
Click here to review the budget.
Click here to review the budget.
On Thursday, May 16th, educators from across Southern Oregon came together to collaborate, connect, and reflect on their past year of work in partnership with the Southern Oregon Regional Educator Network (SOREN) and BELONG Partners, a community partner and non-profit based in Seattle. Over the past 5 years, SOREN and BELONG have worked together to increase Safety, Significance, and Belonging in the experiences of regional educators, students, and families. One element of this partnership is using a systems lensĀ to support whole schools with trauma informed, culturally relevant and sustaining professional learning, data teams, and tiered staff and student support systems.Ā
Thursdayās Convening drew school teams from all over the region, from Brookings to Butte Falls, representing nine schools across four counties. The Southern Oregon REN would like to extend deep appreciation for our partner schools and the incredible teachers, leaders, students, and families who are doing this work in schools every day. THANK YOU to Azalea, Bonanza, Butte Falls Charter, Chiloquin, Henley, Kalmiopsis, Lincoln, Mae Richardson, and The Valley School for sharing your wisdom and experience with others!
Reading over the summer helps students avoid summer learning loss, numerous studies show ā but even more importantly, itās a chance for students to focus on the joy of reading, choosing their own books and becoming lifelong readers.
With many school libraries closed for the summer, where can children and teens find books, both in print and online? Here are a few suggestions.
Other free sources of books and read-aloud videos (younger children):
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to ORS 294.426, that a public meeting of the Budget Committee of Southern Oregon Education Service District, serving the school districts in Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath Counties, will be held at 101 North Grape Street, Medford, OR, on May 15, 2024, at 6:00 pm for the purpose of receiving the budget message and budget document of said district for the fiscal year 2024-2025 and to receive comment from the public on the budget.Ā A second meeting of the budget committee is tentatively scheduled for May 22, 2024 at 6:00 pm and public comment on the budget will also be taken at this meeting.
These are public meetings where deliberations of the budget committee will take place, and any person may appear and discuss proposed programs with the budget committee at that time. To the extent reasonably possible, opportunity will be provided for members of the general public to access and attend these meetings remotely. A copy of the proposed budget document and the link to join the meeting via video/audio conference will be available on or after May 8, 2024 at www.soesd.k12.or.us or obtained via email request to administration@soesd.k12.or.us.Ā Public comment will be taken during the meeting.
The first notice of the budget committee meeting was published in the Grants Pass Daily Courier and posted on the Southern Oregon Education Service District website at:Ā www.soesd.k12.or.us on April 24, 2024.
Scott Beveridge, Superintendent
Budget Officer
May 16, 2024:Ā 2024-2025 Approved Budget
Two full-day Library Symposiums – one in Medford on April 17 and one in Klamath Falls April 18 – reached more than 80 library staff and provided training on topics from weeding outdated books to adding diverse books to school library collections.
Attendees came away with a wealth of new knowledge, along with new hardcover books for their collections and a tote bag one attendee called āfabulousā. āThe book talks were fantastic and I loved the fresh ideas for my space! Well worth the time,ā another library staff member said.
Sponsored by Southern Oregon Education Services District, the library events were organized by four contract librarians: Marie Fegentrager, Thomas Moll, Michelle Wardrip, and Miranda Doyle. Other presenters included Jen Maurer, the school library consultant for the State of Oregon, and several public librarians, who did a series of booktalks and shared their library resources. The training sessions were open to any interested librarians and paraprofessionals.
āI especially appreciated the session taught by Jen Maurer on collection development, emphasizing āwindows and mirrors,ā recognizing bias, representation, etc.Ā We need to hear that again and again,ā one symposium attendee commented.
A grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the State Library of Oregon provided a professional book called āGame Changer! Book Access for All Kidsā to each participant, at least one diverse book of their choice, and also treated attendees to coffee and working breakfast/lunches during the symposiums.
In addition to the presentations, library staff from around Southern Oregon took this rare chance to gather and network. āThe interaction and discussion with other library workers was also useful as it’s not an opportunity that arises often,ā one person in attendance commented. āGood mix of learning, bonding, and asking how others have done things.ā
Another noted, āThe camaraderie was really nice, especially the appreciation for paraprofessionals like me.ā
Special thanks to SOESD Administrative Assistant Nancy Hayes, who took care of all the details for both events (including the sought-after tote bags), and to Mark Angle-Hobson, SOESD Director of School Improvement Services, who made all of it possible.
Congratulations to Miranda Doyle, recipient of the Oregon Library Association Intellectual Freedom Champion Award! So incredibly well-deserved for her endless efforts on behalf of studentsā freedom to read. Thank you, Miranda, for all you do!
“I second that,” echoed School Library Consultant Jen Maurer with the State Library of Oregon. “Miranda, you were fantastic in your role as the OASL Intellectual Freedom Representative ā a calm, knowledgeable, and relentless supporter of intellectual freedom and of library staff who were in the midst of material challenges. Thank you for your many years of valuable service.”
Another SOESD Librarian, Marie Felgentrager has taken over the role of OASL Intellectual Freedom Representative. We appreciate Marie for taking on this role with the same dedication. Regarding Marie, Jen Maurer said, “youāre a great fit, and I can tell you have the same passion to protect intellectual freedom.”
Congratulations, Miranda. And, thank you, Marie!
If your bosses drop in unannounced, itās rarely ever a good thing. However, for a local principal, it was to receive a major pat on the back.
When the director of the elementary curriculum for the Klamath County School District (KCSD), accompanied by the superintendent and the executive director of the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators (COSA) showed up at Chiloquin Elementary School with her two children in tow Wednesday morning, principal Rita Hepper could only ask, āWhatās happening?ā
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to ORS 294.426, that a public meeting of the Budget Committee of Southern Oregon Education Service District, serving the school districts in Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath Counties, will be held at 101 North Grape Street, Medford, OR, on May 15, 2024, at 6:00 pm for the purpose of receiving the budget message and budget document of said district for the fiscal year 2024-2025 and to receive comment from the public on the budget.Ā A second meeting of the budget committee is tentatively scheduled for May 22, 2024 at 6:00 pm and public comment on the budget will also be taken at this meeting.
These are public meetings where deliberations of the budget committee will take place, and any person may appear and discuss proposed programs with the budget committee at that time. To the extent reasonably possible, opportunity will be provided for members of the general public to access and attend these meetings remotely. A copy of the proposed budget document and the link to join the meeting via video/audio conference will be available on or after May 8, 2024 at www.soesd.k12.or.us or obtained via email request to administration@soesd.k12.or.us.Ā Public comment will be taken during the meeting.
A second notice of the budget committee meeting will be posted on the Southern Oregon Education Service District website at:Ā www.soesd.k12.or.us.Ā This second notice will be posted on the website May 8, 2024.
Scott Beveridge, Superintendent
Budget Officer
This blog post was written by Jay Schroder, author of Teach From Your Best Self: A Teacherās Guide to Thriving in the Classroom.Ā He has taught high school English and social studies for the past twenty-four years in both mainstream and alternative education settings. Jay is alsoĀ the 2022 recipient of the National Council of Teacherās of English Teacher of Excellence Award.