Sandstone Middle School highlights attendance gains, arts and student supports at Feb. 24 board meeting

Sandstone Middle School Principal Lori Browning updated the Hermiston School District Board of Directors on Feb. 24 about student supports, extracurricular participation and efforts to strengthen school culture.

Browning said Sandstone's instructional leadership team and staff work to “empower, inspire, and prepare our students,” and described shared leadership among teachers and administrators as a central part of their approach. She introduced the school's instructional team and noted several activities designed to build community and keep families informed, including ParentVUE, the Safe Oregon tip line and a busy open house schedule.

The presentation included multiple program and participation figures. Teacher Steven Davis said the school's leadership students collected 1,995 canned food items in partnership with the Hermiston Police Department's Christmas Express. Counseling staff reported a districtwide attendance rate at Sandstone of about 91%, an increase of approximately two percentage points from the same point last year, and said the school uses daily parent emails, calls and home visits to support students with excessive absences.

Counselor Mandy Badoya outlined counseling services including weekly lunch-group activities, monthly social-emotional lessons and partnerships with community programs for after-school engagement. Staff also described homework-club supports before school (7:45–8:25 a.m.), at lunch and after school (until about 4 p.m.). Another staff member noted a midweek, roughly 50-minute period for students to make up work or receive targeted help.

Sandstone staff emphasized arts and athletics: the school schedules band and choir concerts across the year and this year produced a junior musical, Matilda; teachers said about 60 students participated in the musical between both middle schools and roughly 275 students participated in music and theater activities overall. Staff listed eight offered sports and said they have substantial student involvement in athletics and clubs.

Staff described a range of classroom practices and professional learning. Art teacher Megan Reeve and others said the district's work with the Successful Practices Network has led teachers to try new instructional approaches and to use lesson study and coaching to support instruction.

The presentation closed with short remarks and a student musical performance. Principal Browning and staff invited the public to Sandstone and to the middle-school productions scheduled for March 7 and March 8 at 7 p.m. at the Armin Lariviere Commons.