School-Wide Improvement

On behalf of the Oregon Department of Education, Southern Oregon Education Service District (SOESD) is proud to announce the selection of Mr. Jordan Werner, Physical Education Teacher at Riverside Elementary School in Grants Pass, as a 2021 Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year. Werner is also the Grants Pass High School Assistant Track and Field Coach and the head football coach at South Middle School.  Mr. Werner will be honored virtually in the coming month and will be awarded a check for $500.00.

SOESD convened a virtual Blue Ribbon Panel made up of diverse and unbiased panel members who represented the geographic region of Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties. The panel, who reviewed seven applications from a larger set of nominations, found that Werner exemplified the following attributes:

• a wellness focus that is grounded in research
• is a leader in his school and district
• work positively impacts students and families
• has a message to share with Oregon educators that can inspire others
• has the desire and ability to reach all students
• applies the Oregon Equity Lens in his decision making and is culturally aware and relevant in his approaches to wellness
• forges partnerships with the community to promote student wellness
• has a non-traditional approach to physical education that focuses on lifetime wellness and the social/emotional and learning benefits that wellness promotes

The Oregon Teacher of the Year Program started in 1955, and is managed by the Oregon Department of Education.  Anyone can nominate a candidate for the recognition, but teachers may not nominate themselves.  Once selected, the Oregon Teacher of the Year is also a candidate to apply for the National Teacher of the Year recognition.  The selected teacher serves as the face and voice of exemplary educators across the state of Oregon, and engages and inspires other teachers and community leaders as a representative of the profession.

Oregon Department of Education chose in 2018-19 to expand the selection process for the nominees.  The goal of the expansion is to honor teachers in every region of the state.  Education Service Districts across Oregon reviewed applications submitted from their geographic region and facilitated a Blue Ribbon Panel and review process to identify winners in their regions.  Thirteen winners will go on to be considered for Oregon Teacher of the Year, which will be decided in September.

SOESD is proud of the amazing teachers in our three-county region, exemplified by Mr. Werner, who are focused on quality teaching, learning, and student achievement. 

During the last week of March local hospital medical professionals and administrators reached out to a group of teachers, community organizations, designers, engineers, manufacturers, and doctors to come together to brainstorm the possibility of designing and producing Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) for local hospitals. They hoped for a local solution, as they waited on delivery of medical supplies to be shipped into the region.

SOESD, Talent Maker City Programs Director Allison French and CTE Regional Coordinator Brian Robin were tasked to help with this work. The two called upon regional CTE high school students who have been trained in Computer Aided Design (CAD) experience to help.  The students are currently working with high school CTE teachers in conjunction with on a “Student Skunks Works group” that interacts with a larger group in the community.

The team is organized using the Slack messaging platform where separate channels focus conversations for each product in need of support. The initial needs were face shields, n95 masks, iso masks, iso gowns, and ventilator manifolds. The group chose team leads to begin each effort, and within 24 hours, 3D printers around the valley were ramping up production of prototypes. Parts were delivered to doctors the same day, and immediate approvals have allowed face shields to begin production.

The group sourced a local manufacturer, Proto Mold Manufacturing based in Central Point to start producing face shields for frontline medical personnel that are taking samples from suspected COVID19 patients, and those that have already been admitted for care.

The Skunk Works group, including Alison French, RCC staff, and high school staff from both North Medford High School and Grants Pass High School, are working on other designs as well.  They are prototyping ventilator/respirator manifolds that would allow a single respirator to support multiple patients at a time.

Other local manufacturers, such as Erickson Aircrane and Care Stream, are also working with members of the Skunk Works Team to provide resources and connections to produce, and source hand sanitizer, N95 masks, gloves, and medical gowns locally.

OIT and Sky Lakes Medical – in Klamath County- are also collaborating with the group in Jackson and Josephine Counties, to help to provide help to hospitals in Klamath County.

“The full force of Southern Oregon Geeks, Nerds, and Doctors aren’t cowering in our homes waiting for this to blow over. We’re fighting back,” says French.

For students who have a 3D printer and are wanting to participate, visit www.talentmakercity.org/covid

“The most recent vetted and approved files are posted there along with drop off locations of completed the shields. They can sign up to participate. We’d love their help!” says French.

Read recent Herald and News and Mail Tribune articles featuring the work that the SOESD group has been a part of.

https://www.heraldandnews.com/klamath/shielding-the-frontlines/article_732af981-4797-5dbf-b087-f26c0acd045a.html

Please join us for the Oregon Math Standards Revision Review that will be hosted by Mark Freed from the Oregon Department of Education. Mark will be sharing the work he has been doing in preparation for revising the math standards in the State of Oregon.  The goal of this review is to interact with, and gather math teacher’s feedback regarding this work before its goals are finalized.

This opportunity is available to math, and CTE teachers.  There will be two opportunities for you to connect, and interact with Mark regarding the upcoming changes to Oregon’s math standards.  The first revision review will be on Thursday, April 16^th at Klamath Union High School from 3:30-5:00 pm.

The second review will be held on Friday, April 17^th at Rogue River High School from 3:30-5:00 pm.  The Oregon Department of Education and the Southern Or ESD would love to have your insight, and feedback on Oregon’s upcoming math standards.  Please join us, and see the links below to register!

Oregon Math Standards Revision Review April 16^th 2020 Klamath Union High School-  http://pdnetworks.soesd.k12.or.us/public/events/view-event/7485 

Oregon Math Standards Revision Review April 17^th 2020 Rogue River High School – http://pdnetworks.soesd.k12.or.us/public/events/view-event/7486

Competing with robots and code: Klamath Icebreaker Robotics Tournament attracts 22 teams. SOESD helps supports this event. Click here for a recent news article.

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.

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.