Annual Celebration Gives Singers A Large Voice
The annual Bethel Choir Celebration brought together more than 360 Bethel elementary, middle and high school students.
Under the guidance of guest Choir Director Dr. Beth Wheeler from the University of Oregon, the singers shared one combined song.
WHS Student Named Future First Citizen Winner
Willamette senior Elizabeth Ortiz has been honored with the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce Future First Citizen Award.
Willamette senior Elizabeth Ortiz has been named the Future First Citizen by the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce.
Along with being Wil-Hi’s senior class president, Elizabeth is a peer tutor, a PeaceHealth volunteer, the Head Coordinator of the Wolverine Pageant, the WHS student representative to the School Board, and is involved in a number of other groups, clubs and activities at school and in the community.
Arriving in the U.S. from Mexico 11 years ago, Elizabeth spoke no English. Now eloquently bi-lingual, her long-term goal is to become a neonatal surgeon.
The award, presented in front of hundreds of people at the Chamber’s 66th annual Celebration of Business, recognizes a local high school senior who has made notable contributions to our community.
Her selection as Future First Citizen is well-deserved. Elizabeth is an outstanding representative of Bethel and the City of Eugene.
District Grad Rates Take Big Jump
Mortar boards went flying at Willamette High School’s graduation. The Class of 2019 had the district’s highest grad rate in more than a decade.
The high school graduation rate in Bethel is now the highest it’s been in more than a decade.
Data just released by the Oregon Department of Education shows Willamette High School’s 4-year graduation rate at 82.6%, higher than the state average and 10% higher than the previous year.
Kalapuya High School’s 5-year grad rate jumped to 51.6%, despite most students enrolling at KHS behind schedule.
How has this happened? For several years, all Bethel teachers have become even more attentive to individual students’ learning needs.
And, the district is increasingly using data to more closely track students’ progress – intervening with supports when help is needed with academics, attendance, or behavior – from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The Flu In Bethel
Here is some health news as you head to the three-day weekend. Throughout the community, we are seeing an increase in student illnesses and the flu and there have been confirmed cases of the flu in Bethel schools. All flu viruses can be easily spread from person to person. That’s why we are trying to teach students about proper hygiene in order to reduce the spread of flu. We want to keep our schools open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season, but we need your help:
- Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Show your children how to cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue, or cough into their elbow. This will go a long way toward preventing the spread of colds and the flu.
- Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.
- Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to have a fever of 100 degrees or greater, or are otherwise sick while at school, will be brought to the school health room until a parent or guardian arrives to take them home.
- Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or do not have signs of a fever, without using fever-reducing drugs. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.
We will work closely with Lane County Public Health to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take during this flu season. Here is a fact sheet with more information about the flu.