Due to new restrictions from Governor Kate Brown, the FRSD Board of Directors will be meeting virtually during tonight’s schedule school board session.
Public comment can be emailed to mcook@fernridge.k12.or.us and any comments received by 4:00 pm will be read into record during the meeting. Please ensure that your full name and address is included and that the material can be read within the three minute time limit
Meeting Information:
Topic: November 16, 2020 School Board Meeting
Time: Nov 16, 2020 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://fernridge-k12-or-us.zoom.us/j/84436142479
Meeting ID: 844 3614 2479
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,84436142479# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,84436142479# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 844 3614 2479
Find your local number: https://fernridge-k12-or-us.zoom.us/u/kwN6qHjg
With winter approaching, I wanted to share our current plans should a school closure be necessary. If the District closes for weather (snow, ice, loss of power, etc..) there will NOT be any remote classes for that first day. However, this is only a 100% commitment on the first day of the closure. On day 1 of a closure due to weather we will let our students and families enjoy the excitement of a no-school day. As that day progresses and we look at the possible length of a closure, teachers and administrators will get together to discuss if we will resume virtual/remote classes, and if so when and for what grades. Please pass along this information to anyone that needs it.
A reminder that our “Emergency Information” page can be found here: https://www.fernridge.k12.or.us/?page_id=478
At this page you can sign up for Flash Alert Notifications (updated 2020 snow routes coming) https://www.flashalert.net/login/. On the morning of a weather delay, we will also post information on the website, social media, and do a district wide phone dialer.
Below is a a graphic that describes the current metrics in Lane County, as well as the different models of instruction schools need to be working towards depending on the current county health data. You can see that in Lane County, we are currently in the orange “transition” phase.
The updated numbers come out every Monday evening. If the numbers move to the yellow “On-Site and Distance Learning” column on Monday the 16th (and stay there), we will look to return K-3 students in an all day A/B model the Tuesday following the Thanksgiving Break, with 4th and 5th graders returning the following week, December 8th.
Each week that the metrics stay where they are at or go higher, this return date will get pushed out. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your building administrator.
Greetings students and parents of Kindergarten-5th grade students (EES, VES and OPTIONS).
To improve the usability and security of our student’s computer accounts, elementary students will be assigned new passwords on their district account. The new passwords will be easy to remember and will ensure that students will be able to more easily access their accounts. Teachers will be contacting families with the new passwords today and tomorrow (Nov 9th and 10th), via their normal means of communication. Please be on the lookout for this new information. Beginning the morning of Thursday, Nov 12th, passwords will switch and old passwords will not work.
Students who are locked out of their accounts on Thursday morning can get their passwords by calling the school directly or by calling the student tech support line at 541-952-7030.
A reminder to our families that meals for the week (lunches and breakfasts) can be ordered and then picked up every Monday night from 5-6 PM at EHS. For details regarding that program you can view an earlier post at: https://www.fernridge.k12.or.us/?p=10449.
We are also pleased to announce that we WILL be able to offer this the week of Thanksgiving, on Monday November 23rd (there is NO SCHOOL at all that week). We will take orders beginning Monday, November 9th and continue through Wednesday November 18th. You can place your order (just need last name and number of children ages 0-18) by either emailing our food service director at afullerton@fernridge.k12.or.us, or by calling your local school and asking them to forward the information to Mr. Fullerton. Once your order is places you just need to show up at EHS between 5:00 and 6:00 PM on the 23rd to receive the meals.
Pre-ordering allows the food service staff to order the right amount of product, and ensure nothing is going to waste! We hope that many families will participate! Any questions, you can also call Mr. Fullerton at 541-935-8218.
Our November employee of the month has been a teacher in our district for a little over a year, but the impact she has made in that time has been substantial.
Heather Hohnstein is a Language Arts teacher at Fern Ridge Middle School. She and her husband of 21 years, Phil, have a 2.5-year-old white German Shepard named Rylee. Her parents live in Roseburg, and she is an only child. When not at school, Mrs. Hohnstein enjoys reading, gardening, baking, cooking, and bike rides.
At the middle school, Mrs. Hohnstein teaches sixth grade Language Arts and works with the structured Options students to help facilitate their Language Arts classes. In addition to her teaching duties, she also leads the school Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports team.
When asked what her favorite thing about her job is, she said, “that’s a tough one; it’s a tie between the amazing people I work with and our students. The people I work with help me become a better teacher, a better colleague, a better employee, and a better person. It’s hard to explain, but I’ve never been in a district where everyone genuinely cares about one another and has a vested interest in doing what’s best for every student.”
Mrs. Hohnstein has proven herself to be a talented educator and invaluable resource in her time here in our district. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.
As we start into the cold and flu season I would like to remind everyone that it is important to keep students and staff home if they show any symptoms of being ill. This is a good time to rethink being sick. “It is just a cold,” “I don’t feel well but I am going to work anyway.” Do these sound familiar? Ever notice that when one person goes to work or school when they do not feel well, everyone around that person then gets sick also?
The following are symptoms of a viral illness:
🌡️Fever
🥶Chills
😔Fatigue (extreme tiredness)
😟Muscle or body aches (not related to exercise)
🤕Headache
😝Sore throat
🤧 Congestion or runny nose
🤭Cough
🤢Nausea or vomiting
😳Diarrhea
It is important to stay home if there are any symptoms of any illness. Remember the basics of preventing disease:
~Practice healthy habits which includes getting enough sleep 😴, drinking water 🥛 and eating healthy foods 🍎
~Get the flu vaccination 💉
~Cough into your sleeve or elbow 👍
~And most important; wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently 🧼
~Help the school community reduce the spread of illness this school year. 😷
Nurse Teresa
FRSD Students and families,
Earlier today, Governor Kate Brown announced new metrics that specify when schools can return for in-person learning. The new metrics reflect updated research and CDC recommendations and are consistent with those being used by many other states which are successfully holding school in-person. These metrics are more relaxed and will allow for in-person learning to resume sooner and for more students than was previously allowed.
Although Lane County’s COVID-19 case rate is still too high for us to welcome students back to school, because the standards have been eased, we are closer to reopening our schools. As you will see in the metrics, the elementary grades (with a focus on the primary grades) are prioritized. However, the county metrics have been relaxed for all grades, and the state positivity rate requirement has been eliminated. We will continue to monitor the local metrics and share information with our students and families as those metrics indicate the ability to resume in-person learning. Once metrics allow, the transition will not happen overnight. We will prepare and communicate with all of our families before beginning any transition to an in-person learning option for our students and families.
If you have questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the district office, or your building administrator.
Gary E. Carpenter, Jr., Superintendent FRSD 28J
This fall brought some changes to the FRSD school board. Director Jeb Flowers, made the difficult decision to resign from his role on the Board due to changes with his work. Mr. Flowers began serving on the board in August of 2018. He brought a unique perspective to our meetings and is passionate about supporting the career and technical education opportunities for students in this district.
We would like to thank Mr. Flowers for the time and effort he dedicated to our school community and his family for supporting him in his position. Thank you!
The school board received three excellent applications for the open position and after consideration, appointed Jackie Turle as Mr. Flower’s replacement.
Ms. Turle has been a member of this community for over twenty years and has served as an assistant principal of the high school and middle school and was the principal of Elmira Elementary School. She has also worked with higher education as a Department Chair at Linn-Benton Community College, a Director of Community Education, and the Director of the Business and Training Center.
Ms. Turle is a skilled educator who will bring a depth of experience and knowledge to our FRSD Board of Directors. We look forward to working with our school board as we all continue to navigate one of the biggest challenges we have faced in public education.
Greetings students and parents of 6th-8th grade students (both FRMS and OPTIONS)
To improve the usability and security of our student’s computer accounts, students will be prompted to set new passwords on their district account. That prompt will go out first thing Thursday morning (Oct 29th). Beginning Thursday morning, when students log into their chromebook or google account with their current password they will be asked to create a new password to continue.
Students should choose a password they can remember, write it down and store it somewhere safe. They will need that new password to log in, and are responsible for remembering it and keeping it secure.
Students who do lock themselves out of their accounts can get their passwords reset by calling the school directly or by calling the student tech support line at 541-952-7030.
NOTICE: We have completed this process for H.S. students already, and will be moving to a similar process for elementary students at some point next week.