A Publication of the Sprague High School Community Curtiss Scholl, Principal Volume 42 • Number 1 • Sprague High School Fall 2013 In This Issue Important Information about Intouch Online New Staff . 2-3 • Intouch User accounts are automatically set up for every Principal’s Message . 3 student. To obtain your user ID and Password parent or student MUST come to the Attendance Office in person. College & Career For security reasons this information will not be given out over the phone or via email. Corner . 4 • Intouch is updated every night from the teacher grade books at 1 a.m. College & Career Readiness Day . 5 • Grade books are only as current as the last time the teacher updated his or her gradebook. AVID . 5 • Questions about a specific grade should be directed to the teacher of record. WOU Project . 6 • For further Information on how to use Intouch, please visit the Intouch page at Spraguehs.com. Hot Off the Shelf . 6 TAG . 7 Parent Conferences Sprague Sports . 8 Calendars . 9-11 November 25th & 26th Mark your calendars for Parent Foul Weather Conferences. This is a great Information . 12 opportunity to meet face to face with your student’s teachers. Teachers will be available to meet for 10 minute conferences so you can ask questions Times for the and check grades. Counselors and CONFERENCES administrators will also be available. are as follows: You can always use the In-Touch system to check assignments and Monday Tuesday Wednesday grades or you may email teachers November 25th November 26th November 27th directly. Information on how to access 5pm-8pm 9am-Noon NO SCHOOL- In-Touch and email addresses can be 1pm-4pm BUILDING CLOSED found on the Sprague High School 5pm-8pm THROUGH THE website, http://spraguehs.com WEEKEND IMPORTANT DATES: Monday, November 11 . NO SCHOOL – HOLIDAY – VETERAN’S DAY Monday, November 25 . Evening Parent Conferences, Regular School Day Tuesday, November 26 . NO SCHOOL – Parent Conferences Wednesday, November 27 . NO SCHOOL November 28-29 . THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY – Business Office will be CLOSED Friday, December 20 . NO SCHOOL – Furlough Day – Business Office will be CLOSED December 23-January 3 . NO SCHOOL – Winter Break; Business Office CLOSED Dec. 24-25, Jan. 1 2373 Kuebler Boulevard South • Salem, Oregon 97302 • Phone: 503-399-3261 • FAX: 503-391-4046 • Website: sprague.salkeiz.k12.or.us Page 2 The Torch introdUCINg … Please join us in NEW Faces NEW staFF welcoming! Graham Dey – Then I received my master’s in Shannon Holbrook Environmental teaching from the University of This is my 8th Studies, Chemistry Portland. year in the S-K Hello everyone, District. I have a In my free time I love to my name is 21 year old son scrapbook, cook, and do Zumba. Graham Dey and an 18 year I also enjoy traveling and have and I have been old daughter recently become a fan of cruising! in the Salem- Graham Dey who have moved Shannon Holbrook Keizer School out on their district for fifteen years. I taught Susan Hawke – AP own. I live in Salem with my rat Biology & Biology at McNary for three years then terrier and Rottweiler/Doberman, moved to West when that school Education: and I’m excited to be getting re- opened. I remained at West B.A. Environ- married next July. for seven years where I taught mental Biology- chemistry in all forms from California State I am a U.S. Army veteran, refinish environmental through AP. University, shabby chic furniture in my spare Northridge; M.A. Susan Hawke time, enjoy going to auctions and The past four years I have Education, Boise antique stores, run inconsistently served as a district presenter for State University at Minto Brown park, and I’m professional development and as addicted to Words with Friends. an instructional coach, working at I love to teach Science! I’ve This first year at Sprague HS all of the high schools. I have also taught Outdoor Education, promises to be great! taught at Portland State University Environmental Science, Physical in the School of Education for Science, Life Science and Accelerated Biology. I have taught Stephanie five years, serving as an adjunct Houdeshell – professor teaching courses for in Boise, Idaho since 2006, and Health pre-service and in-service teachers am happy to say I’m now an I enjoy keeping with respect to methodology for Oregonian! I am passionate about busy and engag- science teaching. The last piece teaching science and have been ing in as many I would like to mention is that I involved in STEM (Science, recreational ac- have won 24 grants over the span Technology Engineering & Math) tivities as pos- Stephanie Houdeshell of my career to support innovative education for many years! sible. With my programs in my classroom. I live I’ve been a volunteer ski patrol free time I love to go on river floats, in Salem with my wife, Carolyn, with Bogus Basin Ski Area for 22 rafting, hiking and especially snow- and my son, Rowan. years and am applying to Hoodoo boarding. However, being a new for this Winter; I love camping in educator, I find a lot of my free time Cara Downs the Northwest, cycling, reading, is engrossed with Master course I was born and walks along the river & foothills, work. I am currently enrolled in raised right here in gardening and kicking up leaves. Western Oregon’s Curriculum In- Salem. I graduated My husband and I have two sons struction program and am eager to from South Salem in the Salem-Keizer Public School graduate this Fall. Not far from the High School and District. university is my hometown. I was went on to study born and raised in the exhilarat- Please contact me via email French at Denison Cara Downs ing town of Salem, Oregon where I [email protected] University (Ohio). graduated from North Salem High. The Torch Page 3 FF MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL sta W E aces REGULAR SCHOOL N ATTENDANCE IS IMPORTANT W F E N TO STUDENT SUCCESS. Here are some myths about school absences and attendance that parents may find interesting: Heather Seely Roberts MYTH 1: Only unexcused absences create I was born attendance problems and raised All types of absences, including excused and in-school suspensions make in Corvallis, a difference. Time out of the classroom equals time away from instruction Oregon and and learning. graduated from Oregon Heather Seely MYTH 2: Absences are only a problem if they’re State where Roberts I continue consecutive to be a diehard fan. I have Studies show that only two or three nonconsecutive absences per month traversed the state and taught can seriously impact a student’s ability to succeed in school. It’s the and coached girls basketball cumulative effect of lost instruction time that makes the difference. with stops at David Douglas, Ashland, Lakeridge and Canby. MYTH 3: Attendance only matters in high school Attendance in early grades matters too. For example, research shows that My family consists of my husband and I with five too many absences in early grades (first grade and kindergarten) can result children (4 boys). It is exciting in an inability to read at grade-level by third grade. to be here at Sprague where I am teaching PE and FACS and MYTH 4: Parents aren’t responsible for their will be coaching the girls here. student’s attendance - Go Olys!! Oregon law requires children to regularly attend school, and requires parents to make sure students maintain regular attendance. Families can Sara Trippett make a difference in student attendance. Here are some suggestions: – Lifeskills I attended • Set a family expectation that absences won’t be allowed unless the California student is truly sick. State Uni- • Make school attendance a family value. versity, Hay- ward, for • Establish a habit of good attendance in both my BA Sara Trippett early grades. and MS. This is my 28th year teach- • Ask your school about referrals to ing. As far as my family, I have services concerning transportation, three married children and five health care or other barriers to school grandchildren who I enjoy go- attendance. ing camping with. My other Sources: www.attendanceworks.org and www. hobbies include bowling, cro- americaspromise.org. cheting, and taking road trips. Page 4 The Torch COLLEGE & CAREER CORNER WELCOME TO A NEW YEAR The school counseling team is excited for 2013-14 school year! We have survived our first year at Sprague together as a team, and are anxious to get going on growing and improving our program. We will be submitting articles at each publication with important information for parents. Our website will be up and running very soon. Please be watching for it as we will post items that will be important to you. If you need to get a hold of your child’s school counselor, please feel free to email or call. We divide the student population between us by last name as follows: HEathER HagnER CHRISTINA Lilly JASMINE LANGELIERS All students with last names that All students with last names that All students with last names that start with A-GH start with GI-NI start with NI-Z [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] If you do not have email, you can also call us at 503-399-3261 to talk on the phone or make an appointment to meet in person. PSAT Day – October 16 Sprague will be having all sophomores take the PSAT for free this year as practice. Juniors can take it for $14 and their scores will be submitted to qualify for the national merit scholarship.