By James Day Kennedy High and Silverton both have received lofty rankings in the annual ratings of American high schools by U.S. News & World Report. Kennedy came in at No. 26 in the rankings, while Silverton took 41st. The U.S. News high school rankings include data on nearly 25,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 18,000 schools were ranked on […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District Board has started discussing potential outcomes if a $138 million facilities bond does not pass during the Nov. 7 election. At the board’s Oct. 9 meeting, possibilities ranged from a followup bond in May of 2024 to moving middle schoolers to the high school or outlying K-8 schools. The board said there […]
By Stephen Floyd There aren’t a lot of mild opinions about plans to rebuild Silverton Middle School through a proposed facilities bond for the Silver Falls School District. Supporters of the $138 million bond describe the 1938 wing of the middle school as beyond saving and say it could have collapsed in on itself years ago. Opponents argue the $75 […]
By James Day The Silverton High volleyball program is off to a strong start under “new” coach Kirsten Barnes, who is back leading the program after guiding the Foxes to eight league titles during her first stint with the team from 1996-2010. Silverton was 7-4 overall at Our Town presstime and 4-2 in the pressure cooker that is the Mid-Willamette […]
By Melissa Wagoner Growing up, Marta Hazekamp performed nearly every role in the Unger Academy of Ballet’s annual production of The Nutcracker – and she loved it. “Then as a teenager, the Salem Ballet Association [now disbanded] partnered with Eugene Ballet Co. and hosted the children’s roles so that kids from all over the valley could dance with professionals on […]
Silverton High will be holding its first athletics Hall of Fame class induction in more than a decade when this year’s gala takes place Saturday, Oct. 7, at The Oregon Garden. “It’s been on hiatus for way too long, since 2011,”said Silverton teacher and volleyball coach Kirsten Barnes. “We had a lot of changes about that time and things were lost […]
By Melissa Wagoner Beginning in late June the Silverton Police Department began receiving some very bizarre reports. Apparently a “hairy, man-like creature” has been spotted throughout the city, cavorting with locals, high-fiving teens and even testing his soccer skills on one of Silverton High School’s fields. “Although residents are labeling the creature ‘Sasquatch,’ the Silverton Police are asking citizens not […]
The Silverton High equestrian team finished seventh in the large division of the Oregon High School Equestrian Teams state championships May 11-14 at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond. Silverton scored 141 points. Oregon City (588) and Mountain View of Bend (411) dominated the team race. Silverton scored well in numerous events, with Adeline Kuenzi taking third in hunt seat […]
By Melissa Wagoner This year the Silverton Arts Association’s annual “Teen Art Show” featured 105 pieces of art from students at Evergreen, Bethany, Community Roots, Silverton Middle School, Silverton High School and Sequoia Falls Academy. “It’s a long-standing tradition,” Silverton Arts Association Board (SAA) Member and gallery curator, Megan Smith, said of the show, which ran from May 5 to […]
By Brenna Wiegand When the seniors at Silverton High School in Silverton, presented their post-graduation plans to underclassmen, it was obvious that career paths are all over the map. Some students will go from high school to work while others pursue a trade. In many cases, students decide that their goals will require attending a two- or four-year college. “There […]
By James Day Silverton High Athletic Director Andy Jones has received a national honor. Jones, who is finishing his first school year as AD of the Foxes, was given the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) state merit award at the Oregon Athletic Directors Association (OADA) conference on April 17 in Sunriver. The award also represents Jones’ achievements at previous […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) has published a new Class Size Dashboard to increase transparency regarding teacher workloads. The dashboard went live April 11 and the district expects to update classroom figures weekly. Assistant Superintendent Dan Busch told the SFSD Board April 10 the dashboard was in direct response to recent union negotiations where class size […]
By Melissa Wagoner It was forbidden love – not farming – that was on Whitney Davis’s mind the first time she noticed the old wooden grain elevator outside Pratum. “I had met my high school sweetheart, Cody Glennie, my sophomore year,” Davis – who graduated from Silverton High School in 2010 – said. “He grew up in Pratum, just a stone’s throw […]
By Melissa Wagoner Many may remember Silverton High School’s annual spring mock-pageant and fundraiser, Mr. SHS. But what they might not know is that in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools, the contest was renamed, The Best Fox Ever, so students of all genders could take part. “It’s stayed the same other than slowly more girls have […]
By James Day The Future Foxes football and cheer program is heading into a new season with tons of momentum. The program, which serves boys and girls in third through eighth grades while also offering camp opportunities for younger athletes, included 203 football players and 102 cheerleaders last season. “As the program continues to grow,’ said board president Dan Mulick, […]
By Melissa Wagoner When Erin Scott discovered Silverton High School’s senior class – of which her oldest son is a member – did not have enough money to hold the traditional Grad Night celebration she was alarmed. “I can still remember every detail of my Grad Night,” she said, noting that, although she graduated from a Portland area high school, […]
The Silverton Lions recxently completed two of its major endeavors for the year, one a fundraiser, the other a project is made possible by those funds and others raised throughout the year. See’s Candy Sale Boxes of chocolates, peanut brittle, lollipops and more, the See’s Candy sale is a holiday tradition that gives back to the community in many ways. […]
Thank You, Silverton! The Silverton Zenith Woman’s Club thanks the community of Silverton for all the help they received for their 2022 Tree of Giving project. Together we were able to make Christmas a little brighter for 208 children in the Silver Falls School District. We wish to particularly thank: Hi-School Pharmacy, Immanuel Lutheran Church, St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Silver […]
By Melissa Wagoner “Opening the world through education,” is the mission of the educational travel company, EF Tours, but it’s also the mission of Stacie Harker – an avid traveler and science teacher at Butte Creek Elementary. “I think international travel is so important,” Harker said. “To get insight on American culture by seeing other cultures… to see culturally that […]
By Melissa Wagoner When the community-building nonprofit known as Silverton Together dissolved earlier this year, the Elizabeth Hoke Trust – a foundation honoring the legacy of SHS alumnus, Elizabeth Hoke – decided to take over many of its programs, including the annual Silverton Community Christmas Fest. “This is a celebration of the Silverton Community and the amazing people that make […]
By James Day Longtime Silverton High FFA adviser Scott Towery received the group’s highest honor at the 95th national convention in October. Towery, who has taught agricultural science at Silverton since 2006, was awarded the Honorary American FFA Degree at the Indianapolis event. The degree is awarded to individuals who have created high-quality agricultural education programs which inspire and motivate […]
By James Day Silverton Police Chief Jim Angelmier, the reporter and City Manager Ron Chandler were lined up against the wall of a classroom wing at Silverton High School. In front of them a heavily armed active shooting suspect held a gun on a student hostage, played by a mannequin. A bell rang, eerily realistic screaming and shouting boomed through […]
Silverton High has filled in its final coaching and administrative gaps for the fall sports season. Andy Jones is the new athletic director/assistant vice principal, with Renee Cantrell taking over the girls soccer program and Reilly Rosecrans now running Foxes volleyball. Here is a look at the new staffers: Jones, who replaces James Rise, now at Cascade, has been in […]
By Brenna Wiegand Area Director Jenifer Ridgeway is happy to report that the Silver Falls Young Life program is still going strong after 25 years and has continued to grow despite the setbacks of COVID. Silver Falls Young Life is open to all middle school and high school students in Silverton and the surrounding area. Its overarching goal is to […]
By James Day “What a great day to be out playing baseball,” said Lou Tiller as he surveyed a clover-infested infield at a junior varsity field at Silverton High on a 70-degree July evening. The air was still, with the only breeze manufactured by maintenance crews dragging the all-dirt infields on the adjacent softball fields. Tiller, 64, a retired math […]
