District News

A new grant from Wells Fargo and the Portland Trailblazers Foundation will improve learning space for students in the R.I.S.E. program. R.I.S.E. stands for Reaching Individual Students Every Day. It is a behavioral growth program for students with special needs. The Take it to the Court grant  is for $6,000. It will fund outdoor sport courts and…

Noah Miller, a Duniway Middle School eighth grader, has been selected as Oregon’s top middle level youth volunteer in the 2015 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. As a state honoree, Noah will receive a $1,000 award, an engraved medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for a series of national recognition events in…

It’s not too late to catch the current theatrical production at McMinnville High School. The current show is Harvey, a play about a man and his imaginary rabbit friend, Harvey. The production is directed by MHS drama teacher Bethany Mason.  The play opened last weekend. There are shows tonight, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m….

Duniway Middle School was represented in the regional compeition of the Oregon Battle of the Books last weekend at Silverton High School. The students, all sixth graders, made it through the first round and were eliminated in the second round of competition.  The team, pictured left to right, includes Joslyn Hui, Dana Vollmer, Kassandra Matthews and Jazmine Jones….

The McMinnville High School Unified Sports Basketball Team won first place at the statewide tournament last Saturday. Unified Sports® is a program that combines approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (known as unified partners) on sports teams for training and competition. The team is coached by Colleen Rentz, Charlotte Smail…

Last week, students from the District’s Community Transition Program volunteered as helpers at the Willamette ESD annual Circus Day for preschool students in the Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Program. The Community Transition Program provides support and training for students in high school special education programs who are 18-21 years old and transitioning…

This month, EASA students received a check from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The $1,000 grant will support the collaboration of EASA and Natural Resource Pathway students who are designing unmanned vehicles to collect agricultural and forestry data. “This is a huge honor and recognition of our pathway programs taking our initial…

The Oregon School Nutrition Association has named Karin Nichols of Sue Buel Elementary School Oregon’s Nutrition Manager of the Year. The award recognizes her dedication to improving the school meal program at Buel.  Karin was honored at an Oregon School Nutrition Association Conference in March. She is in the running for the national Manager of…

Duniway Middle School sixth grader Abby Meador has won an Excellence in American History award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. Her submission, A Child’s Journey Through Ellis Island, was selected for a Bronze medal and $50 cash award by the Yamhill County chapter and has since been selected for the top honors at…

Schools are facing a shortage of qualified substitute teachers and classified staff. Positions with the greatest need are teachers, educational assistants, secretaries, custodians and food service workers.  If you are interested in signing up to substitute in McMinnville schools or in districts around the region, come to an informational meeting sponsored by the Northwest Regional…