La Grande Pride June 2024

From the Superintendent’s Desk

George Mendoza

LA GRANDE SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT

Dear La Grande School District Community, Summer Break is nearly here, and it has been a remarkable school year for many of our staff and students, including myself. As we approach the end of the 2023-2024 school year, I am eager for a smooth conclusion.

Our high school, middle school, and elementary schools look forward to seeing you again next year and we are thankful for your support and collaboration to ensure we provide the best education possible for all students. As you move towards summer plans, please ensure your students read and spend time with great friends and loved ones. Please watch out for students’ phone and technology screen time use and keep them active this summer!

Spring Updates:

Teacher Appreciation Week: Recently, we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-10). It was a week filled with activities across all our schools to recognize and acknowledge the incredible work our teachers do every day. Their efforts impact the lives of all students and extend far beyond the classroom. Thank you to all LGSD educators for your outstanding dedication and hard work!

La Grande High School Choir Triumph: La Grande High School choir won 1st place in the OSAA 4A championships on May 2, 2024. This marks the their 5th state choir championship in a row; 9 state championships over the last 15 years. Congratulations to Director Kevin Durfee, Kascie Durfee and all the choir students who participated.

Outdoor School Success: This year our La Grande Middle School 6th graders attended Camp Elkanah for an enriching outdoor learning experience. They engaged in three full days of education provided by experts from the US Forest Service and Oregon Fish and Wildlife, alongside games and other activities.

La Grande High School Sports: La Grande High School Boys and Girls Track teams both placed 4th place overall in the OSAA 4A championships on May 18th. Our Boys Baseball team made it to the state playoffs and lost in the first round; Our LHS Girls Softball team made it to the semi-finals and lost to Pendleton.

Athletic and Activities Achievements: This school year our teams have won state first place titles in Choir and Girls Wrestling, and placed in the state top 4 in many other sports (Cross Country, Swimming, Wrestling, Track, etc) We have many student’s with talent and dedication.

Wildcat Center Update: We are progressing on schedule with flooring, netting, drop-down curtains, hoops, furniture, and signage. Budget updates will follow.

Graduation Rate: Our projected graduation diploma rate is over 92%, with a 4-year completer rate well above 90%. Our state assessment results indicate we are performing well, typically exceeding state averages.

Thank you for being part of our school community. Let’s finish the school year strong and enjoy the upcoming summer!

MORE GRADUATES PLANS

If you are attending college next year, where will you be attending and what do you plan to major in?

This publication serves as a platform to keep our community informed and connected to the school district. We appreciate your involvement and support Should you wish to contact me my phone number is 541-663-3201; email: george.mendoza@ lagrandesd.org

I will attend college in Idaho and major in mechanical engineering.

What are your plans after high school? What are your career goals?

I am going to college at Boise State University to major in international business. I wish to advocate for those struggling with disabilities like me.

I will attend Boise State University for Radiological Sciences.

I will attend college to study chemistry to become a dermatologist.

I am going to a language school in a foreign country.

I plan on working to become a certified journeyman in construction.

I will attend Utah State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. My career goal is to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

I will attend Treasure Valley Community College to get a business degree and then go to beauty school in Idaho.

I plan to work for Union Pacific Railroad. I will attend college to become a Special Education teacher.

I am attending Oregon State University for accounting. I plan to obtain my CPA license and own my own accounting firm.

I plan to become a pipeline welder and live out my life one day at a time.

I plan to major in child psychology and humanities, finding a career where I can help other children.

I want to be happy to go to work and enjoy my life.

I will be serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

I will attend EOU and then OSU to earn a degree in Geophysics and Piano. I would like to become a research scientist in the field of Geophysics.

I will attend BYU Idaho in Music Education and Genetics. I plan to be a stay-at-home mom and then teach music once my kids graduate.

I will attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach to major in Aeronautical Science to become a commercial pilot.

I am going into the military.

2024 CRYSTAL APPLE AWARDS

2024 Crystal Apple Awards

Carla Arnold

Carla is the Music Teacher at Central Elementary School and has worked for the district for 29 years. In her multiple nominations, what shines through is her dedication and passion for inspiring a love for music and learning music in countless students. Her creative approach makes learning fun and engaging, while considering individual strengths and interests. Over the years, Carla has assisted with school assemblies, sing-a-alongs and teaching audience behavior. She has been a role model and leader for newer music teachers. Carla started and developed the district’s amazing Fiddle Club. “She has been integral in keeping music education alive and robust in the La Grande School District and has impacted generations of students in our area.”

Kinsey Smith

Kinsey is a Reading Teacher at Greenwood Elementary School and has worked for the La Grande School District for 15 years. Phrases used to describe Kinsey include “a top-tier educator with an exceptional attitude that supports teamwork and collaboration,” “continually strives for excellence in her position” and uses “data to drive instruction and practices and teaching the whole child.” Kinsey builds strong relationships with parents so they can learn the skills necessary to support their child’s educational needs. Kinsey also supports new teachers by offering to model reading strategy lessons in classrooms. A driving force to improve reading instruction at Greenwood, her work has led to reading growth across grade levels.

Kristi Mendoza

Kristi is a Special Education Teacher at Central Elementary School and has worked six years for the district. Tireless in her support of students and their families, she works hard to ensure student success and growth. Kristi is adept at finding multiple solutions for problems. Her ability to connect with all students and support their individual needs makes her an exemplary teacher. Kristi’s knowledge, compassion and dedication are all qualities she demonstrates daily inside and outside of her classroom. One parent commented that Kristi does an amazing job of communicating effectively about what is happening with their student while at school. “Central Elementary special education students and their families are very lucky to have Kristi on our team.”

Micah Tibbetts

Micah is a Data Specialist in the District Office and has worked for LGSD for eight years. She has taught every secretary in the district how to operate the data systems with ease, creating spreadsheets for tracking graduation rates, attendance and school incentive programs. Her knowledge and patience are evident when answering questions, solving problems and supporting school secretaries. One nominator commented that Micah’s contribution may get overlooked as a vital part of student success because she is not always in school buildings, but “We are very lucky to have Micah in our district. The honest truth is that without her, the rest of us wouldn’t be able to do so much of what we do.”

2024 Legacy Award

Lisa Foggia

Lisa is the Electives Teacher at La Grande Middle School and has worked for the district for 20 years. She teaches a wide variety of classes ranging from art to reading enrichment, dedicating many hours of preparation to ensure that each student has a wonderful learning experience. Always happy and smiling, Lisa is a teacher who students and staff enjoy being around and learning from. One class she teaches is Real Life for sixth graders, which helps students learn important lessons, including manners, which benefits them for their entire lives. This is Lisa’s last year at LMS and she will be greatly missed!

SPORTS & ACTIVITIES RECAP

Sports

Girls’ Cross Country - 2nd @ State

Girls’ Soccer - GOL Champions

Boys’ Basketball - 2nd in Greater Oregon League (GOL)

Girls’ Basketball - District Champions

Boys’

Swimming

• 3rd @ State

• State Champion in 500 Freestyle: Zane Ricker

Girls’ Swimming

• 2nd @ State

• State Champions in 200 Medley Relay: Hannah Zamora, Rinnah Lynch, McKinley Kruse and Shiloh Lynch

• Coach Cheyenne Maszk selected as Coach of the Year

Girls’ Wrestling

• 13 Qualifiers for State; new state record for state qualifiers from one team

• Three Individual District Champions: Kierstyn Azure, Maleigha Azure, Kaitlin Brock

• 4A State Champions

• Lyndie Isaacson Individual State Champion

• Coach Krystal Fabricante was selected Coach of the Year

• Assistant Coach Rusty Gulzow was Assistant Coach of the Year

Boys’ Wrestling

• 12 Qualifiers for State

• 6 District Champions: Bragen Anderson, Kai Carson, Tommy Belding, Riley Krantz, Ridge Kehr, Kenai Huff

• Individual State Champions: Kai Carson, Ridge Kehr, Tommy Belding Choir

• LHS A Cappella Choir were 4A State Champions for the fifth year in a row

Band

• LHS Wind Ensemble placed 4th at the Oregon State Band Championships

Congratulations to all of these LHS students and thank you for representing LGSD so well

FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America)

These students placed at State:

• Agribusiness: 4th - Natasha Lane

• Business Law: 2nd - Carson Taylor

• Economics: 3rd - Spencer Hanna

• Hospitality and Event Management: 3rd - Madeline Burton

• Impromptu Speaking: 6th- Bryce Wagner

• Introduction to Event Planning: 2nd - Irelyn Collins, Karli Kretchmer, Mattison Wolcott

• Introduction to FBLA: 2nd - Irelyn Collins

• Introduction to Marketing Concepts: 1st - Miri Koltuv

• Marketing: 6th - Noah Spence/Carson Taylor

• Public Policy and Advocacy: 1st - Bryce Wagner

• Public Policy and Advocacy: 8th - Miri Koltuv

• Sales Presentation: 9th - Dallin Perry and Natasha Lane

• Sports and Entertainment Management: 6th - Cooper Huxoll, Gavin Winegar, Dallin Perry

Coach Cheyenne Maszk honored

The coach for La Grande High School’s Girls’ Swim Team was recently honored by the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association as Coach of the Year for girls’ swimming for 4A-1A.

Cheyenne Maszk said the award is really special to her. “Coaching is a true joy and passion for me. Swimming has always been part of who I am, and I love spreading that passion to the next generation. The kids are all so amazing and talented, and it is an honor to be part of their team,” Maszk said.

Coach Maszk said her favorite part of coaching youth is celebrating with them. “And I don’t just mean their wins, although those are amazing and special, but I mean when they accomplish something they didn’t think they could or they overcome fears or insecurities. I love that look of pride and joy on their faces.”

Maszk received her award at an event in May.

SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM

The La Grande School District has great news for students and their families this summer! Last year, the Summer Lunch Program was so successful that the district is going to DOUBLE the number of sites for Summer 2024.

Starting on June 17, 2024, a grab and go sack meal with a complete breakfast and lunch will be available to be picked up at these locations:

• Central Elementary School • Greenwood Elementary School • Island City Elementary School • Pioneer Park

Monday through Friday from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Oregon Meals

According to Lindsey Meinhard, Food Service Manager for La Grande SD, the time for food pick-up this year was adjusted as a result of parent feedback from last summer.

Meals are FREE to all kids and teens 1-18 years of age. No sign up required--just show up!

Parents, guardians and siblings can pick up meals for their households. Daycares and babysitters must have all the children eating in attendance at pick-up.

If your child has special dietary needs or you have any questions, please contact Meinhard at 541-663-3229, lindsey.meinhard@lagrandesd.org

We can’t wait to see you this summer!

Free for All Kids and Teens ages 1 through 18

Grab and Go Breakfast and Lunch from 11:30-12:30 at Central Elementary School

sign-up, paperwork or cost - just show up!

SPRING FIELD TRIPS

Fire School Field Trip

La Grande High School

Birdtrack Springs Campground

April 25, 2024

Book Buddies

Ms. Tina Choi’s Connections Lab went to Central Elementary as book buddies with Mrs. Jordann DeWitt’s first grade class.This was the first time these classes were together and was a great chance for students from the two buildings to connect. The younger students and older students both read to each other, and Mrs. DeWitt and Ms. Choi even collaborated on reading strategies and which programs work.

Band Field Trip

Elgin

Small School Festival

Eighth Grade Band Students

Music Festival event

Outdoor School

Sixth Grade • Camp Elkanah

Outdoor activities and Learning

Island City Elementary

Fifth Grade • May 6-8, 2024

OMSI Trip to Hancock Field Station in Fossil, Oregon

Island City Elementary

Fourth Grade

May 9, 2024

Whitman Mission in Walla Walla

Island City Elementary

Fourth Grade

Arbor Day • April 26, 2024

Island City Elementary

Fifth Grade • March 9, 2024

Oregon Battle of the Books • Stanfield, OR

Fifth Grade Track Meet

May 21, 2024 • All Elementary Schools

ELEMENTARY AND LMS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

Central Elementary

Central Elementary is very proud of their students for increasing their attendance this school year. All grade levels averaged over 90% attendance for the entire school year!

Students love participating in the school’s Cougar Challenges which help to motivate them on attendance and academic growth. They love to participate in activities like sliming the administrators and coloring their hair.

Island City Elementary

ICE worked hard to fully establish a House System in their school this year. This idea is similar to the Houses of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books. The 300 students at the school were placed into 12 different “houses” or groups, which are made up of multiple grades, with kindergarten through fifth grade students mixed up into the different houses.

Each house created their own name, motto and flag and elected their own leaders.

Principal Brett Smith said the intention of ICE Houses is for older students to gain leadership experiences and provide guidance on what it’s like to be an ICE Ram to younger students. The houses also offer opportunities for students to get to know other students and other teachers and to promote cooperation and team building.

La Grande Middle School

The new greenhouse has been a great addition to the school, with increased space to grow plants. The larger greenhouse was very beneficial during the annual Spring Plant Sale, where seventh and eighth graders work on the full process of planting, growing and selling plants/flowers.

The major highlight happening on the LMS campus has been construction of the new Wildcat Center. Principal Chris Wagner said it has been exciting to see the progress of the project, and that Mike Becker Construction has been very easy to work with, so he appreciates their effective communication this year.

Finally, the school is having an Eighth Grade Completer ceremony on the last day of school, where all eighth-grade students will receive a certificate with a personalized note from their Advisory teacher.

Do you want to know about the good things happening in the La Grande School District?

Check out the district’s Our Work in Action videos!

These videos invite viewers to learn about construction, academic programs & learning opportunities for students in the district.

They highlight all of the schools in LGSD.

Check out all the Our Work in Action videos on this page of the district website: https://www.lagrandesd.org/page/our-work-in-action

Extension facilitates donation of vegetable starts from middle school greenhouse to food pantries

Each year La Grande Middle School students grow a wide variety of flowers, herbs and vegetable starts in their school greenhouse. After their annual plant sale fundraiser there are usually several flats of plants that did not get sold.

In response, for the past two years Oregon State University Extension Service’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) staff have collected the unsold vegetable starts and distributed them to local food pantries as a welcome addition to the usual canned or boxed foods. In 2023, SNAP-Ed staff arranged for delivery of almost 400 vegetable starts to the North Powder Food Bank, the La Grande Senior Center Harvest Share and the Union Food Bank.

Many food pantry participants are often very happy to receive tomato, pepper, squash or other vegetable starts that they can grow at home to add to meals when the vegetables ripen. Gardening has also been shown to decrease levels of stress and anxiety which is an added benefit.

This year students are working out of a new, bigger greenhouse providing the community with more flowers and vegetable starts for their garden plots or containers, so likely there will once again be some leftover plants to share with community members at local food pantries.

https://ourimpact.oregonstate.edu/story/extension-facilitates-donationvegetable-starts-middle-school-greenhouse-food-pantries

STORY COURTESY OF THE OSU EXTENSION SERVICE WEBSITE.

Students at La Grande Middle School plant tomato seeds in trays, which will be grown in the middle school greenhouse and cared for by the students.

Photo by Alyson Yates

TIGER HOME

Several La Grande High School students have been working on the district’s Tiger Home project during the 23-24 school year.

The Tiger Homes are located on the corner of 3rd Street and I Avenue. The project includes two townhouse units that are being built with support from La Grande High School students enrolled in construction classes. The project is intended to provide hands-on, Career and Technical Education opportunities for LHS students, while also addressing critical housing needs in the La Grande community.

In May, we caught up with a few of the students working on the project and asked them how their experience has been so far. We asked them how long they have been working on the project, what they have learned and how they feel about the progress. Thank you, LHS students, for all your work on this exciting district project!

Kaden Burgess

LHS Senior

I have been working on it since the start of the school year.

It’s been a good experience, and it’s a class that allows people to find something other than going to another level of school and to have access and knowledge into a trade.

I’ve worked on concrete, framing, plumbing, electrical. My favorite is framing because that’s what I do and what I am going into the union for.

It’s always a good feeling once the house actually comes along. Ninety percent of the way through you can’t tell it’s a house, and then one day you get stuff done and you’re like wow, this is a house.

I’m going to work for two years and then I am going to the Carpenters Union.

Lakoda Huff

LHS Senior

I have been working on it since the start of the school year.

I like working outside, it’s a lot better than being in a classroom sitting at a desk all day.

I’ve learned everything about the trades, as I came into this pretty new.

It’s been good working with all of the people, the contractors and everyone you meet.

I am not sure what I will do after graduation, but I will work.

Levi McCall

LHS Sophomore

I have been working on it since the start of the school year.

I’ve learned a lot about framing, which I have enjoyed the most.

It’s really cool to see the progress and where it came from since the start.

This is a chance to take a break from the classroom and do something different.