Dear Sheridan Families, 

Each year our graduating seniors are required to complete a Senior Project, focused on either a career or community service. Projects must take at least 30 hours to complete and are presented to a panel of judges. 

In addition to Senior Projects, Sheridan seniors complete a semester-long Senior Focus class that helps them research careers and make an overall plan for their next steps following high school graduation. This can involve applying for scholarships, touring college campuses, researching apprenticeship programs and completing financial aid requirements.

I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some of the great work our students have done over the past few months and thank the members of our community who worked alongside them or participated in their events. 

Here are just a few of the Senior Projects for the Sheridan High School Class of 2025: 

• Jacob Moser designed and painted a mural in the high school library.

• Abigail Giddings partnered with the Sheridan Fire Department to bring CPR training to all 8th graders at FCS.

• Susana Lemus worked with Mrs. Butt and the drama department, she made all of the promotional materials to advertise the play as well as many of the props.

• Erika and Cristina Cazarez Mendoza hosted a prom gown drive at SHS and also organized a trip to Portland to attend the Abby’s Closet annual prom gown giveaway on a Saturday, 30 girls attended the event. Mid Co donated the bus for the event.
• Taylor Yoder and Alex Martison organized and planned the Keegan Smith Memorial Basketball game, this event raised awareness and funds to go towards the annual Keegan Smith scholarship. 

• Kaylee Johnson, Isabella Parker, Kaylei Creekmore and Makilha Duarte worked with the Red Cross to organize 4 blood drives this year. They collected a total of 88 units.

Senior Projects are one way we encourage our graduating seniors to start thinking outside of the walls of Sheridan High School and into their community. We love seeing where students decide to focus their time and we look forward to seeing how they use their skills to impact our community for years to come.

May 2, 2025

Dear Sheridan Families,
This week we will celebrate Teacher Appreciation week. I could fill the entire newsletter with details of the incredible work our teachers are doing in and out of our classrooms, however with
the space I have I would like to highlight three of them, as examples of our exemplary staff:

Kim Butt has worked at Sheridan High School for 31 of the 41 years she has taught full time, including countless hours organizing SHS drama performances. Although she sees staff take
different approaches to teaching, she describes SHS like a family where everyone comes together and contributes towards a shared goal of positively impacting the future of Sheridan
students. Mrs. Butt will retire from teaching this year, but leaves with the hope that her former students will become active community members with skills to become who they want to be and
to achieve their dreams.

Jeremy Brown has worked for Sheridan School District for 14 years in various roles including math teacher, coach and athletic director. He thrives in Sheridan where his academic, athletic,
and life experiences are both needed and valued by parents/guardians and the students he works with everyday. Mr. Brown brings a passion to his work that students respond to, and he
sees the same passion in his co-workers. He loves working in a small district where he can build lasting relationships with students from kindergarten through high school and hopes the
students he works with will develop the confidence and perseverance to achieve their academic and athletic life goals.

Mitch Chadwick first taught at Faulconer School as a student teacher in the late 90s. His years with Sheridan Schools include memories of retrieving items from the building when it burned in
1998, until the Fire Department blocked entry. He is now seeing the children of his former students learning at FCS. Mr. Chadwick welcomes the challenge of getting the best out of his
students and encouraging them to believe in themselves. He hopes that his teaching will help build independence and problem solving skills, but acknowledges their first memory is typically
his projects around the Iditarod Sled Dog Race each year!

Anyone who has been enrolled in Sheridan Schools over the past decade is likely to remember at least one of these three teachers and can relate to their constant commitment to developing
positive academic experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. Each has built a reputation for experienced-based learning opportunities, ranging from athletics and fishing
derbies to dramatic performances. These experiences create an environment where students who learn best in a hands-on, active environment can feel good about their skills and abilities.
They are just three examples of why we celebrate our teachers this week and why we thank them all for their constant commitment to our kids.

April 18, 2025

Dear Sheridan Families,

Sheridan School District’s annual budget is a financial plan that maps our goals and programs for the coming school year. As is the case with any plan, real-time events can result in changes along the way, however the budget reflects what we hope to accomplish in the next year. The Sheridan School District Budget Committee gives citizen oversight to our district budget. It is composed of school board members and five local, registered voters who provide public insights and input.

The Budget committee works closely with our Business Manager, Karen Daniels, who has already dedicated hours of work to the development of the 2025-26 budget. She explains the budget as she has developed it, and will provide any information the committee requests that can help them determine if revisions to the budget should be made. Part of the Budget Committee process also involves time for public comment, if others in the community have feedback they wish to share.

Once the process is complete, the committee sends their recommended version of the budget to the Sheridan School Board for final review and approval.

The Sheridan Budget Committee currently has one open position for an individual who is interested in learning more about our schools and how they are funded. Budget Committee members serve a four year term, with 2-3 evening meetings typically held in the April-June timeframe. Committee members must be registered voters in the Sheridan School District and have lived in the district for at least one year. Applications can be found on our website or by reaching out to our Business Manager:

www.sheridan.k12.or.us/school-board/budget-committee/ OR EMAIL jenn.vesper@sheridan.k12.or.us

The Budget Committee is a great way to understand the source of funds in our district, and the restrictions and requirements attached to some funding sources. It provides insight into the cost of specific programs and allows members of our community a chance to shape the future of our schools.

Budget Committee service also provides great experience and insight, with a relatively low time commitment, for those who may want to explore a role on the Sheridan School Board at some point in the future.

Our first budget committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 28 – those interested in serving in this important role should complete their application this week!

April 4, 2025

Dear Sheridan Families,
Sheridan School District currently has multiple openings for classified and licensed positions at Sheridan High School and Faulconer-Chapman. Our schools feature a modified four-day
instructional week (licensed staff work six hours on Fridays) and competitive salary and benefits. More importantly, working for your local school district is a chance to make a real difference in
the lives of students and our community while enjoying benefits that help balance work and life.

Sheridan schools are a close-knit community of educators that care deeply for the well-being of
our local students. Teachers and staff build strong relationships with students, parents, and each other in an effort to support students in their learning and growth. Our small size allows teachers
to work closely with their students and create an environment where they can learn and develop skills that will serve them post high school. Working in a smaller district also gives teachers and
staff a stronger voice in decision-making and allows them to be more involved in planning and shaping the direction of our schools.

Sheridan operates on a modified four-day week, which means students attend classes four days a week (typically Monday-Thursday). Licensed staff use Fridays for training and prep, while
classified staff work only the occasional Friday to maintain a full-time benefits package. Many teachers and staff report this schedule reduces their stress and prevents the burnout that is
common with a traditional five-day school week. Teachers in the Sheridan School District must be licensed in Oregon. (Licensing information is available in the Jobs section of our website.) Classified positions, which include instructional assistants, secretaries, custodians, bus drivers and cooks, are also essential to our schools and offer great ways to work with students and families. We value our staff at all levels and in the past year we were thrilled to see two of our classified staff move into licensed positions. In the last few years, our schools have worked to better align compensation packages with other local districts, making our salary and benefits very competitive.

Working for Sheridan Schools is a chance to build strong relationships, enjoy better work-life balance, and make a local impact.
To explore our current job opportunities, visit: www.sheridan.k12.or.us/jobs/

March 21, 2025

Dear Sheridan Families,

Spring at Sheridan High School brings a rush of excitement as each class gets one step closer to their next opportunity, and our seniors start counting down to graduation. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight some of the career readiness opportunities we offer at Sheridan High School.

SHS works to encourage and prepare students for potential careers and/or college or university education after high school. We offer three Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways: Agriculture Sciences, Business & Marketing and Visual Communications. Classes in each of these offer dual credit opportunities at Chemeketa Community College and Western Oregon University, allowing students to finish high school having already completed some college-level credits. Additional CTE opportunities will be available in the future with the opening of the Barbara Roberts Career Technical Training Center.

In addition to specific career-related skills training, SHS also features an active AVID program, which focuses on helping students build the academic knowledge and practical skills they need for life after high school. AVID courses focus on developing life-skills such as note-taking, time management, organization, reading comprehension, and writing.

This year 11 of our seniors qualify for the Chemeketa Scholars program, which offers two years of tuition for students who graduate with a 3.5 GPA or higher, showing how these programs are working for our students.

If you’re interested in hiring SHS students, a local Career Fair is currently being organized, with help from National Honor Society students, to give local businesses a chance to share job opportunities with students. This year’s fair will be held on April 16 and already has over 30 employers participating from West Valley and beyond. Additional businesses that would like to be included can reach out to Drew Carter at drew.carter@sheridan.k12.or.us to sign up.

Watching high school students discover their passion and make their post-high school plans is one of the highlights of working in education and a task we take seriously.

We look forward to seeing where life will take our soon-to-be graduates!

March 7, 2025

Dear Sheridan Families,

With Education in the news lately I wanted to highlight ways the community can support our schools and the students we serve. Sheridan School District has multiple nonprofit organizations currently working to support our work:

Sheridan Education Foundation (501c3)
Community members can donate or attend events organized by The Sheridan Education Foundation (SEF), which provides mini-grants to teachers employed by the Sheridan School District in order to expand learning opportunities for students. The SEF also manages the Keegan Smith Memorial Fund, and acts as the non-profit flowthrough for the Barbara Roberts Career Technical Education Center. Questions about volunteering or donations can be sent to Emilie Molloy (emilie.molloy@sheridan.k12.or.us).

Faulconer-Chapman Parent-Teacher Association
The purpose of the FCS PTO is to streamline the connection between the volunteer and financial needs at FCS and the parents and community members who would like to support the school. The Parent-Teacher organization encourages involvement through volunteering and fundraising. If you are interested in being involved, please reach out to Molly Griffith (molly.griffith94@gmail.com).

Sheridan High School Boosters
The SHS Booster Club has supported all school athletics and activities, including help for the drama club and senior scholarships, in addition to needs related to athletics. Their next meeting is April 2nd at the SHS new gym – email them for more information! (shs.booster@sheridan.k12.or.us)

Bond Political Action Committee (PAC)
This newly-formed committee is made up of volunteers who are working to spread the word about how a $6 million bond on the May 2025 ballot would impact Sheridan Schools. Parents, families and community members who wish to volunteer or donate to their work, can contact Jarrod Sherwood (jsherwood@vgmhc.org).

Information about volunteering in our schools, including forms for mandatory background checking, are available on our website: https://www.sheridan.k12.or.us/volunteer/

If you are able, I hope you will consider becoming a part of their work!

February 21, 2025

Sheridan School District’s five-year goals include the following:
Promote a culture of high expectations from the entire community.
Build community support through transparency, communication, and engagement.

On Friday, February 14 several incidents occurred at SHS that show we have work to do in order to achieve both of these goals. We do not currently have a culture of high expectations within our schools or the community and we need to build better internal and external support for all of our programs.

Sheridan School policy states that all students and visitors are entitled to an environment where they are safe and welcome.(Full text of Policy ACB, Every Student Belongs can be found on our website.)

We ask our students to be constantly learning from new experiences and as a District we must demonstrate the same behavior and learn from these events.

After many conversations with students, coaches, community members and administrators from both schools we have a better understanding of the gaps that existed in our approach to maintaining an environment free from discrimination and harassment.

Effective immediately we will be introducing on-duty staff before events, so everyone is aware of who is available should an incident need to be reported. We are improving our communication regarding expectations for students, staff and guests and are training staff to better address inappropriate behavior. Expectations for coaching staff and students, including grounds for potential removal from those roles, are also being addressed.

Over the past weekend and in the coming weeks, we are working to be as transparent as possible with our larger community with regards to steps we are taking to resolve the gaps we have identified and to convey our sincere apologies to those who have been impacted. Sheridan community, we ask for your support as we learn together and build a culture that allows for learning and growth.

Our schools and community events must be a place where everyone feels safe to learn, play, work and visit. We are absolutely committed to this and will continue to educate ourselves and make changes based on what we learn in order to achieve a welcome and safe environment for our students, staff and community.

With Respect,
Dorie

February 7, 2025

Dear Sheridan School District Families,

A quick follow up on the annual goals that were created in response to surveys our students, employees and caregivers completed last fall: Roles in the District Office have been reorganized to increase communication and make sure the community knows about the great things our students and teachers are doing in our schools. The reorganization also allowed us to bring on a full-time HR Specialist, Selene Fry, to better support our teachers and staff. Welcome, Selene!

In the coming months, we will be highlighting some of the community partnerships that make our schools stronger, developing ways to improve communication to parents and caregivers and helping members of the community see how they can offer their support to the students of Sheridan schools.

One upcoming way to support our students in our first Jazz Night Concert!
We now have dedicated music teachers for K-5 and 6th-8th grades, and we are proud to see our students participating in new band and vocal programs, as well as representing Sheridan at regional competitions. See for yourself at what we hope to be the first of many Sheridan Jazz Night Concerts! The event is FREE on Thursday, March 6 at 6:15pm in the new gym at Faulconer-Chapman School and will feature performances by Sheridan High School and FCS students. Those who wish to purchase catered BBQ dinner tickets ($25 adults/ $12 for ages 10 and under) can do so in advance by calling the FCS office: 971-261-6960
This is a great opportunity for our students and a great night out for people in the West Valley!

Inclement Weather process
We have reached the time of year when weather has the potential to impact classes and scheduled events! Our staff is up early with a goal to have all weather notices posted by 6:25am. A full list of where to look for information on weather delays, cancellations and snow routes can be found on the district website: https://www.sheridan.k12.or.us/closing-and-delays/

January 24, 2025

Dear Sheridan Families,

End of First Semester
January 30 marks the end of the first academic semester – our seniors are reviewing their progress to graduation as they enter their final semester and our kindergarteners are wrapping up the first of many to come, while most students fall somewhere in between. One marker to academic success for students is knowing that someone takes interest in how they are doing at school. I hope you will take a few minutes this week to ask students in our community how they are doing in school, and encourage their progress!

Final Drama Performance for Mrs. Butt
January 30 also marks another milestone for our long-time English and Drama teacher, Kimberly Butt. Mrs. Butt will be retiring at the end of this school year after 31 years of teaching at Sheridan High School. The opening curtain on her final play, The Brunch Club by Katelyn Beyke, will take place Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7pm, followed by a matinee on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2pm. We would love to fill the house for both performances in honor of Mrs. Butt and her work with students through the years.

School Board Appreciation Month
January is School Board Appreciation month across the state of Oregon. In Sheridan our school board consists of five individuals from our local community who meet at least once a month (often more) to advocate for our students by overseeing district policy and budgeting:
Samantha Bagby
Scott Burke
Larry Deibel
Michael Griffith
Rubi Yarez

We want to take a moment to thank them for the many hours they have dedicated to our students and for the individual skills, insights and experiences they each bring to their roles.

No matter how you choose to connect with Sheridan Schools (encouraging students, attending drama performances or volunteering) – thank you for taking interest in the academic success of our local students.

January 10, 2025

Dear Sheridan Families,

We hear more and more about cyber security issues with personal accounts or in organizations. Sheridan School District, with the technology support of the Willamette Education Service District (WESD), continues to monitor our electronic systems and take preventative measures. Unfortunately, it is not a matter of “if” a cyber breach will happen, but “when”. Here are some of the ways we protect our electronic systems and information.

Every fall, all staff must complete online training related to cyber security. This includes learning about different types of cyber threats and scams. Staff know to use caution when receiving a suspicious email, also known as phishing. It is safe to open the email, but they shouldn’t open any attachments. In some cases, the email looks at first glance that it came from me. However, the email may be slightly different. When this is discovered, the staff are alerted about the scam email and instructed to delete the email.

Phishing emails are reduced with our spam filters and fire wall. This level of security is provided through the WESD. The WESD also sees that our software is kept up to date. This helps prevent cyber security issues.

More recently, we have started using multi factor authentication. This is where a pin number is sent to your cell phone to verify your identity. The multifactor authentication process is becoming more and more common in businesses where you log into a personal account.

We also work closely with the WESD technology team. The WESD provides our cyber security and monitors our networks. They will assist us during a data breach, limiting the amount of damage, and helping with communication.

These are just some of the ways Sheridan School District works to provide a secure data system. If you have any questions about our cyber security, please contact me.