July 1, 2021 / Fourth- and fifth-graders at KCSD's Migrant Summer School put together a concert under the direction of awesome teachers Janine Fairfield and Sharon Cosand. They performed for their classmates June 30 and July 1. This video is a shortened version of their concert. Enjoy!

July 19, 2021 / The school at 1951 Madison St. will collect nonperishable food items in a drive-through, drop-off event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday, July 22. 

July 20, 2021 / The Klamath County School District will host a second community lunch from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 22 at the Antler Bar and Grill in Bly, a site for Bootleg Fire evacuees. The event is open to the community.

Aug.  10, 2021 / This year, school supplies will be provided to all elementary students in the Klamath County School District.

Aug. 16, 2021 / Klamath County School District’s human resources team of Mark Greif and Chelsey Tyree swept the Oregon School Personnel Association’s 2020-21 awards last month, bringing home top honors as HR Director of the Year and HR Specialist of the Year.

Aug. 27, 2021 / The Klamath County School District will host two town halls next week to provide a chance for families to get their questions answered as schools prepare to open to full-time, in-person learning. The district is asking that questions be submitted by email to blands@kcsd.k12.or.us by noon the day before each town hall.

Aug. 31, 2021 / For the seventh year in a row, the Klamath County School District has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

Sept. 1, 2021 / Klamath County School District leaders and community officials listened to parents and answered questions for nearly two hours tonight (Sept. 1) at the first of two town halls being hosted this week by Superintendent Glen Szymoniak. 

Sept. 2, 2021 / More than 70 community members joined KCSD Superintendent Glen Szymoniak Sept. 2 for a discussion about schools and state mandates. “I will always be accountable to you and listen to you," he said. "Now whether I can do everything you want? I can’t make that promise, but I can promise you that I’m going to provide you with a respectful environment so you can get your questions answered.” 

Sept.  5, 2021 / Every year, drivers who disobey the yellow and red flashing lights of school buses put children at risk. “It happens daily,” said Shawn Snoozy, transportation supervisor for the Klamath County School District. “In some cases, I think drivers are naïve to the law.”

Sept. 9, 2021 / Klamath County School District has some new leaders at schools and in the district office for the 2021-22 school year. Meet our new principals, vice principals, and district leadership team members.

Sept. 16, 2021 / Groundbreaking for a $1.3 million project that enhances and redesigns outdoor space at Chiloquin Elementary School could happen as soon as October. Thanks to community collaboration and support, organizers of the Chiloquin Green Schoolyard project have nearly all the funds necessary to build a new outdoor space that incorporates a playground area, a covered outdoor basketball court, interpretative walking paths, and community garden spaces at the elementary school.

Sept. 20, 2021 / The Klamath County School District Board of Directors will send a second resolution to Gov. Kate Brown urging the state to change COVID-19 requirements to recommendations and allow the district to work directly with Klamath County Public Health to determine the appropriate mitigation strategies for its schools. KCSD board member Marc Staunton, who represents the south county, brought up the need to continue to push against state mandates. “I was voted onto the school board by people in the community who expected me to be a voice for them ...  if we don’t express our discontent the state mandates will continue.”

Sept. 28, 2021 / Fifth- and sixth-graders and special program students at Stearns Elementary School started classes this fall in the district’s newest building, an 11,000-square-foot addition on their school campus. The stand-alone building next to the school’s playground has a wide, brightly lit hallway, reflective windows, painted concrete floors, and the latest classroom technology.  “This gives us more space, and provides a sense of community and a cooperative learning environment for our older students,” said Beth Clark, principal of Stearns Elementary School.

Oct. 7, 2021 / Grab a carrot and join students across the Klamath County School District on Oct. 21 for the fourth annual Countdown to Crunch in celebration of National Farm to School Month. In past years, students have crunched Oregon-grown apples and Klamath-grown spinach. This year, Kent Simons from Simple Gifts Farm and Jordan Rainwater from Belweather Farm are supplying the district with more than 4,000 fresh carrots for the Klamath Carrot Crunch. 

Oct. 15, 2021 / Over the past three years, Brixner Junior High School teacher Kara Contreras and her ecology students have created an outdoor classroom that attracts pollinators, provides habitat for the endangered monarch butterfly, and last spring was home to fledgling barn owls. That classroom – called a Schoolyard Habitat – earned Brixner an Eco-Schools USA Bronze Award from the National Wildlife Federation for exceptional achievement in educating for sustainability. 

Oct. 18, 2021 / As the state vaccination deadline for educators arrived today (Oct. 18), 98% of Klamath County School District employees were in compliance – either by being fully vaccinated or submitting a valid exception. “Our employees take their jobs seriously. They take the education of our community’s youth seriously,” said Glen Szymoniak, superintendent of the Klamath County School District. “This dedication helped ensure that students would not see a disruption in services and programs.”

Oct. 20, 2021 / The Klamath Tribes has donated $500,000 to Chiloquin Junior/Senior High School’s track and field renovation project. “We appreciate the Tribal Council’s ongoing support of our schools and communities,” said John Rademacher, chair of the Klamath County School District Board of Directors. “This generous donation will go far to make this facility a place of which the Chiloquin community can be proud.” The $500,000 will be used to upgrade the lighting, concessions, restrooms, and bleachers for the track and field facility.

Oct. 21, 2021 / “That carrot was soooo good!” a Stearns Elementary School kindergartener enthused as he approached farmer Kent Simons, who had provided the fresh carrots from his half-acre farm a few blocks away. “Would you like another one?” Simons asked. The red-headed boy grinned. “Yes!” Simons teamed with OSU Extension educator Patty Case on Thursday at Stearns Elementary to talk about carrots and field questions from students during the community’s fourth annual Countdown to Crunch event in honor of National Farm to School Month. This year, students throughout the Klamath County School District crunched carrots from his farm, Simple Gifts Farm. They were harvested with the tops on just last week.

Oct 26, 2021 / A groundbreaking celebration on Tuesday that included ceremonial tossing of dirt with golden shovels kicked off construction of a $1.3 million project that will build a new outdoor space at Chiloquin Elementary School. Thanks to community collaboration and support, organizers of the Chiloquin Green Schoolyard project have nearly all the funds necessary to redesign the space. Plans incorporate a playground area, a covered outdoor basketball court, interpretative walking paths, and community garden spaces at the elementary school. Tuesday’s event was attended by Chiloquin Elementary School students, community supporters and project donors. Don Gentry, chair of The Klamath Tribes, gave the blessing; drummers from the Warrior Society performed, and campaign leaders and key partners spoke of the long-lasting impact the project will have on the community and its families.

Nov. 17, 2021 / Advanced ag mechanic and master technician students from Lost River and Henley high schools teamed up this year to update the front entrance of Basin Fertilizer & Chemical Co., in Merrill. “It turned out fantastic,” said co-owner Amie McAuliffe said last week after the final pieces were installed. “Employers need employees with these skills. These students will have experience in welding, fabrication, electrical and wood and metal work. Those skills are invaluable.

Nov. 18, 2021 / A Bonanza senior is heading to Texas next fall with a scholarship and a spot on the Texas A&M Equestrian Team. Kaitlyn Bloom, 17, will study pre-veterinarian medicine while competing in Western Horsemanship at the Division 1 NCAA level. She signed her letter of intent last week in front of friends and family at Bonanza Junior/Senior High School. 

Third- and fourth-graders at Henley Elementary School took a step back in time for a few hours on Thursday, spending the morning learning about games and activities children their age participated in during the 1800s. They learned to make homemade butter, created twirlers and whirly gigs, and used a hammer and nail to create a tin start Christmas tree ornament.

Twenty Merrill and Malin families received a turkey and a food box last week stuffed to the brim with Thanksgiving meal goodies and lots of extras – pastas, beans, pancake mixes, sweets – thanks to Lost River Junior/Senior High School students and staff.

Three Klamath County School District seniors are semifinalists in the competitive Coca Cola Scholars Foundation program, earning a spot in the top 2 percent of more than 68,000 applicants nationwide. Jasmin Hernandez and Anabelle Ross of Lost River Junior/Senior High School and Janah Moorer of Mazama High School are among 1,617 students invited to submit a second round of applications for the $20,000 college scholarship.

Dec. 2, 2021 / Bonanza Junior/Senior High School unveiled a new, updated weight room this week featuring five complete power rack stations as well as new equipment and a fresh coat of paint. The renovation was funded by a $10,000 grant from the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) and $15,000 in private donations.

Dec. 3, 2021/ This winter, nearly 400 Klamath County School District students will receive a “warm hug” in the form of a handmade blanket thanks to Project Linus. Suzy Field and Susan Oates of Project Linus delivered bags full of the colorful blankets to the KCSD Central Office this week. Over the past decade, the local chapter has provided more than 12,000 blankets to community organizations who help youth. They refer to the blankets as “warm hugs.”

Dec. 8, 2021 / When local artist Leonard Wilder asked Chiloquin Junior/Senior High School seventh- and eighth-graders to brainstorm about the future of their city, many envisioned a thriving community where people had jobs and homes and felt pride in where they lived. Wilder, a 1965 graduate of Chiloquin, visited the school’s shop and art classes last week to get ideas for the 50-by-10-foot mural he will create as part of the Chiloquin Green Schoolyard Project. The mural will represent the past, present, and future. Art Ochoa, a 1970 graduate of Chiloquin and schoolyard project coordinator, joined him. They asked students to focus on the future. “We’re trying to get feedback from our seventh- and eighth-graders since they were involved in the original schoolyard idea,” Ochoa said. “We want them to continue to be invested.”

Dec. 9, 2021 /  Malin Elementary School brought their holiday program to the community this year. The entire student body -- more than 120 strong -- performed carols outside Wednesday night at the annual tree lighting celebration at Malin Park. The students sang three songs -- Rudolph, Feliz Navidad, and I Want to Wish You a Merry Christmas. Shortly after, the switch was flipped, lighting up the wonderland that is Malin Park in December. The siren from a fire truck announced the arrival of Santa. Malin Principal Margaret McCadden said she hopes this will become a new tradition for the school. 

Dec. 16, 2021 / Bonanza Junior/Senior High School math teacher Mallory Drake was named the local Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 1383’s Citizenship Education Teacher of the Year last week during a ceremony in front of the student body.

Dec  20. 2021 /  Forty Bonanza area families received gifts and holiday food boxes last week thanks to the efforts of Bonanza Junior/Senior High School and community partners, Bonanza Cares and Living Springs Fellowship Church.

Jan. 3, 2022 / Andrew Edwards, a senior at Henley High School, has received a scholarship to the Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy Program. The scholarship, valued at more than $22,000, covers transportation, room and board, academics, and flight hours required to potentially earn a private pilot certificate. Through the program, Edwards will attend an accredited aviation university in the summer of 2022.

Jan. 13, 2022 / The Klamath County School District is joining 196 school districts throughout Oregon to celebrate its school board members in January during School Board Recognition Month. In the past two years, the five-member KCSD Board of Directors faced the challenge of operating a school district in the midst of a pandemic head on, and this month is a chance to recognize their hard work and continued efforts to keep students in the classrooms and learning, said KCSD Superintendent Glen Szymoniak. “Our school board members are volunteers who spend countless hours working to provide the best possible education for our students,” he said. “Even though we are making a special effort during January to show appreciation, we recognize their contributions reflect a year-round volunteer effort on their part. They are dedicated individuals who are committed to improving student achievement and success.”

Jan. 20, 2022 / Four high schools in the Klamath County School District boasted graduation rates above 90 percent in 2021 and one of those – Lost River Junior/Senior High School – had a perfect graduation of 100 percent for the third year in a row. “I’m very proud of the work our high schools, our seniors, and their families did overcoming a lot of challenges last year,” said Jeff Bullock, KCSD secondary curriculum and school improvement director. “Our graduating seniors deserve to be recognized for their extra effort.” Other schools above 90 percent were Henley High School at 97.50 percent, Bonanza Junior/Senior High School at 95.45 percent, and Mazama High School at 91.03 percent

Jan. 24, 2022 / The Klamath County School District maintenance team worked with local contractors today to finish pouring concrete to complete the foundation for a new six-classroom addition at Shasta Elementary School.

Jan. 25, 2022 / If there is an emergency or a natural disaster, Charles Gonsowski knows how to help – and the teenager is qualified to do so. Gonsowski was among 48 Henley High School students who earned the FEMA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certification Jan. 20, qualifying them to volunteer to help during emergencies and natural disasters.

The Klamath County School District Board of Directors sent a third resolution to Gov. Kate Brown this week, urging the state to change COVID-19 requirements to recommendations and allow the district to work directly with Klamath County Public Health to determine appropriate mitigation strategies for its schools.

Do you know a Klamath County School District teacher or staff member who makes an extra effort to inspire and help students? If so, consider nominating them for a Crystal Apple Award.  The Crystal Apple is given to KCSD staff who go above and beyond for students of all backgrounds and abilities. A nominee can be a teacher, a counselor or a classified employee who has been with the district for at least three years.

KCSD has three openings on its budget committee. The budget committee works with the KCSD Board of Directors to review and approve the district’s annual budget.

Henley Elementary School sixth-grader Makayla Schroeder uses a controller to carefully maneuver a robot onto a cardboard ramp. Across campus at Henley Middle School, eighth-grader Dylan Orr peers into the inner workings of a VEX robot as his team discusses its next steps. Makayla and Dylan are members of inaugural after-school robotics clubs started this fall by Henley High School seniors and chief science officers Bo James and Andrew Edwards.

During a virtual town hall Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., honored Klamath County School District’s Food Services team with a ceremonial American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol. The senator recognized the team, led by food services director Candace Gracik and food services field supervisor Jennifer Detwiler, for their work providing emergency meals during the Bootleg Fire last summer. Following evacuations of Bly-area residents, the food services team organized free community luncheons at the Antler Grill in Bly and provided grab-and-go meals for youth ages 18 and under. 

A Mazama High School senior was one of two students honored with the first-ever Youth Leadership Award from the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce. Kennedy Lease, 18, is ASB president, a member of National Honor Society and FBLA, and caption of all three of her varsity sports teams. She is known for her dedication to her school and her ability to engage and involve her classmates. “Kennedy is a role model for other students and leaders in the community,” said Mazama Principal Jennifer Hawkins in her nomination letter. “She is passionate, inspirational, and driven. Kennedy is just beginning her career in leadership and she will go far and accomplish great things.”

Feb. 24, 2022 / The Oregon Health Authority announced today the state will lift mask requirements in schools on March 19, nearly two weeks earlier than expected. At that time, the decision to require masks in school settings will fall to school districts and local public health authorities. Once the mandate ends on March 19, Klamath County School District plans to make masks optional in our schools. Those who wish to continue wearing a mask are welcome to do so.

Kai Crume was 12 when his basketball coach died by suicide. After sinking into a months-long depression, Kai finally found a way out while participating in the annual Modoc Ancestral Run, a 150-mile relay from Fort Klamath to the Lava Beds. “It changed me,” he says. “Now I have confidence and perspective. I see things differently.” The 15-year-old Henley High School sophomore used his experiences to create an award-winning suicide awareness video for the You Matter to Klamath 2021 Youth Suicide Prevention Video competition. He won first place in the contest for his 2-minute video “We Have Purpose,” which uses imagery from the Modoc Ancestral relay, native songs sung in the Klamath language, and a strong message about hope and connection.

March 8, 2022 / Daily studying and test practice paid off for a 15-year-old Henley High School senior who last month was named a National Merit Scholar Finalist.  Charlie Xu scored in the top 1% on both the PSAT and SAT college tests to qualify for the honor. Each year, nearly 1.5 million students take the test. In February, 15,000 were notified that they are finalists and qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. “That Charlie is an outstanding student is obvious, but he is so much more than that as part of our student body – he is a leader, an athlete, and a young man of incredible character,” said Andrea Gray, principal of Henley High School. “We are proud that he is a Hornet and excited for his achievement. This recognition couldn’t be bestowed on anyone more deserving.”

March 9, 2022 / Kindergarteners at Chiloquin Elementary straddled their new striders and pushed off, lifting their feet from the ground as the bikes shot forward. The students last week began learning to ride thanks to $5,000 in donations from Chiloquin Community Builders and Ninja Mountain Bike Performance, which were used to purchase a fleet of 30 strider bikes through the All Kids Bike program. The striders were assembled by volunteer instructors with Ninja Mountain Bike Performance, the largest mountain bike skills instruction company in the U.S. The company relocated its headquarters to the Chiloquin area three years ago. Chiloquin P.E. teacher Barb Whalen and volunteer Hannah Levine are teaching the lessons to kindergarteners and first-graders, helping students don their helmets and providing encouragement and advice. Levine is captain of global development for Ninja Mountain Bike Performance and bike team lead with Chiloquin Community Builders. “We want every kid to get a chance to learn how to ride regardless of circumstances,” Levine said. 

March 10, 2022 / Lost River, Henley, and Bonanza high schools have been awarded Career and Technical Education (CTE) Revitalization Grants to expand hands-on programs, update and build computer and business labs, and improve career and technical readiness pathways for students.

March 11, 2022 / Chiloquin Junior/Senior High School freshman Weeyaya Brown peeled off bright yellow stickers and carefully placed them on the bottles of beer in the coolers at Clyde’s Market in Chiloquin. The stickers remind buyers that providing alcohol to minors is illegal. “This is very important to me because I know people who have struggled with alcohol, and I know people who buy alcohol for teenagers,” said Brown, a member of the Klamath Tribal Youth Council, which spearheads the awareness project. “That’s what helps start addictions. I don’t want people messing up their lives.”

March 15, 2022 / Teams from Bonanza, Lost River, Mazama, and Henley competed well at the VEX Robotics Oregon State Championships last weekend with four teams qualifying for the world competition in May. Two Mazama High School teams, a Henley High School team and a Henley Middle School team qualified to compete in May at the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas.

March 16, 2022 /  Klamath County School District cooks spent a morning testing recipes that use locally grown ingredients – fingerling potatoes from Circle C in Malin and eggs from ‘Poe’ tential Farms in Poe Valley – to determine the best way to serve the fresh ingredients during meals over the next two months.

March 16, 2022 / Brixner Junior High School students adopted a “sparrow” last week, committing to volunteering 300 hours of community service to raise money for 2-year-old Jubal, a Klamath Falls boy who was critically injured in an accident. With the help of Sparrow Clubs National Program Director Matt Sampson, Brixner students kicked off the effort during an assembly last week. Kena Sampson, Southern Oregon Director for Sparrow Clubs, livestreamed the event for Jubal’s mother, who was in Portland at the hospital with her son.

March 17, 2022 / New microscopes -- 220 of them -- were delivered Thursday to junior high and high school science classrooms, improving hands-on learning opportunities and increasing access to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs for students. 

March 18, 2022 / As the bell rang for break students streamed into the Bo’ Town Showcase, a newly renovated common area that highlights student achievements, provides study and meeting areas, and is home to the Bonanza Junior/Senior High School’s first-ever student store, the Grub Hub. As some students lined up to buy snacks, others sat tables to talk or work on projects. Around the room, trophy cases display awards won by student CTE groups, including FBLA, FFA, and VEX Robotics. Highlighted behind a presentation stage outfitted with a 20-by-12-foot screen and surround sound is a mural with the question, “Where will you go next,” reminding students to look towards the future.

March 23, 2022 / Klamath County School District was well-represented last weekend at the Oregon FFA State Convention in Redmond. FFA students from Lost River, Bonanza, Mazama, and Henley took home competition honors, attended workshops, served on committees, and participated in interviews. Eleven students received the Oregon FFA State Degree, a coveted and difficult to earn honor that requires, among other things, at least 30 FFA activities, 25 hours of community service, 360 hours of agriculture instruction and a supervised agricultural experience in which the member has earned or invested $1,500 and worked at least 300 hours.

Keno Elementary School fourth-grader Abbi Brown is the regional and statewide winner of the 2022 Character Counts essay and drawing contest. The Character Counts essay contest, an annual event hosted by the National Association for Family and Community Education (NAFCE), is designed to help students learn about six pillars of character -- citizenship, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, and caring.

April 5, 2022 / The public is invited to the fourth annual Henley STEM Expo on Saturday, April 9 for the KidWind Challenge Regional Competition and a VEX Robotics exhibition. The event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Henley High School. Fifty-two teams will be competing. The top two high school and top two middle school teams in the KidWind Challenge will qualify for nationals in San Antonio. Oregon Tech will have its Formula SAE and Baja cars on display, and concessions will be available.

April 12, 2022 / Each year, the Klamath County School District awards Crystal Apples to eight staff who best exemplify its mission: “Inspiring today’s students to meet tomorrow’s challenges.” The winners receive their Crystal Apples during a celebration April 19 at the Ross Ragland Theater. The event is open to the public.

April 21, 2022 / More than 50 students from Bonanza, Gilchrist, Lost River, and Mazama FBLA chapters will be representing Oregon and Klamath County this summer at the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Chicago. FBLA teams from the four schools traveled to Portland in mid-April to compete in Oregon FBLA State Business Leadership Conference in mid-April, qualifying students in 36 high school events and 12 junior high events for the national competition. The three-day state conference included the competition as well as leadership training. More than 70 schools and 1,350 students were in attendance.

April 20, 2022 / Basin Transit Service last week donated a fork lift and an air compressor to Mazama High School for use in its automotive and shop programs. BTS mechanics Dave Moser and Brenden Westfall helped deliver the equipment to the school, meeting with Mazama automotive teacher Steve Walker.

April 25, 2022 / Henley Middle School eighth-grader Feather Crume is considering a career in the medical field – or perhaps in education. Classmate Rachel Edwards is interested in agriculture. Crume and Edwards were among Henley Middle School eighth-graders who spent a day at Henley High School last week, exploring Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and other electives available to them when they enter high school in the fall. This week, counselors are working with the students to help them determine their ninth-grade class schedules

Lost River FFA students won the 10th annual Oregon Ag Fest Agricultural Education Award this month for their agricultural outreach and education efforts.

May 4, 2022 / “Jubal! Jubal! Jubal!” The 2-year-old, who nearly lost his life less than three months ago, looked up at the crowded stands in the Brixner Junior High School gymnasium and gave students a quick smile before hiding his face on his mother’s shoulder. The students then stood, clapping their hands and stomping their feet. Brixner students in March adopted Jubal as a Sparrow Club “sparrow,” and in one month, performed more than 400 hours of community service to help support the family financially as the toddler recovered from his injuries. Sparrow Club sponsors donated money to the family for the community service hours Brixner students logged in Jubal’s name.

May 10, 2022 / One student plans to be a welder, another a video game designer. Others plan careers in the military and as psychologists, medical doctors and veterinarian technicians. The soon-to-be graduates of Bonanza and Lost River high schools celebrated their futures with signing day events over the past week, publicly announcing their next steps as they move from high school seniors to young adults.

May 12, 2022 / Four Henley teams will take their wind turbines to San Antonio, Texas, to compete against teams from around the country May 16-19 at the KidWind National Challenge Competition. At the KidWind Nationals Competition, teams will compete in wind tunnel tests, judging interviews, and engineering challenges, including building an off-shore wind turbine that floats while remaining stable enough to generate power. Students also will have an opportunity to team up with college students to complete a separate engineering challenge.

May 16, 2022 / In one classroom, students wiped down tables and mopped floors to a shine. In another, a group replaced ceiling tiles. Outside, groups of students weeded flower beds and cleaned up grassy areas. More than 200 Bonanza Junior/Senior High School students spent a morning last week brightening their campus during the school’s annual Give Back Day. The event is a way for students and staff to take action to make their school and community a better place to live. In the past, students have cleaned up the community park and planted trees. 

May 20, 2022 / If Mazama High School’s band was a sports team, their journey to the OSAA State 4A Band Championships would be a story of the underdog with a come-from-behind victory. Six weeks ago, they didn’t expect to even qualify for the state competition stage, and band members and their director agreed: “We weren’t very good.” Mazama’s concert season started with a bus breakdown in March that left the student musicians stranded for a few hours near Eagle Point. It ended May 12 with an emergency room visit, celebratory tears, and a second-place OSAA State Championship trophy.

May 26, 2022 / Six Klamath County School District seniors – including four from Lost River Junior-Senior High School – have been selected for four-year Ford Family Foundation Scholarships that will pay for 90 percent of their unmet college costs. Recipients are Lost River seniors Aaron Reyes Rodriguez, Johan Ayala Macias, Jasmin Hernandez Aguilera, and Michelle Ruedas Chavarria; and Gilchrist Junior/Senior High School senior Samantha Spurlock. One of the recipients asked not to be named publicly.

May 26, 2022 / A Henley High School sophomore has been honored at the state level as a Sources of Strength Showcase Peer Leader for his suicide awareness and prevention video, “We Have Purpose.” Kai Crume was among 10 high school and college students honored May 26 in a virtual 2022 Oregon Sources Showcase event.

Meet KCSD’s class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from each of our high schools – Bonanza, Chiloquin, Gilchrist, Henley, Lost River, and Mazama. These 31 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.

June 7, 2022 / Seven months ago, Onyx Leah Bartlett and Stephanie Castaneda had never written computer code and didn’t know what a high tunnel was. Today, they have designed an award-winning miniature prototype that enables one person to move the heavy-hooped tunnels used to extend a farmer’s growing season. The two Brixner Junior High School eighth-graders took first place last month in the Oregon MESA junior high engineering and design competition, beating teams from Portland-area schools. They are representing the state of Oregon at MESA’s National Engineering and Design Competition in late June. MESA stands for Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement.

June 8, 2022 / The Henley High School Band marched in the 2022 National Memorial Day Parade May 30 on Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C. Jaidin Hulsey, a senior who plays saxophone in the band, called participating in the parade “a breathtaking” experience. “We marched down Constitution Avenue, past the National Mall, and right next to the monuments we have seen so many times on TV,” she said. “One of the things that stuck with me most was that normally, when we march in parades, the people watching cheer for Henley High School as we walk by. But in this parade, they cheered for Oregon since we were the only school there representing the entire state of Oregon.”

June 9, 2022 / Klamath County Transition Program celebrated Independence Day for its Class of 2022 in an outside ceremony Thursday attended by family and friends. Five students are exiting the program, which provides three years of transition services to youth ages 18-21 on individualized education plans. 

• Falcon Heights Alternative School
• Mazama High School
• Bonanza Jr/Sr High School
• Lost River Jr/Sr High School
• Gilchrist Jr/Sr High School
• Chiloquin Jr/Sr High School
• Henley High School

June 13, 2022 / When eighth-grader Claire Earnest created a book for her kindergarten buddy at Peterson Elementary School, she incorporated Kaitlynn Allison’s favorite things as well as hands-on activities that would help the soon-to-be first-grader – letters, numbers, shoe tying, and braiding. Earnest and other members of Brixner Junior High School Student Council created books for students in Amber McDonald’s kindergarten class as part of a buddy book project that pairs each Student Council member with a younger student. Last week, they walked to the elementary school to meet their buddies and give them their books and spend the afternoon together.