SVA teacher, shared, "Every student has a story. We are the bridge that hopefully gets them through the tough times and back into the classroom."
• What's the advantage of choosing Locust Street Academy (LSA)?
• LSA is an in-person school based on teacher-led instruction in a smaller, more focused environment. It includes two core classes per day that allow students to earn more credits in a shorter than usual time. LSA has a goal of supporting the whole student, teaching communications and relational skills, and ensuring the best opportunities towards completion and graduation. This program prioritizes students who are not on track to graduate due to credit deficiency and, at this time, is only open to Juniors and Seniors. There are limited seats and an application process. Currently, the program is full and there is a waiting list.

Jesse Rodriguez Construction and Utilities rocks....LITERALLY! A huge shout out to Jesse Rodriguez Construction and Utilities for their generous donation of gravel to the SHS construction program as the students come to the final stretch of finishing the latest house build. Thank you for your support!

In addition to receiving a lesson on community support, they also learned the importance of having the right tools for the job. Typically, construction class students get some commemorative swag, like a sweatshirt or jacket, at the end of the year. SHS Woods Teacher Mike Folger recently observed some students working in the rain without weather resistant gear and got the idea to give them something to make their jobs a little easier in the moment. He worked with Vice-Principal Joe Traeger and our Business Director to use donated funds to buy every student a new coat. They didn't forget the swag either! Each coat is embroidered with the words "Stayton High Construction".

Students were excited to receive them and could be seen wearing them well past the end of the construction class. We love the idea of some of these coats possibly making their way out onto a construction site someday on the backs of our amazing Eagle graduates!

If you've seen any creative art around Mari-Linn School, chances are Shanna Hall's fingerprints are on it. She creates (and draws) their monthly birthday board and is responsible for this year's school shirt design. She helps the PTA with the student holiday store by wrapping gifts and helping students shop. She is the volunteer school photographer and has created the yearbooks for the last seven years. She also freely gives her time in creating photos for the 8th grade promotion ceremonies. Principal Sophia Duerst remarked, "Her unwavering dedication to our school and community is immensely appreciated! We are so lucky to have her!"

Last year she created butterfly wings for student photo ops and is planning to add another mural this year. Office Manager Kimberly Knox summed it up by saying, "There are so many things she does almost daily for our school that it's hard to list them. All in all, we wouldn't be as great as we are without Shanna Hall!"

It has been a crazy weather week! This particular event created conditions that were apparent early so that the call could be made for the following day. Typically, it is a process that starts with watching the 10-day forecast. Then on questionable days, Supt. Loving, Director of Safety Gary Rychard, and sometimes even board members, hit the roads around 4:30 am. One of the complicating factors for NSSD is the difference in elevation within our boundaries. It ranges from approx. 1700 on McCully Mtn. down to 450 in Stayton. It encompasses Fern Ridge and also stretches east to include the "roller coaster hills" on Cole School Road.

While driving around the district, including each school campus, they are asking questions such as "can students walk, drive or ride the bus safely?" and "can enough staff travel from outside these boundaries to be able to hold school?". They are also consulting with MidCo. Bus to try to determine whether buses can travel our routes safely. Supt. Loving also connects with superintendents from surrounding districts to learn about their conditions and plans.

These decisions are never made lightly. Administrators know that delays, and especially closures, can be very disruptive to families and for some, cause real hardship. Preserving instructional time is a high priority but it will always come in 2nd behind the safety of our staff, students and families.

Sublimity Mayor Jim Kingsbury was joined by Stayton's Mayor Brian Quigley, City Manager Julia Hajduk and Community Engagement Co. Christian Smithrud in December to tell students about the "If I were Mayor" contest. Jim and Brian took some time to explain what mayors do and asked students to imagine what might be on their "to-do" list. They answered questions and caused quite a stir when they shared that the local qualifiers will compete at the state level with a chance to win $500! Submissions vary based on grade level and range from posters to essays to digital presentations.

At the same assembly, students also celebrated their food drive efforts. The entire school had partnered with the Stayton Lions Club and Fire Department to hold a food drive from December 1-14, benefitting the Stayton Community Food Bank. The Student Leadership Team worked hard every day collecting and counting all the food which was a large task as the grand total was 2,865 food items!

Stayton Elementary staff traveled around Stayton in a horse-drawn carriage, followed by a decorated fire truck and a school bus, and spread holiday cheer by caroling. Afterward, they joined families at the school for hot chocolate, cookies, and free books! This has truly evolved into a community partnership and is now a highlight for staff every year. We'd like to give a huge shout-out to the following folks who helped make it possible:

• Tim & Bielenberg of Mill Creek Carriages ~ carriage and horses
• Stayton Fire and Police Depts. & MidCo Bus ~ parade support
• Stayton PTC ~ hot chocolate
• Franz Bakery ~ cookies
• Stayton Library ~ storytime & free books for kids to take home

SES teacher Erika Alderson has been instrumental in starting and continuing the event and had this to say, "There is just something special about riding on the carriage pulled by horses, singing Christmas songs and watching the smiles and excitement come across the community and students faces when they see us! It’s a fun event to plan and even more fun to be a part of!"

The season of giving was in full swing at SHS this year! The annual Giving Tree filled the wish lists of 23 families. SHS students submitted requests for desired items for themselves and family members and then the work began to fill the requests. While the ASB (student government) handled the lion's share of the work, a donation made by SCTC created a special opportunity for another group to be secret Santas. Students from Locust St. Academy used the donation to create a shopping list and budget and go as a group to fill some wishes.

This year also saw the creation of a new tradition called the Festival of Trees. Local businesses and organizations "adopted" trees and competed in a decorating competition. Attendees cast their votes by dropping tickets worth $1 into the bucket of their favorite. SUBLIMITY MEDICAL CLINIC was this year's winner! SCTC, Greens Bridge Gardens and Stayton Flowers also donated raffle baskets for the event which helped raise the total earned to nearly $700! The event was a fundraiser to fund a trip to Disneyland for a 5-year-old girl with leukemia. She is a Make-A-Wish recipient being sponsored by SHS.

In addition to decorated trees and hot cocoa, attendees had the chance to share last minute Christmas lists with some special Santas. Big thanks to Ken Rowling and Board member, Mark Henderson, for putting on the red suit and and scratchy beard for a good cause! We also want to thank Sublimity Medical Clinic, Santiam Hospital, Maps Credit Union, Sublimity Fire Dept. and Stayton Veterinary Hospital for decorating some fantastic trees!

In late November, students began collecting toys to be donated to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in the name of their classmate, Landyn Adams. He joined Sublimity School late into his 5th grade year but clearly made an impression. He tragically passed away in September 2023 due to cancer and staff noticed the family had started a toy drive in his honor. They asked if they could join the cause and a few short weeks later, the family had an extra carload full of toys! Thank you to all in the community who gave in Landyn's honor.

On the last day of the year, students and staff bid a fond farewell to Melodee Nolan who has been teaching middle schoolers at Sublimity since 2005. She left to pursue a different kind of work in education at the Willamette Education Services District (WESD). The Santiam Canyon Post 5638 chapter of the VFW managed to catch her just in time to present her with their Teacher of the Year award! Students from her class have consistently won at both the local and state levels in the Patriot Pen annual scholarship program due to her continuing support and inspiration.

Lastly, staff partnered with Scholastic's FACE program (Family And Community Engagement) to provide a free book to every student as they headed out the door for the break. Santa's "elves" (aka Dean of Students Uli Sparks and Principal Ryan Westenskow) helped deliver them, much to the obvious delight of the students.

Holiday cheer spread through Mari-Linn school during December! The K-3 team took students on an adventure to Storybook Land at the Linn Co Fairgrounds & Albany's Historic Carousel & Museum. The next day kindergarteners through 5th graders in Beginning Band & Advanced Band brought down the house at their Winter Concert.

Another December event included the Student Holiday Store. The PTA started it approximately 20 years ago and it has turned into a mini craft bazaar. It takes the efforts of many to pull it off. Holiday vendors and local families purchase or make items and sell to students at cost (avg. under $5). Volunteers, including high and middle school students, help the younger grades shop and wrap their gifts. Students relish the idea of choosing the items for their loved ones and get a little lesson in selflessness AND math along the way!

A special shout out to all the volunteers and teachers that made these special memories possible for students! Thank you!

Below are items or people the district is currently "ISO" (in search of).

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

• Teaching/Licensed Positions: Student Intervention Coach
• Classroom Assistant Positions: Special Ed., Classroom Support, Study Center/Campus Monitor
• High School Coaching Positions: Softball, Boys Tennis, JV Baseball & Volleyball
• Middle School Coaching Positions: Girls Assistant Basketball

To learn more about these positions and to Apply, click the link.

DONATION OPPORTUNITIES.

• Stayton Intermediate/Middle School needs these items for their clothes closet: shorts, leggings, sweats and sweatshirts (sizes S-XL in both youth & adult). They can also use ongoing help keeping individually wrapped snacks on hand for students who need that extra boost to stay focused.
• Stayton Booster Club is seeking donations for the upcoming auction on Feb. 10th, 2024. If you have cash, goods or services you would like to contribute, please email shsboosterauction@gmail.com.

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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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Do you have suggestions of things you'd like to hear about or other comments to share? Please email them to communications@nsantiam.k12.or.us

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Phone: 503.769.6924

Address: 1155 N 3rd Ave, Stayton, OR 97383

Email: communications@nsantiam.k12.or.us