News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
They're back...
The school busses rolled through the streets of Sisters on Tuesday, September 4, bringing students back to school after a summer break that seemed to fly by.
Students will see a few changes, especially at Sisters High School, which got a $475,632 face-lift this summer. Construction crews expect to finish up the remoding project by September 19.
They will mostly keep out of the way of returning students, though there may be some areas that are marked off-limits while work continues.
Students just entering Sisters Middle School will likely finish up at a different site. They will move to the current Sisters High School site when a new high school is completed in 2004.
Freshmen had the high school to themselves on September 4; the rest of the student body shows up on September 5. The freshmen-only day gives students a chance to get oriented after taking that big step into high school.
The high school will focus a lot of attention on freshmen this year, offering a Freshman Academy that integrates biology, "wellness," computer technology and physical education. All freshmen will take the two-period course.
Local community members have been encouraged to share their expertise in areas related to the academy subjects as guest presenters and mentors.
One of the biggest changes at the high school, according to counselor Charlie Kanzig, is in class sizes. Local option funding approved by taxpayers in November 2000 allowed staff hiring that brought the student/teacher ratio down to 25/1 instead of the 30-plus ratios in some areas in recent years..
"Class sizes are better than they have been in years," Kanzig said. "The teachers are overjoyed that they're not being asked to have more than 30 kids in a class."
Many students started their school year fully supplied with notebooks, pens and pencils and more through a donation program called "Tools for Schools."
Local folks dropped off donated supplies at Les Schwab Taylor Tire Center over the past couple of weeks.
The program was conceived by John Gross, owner of Gross Communications Corporation (103 KSJJ and Magic 100.7) as a region-wide effort to help families who have a hard time purchasing all the supplies their kids need for school.
The program was coordinated locally through Sisters Family Access Network.
FAN director Theresa Slavkovsky distributed some of the supplies at a Sisters Elementary School Open House on Thursday, August 30.
She recalled one little boy who was stunned by the gift of a new, blue backpack.
"Blue's my favorite color!" the boy exclaimed "I get that brand new?"
The kids -- and their parents -- were thrilled with the gifts from the community, which included notebooks, pencils, scissors, glue, paper, backpacks, erasers, calculators -- everything the returning student needs.
Families who need assistance with school supplies can contact FAN at 549-0155. Further donations may be brought to the FAN offices in the Kiwanis House on the corner of Main Avenue and Oak Street.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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