Chief Science Officers (CSO’s) from Talent Middle School presented at the Promising Practices Symposium along with Hidden Valley High School CSO’s about their role, their individual and group leadership projects and the impact their projects will have on their schools and their communities. CSO’s role is to help inspire students in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) and to demonstrate leadership in these areas through a project that benefits those around them.
A Positive Discipline Workshop we held on Feb. 3th and 4th at OIT for educators serving in Klamath County. SOESD’s comprehensive, research-based professional development program empowers educators to connect with youth and address the root causes of misbehavior.
In this workshop educators learned how to:
On Feb. 5, 2020 at Bigham Knoll in Jacksonville, educators gathered to gain tools to increase attendance at local schools. Increasing regular attendance in Southern Oregon revolves around building school cultures that promote safety, belonging and mattering for all of the students we serve within our school communities. The day of learning was designed around two topics that have been communicated as top priorities by our district leaders:
1. Supporting our LGBTQ+ students within an inclusive school community
2. Supporting our educators in continuing to build trauma-informed practices and systems that increase our ability to help our students and staff stay regulated during the school day and beyond
Creating safe and affirming learning environments is critical to fostering achievement and equity for all students. This work is both personal and professional and invites educators to explore our own biases and behaviors as we develop new mindsets, skills, and practices that empower all students, including those who are LGBTQ+. In this session educators, explored: guiding principles of LGBTQ+ cultural proficiency in schools; insight into the diversity, strengths, and struggles embodied among LGBTQ+ youth; and strategies for building safe and affirming classrooms and schools for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and families.
Ricky Robertson was in town for the week to help focus the equity lens within our trauma-informed practices with practical tools for both educators and their students.
We are so thankful that Ricky is joining us again to continue and deepen the work he began earlier this year through a lens of increasing regular attendance for ALL students and educators.
SOESD proudly supports Eagle Point School District to achieve high attendance rates. Read the recent Mail Tribune article here.
This FREE, student-centered, teacher-friendly professional development opportunity, which is being offered once a month through May, introduces educators to the SOESD STEAM Lending Library. Alli French of Talent Maker City will provide participants with an engaging, hands-on introduction to everything in the STEAM Lending Library–including SNAP circuit kits, Makey Makeys, laser engravers, 3D printers, green screens, and Lego robotics. Please join us for a day of play and learn how to incorporate some of these new and FREE educator tools into your classroom, courtesy of SOESD.
Monday Feb 10th, 2020 1 to 4 pm
Instructor: Alli French
Location: Talent Maker City
Monday March 16th, 2020 1 to 4pm
Instructor: Alli French
Location: Henley High School
Monday April 13th, 2020 1 to 4 pm
Instructor: Alli French
Location: Talent Maker City
Monday May 11th, 2020 1 to 4 pm
Instructor: Alli French
Location: Talent Maker City
PDUs: 3
Note: This class is being offered once a month through May in an effort to accommodate teachers’ busy schedules.
Register by clicking on one of the event dates above or
going to PD Networks and putting “High Tech Tools” in the search field
Josephine County Career Counselors are working collaboratively to connect with Industry to provide “Career Highlights” each month for their High School Students. Other places of business such as Valley Immediate Care and Kelly Automotive have also provided these Career Highlights.
Students had a informative “Career Highlight” on Monday, Jan 13, 2020 at the Josephine County Circuit Court. We took a tour, met with the Law Librarian in the Public Law Library (yes, you can use it), met with JOCO County Commissioner, Darin Fowler, had a Q & A with a District Attorney in the jury deliberation quarters, observed today’s sentencing, and finished with a Q & A with presiding Judge Bain.
Excerpt from White Mountain Middle School’s Newsletter
Wow!!! What an amazing winter family night!! We had 226 people total in attendance. They had a great time participating in our eight different STEAM stations around the school.
STEAM Stations included activities such as Tower Challenge, zSpace, Circus Balancers, AVID Presentations, Math Bingo, Cup Stacking, Water Ecosystem and Balloon Pop.
Gracias!!
Shady Cove Elementary/Middle School held their first ever STEAM night on November 5th to kick off the start of their ‘Destination Imagination’ program with about 70 students and family members participating. Seven different STEM sessions were set up around the gym and students were split into groups who had about 8 minutes at each station. Each activity was hands on, involved problem solving, teamwork, communication, outside the box thinking, and real life application. Destination Imagination is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to “engage participants in project-based challenges that are designed to build confidence and develop extraordinary creativity, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills.” According to Amy Isackson, the principal of Shady Cove Elementary/Middle School, Shady Cove Ele/Middle is only the 2nd school in our region to start Destination Imagination with the hopes that other schools will follow.
21 CSOs from 8 different schools over Josephine, Jackson and Klamath County attended the Chief Science Officer (CSO) Fall Convening on Nov. 19. These motivated students are passionate about STEAM and have been elected by their peers to help share the excitement of STEAM education and careers. At the event they were welcomed by Quantum Innovations Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Medford to tour and learn about all the STEAM related work they do. Following Quantum’s tour, they met for lunch in Medford and worked on their Leadership Projects, sharing their ideas with each other and offering each other feedback. Some of the projects they’re working on on include problem solving food waste within their school with composting and putting on a STEAM event for their school and community.
Klamath Promise has a hired a new project manager to help plan and develop ways to increase high school graduation rates in Klamath County.
Jessie DuBose, 38, started in the role Tuesday, where she will also manage College and Career for all for Klamath County. The position is funded by Southern Oregon Educational Service District in Klamath Falls.
DuBose is a 1999 Henley High School graduate and 2003 graduate of Oregon State University. She earned her Masters of Business Administration from West Texas A&M online this spring.
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