KCSD & Me

• June 9-11: Graduation for all KCSD seniors (see below for specifics)
• June 15: KCSD Board of Directors meeting
• June 15: Last day of school for students.
• June 16: Last day for teachers

Above photo: High school seniors march in the Graduation Sensation Parade on June 1 in downtown Klamath Falls

Even a cloud burst couldn’t dampen the smiles of the nearly 700 graduating high school seniors who gathered June 1 for the eighth annual Klamath Promise Graduation Sensation. Soon-to-be graduates from 12 high schools across Klamath County -- including Bonanza, Chiloquin, Falcon Heights, Gilchrist, Henley, Lost River, and Mazama – paraded in caps and gowns down Main Street with bands and mascots, then joined together with family, friends and supporters in Veterans Park for a celebration and awards distribution. Read more. See all photos here

It's graduation week for Klamath County School District seniors! Here are the dates and times of our ceremonies:

• Klamath County Transition Program: June 8 @ 11 a.m., Transition House
• Falcon Heights: June 9 @ 1 p.m., Klamath County Fairgrounds
• Mazama High School: June 9 @ 7 p.m., Viking Field
• Bonanza Jr/Sr High School: June 10 @ 10 a.m., Front of the school
• Lost River High School: June 10 @ 11 a.m., Gymnasium
• Gilchrist Jr/Sr High School: June 10 @ 11 a.m., Gymnasium
• Chiloquin Jr/Sr High School: June 11 @ 10 a.m., Football Field
• Henley High School: June 11 @ 2 p.m., Klamath County Fairgrounds

Meet KCSD’s class of 2023 valedictorians and salutatorians from each of our high schools – Bonanza, Chiloquin, Gilchrist, Henley, Lost River, and Mazama. These 42 students not only are at the top of their classes academically, but also participated in a variety of extracurricular activities, representing their schools and communities. Read more

Klamath County School District is offering a new program for our 2023 kindergarteners. Jump Start Kindergarten will be offered for students entering kindergarten at Bonanza, Keno, Shasta, Peterson, Ferguson, and Merrill. The free two-week program runs from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, Aug. 14-24. Breakfast, lunch, and school bus transportation are included.

The purpose of Jump Start Kindergarten is to provide students and their families a smooth and successful transition from early childhood to kindergarten by setting the foundation for a positive school experience. If your kindergartener will attend one of the six schools in this program, you can register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdo19KkeakCueG73Rc6i9jq8keqPQAA6bw-ZcZJyKwhOs6feg/viewform

This summer, children can enjoy lunches at no charge through the Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded nutrition program open to all youth ages 1-18 years. A sack lunch with a hot entrée, a fruit, a vegetable, and a milk will be offered June 20 through Aug. 10, Monday through Thursday. There will be no lunch program on July 4.

Times are from 11:30 a.m. to Noon at the following locations:

• Bonanza Elementary-front lawn
• Ferguson Elementary- under the awning by the playground
• Merrill Elementary-front steps by the play ground
• Peterson Elementary- under the awning on the playground
• Shasta Elementary-lawn in front of school
• Mazama High School-front entrance

Times are from 12:30- 1 p.m. at:

• Gearhart School in Bly

The Oregon Department of Education requires that lunches are consumed on site and are not to be taken home. Additional lunches for children who are not present will not be provided.

Seven Klamath County School District seniors – two from Lost River, two from Henley, one from Mazama, one from Bonanza, and one from Chiloquin -- have been selected for four-year Ford Family Foundation Scholarships that will pay for 90 percent of their unmet college costs. Recipients are Mazama senior Natalie Norris, Bonanza senior Yahir Raygoza Cortez, Chiloquin senior Anastasia Shanks, Henley seniors Michelle Bonilla Gonzalez and Kaylee Haddox, and Lost River seniors Daniela Valadez Perez and Isaac Hernandez. Read more

Congratulations to Mazama High School's Sydney Baker, a freshman who won both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles at the Oregon School Activities Association’s Class 4A state track and field meet at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Work has started on a four-lane, 200-meter track with a 50-meter straight-away extension at Stearns Elementary School. The project is funded through the Klamath County School District with federal ESSER funds along with local grants and private donations. Completion is expected by mid-June.

The idea for the track project was born in 2017 when P.E. teacher Brandon Powell began fund-raising to build an ADA-accessible track for the elementary school, which hosts the district’s elementary special programs.

The track will replace a current dirt trail that was used for recess running programs and P.E. class.

“I’m super proud to be able to bring this unique track facility that will provide students with all abilities equal opportunities to run, jump, and throw,” Powell said. “I’m grateful for all the support I received from day one from the district, parents, community leaders, and community members who supported me to take this dream and bring it to reality.”

Future plans include adding two long jump pits off the 50-meter straight-away extension.

Work continues on a new CTE (Career and Technical Education) building being constructed at the Henley Complex.

The new building will expand CTE programs for the middle school and high school and allow space for a pre-apprenticeship program in construction and carpentry. The construction is being paid for with federal ESSER funds is expected to be complete in September. Photos are from May 24.

KCSD Superintendent Glen Szymoniak and school board member Steve Lowell presented before the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education May 17 to support the State School Fund. They talked about the importance of the district's investment in project-based learning and small-group instruction in our elementary schools.

Their key points:

• Funding for successful fundamental education models needs to be in the State School Fund
• Investments-not-spending (stable funding with planned gradual increases to account for COLA increases)
• Core instruction cannot hinge on temporary funding sources
• Core instruction cannot be something that is only funded for after school or during the summer

After school ends for the day, a group of Shasta Elementary School fifth- and sixth-graders are ready for a different type of learning. They don helmets and hop on bicycles provided by the school and ride a couple of miles to Steen Sports Park to meet up with members of the Klamath Basin Pickleball Association. Grabbing their paddles, the students join the adult volunteer teachers on the pickleball courts to learn the popular game. After an hour of pickleball, the students bicycle back to the school. Read more

This month's KCSD Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m., Thursday, June 15 at the District Office, 2845 Greensprings Drive. When the agenda and livestream links are available, they will be posted here: KCSD School Board Agenda and Materials. Board meetings are now being streamed live on YouTube.

Check out our job openings: KCSD Employment Opportunities

In our KCSD & Me district newsletters, we will provide updates as well as share news from across our district. If you need information between newsletters, go to our webpage at www.kcsd.k12.or.us and follow us on social media. Keep track of KCSD & Me newsletters at: https://www.kcsd.k12.or.us/district/kcsd--me-newsletters.cfm. Follow district news here: https://www.kcsd.k12.or.us/district/district-news.cfm

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Email: kcsd_communications@kcsd.k12.or.us
Website: www.kcsd.k12.or.us
Location: 2845 Greensprings Drive, Klamath Falls, OR, USA
Phone: 541-883-5000