The Pursuit

Hello Mazama Families and Community,

We’ve officially wrapped up our first six weeks of school! It’s been a great start to the year, and we’re proud of how our students have settled in, built routines, and gotten to work. Thank you for all you do to support them at home.

A few updates as we head into fall:

Progress Reports and Conferences — Progress reports are out, and they give you a snapshot of how your student is doing six weeks in. Thank you to everyone who joined us for conferences. If you missed them or have questions about your student’s grades, please reach out to their teachers anytime. Staying connected early in the year makes a big difference.

Planning for the Future — Alongside conferences, we hosted our FAFSA Night, College and Career Fair, and Senior Parent Meeting. Seniors, this is a big year, and we’re here to help you plan your next step. Our counseling office is ready to help with college applications, financial aid, scholarships, and career planning.

Thank You, Kitchen Crew — In October, we celebrated National School Lunch Week, and it was the perfect chance to give a big shout-out to our Mazama cooks. They show up early every day to keep our Vikings fed, fueled, and ready to learn. We appreciate you!

Celebrating Our Vikings — Each month we recognize students who are making a difference at Mazama through our Student of the Month and Perfect Attendance awards. Congratulations to all of our September honorees! Showing up every day and putting in the effort really adds up, and we love celebrating it. Follow us on social media to see who gets recognized next.

We’re proud of the strong start our students have made, and we’re excited to keep that momentum going this fall. As always, please don’t hesitate to call our main office or contact your student’s teachers with any questions. We’re here for you.

Go Viks!

Dr. Jennifer Hawkins

Principal, Mazama High School

✏️ Oct. 20 — PSAT/NMSQT Test Date
📝 Oct. 27 — ACT Test Date
🎓 Oct. 30 — Jostens In-Person Order Day (At Lunch)
🇺🇸 Nov. 11 — Veterans Day. No school.
📊 Nov. 19 — End of Second Grading Period
📝 Nov. 20 — Grade Preparation. No school for students.
🦃 Nov. 23–27 — Thanksgiving Break. No school.
❄️ Dec. 21–Jan. 1 — Winter Vacation. No school.
🎒 Jan. 4 — Classes Resume. Welcome back, Vikings!
✊ Jan. 18 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day. No school.
📚 Jan. 21 — End of First Semester
📝 Jan. 22 — Grade Preparation. No school for students.

October is National Principals Month! We want to celebrate by sharing Why My Principal Rocks stories. If you have a shout-out for your school’s principal, please SHARE IT HERE or by clicking on the button link below. (We’ll celebrate our vice principals and athletic directors in April!)

Mazama High School art teacher Hannah Morris was honored Oct. 9 at the 2026 Oregon Arts Education Conference in Portland, where she received the Oregon Art Education Association’s New Professional Art Educator of the Year Award.

Morris will be recognized at the Thursday, Oct. 15 Klamath County School District Board of Directors meeting. Some of her students will join her and share their artwork.

The award recognizes Morris’s dedication, creativity and impact on art education during her first years as an educator. School administrators say her ability to engage students at all skill levels has helped build an enthusiastic art community at Mazama.

Ian O’Brien, Mazama’s athletic director, said Morris has a way of reaching students who might not otherwise be interested in art and inspiring them to continue exploring their creativity.

“Anytime you can get a kid who doesn’t like something to like it, that shows you have the ability to reach each student,” O’Brien said.

Mazama junior Aurelia Johnston, who has taken Morris’s classes since her freshman year, said Morris encourages students to experiment and develop their own creative styles.

“She’s just very accepting,” Johnston said. “And she fuels that fire of creativity.”

Senior Isaac Paiva said Morris encourages him to try new things and push his artistic skills. Although drawing and sketching are his favorite activities, he hopes to explore painting more.

Senior Syriah Sutton said Morris helps students work through challenges.

“She’s more of a help-a-kid-learn-in-their-own-way,” Sutton said. “She doesn’t do everything for them.”

For senior Dolion Rezac, Morris’s classroom is a place to pursue art beyond the school day. Rezac regularly attends open studio sessions and art club, finding time to create and unwind.

“Even if school is stressful or whatever, it’s extremely helpful to just come in here and relax for a while and focus on something I really love,” Rezac said.

Morris holds open studio sessions most Tuesdays after school, giving students time to work on independent projects, participate in art club, or catch up on assignments. Students can attend whether or not they are enrolled in one of her classes.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

The Oregon Department of Education has released the 2025-26 state assessment results, and it’s encouraging to see Mazama’s juniors continuing to trend in the right direction.

Over the past three years, Mazama’s grade 11 proficiency has grown in every subject, every year. In English Language Arts, 60.8% of juniors scored proficient. That’s up from 40.7% in 2023-24 and nearly 15 points above the state average of 46.0%. In science, 56.3% of juniors were proficient, more than 22 points above the state (33.8%) and the highest grade 11 science rate among Klamath-area high schools.

Math shows some of our most promising growth. Three years ago, just 6% of our juniors were proficient. This year that number climbed to 22.2%, right in line with the state average of 22.9%. That’s more than three times as many students meeting the standard.

Participation was strong, too. Between 96% and 97% of juniors tested in every subject, so these results reflect nearly our entire junior class.

Over the same three years, the state’s grade 11 rates moved only 1 to 3 points, while Mazama grew 16 to 20 points in each subject. That growth belongs to our students, who showed up and gave their best, and to our teachers and staff, who keep raising the bar every day.

We’re proud of this progress, and we know there’s more work ahead, especially in math, where we’ll keep helping more students reach proficiency. Thank you, families, for your continued partnership.

✏️ It’s not too late to catch up!
Students can turn in missing assignments according to their teacher's classroom policy. If your student has missing work after conferences, now is the perfect time to make a plan with their teachers and ensure they are on a path to pass their classes.

👕 Dress for success!
As the weather cools off, here’s a reminder: pajama pants, slippers, robes, and blankets stay at home. And remember, slippers are not shoes! Shirts need to cover the shoulders and midriff, and hats and hoodies follow each teacher’s classroom rules. Thanks for helping your Viking start each day ready to learn!

📱 Phones stay in lockers
Cell phones, earbuds, smartwatches, and other personal devices must be stored in lockers from the first bell to the last bell. If a device is seen or heard during the school day, it will be taken to the office. Repeat incidents mean a parent or guardian must pick it up. If you need to reach your student during the day, please call the Main Office at 541-883-5024 and we’ll get the message to them.

📞 Calling in an absence?
Absences must be called in to be excused within one day of your student’s return, or they’ll be counted as unexcused regardless of reason. Call the Attendance Office at 541-883-5027. Teachers can be reached from 7:45–8:10 AM and 3:20–3:45 PM, or by email anytime.

Link to our KCSD and Mazama Handbooks

🏫 Main Office - 541-883-5024

📋 Attendance Office - 541-886-5027

🧭 Guidance Office - 541-883-5031

🏆 Athletics Office - 541-883-5032

🔗 Staff Directory