KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech Athletics is excited to announce that Friday, January 30, has been designated as K–12 Field Trip Day as the Owls take on Lewis-Clark State College. The women’s game will tip off at 12:00 PM, followed by the men’s game at 2:00 PM. All students in kindergarten through 12th grade will receive free admission.

In partnership with schools throughout the Basin, the Athletic Department is using this event as an opportunity to reward students for exhibiting positive behavior and achieving strong academic performance, providing them with a chance to experience the excitement of college basketball during the school day.

For more information, please contact Michael Garrard at michael.garrard@oit.edu or 541-885-1851. 

By Joaquin Aguilar-Flores, KFCS

The Klamath Falls City Schools Transportation Department brought its employees together for its second annual Foothills Chili Cookoff.

Although the event’s judges were unable to attend, the cookoff continued with strong participation from the transportation team.

Three members of the department, Brittany White, Shawnee Hinshaw and Debra Pouliot, each prepared a chili for coworkers to sample. Transportation Supervisor Marvin Babb added to the meal by providing hot dogs, allowing staff to enjoy chili dogs alongside the homemade dishes.

The informal gathering offered an opportunity for employees from transportation to step away from their daily routines and connect over lunch. While there was no official judging this year, staff members shared feedback, compared flavors, and enjoyed the variety of recipes brought to the table.

Among the chili contributors was Hinshaw, who has served the district as a bus driver since 2002. Hinshaw said her long tenure reflects not only her dedication to her job, but also the close-knit nature of the transportation department.

“These guys are like family to me,” Hinshaw said. “We have big Christmas dinners, Thanksgiving together, and we all get along really well. We’ve got each other’s backs.”

Hinshaw said she stepped away from driving in 2020 after undergoing major back surgery that included disc replacement, spinal fusion, and the placement of hardware, requiring an extended recovery period.

Despite the ongoing challenges of her back pain, she was determined to return to the district as soon as she was able.

“I was off about a year, and then I came back,” Hinshaw said. “When they really needed drivers, they talked me into coming back, and I wanted to be here. The pain is still always really there (in my lower back). But you just get into really loving something you have been doing for so long.”

After her return, Hinshaw transitioned to working as a substitute driver rather than maintaining a regular route, allowing her to stay involved while managing her health.

“I drive the short bus and I really enjoy the relationship I have with all the kids, and they are all great kids,” Hinshaw said. “When you’ve been somewhere this long, it becomes part of who you are. I missed it while I was gone. As soon as I was able, I knew I wanted to come back and be part of this again.”

As part of a districtwide focus on improving student attendance, Klamath Falls City Schools continues to implement creative, student-centered initiatives across its schools, with Pelican Elementary School offering one example through its Attendance Is a Gift challenge.

Pelican Elementary is reinforcing the message that attendance is a gift through a new schoolwide initiative designed to promote consistent attendance, support learning, and build student pride.

Each week, classrooms compete for the best attendance from Monday through Thursday, with the class recording the fewest absences earning the weekly win. In the event of a tie, the fewest tardies serve as the tie-breaker.

Winners are announced in a Friday video shared with students, creating excitement and recognition across the school.

The winning class earns the Attendance Swag Hype Chain, a colorful and highly visible symbol of achievement that can be proudly displayed on the classroom door for the week. The Hype Chain is a new addition to the challenge and has quickly become a favorite incentive among students, generating enthusiasm and a schoolwide buzz.

Classes will also earn additional prizes throughout the year as part of the ongoing initiative.

Recently, Kassandra Dinger’s fourth-grade class earned the chain with zero absences for the week, following Gabriel Cervantes’ class, which also achieved perfect attendance the previous week.

Led by Pelican Elementary Dean of Students Brandon Powell, the initiative emphasizes that attendance is about more than numbers.
“I just started the hype chain incentive. It has been a big hit,” Powell said. “The goal of Attendance Is a Gift is not just about numbers … It's about helping students understand that being at school matters. Showing up each day supports learning, strengthens friendships, and creates a positive, consistent classroom environment for everyone.”

The Martin Luther King Chess Tournament had a great turnout this year at Klamath Union High School this past Monday.

There were over 60 people from the community (and one from Ashland) who registered to play, ranging in skill level from new to advanced.

Players were from Conger, Roosevelt, Ponderosa, KU, Henley, Brixner, Stearns, New Horizon, Salt & Light Academy, Ferguson, Shasta and Oregon Tech.

Overall winners were:
K-5 division:
1st: Silas Moon, Conger 5th Grade, all 5 wins
2nd: Brannon Henderson, Brogan Henderson, & Alex Huang with 4 wins, all Conger
3rd: Jaxon Ogborn (Conger), Olivia McPherson (Conger), Cade Burch (Salt & Light Academy), & Penny Guest (Shasta) with 3.5 wins

6-8 division:
1st: Isaiah Quintana, Klamath Home Learning Academy, 7th Grade, all 5 wins
2nd: Wally Stevens & Braydon Henderson, both Ponderosa, 4 wins
3rd: Aiden McPherson, Ponderosa, 3.5 wins

One player from KU, Minh Anh Vincent, placed 3rd overall.

Here are the winners broken down by grade:
Kindergarteners (both Conger):
Alex Ogborn: 1st place
Blakely Henderson: 2nd place

1st grade (both Conger):
Howard DeCamp: 1st place
Carter Steel: 2nd place

2nd grade (Conger unless noted):
Brannon Henderson: 1st place
Caden Steele: 2nd place
Axton Stewart (Stearns) & Kiran Park: 3rd place

3rd grade (both Conger):
Jaxon Ogborn: 1st place
Owen Elliott: 2nd place

4th grade:
Alex Huang (Conger): 1st place
Olivia McPherson (Conger) & Cade Burch (Salt & Light Academy): 2nd place
Caleb Corey (Roosevelt) & Andre Segovia (Ferguson): 3rd place

5th grade:
Silas Moon (Conger): 1st place
Brogan Henderson (Conger): 2nd place
Penny Guest (Shasta): 3rd place

6th grade:
Jax Reit & Vega Priem (Pondo): 1st place
Oliver Weitlisbach (Pondo): 2nd place
Nicholas Harwood (Pondo), Bradley Wonser (Peterson), Oriana Smith (Pondo), & Austin Lewis (Pondo): 3rd place

7th grade:
Isaiah Quintana (Klamath Home Learning Academy): 1st place
Wally Stevens (Pondo): 2nd place
Aiden McPherson (Pondo): 3rd place

8th grade:
Braydon Henderson (Pondo): 1st place

There are some talented kindergarten through second graders at Roosevelt Elementary School. Roosevelt put together its Roosevelt Elementary School Talent Show 2026 for kindergarten through second graders this afternoon with various acts, performances, songs and dances for teachers, classmates and friends and family to see.

Students at Ponderosa Middle School enjoyed the school's AttenDANCE Thursday evening as Klamath Union High School Digital Media was the dance DJ. Students who had 90 percent or better in school attendance, including "excused" absences, with no major referrals, were put on a list to be permitted into the dance.

Conger Elementary hosted a full day of STEAM activities, with support from Oregon Tech, whose physics department helped lead hands-on experiments with students. Activities included a star lab, straw rocket launchers, magic milk color bursts, foil boat challenges, and more.

Mills Elementary School put together its family bingo night Thursday as families came together for a pizza feed before playing bingo, with winners earning prizes to take home.

We want you!

Our school is lexpanding our exciting and growing Sports Broadcasting program, and we are looking for adult mentors with experience in the field who would like to help guide and inspire students.

If you have a background in sports broadcasting, media production, journalism, video editing, camera operation, audio production, live streaming, or related fields, we would love your support. Our students are learning how to run live game broadcasts—from play-by-play announcing and instant replay to camera work and pre-game shows—and having real-world professionals involved makes an incredible difference.

This is a chance to:

Share your expertise with motivated students

Help build a high-quality, professional-style broadcasting program

Mentor the next generation of broadcasters, storytellers, and media professionals

Be part of something exciting and impactful in our school community

Whether you can help occasionally or more regularly, your experience and guidance are needed and appreciated as we continue to grow this program.

Interested in helping?
Please contact Dan Stearns at 541-891-7511 or email stearnsd@kfalls.k12.or.us

Thank you for supporting our students and helping bring live sports broadcasting to the next level!

Cold and flu season is here ... please help us prevent the spread of viruses by doing these things at home, school, and work.

Steps you can take

Individuals can

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in the trash. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.

• Learn and use proper handwashing technique.

• Teach children the correct way to wash their hands.

• Clean frequently touched surfaces, such as countertops, handrails, and doorknobs regularly.

Information presented comes from the Center of Disease Control. Click this link for more information.

La temporada de gripe y resfriados ya está aquí. Ayúdenos a prevenir la propagación del virus haciendo estas cosas en casa, en la escuela y en el trabajo.

Las personas pueden:

• Cubrirse la boca y la nariz con un pañuelo desechable al toser o estornudar; botar los pañuelos desechables usados a la basura; y si no tienen un pañuelo de este tipo, toser o estornudar cubriéndose con el ángulo interno del codo, no con las manos.

• Aprender y usar la técnica correcta de lavado de manos.

• Enseñarles a los niños la forma correcta de lavarse las manos.

• Limpiar con regularidad las superficies que se tocan con frecuencia, como mesones, barandas y manijas de las puertas.

La información presentada proviene del Centro para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades. Haga clic en este enlace para obtener más información.

KFCS Board of Education

Andrea Jensen, Zone 1, Roosevelt - andrea.jensen@kfcityschools.org

Andrew Biggs, Zone 2, At-Large - andrew.biggs@kfcityschools.org

Vanessa Bennett, Zone 3, Conger - vanessa.bennett@kfcityschools.org

Kathy Hewitt, Zone 4, Mills - kathy.hewitt@kfcityschools.org

Trina Perez, Zone 5, Pelican - trina.perez@kfcityschools.org

Kelsey Bitzer, Zone 6, At-Large - Kelsey.bitzer@kfcityschools.org

Nicole Trejo, Zone 7 At-Large - Nicole.trejo@kfcityschools.org

Notice of Nondiscrimination

Klamath Falls City Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status in its programs, activities, or employment practices. For more information, please visit our website at Nondiscrimination and Title IX webpage