District News

Last Friday was the last day of this year’s third grade Science Experiences project that focuses on the water cycle. Students visit a local water treatment plant and study how water flows from local reservoirs to  city faucets. Every third grade class in the district spends a day learning about the science behind local water….

On Friday night, McMinnville High School students won recognition at the National FFA Nursery/Landscape Career Development Event (CDE) competition. The students were awarded a Team Bronze emblem, and first-time competitor Taylor Ames finished with a national ranking of 58th and Luis Garibaldo ranked 74th, which earned them both individual Silver emblem awards. The winners were…

Today, the McMinnville School District participated in the Great Oregon ShakeOut, a statewide earthquake drill for emergency preparedness. Every school in the district practiced the recommended action of “Drop, Cover, and Hold On!” beginning at 10:20 a.m. “It’s important to practice disaster response as a regular part of district routines,” said Dr. Maryalice Russell, superintendent…

Today, October 18, the McMinnville School District tested our emergency communication channels with a message that said “This is a test from the McMinnville School District.  Please ignore.” You could have received a test message via the following: Phone call Email Text FlashAlert notification (either by email or phone alert, depending on how you signed…

The McMinnville High School (MHS) Drama Department presents an updated version of the classic Alexander Dumas novel, “The Three Musketeers.”   A tale of heroism, treachery, close escapes and honor, becomes a slick, swashbuckling romp in a new telling that strengthens the story’s timeless appeal. Directed by MHS drama teacher Bethany Mason, the play is…

Students in the McMinnville School District performed above state average on 2015-2016 state assessments. The results are documented in the state report cards, which were released today by the Oregon Department of Education. While last spring’s graduation rate won’t be released until 2017, the most recent data shows the district has eliminated the graduation achievement…

Purple was the color of the evening at last night’s School Board meeting.  First, the board proclaimed October to be “Hands & Words are Not for Hurting Month” as part of a special recognition for Superintendent Maryalice Russell. The Hands & Words team – Gretchen Olson, Kathy Robinson, Melody Gibson, Pamela Berkery and the Purple…

In his second year at McMinnville High School (MHS), band director David Barton has been working hard to grow the music program in the McMinnville School District. Last winter, he started a drive to solicit donations of unused musical instruments so he could widen the reach of music in the district by adding a band…

School cooks from surrounding districts visited McMinnville High School today to learn about cooking-from-scratch culinary skills. Sponsored by the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) Child Nutrition Programs, the event featured training by ODE’s Chef Garrett Berdan, a registered dietitian. “This fits in so well with our district’s policy…

The McMinnville School District (MSD)’s Food Service program was on display last week when the Northwest Food Buyers Alliance visited Newby Elementary and McMinnville High School under the tutelage of Jeri Paull, the district’s catering manager. The tour highlighted the district’s use of local farm produce that’s regular fare for McMinnville school children as part…