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In 1924-25, the world surrounding the North Clackamas School District looked very different. In fact, NCSD itself wouldn’t exist for nearly another 50 years. Homes didn’t have microwaves, refrigerators, or even bathrooms. But that same year, a brand-new school opened in Milwaukie, becoming a cornerstone of local education that still welcomes smiling students and staff members (in a beautiful new building) every day! This year marks the 100th birthday of our own Ardenwald Elementary, and this episode takes a unique approach to celebrating this historic milestone as current students take over hosting duties and interview former Ardenwald alumni from the 2000s…all the way back to the 1960s!

Ask anyone who works in the wonderful world of kindergarten, and it’s no secret that teaching reading and vocabulary to a lively group of feisty five- and six-year-olds is certainly rewarding, but never easy! Especially with varied learning levels in classroom, how do teachers make sure ALL students understand new words and how to incorporate them into conversations? The answer: a structured and scheduled part of every NCSD kindergarten day called “Language For All (LFA),” which includes kids playing pretend roles in scenarios as they use new vocabulary. In this episode, meet NCSD kindergarten teachers Kristin Blaine (Oregon Trail), Kapo Chan (Cannady), and Summer Smith (Sunnyside), along with Sunnyside ELD teacher Katie Lynn and district consultant Erin Moulton, who explain why kids’ favorite part of the day includes “Play During LFA!”

Dedicated Food Network fans know that celebrity chef Jet Tila has sliced and diced hundreds of delectable dishes in front of some very competitive critics. He’s appeared on the network’s hit shows like Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped, Iron Chef America, and even won a $20,000 prize for his work on Guy’s Grocery Games.

Still, the internationally known culinary ambassador for Thailand said he felt a different kind of energy as a recent surprise visitor to NCSD’s Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical Center.

“I will say visiting schools is the most fun for me,” said the television and social media star. “I have a child who’s almost high school age, and I know teenagers are either going to be really excited or really kind of like ‘I have no idea who this dude is.’”

The crowd of aspiring chefs from Milwaukie, Rex Putnam, Clackamas, and Adrienne C. Nelson high schools certainly knew “this dude"...

Whether it’s in elementary, middle, or high school, every NCSD staff member is dedicated to making sure all students feel a sense of belonging in every classroom. In many schools, teachers take time during their daily schedules to allow students to share their thoughts—which are less about reading, writing, and math…and more about how to lift each other’s spirits while being a good person. Take a look at how daily “class meetings” have transformed the dynamics of one Oregon Trail Elementary classroom.

There’s quite a buzz happening each week in our Sabin-Schellenberg’s Cosmetology program, and it’s not just the electric clippers snipping the final touches on a perfect haircut. That’s because several days throughout the school year are Client Days, when NCSD community members make appointments with Cosmetology students for salon services ranging from haircuts to highlights and perms to pedicures. Settle in to see how students handle all the hands-on happenings.

Each day, Happy Valley Elementary students Miles and Blake like to play with their friends at recess. But earlier this year, the two brothers made hundreds of new, older friends playing "Cupid" for the City of Happy Valley. The boys spent an afternoon paying surprise visits to seniors at several local care facilities, delivering more than 700 “Care Cards,” handmade by students at their school, Scouters Mountain, and Mt. Scott elementary schools. Don’t miss this heartwarming story full of charmful chats and a few cheerful tears showing you’re never too old to feel loved.

It had all the dribbling, shooting, and cheering of a rival high school basketball game, but a recent afternoon contest between Milwaukie and Putnam high schools had fans excitedly rooting for both teams. By bringing student athletes together with and without intellectual disabilities, Unified Basketball proves it’s less about points on the scoreboard…and much more about encouragement, opportunity, and most of all…inclusion. Grab a courtside seat for all the high energy and high fives that come from attending this NCSD heartwarming hoops program.

When an elementary school’s Leadership Team needed help counting coins from a recent fundraiser, it only made "cents" to call older role models from right up the street! That’s why Rex Putnam Leadership students gladly accepted the special invitation from Riverside to help with the Tigers’ coin counting, which turned into an unforgettable field trip teaching students of all ages about leadership, collaboration, and inspiring others.

This past fall marked the third time in the past four years that an NCSD teacher was named the Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year. What is it about Robert Parker’s hands-on teaching style that makes him so revered among students from all NCSD high schools? Hear directly from his students in class, as the architecture teacher reflects upon life experiences that led him to Sabin-Schellenberg, and why he believes NCSD’s commitment to Career Technical Education is paving the way for student success.

Admittedly, sometimes NCSD students spend more time talking in class than working on assignments. But what about those students who have all the words in their head, but can’t quite get them to sound correctly? That’s where our amazing NCSD Speech & Language Pathologists come in! in this episode, we hear the voices of five NCSD SLPs: Stephanie Gaslin (Milwuakie High), Ambyr Henderson (Spring Mountain), Katie Lee (Linwood, Sojourner), Malory Manderfield (Oak Grove, New Urban Online), and Heather Tomsky (Cannady), who share about their unique profession and why they love to teach…all about speech.