Community
The open enrollment process provides an additional method of school choice for Oregon students which allows them to apply f
or a permanent admission to a school district. Non-resident students may apply to transfer from their resident district to attend Fern Ridge School District through the open enrollment process.
Interested non-resident students must submit a completed Fern Ridge School District Open Enrollment form to the Fern Ridge School District Office beginning March 1, 2016 and closing on April 1, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. Accepted applicants will be notified no later than May 1, 2016. For further information contact the Superintendent’s Office at 541-935-2253 ext. 1203.
January is School Board Recognition Month. Our school board members spend countless hours of unpaid time working to provide the best possible education for our students. Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one way to say thanks for all they do.
School board members represent their fellow citizens’ views and priorities in the complex enterprise of maintaining and running the community’s public schools. They also reinforce the principle of local control over public education, which is an important, highly valued aspect of education in Oregon.
Please join us in thanking Fern Ridge School District Board of Directors Andrea Larson, Twinkle Morton, Craig Soderberg, Sterling Pew, and David Bolton.
Please come join us for the Holiday Luncheons on Friday, December 18th at Elmira Elementary School and Veneta Elementary School. Student’s families, including parents, grandparents and other extended family members are cordially invited. Please contact the schools for more detailed information. Hope you can attend!!!!!
The Fern Ridge School District is seeking people who enjoy helping children learn and would like to become a part of our Educational Assistant Substitute pool. Educational Assistants work under the direction of administrators and licensed teachers. The wage for a Substitute Educational Assistant is $12.00/Hour. Educational Assistants need to be Highly Qualified (see below). If you are interested and would like more information please contact Debbie Moore at the Fern Ridge Schools District Administration Office, 88834 Territorial Rd, Elmira or via phone at 541-935-2253 ext. 1203.
Highly Qualified = 1) Have an Associate’s Degree or higher, 2) Have completed 72 quarter hours (48 semester hours) of coursework at an institution of higher education, or 3) Passed the District’s paraprofessional assessment demonstrating knowledge of, and the ability to assist in, reading, writing, an mathematics. Assistance to pass the paraprofessional assessment is available. To take the paraprofessional assessment, please contact dmoore@fernridge.k12.or.us.
Fern Ridge School District 28J is accepting applications to fill vacant Budget Committee positions. The following positions are open: Two three-year term positions (Expires 6/30/18), One two-year term position (Expires 6/30/17) and One one-year term position (Expires 6/30/16).
To be eligible for appointment, the appointive member must 1) live in the district; and 2) not be an officer, agent or employee of the district. Applications are available here or at the District Office, 88834 Territorial Road, Elmira. The applications will be received at the District Office until openings are filled.
The District continues to struggle with bus issues created by First Student. There appears to be a shortage of both drivers and substitute drivers, something the District feels should have been taken care of over the summer. We met again on Wednesday, September 16th, with the First Student Manager as well as her supervisor from First Student. We outlined their failure to follow the contract and bus students on time. We still find the situation intolerable and apologize to all students and parents. We appreciate the patience you have shown. – Dr. Sally J. Storm, Superintendent
Please join the Elmira Elementary School staff, parents,and students for the Groundbreaking Ceremony for their new school on September 17, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. There will be pizza, a magician, some students reading their essays about why they are happy about their new school, and a few shovelfuls of dirt! Hope to see you there!!!
Thursday, August 6th from 5:00-8:00 p.m. will be Fall Sports registration night at Elmira High School. If your student is participating in Football, Volleyball, X-Country, Cheer, or Boys/Girls Soccer, please plan on attending. Athletes need a current physical on file on the OSAA form (within the last 2 years), paperwork (including insurance information), and $125.00 sport registration fee. All paperwork must be completed prior to Friday, August 14th to be eligible to participate on the first day of practices, Monday, August 17th.
The District leadership and school leadership has been looking at how best to increase instructional hours at the elementary level. We worked with the Transportation Department to ensure that the transportation of students from both the elementary schools, and the middle and high schools would work.
Additionally, the elementary staff had asked to have professional learning communities, or staff collaboration time on Wednesdays as the middle school and high school did in the 2014-2015 school year. There have been many changes in education, and many things the state is asking of us that are new. Staff needs time to implement changes and learn new things. They need time to meet with educational assistants to plan for the students as well. Therefore, this has also necessitated schedule changes.
We are pushing the start of the middle school to a later time, and having them get out later as well. This is for two reasons: teen brains need to sleep in later in the morning and the transportation time issues.
Therefore the times for the elementary and middle schools beginning with the 2015-2016 school year are as follows:
Elementary School Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday – 7:55 AM – 2:25 PM Wednesday – 7:55 AM – 12:45 PM
Middle School Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday – 8:45 AM – 3:04 PM Wednesday – 8:45 AM – 1:25 PM
The start of summer has signaled a huge amount of work throughout the Fern Ridge School District, thanks to the $26.7 million bond measure approved by voters in May 2014. Below are some of the projects now underway:
Veneta Elementary School is undergoing a transformation focused on safety and meeting needs due to growth. Classrooms are being added to the north side of the building and a new commons and kitchen are being added adjacent to the gymnasium. Getting out of remote portables, separating the bus loop from the parking lot, enclosing the library, and reconfiguring the office to face the street will also improve safety at the school.
Fern Ridge Middle School is undergoing an interior transformation as areas inside of the building are being reconfigured to better meet the needs of students and programs. The main office is being relocated to the west side of the building and will face the parking lot to provide better supervision and security, and the classrooms being displaced by this move are being relocated to where the main office used to be. In addition, the library will be enclosed to create a more suitable environment for learning.
For more information about bond activities, click here.