News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 121
The Sisters High School (SHS) Pageant is a series of fundraisers to raise money for Sisters Family Access Network (FAN). The pageant was previously known as Mr. SHS as a spoof pageant for male students and their escorts. Last year the name was changed to SHS Pageant to be more inclusive and make the pairs a collaborative duo. The SHS Pageant is currently supervised by teacher Jami Lyn Weber and four student coordinators, Holly Davis, Ella Eby, Jack Turpen, and Jordan... Full story
Sisters School District #6 canceled school last Thursday and Friday due to weather, the first back to back closures since "snowmageddon" - the crushing snow event in 2016-2017. Even with a brutal forecast or National Weather Service warning or advisory, the decision is not made the night before. School Superintendent, Curt Scholl, said, "We must wait to make the call because sometimes the big storms that are expected don't show up. "I've seen forecasts for a day for between fo... 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... Full story
Grade 9 — 4.0 Backus, Juliette; Brang, Mason; Corcoran, Audrey; Crabtree, Althea; Davis, Spencer; Doyle, Keelan; Duda, Abigail; Finnell, Ashlynd; Florian, Victor; Garcia, Tabor; Goe-Alayon, Kainoa; Griffin, Addison; Hamerly, Thomas; Hayner, Benjamin; Kuenzi, Lucy; Lindsay, Brooke; McDonnell, William; McMahon, Kolby; Morford, Cole; Rosiello, Kristan; Ryan, Josie; Stancliff, Finn; Velikonia, Juliette 3.5 and above Benson, Vivienne; Buller, Emmitt; Carter, Caitlin; Dethlefs, Atigun; Fogarty, Allison; Gloeckner, Lola; Grimes, J... Full story
This December my father, sister, and I had the opportunity to travel to Uganda to work with an organization committed to helping people in need in different regions in Uganda. I got to experience two very different sides of Uganda, one in the city of Kampala, and the other in the village of Bugono. In both locations we were very involved with children, which allowed us to observe how they were living. On our first drive through Kampala we observed countless things differing... Full story
Sisters Country becomes a giant outdoor classroom when Sisters Middle School students venture in the ECoS program. The program is taught by Michael Geisen and Rob Jensen. ECoS started in 2014 when Geisen and Jensen were able to secure enough money to purchase outdoor gear such as tents, backpacks, harnesses, ropes, etc. ECoS stands for earth, community, and self, which reflects the three main levels of interaction in the program. "We wanted to give students a chance to learn i... Full story
One of the goals at Sisters High School is to have each and every graduate have a plan for what they will be doing after graduation. Students can turn to parents, school counselors and teachers for help along the way, but there is an additional place to find assistance: the ASPIRE program. ASPIRE, which is an acronym for Access to Student Assistance Programs in Reach of Everyone, has been available throughout Oregon for many years, including at Sisters High School. Recently,... Full story
The Central Oregon Community College (COCC) Foundation is awarding $2 million in scholarships for the coming 2024-25 academic year — an all-time high for the college’s scholarship fund. The application window, one of two cycles taking place this year, opened February 1 and closes May 1. Visit cocc.edu/scholarship to learn more. Annual COCC Foundation scholarships are awarded based on financial needs and a demonstrated commitment to educational goals. A full $5,000 scholarship is enough to cover an enrolled student’s tuition a... Full story
After a one year hiatus, local nonprofit Citizens4Community (C4C) is partnering with community volunteers to bring back the Sisters Banner Project to honor local graduating high school seniors. For a few weeks in late spring, Sisters' downtown lamp posts will be adorned with over 100 custom banners – each featuring a student due to graduate from Sisters High School and other local institutions. The project will put Sisters' hometown and academic pride on full display for b... Full story
With the local scholarship season about to open for the class of 2024, the Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (GRO), which manages the program, has announced a new executive director, Regan Roberts, who started in mid-August. Roberts is taking over the duties left by the previous director Laura Kloss who served for the previous two years. A Sisters resident since 2005, Roberts is ecstatic about the chance to fill the role for GRO, which is part-time. "The GRO position... Full story
Fifth Grade 4.0 Bilderback, Weston; Crabtree, Zinnia; Davis, Riley; Durham, Noelle; Eigner, Caleb; Freeman, Madison; Miller, Ezekiel; Padilla, Phoenix; Planty, Bodhi; Rea, Wilson; Seaney, Reese; Velikonia, Evangeline; Waitley, Damon. 3.5 and above Morrow, Xavier; Bulloch William; Dickman, Gavin; Faldmo, Elin; Griffin, Ellis; Hay, Dawson; Horton, Luella; Johnson, Hudson; Kemp, Blake; Knutzen, Emerson; Moffat, Bailey; Orange, Avery; Poulos, Brecken; Rude, Hudson; Scott, Louella; White, Layla; Morzov, Kaia; Georger, Luke; Hansen... Full story
Travel is a luxury that not all can afford. Education Tours is an organization that aids in the funding and organization of student travel programs worldwide. At Sisters High School, these tours used to be a tradition, but when COVID-19 shut down travel, the school had to put their plans on hold. This coming spring of 2024, introduces the first official EF Educational Tours trip Sisters High School students have been involved in since 2020. This tight-knit group of eight are... Full story
The Sisters School District will be appointing three community members to fill vacancies on the Budget Committee. The people appointed will serve on the committee for three budget terms: 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026. The term will expire June 30, 2026. To be eligible, a candidate must live in the school district, not be an officer or employee of the district, and be a qualified voter in the district. Candidates should participate in school activities, be a positive problem solver and commit time to review materials... Full story
Whychus Creek runs 41 miles down off the Cascade glaciers, right through Sisters, and joins up with the Deschutes River as it flows to the Columbia. Over the past two decades, the creek has been the recipient of extensive restoration projects by the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council (UDWC) and the Deschutes Land Trust (DLT). This winter the UDWC is partnering with Central Oregon Community College to present a six-part informational speaker series about Whychus Creek and its... Full story
Since early September, the Broken Top Builders Lego robotics team has been working every week with their innovation project, programming their robot, building challenges, and more - all in preparation for competition with FIRST Lego League. The program nurtures students' interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) through hands-on learning. Last year, the Sisters-area team came close to going to the state tournament with a team of nine. This year, with a smaller... Full story
High Desert Education Service District (ESD) Superintendent Paul Andrews announced that he will retire at the end of June 2024. Andrews has been with the region's Education Service District for 25 years, first teaching, then innovating and growing programs, and ultimately leading the organization as superintendent beginning in 2017. High Desert ESD provides administrative, information, and special education support services to the region's schools, including Sisters School... Full story
Sisters High School (SHS) has always been known for its creative and hands-on classes. As the world quickly advances in technology, the high school is following in stride. Just a few weeks ago a well-equipped media center was set up at the heart of the school. Junior Jack Turpen was at the helm of this project, which spanned the week-long Thanksgiving break. Turpen initially developed an interest in technology during his time as a sixth grader at Sisters Middle School. This... Full story
Black Butte School students in Camp Sherman enjoyed activities with Buster the Fire Dog and fire service personnel last week as the winner of an event through the Central Oregon Fire Prevention Cooperative (Co-Op) and their 37th Annual Firebusters Fire & Life Safety program. The program includes five 30-second fire-and-life safety videos targeted for students kindergarten to fifth grade. Videos are available by watching the morning or evening news on KTVZ, on YouTube, or on... Full story
Writing is a device that can help convey ideas that couldn’t otherwise be spoken out loud. At Sisters High School (SHS), the Poetry Club is a community that strives toward this goal of growing an inner artist and learning from those around them. The release of the book “Musings” earlier this year showcased the students’ hard work through a collection of poetry. “I’m so proud of everybody in the club. This book just gives them all their well-deserved recognition,” said co-founder Devan Hepburn. Devan Hepburn is a recently gr... Full story
The High Desert Museum recently welcomed a new animal who happens to be an expert engineer, a keystone ecosystem species, and the largest rodent in North America. A baby beaver, called a kit, arrived at the Museum in May. Found in John Day alone in a parking lot, people had searched the area for her family but failed. The kit was then placed into the care of Museum wildlife staff by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Veterinarians estimated at the time that the... Full story
How does your brain learn and retain information? As the field of neuroscience continues to uncover the neural mechanisms of memory, can we employ some of these findings to help boost recall? Dr. Mark Pitzer is an award-winning neuroscientist at the University of Portland who weaves together stories with scientific findings to help explain complicated concepts. Dr. Pitzer has worked for the last 25 years to better understand and treat disorders of the brain, including Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Last February, he... Full story
The American Legion High School Oratorical Contest is open. Sisters American Legion Post 86 is sponsoring the contest in the Sisters area. The contest is an opportunity for students from Sisters High School (and home- school students) to earn scholarships that can be used in any college or university in the USA. Students can earn scholarships totaling more than $25,000, and over $200,000 can be awarded each year. For more information, go to https://www.legion.org/oratorical/ where you can learn the details and watch orations... Full story
Sisters High School (SHS) students brought months of preparation to the stage for four performances of a musical earlier this month. The SHS auditorium was filled with audience members, the overhead lights were dimmed, and voices were hushed as The SpongeBob Musical began. The cast members delivered a spectacular performance that both exceeded expectations and delighted audience members. “I didn’t expect it to be so funny; it was amazing,” stated one attendee as they were leaving the performance. The SHS choral program had b... Full story
Sisters VFW Post 8138 presented the Patriot’s Pen Award to student Olivia Newton on November 9. Newton received a letter of recognition, two flag pins for her parents, a Patriot’s Pen medal, and a check for $400 for her essay, “How Are You Inspired by America?” Her essay follows: Inspiration: the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. What does inspiration mean to you? What historic events of our country have inspired others? Which historical people have inspire... Full story
The word avanza in Spanish means to move forward, progress, or to advance. The Sisters School District celebrated that forward progress at the monthly school board meeting on Wednesday, November 1, honoring Olivia Trotter and Mariana Luna for their demonstration of high levels of proficiency in English listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The students are also successful in their core content classes. Trotter and Luna each received a certificate and a $100 gift... Full story
