Announcer (00:01): Highlighting the amazing stories from inside the North Clackamas School District, this is the Proud To Be NCSD podcast hosted by longtime principal and current community relations director, Curtis Long.

Curtis Long (00:15): It may be just before lunch on a Friday at Rowe Middle School, but these eager eighth graders in Coco Vernon's language arts class aren't really worried about getting to the cafeteria on time and don't have time to discuss their weekend plans. They've got more important things to discuss about a summary. They're writing of a story called Click Clack Rattle Bag.

Jerakai Bronson (00:34): Click Clack Rattle Bag is a story by Neil Gilman who wrote a horror story about these imaginary monsters called Click Clacks.

Curtis Long (00:43): That's 13-year-old Jerakai Bronson who's taking advantage of some one-on-one instruction from Ms. Vernon who kneels down next to the young writer to analyze his first attempt at an argumentative paragraph.

Jerakai Bronson (00:54): It's more like, wants him to go up there. It

Coco Vernon (00:57): Looks like forceful. More forceful, right? Yeah. It wasn't an invitation, it was like a Come with me. Yeah.

Curtis Long (01:02): Versus a new and improved revision.

Coco Vernon (01:04): Now this is the one you just improved. 'cause the first time you tried was the one rate above. Do you see now how the second try is stronger? Yes. 'cause it relates more to your claim about what your paragraph's about nice work.

Curtis Long (01:16): The nice work continues across several table groups of studio Shamrocks where Vernon leans in to help another student put the final touches on his essay answer.

Coco Vernon (01:25): So we wanna come back to this concept of suspense one more time. So when you sum it up, you're gonna say something like you in conclusion or to conclude or to sum it up something, something something. Something something is making us feel suspense

Curtis Long (01:39): And thanks to the incredible efforts of Rowe students and staff members like Vernon something, something, something, something. Something is happening at Rowe Middle School when it comes to academic achievement.

Coco Vernon (01:49): What do you want to work on next? Do you want to do the last part?

Curtis Long (01:52): Earlier this month, the Oregon Department of Education released the results from Last Spring's State assessment tests exams at all third through 12th grade students statewide, including here in North Clackamas, take to measure proficiency in science, mathematics, and in Vernon's favorite subject, English Language arts.

Coco Vernon (02:08): This is the first time in eighth grade where we're adding the S or the sum it up to our paragraph.

Curtis Long (02:13): How about this for a summary? Did you know that Rowe is the only middle school across the entire Portland metro area that has improved math and language arts state test results for three straight years? In all three grades

Coco Vernon (02:25): In a way that makes it your paragraph feel finalized, you'll finished

Curtis Long (02:28): This in a school where more than 20% of students receive special education services. What's the secret sauce Rowe is cooking up with staff and students?

Coco Vernon (02:36): And really connect back to what your purpose was.

Curtis Long (02:38): Today on the Proud To Be NCSD podcast, we'll learn it's a combination of high expectations, a focus on measurable data. And as eighth grader, Jesiah Anderson says, a group of teachers and staff members who see their learners as much more than just students in seats.

Jesiah Anderson (02:53): They really care. They really like to engage with their students. Tell how was your day? How was your weekend? How your life is, wants to know more about you.

Curtis Long (03:03): We wanted to know more about this academic renaissance at Rowe and who better to explain the momentum than Miss Vernon herself, along with principal Emily Moore and instructional coach Jen Martin. How do they help students realize the importance of steady improvement? Why are staff members so driven by data and most importantly, what happens when middle schoolers know they always have a champion in their corner?

Coco Vernon (03:27): Right. Exactly. I love it. Proud of you so far, Jerekai. Thank you. Love it for you.

Curtis Long (03:31): And joining us right now is that language arts teacher at Rowe who always has something, something, something, something. Yeah, there were five somethings in there. Exciting going on in her classroom. That's Coco Vernon, along with our principal Emily Moore and instructional coach, Jen Martin, Coco, Emily. Jen, thanks so much for taking time after a long day to join us today. Thanks

Jen Martin (03:49): For having us.

Curtis Long (03:50): We're glad to have you here. I wanna start off by giving each of you a chance to introduce yourselves so listeners can associate a name with a voice. So let's hear who you are, how long you've been at Rowe Middle School, and what you love most about being a part of that Rowe community.

Emily Moore (04:01): Well, I'll go first. Okay. I'm the principal. I'm Emily and this is my second year at Rowe. My first year as a principal was last year, but I have very strong ties to this community and I think to be honest, when the opportunity came up to come to Rowe, it was kind of like my dream job. So I've always wanted to serve in the community I live and the community that my kids attended school and will attend school. That's a really important piece for me.

Curtis Long (04:25): Now do your kids attend Rowe?

Emily Moore (04:27): My oldest did and my youngest is on his way.

Curtis Long (04:29): And I've seen you at Milwaukie High football games as well. So you definitely are a fixture in the community. Jen, how about you?

Jen Martin (04:35): Um, this is my second year at Rowe. I'm an instructional coach and so I work with all teachers in the building, but I also specifically work with our dual language programs and this is our first year of welcoming a group of dual language students into sixth grade at Rowe.

Curtis Long (04:50): And Coco, I followed you around with a microphone. You heard it there at the beginning. Let's hear from you.

Coco Vernon (04:54): Hi. Um, I'm Coco. It's my 12th year at Rowe Middle School. So I've been there, you know, more than a decade. I've aged there. Gray hairs have been coming. I don't see any. Thank you so much <laugh>. It's the right thing to say. I think one of my favorite things about working at Row, and I know I share this with other colleagues in the building is, you know, we don't always have easy days, but they feel like important days. You really leave feeling like you've done hard work. That was good work for people around you.

Curtis Long (05:17): Absolutely. All right, let's get right to the heart of the matter. There's certainly reason to celebrate that rao's the only school in the metro area that showed growth in both reading and math for three straight years in all three grades. But I know what you're gonna say. Those numbers are still not where you want them to be. Are they? The highest proficiency number was 41%, that was sixth grade language arts. So talk a little bit about that. Yes, it's improvement but you've still got work to do.

Jen Martin (05:38): Absolutely. Um, when we look at the data, we're constantly looking for new ways that we can engage our students and continue to improve those scores. We look at data in both reading and math on a regular basis, but also other data points such as attendance and student grades and other data points that show their engagement in school.

Emily Moore (05:59): And I would also piggyback on that and say not just language arts and reading or language arts and math. Teachers are looking at that data. Everyone in the school is looking at that data. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. So I think one thing that we've talked about before is, you know, what is happening in our elective classes where we know in many cases there's a higher level of engagement and kids are really interested that can transfer into the core. And then what is happening in the core with some of the skill building that they're doing that can transfer over to those other classes.

Coco Vernon (06:25): I think from the classroom perspective, you know that data isn't just static data from us. We look at that data as a starting point and that helps us inform what we're doing on a daily basis. I know last year I had one particular class period where over 80% of my class was reading below what we think is like appropriate. They were reading below the fifth grade level over 80%. And so that changed what I was teaching first period. I was teaching one thing fourth period, fifth period, but in second we were doing something slightly different. We had to adapt because of the learners in our room. So the data isn't just static data, it's changing how we teach.

Curtis Long (06:56): And I think it might be helpful to tell our listeners who are unfamiliar with those organ state assessments, what they entail for students. They're certainly just a snapshot of what a student knows at a certain point of time during the school year. But what do middle school students need to do on a state assessment? What do those look like?

Coco Vernon (07:10): Well, you know, those tests are not certainly the be all end all of what a kid is made of and what they can do. Um, it certainly asks them multiple choice questions. In language arts, it is asking them to analyze text structure. It's asking them to really prove their comprehension skills. Overall, the state test is mainly focused on comprehension. There's also the performance task function. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>, which asks kids to read three long form texts, take notes on their own, independently analyze those texts and write a like a long form essay in response. So it's a big ask especially to do by yourself in silence.

Curtis Long (07:43): So analyzing texts is what we heard you doing at the beginning of the podcast there and helping students along with that. You're getting students prepared for those assessments when they come along. I know there are many factors I'd love to hear from each of you. Why do you think Rowe's students continue to make improvements year after year?

Emily Moore (07:57): Well, I feel like I can speak to last year and I think one of the things that we began last year was really including the students in those conversations. I think lots of times we're, you know, we have this notion of like, oh it's the data and we can only look at it and, but really, I mean we met with all of our kids last year. We're gearing up again to do it again this year to prepare for fall conferences where we're sharing attendance data, we're sharing their fast bridge scores in reading and math, which is our universal screener. And really explaining to kids like, this is our starting point with you. If you don't take this seriously, then we're gonna be teaching you things that you don't necessarily need or vice versa. And I think for a lot of our students, them being able to understand that, oh this is for you to help me. Like going back to the why of we're doing this and really explaining it to the kids and being transparent with them. I mean I feel like we can say we saw a shift from fall to spring with our kids and the conversations they were having around that data and the things that they were doing in class class.

Jen Martin (08:55): We started hearing kids having conversations with one another about their growth, which was very pleasantly surprising. Sure. And checking in with each other about how they had done on a recent assessment. And that's the sort of shift that's really needed in order to show continual growth. Students have to be bought in, they have to care about it and they have to know why they're doing it. And in combination with that, I think it's also really important to just send the continual message to students that they are more than just a test score. They are more than the grade that they get in a class. And I think Josiah spoke to that during the introduction. The Rouse staff and students care about one another. It's not just that teachers are showing up every day willing to work with and listen to their students and support them. I'm also surprised as an instructional coach who does not work directly with students, how many students will stop in the hall and ask me how I'm doing or how my day is going. And there's definitely a sense that um, we are a community and that we're working together.

Emily Moore (09:56): And I think also just the mindset of the staff of our kids are growing. Like we understand this is where you are and this might not be something that feels good, but our goal is to make you grow. And that doesn't mean necessarily that you're gonna be at grade level by the end of the school year and that's okay, but we wanna see growth in you. We wanna see that you are making improvement, that we're helping you to get there. And I think everyone in that staff has that notion of we're here to help kids.

Curtis Long (10:22): And it sounds like students are getting that message. They're not as focused on what their overall score was. It's how much they improved from the last time. Coco. Do you see that in your class as well?

Coco Vernon (10:30): I do. I mean I think those conversations were not had in the classroom setting. They were had by administrators and counselors And so like they trickled into our classrooms, which was always really interesting. So I had kids coming in who had always thought of themselves as a student who was doing the right thing. They were like doing school and they would come in and they'd say, well I talked to Ms. Moore today and she told me I'm actually reading at the fifth grade level. And she told me like maybe I was hungry or maybe I was tired or maybe I didn't take the test seriously, but like I'm gonna try really hard next time. And I think it just brought authenticity to this test that doesn't always feel like it's valuing you as a person. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> kids were invested in taking it and wanting to show their true self on the page. Yeah. And not just something else.

Curtis Long (11:11): Right. And Jen, I heard you in another interview saying that sometimes you would talk to kids and the kids would admit, yeah, I didn't take that very, I didn't really try on that test.

Jen Martin (11:19): Absolutely. A big piece of this is just establishing a culture of learning where kids know that it does matter and that we want to help them to grow as students and that we believe that they can do it. And part of that is like setting that expectation that we care about you as a person, but we also care about you as a student and we know that you can do this and we're going to do whatever it takes to help you show growth and to help you reach these standards.

Curtis Long (11:44): And Coco, I visited your classroom twice in the past few days preparing for this podcast. You kind of heard some of that at the beginning. One thing that stood out to me was the genuine care you had for each of your students. You are always on the move. You're trying to conference with students either in groups or one-on-one. What's the key to keeping 12 to 14 year olds engaged at all times?

Coco Vernon (12:01): I think like how I start the year is always that I am here for you. I want you to succeed. But that we are a community of learners. And so I think oftentimes kids in schools and in classrooms, they feel like the teacher is like the man trying to get them and prove them wrong. And I'm like, I'm on your side but we need to work together in order to figure this out. And so we need to be people that let other people focus. We need to be people that show care for one another. And you know, I think truly there are days where we are not showing care for one. Like you came one day and it was a rough Monday. I know our students don't always come ready to learn. Yeah. To the classroom. And I, so I think you just have to repeatedly over and over give everyone a fresh start every day, sometimes every five minutes. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>. And show people the opportunity to like reenter the right way. Like they know what to do. Sometimes they're just not capable or able to show you in that minute what that looks like. But row teachers, we love our students, we're here for them. It's just sometimes hard to keep showing up with that much love and care. But we do.

Curtis Long (13:00): Well we know that Rowe students have the love and care. Jen, you're an instructional coach at Rowe. Tell our listeners a little bit about the important role you play in making sure teachers have the knowledge and the materials they need.

Jen Martin (13:09): I love my job <laugh>. I get to work with teachers and show up and support them with what they need. So sometimes that looks like organizing and planning professional development opportunities for staff. Other times that looks like meeting one-on-one with teachers to support them with their goals. And other times it looks like planning with our professional learning communities. So for example, meeting with the seventh grade language arts, PLC to talk about curriculum development and how students are doing as they progress towards certain standards and what we can do as teachers to make sure that all of our students in the classroom are accessing our instructions. So I have the greatest job because I get to always be working on instruction and how teachers can continue to grow in their craft.

Curtis Long (13:55): So you have the better job being a instruction

Emily Moore (13:58): <laugh>.

Jen Martin (13:59): I wouldn't say it's better than being a teacher. I taught middle school for 26 years and so, and I do um, miss that daily interaction with students. But I get plenty of chances to chat with students at Rowe as well.

Curtis Long (14:10): Emily, as you mentioned, this is your second year at Rowe. So I know you're going to humbly say, this isn't me doing this, but you did come in with a focus on data that maybe wasn't necessarily in place when you arrived, was it?

Emily Moore (14:19): No, I think that was, I mean I can think of our very first leadership meeting we had in August when I came and I was like, alright, where's our data? Let's go. Let's start diving in. And it's like, we don't have any of that. And I'm like, what are you talking about? I don't know how to do this then. Yeah. So I think also coming from a district that we did have universal screeners and we did use them and knowing that once again this is a point for us to start and a point for us to grow and we're all gonna grow together. Our students are gonna grow, we're gonna grow as a staff. And to be honest, I feel really fortunate being able to come in and the staff was like, yeah, let's do it. We haven't really dived into it, we don't really have it. You know, we've been kind of hodgepodging some things together, but like, let's really do this and let's do it strategically. And there hasn't been pushback and I feel really, really fortunate to be able to be a part of that team 'cause that that was already there before I got there. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, you know, I'm just help giving us the direction that we need to go.

Curtis Long (15:10): And as evidenced by combining staff dedication with student resilience, that direction continues to look up at Rowe as each school year unfolds. So far we've heard about why test scores don't tell the whole story behind RA's academic resurgence and what exactly students need to do to succeed on those assessments still to come. How has an Emmy award-winning soccer focused television series influenced Rowe's success?

Ted Lasso Quote (15:34): For me, success is not about the wins and losses. It, it's about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field. And it ain't always easy, but neither is growing up without someone believing in you.

Curtis Long (15:43): And what makes middle school such a kick for all three of our guests?

Jen Martin (15:47): And it's hard and it's messy and it has its ups and downs and there's a lot of big feelings every single day, but it's a time in their lives that does really matter. And I think being in middle school is the place to be <laugh>.

Emily Moore (16:01): Me too. I love it.

Curtis Long (16:02): And you'll love the second half of the Proud To Be NCSD podcast. It's the place to be right after this.

Announcer (16:08): Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? The North Clackamas School district is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire before and after school caretakers, custodians, and bus drivers in North Clackamas. We promise it won't take you long to learn why our employees say they're proud to be an NCSD apply today on the North Clackamas school district website or call 5 0 3 3 5 3 6,000. That's 5 0 3 3 5 3 6,000.

Curtis Long (17:03): So when you started that conversation about data, did you actually see Jen's eyes light up and get really big? I can see that would be a big focus of her job.

Jen Martin (17:10): Yes. That's part of what I do in my job as well as I look at that school wide instructional data. So I look at our reading scores both through FastBridge, which is a test that students take every fall, winter, and spring. And then also the more daily data. So students are using a program called Lexia for Reading and they use a program called DreamBox in Math. And those are adaptive programs where students are using a computer software and they are getting instruction that is at their level and then giving constant feedback to the teachers. So teachers can pull small groups of students and work with them if they see that they still need further development and certain skills.

Curtis Long (17:48): And Coco, I imagine you're doing that with your eighth grade colleagues as well, making sure that the data is where you want it to be or how to help guide each other to get it to where you want it to be.

Coco Vernon (17:56): I mean, we think of our jobs in the classroom as twofold, right? The first thing is we're supposed to, as an eighth grade teacher, I'm supposed to teach eighth grade standards. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. That is what I'm assessing students on. That is the grade report that they receive every semester. But we have this fundamental other job that is like a moral duty almost to like catch kids up if they missed things. And we know the students in our classrooms today, they missed things, whether that was because of the pandemic and their schooling or whether that's because of the rampant absences we see nowadays. Kids are missing huge parts of key learning in language arts and math. And so we have to balance how do you do both things well in a 70 minute class period.

Curtis Long (18:33): Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. Now I'm a big Ted Lasso fan and I noticed the big yellow belief signs posted all around the building. <laugh>, who's responsible for those?

Coco Vernon (18:40): Thanks Emily.

Emily Moore (18:41): That's our theme this year, Uhhuh. So last year we had high hopes as a theme, Uhhuh <affirmative>. And this year it was really, I think kind of continuing with the notion of all the work and the foundation that we did this past year. And we believe in kids, we believe in ourselves, we believe in our community, we hold each other up. And I've seen, I feel like there's even been a shift in the vibe of school this year with, you know, just having that conversation with kids. Like let's just start a conversation with I believe in you and I know today's not a good day. That's great. I can see that you're struggling, but I know that we can turn it around and I know that you can do this because I've seen you do hard things before. And I think when we go back to data, we can, you know, bring it back to that kid.

Emily Moore (19:18): Like I know you were starting here last year and now look at where you are. I think of our leadership team meeting this morning and you know, we're looking at SEL data and looking at areas that students gave feedback on, that they have concerns in the building. And so how can we take that and bring that back to staff and do some self-reflection within ourselves and our practices. And I'm not, you know, to me the numbers speak. Yeah. Like that speaks to us. And you know, it can be qualitative or annotative or whatever that terminology is, but you know, if we're really looking at it, there are ties to all of that together. And I think it's important that we look at that and really, I mean, a big conversation today was about how are we incorporating that student voice? How are we letting students know that we are listening to them and we hear them and that's gonna come through the sel. Then it's also, you know, we gotta tie the academics into it. You can't have just one silo of the other. It all has to come together.

Curtis Long (20:07): I love that sentence phrase that you used where you start talking with kids. I believe in you and this may not have been your best time, but I believe in you and you can do it. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And you heard that in Josiah at the beginning of the podcast. She knows that people care about her and she loves being in Miss Vernon's class. And at Rowe Middle School, it really was fun to listen to.

Coco Vernon (20:24): I think one thing that Emily has done really well that I respect on my end of things is that data is not just the big thing. We're not just looking at the umbrella of what everyone is doing. We then take that back and look at what's happening with individual kids. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, we take the time to interview children about what's happening in their lives and what's happening at school. I think too often data just is the big score. It's just what SBA says or it's what FastBridge says. But I think one thing that we're doing at our school is we're making it about the individual. You see the pattern on the whole and then you talk to the children, right? Like one thing we're really trying to do is bring in that student voice. And I thank you for bringing that to us.

Curtis Long (21:01): And it sounds like you're also bringing in family voices as well. You're very communicative with families. This is your child's score. This is what it means. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And here's what we're doing to help your child. Mm-Hmm.

Coco Vernon (21:10): <affirmative> At conferences, parents were coming to me last year and saying, I just picked up this paper because they were available at the entrance to conferences. I'd like to know what we're doing for my child who's reading at the fifth grade level. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. They're an eighth grader, they're going to high school. How do we get them ready? And just having parents start that conversation is refreshing. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. Because then you can talk about it. This is what we're doing.

Curtis Long (21:28): Well as we start to wrap up, as you guys know, I spent nearly 30 years as a building teacher or an administrator all at elementary school though. And I've always thought as we send our fifth graders off to middle school each spring, wow. It takes us special kind of person to teach middle school. What makes middle school so special for each of you?

Jen Martin (21:44): Oh my gosh, I love it. <laugh>, the student who walks in the door as a little sixth grader, Uhhuh. <affirmative>. And the student who walks out the door is an eighth grader. They're so different. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And as parents, we see that in our own children. But then working within a middle school, you get to be part of that transition, which is really special. And it's hard. And it's messy and it has its ups and downs and there's a lot of big feelings every single day. But it's a time in their lives that does really matter. And I think being in middle school is the place to be. <laugh>.

Emily Moore (22:18): Me too. I love it.

Coco Vernon (22:20): I just, I think there's that domain on the Danielson rubric that's about like flexibility and response uhhuh. And I just feel like you can't really be a middle school teacher without being distinguished in that category. Right. Like just this year alone without getting too real. Like we've had multiple students bring cats in their backpacks to school. No. And I just like, it wasn't a once in a lifetime. It, it wasn't a twice in a lifetime. Like it's thrice in a lifetime right now. So you have to be prepared on the daily to just laugh and like work through it and figure it out while you're doing the hard things. But no day is like any other day in middle school.

Emily Moore (22:50): No, it's completely true. <laugh>. I think that's one of the things I appreciate about, you never know what you're gonna walk into and you have to just, I mean, laugh and smile. You have to laugh about it. Move along. I mean, the day someone brought a frog in, I was like, okay, well it wasn't show and until today and let's have that.

Jen Martin (23:05): But Emily's response was, let's build a habitat so you can get back to class.

Curtis Long (23:10): Yeah, that's fantastic. Not get that thing out here right now. Let's figure out how we're going to incorporate this into our day today. Yeah.

Emily Moore (23:16): And we will all come out and check on the frog <laugh>

Curtis Long (23:18): <laugh>. Oh, that is so great. Well, three straight years of improving test scores in all three grades. What's next for Rowe Middle School?

Jen Martin (23:25): That is what makes Rowe a really special place. I have been so impressed to see that teachers are excited about this news, but then the first response is exactly that. What's next? What are we gonna keep doing to make sure that this just isn't smoke and mirrors? Like how are we really making deep change? Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And that goes back to what Coco was saying about listening to our students and building a community of learners together. And so we're just continuing with the work we're doing. Our instructional team is working hard in providing professional development to teachers about engaging students even more within the classrooms. And our climate team is working hard to make sure that we have really clear expectations for students and incentives as well. And our leadership team is continuing to dive into the data and really think about how we can incorporate student voice as we're looking at these larger trends.

Emily Moore (24:17): I think that's the key is like we have to, especially at the middle school level where we start seeing kids come into themselves. You have to incorporate that piece into your work. If you don't, you're gonna be stagnant. You're not gonna make growth. Our instruction changes every day, every year. We don't have the same kids in front of us. And if we're still doing, and I think I've said this a million times, if we're still teaching the same way we taught when we first started, we would be losing kids. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. Like we have to be fresh

Curtis Long (24:41): And Coco, is it hard for you as an eighth grade teacher, you don't see your kids again unless they come back to visit?

Coco Vernon (24:46): You think we don't see them? I get 25 emails a week from Oh good. The freshmen are, they are missing us hard right now. They have not found their people yet. They are coming back every day at 4 0 5. I You'd think we would miss them. They don't let us miss them.

Curtis Long (25:00): So they're making that walk up Lake Road to come visit Rowe again after Absolutely. A day of Milwaukie

Emily Moore (25:05): High. No idea. Yeah. We love it because they all told us they, they were never coming back when they left.

Curtis Long (25:08): Right. I'm never coming back

Emily Moore (25:09): Here. Yeah.

Jen Martin (25:09): Here they are. <laugh>

Coco Vernon (25:11): Sometimes you don't know exactly who missed you, who loved you so much until they're gone.

Jen Martin (25:16): That's so true.

Curtis Long (25:16): I love that. Okay, so we're just getting ready to wrap up. But Emily, I think you have one last thing you wanna say. You wanna make sure that you give a shout out to your staff.

Emily Moore (25:24): Absolutely. I feel very privileged to work with this team. I ran in three former districts and this was easy for me. It was easy for me to come in with my vision and what I want and everyone was on board and there wasn't pushback. And that's not something that you get a lot of in education. I think a lot of times you have to spend your first few years like, you know, convincing and proving. And I don't feel like I've had to do any of that because the whole team was like on board and like, let's do it and we're doing it and we're you sure are gonna continue. <laugh>,

Curtis Long (25:53): What a great story. Well, the purpose of the Proud To Be NCSD podcast is to celebrate the people and places in our school district who are truly making a positive impact on the people around them. And it's hard to find a place in our district where more positives are happening than at row middle school. And that's thanks to a tremendous group of students and staff members, including our guest today, language arts teacher, Coco Vernon, principal Emily Moore, and instructional coach Jen Martin. Thanks to all three of you for joining us today. And Go Shamrocks. Woo. Woohoo.

Jen Martin (26:18): Thank you <laugh>.

Curtis Long (26:20): Thanks for listening to the Proud To Be NCSD podcast. In North Clackamas, we know that education is a community effort and we're so thankful that you and your family are a part of our community. Until next time, remember, there are always great things to see wherever you go in NCSD.