SPRING 2026

7-12th Grade:

The winter has been very productive.  Our students have been learning how to do well in their classrooms, we are helping with higher level math and science along with reading and writing for all the other classes.  We have had students participating in clubs, sports and CTE programs.  Several students are working with Donna Lowry, our YTP specialist, to help them access outside resources and prepare for work after High School. We went on a field trip to Worksource in La Grande, learned how to access services, create resumes and had mock interviews in hopes of improving our employability skills.  Our seniors are preparing for graduation and next steps.  

K-6th Grade:

K-6 students have made such great progress with me this winter! We have worked hard on reading, writing and mathematics. We have also had fun playing some strategy games including chess. The students have been teaching me a lot! I am looking forward to finishing the year out strong and enjoying all of the outside activities as we get into spring! As always, thank you for your support.

The Heart of the School Awards recognize outstanding educators who go the extra mile in their schools and show superior dedication to student success.

Anyone can be nominated: teachers, educational assistants, counselors, support staff, bus drivers, food service employees, custodians, etc. any employee who works for Cove School District.

Anyone can nominate someone for The Heart of the School Award! Community members, teachers, coworkers, students, staff, parent/guardian(s), etc.

The Heart of the School Award Nomination Form 2025/2026

Nomination Deadline: April 9th

Recipients Notified: May 4th

Awards Presentation: May Day Program, May 7th

You can download a pdf of the form by going to the link below:

https://aptg.co/6kL1ys

March 2, OSAA Practice Starts

March 17, Regular Board Meeting

March 19, End of 3rd Quarter

March 23-27, Spring Break

March 30, Classes Resume

April 2-3, Parent Teacher Conferences

April 7, 26/27 SY schedule forecasting sessions for 8th-11th Graders

April 11, High School Prom

April 21, Regular Board Meeting

May 7, May Day Program

May 7, Kindergarten Roundup

May 14, Play Day

May 19, Regular Board Meeting

May 21, 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony

May 21, Seniors Only: Last Day of School

May 23, Graduation

May 25, Memorial Day Holiday

May 28, End of 4th Quarter and Semester 2: Last Day of School K-11

The 2021-2022 school year was my first year as an employee with the Cove School District.  Superintendent Pettit, through a grant, was able to create a hybrid position that combined on site educational evaluations along with counseling services for students. 

As the education specialist or diagnostician, I have averaged 12 evaluations per year.  This number has been consistent with a plus and minus of two evaluations over five years. 

As the school counselor, the number of students whom I had contact with over the past five years has decreased substantially.  See the categories and number of student contacts below:

Crisis Counseling – Immediate intervention to help stabilize the student, contact a parent, and assist in referring to an outside counselor. Six students over the first four years. No incidents for the 2025-2026 school year. 

Long Term Counseling – Six months or more. Working with the student’s outside counselor to support the student when attending school.  One student over the first four years.  No needs for the 2025-2026 school year.

Short Term/Solution Focused Counseling – One to three months using a curriculum-based program to teach emotional problem-solving skills. Eight students over the first four years.  No requests for the 2024-2025 or 2025-2026 school years.

Short Term/Drop-In Counseling – Needing someone to talk to, ease an emotionally charged situation, or planned breaks to help students maintain a calm mindset for optimal learning. Current total count from Fall 2021 to present is 54 individual students seeking counseling services. Of these students, 24 are still enrolled in the Cove School District.  Only nine of these students have requested or needed counseling assistance during the 2025-2026 school year.

I attribute this favorable downward trend for the usage of the counseling services mentioned above to all of the staff within the Cove School District.  Every day I witness adults making caring connections with students in the form of positive communication, teaching engaging content at all levels, mentoring students with outside interests, providing a safe school environment both physically and emotionally.  The primary and intermediate elementary teachers have done an excellent job imbedding social emotional learning into the curriculum and every day practice.  Finally, the addition of a second special education teacher has created an extra layer of emotional support for students who access those programs. 

In my 34 years in the field of education, I have not experienced a school district and community that prioritizes the students and their educational experiences quite like Cove does.

Benchmark assessments have long proven useful for Cove School.  What’s a benchmark assessment?  It is a standards-based periodic assessment - usually delivered 2-3 times per year – which is used to shape instruction.  They take minutes and not hours to complete.  Current state annual tests and our current benchmarks have generally proven significant for schools who disaggregate the information and identify strengths and weaknesses in learning for a group or grade-level.  These tests inform the teacher of what is getting through to the class and what is not being learned very well. Thus, it shapes what the teacher focuses on for subsequent instruction.  Next year we will scrap the assessment systems we have used with great success for years in order to comply with a new state mandate that all schools add 3 additional tests per year for grades k-8 and high school juniors. This comes as the Governor pushes for increased “accountability” from schools. Her accountability is represented by every school child being tested an additional three times per year using one of four commercially available tests which the school must pay for from existing funds. This will be followed by six additional reports to the state to provide the data gleaned from the tests.  So, Cove will be challenged next year by having to use these tests designed for the purpose of reporting to the state and NOT for the purpose of monitoring and improving instruction.  We already test three times per year with a system we know and apply exclusively to improving instruction.  It appears we will either double the testing or look for any way that the state mandated tests may be used to actually drive instruction.  It seems like it would have been more efficient for us to just inform the state of our current uses of benchmark testing but I guess that wouldn’t fit the bill when the purpose of the new test has nothing to do with informing instruction and everything to do with state control over Oregon schools.  By the way, an estimated annual cost of this new “accountability” assessment for Cove is $14,000 while the state funding for their requirement to create data for their use is $0. 

Earl Pettit, 

Superintendent

Kindergarten has been busy, busy, busy! We had so much fun celebrating friendship and kindness on Valentine’s Day, and we marked our 100th Day of School by dressing up as superhero learners and showing off our super learning powers. Every day we are growing as readers and writers, and we are becoming mathematicians as we solve equations and even try our hands at word problems. In science and art, we explored how to mix the primary colors to create brand new colors—what a fun discovery! Most of all, we love coming to school each day. Between learning, laughing, recess with friends, and our favorite classroom Choice Time, kindergarten is a wonderful place to be! 

Kindergarten superheroes on our 100th day of school

2026-2027 School Year Kindergarten Roundup

First grade had a busy winter! We enjoyed making butter, learned all about 3D shapes, read a bunch of Dr. Suess books, and also watched James and the Giant Peach. We used a Venn Diagram to compare how it was similar and different from the book. Looking forward to spring with this group!

Second graders have been busy learning how to research and write informational paragraphs, confer with a peer, AND give each other feedback that improves their writing. Their growth and intrinsic motivation are amazing! They have also been working as geologists and studying landforms, what they are made of, and how they change over time. Here are some quotes from students about how they have grown in their learning, or something they like learning about here at school.

SCW: "I am proud that I have learned how to multiply."

JG: "I like writing because when Mrs. Williams reads me books it inspires my writing and makes me want to be a writer when I grow up."

AG: "I really like science. I like learning about rocks and the Earth."

BG: "I like learning about the writing cycle and writing paragraphs."

BJ: "I have grown as a writer. I used to be a 'not yet' on my endings, but now I am a 'meeting.' I can also write complete sentences."

LK: "I really like learning about math and writing. I've gotten better at using the writing cycle."

BK: "I am proud that I'm using my capital letters in the right place more often." 

BM: "I really like learning about the different kinds of writing, like informational and opinion writing. I can now use punctuation and capital letters correctly and write complete sentences."

KP: "Using the open number line to add has gotten a lot easier for me because I practiced. I have also grown my writing skills because my spacing and my spelling have gotten better."

SRe: "My favorite part of class is writing. I love writing. I love it because I get to learn about animals I don't know about. I have also gotten better at reading."

SRu: "I have grown in my reading because now I can read longer words. I am also better at writing because I can write informational paragraphs and am learning about opinion writing."

LS: "I like how we observe things in science and then go observe the real landform. I also fell ike I have grown in my writing. I used to only write a little bit, but now I am adding more detail to my writing and writing longer sentences." 

GW: "I am getting better at learning my subtraction facts. Reflex is helping me learn them."

MW: "I like learning about art, especially painting and drawing. I am getting really good at writing paragraphs."

LW: "I really like learning how to write stories. You can write about anything. I am also better at math because I can use the open number line to add double-digit numbers.

HR: "I really like learning about science. I like learning to read too. I just like everything we are learning about. I have gotten a lot better at reading, and I'm proud of myself. "

Second grade art work

Second graders working hard in class

This third grade group is working really hard! In math, we are moving right through fractions and will soon be onto measurement. Social studies is sailing by with our Early European Explorers unit, we will take what we have learned and apply it to our informational writing. Third graders will each be studying one explorer and writing an informational essay about them. We are still writing to our Pen Pals at Grande Ronde Retirement, our next visit is March 16th. At that visit both third graders and their Pen Pals will be sharing about themselves through pictures and objects. It is always the sweetest experience. After Spring Break third grade will be gearing up for their first state tests and their first Cove Playday.

Third graders enjoying a day of learning

How is it possible we are already at spring break? Time is flying here in fourth grade. We have continued to work hard mastering our math facts and finishing novels left and right. Recently, we completed the National Assessment of Educational Progress testing where students answered questions in either reading or math. I could not be more proud of how hard they worked to complete this assessment. There is so much to look forward to this spring between being the lead in the May day production, as well as competing in our second annual Cove Play Day. I am so LUCKY to be these kids' teacher. Happy St Patrick’s day. Hope everyone enjoys their spring break!

4th grade on a nature walk

4th Grade Valentine's Day

We have lots of exciting things going on in fifth grade! We just recently wrote “Blackout poetry” where students used recycled old book pages to create their own unique poems. Students have also been writing opinion essays, studying decimal division in math, and have been learning about water in our Earth systems unit in science. We are just about to wrap up our most recent novel study, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Students are also continuing to compete in the 30 Book Challenge, which will be ending soon! After Spring break, fifth graders will start practicing the winding of the May Pole for the May Day Program!

5th Grade Valentine's Day 

A Season of Growth and Discovery
Hello families! We are so proud of our 6th graders here at Cove. Your students have been working incredibly hard in all areas of learning—from their academics to their collaboration and kindness toward one another. Their dedication and positive attitudes make our classroom a wonderful place to learn.
As we move into spring, we have exciting experiences ahead that will take our learning beyond the classroom. We hope you'll help us prepare for this big season of growth and adventure!

Outdoor School Adventure

This spring, our class will be participating in an Outdoor School experience. Students will spend three days outdoors learning about ecosystems, plant and animal life, and environmental science through hands-on exploration.

When: April 27--29

Where: Camp Elkannah

What to Bring: An official pacing list will be released after Spring Break.

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn by doing and to develop their connection with the natural world!

Bird-Watching Expeditions

We are also planning multiple bird-watching trips as part of our spring studies. Students will learn to identify local bird species, observe their behaviors, and appreciate the biodiversity in our community. This is an engaging way to combine science, observation skills, and outdoor time.

When: Wednesday mornings in April and May
Where: Locations will vary

Permission Slips and Supplies

Permission slips for both Outdoor School and bird-watching will be coming home shortly.  Keep an eye out!

Laura Gibson visits Cove School on April 16!

We’re excited to welcome acclaimed singer‑songwriter Laura Gibson to Cove School on Thursday, April 16. Known for her poetic lyrics and warm indie‑folk sound, Gibson also holds a unique place in music history: she was the very first performer on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. Since then, her songs have been featured on public radio, in films, and on stages around the world. During her visit, students will hear about her creative process, the stories behind her music, and what it’s like to build a career as an artist. It’s a great chance to learn, ask questions, and be inspired.

More details on times and location coming soon. Learn more about Laura Gibson at lauragibsonmusic.com.

PE class has been doing an amazing job working hard and getting stronger! 💪 Students are learning that the harder they work, the greater the outcomes, and they are showing a great work ethic every day.

They have been completing a lot of agility work, including box jumps, dot drills, ladder drills, and hula hoop activities. It’s been awesome to see them pushing themselves, supporting one another, and reaching their goals.

Keep up the great work! 👟👏

PE class completing agility work

PE class two-step dancing!

It has been a great year so far and we are gearing up for all of the activities that Spring always has in store for our Leopards.  It has really been an impressive sight to watch our students grow and navigate through the year. With scheduling forecasting on the horizon just after break, students are actively reading through course descriptions and reviewing options for next year.  For our Senior class, one more quarter to go in completing your high school academic journey and on to post-secondary success.  We are proud of our Leopards!!

Mr. Clark

Principal, Cove Jr/Sr High School

Cove Jr/Sr High School recognized 11 students who achieved an attendance rate of 99.3% or higher during the first semester. They each received an award certificate and a $20 Papa Murphy's gift card. We appreciate their dedication to our school and congratulate them on this achievement!

Front Row (left to right):

Luke Kelty, Reagan Kelty, Chale Young, Ryder Waters

Back Row (left to right):

Chase Young, Gabby Savage, Corban McNeil, Luke Mentgen, Matt Blake, Trinten Waters

Right:

Dane Davis

We’re proud to celebrate our students’ hard work and dedication during the Quarter 2 grading period! A total of 66 students in grades 7–12 earned a place on the Honor Roll for achieving a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Additionally, 19 students received an Honorable Mention for maintaining a GPA between 3.25 and 3.49. Congratulations to all our high-achieving students!

Click on the button below or navigate to https://www.cove.k12.or.us/article/2622661 to view the list of students.

Congratulations to Cove's 2026 National Honor Society inductees!
Membership in the National Honor Society (NHS) is one of the highest honors a high school student can achieve. Selection is made by our Faculty Council after a thorough review of each candidate’s scholarship (a GPA of 3.5 or higher beginning the second semester of sophomore year), as well as exemplary leadership, service, and character. Congratulations Kyle Girdner, Matthew Blake, Henry Wadner, Jayden Hansen, Eliza Pettit, Sofia Garcia, Clara Peasley and Reagan Kelty on this well deserved achievement!

We’re gearing up for forecasting for next year's schedule. Below are important dates and details regarding the forecasting process:

Of important note, final schedules will be determined based on graduation needs first and best academic interest of the students. click on the link below to view our course catalog. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Tawny Savage at tawny.savage@covesd.org.

Spring-break at last! I think that we are winning the fight in the STEM trailer. We have the 10 feet of steel up for the magnetic wall, the new lights are in and they are much brighter. We do have some unforeseen setbacks. When we took some of the inside sheeting off of the wall to reinforce it to better support the awning on the outside, we found that the bottom of the wall at floor level is open to the elements. So now we know why most of the screws in the wall were rusted in the steel ribs and either spun and didn't come out or just broke off. When the temperature stays above 60 degrees we will spray some expanding foam up from the underside to fix that. With that solid day of rain that we had we also found that the roof has a substantial leak in it too. We are using some new building materials that I haven't encountered before so I'm learning with the kids. The wall tiles are around 1' by 2', they don't look bad for being plastic and are easy to cut and drill plus being the size that they are, they are easy to work with. The first 8' section of wall that we tackled had 1 door, 1 outlet and 4 electrical switches in it and it looks great! We are planning on fixing the leaky roof with some self leveling RV roof repair stuff that comes in calking tubes. I'm eager to see how that works (for future projects).

Never a dull moment in the Shop. Until next time, Teach.

15 students have qualified to compete at the state level in the State FBLA conference this year. The conference will be April 7th - 11th, 2026.

Pictured above are members attending the FBLA Regional at EOU!

Spring is here! The birds are making music and so are your Cove Leopards! We have a jam packed spring music schedule! Your k-12 students will have a total of 7 performances between them before the year is up! To make it easy, I've included a handy list.

April 8th - Middle School Tri-County Band Festival 
April 20th - High School Tri-County Band Festival 
April 23rd - Eastern Oregon Small Schools Music Association Festival (Hosted by Cove!! Go Leopards!!) 
April 30th - High School Choir Showcase 
May 7th - May Day 
May 9th - HS Band and Choir Music in the Parks Competition 

That's a lot of music! Here's a quick overview of what these performances are and how they help our students grow. 

Our Tri-County and EOSSMA Festivals are a chance for our students to play in large band formats with top notch music educators from around the state. These are fantastic opportunities for personal instrument skill building and meeting like-minded peers from other schools. 

The Choir Showcase is an opportunity for our vocalists to present their hard work in a solo/small group format. Traditional choir performances can make it difficult for the audience to hear individual performers, so this fun evening performance gives them a chance to showcase their personal sound.

We all know and love May Day! It's a century old Cove Tradition that's still thriving today. This community cherished event is a chance to have all our Cove musicians perform as well as honor our senior class and previous May Day Queens. Don't miss the wrapping of the May Pole!!

Music in the Parks is an end of year competition with other bands from around the region where students receive scores and feedback from professional judges. This is a chance for the students to apply everything they've learned throughout the year for one final performance. 

As always, thank you so much for your support of Cove Music and your students. We hope to see you at our second semester performances!"

Members of HOSA – Future Health Professionals recently had a great experience at the state conference in Boise, Idaho. Students participated in a variety of hands-on workshops, toured BSU, competed in skills competitions, and collaborated with fellow HOSA members and healthcare professionals from across the state.

Our two CPR/First Aid teams also did an outstanding job at their first state-level competition. We are incredibly proud of their hard work, preparation, and willingness to step up to the
challenge.

A special congratulations goes to Eliza Pettit, who placed in the Top 5 in Healthcare Administration—an outstanding accomplishment!

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, our HOSA students are excited to continue expanding their
skills and knowledge. This spring, they will participate in the NEOAHEC MedQuest Day Camp at Eastern Oregon University, while also continuing their studies in phlebotomy and pharmacology and completing their Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Cove, once again, had teams qualify for the First Tech Challenge state Championship in Hillsboro, Oregon.  Forty-eight of the best robotic teams across Oregon met up in late February to see who was the best.  Team Gear Shift, made up of Liam and Isaac, was accompanied by Team Bob the Builder, comprised of Emma and Hunter.  Both teams did very well and finished in 17th and 18th position.  Congratulations to both teams.

Due to low numbers, the spring musical has been replaced with a spring play!
The cast of six (including five students and one alumnus) is rehearsing to bring you The Murder Room by
Jack Sharkey. As this murder mystery farce was well-received in 2019, this will mark the 2 nd time we
have performed this play in the last 7 years. (It was even produced many years back as a student
project.) Performances are April 17 & 18 at 7:00 pm and April 19 at 2:00 pm. Stay tuned for ticket
information on our posters and district website. Thank you in advance for your support of this program!

Drama Class Madrigal Dinner Follow-up: Thanks to all who attended this fundraiser and donated. We made over $400 in donations for the extracurricular theatre and choir programs!

The Wildland Firefighting program has been a huge success within the Cove School District! 🔥🚒 Students are completing the course and becoming NWCG certified through Treasure Valley Community College with dual credits.

Throughout the class, students gain valuable hands-on experience including digging fire line, fire suppression techniques, hose lays, and learning the 10 Standard Fire Orders, 18 Watch Out Situations, and LCES.

This training prepares students with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue wildland firefighting opportunities with federal, state, or private agencies across the United States. We are proud of the hard work and dedication these students have shown! 

8th Grade Promotion:

As our 8th graders get ready to graduate from junior high and take the next step into high school, we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments. A promotion ceremony will be held on May 21st at 6:30 PM in the High School Gym. 

Senior Graduation:

Preparations for Graduation are well-underway - we've ordered caps and gowns, cords and stoles, and we're in the middle of planning May Day, applying for scholarships, and finalizing after-school plans.  Thanks to the generosity of Northwood Manufacturing, we will soon have the graduation banners along Main Street., and thanks to the generosity of the local community, our seniors will soon have a large packet of local scholarships to apply for during Spring Break.  I'm very proud of this year's seniors and all that they have accomplished and will accomplish. Check out a list of events by clicking on the senior calendar link below. 

Advanced Parliamentary Procedure
1st- Emma Carson, Kendra Mansveld, Gideon Topliff, Chloe Hatch, Katelyn Matthews, and Esther Elmer
Conduct of Chapter Meetings
1st- Finley O’Rourke, Baylen Johnson, Brock Beverage, Ti-Ti Edwards, Caleb Fellows, Kira Pease, and Titus Topliff
Beginning Public Speaking
1st Titus Topliff
2nd - Ti-Ti Edwards
Extemporaneous Public Speaking
1st- Emma Carson 
Parliamentary Procedure- B Team 
2nd Place- Hosanna Topliff, Jordyn Waters, Ethan Bakker, Gauge McMurdo, Talen Huffman, Quinn Hibbert, and Briley Beverage
Job Interview
4th- Esther Elmer
5th- Kendra Mansveld
Sophomore Public Speaking
Jayden Hansen
Extemporaneous Public Speaking
4th- Gideon Topliff
Creed Speaking
4th- Baylen Johnson
Creed Participants:
Hayden Johnson
Hosanna Topliff
Parliamentary Procedure “Wild West”
Preston Bakker

Students pose with our banners earned at the District Leadership Development Event in Imbler

We had a successful day at Sectionals at La Grande High School with over 13 Cove Students competing. Our parliamentary Procedure Team and Titus Topliff will be advancing to State. 

Advanced Parliamentary Procedure 

2nd- Emma Carson, Kendra Mansveld, Gideon Topliff, Chloe Hatch, Katelyn Matthews, and Esther Elmer

Conduct of Chapter Meetings

5th- Finley O’Rourke, Baylen Johnson, Brock Beverage, Ti-Ti Edwards, Caleb Fellows, Kira Pease, and Titus Topliff

Beginning Public Speaking

1st- Titus Topliff

Beginning Public Speaking

4th- Ti-Ti Edwards

Extemporaneous Public Speaking

3rd- Emma Carson

Students who qualified for and competed at the Sectional FFA Event at La Grande High School

We had 22 students competing at the District Convention at Eastern Oregon University. 

Lucas Tucker - Portfolio

Gauge McMurdo - 2nd COOP Quiz

Colten Anderson - Diversified Ag Production - Advancing on to State

Kendra Mansveld - Agriculture Mechanics Design and Fabrication - Advancing on to State

Baylen Johnson- Grain Production- Advancing to State

Gideon Topliff- Diversified Crop- District Qualifier

Star Farmer Applications:

Colten Anderson - Placement

Esther Elmer - Entrepreneurship

Students attending the District Convention at Eastern Oregon University

Science 7 has finished learning about our active earth - earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, oh my! We will spend Quarter 4 looking at ecosystems and how humans can make a healthier environment. We’ll have our full-day field trip to the Ascension school as a culmination of our outdoor classroom sessions with Carrie Castleton (Grande Ronde Community Science) as well!

Geometry will be working with three-dimensional figures, probability and statistics. We’re hoping for some good weather to go outside and do some outdoor activities involving trigonometry this spring!

Math 8 is now in our geometry chapters. We plan on revisiting solving equations and graphing as review, but we’ll mostly be working with shapes and figures, congruence and similarity this spring.

Trigonometry: We have finished right triangle trigonometry and graphing trigonometric functions and are soon entering into everyone’s favorite topic: Proofs! After we’ve struggled with trigonometric proofs, we’ll enjoy more triangle trigonometry and vectors.

Algebra 2: We are gratefully leaving logarithms behind as we start working with right triangle trigonometry. We’ll take advantage of the spring weather to use trigonometry to measure heights of objects around campus. After trigonometry, we’ll be doing probability and statistics to finish off the year. If we have time, we’ll incorporate art with series and sequences.

Calculus: We have finally finished all the derivative rules and are now enjoying all the applications of differential calculus. Mainly, that means using derivatives to help us graph difficult graphs and optimizing functions. 

Science 7 building earthquake resistant spaghetti structures

Science 7 outdoor classroom with Carrie Castleton

Math 8 students building rockets in a Go STEM lab

As we move further into the second semester, students in both Spanish and Business classes have been working hard and continuing to build valuable skills that will benefit them in school and beyond.

Spanish Classes
In Spanish class, our focus continues to be on building confidence in speaking and understanding the language. Students are practicing conversational Spanish while learning how to communicate in everyday situations. We are working with present tense verbs and continuing to expand vocabulary through activities, partner conversations, and real-world scenarios. As the semester progresses, students will also begin exploring past and future tenses to further strengthen their ability to communicate. We also had the opportunity to attend the Spanish Conference at EOU on March 4th where students were able to do many different activities involving the Spanish language and culture. Spanish 2, 3 and 4 will be taking the EOU proficiency exam at the end of the third quarter for college credit. 

Business Classes
Students in Business classes are learning practical skills that prepare them for real-world financial and career decisions. Recently we have been studying personal finance topics such as budgeting, taxes, and smart spending habits. Students are also beginning projects where they apply marketing concepts, identify target markets, and develop creative strategies to promote products. These activities help students understand how businesses operate and develop important career-ready skills.

English Class Highlights: ENG I/II is studying traditional literature with a current emphasis on fables, folktales, and fairytales while Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the central focus in American Lit. We took the time to explore the musical Big River which is based on the novel as well as learning about the Deaf West theatre’s production which included hearing and deaf actors. Lit to Film is in the middle of a unit on children’s literature. We are reading such classics as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Tuck Everlasting, Bridge to Terabithia, etc., prior to analyzing their film translations. LIT 104 has had a very fast-paced jaunt through three Progressive Era novels along with a Eugene O’Neill play and is now heading into a final project. ELA 8 is just starting to learn how to format their first research paper in MLA!

The second semester is a time to raise the bar, and students are “leveling up” to meet the challenge!

7th graders have been studying ancient Greece and Rome.  Ask them about their favorite Greek god/goddess, the Trojan War, or how well they survived as a gladiator!

9th grade World History discussed the big ideas of the Enlightenment and, most recently, the revolutions of the 16th-17th centuries.  Ask them about “civil discourse” and the Enlightenment justifications for revolution.

9th/10th graders read their first Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. We watched three different productions of the story.  Which one did they enjoy most?

In Essential Living Skills, we have been sewing up a storm!  After practicing some basic hand sewing and machine sewing skills, each student picked a project.  They all had to find or create a pattern and then bring it to life!  They all made something worth bragging about!

As always, thank you for your support!

shauna.hendrickson@covesd.org

Evan Larvik: Invented a pattern from an old pair of shorts to create a new pair!

Seneca Walker: Hand-sewn bat plushie!

Our history students have been learning about some pivotal events that help us understand who we are as Americans. Eighth graders and college credit course (U.S. History 201) students have studied the American Revolution, and the sophomores are currently studying the Civil War. They are all learning how much of an impact these conflicts shaped us as a people. Both wars were civil wars. Both wars were violent and bloody. Both wars were revolutionary. George Washington led us to victory and established long lasting precedents on how an American leader should behave. Abraham Lincoln followed suit. Washington led a movement to create a nation intended to protect the freedoms of all. Lincoln led a movement to fulfill the continuation of that revolution to create a greater sense of equality for all. Both men hoped to contribute to the development of a country that would be run by the people. 

The other day I was discussing the concepts of democracy with my students and, very astutely, a student responded to the question, “are Americans losing interest in democracy?” She said she didn’t believe Americans were losing interest, but maybe they have forgotten what democracy is. I was very impressed by this level of critical thinking. It gave me hope that we have young leaders in our midst that have the potential to keep this nation strong and focused on its people’s values.

To keep up on the events of the War for America, here’s an event from March of 1776:  after General Knox retrieved cannon from the recently captured Fort Ticonderoga, General Washington ordered the occupation of Dorchester Heights- high ground overlooking the Boston harbor. The British, who were occupying the city, neglected to claim the heights. Washington took the advantage. The British navy, faced with having their ships sunk in the harbor, were forced out of Boston for the remainder of the war. This day, March 17, is now celebrated as ‘Evacuation Day.’ Although another holiday on the same date tends to overshadow this remarkable event in the history of our nation, don't forget to raise a glass to the Bostonians on St. Patrick's Day.

8th Grade Science: Our last quarter in 8th grade Science will be very busy - before Spring Break, we will be reviewing the scientific method and engineering design process in preparation for our Science Fair on Wednesday, May 27th.  We will also be learning about our place in space, which will culminate in building and launching rockets that were purchased through the generosity of the Cove Education Foundation. 

Algebra 2: I've been very pleased with the effort and diligence of my Algebra 2 students in working through the difficult concepts of rational functions, radical functions, logarithmic functions, and logarithmic operations. We'll finish the quarter by learning geometric sequences before moving on to trigonometry.

Geometry: We've moved on from triangles to circles!!  We finished using trigonometry to solve real-world problems and will be spending the rest of this quarter and part of the next looking at the relationships between angles, segments, and circles.

Spanish 1: We recently finished learning the perfect past tense, and we're continuing to work on how to use it in conversation.  In the next quarter, we will be learning and presenting about different Spanish cultures, and planning a fiesta for el Cinco de Mayo.

Career Exploration: We have had a fun quarter of learning soft-skills, as well as taking several different personality quizzes to find careers that fit each students' strengths.  This group of students was also very helpful in preparing for this year's Carnival, by counting out tickets before, and then totaling the tickets that each class took in after.

Geometry 2: We have been studying the basics of statistics, analyzing various data sets, and will finish the quarter by conducting a school-wise pi(e)-related statistics project to celebrate Pi Day on March 12th. Corban McNeil recited 225 digits of pi, breaking his record of 200 from last year. Honorable mention includes two 7th graders: Ashlynn Robbins, who recited 57 digits, and Chale Young, who recited 62. Congratulations!!

Geometry II class serving school wide pies in celebration of Pi Day

Corban McNeil holding his prize 'pizza pie' for reciting 225 digits of pi

It’s been an action-packed quarter for high school Science! From the inner workings of the human mind to the physics of flight, our students are leaning into hands-on discovery and real-world applications. Here is a look at what each class has been up to:

Physical Science: Our freshman and sophomores are currently uncovering the "glue" that holds our world together. To understand chemical bonds, students recently completed a comprehensive lab where they acted as molecular detectives. By testing substances for conductivity, solubility, durability, and melting point, they were able to classify unknown materials into ionic, covalent, or metallic groups.

Drone Applications: In our Drone course, students are working toward a professional milestone: the FAA Commercial Drone Pilot Certificate. This isn't just about flying for fun; it's about career readiness in a rapidly growing industry.
Additionally, we are in the prototyping phase of designing and building custom remote-controlled airplanes!  Students are learning a lot about craftsmanship, teamwork, physics of flight, remote piloting, and learning from failures as they  go through the design, test, redesign production loop.  A big thank you to the Cove Education Association for their generous funding that has allowed us to have this opportunity.  

Physics: How do we hear music? How do lasers work? Physics students are currently investigating the properties of sound and light. We are exploring how energy travels through different mediums and the fascinating ways these waves interact with our environment.

Anatomy & Physiology: Students are diving deep into the complexities of the nervous system. To bridge the gap between diagrams and reality, students recently performed sheep brain dissections. This hands-on experience provided an invaluable look at the structures responsible for everything from basic reflexes to complex emotions.

Outside of the science lab, our students are putting in work in the weight room.  With two sessions - one before school and one during the school day - both classes are at full capacity with students that are looking to improve their personal fitness and sports performance.  
Our curriculum goes far beyond just lifting weights; we focus on a holistic approach to athleticism, including:

It is a privilege to work with these students as they develop as scientific investigators and disciplined athletes.  Thank you for your continued support of our programs. 

Ryan Schaefer

Ryan Schaefer and Cael Hassinger

Ryan Schaefer, Cael Hassinger and Evan Larvik testing the custom built airplane!

Cove School District 15

PO Box 68

803 Main Street 

Cove, OR 97824

541-568-4424

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