Information for parents/families regarding the District Wellness Policy.
The policy can be found at: http://policy.osba.org/fernridg/E/EFA%20G1.PDF
Every three years we do a triennial evaluation report, and post it to the website on the “District and State Reports” page: http://www.fernridge.k12.or.us/?page_id=5734
Parents that are interested in becoming more involved in the district’s wellness policy monitoring and implementation can contact building principals regarding becoming a member of the building ESSA teams. These teams meet monthly at each building and discuss a wide range of topics, including the District Wellness Policy.
Congratulations to Mirka Chen, the FRSD October Employee of the Month! Mirka has worked as a teacher at Veneta Elementary School for the past nine years, at both the first grade and fourth grade levels. Before teaching at VES, she taught for eight years in Arizona.
Mirka’s past students remember her fondly for the extra personal attention that she gives in addition to daily math and reading lessons. She has been known to miss her breaks and lunches so that she can take the time to connect with students in non-academic ways, such as teaching them to knit or paint. As evidence of the connections she makes with students, Mirka was invited to fly back to Arizona a few years ago to attend the wedding of one of her former students whom she had continued to correspond with throughout the years.
Besides reaching students in the non-academic realm, Mirka is also a top notch teacher and has attended many trainings over her career to strengthen her already solid teaching. Mirka and her 4th grade teaching partner have beat the state average in mathematics on the state assessment tests by 8 percentage points for the past two years.
Mirka is also a team player both at the school and district level. This year alone Mirka is on two district wide committees in addition to three school committees, including heading up the Safety Committee at VES. If anything needs to get done at VES, Mirka makes sure it happens. She stays late to make sure nothing is left undone, not just in her own classroom, but in the school as a whole.
Mirka’s virtues don’t end with her school life. Outside of school Mirka enjoys painting, gardening, and hiking. She also does most of her own home repairs in addition to partnering with her family in their commercial real estate holdings. She definitely leads a busy life and we’re proud to call her our own!
All kids (ages 7 & up) families and community members are welcome to attend our October 2 flu shot clinic. The clinic will be held at our district office (88834 Territorial Rd.)
Immunization Tips:
~Wear a short sleeved shirt to the clinic.
~Bring your insurance card (if you do not have insurance coverage the private pay cost for the basic flu shot is $30)
~Bring a completed Vaccine Administration Record (extra forms will be available on site)
~Immunizations are available for children ages 7 and up.
~Copays/Costs may vary for alternate vaccines.
Below are the links to the vaccine information sheets. If you are interested in a vaccine other than the basic flu shot please RSVP to 541-935-2253 ext 1203.
CHILD CARE AVAILABLE!!
WE NEED PARENT, COMMUNITY MEMBER AND STUDENT FEEDBACK!
Signed into law in May of 2019, the Student Success Act is a game-changer for our schools! As part of the Student Success Act, the Student Investment Account is non-competitive grant money for Oregon school districts. The focus for these funds is on key areas for improvement — from reducing class size, increasing instructional time, addressing health and safety needs and ensuring a well-rounded education. In order to apply for these funds, our district is required to meaningfully engage stakeholders! We need ALL voices in this conversation. The Fern Ridge portion of this allocation could be in excess of 1 million dollars.
The first and easiest way to get involved is to complete the survey, at the following link: https://lesd.link/FR_Parent_Student_2019
The survey in translatable to Spanish through a drop down menu in the upper right hand corner. Please take a few minutes to complete!
The second way to become involved would be to attend our Community Input Session. The date for this is Tuesday, October 8th. The exact time and location is yet to be determined. As soon as we finalize this information, we will get it out.
Thanks for taking the time to participate and become involved in the future of Fern Ridge Schools.
One in 6 Oregon children is chronically absent. Being chronically absent is defined as missing 10% of the school days throughout the course of the year. Over the last year our district has been working closely with the Oregon Department of Education to try new and innovative things to encourage regular school attendance for all of our students.
Attendance matters for students at all grade levels. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to read at grade level and to build a strong foundation as they move from preschool and kindergarten to high school. On the other hand, students who are chronically absent are at risk of falling behind. Chronically absent students in Fern Ridge perform lower academically than their peers, have lower GPA’s, and are at a higher risk of not receiving their high school diploma.
The link below has lots of information for not only educators, but families and students as well. Things such as attendance trackers and tips for “getting out the door.” Each school in Fern Ridge has these attendance trackers in magnet form, for your refrigerators, that you can use at home. If you would like one, please contact your school. Also, here at the District Office we have “Every Day Matters” yard signs. If you are willing to put one up at your home or local business, please stop by and pick one up.
Being absent from school is sometimes necessary, life happens! However emphasizing the importance of regular school attendance is an important and valuable gift you can give your student!
https://every-day-matters.org/
Custodians are the unsung heroes of a school district. They are found working hard behind the scenes to ensure that buildings are ready for everything from a regular school day to sporting events. Our September employee of the month is one of our custodial staff and we are excited to be able to recognize the dedication of Ms. Heidi Kinch! Heidi began working for the district in January of 2017 and has proven herself to be a valuable part of our district and Elmira Elementary School.
Heidi and her older brother grew up in the Elmira area. She enjoys reading (a lot), learning new things, writing, building and working in her garden. Some of her favorite creative adventures include wire sculpting, color-pencil painting, lapidary, jewelry-making, calligraphy & lettering and sewing.
Heidi brings her strong work ethic and a quiet smile to work everyday. She tells us that she enjoys learning about and using the maintenance equipment, being able to help people and having the satisfaction of a job well done. She also appreciates the independence and ownership she can take in her work. “It takes a lot of hard work every day (and year round) by all the district custodians to keep the district schools clean and safe/operational. I like to tell people that I get paid to work out!”
At the elementary school, Heidi is sometimes approached by curious students. One of her favorite conversations with one such student happened while she was mopping the floor. The student asked, “are you going to ‘swamp the deck’?”
She also mentioned that she greatly appreciates the many kind and considerate people she works with and when others recognize the effort that goes into taking care of the school facilities, express appreciation and do their part, even the smallest gesture to help out, it makes even a hard day much easier.
Thank you to Heidi for your hard work, positive attitude and attention to detail! You make Elmira Elementary a great place to work!
Teachers returned this past Monday and have been busy preparing for the return of students next week. Below is a reminder of grade level start days for the first week of school. We hope everyone has a safe labor day weekend and we look forward to having your students back with us in just a few short days! 
Elmira Elementary/Veneta Elementary ~ Tues, Sept 3rd grades 1-5 attend.
Fern Ridge Middle School ~Tues, Sept 3rd is for 6th grade students only.
Wed Sept 4th is for 7th & 8th grade students only (early release day)
Thurs, Sept 5th grades 6-8 attend.
Elmira High School ~ Tues, Sept 3rd is for 9th grade students only (9th grade orientation.)
Wed, Sept 4th grades 9-12 attend (early release day)
It’s time to register your new/returning student for the 2019-2020 school year!
Parents/Guardians please note that schools are unable to process debit/credit cards. Fees can be paid with a check or cash. Thank you!
Below is the registration information for each school:
Elmira Elementary School: 541-935-8214
Registration for Kindergarten and new students – Wednesday, August 14 7:00am to 7:00pm Please bring a copy of your student’s birth certificate, immunization and proof of residency.
Registration for all students:
Tuesday, August 20 7:00am to 7:00pm
Wednesday, August 21 8:00 to 3:00
Thursday, August 22 8:00 to 12:00
Veneta Elementary School: 541-935-8225
Registration for Kindergarten and new students – Wednesday, August 14 7:00am to 7:00pm Please bring a copy of your student’s birth certificate, immunization and proof of residency.
Registration for all students:
Tuesday, August 20 7:00am to 7:00pm
Wednesday, August 21 8:00 to 3:00
Thursday, August 22 8:00 to 12:00
Fern Ridge Middle School: 541-935-8230
Registration for new students – Wednesday, August 14 7:00am to 7:00pm. Please bring a copy of your student’s birth certificate, immunization and proof of residency.
Registration for all students:
Tuesday, August 20 7:00am to 7:00pm
Wednesday, August 21 8:00 to 3:30
Thursday, August 22 8:00 to 12:00
Elmira High School: 541-935-8200
Registration for Seniors – Wednesday, August 21 at 8:00am
Registration for Sophomores – Wednesday, August 21 at 1:00pm
Registration for Juniors – Thursday, August 22 at 1:00pm
Registration for Freshman – Thursday, August 22 at 5:00pm
Congratulations to Laurie Ruell, our August employee of the month! Laurie has worked for the school district since October of 2004. During her first year she worked as a secretary and then moved into a bookkeeping position. In October of 2005, Laurie was selected to assist in the business office and be our go-to accounts payable employee.
Laurie works hard year round to assist our business manager and the payroll department. She processes orders for the district and takes care of all things accounts payable. She enjoys coming to work because of the co-workers she gets to interact with every day. Laurie always has a smile on her face and enjoys both working with the public and completing all the accounts payable paperwork that truly keeps our district operating smoothly.
When she is not working at the district office, Laurie enjoys going for walks with her husband, Mike as well as working in her yard and reading. However, those of us who get to work with her know how much she loves sharing time with her kids and grandkids. She has four beautiful grandchildren, Maelee (5), Nash (2), Jace (3) and Dane (1) who all brighten the walls of her office space!
Thank you Laurie for always being willing to help no matter the request and for doing such an amazing job taking care of so many details (big and small) that are crucial to our school district. We couldn’t do our jobs without you!