News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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As a long-time (now retired) school counselor I was often asked by parents: “Is this normal?” “Should I be worried?” In answer, I would often run through a basic checklist of what they were experiencing with their child to see if any notable “red flags” were waving. With anxiety and depression being reported among young people at a higher rate than ever, it is very important to help parents understand what to look for when it comes to their children’s emotional/men... Full story
Edie Jones was selected among three finalists for the open position on the Sisters School Board at the monthly meeting held Wednesday, January 8. Her appointment fills the vacancy of Amanda Clarke who left the Board in December. Jones will complete the remainder of Clarke’s term, which is set to expire in June 2021. Jones, who ran for the Board in 2013, is a strong advocate of early childhood education and authored a book on the subject called “Raising Kids with Love, Honor an... Full story
The Sisters swim team got a taste of a long weekend — one that will be replicated when it comes time for district competition— as they pulled off two meets in two days Friday-Saturday, January 17-18. The Friday meet at Philomath was a low-key three-team affair according to Coach Bryn Singleton. The Outlaws swam against the host Warriors and the team from The Dalles. Singleton indicated that the meet was more like a practice meet in a number of ways. “It was a low-key meet, which is great for the first meet of a... Full story
Prior to their energetic performance at the first concert of the Sisters Folk Festival Winter Concert Series on Wednesday, January 15, the musical group Las Cafeteras spent about an hour conducting an interactive workshop focused on the support of Latino families in the Sisters School District. Elementary Principal Joan Warburg welcomed the families in fluent Spanish and Sisters Folk Festival Creative Director Brad Tisdel introduced the band. Las Cafeteras hails from East Los... Full story
According to a state report released near the end of 2019, homelessness among school-aged children affects families in every school district in Oregon, including Sisters. By federal law under the McKinney-Vento Act, homeless children and youth are “those who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” Oregon has one of the highest rates in the nation for homelessness among students. Statewide, homelessness among school-aged children increased by 2 percent, while Sisters’ numbers dropped slightly. For the 2018-... Full story
Edie Jones became the newest member of the Sisters School Board following a unanimous vote at the monthly Board meeting held Wednesday, January 8. Jones got the nod over two other candidates who had applied for the position. She will take over the remainder of the term vacated by Amanda Clarke, which will run until June 30, 2021. Two other community members, Kirk Schlemlein and Jeff Stolasz, also applied to be considered for the position. Board Chairman Jay Wilkins said, “I am so grateful to all the talented and capable c... Full story
A record-breaking performance by senior Lydia Bartlett highlighted results for the Sisters Outlaws in their first meet of 2020 held at the Madras Swim Center on Saturday, January 11. The Madras Invitational was missing some teams this year due to snowy weather, but seven squads, mostly from the 5A and 6A ranks, competed in the meet. Bartlett’s school record came in the 100-yard butterfly; she dominated the field, winning by over six seconds in 1:03.24. Bartlett holds school records in a number of other events, according to C... Full story
Sisters Middle School teacher Jeff Schiedler’s seventh- and eighth-grade technology class is one of two in Oregon to win the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, resulting in a prize worth $15,000 in technology supplies and equipment. Clear Creek Middle School in Gresham was the other Oregon winner. According to a press release from the contest organizers, the nationwide competition challenges students in grades 6-12 to creatively use STEM (science, technology, engineering a... Full story
It’s natural to look ahead at the start of a new year so I thought I’d help my fellow runners consider some Oregon-based running events to take part in for the first half of 2020. I have compiled a list of events held from January to June. I tend to favor low-key events in general, races that support good causes, and those that include the opportunity to see a part of Oregon that folks might not already be familiar with. Registration and other information about these rac... Full story
A heavy emphasis has been placed on mental health among youth nationally, and Sisters School District continues to focus on ways to support students from kindergarten through graduation. In order to best serve students and families, the district’s counselors are working to help define their roles as compared to other counseling-related resources — including professional therapists, psychologists, and mental-health support programs. Sisters School District employs a total of four school counselors. Kate Kuitert serves g... Full story
The 2019-20 swim season got off to a strong start for the Sisters High School squad at the Bend Invitational held Saturday, December 21. Competing against larger schools from Bend High, Summit, Redmond, Ridgeview, The Dalles and Mountain View, the Outlaws held their own according to Coach Bryn Singleton. “I was so impressed with how everyone swam, especially for the first meet of the season after a hard week of practice,” she said. In the first race of the day, the 200-yard medley relay team of Cambria Leaver, Iris Diez, Lau... Full story
A pair of Sisters High School graduates will fly south with the Oregon Ducks for the 2019 Rose Bowl against Wisconsin as workers for the U of O football program. Thomas Arends (2009) has worked with the Ducks program since his freshman year in college in 2009. His current job title is director of player personnel and pro liaison. Maggie Bidasolo, a junior at Oregon, was selected earlier this month as one of four interns with the program to assist during the Rose Bowl week.... Full story
A screening of the documentary “Angst” on Monday, December 9, at Sisters Middle School was part of an outreach to parents and community members by the Sisters School District. The focus in Angst, an IndieFlix Original, centers on defining anxiety and exploring its impact on youth while also providing practical information on how to learn to cope with and live with this sometimes debilitating condition. According to its website, the producers of Angst state their goal “is to help people identify and understand the sympt... Full story
Josh Nordell and his Life Skills students have a “can-do” attitude when it comes to helping raise money for their program at Sisters High School. He and his students have set up a trailer container at the school for donors to drop off returnable cans and bottles. Nordell explained, “The money raised goes right into programming for students in the Life Skills and the transition program that serves kids until they are 21. This funding supports day-to-day operations such as le... Full story
David Thorsett was officially sworn in to the Sisters School Board in the seat vacated last month by Nikki Gregg as the first order of business at the monthly board meeting held Wednesday, December 11, at the school district office. Board chair Jay Wilkins explained that Thorsett was selected to the board from among six “incredibly qualified” applicants for the opening. Since Gregg’s resignation, Amanda Clark also stepped down and the board will review applications for her rep... Full story
Sisters High School junior Jack Ogan has dedicated hours to his musical craft as a tuba player, resulting in many opportunities, including honor band selection. Recently his stock rose further when he was invited to travel to Australia in the summer of 2020 for the Pacific Honours Ensemble Program (PHEB). Ogan, who has been involved in the Sisters School District music program since middle school, is the band president. Ogan attended the Western International Band Clinic... Full story
The Sisters High School girls and boys swim teams have begun preparation for the first meet of the season, set for Saturday, December 21 at the Bend Invitational, and Head Coach Bryn Singleton feels excited and grateful for the upcoming campaign. The girls team lost some firepower to graduation, but senior Lydia Bartlett returns as one of the top freestyle swimmers in the state among 1A/2A/3A/4A classifications. Other returnees include Laura Clem, Iris Diez, and Cambrie Leaver, who are all working to improve on their times... Full story
Some might call it a “slice of heaven.” What could be better as a runner? Get up early on Thanksgiving morning, layer on your cold-weather athletic gear and go to a running event called “I Like Pie,” where after chugging around snowy trails in the Old Mill District you are offered a piece of freshly baked pie? That is what I and some family and friends did for the first time this year, and the event may very well become a new tradition. I Like Pie, sponsored by FootZon... Full story
Sisters High School senior Lydia Bartlett has signed a letter of intent to swim for the NCAA Division 1 California Baptist Lancers. California Baptist University, located in Riverside, has an undergraduate population of about 7,000 students. Bartlett has had an accomplished career through three seasons of swimming for the Outlaws and is considered one of the top 4A/3A/2A/1A swimmers returning for the 2019-20 high school season. Bartlett placed second in last year’s OSAA S... Full story
A matinee performance Sunday, November 17 concluded the four-performance run of the Sisters High School musical “Freaky Friday,” and by all accounts the show was a great success. Directed by Rick Johnson, the musical included a large cast made up of Sisters High School’s choir students and included live music from the high school band as well as set design from students in the art program. In all, Johnson estimated nearly 70 students had some hand in the play’s product... Full story
As students enter the final year or so of high school they are often peppered with the same questions: “What are you going to do after you graduate?” “Where are you going to college?” “Do you plan to apply for scholarships?” Rick Kroytz works daily at Sisters High School to help make sure students have answers to those questions. As the coordinator for ASPIRE (Access to Student Assistance Programs in Reach of Everyone) he helps match students to mentors, oversees college cou... Full story
The OSAA Cross Country State Championships turned out to be historic for Sisters High School runners Ella Thorsett and John Peckham — and for the boys’ team. Before the day was done the Outlaws had two individual champions and a second-place team trophy for the boys team. No Outlaws runner had ever claimed the individual title in cross-country, but freshman Ella Thorsett changed that with a record-breaking run in a blistering time of 17:43. About an hour later, John P... Full story
Sisters High School (SHS) senior Toma Prichard has been named a National Merit Semi-Finalist by the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC), in conjunction with the College Board. Prichard is among approximately 160 Oregon students to earn this distinction based on his Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) scores from last year. Prichard’s scores on the PSAT rank him within the top 1 percent of over 1.5 million juniors who took the PSAT in 2018. His score on the SAT w... Full story
After a number of close calls this season, the Outlaws boys cross-country team finally got the best of the Philomath Warriors as the two teams battled hammer and tongs at the Oregon West District Cross-Country Championships held on Saturday, November 2 at Stayton. Sisters edged Philomath behind the 1-2 punch of John Peckham and Will Thorsett and a timely season-best by Ethan Hosang. “All seven of our guys ran great, but we really got a boost in particular from Ethan t... Full story
Ella Thorsett and Kate Bowen have punched their tickets to run at this Saturday’s OSAA Oregon State Cross-Country Championships. The full Outlaws team fell just short of qualifying after placing third at the Oregon West District meet held November 2 at Stayton. Philomath’s Hannah Hernandez dictated the pace of the race, biding her time to move away from Thorsett and Bowen for the win in 18:54. The victory made it four in a row for the Philomath senior. Thorsett placed sec... Full story
