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Welcome from the Head Teacher

Adele Cerny

Welcome to the Seneca School portion of the Seneca Kids website. As head teacher of this wonderful school, I have heard many stories about the Seneca School of long ago. Through our Seneca History Project, the students of nowadays have become acquainted with school life from the 30’s through the 50’s. They take a great pride in being the local “history experts” and enjoy interviewing students from yesteryear, and browsing through the old pictures that we have collected. They have a very clear sense of the past and present in Seneca, as well as their hopes for its future.

 The heart of a community is often its school. Because of our remote location and small size, this is especially true of Seneca School. The school is the most prominent building in town and is a center for community activities as well as the education of its students. Community gatherings, meetings, sports activities, school functions, and PTA events all take place at the school. A long-standing tradition of an “open door policy” encourages participation by parents and community members in the educational process. Because of this, Seneca School is a school with a heart and a soul!

Our school community is not defined simply by the geographical boundaries of the town. It has expanded to include students from other areas of Grant District 3. These students choose to attend Seneca School because of the opportunities offered in a small school environment, such as the family atmosphere of the classes, multi-age activities, and school-community connections. Having Kindergarten through 8 th grade students under the same roof allows the development of a”family of learners”. Frequent opportunities are provided for the different grade levels to collaborate on projects in order to develop leadership, creativity, cooperative work habits, and social skills. Being part of Grant School District 3 allows us to enjoy the unique position of being a small school with the collaborative relationship and resources of a larger school district.

Our vision statement was developed by our site council a number of years ago, and it still serves us well: “We are a community school committed to lifelong learning that enables our children to confidently reach their goals.” As a school, we strive to realize that vision by involving the parents and community members as guest experts, classroom helpers, and activity leaders. We work to develop partnerships with the community in real-life projects such as the Seneca History Project, Cycle Oregon, the 7th / 8th grade Community Luncheons and Dinner Theater, as well as various community service projects. The involvement of parents and community members provides a daily model to the students that learning is exciting and continues throughout a person’s life.

Not only is Seneca School the heart of the community, it is also an integral part of its economic health. As long as a community has a school, it can attract potential industry and jobs. Close the doors of the school, and you slam the door shut to all future growth and development. A poster in our main hall features the following quote from Aristotle: “The fate of empires depend upon the education of the youth.” The parents and community of Seneca School realize that this is true at a local level as well. The fate of small towns such as Seneca, and Grant County as well, depends upon the education of its youth.

It is the hope of the staff and students of Seneca School that the students of the past will help enrich the learning of the present day students. You can become an active part of our school’s future by adding your memories to the website, visiting the school, or contributing to the Seneca School Foundation.

Thank you,

Adele Cerny

Head Teacher

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