District News

Expanded after-school clubs and enrichment programs launched this fall as part of a recently awarded $2.4 million five-year grant. The first lineup of elementary sessions wraps up Thursday, Dec. 6, and the second lineup begins in January.   The first sessions for middle and high schools run through Thursday, Jan. 30, 2019. The next sessions will…

The McMinnville School District (MSD) will join an international event next week called an “Hour of Code.” Created to coincide with Computer Science Education Week, this year celebrated December 3 – 7, the event is a one-hour introduction to computer science.  The Hour of Code is designed to demystify computer coding, to show that anybody…

McMinnville High School (MHS) Junior Finn Reuter has been elected to serve a one-year term as on the Executive Board of the Oregon Association of Student Councils (OASC). Finn delivered a speech in front of 1,500 students from 100 Oregon high school who attended the annual OASC Fall conference this month in Seaside. Also as…

McMinnville School District parents are invited to SIP Night on Monday, Nov. 26 beginning at 6 p.m. at McMinnville High School (MHS). The event, which includes four 30-minute sessions, includes two presentations by every school on a different topic. Sample topics include: “Show Up and Succeed” – MHS staff presents a session on the “Attendance…

Congratulations to district staff for winning the grant funds for the following projects. The McMinnville Education Foundation (MEF) has announced its annual mini-grant recipients with nearly $25,000 in 36 projects funded. Teachers and staff at all levels were allowed to request grant funds up to $1,000 to augment educational opportunities such as field trips, classroom…

Joel Ruden, sixth grade student at Patton Middle School, has been named to the 2019 Oregon Music Education Association (OMEA) Middle School All-State Mixed Choir.  Joel, who submitted a recording of himself singing as part of the audition process, is one of 110 musicians who were selected out of several hundred students from around the…

The McMinnville School District has launched an “Attendance Matters: All Day, Every Day” campaign to raise awareness about the impact of chronic absenteeism. The campaign dovetails with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE)’s efforts to educate communities on how attendance affects student achievement. The campaign highlights the importance regular attendance plays in student outcomes, whether…

The McMinnville School Board has declared November 12 -16 to be American Education Week. The week celebrates public education and honors the individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education. The proclamation reads: WHEREAS, public schools are the backbone of our democracy, providing young people with the tools…

This month, McMinnville Schools will take part in the Great Oregon ShakeOut, a statewide earthquake drill for emergency preparedness. The Shakeout is a planned event that helps students and staff learn what to do before, during and after an earthquake. Every school in the district will participate in the event, practicing the recommended “Drop, Cover,…

The “Kids on the Block” after-school program has served McMinnville School District students for nearly 30 years, providing after-school enrichment at the district’s six elementary schools. “We’re very committed to after-school and preschool programs,” said Dr. Maryalice Russell, superintendent of McMinnville Schools. “There’s a growing body of research that shows these programs are critical to…