The Husky Monthly

A huge thank you to all who joined us for our K-12 Family Night a few weeks ago where we held focus groups as part of our strategic planning process. Your input and conversation was so valued and needed! Another opportunity to provide input and feedback is below by using the QR code or going to the link below to complete the anonymous survey.

We have already completed our first quarter of the 24-25 school year and are proud of the growth we are seeing in many areas with students. We look forward to Family Teacher Conferences this week! Wednesday we are holding conferences from 4pm-8pm, and Thursday from 8am - 8pm. Elementary families, please reach out to your student's teacher to schedule your conference if you haven't already done so. Parents of 6-12th grade students, report cards are available for pickup in the main office. Once you arrive at conferences, you may see sign-up sheets on one or more classroom doors. Just write your name down for a time slot and return at that time. This is an attempt to help alleviate the long lines that sometimes occur as families wait for a conference.

While you are here, don't forget to swing by the Book Fair and check the Lost and Found. All unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the week.

As a reminder, we have a full day of school tomorrow, Wednesday the 6th, and no school on Thursday and Friday.

We appreciate your continued partnership in your student's education.

Junior high basketball starts November 18th with tryouts for boys and girls A and B teams, in grades 5-8. In an effort to maximize participation and engagement for all players, we will set a limit of players for each team. Tryout rubrics will be utilized by all coaches and the skills assessed will be communicated to players at the start of tryouts. If you have any questions prior to November 18 please contact the main office at 541-565-3500.

Also, in an effort to maximize court-time for each set of teams, practice times will be 3:30-5pm, and 4:30-6pm. This ensures all students can ride an activity bus home, while also allowing each set of teams one hour of practice time per day where they are not having to share the gym space.

When teams start practice at 4:30pm they will have a supervised team study hall from 3:30-4:30pm.

I am writing to respond to the concerns voiced recently regarding team tryouts for junior high basketball. I clearly see the messaging that went out in this newsletter above yesterday was not sufficient. The message needed to be much more thorough and elaborate and I apologize for the confusion and surprise this caused. It was truly not the intention.

Our aim is to try to improve the experiences for all students, whether in the classroom or on the playing field. Some of the challenges we have faced recently with junior high sports having high numbers of students participating has been:

• A shortage of coaching staff

• Limited gym spaces causing up to 4 teams practicing at once in one gym

• Travel to and from the Wasco Event center causing significant disruptions to the practice schedule

• Limited practice reps for students as a coach or two attempt to teach individual skills to a large number of students with a wide range of skill levels

• Limited and/or inconsistent playing time for students in games

• Limited and shortened games played late in the evening for “C” team students

The main objective of tryouts is to assess skills objectively (shooting, ball handling, passing, defense, being a good teammate, being coachable, etc), which will allow us to place students on the team best suited to their skills and abilities. Our goal is to provide students with meaningful opportunities to participate at their skill level, while growing and improving their skills.

At this time there is no plan to make cuts; however, that may need to occur as our community grows. We do want to be able to offer ways for all students to engage in after-school activities and interests. We are always looking for ways to expand our afterschool programs, both with the SKORE program and our upper grades offerings.

I welcome conversations with parents who have questions about the upcoming basketball season. Please reach out if you’d like to chat. You can call the school or email me directly.

Sincerely,

Julia Fall

jfall@sherman.k12.or.us

It’s hard to believe that we are already one quarter into this school year! There is so much to celebrate in our student’s growth across the grade levels. Our elementary teaching team has been hard at work refining their literacy instruction practices. Thanks to the early literacy grant that we received last spring, we have been able to invest in ECRI, an evidence based, multi-tiered program aimed at increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of reading instruction in primary grades through explicit instruction. Along with the materials, our K-3 team has participated in initial training and ongoing personalized coaching support from an ECRI coach. Additionally, the grant allowed for our K-5 team to complete a training for our Step Up to Writing curriculum, a tool that systematically teaches writing strategies and tools to improve written expression in all content areas. We are so proud of their dedication and commitment to our students, and the data shows that this hard work is paying off! Over half of our students in grades K-5 have already met the district’s mid-year benchmark, a measure that students are not expected to achieve until the middle of January. Many more students are on track to meet this goal by the end of the first semester. This is a huge accomplishment; our youngest huskies are making exceptional progress that will have an impact on their learning for years to come.

From Mrs. Gunderson's art class, Beth & Sara's artwork will move on to the next level of competition in the Dalles! Stay tuned for a link to the website where can vote and support Beth & Sara's work.

The Wellness Room has been a huge success so far! Students are using the space thoughtfully, and we’re seeing noticeable improvements in mood after just a 10-minute break or a quick conversation. Having both the school counselor and school nurse on hand has made a real difference, allowing us to reach more students and create a truly welcoming space for everyone.

Small Groups Starting This Month!

We’re excited to announce that we’re launching lunch-time small groups in the Wellness Room for 9-12th graders, covering topics students are interested in and may want to explore further. These groups are designed as safe spaces where students can openly discuss sensitive topics like grief and loss, divorce, self-esteem, and more.

Our first group series is focused on Substance Use and Prevention. A specialist from Mid-Columbia Center for Living will be joining us weekly to lead these discussions, sharing insights on how substance use impacts individuals and their communities. Participation is completely voluntary, and we encourage students to join us for a chance to learn, connect, and support one another.

Stop by the Wellness Room to learn more about these groups and how you can get involved!

November 5 - FFA Movie Night

November 6 - Earth Science Field Trip

November 6 - Family teacher conferences, 4pm-8pm

November 7 - No School, Conferences 8am-8pm

November 8 - No School

November 8 - Football state playoff game @ Mohawk

November 9 - Chess Tournament @ Beaverton

November 11 - No School, Veterans Day

November 12 - FFA Ag Sales Showcase

November 13 - FFA Ag Sales Contest

November 14 - HS Volleyball Awards @ Grass Valley Pavilion, 6pm

November 15 - Full day of school

November 18 - 1st day of winter sports

November 18 - School Board Meeting

November 23 - FFA State Ag Sales

November 24 - HS Football awards @ Grass Valley Pavilion, 2pm

November 27-29 - No School