News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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The new Outlaw Media class at Sisters High School is introducing a wide array of skills to SHS students. Many of these skills are founded on hands-on interactions, which led to their recent field trip to the Allen Hall School of Journalism and the University of Oregon. A small group of eight students, including chaperones Susan Seaney and Matt Hilgers, were led around campus by Mikala Selman, a current SOJC student and junior ambassador. The group met with Professors Kelli... Full story
The presence of wolves is shaped by the landscapes they inhabit and the humans who share those spaces. For millennia, wolves and humans have maintained a complex and intertwined relationship showcasing striking similarities. Both species exhibit unique behavioral traits that are rare in the animal kingdom. While most people recognize that wolves live in groups known as packs, many may not realize that these packs function as family units. Much like humans, wolves are among the few species on the planet that live in family... Full story
Sisters Elementary School (SES) is becoming a Halloween haunt, not only for kids in costume, but for a cauldron of bats. The bats had called home the ponderosa pines that stood tall at McKenzie Highway and McKinney Butte Road, then the trees were cut down so the school building could go up. "They lost their part of the forest, their habitat. There must have been some big holes way up in the trees where the bats were living. Every year, they come back after they hibernate.... Full story
The connection between people and nature is a bond that some would consider essential. It develops understanding and appreciation of the environment and creates space to better discover who a person is. Earlier this month, Sisters High School Interdisciplinary Environ-mental Expedition (IEE) group achieved these lessons by exploring the Three Sisters Wilderness on a backpacking trip. Guided by teachers Rand Runco, Samra Spear, and Glen Herron, the class comprised 48 total... Full story
After feeling that nature was pretty well understood by the middle of the 19th century, physics was shaken by twin revolutions in the early 20th century, those of relativity and quantum mechanics. Of the two, relativity arose from new understandings of the geometry of space and time, and could be accommodated reasonably as an extension of classical physics. Quantum Mechanics, on the other hand, required new ways of thinking not related to classical physics, including the apparently irreducible role of randomness and... Full story
Central Oregon Community College is among just a handful of higher education institutions in the nation that can now offer federal Pell Grants to people who are incarcerated. COCC was the first school in Oregon to receive approval for its Prison Education Program, or PEP, at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras. Pell Grants are the U.S. Department of Education’s single largest source of need-based funding for undergraduate students. The grants, which do not have to be paid back, typically go directly to students f... Full story
Sisters High School hosted Balla Kouyaté & Mike Block Band in an assembly on Friday, September 27. Marking the 24th year of this annual tradition, students of all grade levels attended and watched the performance - with wide eyes and big smiles. Brad Tisdel, creative director of SFF Presents, introduced the band, whom he first encountered at the Wintergrass Festival earlier this year. "My favorite thing about these assemblies, as well as the Americana Program here at the high... Full story
Sometimes the beginning of a new school year can be filled with dread and anticipation, but the new "Outlaw Media" class at Sisters High School has put a focus on the exciting potential of hands-on learning. Jack Turpen, SHS senior and AV program president, has been at the helm of all things technology at the high school since his freshman year. Last year he unveiled the Outlaw Media Center, a hub for editing, videography, and recording weekly Outlaw News videos. Over the... Full story
The 35th annual High Desert Rendezvous — one of Central Oregon’s longest-running charitable events — set a new fundraising record on August 24, 2024, grossing more than $630,000 to support the programs and exhibitions of the High Desert Museum. The record was set with help from the 2024 High Desert Rendezvous Honoree, The Bend Foundation. Founded in 1947 by Brooks Scanlon, Brooks Resources, and its shareholders, The Bend Foundation has continuously invested in the health and vitality of Central Oregon. And The Bend Found... Full story
Did you ever watch something on a screen and wish you could jump right through it and into the action? With the emergence of virtual reality and social virtual worlds, it is possible and often with surprising effects. Although we often see news headlines that talk about the dark side of technology, consider, too, how interactions in these places can improve an 87-year-old Parkinson’s patient’s quality of life and mobility. Dr. Donna Davis, director of the Oregon Reality Lab and the Immersive Media Communication program at... Full story
At Seed to Table Farm September brings a cornucopia of colorful veggies grown to feed the Central Oregon Community. Anyone who's lived in Central Oregon through all its seasons, knows the weather is unpredictable, erratic, and unrelenting. Whether it's freezing nights, whipping winds, ravenous rodents, or scorching sun, the Seed to Table farm team finds a way to grow and feed folks their nutritious, delicious veggies, no matter what. How this team of stoic, strong, and skilled... Full story
Sisters' new elementary school is ready to take on students for the start of the 2024-25 school year. The $33.8 million project, funded by bonds approved by voters in 2021, came in on time and on budget, despite increases in construction and materials costs. Students were to walk through its doors for the first day of school on Tuesday, September 3. "We've got a few things left to do," said Schools Superintendent Curt Scholl. "We're behind on landscaping." The playing field st... Full story
Late summer flowers are still blooming around Sisters in our gardens and out in the wild. If you stop to take a closer look you may see a diverse army of pollinators hard at work, including butterflies, hummingbirds, wasps, flies, beetles, as well as those buzzing bees. Many of us have heard that bees are in trouble and important to protect. But do you know the difference between native bees and European honey bees, and how both are important? Sisters local Michele Sims is a...
Forty-six Cloverdale Livestock Club kids showed at the Deschutes County Fair - 29 in the sheep barn, eight in the beef barn, two in goat barn, one in swine, and in Cloverbuds (poultry). Notable exhibitors included: • Conner Cyrus - High Point Senior Beef exhibitor. • Clover Keyes - Maddie Griffith Memorial Scholarship. • Teagan Wyland - Maddie Griffith Memorial Scholarship. • Mason Phliiger - Grafton Market Lamb Scholarship. • Jade Barlow - Reserve Grand Champion Market G... Full story
Professor Shane Larson, a research professor of physics at Northwestern University, will join the Sisters Community on Wednesday, July 31, to present a lecture titled "Astronomy Frontiers: 35 years ago and 35 years from now." In this talk, Professor Larson (who has participated in some of the newest instruments that are moving our knowledge of the universe to even greater dimensions and detail) will discuss the tapestry of astronomical technology and knowledge 35 years ago,... Full story
Fifth Grade: 4.0 Bilderback, Weston; Bulloch, William; Crabtree, Zinnia; Davis, Riley; Durham, Noelle; Eigner, Caleb; Faldmo, Elin; Griffin, Ellis; Hernandez, Peyton; Horton, Luella; Knutzen, Emerson Miller, Ezekiel; Nielson, Finley; Ohlenkamp, Clark; Padilla, Phoenix; Planty, Bodhi; Poulos, Brecken; Scott, Loella; Taylor, Jameson; Velikonia, Evangeline; Waitley, Damon; White, Layla 3.5 and above Morrow, Xavier; Dickman, Gavin; Freeman, Madison; Hansen, Avery; Hay, Dawson; Johnson, Collier; Johnson, Hudson; Pasley, Parker;... Full story
School libraries are esteemed for encouraging students to explore literature and expanding their digital literacy and research skills. This is why the Sisters High School library has made so much progress over the 2023-2024 school year. Beginning with a non-functioning and unorganized library system, Gail Greaney and a group of devoted students put in the work to create a functional and widely used library space for Sisters High School students. "It's up and running...it invol... Full story
One of the funniest and most effective ways of showing what happens in healthy soil involves burying a new pair of white cotton undies and then six months later digging them up to see how they're transformed by decomposers. The results astonished students and teachers alike when Ms. Guthrie's fifth-grade class was on one of their Seed to Table farm field trips. In Ms. Guthrie's fifth grade class, science lessons include a curriculum about decomposers, producers, and... Full story
The last day of school is always a big deal in Camp Sherman, with students marking the transition to summer by running through the spray from hoses wielded by local firefighters. This year, the students had a serious - but joyful task - to accomplish before adjourning for vacation. The 26 students of Black Butte School joined staff, community members, and the design and construction team on Friday, June 14, to break ground on a $4 million remodel of their school. SAJ... Full story
Sisters High School’s 76th commencement ceremony, held Friday, June 14, featured themes of the importance of self-reflection, and the value of community as the 99 members of the graduating class completed the rite of passage toward adulthood. Following the traditional entry march to “Pomp and Circumstance” senior members of the jazz choir gifted the audience with a heartfelt rendition of the national anthem. Principal Steve Stancliff shared welcoming remarks followed by a short address to the graduates. Using the phras... Full story
Sisters' new $33.8 million elementary school is substantially completed. There's a lot of finish work yet to be done, but the Sisters School District has a scheduled move-in date of June 24, with keys handed over July 15. The project is on time and on budget, though there have been some alterations due to increased construction costs. The gym is a little smaller than originally planned, and a planned roll-up door to the outside of the library was scrapped in favor of a large... Full story
VFW Post 8138 Sisters, presented Sophia Gerke the Post Patriotic Post Award on May 28 during the Sisters High School awards ceremony. Gerke's entry was awarded two gold flag pins for her parents as well as a letter of accomplishment from VFW and a monetary award of $400. Gerke on her art work: "My name is Sophia Gerke and in my painting, simplicity reigns, with the American Flag standing boldly at the center, surrounded by a vibrant array of handprints in various colors. This... Full story
The Sisters Rodeo Association has long been a generous provider of scholarships to Sisters High School graduates. Sisters Rodeo scholarships are awarded to students who volunteer with community organizations, are involved in 4-H, FFA, high school rodeo/equestrian activities, and have expressed an interest in careers involving agriculture, ranching, veterinary services or trades. "This year the Sisters Rodeo Board expanded its scholarship program from three scholarships to six... Full story
Since 2015, Sisters High School students have been provided opportunities through RISE (Research in Sisters Environments) to practice science in a real- world setting, and apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to novel problems. The work is driven by student and mentor collaboration, through which many students have gained collaborative research experience. This year’s SHS RISE Chemistry balloon launch highlighted the importance of teamwork and research in all of the experiments. Last week, the class launched two b... Full story
Music and community came together last Thursday evening as the Sisters High School (SHS) band department put on a show involving young musicians from a variety of local music programs. "Music and art are inherently communal. We as people are best when we work together, and musicians are no different," said Kayla Golka, director of the band program at SHS. The production included a plethora of different music communities, including the SHS Concert and Jazz Bands, the Sisters... Full story
