Gary Carpenter
Classified Employee Appreciation Week is celebrated every year during the first full week of March.
The education of our youth is essential to the future of our community, state, country, and world. Our classified employees are the backbone of our public education system. Our classified staff work directly with students, educators, parents, volunteers, business partners, and community members. They support the smooth day to day operation of offices, the safety and maintenance of buildings and property, and direct instruction of students.
Our community depends upon and trusts classified employees to serve the diverse talents and needs of our students.
On behalf of the Fern Ridge School District School Board and all staff in the district, I want to thank our classified staff for their dedication and the work they do each and every day. You are appreciated. Please join me in observing and recognizing the hard work of these individuals!
Gary Carpenter, Superintendent, FRSD 28J
Below is a letter that will be in the front office of all schools tomorrow. Please read, share and pass along. The topic is youth suicide, and how together we can support students and families. The link at the bottom is to a document that has contact information for a wide variety of services in Lane County.
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
In our district there has been a great deal of conversation and concern about suicide recently. We cannot comment on any specific students or events, but we do know that some students and parents may find this very distressing. Since the subject has been raised, we want to take this opportunity to make sure that parents have the information they need to understand how to support their children and get them connected to helpful resources. In addition, we want students and families to know that district staff are here to support them in any way we can.
Suicide is a very complicated act. No one single thing causes it. But in many cases, a mental health condition is part of it, and these conditions are treatable. It’s really important that if you think your child is not feeling well and is potentially thinking about suicide, that you check in with them and encourage them to reach out for help and share how they’re feeling. Asking your child if they are suicidal will not put the idea in their head. It will actually provide significant relief to them if they are feeling that much pain.
I am including some resources that may be helpful to you in discussing suicide with your child and information on local behavioral healthcare providers. Members of our Crisis Response Team are also available to meet with students individually today, as well as over the coming days and weeks. Please contact the school office if you feel your child is in need of additional assistance. If you or your child needs help right away, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Lane County Child’s Crisis Response Program 1-888-989-9990. These programs can be sources of information and provide helpful services for parents. If you feel there is an imminent threat dial 911, or take your child to the nearest emergency department.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me, or the professionals at the school. Each building’s contact information is below. The following link shares a wide range of resources: PARENT RESOURCE LINK-CLICK HERE
Professionally,
Gary E. Carpenter, Jr. Superintendent, FRSD 28J
FRSD Superintendent Gary Carpenter, 541-935-2253 ext 1201 gcarpenter@fernridge.k12.or.us
EHS Principal, Rick Gardner, 541-935-8200 rgardner@fernridge.k12.or.us
EHS Counselor, Brittany McMillan, 541-935-8200 bmcmillan@fernridge.k12.or.us
FRMS Principal, Olivia Johnson, 541-935-8230 ojohnson@fernridge.k12.or.us
FRMS Counselor, Ryan Chamber, 541-935-8230 rchambers@fernridge.k12.or.us
VES Principal, Lisa Leatham, 541-935-8225 lleatham@fernridge.k12.or.us
EES Principal, Michelle Marshall 541-935-8214 mmarshall@fernridge.k12.or.us
The district continues to work on our Student Investment Account Application. After receiving input from numerous constituent groups, conducting a survey, and a thorough review of our data, the FRSD School board reviewed the first draft of our planned activities (expenditures) at the board meeting last night.
There are still several unknowns, and the goal will be to address those unknowns over the next month or so. If you have feedback on the proposed plan, please do not hesitate to contact me at gcarpenter@fernridge.k12.or.us, or any of the FRSD Board members. Click here for Fern Ridge School Board Member Contact Information.
You are also welcome to attend the school board meeting on Monday, March 9 at 6:30 pm if you would like to address the board on this topic.
In the link below, there is a very simplified summary of the current plan that identifies different areas of spending, the anticipated cost, and “unknowns”. Thanks to everyone for their continued participation in this process.
National School Counseling Week 2020 (#NSCW2020) is Feb. 3–7, 2020. The week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), highlights the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems and the tremendous impact they can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. Take a moment to thank your local school counselor(s). Follow #NSCW2020 on social media.
Here in Fern Ridge, we are lucky to have have two excellent school counselors, Mr. Ryan Chambers at FRMS, and Mrs. Brittany McMillan at EHS. Thanks to both of them for all they do for the students, parents and staff of Fern Ridge.
To learn more about National School Counseling Week, visit www.schoolcounselor.org/nscw
Over the past several months, the Fern Ridge School District has solicited input from a wide range of constituents regarding our upcoming Student Investment Account Application (due April 15th), and how best to meet the requirements of HB 3427 while addressing the needs of our students.
We have done this through a review of data, surveys, and “listening/input sessions” with parents, community members/groups, certified staff, classified staff, students and targeted student groups. This data has been compiled reviewed and our initial DRAFT application is beginning to take shape. That draft, will first be shared and discussed at our 6:30 PM school board meeting on Monday, February 10th.
The district will consider all feedback given over the following month until our board meeting on March 9th. We hope to approve the final application at the March 16th school board meeting. The best way/opportunity for all constituents to provide feedback will be to attend a board meeting on Feb 10th or March 9th to hear about the plan and speak during the public portion of the meeting if you would like to share your thoughts.
Thanks to those that have been participating, and those that continue to do so in the months and years to come.
Conditions are icy this morning around the area. With it being unclear regarding when it will warm up a few degrees, we are delaying this morning, Friday January 17th.
FRSD IS ON A 2 HOUR DELAY TODAY. SCHOOL WILL END AT REGULAR TIME. NO EARLY RELEASE.
Unfortunately for parents in today’s world, the topics in this headline ARE something you need to be thinking about, AND talking about with your teen. While the majority of young people do not participate in cyberbullying and sexting, it is far to common, and the actual numbers would probably be quite alarming to many. A recent study by JAMA Pediatarics, (click here to see a report on this study) shows that one in four teens are receiving sexts and one in seven teens report they are sending sexts. Cyberbullying is also all to common. 1 in 5 students experience bullying IRL (In real life), and 37% of teens experience bullying on line. There are numerous websites out there to support parents and students on these topics, one is linked under the parent tab from the Fern Ridge School District main page: https://saferschoolstogether.com/parent-resources/
There are also many myths about sexting and cyberbullying. The most common narrative regarding sexting is that teen boys are the ones pressuring girls to send photos of themselves. However, research suggests that boys and girls participate in sexting about equally. A common myth regarding cyberbullying is that it only happens on social media sites (so if my child/teen isn’t on social media I don’t have to worry about it.) This is inaccurate, cyberbullying occurs everywhere that young people communicate: Apps, IM, chat rooms, and email to name a few.
In 2018 the district held an informative parent night at EHS on these topics (click here to see that post) , and we will be trying to organize something similar in the near future. As we head into this holiday break, it can be a good time to have a conversation with your student on these topics. The saferschoolstogether website has numerous safety and digital contract samples that can be a good conversation starter. There are many resources out there on both of the topics above, and talking about them with your child is the first step.
Over the past few months we have been working on identifying a mission statement. The district has a vision statement:”Provide excellence for every student so that each will reach their greatest potential.”
A vision statement outlines WHERE an organization wants to be, the “end-goal.” A mission statement identifies HOW we will get there.
Our process for creating our mission statement has included research and brainstorming by a group of administrators who looked at data and identified a couple of different mission statement options. Those two options were forwarded to the four buildings in our district and reviewed by each ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) team. These teams include staff and parents who were asked to provide feedback. In recent days we have taken that feedback and identified a proposed draft mission statement.
We are now looking for community, parent, and student input on this mission statement before we come out with a final adopted version. You can provide that by clicking here to take the short survey. Thanks in advance for your participation!
This post is intended to inform and remind folks about the free and reduced lunch program. Please take advantage of it if you qualify, and if you are not sure, please fill out the application and find out! It is a tremendous asset to our families and students. As a reminder, if you qualify for Free or Reduced lunch, breakfast is ALWAYS FREE! Alan Fullerton our food service director, in conjunction with his staff, have been working hard to provide healthier and more made from scratch meal options. Even if you don’t use this service consistently, having the option of knowing that your child can receive free breakfast on those mornings when you are running late, is a great deal!
There are two ways to apply. Go to this link (click here) print off the application, fill it out and drop off in the front office, or go to this link (click here) and apply directly online.
As a final reminder, you must apply each year. Those that were eligible in 18-19, remain eligible through September 2019, however beginning Oct 1st if you did not reapply, charges are accruing. Get your applications in ASAP. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Renee Ota at rota@fernridge.k12.or.us or 541-935-8218 Ext 2