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Marion Polk Food Share

Bethany students pitch in at Marion Polk Food Share

By Melissa Wagoner Kim Merklin has taken her students on a lot of field trips during the 14 years she has taught at Bethany Charter School, but few have been as impactful as those she and her class of 30 seventh and eighth grade students have taken to the Marion Polk Food Share. “I was astonished the first time I […]

Opening night of the Silverton Arts Association's Teen Art Show. -- courtesy of Megan Smith

Teen Art Show – Silverton galleries team up to honor this year’s winners

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 […]

SFSD introduces class size dashboard

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 […]

Mediation: Silver Falls district, educator association agree to need for help

By Stephen Floyd Labor negotiations between the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) and Silver Falls Education Association (SFEA) have entered mediation. Critical issues related to class size, teacher pay and grievance procedures remain unresolved after nearly eight months of bargaining. During a meeting Dec. 1 between SFSD administrators and SFEA representatives, both parties agreed mediation would be the most effective […]

If I were mayor… Students share their ideas for leading community

By Melissa Wagoner As Mayor Kyle Palmer reads through each year’s submissions to the annual, “If I Were Mayor…” contest, he is always surprised by the altruistic sentiments expressed by the contestants, ranging from fourth through eighth grade students. “You might think that a young person, here and there may say they would use this job to benefit themselves personally […]

Robotics: Students at state meet

Bethany Charter School eighth-grade student Ian Palmer can’t decide if he wants to be a master chef or a robotics engineer. His teammates for the school’s robotics club have an answer for Palmer.