In this Issue

A Note From The Superintendent
Upcoming School, Community Events
KFCS Headlines
KUHS Alumni
Phone App Download for District Website
Join Our Team
KFCS Board of Education

A note from the Superintendent,

Dear Klamath Falls City Schools Families,

As part of our ongoing commitment to student safety and well-being, I want to bring awareness to an urgent issue affecting communities nationwide: the dangers of fentanyl. This highly potent synthetic opioid has been linked to a growing number of overdoses, including among young people. It is crucial that we work together to protect our students and educate them about the risks associated with this substance.

Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, sometimes without the user’s knowledge, making it extremely dangerous. Even a tiny amount can cause a fatal overdose. Unfortunately, counterfeit pills and substances containing fentanyl are becoming more common, increasing the risk for accidental exposure. Additionally, there have been reports of fentanyl being found in unregulated vape cartridges and dab concentrates, posing an even greater threat to young people who may unknowingly inhale this dangerous substance.

We urge all parents and guardians to talk with their children about the risks of fentanyl, including its presence in vapes and dabs, and to monitor their social circles and online activity. If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out to our school counselors or community health organizations.

Together, we can help ensure the safety and well-being of our students. Thank you for partnering with us in this critical effort.

Sincerely,

Keith A. Brown
Superintendent
Klamath Falls City Schools

Ponderosa students take part in 8th Grade Invasion at Eagle Ridge, KU

The first 8th Grade Invasion took place today for current Ponderosa Middle School eighth graders. Ponderosa eighth graders started their day going classroom to classroom at Eagle Ridge New Tech High School to learn about programs such as agriculture, construction.

At Klamath Union High School, students had a glimpse of the various classes and programs offered at KU, including digital media, engineering & robotics, health occupations, business & marketing, culinary & hospitality, a tour of music, art, Spanish, theatre, PE, weights and took time to ask questions with a student panel.

For a gallery from 8th Grade Invasion, click the following link from the KFCS Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/Klamath.Falls.City.Schools

All-City Choir Concert

The All-City Choir concert took place this past Monday, April 7 at Pel Court.

Klamath Falls City Schools choir instructors, Caresse Robertson, instructor at Klamath Union High School and Ponderosa Middle School, Henrik Hunt, instructor at Mills Elementary School and Pelican Elementary School and Gretchen Harwood, music instructor at Conger Elementary School and Roosevelt Elementary School, helped put together Monday's event.

The combined choir mixed with Mills, Roosevelt, Conger and Pelican elementary school's featured a fifth grade choir. Robertson conducted Ponderosa's and Klamath Union's two choirs. The All-City Choir performance ended with fifth graders through 12th graders performing a song together.

You can find a full gallery from Monday's event on the KFCS Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Klamath.Falls.City.Schools

Choir program:

5th grade selection

Count on Me..... arr. Janet Day.

Ponderosa Blue and Gold Choir

Sing Together..... Jacob Narverud

Ponderosa Singers

Heal the World..... arr. Carl Strommen

KU Bel Canto

A Change is Gonna Come..... Jay Althouse

KU Acapella

Tyger..... Elaine Hagenberg

5th-12th grade selection

Ubuntu..... Mark Hayes

Spring Allergy Season is Here. Everyday Matters. We Want You Here

Should I send my kid to school with allergies?

Absolutely! Schools are prepared to manage food allergies, environmental allergies and latex allergy.

When sending your child off to school, though, it’s important to make sure school staff is aware of your child’s allergies. Parents play a key role in working collaboratively with school staff on allergy management. That way, staff will be prepared to manage any symptoms that occur. You will work together to create a plan so your child will be able to fully participate in school and remain safe.

If you are looking for more information, click the links below.

Managing Allergies in School

Seasonal Allergies-Keeping Symptoms in Check

Klamath Union Orchestra Places First At

East Cascades Orchestra Festival

On Friday, April 4, the Klamath Union High School Orchestra traveled to Mountainview High School in Bend to compete in the East Cascades Orchestra Festival.

Klamath Union's orchestra performed exceptionally and earned first place in the East Cascades Orchestra Festival, which will have KU's orchestra compete at the OSAA state championships in May.

"We played our hearts out and won the room, giving us first place and automatic qualifiers to the State Orchestra Festival in May," Klamath Union Orchestra instructor, Alexis Candy, said.

We congratulate the incredible orchestra students at Klamath Union for their dedication and passion, and thank you to everyone who supports music at KUHS.

KU Baseball, Tildon Coffman Named Team, Player Of The Week

Team of the Week Alert!

We’re proud to announce that the KU Pels Baseball Team has been named Team of the Week! The Pelicans, who won three games in 2023 and six in 2024, are showing incredible growth and determination—already improving to a 4-2 record this season after winning the White Buffalo Classic at Madras High School!

Extra shoutout to Tildon Coffman, who was named Player of the Week for his outstanding performance and leadership on and off the field. Tildon also received 43.22% of the vote, earning him the title of High School On SI Oregon Baseball Player of the Week! Way to go, Tildon!

Mills Elementary Family Math Game Night

KFCS High School Options Information

Community Awareness Information Concerning the Ponderosa Middle School Building

As we look towards the future of our community, I want to bring to your attention a critical need that we must address to ensure the success and readiness of our students: the replacement of Ponderosa Middle School.

Klamath Falls is on the cusp of growth, and we need to be prepared to meet the educational demands of our expanding population. Last year, during our community conversations, we received a clear message: our community wants our youth to be life and career-ready. Specifically, there is a strong desire for more hands-on, applied learning opportunities, such as Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

Effective career-ready programs must begin with robust middle school initiatives. During the Board’s visit to California last year, we saw firsthand the exceptional programs at Mad Tech Middle, which serve as an inspiring model for what we can achieve here. These programs are essential for setting our students on a successful path through high school and beyond.

Our district is diligently working to build these programs at the high school level and forge strong connections to postgraduate destinations like the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) and Klamath Community College (KCC). However, to truly accelerate our students along this track, we need a middle school that supports and enhances these efforts. Unfortunately, the current Ponderosa Middle School is outdated and does not meet the needs of our evolving educational goals.

The urgency of this need cannot be overstated. While the current middle school building is safe, our engineers have indicated that it could become unusable at any time because it is located on an active fault line. Our trusted advisors and the Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee have unanimously agreed that the time to act is now.

We estimate the budget for replacing Ponderosa Middle School to be around $120 million. This number may fluctuate slightly up or down as we consider incorporating other essential items, such as security upgrades and early learning facility support, into the overall bond. We may also determine that we can build at a lower cost depending on what year we decide to call a bond election to support the possible project in the future.

Replacing Ponderosa Middle School is not just about updating a building; it is about investing in the future of our community and ensuring that our youth have the tools and opportunities they need to succeed in life and their careers.

We appreciate your continued support and engagement as we take these crucial steps forward. Together, we can create an educational environment that prepares our students for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

Over the next year, we will engage more with our stakeholders about Ponderosa. We will also schedule tours of the building for the community to see the current facility.

We do want to be very clear that we have not set any date for a potential Bond election. We just want to make sure our community is aware that we are working on a solution to replace Ponderosa on a different site that does not have an active fault line on it.

For anyone who has any questions about his message please e-mail Keith A. Brown at brownk@kfalls.k12.or.us.