Eagle Ridge New Tech High School FFA Shines After Sweeping First Place at South Eastern District Soils Evaluation

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Eagle Ridge New Tech High School FFA Shines After Sweeping First Place at South Eastern District Soils Evaluation

October 1, 2025 — Ten Eagle Ridge New Tech High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) members proudly represented the school's chapter at the South Eastern Soil Career Evaluation event, where both Eagle Ridge teams took home first place in the beginning and advanced divisions.

About the competition

The soil evaluation event challenges students to analyze and classify soil samples based on texture, color, structure, and moisture content. Participants identify soil horizons, study the pit’s physical and chemical characteristics, and determine land use potential for agriculture, construction and environmental management.

Each team examines four soil pits, each at least four feet deep, collecting samples from multiple horizons. Students then answer 49 questions per pit, demonstrating their understanding of soil formation, health and classification.

Through this hands-on experience, members deepen their appreciation for the vital role soil plays in ecosystems and human activity, developing essential skills for future land managers, farmers and environmentalists.

Eagle Ridge New Tech FFA Results:

South Eastern District Soils — Beginning Division (Individual Results)
· Aden Jimenez – 1st place
· Noelle Perez – 2nd place
· Madison Pennington – 3rd place
· Sherry Schei – 4th place
· Aysha Hernandez – 8th place

South Eastern District Soils — Advanced Division (Individual Results)
· Rose Purkhiser – 1st place
· Ela King – 2nd place
· Jessica Schei – 7th place
· Braydon Berhurt – 8th place
· Kimberly Garcia Tellez – 11th place

Congratulations to all participants! Your hard work, teamwork and dedication continue to make Eagle Ridge FFA proud! 🌱💛💙
National FFA Organization

Wolfram, Case and Warrington inducted into the Klamath Union Pelican Hall of Fame

We congratulate Jerry Wolfram, Meredith Case and Charles Warrington on their induction into the Klamath Union High School Pelican Hall of Fame as the Class of 2025.

Chefs from KU Culinary instructor Rhiannon Kerr’s advanced culinary class Anyssa Jimenez , P.J. Safford and Travyn Ruano, served lunch and dessert to the three KU hall of fame inductees and their families. Klamath Union Athletic Director/Assistant Principal Tyler Baker then gave a chance to introduce each hall of fame inductee before they went on a tour of the high school.

KU Pelican Hall of Fame - Class of 2025 Inductee Biographies

Jerry Wolfram was an outstanding all-round athlete in the 1970’s, competing in football, basketball, and track for KU. As a football player, Jerry was honored as an all-conference free safety in 1975 and again in 1976. Playing for legendary coach Al Keck, Jerry also lettered two years in basketball and earned second team all-conference as a point guard.

It was in track and field where Jerry made a lasting mark at Klamath Union. He qualified for the State Track and Field Championship twice, placing second in the Long Jump in 1977 and second in the Triple Jump in 1976 and 1977. Jerry established school records in both horizontal jumps with a distance of 22’10” in the Long Jump and 47’9” in the Triple Jump. He was also a member of the school record-setting Mile Relay team.

One of Jerry’s favorite memories at KU was eating lunch with a group of friends in Coach Ken Coffman’s classroom.

Jerry continued his athletic and academic career at Southern Oregon University, competing in football. He graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Health/PE and a Masters in Physical Education. Jerry used this degree to become a teacher for 32 years and coach in the Rogue Valley for 40 years.

Jerry, along with Linda, his wife of 45 years, retired in Medford. They have two children, Josh and Jessica and three grandchildren.

Meredith Case was a highly talented athlete at Klamath Union in the 1990s, participating and lettering in volleyball, basketball, and track. Although Meredith had never played volleyball before high school, she was encouraged by Hall of Fame Coach Dave Steen to join the team. She attests to joining the team as one of her many enjoyable and rewarding seasons as an athlete at Klamath Union.

Meredith was a dominant post for the highly successful Pelican basketball teams, lettering twice. Known for her aggressive play, Meredith received the “Butcher Award” for her many hard fouls. Her aggressiveness rolled over to competing in track, as Meredith set an amazing and still standing school record in the shot put, with a throw of 40’2.5”. Her dominance in the shot put qualified her for the State Track and Field Competition in 1993.

Post high school, Meredith was offered opportunities to compete in both basketball and track at various colleges. She chose to pursue track for a year and graduated from OIT in 2002. Meredith also earned a second degree in 2003 from OIT and OHSU. She has been the Director of Laboratory Services at Sky Lakes for the past eight years and has been employed by the hospital for over 26 years.

Meredith continues to reside in Klamath Falls with her twin sons, Oliver and Sam, who are currently freshmen at KU.

A 2010 graduate of Klamath Union, Charles Warrington is the greatest swimmer in school history. At one time, Charles held six school swim records. He still possesses records in the 200 Individual Medley, 100 Freestyle, and 100 Breast Stroke. Charles qualified for the State Championship four consecutive years, culminating with a fifth place in the 100 Free and sixth in the 200 IM.

In addition to swimming, Charles was a valuable member of two state placing cross country teams, including a second place team finish in 2006 and third place team finish in 2008. He earned Honorable Mention all-state in cross country. Charles also competed on the track team and was a crucial part of the successful school band program.

Charles' favorite memory at KU was taking Chemistry classes with Mr. Daw and having the opportunity to “do real chemistry with many chemicals in a lab setting,” giving him a real passion for science. Charles followed this passion at Oregon State University graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering.

Charles currently lives in Portland, Oregon and has 10 years of experience working at Microchip Technology as a Manager of Site Services and Facilities.

Klamath Union Homecoming

Klamath Union Homecoming Football Game

KFCS Family Survey Request

Dear KFCS Families,

Our teachers and staff at Klamath Falls City Schools (KFCS) are excited to meet with you during parent-teacher conferences. These meetings are a great chance to talk about your child’s growth and how we can keep helping them succeed.

As part of our partnership with families, we want your thoughts on an important update. KFCS is improving the elementary report card, which will be ready for the 2026–2027 school year.
We are deciding how to show your child’s learning and progress on the new report card, and your feedback will help us make that decision.

This short survey has one multiple-choice question and an optional comment box where you can explain your answer. It should take less than one minute to finish.

You can access the survey by clicking here: https://tejoin.com/scroll/481809487

or scanning the QR code at the top:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for being a valued partner with KFCS in your child’s education. We look forward to seeing you at conferences!

Sincerely,

Klamath Falls City Schools

🎨 Pondo Art Lab: A Creative Space Built from Passion and Community

What started as one parent’s idea to do something nice for Ponderosa kids has grown into a creative weekly tradition.

Parent volunteer and local artist Lisa Chancellor began the Pondo Art Lab two years ago to give students a space to explore, experiment, and find their own artistic voice.

“A lot of kids don’t know where to start when it comes to art,” Chancellor said. “I just wanted to create a place where they could feel comfortable enough to try, to make something, and to find what inspires them.”

Held every Wednesday at the Klamath County Museum Art Room, students use a variety of materials — from watercolor to mixed media — learning art can be as much about curiosity as it is about creativity. Previously held at Ponderosa, the Pondo Art Lab is now held at the Klamath County Museum after Chancellor reached out to the museum’s director, Ashley Affleck-Johnson, who helped provide the new space.

Last year, nearly 30 students joined each week, many coming straight after school while parents finished work. This year, the program is continuing strong — and it’s free to join thanks to the generosity of sponsors including Underground Art KF, Starry Night Studio, Cherry Blossom Boutique, Chancellor Drilling, and The Klamath County Museum.

“It’s just me volunteering,” Chancellor added. “I’m an artist and a parent, and I love seeing the kids light up when they realize what they can do.”

🕓 Wednesdays | 2:45–4 p.m.
📍 Klamath County Museum Art Room
💛 Donations for art supplies are always appreciated and can be given by scanning the QR on the flyer included in this post.

🎓 FAFSA Night Success at KU! 💙💛

During parent-teacher conferences this week, Klamath Union High School hosted an incredible FAFSA Night, and the turnout was outstanding!

Families worked side-by-side with staff to help seniors take an important step toward their future. Thanks to everyone who supported and encouraged students to attend — your efforts made a huge difference!

💪 Here’s what our students accomplished:

✅ 13 seniors fully completed and submitted their FAFSA

✅ 8 more made major progress — completing at least half of the application

📈 Last year, only two families attended — what a huge leap forward!

A special thank-you goes out to Legacy Success Project, a new partner supporting all KFCS high schools in college and career readiness. Their guidance and teamwork helped make this event such a success.

This is what happens when our schools, families, and community come together to support student success — the future looks bright for KFCS!

PEL YEAH! Way to go, KU! 🎉 Oregon Tech Klamath Community College (KCC)

Early Start, Big Opportunities: Ponderosa Students Explore High School Courses at Eagle Ridge New Tech

Did you know? Ponderosa Middle School 8th graders are getting a head start on their high school journey at Eagle Ridge New Tech High School.

Each morning, students arrive by bus or parent drop-off and spend a little over four hours (8:05 AM–12:30 PM) on campus, taking classes that earn them high school credit.

The program is referred to as the 8th Grade CTE Exploratory Wheel at Eagle Ridge New Tech and currently has over 20 students who are enrolled in English, science, math, and career and technical education (CTE) courses such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing and engineering, and entrepreneurship and marketing.

This experience helps students feel like high schoolers already, while building skills that prepare them for college, careers, and beyond.

The 8th Grade CTE Exploratory Wheel students will have a chance to meet their teachers with their families at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, October 8 at Eagle Ridge New Tech for a Parent Meet & Greet and BBQ.

These photos show Ponderosa students in the classrooms of Eagle Ridge New Tech instructors David Parker and Jackie Lancaster.

As the eighth grade students are picked up from the bus to go back to Ponderosa, another school bus takes Eagle Ridge New Tech students to Klamath Union High School to make it on time for theater class alongside Lancaster, who is the new theater instructor at KU.

🔥 Kyle Baird Brings the Heat — and the Hospitality — to KU Conferences!

A little something goes a long way!

Klamath Union’s own Kyle Baird, head custodian, fired up the new KU Boosters grill during conferences — serving cheeseburgers and hotdogs to KU staff, parents, and students. Thanks, Kyle, for keeping spirits high and stomachs full during conferences this past Wednesday and Thursday at Klamath Union! 🍔🌭

Classified Staff Strengthen Skills in Safety, Behavior, and Student Support

KFCS classified staff gathered at the James Ivory Arts Center at Klamath Union High School on Thursday, October 9, for a full day of professional development. The training day featured sessions designed to strengthen staff knowledge and collaboration across several key areas, including Synergy and Raptor systems, campus safety, trauma-informed practices, and behavior strategies.

Presenters included Jesse Kasik, Sean Ferns, School Resource Officers, Tori Doddridge, and Dr. Dawn Bailey, who each led sessions focused on improving tools and techniques that support student success and safety. Staff also had time built in for collaboration and discussion throughout the day.