Oregon school board recognizes achievements

OREGON – The Oregon School District 220 Board acknowledged the efforts and successes of several individuals and programs during its meeting Monday.

Lindsey Breeden and Aaron Mendoza were recognized for their continuing efforts to improve the elementary and middle school landscapes and involving students to help with those projects.

Breeden is a health aide at Oregon Elementary School, and Mendoza is a sixth-grade teacher.

OES Principal Matt Huels said Breeden and Mendoza wrote a grant to the Etnyre Foundation to build a small greenhouse adjacent to the elementary school by the Jefferson playground.

After spending time helping students grow plants and flowers in the greenhouse last year, Huels said, Breeden and Mendoza proposed an idea this year to spruce up areas around the outside of school buildings.

“There are different areas outside the building, especially on the Etynre side, that need sprucing up as far as landscape work, and they asked if it would be OK to again involve some kids using some of the stuff we’ve grown and maybe getting some other stuff to spruce some things up,” Huels said. “I was just blown away by them going above and beyond to make our school look better, and then also wanting to involve our kids.”

Oregon High School Principal Heidi Deininger also acknowledged the high school’s wrestling and bowling coaches for their teams’ successes this year, as well as successes by music educators.

Deininger presented certificates to junior high coaches Matt Martin and Dominic Marchetti and high school coaches Justin Lahman, Colby Dace and Noah Paul.

“This is the first time that both the high school and the junior high teams won their regionals,” Deininger said.

She also acknowledged high school bowling coaches Al Nordman, AJ Nordman and Kelly Groh for their efforts in seeing the boys team finish 12th in the state.

“There is only one class division in bowling, so we are competing against much larger schools,” Deininger said.

And she gave a special shoutout to music teachers Andy Eckardt, Zach Hall and Miles Beske for all the recent success of music students in their state competitions.

“We have a fabulous music program here,” Deininger said, noting that some of the statewide music competitions are ongoing. “We are anxiously waiting to see where we end up.”

“Thank you so much for all the effort you put into it,” board President Brian Wills said.

In other action, the board:

• approved the purchase of 18 new tables/benches for the high school cafeteria for $51,117.37 from School Specialty.

• agreed to move banking services to Sterling Federal Bank.

• accepted the resignation of board member Stephanie Haugh.