Weatherly Wearing masks, social distancing, missing events with relatives; the pandemic caused us to shift into a new normal, one our society will remember for decades to come. This new normal also brought about a big change in education, one that exposed many, myself included, to the virtual learning environment[Read More…]

STOCK PHOTO Area college and school district officials are facing a familiar problem heading into the 2021-22 school year – how to establish Covid-related guidelines in the face of ever-shifting guidance from public health officials. District leaders from Springfield, Creswell, Cottage Grove and Pleasant Hill had released their latest policies[Read More…]

DANA MERRYDAY/CHRONICLE PHOTO Dr. Yvonne Curtis, South Lane School District superintendent. The board behind her reveals only a small part of the planning work on improving student success in SLSD. Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Curtis has had a baptism by fire. She was offered her permanent position by the South Lane[Read More…]

 Jayden Russell The Mr. and Ms. THS Pageant was quite a bit different this year, like everything else in the world. The best part of the pageant this year was being able to have it. We were almost not going to be able to have the pageant but we ended[Read More…]

Cavinee Imagine taking a fitness test to get into college. And needing a nomination from a congressman or senator just so a school will even look at the application at all. And, having to begin this process the moment high school begins. For Mo Cavinee, these requirements were all a[Read More…]

Reyes Flexibility is key for a Cottage Grove teen graduating in the Class of 2021 from Willamette Connections Academy, a tuition-free, online public school for K-12 students. According to school officials, 18-year old Diego Reyes was able to manage his school day and learn at his own pace so he[Read More…]

Handman CRESWELL – Six graduating seniors across Oregon – including Seth Handman of Creswell High School – won scholarship money through a special program partnership between OnPoint Community Credit Union and the Oregon School Activities Association.  Two students won $5,000 scholarships: Emilie Chau of South Salem High School and Julia[Read More…]

This is the story of two school years, two schools, and two very special graduating classes paired with one very lucky day to celebrate our graduates in the small, close-knit town of Cottage Grove.  It’s an experience shared throughout the southern Willamette Valley.  The 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years were[Read More…]

EMMA ROUTLEY/FILE PHOTO CSD baseball field have been affected by the mole infestation. CRESWELL – Groundskeeping has fallen below standard, said Mike Johnson, superintendent for Creswell School District, at the May 12 school board meeting. The biggest landscaping challenge at Creswell High School has escalated into what Johnson called “a[Read More…]