The Wolverine Brief

School News: Celebrating Alsea’s Growth!

Big things are happening at Alsea! Last year, our students and staff made meaningful gains in third-grade English Language Arts (ELA), ninth-grade on-track rates, and attendance. These improvements reflect the hard work of our students and staff and the systems we are building to support student success.

After several years in the Oregon Department of Education’s (ODE) Comprehensive School Improvement process, Alsea has been notified that we are eligible to exit this improvement designation! This is an exciting milestone and a testament to the progress being made across our district.

Our work is far from finished. This year, we remain focused on accelerating growth in ELA and placing an extra focus on our math growth through intensive Response to Intervention (RTI) systems, data-driven Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and stronger K–12 instructional alignment.

One achievement worth celebrating is our third-grade ELA proficiency on the Oregon State Assessment, which increased from 29% to 37.5% last year! Our goal for this year is 42.5%, and our students and staff are working hard to get there.

Families, you are an important part of this journey! You can help by reading with your child, asking about what they are learning, encouraging regular school attendance, and celebrating effort and progress along the way. Stay connected with your child’s teacher, ask how you can reinforce learning at home, and reach out whenever your family needs support. Together, we can make a meaningful difference!

We are proud of this progress, grateful for the dedication of our staff and students, and excited about what lies ahead. Every child can learn and grow, and together we can make that belief a reality for every Wolverine!

What’s Happening at Alsea?

New electives, new opportunities! This year, our secondary students are exploring new interests and building skills through an expanded selection of electives, including American Sign Language (ASL), Spanish, Coding and Animation, AP Environmental Science, Pre-Calculus, Speed & Agility, Creative Writing, Military History, History of Rock and FFA. These opportunities allow our Wolverines to explore their passions, challenge themselves, and prepare for future college, career, and life goals. We’re excited to see where their learning takes them!

We asked our new elective teachers to share thier WINS with us. Here is what they have to say...

Our Spanish program is creating exciting opportunities for Alsea students to expand their world beyond our rural community! Through language learning, students gain access to a language spoken by hundreds of millions of people, build cultural understanding, and strengthen connections beyond geographic boundaries. They are also developing confidence, pride, and resilience as they navigate new challenges, celebrate progress, and discover what they are capable of learning. Our students deserve the same opportunities as those in larger communities, and Spanish is helping make that possible! A WIN for me as a teacher - I get to go to a VERY beautiful place that has a lovely school full of lovely kids and teachers and staff. It is so very nice for me- a privilege. I have left school in a great mood every time this summer and now.

-Mr. Sederlin

Creative Writing Win: The middle school students are having a blast learning to write cohesively and clearly by making their own stories. These kids have already grown so much in their writing skills and love getting to do fun challenges each week that push their creative abilities!

History of Rock Win: This class is a small but mighty group. We have already finished our first unit, the roots of rock and roll. Students were able to spend a day teaching the class about a foundational artist. We are having a lot of fun looking at the 50s and the birth of rock and roll!

- Mrs. McClintock

Students are working hard on high level data analysis and doing it well! They are making college level graphs with real data from cemeteries so we've made survivorship curves for humans!

In a more general sense many students report loving APES and feeling like they are finally being challenged. Super cool these students are meeting the expectations that are set nationally.

-Ms. Ewton

We have learned many things. We have learned how to ask questions, signing etiquette, people, alphabet, colors, numbers 1-15, some animals, some foods, places, and much more.

Now they seem more enthusiastic and glad to be in class and watching them sign with each other during class are huge wins!

-Mrs. Bauer

Students are willing to try out different career path-based competitions! They are actively counting down the days until our next FFA competition and are focused on using class time wisely!

It seems that the middle schoolers have been talking to their peers about the Ag. class (even though we haven't had it very long!). I've had several students express interest in transferring into the class next semester.

- Ms. Schmidt

Students are engaging in a high level mathematics that is extending their understanding of algebra. They are engaging in math discourse with their peers and applying the content they are learning successfully! Students are analyzing graphs and advanced functions in order to determine their key characteristics.

Students are enjoying this smaller class size that offers more one-on-one interactions so they can interact with college level mathematics! Their student-led learning groups allow them to discuss and debate mathematical content, which is amazing to see!

-Ms. Larson

What a wonderful day at Silver Falls State Park! On Friday, October 16, Learn at Home Oregon students, families, staff, and Alsea School Board members gathered to explore South Falls for a morning of adventure, discovery, and connection.

With beautiful weather and plenty of enthusiasm, students explored caves along the trail, played in the shallow creek, and learned about fascinating animals during a special demonstration by Aimee Hart.

Families traveled from across Oregon, some nearby and many from hours away. We are especially grateful for their flexibility in making the trip despite the short notice due to changing weather forecasts.

One of the things that makes LaHO so special is the strong community we build across distances. Experiences like this bring our online connections to life, creating friendships and lasting memories beyond the classroom.

A heartfelt thank you to our families and Alsea School Board members: Jamie Olsen, George Laiblin, and Soren Rounds for making this such a memorable day. We can't wait for our next adventure!

- Mrs. Shunk

This year, Learn at Home Oregon introduced departmentalized instruction for grades 2–7! Students now learn from teachers specializing in specific subjects: Ms. Dapkus in Language Arts, Mr. Sederlin in Math, and Mrs. Bauer in Social Studies, Science, and Health.

We are excited about how this model is taking shape! One positive change we are noticing is how naturally students transition between subjects. Moving to a different teacher and classroom helps students shift their focus, reset, and engage in new learning.

Another exciting benefit is the opportunity for deeper, more meaningful instruction. With teachers focusing on their subject areas, they can explore concepts in greater depth, make connections, and bring learning to life in ways that build understanding and curiosity.

Our teachers continue to collaborate closely, monitor student progress, and provide targeted support through WIN (What I Need) time.

We are excited to see this approach strengthening learning while maintaining the personal connections and family partnerships that make LaHO special!

And for our youngest learners in kindergarten and first grade, Mrs. Waverek continues to do an amazing job building a strong foundation in reading, writing, and mathematics, nurturing curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning that will support students for years to come!

10/26 Family Movie Night 6:00pm Alsea School Gym

10/29 Halloween Dress-up Day + 'Scary Movie Night' 6:00pm Alsea School Gym

10/30 MS Dance 6:00pm - 8:00pm

10/31 Trunk or Treat 4:00 pm - 7:00pm( staff parking lot)

11/9 Donkey Basketball 5:00pm - 9:00pm

11/10 School Board Meeting 6:00pm

11/11 NO SCHOOL - Veterens Day

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MS Boys Basketball begins October 22

HS Winter Sports begin November 16

GO, Wolverines!

If you are interested in attending Alsea's after school program, please reach out to Sara Littlefield for more information.

sara.littlefield@alsea.k12.or.us

Communication 101 - UPDATE

Alsea SD has finally locked in their new app: Alsea School District. Please download the following apps from the app store access all of our District communication.

School District Information: Alsea School District app

Alsea Athletic and FFA Information: SportsYOU app

Oregon’s Senate Bill 141 establishes a statewide framework for measuring student outcomes and setting performance growth targets over time, with a strong focus on attendance, literacy, math proficiency, and graduation success. At Alsea, we have already made significant gains in attendance and third-grade ELA proficiency, and we are building on that momentum by expanding our focus to K–12 mathematics. Our plan centers on instructional excellence and strong K–12 alignment through daily FLEX time for targeted math, writing, and intervention; coordinated support from literacy and math specialists; aligned RTI schedules across grade levels; extensive professional development in evidence-based instructional practices; and regular data dives using i-Ready and interim assessment results to guide instruction and monitor growth.

Over the next five years, we will use student outcome metrics and local performance targets to measure progress, identify needs, and strengthen our systems. Consistent attendance will be essential to student growth and our long-term goal of a 95% graduation rate. Our collective mission is to ensure every Wolverine receives the support, instruction, and opportunities needed to learn, grow, and succeed.