Proud To Be NCSD

Students’ first years in elementary school can bring them their first best friend, and of course their first favorite teacher.  But for one Scouters Mountain Elementary student, fifth grade started with a not-so-pleasant first experience for him— being teased on the playground by classmates he considered his friends.  This week, hear the incredible story of 10-year-old Makiah Butler , who not only...

When discussing extracurricular activities in our North Clackamas high schools, the conversation often turns to athletics.  But what about the hundreds of high schoolers who spend countless hours before and after school practicing an instrument, singing in choirs, or like this week’s special guests, creating costumes and memorizing lines for an unforgettable drama performance?  This week, meet Nel...

For more than three decades, the North Clackamas Education Foundation has been serving NCSD through teacher grants, scholarships, gifts to after-school and pre-K programs, services for food-insecure families, and so much more.  In the past year alone, members of this amazing foundation funded more than $227,000 to students, teachers, and families.  How do they do it?  In this episode, we meet two...

With the first eight weeks of the school year now in the books, it seems likely that NCSD’s elementary students have chosen a favorite subject they love learning most about each day…but you may be surprised at the overwhelming answer!  Recess?  TAG- not it!  Social Studies?  That’s history!  These days, NCSD elementary students are falling head over highlighters for writing time!  In this episode,...

Converted from a neighborhood elementary school nearly 13 years ago, NCSD’s Wichita Center For Family & Community offers district families access to resources including dental screenings, employment training, preschool, mental health support, a food pantry, and a clothes closet…all under one roof.  Yet perhaps the center’s most important offering—hope for a better future.  In this episode, mee...

Season #2 kicks off the school year visiting with our district’s top leader, Superintendent Dr. Shay James, who helps introduce us to members of our amazing Student & Community Engagement team, dedicated to making sure students and families from all cultures feel safe, welcome, and celebrated in each of our district’s 32 schools.  In this episode, hear incredible insights from three of NCSD’s...

Media reports say that teen suicides have risen nearly 30% in the past decade, but the stories of lives saved rarely make headlines.  Neither do the powerful prevention efforts of teenagers featured in this episode:  Adrienne C. Nelson High’s Imani Lewis, Delanie Woolcock, and Natalie Sangasy are charter members of a new peer leadership group called Sources Of Strength , and take time out of their...

Although his official role at Rowe Middle School is Media Arts & Journalism teacher, Lucas Dix ’s unofficial Shamrock title could be School Culture Champion.  In this episode meet the energetic teacher who not only leads a team of school reporters to produce weekly “Shamrock News” videos, but also created the school’s writing magazine, invented the One Million Word Club to encourage student re...

Who can NCSD teachers and families count on to make sure students with physical challenges can participate in all the same activities as their peers?  That’s when our district’s amazing Occupational and Physical Therapists move in!  In this episode, we catch up with members of NCSD’s “Motor Team” – Rose Brenner, Morgan Garner, Lisa Kline, and Nicole Nix.  These positive professionals keep students...

North Clackamas schools welcome nearly 17,000 students through their front doors each morning, including hundreds of students with special needs stemming from Autism Spectrum Disorder.  How do NCSD staff members ensure students displaying autistic characteristics feel welcome, excited, and inspired in each of our schools?  That’s where this week's guests come in!  Meet NCSD’s Autism/Behavior Speci...

Perhaps you’ve heard of the War Of The Roses , the Clash Of The Titans , and even the Attack Of The Clones …but have you ever heard of the Oregon Battle Of The Books?  These fabulous fifth graders from Riverside Elementary sure have!  They recently outperformed schools across the state in the fast-paced question-and-answer reading comprehension game and advanced all the way to the state finals!  I...

It may sound strange, but some of NCSD’s elementary and middle school students would be upset if they didn’t get to stay after school each day.  That’s because they love being a part of our district’s amazing after-school programs, offered to families who need affordable after-school care options.  In this episode, we learn this is far from any “babysitting.”  NCSD’s Director of Community Services...

Did you know that in several K-12 classrooms throughout our school district, students may learn from their teacher one moment in English, but the next moment in Spanish?  These amazing classrooms are part of NCSD’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program.  This week’s podcast is the first-ever bilingual edition, as we learn in both English and Spanish about DLI classrooms from the tremendously talen...

Before dribbling off to Spring Break, we posted up a preview of our conversation with three key members of the recently crowned OSAA girls basketball state champions, the Clackamas Cavaliers .  With March Madness now in the rearview mirror, this episode bounces back with Part 2 of our chat with the champs, where CHS coach Korey Landolt , along with the team’s two seniors, Rhyan Mogel and Eliza Bue...

Just days before Spring Break tips off across the school district, we jump back less than two weeks ago to the OSAA State Girls Basketball Championship, where the Clackamas Cavaliers capped off an incredible season by winning the school’s first ever girls basketball state title.  In this pre-Spring Break preview episode, we sit down for Part 1 of our conversation with CHS coach Korey Landolt , alo...

Aside from creating engaging lesson plans for every subject, our elementary school teachers—particularly those in kindergarten, first, and second grade—take on perhaps the most challenging task a teacher can face… teaching kids to read .  That’s where this week’s guests on the “Proud To Be NCSD” podcast come in!  This week, we get down and wordy with NCSD’s Emergent Literacy Specialists Nadia Bori...

As we’ve learned throughout these past winter months and even in March, extreme weather incidents can quickly escalate into NCSD calling for two-hour delays or cancellation of school days.  Whether the announcement comes before sunrise or late in the afternoon, each decision impacts every NCSD family’s daily routine and is never taken lightly.  In this episode, we turn to NCSD Transportation Direc...

Just before a record-breaking snowfall hit our area last week, a record- breaking field trip took place in our school district!  More than 1,400 NCSD high school juniors hopped on buses for downtown Portland’s Convention Center to participate in the Northwest Youth Careers Expo, and this episode follows them from start to finish!  As you’ll hear, this was certainly not “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off!” ...

This week marks the middle of February, which means we’re also right in the middle of celebrating Black History Month in our school district.  And while a 34-minute podcast doesn’t allow us to recognize all of the amazing Black educators making a difference in the lives of kids in NCSD, this week’s episode takes us to Milwaukie High School, where we meet three inspirational Mustang mentors.  Hear...

Did you know that NCSD has a professionally staffed medical center inside Milwaukie, Rex Putnam, Clackamas, and Adrienne C. Nelson High Schools?  They’re called School Based Health Centers , and did you know that they’re not just for high school students and families…and they can be accessed regardless of insurance coverage?  In this eye-opening episode, we learn from a combined nine North Clackam...

Looking for a job that’s near?  Can you bring kids cheer?  Or maybe even check a rearview mirror?  We just might have your next career!  In this informative episode, we make it our job to help you learn about all the employment opportunities available right now in North Clackamas…and who better to answer our interview questions than NCSD’s Associate Human Resources Director Dr. Keylah Boyer , Tran...

During a typical school week, you’ll find many NCSD teachers meeting together in a colleague’s classroom long before the first bell assessing student work or collaborating on lesson plans…but what if staff members met before 6:00 a.m. three times a week not in a classroom, but on a district soccer field or basketball court?  And they’ve been having a ball for the past 20+ years!  In this week’s fa...

Some teachers started their careers in NCSD because they were attracted to our well-known reputation of providing a family atmosphere among all staff.  Then there are those who’ve taken “family atmosphere” to a whole new level!  In this “All In The Family” edition of the “Proud To Be NCSD” podcast, we meet two mother-son dynamic duos, with Lot Whitcomb’s Shaun Martinez  and Bilquist’s Jennifer Ole...

January is Oregon School Board Recognition Month, and in this episode, we make a motion to honor the seven superheroes who tirelessly volunteer on our NCSD Board.  In candid conversations with Directors Mitzi Bauer and Jena Benologa , we call to order topics ranging from why they voted to run for such a vital district role…to the unfinished business they continually advocate for on behalf of all N...

When television shows like The Golden Girls and Miami Vice were just getting started, so were the careers of these four guests!  In this most excellent episode of the “Proud To Be NCSD” podcast, we share lots of insights (and lots of laughs) with NCSD veteran teachers Chuck Nott (Sabin-Schellenberg), Christy Bunker (Clackamas High), Jeff Schroeder (Sunnyside Elementary), and Carol York (Rock Creek...