McKenzie School District

Hello McKenzie Families: We thank you for your assistance with today's bussing issue. At this point, we have heard from all drivers and we are planning on school tomorrow with a regular schedule. We will have a combined downriver route and the upriver route will be as usual. This will both am and pm travel. Please have patience as one driver is adding additional students and the other driver is driving a route that is not their usual route. Additional note: Middle school track will start on Monday, 3/7/22. Combined route sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fVzQI8yoWTUjchvOIghKqBIatnHVRq5pz8aGKHVo7l0/edit?usp=sharing

Hello MRCS families! Next week is National School Breakfast Week, Monday, 3/7 thru Thursday, 3/10. Please help us celebrate by getting your students to have breakfast at school! They get a yummy breakfast and a prize each day they get breakfast. Check out the flyer for the menu: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19EVk998tBzi8eY0qCHa_vMNEeAuB9hGZ/view?usp=sharing

Good Morning McKenzie families, Due to a driver shortage school is canceled for today. We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you

Hello MRCS families: We need to combine the routes downriver from the school again tomorrow for both the morning and afternoon on Tuesday, 3/1/22. We apologize for this inconvenience. Please follow this link to the combined morning and afternoon route sheets: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fVzQI8yoWTUjchvOIghKqBIatnHVRq5pz8aGKHVo7l0/edit?usp=sharing Please feel free to call with any questions: Elementary (541)822-3315 or Middle/High (541)822-3313. Thank you

Eagle Families, Join a community conversation about high school graduation requirements for our region on March 3, 6:00-8:00 pm. In 2021, the state legislature directed the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to review state high school graduation requirements. ODE wants to know what matters most to people about earning a high school diploma in our state as part of that work. Oregon’s Kitchen Table, a program of Portland State University, is working with ODE to gather input from people across the state about this topic. Register here to participate - https://pdx.zoom.us/.../tZAqcuCsrDwuHdWfF3__ImALMn6eb522w2iw. Policymakers need to hear about your and your family’s experience in school. What you share will help ODE make recommendations about high school graduation requirements. If you aren’t able to attend this conversation, you can also share what you think on an online survey here - https://consultations.oregonskitchentable.org/hs-grad....

We promised to keep you updated on health developments and masking at school. You may have heard about the announcement yesterday from the Oregon Health Authority stating that the COVID-19 mask mandate for Oregon schools (and all public indoor spaces) will now end March 19 rather than March 31. From the onset of the pandemic, McKenzie schools have relied upon the guidance and expertise of our state health authority and state partner agencies as the experts in response to this health crisis. This continues with the newest announcement. It is encouraging to hear that the Oregon Health Authority remains confident in the declining impact of COVID-19 on our day-to-day activities. We are still waiting for information from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). Click here to read more -- https://conta.cc/3phROxG

Hello MRCS families and community, We seem to be experiencing some phone issues for our Elementary and District office buildings. To reach the Elementary, please use the cell number (458) 239-3699 OR to reach anyone on campus call the high school building @ (541) 822-3313 and you can be transferred. We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for working with us. Reminder-Student half-day: buses will depart at noon today.

Do you have a student getting ready to start Kindergarten? Check this out.

Hello MRCS Families and Community, The Blue River Water District has had an issue off campus. This affects the schools water and heat. Students will need to go home on the buses early today. We are preparing to send students home at 3:00 PM TODAY which means they will be at their stops 1 HOUR EARLIER than usual. There will be no after-school activities today. All students will be on the 3:00 pm bus home. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Congratulations Jaylee! Jaylee is this month’s Most Outstanding Staff Member. She goes above and beyond to serve our students, especially our focal students. She also creates a fun and safe learning environment for the kids. Please help us in congratulating her!

It’s National School Counseling Week. We are lucky to have our wonderful counselors who guide our students on their future path.

We are hosting a vaccination clinic on campus tomorrow. Check out the details below. Thank you for helping keep our community safe.

McKenzie Families, You may have heard about the announcement from the Oregon Health Authority regarding indoor masking in public places. The Oregon Health Authority says starting March 31st, after Spring Break, each school district will be given the responsibility to decide whether to require masks for its students, staff, school volunteers and visitors. Please understand we just received this news as well and there is a lot to digest. Over the next several weeks, we will be working with our School Board, staff and families to determine the best course of action. The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has not yet reached its peak in Lane County and we hope to keep as many students in school as possible. It is very encouraging that the Oregon Health Authority believes the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the number of hospitalizations will drop significantly by the end of March. Our combined efforts to manage the virus in Oregon are working. You will see additional information attached below on a vaccination clinic scheduled for Thursday and additional ways you can keep your family safe. As you know, things could still change and we thank you for understanding over the last two years as we navigate these changes. We will update you as soon as there is news to share. Please reach out to me if you have any questions, Mr. Tompkins, Superintendent Check out our latest update: https://conta.cc/3J4MYv8

Hello MRCS Parents, Community, and Staff: We wanted to make sure that the word got out about tonight's high school basketball games and Senior Night. The girls' game was canceled by the other school but the boys are still playing. The game has been moved up to 6:30pm and we will honor our senior before the game starts, after warm ups. Fans are welcome as long as they follow masking/distancing while on campus. Thank you

McKenzie Families, It has been an interesting year so far and to help make it even more interesting, here is our 2021 Winter Concert! It might be a little late, but we wanted to bring back some holiday cheer as we continue our journey through these uncertain times. McKenzie's music department had a great time preparing and recording each group. These students put in a lot of work, and I am happy to present McKenzie River Community School's 2021 Winter Concert. Grab a snack, sit back, and enjoy the show! Click here to watch: https://youtu.be/aDc5d-0HCdQ

Closets looking a little bare at home?! Your student(s) may have items in the Lost and Found. Please check out our VIRTUAL LOST AND FOUND – Follow this link: http://tiny.cc/qqcnuz Pictures are a sample of items you will find by using the link. Please reach out to Niki with the item number from the picture (clothing) or item description (other items). Most recent update: 2/3/22. Please call or email Niki to claim an item 541-822-3315, niki.jones@mckenziesd.org . The best way to ensure your child’s items make it home every day is to put their name on/in them.

Congratulations, Anna Riedmann. Anna won the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Youth Tour Trip to Washington, D. C. through Lane Electric. It is an all-expense-paid trip awarded to one high school junior. Her trip is scheduled for June 2022. Our McKenzie Eagles are up to big things!!!

McKenzie Families, We hope your family is staying healthy. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in our community, we wanted to let you know what we do to inform families if someone in a classroom/cohort tests positive for COVID-19. Click below to read our latest update. https://conta.cc/3GQoll9

Hello MRCS families and community: A quick reminder that today is a student half day. Buses will leave at noon, your student will be at their stop 4 hours earlier that usual. We also would like to share this opportunity from a community group for children: Oregon Riders Society (ORS) and International Paper have teamed up to support McKenzie Strong Kids. How can we help? If you would like to receive a donation please visit OREGONRIDERSSOCIETY.ORG and fill out the "Need Help” form. Here is a link to their flyer: https://tinyurl.com/yc2y92vn

As a part of school board appreciation month, we want to thank our dedicated board members for charting the future for our students and our communities. The last couple of years have been challenging, but thankfully we have had an amazing team who works hard to ensure our students are set up for success. Please share and help us thank each of these wonderful members.