Love, Care, Serve La Grande School District
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www.lagrandesd.org
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Volume 5, Issue 6
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Winter 2023-24
La Grande High School, La Grande Middle School, Central Elementary, Greenwood Elementary, Island City Elementary
Connect with La Grande School District Anytime, Anywhere.
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1. Know what’s going on at school 2. Connect with teachers and administrators 3. Stay up-to-date on school Information • Cafeteria Menus • Events • Staff Directory • Alerts • Athletics
Creating Leaders
Greenwood ambassadors serve as role models BY TRISH YERGES
Greenwood Elementary School has a fifth-grade leadership program that invites qualified students to act as school ambassadors among the student body during school hours and at assembly programs. These ambassadors promote good behaviors as they interact with the student body, and in the process, they encourage all students to uphold Greenwood virtues. Jen Melendez, now in her second year as school principal, said that the program was established about nine years ago by Ellen Lester, district library coordinator. Lester saw a Facebook post about a similar program, and she worked with the principal at that time to create a program that worked for Greenwood. “We usually have 12 to 15 fifth-grade ambassadors each year,” Melendez said. “It’s a coveted position, and they have to maintain their role model status among other students in order to continue to be an ambassador in the school.” Students are selected through a vetting process and to be selected they must meet standards consistent with the leadership program and its mission. Those interested in participation will usually start the application process during the last month of their fourthgrade year. “Parents have to approve that their child can join the program, and teachers must sign off to verify that the student is a good candidate for this program,” Melendez said. The program is led by the school’s library clerk, Jen Wilcox, who teaches the leadership training for the new ambassadors. Their duties start in the morning before classes start. That’s when the Greenwood ambassadors don their ambassador vests and receive their assignments. “They are in the hallway in the morning, where they give out pride cards to students
showing appropriate behavior in the hallway,” Melendez said. “It’s a big deal for the kids to get a pride card from an ambassador, and the kids feel really good about that.” The purpose of the pride cards is to acknowledge when students are exhibiting the Greenwood virtues. Such recognition fosters even more good behaviors in the younger students and hopefully inspires them to reach out to be an ambassador when they reach their fifth-grade level. There are several service duties that the ambassadors are trained to perform, and they are assigned to certain areas around the school. There are usually six ambassadors working in both the first and second shift. They take turns so things are orderly and everyone gets to serve. “They give school tours to new students attending for the first time, and they help set up all the chairs for the student body during assembly programs,” Melendez said. “They also do other projects around the school to display our virtues for Greenwood.” Greenwood virtues include respect, responsibility, integrity, self-discipline,
perseverance, citizenship, courage, compassion, and academic independence. In these virtues the Greenwood ambassadors are role models for the younger students. “The ambassadors are students who have a service attitude, and they show the virtues that we always project at our school,” Melendez said. The ambassadors appear to have a good effect on the behavior of other students, especially in the hallways and when convening for a school assembly. When fourth-grade students enter their second semester of school, Melendez usually notes an uptick of virtuous behaviors from those students aspiring for this privileged status. This character-building program is designed to give kids a mindset of citizenship and leadership so that they will strive for other leadership opportunities when they get to Middle School. “This has been a great program for our fifth graders to learn leadership skills, build their own kind of traits, and help younger students build those character traits as well,” Melendez said.
From the Superintendent’s Desk George Mendoza LA GRANDE SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members, I hope that your winter break has allowed you to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate with friends and loved ones! As we enter into the 2024 year, my hope is that you have had time to reflect on the positive achievements of last year, things that worked well and potentially things that you would like to see improve. My values typically center on reflecting and learning from the past, then moving forward with new goals and improvements on many things that I hope to accomplish. Some successful LGSD accomplishments center on our student activities, assessments, and facility improvements. Here is a quick recap on some of the “Good Things” that we accomplished in 2023: We were State Choir Champions in 2023, State Champions Boys Wrestling Team, State Champions 22/23 Cross Country. We finished ranked number 3 in the OSAA cup for overall excellence in schools in academics, activities, and athletics. We had 3 head coaches and 2 assistant coaches as coach of the year for the State of Oregon. We started a lunch buddy program K-5 with the support of Eastern Oregon University (EOU) Athletes, EOU also collaborated with our school district to assist with a reading tutoring program in all elementary schools. We met or exceeded State average in most grade 3-11 State assessments and we exceeded the state average in our graduation rates! We started our new Tiger Home Construction program, invested in playground equipment, HVAC upgrades, High School Auditorium, asphalt courtyard and parking lot, and many other projects. All things are moving forward quite well with our bond approved LMS Wildcat Center! It feels good to acknowledge some of the “Good Things” and of course our goal is to keep moving forward and improving. When you get a moment, please reflect of 2023 and think about things you would like to accomplish in 2024. Please take time to visit with your children and family, talk about your goals and listen to theirs. See what you can do to help each other move forward and celebrate the many accomplishments that take place during this new year. I look forward to welcoming you back when school resumes on January 2, 2024. This publication serves as a platform to keep our community informed and connected to the school district. We appreciate your involvement and support. Should you wish to contact me my phone number is 541-663-3201; email: george.mendoza@ lagrandesd.org. Love, Care, Serve George Mendoza This publication serves as a platform to keep our community informed and connected to the school district. We appreciate your involvement and support. Should you wish to contact me my phone number is 541-663-3201; email: george.mendoza@ lagrandesd.org
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www.lagrandesd.org
Winter 2023-24
Inclement Weather
School Delay/Closure Information for Families and Community
When weather conditions make travel unsafe, schools may either close for the day, open two hours late with regular bus routes, or open with snow bus routes. Changes to the school schedule are usually announced by 6 a.m. The following methods are used to inform parents, students and staff: • Phone: Monitor your phone for a call and text from “Thrillshare,” the District’s automated calling system. Calls and text messages will be placed to the primary phone number listed in each student’s record. • Website: Go to www.lagrandesd.org, live updates will be posted here. • Facebook: Live updates will be posted on La Grande School District’s Facebook Page • Radio: Tune to La Grande radio stations for live updates: • KUBQ - 98.7 FM • KWRL - 99.9 FM • KCMB – 104.7 FM • KLBM - 1450 AM* can operate during power outages • KOOL – 105.9 FM • Urock- 101.1 FM To make it clear- If we cancel school for the day due to inclement weather we are cancelling all educational programs and services for the day; This is due to unsafe driving conditions for staff, students, or other stakeholders going into school/work sites. Delay Schedule for 2023-2024 School Year: School Start Times School Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday Central Elementary 8:10 am - 2:30 pm Greenwood 8:05 am - 2:25 pm Elementary Island City Elementary 8:05 am - 2:35 pm La Grande Middle 8:20 am - 3:00 pm School La Grande High School 8:20 am - 3:10 pm
How are decisions made? The decision to open, delay or close schools is based on careful analysis of all of the facts available at the time of the decision. • District administrators closely monitor the weather. Most often, decisions are made in the early morning rather than the night before so that the most current weather conditions and forecasts can factor into the decisions. The District receives several reports, including a report from Mid-Columbia Bus Company, County Roads Department and City of La Grande Public Works to determine the condition of roads throughout the town, Island City, Summerville, as well as county roads to Cove, Union and Imbler. • We closely monitor National Weather Service reports as well as most up to date radar information available. • Our District also consults with Eastern Oregon University as well as Intermountain ESD who is in contact with other local school districts for updates on their road conditions, determinations for closure or delays, etc. • We recognize the impact on family schedules, and will communicate any decision as quickly as possible. In the early morning hours (typically beginning around 4:30 a.m.), District and MidColumbia Bus Company staff drive main roads to assess driving and walking conditions.
Hours: Wednesday Late Start 9:10 am - 2:30 pm 9:05 am - 2:25 pm
2 Hour Delay Start Time (Monday-Friday) 10:10 am - 2:30 pm 10:05 am - 2:25 pm
9:05 am - 2:35 pm 9:20 am - 3:00 pm
10:05 am - 2:35 pm 10:20 am - 3:00 pm
9:20 am - 3:10 pm
10:20 am - 3:10 pm
•All of the above information is compiled and reported to the Superintendent, who will make the decision based on the best available information at that time. • A decision to delay school two hours may be made in order to allow additional time to monitor weather or allow for weather conditions to improve, permit road crews to plow and treat roads, allow our staff to clear parking lots, clear off sidewalks, sand or treat entry ways, etc. A final decision to close school will be made by 8:00 a.m. if the start of school was initially delayed two hours. • We understand these decisions disrupt family life and appreciate your patience during these severe weather situations. While we know that our students and families are best served when we are open, our top concern is the safety of our students and staff.
What if the storm begins when children are already at school? We try, if at all possible, not to dismiss school early due to weather, except in rare extreme weather conditions. Young children will not be dropped off at bus stops without an adult and releasing early is problematic when families are not expecting it. Families may choose to pick up their children early. In most cases staying at school until the regular release time is the safest option. La Grande Pride
Acceptance & Support
Special education staff and programs improve grad rates BY TRISH YERGES
La Grande School District’s special education staff include very dedicated and talented teachers that support and guide K-12 students to be successful. What they’ve learned is that their special education programming has a direct correlation to increased graduation rates. Scott Carpenter, assistant superintendent, has been following the data related to the outcomes of the district’s special education programs. “I’m tremendously happy with our special education staff and the way they respond toward students and their families to navigate meetings, services, supports and think outside the box on how we can provide support structures and be successful,” Carpenter said. As a direct result, in 2023 the district experienced an 83% graduation rate for special education students. “That’s up from last year, and we’re starting to close the gap in terms of achievement,” Carpenter said. Of course, this is a district-wide success because special education services and support programs begin in elementary and middle school grade levels facilitated by a dedicated team of special education teachers. The special education staff at Central Elementary School includes Sara Huffman, Kristi Mendoza, Brooke DeYoung; serving Greenwood is Lisa Ensworth, Nick Garcia, Dylan Hodges; at Island City Elementary there is Jennifer Azure and Rachael Oliver; and at LMS is Stacy Shown, Kimberly Dowell, Kathy Benson, and Shannon Remily. LHS Principal Chelsea Hurliman also has an excellent special education faculty, which includes Rebekah Titus, Tina Choi, Corey Ackerman, and Carol Rosecrans. “I’m getting to know them and watching how they are trying to wrap services and programming that helps kids with IEPs or 504s,” Hurliman said. “It’s been refreshing to see them put things in place to help our kids be successful. All four of our high school teachers do a good job of that.” A high percentage of special education students at LHS participate in the Careers, Technology and Engineering (CTE) classes. Hurliman said, “It’s great for them to have the opportunity to have some hands-on skills and life skills.” Class choices, teachers, parental support and participation are an essential part in their child’s special education success. “I think we work hard to meet the needs of students,” Hurliman said. “When parents sit down and have their child’s annual IEP meeting, I get the sense that we’re all there for the same purpose. We want to help their students have a good educational experience and everyone has a role and part to make that happen.” Hurliman appreciates the extra time and effort it takes to be a special education teacher. “There are a lot of moving parts,” she said, “and it takes a very special person to fit that role. I think our teachers at the high school do a great job.” LHS Assistant Principal Eric Freeman agrees and wanted to commend the high school’s special education staff for their individual delivery of support and services to their students. “Rebekah Titus does a really good job of running our Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings and organizing our para caseloads,” Freeman said. La Grande Pride
Titus oversees the scheduling of paraprofessionals that serve special education students in their classrooms. She makes sure they are appropriately dispersed in the classrooms where they are most needed. She has built good relationships with kids, and Freeman said the kids really respect her. “Tina Choi is one of our lead members of our English department, and she is also one of our special education teachers,” Freeman said. Choi collaborates with the English department and does some co-teaching in English 9 and English 10 classes. In her role with special education students, she communicates with their teachers, relating what accommodations, services and supports are needed for each of the students. “Corey Ackerman is in his first year as a special education teacher with us,” Freeman said. “He’s been a classified staff member and has been our Youth in Transition Program (YTP) coordinator.” In this role, Ackerman supervises special education students learning job skills at the “Taste of the Tiger” LHS coffee shop. A replacement for him is currently being trained so he can move forward as a special education teacher. Freeman said he’s a hard worker and his willingness to step in and serve at any capacity is unmatched. “Carol Rosecrans works in our Structured Learning Center program with students who have more significant disabilities,” Freeman said. In her position, Rosecrans works on very basic supports to help students learn as many skills as possible to help them become independent and functioning adults when they leave school. She is known for having a big heart when it comes to her students.
Special Education Programming
Director of Student Services Erika Pinkerton is entering her third year with the school district, and she sees herself as a
resource person to represent, and advocate for students, staff and families for the mental health programs, medical services, and special education programming. “Within our special education programming,” she said, “we have developed a culture of acceptance.” In the classrooms students are also learning how to advocate for themselves. Students are taught to go to their teacher and ask for clarification or accommodations that can be put in place.
Helping special education students graduate
As district students, administrators and teachers are dedicated to helping their students graduate. For the special education students (K-12), this involves tracking and monitoring their performance and needs by means of frequent and routine meetings with their general education teacher. “Once a month in PLC meetings, we literally go student by student to see how they are progressing in their classes,” Pinkerton said. Students grades and attendance are reviewed to determine if students are on track and what help might be needed for the student to be successful. The next generation special education approach is now being evaluated by the school district. It’s called Response to Intervention (RTI), an instructional framework focused solely on student response to instruction and intervention. “This process is to identify struggling students early on and give them the support they need to thrive in school. If RTI is implemented correctly,” Pinkerton said, “we will see special education rates begin to drop because we’re intervening earlier to prevent students from entering targeted programming and support.” The future for special education is hopeful as the district adopts the use of research-based programming and utilizes dedicated and talented teachers like those in the La Grande School District. www.lagrandesd.org
Winter 2023-24
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Meeting Goals Strategic plan data review Attendance Improvements
BY TRISH YERGES
The district’s five-year strategic plan was implemented in the 2019-20 school year, and every year since then the district’s data has been gathered and reviewed to see how well the district is doing in reaching its performance indicators for each of its goals. The results are shared with the public by Superintendent George Mendoza and Scott Carpenter, assistant superintendent. “Scott Carpenter and our team did presentations for the November and December meetings of the School District Board of Directors, sharing our latest data with them,” Mendoza said. “Our goal is to intentionally review our progress and growth, or lack thereof, and discuss actions and strategies to improve our trends, as well as review priorities and focus initiatives.” The presentations included a data analysis of the district’s attendance initiatives and its ninth-grade tracking improvements for graduation. They will also reveal data on reading and math achievements and graduation rates for seniors.
“One thing we’re noticing from the data is the great work our buildings are doing to improve overall attendance of our schools,” Carpenter said. “Our average daily attendance is up by 1% over last year this time, which is great and a hard indicator to do.” All schools’ attendance is above 90% in terms of daily average attendance. “That’s fantastic,” he said. A regular attender is a student who attends school more than 90% of the time. If there were ten days, a regular attender would have attended nine of those ten days, he said. Using this measurement, last year the district’s regular attender rate was 66%, and so far with one quarter in, Central is at 76%, Island City is at 83%, Greenwood is at 68%, LMS is at 68%, and LHS at 63%, which is 6% higher than the district overall rate for the same time last year. “So, we’re seeing great results in terms of the number of kids being above 90% attendance,” Carpenter said. “We appreciate parents, students and staff working so hard on being at school every day.”
Tracking Freshmen for Success
Freshmen On-Track (to graduate) are students who complete their freshman year earning 6 or more credits (7 possible). In terms of Freshmen on Track, in the 2021-22 school year the district showed that 60% of freshmen were on track. Last year, the district’s rate improved greatly to 85%, including over 90% of our freshmen in special education being on track. Carpenter said, “The district is very pleased with this progress.” As of December, freshmen haven’t finished their first semester yet, so their credits and data were not calculated at the time of this data review, but the high school staff is working very hard to make sure freshmen pass classes and do what they need to be successful. “We’re excited for that data to come out for the first semester,” Carpenter said.
Reading and Math Review
Regarding reading and math achievements, the district adopted two new curriculums and intervention systems, new diagnostics and tools, and the district is seeing those coming online. Teachers are doing a great job of implementing Wonders, the new elementary English language arts curriculum, and they are doing a great job with their i-Ready curriculum for math. At LMS and LHS, teachers are implementing Big Ideas math curriculum for grades 6-12. Supports like i-Ready “My Path” and IXL Learning are also very helpful tools for learning at the middle and high school. “We’re grateful for the partnership with EOU and EOU Reading Center who are providing tutoring for struggling readers in grades K-3,” Carpenter said. The EOU team is using a research-based, evidence-based system to tutor students and the district is seeing tremendous growth in the students they are working with, both during the day and in the after-school program. “We’re excited with the training that EOU is providing in terms of the science of reading and the support in terms of tutoring that’s happening,” Carpenter said. “We’re also grateful for the focus on learning here at the start of the school year and we’re seeing our students engaged.”
Improved Graduation Rates
The district’s graduation rate for 2022, including GED completers, was 74%, and the 2023 graduation rate, including those who earned their GED, was 90%. For students who earned three or more credits of CTE, their grad rate was 98.8%. For our students experiencing poverty, the grad rate climbed to 90.8%, which is a 15% improvement, and our special education students graduated at a rate of 83.33% which is a 5% improvement. “We’re really excited about our grad rate and how it’s trending,” Carpenter said. “We’re working hard to make sure this year we have a great graduation rate and help our kids to graduate on time.” The report to the School Board demonstrates outstanding work by the entire team of educators in LGSD across the board from K-12. Congratulations to all the dedicated and talented teachers, staff, and administrators in the La Grande School District. 4
www.lagrandesd.org
Winter 2023-24
La Grande Pride
Fall Sports Update Girls cross country finishes with state titles BY TRISH YERGES
The Tigers’ sports teams had a strong fall season in playoffs and something to celebrate as the girls cross country team finished with several state titles. La Grande School District’s Athletic Director Darren Goodman is pleased to give the fall season’s report. “The girls cross country team won districts, and then we went to the state meet and as a team we took second place,” Goodman said. Their contender was Philomath, which finished with 66 points edging out the Tigers, which had 71, to win the team title. For the two teams, the finish was a reversal from 2022, when the Tigers brought home the state championship title. This year was a close, strong race, the kind that infuses healthy competition and a desire to return next year. Tigers cross country runner, Cecilia Villagomez-Edvalson, pulled away from her teammates to win the individual title in 18:57, with Brooke Perry second in 19:14 and Emily Tubbs third in 19:29. Teammate Kiah Carlson just missed a podium finish, placing 11th in 20:06. Villagomez-Edvalson said their performances were the result of great teamwork. “I genuinely think we all worked as hard as we could,” Villagomez-Edvalson said. “We train together and work really hard together in practices and races. I am really proud of us.” In girls soccer, the Tigers were league champions and finished with a record overall of 9-4-1. Boys soccer finished third in league and girls volleyball finished second in league. Leading a young football team is Coach Dalton Sheets. The team battled every single game this season, and a lot of young guys got La Grande Pride
a lot of minutes that Goodman said will bode well for the future. In review of the fall season, Goodman said that every team made the playoffs this fall except for boys cross country. He knows that the teams have all gained experience and skill this season that will prepare them for greater outcomes next year. “Looking ahead to the winter season, the boys wrestling and girls wrestling will be tough again,” Goodman said. “Our boys have won state multiple times in a row, and our girls won district and placed in state last year, so we’re expecting good things out of both of those programs.”
“The girls cross country team won districts, and then we went to the state meet and as a team we took second place.” DARREN GOODMAN
LA GRANDE SCHOOL DISTRICT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
The swimming team returns as a state champion (individual) with the same coaching staff, so Goodman expects good performances from the team again this year. Girls basketball is returning with a lot of the same athletes as last year, and their goal is to compete for league championship and a place at state. Boys basketball graduated a lot of seniors last year. “Almost every starter on our boys basketball team was a senior last year,” Goodman said. That being the case, this year the team will have a lot of young athletes that Goodman said will need to work hard and mature. Goodman is excited to see where it goes. www.lagrandesd.org
Winter 2023-24
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INSIGHTS FOR FAMILIES
General communication procedure for threats of harm that impact groups LGSD acknowledges concerns and frustrations over the timeliness of communications during situations affecting student and staff safety. We understand that these situations are stressful and uncertain, and for that we apologize. In the moments that we learn about bomb threats, threats of harm, general safety concerns that may involve groups of students, or the entire school, our first priority becomes the safety of our students and staff. Because our paramount responsibility first and foremost is to our staff and students, our immediate focus is to ensure their safety and address any potential issues of harm. We contact law enforcement, review our emergency action plans and emergency protocols, then look to follow them in the moment as best we can. Our goal is to quickly understand and assess the appropriate safety steps we need to take in order to increase the overall safety of students and staff, and take immediate action in alignment with established processes and procedures. Next, we focus on coordination with law enforcement, fact finding and investigation to gather accurate information, review necessary facts, review laws, policies and guidelines to determine next steps. Our delay in communication is essential because we need to gather a great deal of necessary intelligence to ensure we give accurate information. Our experience is that if we communicate too early with inadequate or incomplete facts, information, or data, it creates more problems and it takes away from our primary focus, which is student and staff safety. Our next focus is to ensure we begin to communicate effectively with accurate facts, details which indicate what took place. We then determine what steps will be taken to address this concern. Afterwards, we communicate with parents while simultaneously coordinating safety and supervision systems of support for staff and students, potentially offering counseling and emotional supports if needed or requested. Our final goal is to be respectful, responsible, clear, consistent and transparent in our communications and to give updates as needed. We consistently strive to be helpful and supportive as best as we can. 6
www.lagrandesd.org
Winter 2023-24
Reduce Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism has been a problem in schools for several years. It’s gotten worse since the pandemic. Education Week reports that more than 70 percent of schools they surveyed had more student and teacher absences since the pandemic started, and more than 20 percent of high school students are chronically absent. www.edweek.org/leadership/teacher-andstudent-absenteeism-is-getting- worse/2022/07
What is chronic absenteeism?
Chronic absenteeism is when students miss at least 10 percent of school days in a school year for any reason. This translates to about 15-18 days of absences per year, although the numbers vary by state. Students who are chronically absent struggle to keep up academically. Regular absences may also carry through to work attitudes after high school students graduate, putting them at greater risk of getting fired or missing out on advancement opportunities.
Absenteeism affects all grades
We often think of high school students when we think of school absences. They are more likely to skip. But being absent is a habit that starts in the younger grades. According to research by the American Academy of Pediatrics, at least 10% of kindergarten and first- grade students missed a month or more of the school year. Chronic absenteeism became more common in middle school, and about 19% of all high school students were chronically absent.
It’s not just skipping school
Children miss school for many reasons that are rarely about sleeping late. Kids with ADHD, autism or developmental delays are twice as likely to be chronically absent compared to kids without these conditions. Children with common chronic illnesses, such as asthma and type 1 diabetes, miss more school when they are having more symptoms. And now, mental health issues like depression and anxiety are increasing, resulting in more days out of school. Help your child get a good night’s sleep. A lack of sleep is associated with lower school achievement starting in middle school and more missed school and tardies. Most younger children need 10-12 hours per night and adolescents (13-18 years of age) need 8-10 hours per night.
Schedule extended trips during school breaks. This helps your child stay caught up in school learning and sets the expectation for your child to be in school during the school year. Don’t have your child stay home unless they are truly sick. Reasons to keep your child home from school include a temperature greater than 101 degrees, vomiting, diarrhea, a hacking cough, toothache or a positive tests for COVID-19 or other infectious illnesses. Keep in mind, complaints of frequent stomachaches or headaches can be a sign of anxiety and may not be a reason to stay home. Talk with your child about the reasons why they do not want to go to school. School-related anxiety can lead to school avoidance. Talk to your child about their physical and emotional symptoms. Try to get them to talk about any emotional struggles they may have. Talk with your pediatrician, your child’s teacher or school counselor. If your child has a chronic health issue such as asthma, allergies or seizures, talk with your pediatrician about developing a school action plan. Meet with and get to know the Attendance Resources: nurse at your child’s school. Follow the rules. Be sure you know what your school’s requirements are for when your child will be absent or late. If you are supposed to call, email or provide a doctor’s note after a certain number of days out, then do it. If we want our children to follow rules, we must lead by example. Keep track of your child’s attendance so you know when the days missed start to add up. Why is your child absent? Have they been spending time by themselves lately? Is their chronic condition starting to be more problematic? Healthychildren.org provides these tips to help parents understand how excessive absences harm student success and tips for helping their children get to school every day. Source: Healthychildren.org: https://bit.ly/45T1Don
Get ready the night before to make morning easier. Have your child lay out their clothes. Have backpacks and lunches packed. Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up like a missed bus or an early meeting. Have a family member, a neighbor or another trusted adult on standby to take your child to school should you need help. Try to schedule dental or medical appointments before or after school hours. If children have to miss school for medical appointments, have them return immediately afterward so they do not miss the entire day.
La Grande Pride
INSIGHTS FOR FAMILIES
How bad is social media for kids?
A majority of teens and children are using social media on a regular basis. Consider this information from recent studies by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry “Social media plays a big role in teen culture today. Surveys show that ninety percent of teens ages 13-17 have used social media. Seventy-five percent report having at least one active social media profile, and 51% report visiting a social media site at least daily. Two-thirds of teens have their own mobile devices with internet capabilities. On average, teens are online almost nine hours a day, not including time for homework.” By now, social media as a tool is old news, but the effects of using it too early or too much are getting more attention. Mental health issues in younger people are increasing, and social media is an area of focus.
New recommendations
APA Recommendations
Parents often teach their teens to drive. The APA recommends that they also help them learn to navigate social media by setting family rules and consequences for violations. Consider these recommendations: • Friending or following your child’s social media with an agreement about whether you will or won’t post or respond to their posts. • Setting “no screen” times such as no screens at the dinner table, no screens in bedrooms after a certain time of day, or no social media use until homework is done.
A panel of the American Psychological Association (APA) issued new recommendations for adolescent social media use in May with a focus on training young people on social media literacy skills “to ensure that youth have skills that will maximize the chances for balanced, safe and meaningful experiences.”
• Ensuring that privacy settings are turned on to limit access to personal information.
APA President Thema Bryant, PhD., stated that the panel did not label social media as harmful or beneficial to youth, but the platforms have content and features that could impact healthy development.
• Setting location-enabled services to “off.”
“Just as we require young people to be trained in order to get a driver’s license, our youth need instruction in the safe and healthy use of social media.”
• Instructing teens not to share full names, addresses, telephone numbers, social security numbers, passwords, and bank or credit card numbers.
• Using apps that limit internet access to age-appropriate sites. Psychiatry: https://bit.ly/2L3QvkO
Social platforms are powerful and can be harmful Social media is here to stay, and young people will continue to be active. This information from Everyday Health provides additional guidance for parents who are trying to keep kids safe as they use these platforms. 1. Social media use in kids and teens isn’t all bad. Teens can find positive communities and connections for social support, companionship and socialization. 2. Kids and teens are uniquely vulnerable to social media’s potential risks. Teen brain development makes this age group more vulnerable to risks. Excessive use or exposure to harmful content could have a lasting effect on brain development. 3. The data on safe social media use for kids and teens is incomplete. Unfortunately, there are no precise recommendations for age minimums or time limits on use. This guidance would be helpful but it isn’t available yet. 4. The problem is too big for parents to go at alone. Parents need help supporting their children from technology companies, researchers and public officials. 5. Talk about social media with your kids — especially when they’re younger. Don’t wait to talk to your children. Share safety information at early ages. 6. Teach your kids social media literacy. Training for social media literacy, also called digital literacy or digital citizenship, is a life skill. These skills help us consume and create online information responsibly. Every person should have it. 7. Limit harmful content. In addition to explicit content, young people should not be exposed to content showing illegal behavior, cyberhate or social comparison. 8. Don’t let social media disrupt healthy behaviors (like sleep). Online activity should not interfere with sleep or physical activity. Consider restricting media devices at least an hour before bedtime. 9. Be alert for problematic use. If children lie about social media use or hide what they do, parents may need to speak to a pediatrician or mental health professional. 10. Practice what you preach. Model healthy online activity. Children will pay more attention to what their parents do than what they say. 11. Now is a good time to take action. The new recommendations from the APA are based on research and should help parents understand why and how to make informed decisions to help their kids navigate these complicated platforms. Source: The American Academy of Child and Adolescent
La Grande Pride
www.lagrandesd.org
Winter 2023-24
7
PROGRESS UPDATE
Wildcat Center building
Multi-purpose academic and athletic center project BY TRISH YERGES
How we came to this point
Superintendent George Mendoza explained that when the district first started discussing improvements to their aging facilities, the goal was simply to improve them. However, the new Wildcat Center offers a much broader benefit to the district. “We are very thankful for our community to support this great investment for our best future,” Mendoza said. “We extend our gratitude to our staff, students, families, community, Mike Becker Construction, LGSD School Board, La Grande Political Action Committee for their work and positive support of this venture. Our goal is to update and improve our aging facilities while improving instructional quality and learning experiences. This building will allow us to have everything from high level competitions to community events. It will bring people together.” LMS Principal Wagner stated that the middle school is excited to watch the progress of the Wildcat Center’s construction. He said having a safe, inviting building will facilitate effective learning and healthy activities. “On behalf of our district, our school, our staff, and our students, I just want to say thank you to our community for investing in our kids and our futures,” Wagner said. “I’ve never been prouder of where we live than when I see our community show the support they have for what truly matters.”
How far have we come?
Teeter, who has been working on the project since its groundbreaking last June said that with the help of a couple of regional subcontractors, everything will be accomplished. He’s making sure everything stays on task. “We are completing work on the interior footings on the Wildcat Center and we poured the floor where all the plumbing is located on November 30th.”
If you have traveled down M Avenue in La Grande, you have seen the building activity going on and a huge sign announcing the soon to be constructed Wildcat Center. The scope of the Wildcat Center project involves building a new, multi-purpose academic and athletic center, including three multi-use sport courts, a softball and baseball indoor facility, space for LMS classes for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), and physical education classes. The building of the Wildcat Center was made possible through the school district’s General Obligation bond passed in May 2022. It will take approximately 15 months to complete the construction, and it will be open and ready for student use in August 2024. 8
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On June 6, the highly anticipated groundbreaking occurred with about 25 district staff and community members present. Superintendent George Mendoza and LMS Principal Chris Wagner addressed the crowd assembled and thanked them for their role in making this a reality and investing in the district students.
The steel building was delivered on site the week of November 20th, and Teeter expects to bring utilities in from M Avenue. Since the maintenance building was torn down last summer, that made way for a parking lot. Part of that parking lot may have to be used as a staging area as building materials arrive because they don’t have a lot of space for that otherwise.
“The building will help shape the minds and futures of many LGSD students and families. It will also impact the future of our community,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said, “La Grande School District’s administrators, faculty, staff, students, and families are very proud of this ongoing project, and it will be a well-used facility when it is complete.”
The contractor is Mike Becker and project leader is Jarod Teeter from Mike Becker General Contractor, Inc. They will be sub-contracting some work to companies within the region, but otherwise the work will all be done through local laborers.
So, if you’re driving down M Avenue, take a glance at the construction site and enjoy watching how the Wildcat Center continues to develop. La Grande Pride
Gifts that change lives
Angel fund boosts student well being BY TRISH YERGES
The Angel Fund was established years ago by the school district as a way for our community to support students who experience houselessness, insufficient housing, or substandard housing. This description covers several housing circumstances as Scott Carpenter, assistant superintendent for La Grande School District explains. “Maybe students are living doubled up or living in a tent, a motel or hotel,” Carpenter said. “Maybe they are in a home considered substandard and doesn’t meet their functional needs.” Over the years, the district has seen that fund grow because of generous contributions from the community. Individual and business donations allow the district to
do more things to support the students who experience houselessness or insufficient housing. “Some of the things we’re doing this Holiday Season is supporting those students with $50 vouchers to Big 5 to buy shoes, boots and socks so kids can keep their feet warm,” Carpenter said. “Kids are always growing out of their shoes.” Through the Angel Fund, the district also offers gift cards so that students can purchase Thanksgiving meals. The support doesn’t start and stop with the holidays, however. “We continue to operate our food pantry to support students throughout the year, and we continue to buy necessities as we become aware of them, everything from clothing to food or providing help for graduation expenses and/or athletic fees that might be a barrier for them,” he said.
School administrators and teachers react quickly whenever they become aware of a student’s changing needs. “I might get a request on January 21,” Carpenter said, “that a kid needs a sleeping bag, their birth certificate or immunization records, or they need underwear, or food for the weekend. We will use the Angel Fund and our food pantry to fill those needs.” The food pantry is located at La Grande High School and is open from 1:30 to 3:30 daily. Students can self-select items that they would like to take from the food pantry. Staff are there to help them if needed. This arrangement is performed discreetly. “We appreciate the many businesses and individuals who donate annually or who have given in the past to help our kids,” Carpenter said. “It makes it possible for us to be very generous and provide support to our students.”
How You Can Donate
Anyone can donate by writing a check to the LGSD Angel Fund or come into the district office at 1305 N. Willow Street and donate by means of a debit card or credit card. “For our employees, they are able to set up a payroll deduction and whatever amount they want to donate can be taken out every month,” Carpenter said. Donors are motivated to give repeatedly because they know the La Grande School District supports kids in need and that their generous donations make a big difference in the lives of these kids. Students who are appropriately clothed for the weather and have enough to eat are better ready to learn at school. That’s why it can be said that generous donations to the Angel Fund do great things for the district. If a community member or business wants to sponsor a fundraiser event for the benefit of the Angel Fund, contact the district office at 541-663-3200 for information and support in promoting the event.
La Grande Pride
www.lagrandesd.org
Winter 2023-24
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Germination
New Greenhouse erected in December BY TRISH YERGES
La Grande Middle School now has a new greenhouse on campus as of December. Overseeing the construction is project manager, Jerod Teeter, of Mike Becker General Contractor. “When we broke ground, we started demolition of both greenhouses, the fence, trees, and the modulars, which all had to come out so that we could excavate for the new building,” Teeter said. Assisting in the initial cleanup work was Brad Sunderman, plant operations and custodial manager for the district and his workers. They cleaned things up, trimmed trees and will moved the two large shipping containers for reuse at the Plant and Operations Center on Adams Avenue. Both former greenhouses were removed, so that the site could be excavated for the new Wildcat Center. The new 30 foot by 96 foot greenhouse is now located behind the retaining wall, which is west of where the maintenance building was located. “We’ve actually adding square footage to the overall greenhouse space for the Middle School students,” Sunderman said. “It’s similar in shape to the newest greenhouse, but there’s a lot more space in this one, and it has two heaters that come with the building package.” The greenhouse was ordered from Oregon Valley Greenhouses out of Aurora. They were a supplier that science teacher Kathy Nickerson said supplied the school’s first greenhouse 30 years ago and provided incredible service for over the years since. “These folks were super to work with, and they had the full package for us,” Teeter said. “They delivered the building in July, but we needed to keep the Wildcat Center building project rolling.” While the district is working at two project sites at the same time, Teeter said his goal is to get the greenhouse structure completed by Christmas. To date, all the footings have been dug and poured, and they are quite substantial compared to what was torn out from under the older greenhouses. “The new greenhouse has 56 footings, each six feet deep in the ground and 18 inches in diameter, compared to the old greenhouse that had five-gallon buckets as footings back in the day,” he said. Currently, Teeter has a labor force of about six workers working on site. They are trying to capture the water that services the 10
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Annex, tap into that, and bring it into the greenhouse area for their frost-free hydrants. Science teacher and plant sale organizer, Kathy Nickerson, is eager for that day to arrive, and she is already preparing. “I’m already ordering supplies, seeds, and plants,” she said, “and everything else is in storage in the interim. The students start to seed everything but the hanging baskets at the end of January.” Once the greenhouse is complete, Nickerson said there is a considerable amount of setup to do inside. Benches will be brought back in and leveled, and the germination station will need to be set up. “The thing about this new greenhouse is that everything will be all in one space so when we’re working with students, it should be easier to monitor them and all of our activities there,” she said. The new greenhouse is larger than both
The new greenhouse is larger than both old greenhouses put together, and this will allow for greater organization, storage, and operation. old greenhouses put together, and this will allow for greater organization, storage, and operation. “When I first started doing the greenhouse work 11 years ago, things were being stored in seven different places, so everything will be in one place now, and it will be better for supervising the students’ activities,” Nickerson said. During the annual plant sale, customers will be able to see the new greenhouse in person as they shop. Parking will be available to the east and west of the greenhouse off of M Avenue. “The increased greenhouse space and having all of our kids and all of our processes in one location is something I am looking forward to,” she said. “As soon as I get a set of keys, we’ll start setting up.” The plant sale will be held this spring. Watch for the exact dates on the school website or on the LMS reader board. La Grande Pride
LA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL
Tigers Give Back Day
Around 130 senior students participated in the annual service event. BY MICHELE MADRIL
La Grande High School seniors spent some time and effort contributing to their community on Tigers Give Back Day in October. A variety of projects were organized at locations for the students to work on. These included City of La Grande, Island City Elementary School, Neighbors Together, Mt. Emily Recreation Area (MERA), La Grande High School, Union County Fairgrounds, Greenwood Elementary and Ladd Marsh. LHS Assistant Principal Eric Freeman led a group of 15 seniors to Ladd Marsh where they planted trees and assisted with other miscellaneous fall projects. A group of about the same size went to Neighbors Together and worked hard at splitting and stacking wood for senior citizens and others who are unable to obtain their own firewood. A larger group of approximately 30 seniors were shuttled up to MERA where they worked hard at building trails.
Tigers Give Back Day is a collaborative effort of staff, community members and seniors that promotes positive interactions with the community. Tigers Give Back Day is a collaborative effort of staff and community members and seniors that promotes positive interactions/ relationships between the school, staff, students and the community. In addition, the seniors complete projects in one day that might otherwise take several days to complete. Kristy Moore, LHS English Language Arts Teacher and Senior Class Advisor, said she thinks the best thing about the day is the opportunity it provides for seniors to “give back” to the community that has supported them over the duration of their school years. “It also gives community members an opportunity to spend time working with these young adults and recognize that they are truly growing into skilled citizens who will soon become valuable members of society and make all of us proud,” Moore said. LHS thanks all of the organizations for their collaboration and all of the seniors for their hard work. La Grande Pride
www.lagrandesd.org
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Healthful Living
Staff wellness events support teachers BY TRISH YERGES
Teachers and school staff are reservoirs of knowledge and talent. Every school day they pour themselves out to help their kids learn. But how do they recharge and remain healthy to teach for the long haul? That’s where the school district’s Staff Wellness program comes to the rescue. It is a health-centered program revolving around good nutrition, exercise and healthy outdoor activities designed to rejuvenate teachers so they can continue to live healthy lives and do what they do best, teach kids. Scott Carpenter, assistant superintendent of the La Grande School District has watched this program in action since its inception. “Over the last five years, we have operated under an OEA Choice Wellness Grant that has funded district wellness activities,” Carpenter said. “It’s a matching grant where the district chips in money, and we’re able to receive funds.” As a result, the district has empowered school buildings with mini grants to offer wellness activities like a bowling night, turkey bowling, yoga classes, staff meals and staff get-togethers. Some schools used their mini grants to purchase massage chairs or they remodeled their staff rooms to include a coffee bar or different treats to say “thank you,” and that’s a chance for
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the staff to relax at different times when they are on break or beginning/ending of their day. “We have also used those funds to create a district wellness closet that has outdoor equipment that staff can borrow and use, whether that is paddle boards, snowshoes, or bikes and those types of things,” he said.
“Over the last five years, we have operated under an OEA Choice Wellness Grant that has funded district wellness activities,” SCOTT CARPENTER
LA GRANDE SCHOOL DISTRICT ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT
This last year the staff had access to passes for skiing at Anthony Lakes and/or golfing nine holes at the Buffalo Peak Golf Course. “So, we’re encouraging our staff to get out and be well, whatever that means for them, whether that’s being at a staff
meal or going paddle boarding or golfing---any of the activities we provide,” Carpenter said. In addition to these activities, the district also provides EOU wellness assessments for up to 40 staff a year. It gives them a good assessment of where they are in their own health and wellness journey and where they want to go in the future with that. “EOU Professor Kyle Pfaffenbach and his student interns have been great partners in providing those,” Carpenter said. Recently, the district offered staff and their significant others nutrition classes in partnership with Eastern Oregon University (EOU). The first class, led by Professor Pfaffenbach and EOU student intern Anya Schooler, was on Nov. 9 at the updated culinary arts kitchen at LHS. They taught the participants about nutrition and all-around health, including things they should and should not eat to be healthy. On November 30, the class met again to cook a recipe together to see those principles in action. Carpenter, who participated in both sessions said, “We were excited for our staff to be together, cook together and eat together and be able to learn from Kyle and Anya about meal preparation and some healthy recipes.” Staff Wellness events like these have certainly helped individuals to rejuvenate themselves, and the district administrators feel good about what they are offering their staff.
La Grande Pride