In this Issue

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

Klamath Union National Honors Society Welcomes New Members

KU NHS Induction 2025

For a gallery from the Klamath Union National Honors Society Induction, click the following link from the KFCS Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/Klamath.Falls.City.Schools

NHS Officers
Bryce Petersen - President

Eleanor Rodriguez - President-Elect

Jack Jensen - Officer

Ariah Miller - Officer

New 2025-2026 NHS Officers

Eleanor Rodriguez - President

Elsie Baumann - President-Elect

Victoria Ebner - Officer

Ariah Miller - Officer

Hope Moore - Officer

2025 Inductees

Otto Baracker

Lucy Bollinger

Destiny Boyd

Eliza Budden

KayLeah Buhrle

Elizabeth Childress

Lexie Childress

Jacob Culp

Skyler Dinger

Camden Garrett

William Graham

Nicholas Grieco

Seven Harris

Ava Hatfield

Hazel Heaton

Leona Higgins

Chris Humphrey

Gracelin Johnston

Hallie Kautzman

Tristan Klecker

Kanoa Kranz-Kahapea

Gretchen Lindecamp

Arthur McClintic

Aliza Miller

Olivia Mitchell

Yamaira Morelos Pena

Allie Nelson

Aiyana Peek

Morgan Peet

Dakota Phillips

Jazlynn Pineda

Joshua Pope

Keira Pyfer

Maeve Ranger-Burcher

Marley Reeves

Zahira Rico

Chloe Sorge

Aleah South

Moroni Wagstaff

Nolan Ward

Nevaeh Weatherford

Gavin Whitaker

Jason Xu

KU NHS Community 101 Partnership by Elise Baumann

This year, Klamath Union High School’s National Honor Society decided to become a part of Community 101, as we saw the classroom-based program as an opportunity to not only leverage our club’s philanthropic impact but also to learn about the process of grantmaking and connecting with non-profit organizations. The experience was nothing but positive and productive, and we can not wait to see what the next year brings and find out who we will help next.

The NHS officer team guided by our advisor, Ms. Spicher, made the majority of the decisions and took charge of the project. While the officer team was the select group responsible for C101, we still made sure to ask for input from the entire NHS chapter at each meeting. We also took care to describe to them what we had done and who we had chosen to support, to make sure everyone was aware of what was being accomplished. At first, we asked the entirety of our NHS chapter to brainstorm ideas of issues that they would like to see addressed in the Klamath Basin. These ideas were then written on our class whiteboard, and each student was told to vote for their top three choices to narrow down the wide variety of options. The C101 team took the highest voted options and then, after a thorough examination of each prompt and its relevancy to our community, concluded which would be the best to target.

We decided to focus on decreasing teen and young adult drug use and abuse because we were concerned about the lack of support and access to resources in Klamath Falls. According to the 2023 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 48.5 million Americans aged 12 years and older had battled with substance use disorder, which is an alarming statistic. These numbers seem to be continuing to rise, and we wanted to do something about it. As a small community in rural southern Oregon, we were already aware of how damaging addiction could be and hoped our $5,000 allocation for grants would help address the insufficient funding in our area.

We jumped right in as soon as we crafted and perfected our Mission Statement and started the project by searching our area for any non-profits that aligned with our values and were working to create a safer, healthier community by addressing our selected issue. This research led us to a plethora of amazing organizations, which we reached out to and encouraged to apply. After careful consideration, we decided to award two of these non-profits, Integral Youth Services and the Gospel Mission, with the funding we had received, as their applications were the most compatible with our Mission Statement.

Meetings were scheduled almost every week to discuss our progress and what the next step would be. We followed the provided C101 outline and managed our time efficiently to stay on a steady course to finish everything before the deadline arrived. All of our initial nonprofit information was organized in a Google spreadsheet, and any additional information, such as email templates and the applications we received, was added to our shared Google folder. The work was evenly distributed, and our shared enthusiasm and dedication to the cause allowed us to collaborate easily.

I think this experience allowed us to have the confidence to create the change we wanted to see. Not only did we further develop a sense of independence, as we were the ones managing the project, but we also got teamwork and communication. We also found C101 gave us a broader perspective and understanding of how detrimental drug abuse is, both physically and mentally. We hope that with our donation, we will see more support for children whose lives are impacted by drug abuse, improved services for those facing mental health struggles, and greater awareness of the programs available within our community.

Klamath Union Shines Bright at Oregon Tech Regional Math Competition

Tuesday, April 15 Klamath Union math students shined in every category they entered at the Oregon Tech regional math competition.

Oregon Tech Regional Competition Results:

Algebra 1: 3rd place Ashlyn Sharp, 2nd Place Teo Brown and 1st Place Starla Bodkin

Algebra 2: 3rd place Nick Grieco, 2nd place Campbell Kratochvil and 1st place Brenna Fogerty

Geometry: 1st place Gavin Whitaker

Precalculus: 3rd place Eleanor Rodriguez, 2nd place Jake Neupert and 1st place Bella Armijo

Also on Tuesday, students completed a state exam with stellar results. The following students were awarded medals.

Algebra 1: Bronze Starla Bodkin, Silver Ashlyn Sharp and Gold Tristan Warrior

Algebra 2: Bronze Nick Grieco, Silver Chris Humphrey

Geometry: Silver Gavin Whitaker and Gold to Justin Gibeau

Precalculus: Bronze Kinna Fried, Silver Bella Armijo and Gold medal to Gabe Glover

KU Digital Media Welcomes, Gives Tour to Members of the KFCS Board of Education

The Klamath Union Digital Media Program invited members of the Klamath Falls City Schools Board of Education for a tour of its program Thursday night at Klamath Union High School.

Last year, KU Digital Media instructor Dan Stearns and one of his top students, Emily Wiley, accompanied several members of the board and KFCS Superintendent Keith Brown for a trip to California for a tour to two robust CTE programs, part of a long-range facilities plan for Ponderosa Middle School.

Stearns and Wiley, along with Klamath Union alumni and former digital media student, Daina Hernandez-Alvarado, filmed the entire trip as members of the board of education saw first hand how Stearns and his students put together a video project.

Over a year later, Stearns had a chance to showcase his superb digital media program, how much it has grown and all its deserving success.

For a gallery of the Klamath Union Digital Media, KFCS Board of Education tour, click the following link from the KFCS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Klamath.Falls.City.Schools

KU Digital Media has utilized over $573,000 in ODE grants:

CTE Revitalization Grants (2022–2025): $373,000
Summer Learning Programs: $200,000

Our Motto: Dream It. Say It. Do It.
Our Inspiration: The Pygmalion Effect – when students are expected to succeed, they do.

Student Leadership

President: Ben Graham
Vice Presidents: Zoe Bitzer
Photography: Talan Chancellor, VP Pres
Graphic Design: Bella Armijo & Caitlyn Fettinger
Sports Broadcasting: Eli Soriano
KUDJ Radio: Connor Jackson & Kendall Kratochvil
Print Shop: Zahira Rico & Jameson Stewart
Yearbook & Pels Press Magazine: Led by Ben Graham

"We are KU Digital Media – a one-stop shop for everything creative: video, radio, print, design, photo, and more. Like a digital Fred Meyer – you’ll find it all here," Bitzer said.

Field Trips Funded by Our Businesses:

2022: Hawaii – Agricultural film project
2023: Caribbean – Short travel films
2025: Alaska – Photo magazine documentary
2026: Europe (proposed) – International storytelling trip

Tour Stops

1. DJ & Event Production – Connor Jackson & Kendall Kratochvil

Live demonstration of our KUDJ System & Video Boards
Talk about our student-run DJ and event services: dances, weddings, conferences
Showcase the mobile BOSE system trailer
School Board members: try out the DJ station!

2. Photography – Talan Chancellor

Hands-on display of our Sony A7R5 cameras and lens kit
Introduction to our online photography gallery via SmugMug
Showcase how students run photo coverage for events and sports

3. Mac Lab & Yearbook/Magazine – Ben Graham & Bella Armijo

Ben presents our Pels Press operations: yearbook, quarterly magazine, digital publishing
Bella shares the vision of our graphic design team
Play student projects, including the Titanic Video
Introduce our partnership with the Downtown Association
Special guest: Bella’s mom representing local business

4. Community Partnerships – Kelly Armijo

Discuss how student teams will collaborate with local businesses on Third Thursdays
Outline our 2025–2026 curricular updates: project teams, community contracts, and media internships
Emphasize real-world skill building and workforce development

5. Sports Broadcasting Lab – Eli Soriano & Walter Hartley

Tour the broadcasting room: cameras, green screen, instant replay
Demonstration of play-by-play and color commentary
Showcase our fiber cable system that enables live-streaming from any point on campus
Try out headsets and switchboard stations
Preview new upgrades: mobile broadcasting for away games

6. KU Print Shop – Jameson Stewart & Kelly Armijo

Interactive press experience: School Board members press their own shirts
Display of products: vinyl banners, stickers, window graphics, sublimation T-shirts, embroidery
Outline future offerings: direct-to-garment transfers & expanded client contracts
Vision for the future:
- AI & tech integration
- Work ethic and time management
- Employability skills that last a lifetime

KECDC Superhero Event

For its April family event, Klamath Early Childhood Development Center put together its
KECDC Superhero Family Engagement Event Thursday night.

KECDC staff greeted their students and families at the door, providing them with a disguise, a mask and a cape before meeting Captain America for a photo opportunity.

For a gallery from the KECDC Superhero Family Engagement Event, click the following link from the KFCS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Klamath.Falls.City.Schools

We value and thank our many front office staff at all our schools!

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