Due to the construction of the new Sisters Elementary School (SES), relations between Sisters School District students have increased in numerous ways. 

Earlier this month Sisters High School Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition (IEE) students worked with SES kindergarten and 1st graders on plant identification. After the teachers of these classes realized that they were covering similar content, they decided to collaborate. Juniors at SHS led hands-on activities with the younger students, focusing on analyzing physical parts of native plants.

“Collaboration between high school and elementary school students is super important because it helps develop crucial life skills like communication, leadership, and problem solving skills,” states SES science teacher Jocelyn Blevins, “My favorite part is students get to learn about and solve real world problems and have real world applications to scenarios where there are people of different ages and expertise who work together to solve problems.”

The classwork lasted two days, with juniors reserving one hour for kindergarteners and one hour for 1st graders each day. Every junior teamed up with a peer to lead a group of two to four SES students, taking them outside and showing them the variety of vegetation surrounding them.

“It was so fun! I wish we could do this every day!” stated one eager 1st grader.

“I don’t really remember what I learned but it was fun,” confides another kindergartener.

“I liked when my high schooler did a scavenger hunt with us, it made learning really fun,” says one elementary student.

Although learning is a part of the goal, relationship building between generations was another main objective. This aspect is an underrepresented part of creating a welcoming school community, because increasing understanding and connections between different ages is essential.

Other efforts made through SHS, including freshman biology classes teaching 2nd graders about endangered species and the garden club working with kindergarteners about the evolution of insect life cycles, have aided this mission. 

As the year continues both teachers and students of all ages hope these partnerships will continue, with the possibility of  becoming an annual event.

The post Sisters School District’s Intergenerational Student Relationships appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

As AI infiltrates numerous aspects of many people’s lives, it’s also worked its way into schools. This new tool comes with both benefits and drawbacks, but one of the rising concerns many teachers are facing is the rise of plagiarism.

“I define plagiarism as using anything that isn’t your own idea and claiming it as your own and AI plagiarism is achieving the same thing as the copy-paste technique,” said Sisters High School English teacher Brittney Hilgers.

As AI-based websites such as ChatGPT become more accessible by students through phones or personal computers, the urge to find an “easy” way out of a large homework load increases. Most of this misuse occurs in essays for classes such as English or history, where AI can create a convincing answer to the prompt given.

As a result, this growing pattern has had a considerable effect on the way schoolwork is analyzed by teachers and how classes are carried out. 

“I’m trying to be more creative with my assignments where, yes, you have a thesis but [you] also have something you can’t AI such as personal connections,” said Hilgers.

Teachers at SHS noticed an AI usage peak in the spring of 2024, leading a group of SHS educators to take an AI training course on the risks and benefits of the tool.

“A goal for me is teaching students how to think, not what to think,” says SHS History teacher Gail Greaney, “and AI only works if you have a base level of knowledge, which is where we see it’s only helpful if you evaluate it,” said Greaney.

The idea of AI being helpful if you have a certain quantity of understanding on a topic is vital in weeding out students who plagiarize their work. Teachers describe being able to usually tell when students are using AI because of small mistakes that go unnoticed or the wording used. 

“The difficult part is getting students to confess if the AI detecting system doesn’t flag the work. I’ve had many instances where there were students that weren’t detected and they lie about it when confronted,” said Hilgers.

Looking at this growing dilemma, it’s easy to pick one side to stand by. However, research shows that while AI has many negative effects in the classroom, it can also enhance student experiences.

Artificial intelligence is able to personalize student learning. By analyzing student performance data, AI-powered tools can determine which students need support to improve their learning experience, and the best way to help those students, in a study done by Walden University. 

AI exists as both a powerful tool and a detrimental source of information. Learning how to thoughtfully and morally use Artificial Intelligence can make or break your assignments, and more importantly, how well you learn.

The post What is AI Plagiarism and How is it Impacting Schools? appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

“Travel is essential in the way books and hugs are essential. [It’s] food for the soul,” said Eric Weiner in “Why Travel Should Be Considered an Essential Human Activity,” a National Geographic article.

Yet travel is a vague term that holds different meanings for the varying individuals who hear it. Personally, travel should be defined as the ability to explore new places, create new memories and be exposed to new ways of life. 

Unfortunately, when the word “travel” is mentioned, ideas of glamorous getaways and cruises are what first come to mind. In reality, traveling can be everything from a three-week-long tour of Europe to a weekend getaway 30 minutes from home. Both options have the potential to provide equal amounts of satisfaction as long as you’re emotionally present.

But how is travel beneficial? Why is it longed for? What’s the hype?

First and foremost it’s interesting. You’re exposed to new environments with new ways of living, eating, working and functioning. It’s hard not to be excited when stumbling upon any unfamiliar place. 

Travel also means time to reset. Travel and vacation have become almost synonymous terms, meaning that if you’re traveling you’re probably not working. In a country where working may feel like running around on a hamster wheel, vacation time is treasured. 

Travel also means the creation of new memories. Whether you’re with family, friends or alone, going to new places means making memories that you’ll hopefully treasure forever. 

However, to achieve all of the benefits of traveling you have to be mindfully present. The ability to travel to enjoyable places is a privilege. If you don’t do it right then you can feel more stressed after than before you left. 

So, the next time you find yourself on a car or plane ride to a new place, don’t be afraid to immerse yourself during your stay. You might just find yourself making lifelong memories.

The post Travel. What’s the Hype? appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

Sisters High School English teacher Brittney Hilgers illustrated her thoughts after being questioned on the effects of assigned reading in high schools.

“The amount of kids who want to read differs from place to place, but there’s always a reluctance. My ultimate goal is to put books in front of kids, so in a perfect world I wouldn’t have to assign reading notes,” said Hilgers.

Hilgers has been teaching for over 10 years and discusses her relationship with reading as a college student. 

“You have to choose to be a reader. In college, I was burnt out and I forgot to pick books that I would like. It wasn’t until after I had kids that I got back into it,” said Hilgers.

In 2016, it was reported that the average number of 12th graders that read a book or newspaper every day dropped from 60% in the late 1970’s to 16%. There are numerous theories as to why, with most linking to the evolution of technology and social media that consumes the average teenager.

Many young readers are losing interest in reading due to a lack of connection with the texts they are assigned. The classic books taught in high schools, while excellent examples of literature, are often several decades old. In today’s rapidly changing society, it’s common for young readers to feel disconnected from the characters and themes in these older works.

“I think assigned reading can dampen the reading experience. I know my brother used to love reading when he was younger, but now because he associates it with school he doesn’t,” said Sisters High School sophomore Brooke Duey. “I used to like to read, but now I’m so busy I can’t find the time. I feel like most students have a commitment outside of school, whether it’s sports, dance or something else.”

There are a multitude of potential theories on why reading becomes less popular throughout teenage years, but after interviewing these students, a couple of things were made clear. 

Reading isn’t for everyone; attention spans range and the capacity to consume more difficult vocabulary varies. Being told to read usually sucks the fun out of it, especially when it includes seemingly over-analyzing the text. Books have the potential to give you a new perspective on life, but it can also be challenging to relate to characters that you can’t see yourself in at all.Knowing this, don’t be afraid to pick up a book that looks fun when you see it. Not all books follow the pipeline of “To Kill a Mockingbird” or “The Great Gatsby.” If you give reading a chance again and pick out books that truly interest you, you might even find yourself liking it.

The post Assigned Reading and Its Long-Term Effects on Students appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

Timber and Tobann Bionda are brothers attending Sisters High School and bring the Sisters High School community closer together through the creation of SHS’s first-ever FPV (First Person Drone) Club and the RC (Remote-Controlled) Plane Club. Tobann and Timber created both of these clubs after moving from a rural town in the Swiss Alps of France. They describe the initial transition to the U.S. as difficult, but they quickly made friends and created the RC Plane Club to create a space for people at SHS with similar interests in aviation.

“In France there were activities, but none of them related to school. Here, some people take science classes because they have to, but clubs can spark interest to pursue future activities,” said Timber.

The first club the brothers created together was RC Plane Club, in 2023. It’s exactly what it sounds like; a space where students can learn about and fly RC aircrafts together. The club has already gained media attention from the local Sisters newspaper “The Nugget” after launching Spruce Goose, a model plane with a 10-foot wingspan, spending just one day building it in the physics room.

The newly-found FPV club, however, aims to teach its members the intricacies of FPV drones, and the thrill of racing them. FPV drones are a type of unmanned aerial vehicle that are equipped with cameras and wirelessly transmit a video feed to VR headsets. This type of drone is typically used for racing courses with the goal to overcome the obstacles with the drone as quickly as possible. 

After acting as teachers for the RC Plane Club, the Bionda brothers wanted to have the opportunity to learn about these new and progressive drones as students.

“With the RC club we had a ton of funding and 12 drones donated… we’re hoping that Tobain will lead the club to start racing next year, maybe even between other schools,” said Timber.

“(FPV drones) are an innovative technology that are a gateway into future technologies,” stated Dugan Draper, a sophomore who has interest in the club.

The FPV Club is just getting set up and is looking forward to teaching SHS students about drone racing, and hopefully introducing the interest to schools around Central Oregon.

The post Sisters High School Drone Club Broadens Extracurricular Options for Students appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

“(IEE) is composed of a community of learners working together to gain a balanced, in-depth understanding of the world around them,” said IEE teacher Samra Spear.

Taking place during fall and spring trimesters, this class is available for juniors to take, additionally offering returning seniors the ability to act as interns. With numerous day and night trips throughout the semesters, this class is treasured by many adventurous students. 

“I’ve grown up being outdoors so I’ve always loved nature. I took IEE and loved the teachers and the connections I was able to make with people,” said Sisters High School senior Ila Reid, an IEE intern. “The best thing is when it brings together a group of unlikely kids. When I was an intern I had a group that didn’t usually hang out, they all were friendly with each other but weren’t friends. But by the end, all of us bonded in a way that created so many new relationships.”

The class itself was founded in 2000 by Samra Spear, Rand Runco, Glen Herron and Rob Phelps. Their goal was to create a space for students to explore their environment while also being able to engage in learning in a new way. 

“If we’re going out rock climbing, you’ve got to think about the geography and makeup of the rocks, and then you can incorporate poems and literature about the landscape, it’s all connected,” stated Runco. 

The class has two major expeditions throughout the year; one to the Three Sisters Mountains and one to the Deschutes River. These excursions are ones that the students look forward to the most during the class, as they get to spend three days exploring Central Oregon and its varying trails and environments.

More than anything, however, this class aids students in developing a sense of place. Existing in this modern world as a teenager can often translate to hours spent on screens everyday, which disconnects and dampens the spirits of students. This course helps battle that by getting kids outside to engage in academics in an unorthodox way. 

“There was this kid — he had a tendency to act out in class, but when we were all hiking the mountain he was like a completely different person,” stated Reid. 

Being in a classroom environment for as much as seven hours a day, five days a week can feel repetitive for some students. Being exposed to nature-specific outdoor learning can change this. Hundreds of studies have been done, and the benefits of engagement, intrapersonal and social skills have been shown to improve drastically.

As a result, the program has drawn in as much as 60% of the junior class to become involved every year. Many of them were also previous students of a Sisters Middle School Program called ECoS. ( Earth, Community, Self). This elective is similar to IEE, with more of a focus on geology, rock climbing, cave-exploration and the wonders that nature can hold.

“When I was considering moving with my kids to Sisters, I was attracted to the way this community supports students in the arts and in outdoor education,” said ECoS teacher Michael Geisen. “There were a lot of opportunities for high school students, but less for the younger students. Rob Jensen and I wanted to help bridge that gap between Outdoor School in fifth or sixth grade and IEE in 11th grade, so we started working on a new experience that students could join in 8th grade as a culmination of their middle school years.”.

Many middle-schoolers walk away with a love for ECoS, and much to their joy, find themselves being led to IEE. 

“Every year these students amaze me with their courage and attitudes. I think one of the most rewarding parts of teaching eighth graders is seeing them head on to high school, post-secondary learning and then into the world to make a difference in their new communities,” states Geisen.

The culmination of these two classes for many students leads to a better grasp on the world around them, applying their education to their new adventures and communities. Over the years these programs have changed and shifted their ways of teaching and where they go on trips, but the love for the classes by students has never waned.

The post Bringing Education Outside the Classroom appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

The answer lies in the history of the town itself. Although it was originally home to Paiute, Warm Springs and Wasco Native Americans, the town was founded in the early 1900s by pioneers. A couple years after its establishment, the population started to grow and the economy became more reliant on the timber industry. The local sawmill provided lumber for the townspeople and bridges on the Oregon Trunk Railroad.

In 1923, however, the town faced a major setback in the form of a fire that ravaged 10 buildings, and the following year when another fire destroyed six more. Despite the hardship, the town found its resilience, rebuilding to become officially incorporated as a town of Central Oregon. A few decades later, in 1978, Sisters began to officially build its well-known Western theme while under the ownership of Harold Barclay.

A loan of $5,000 from Brooks Resources was given to Sisters under the condition that a more Western theme be implemented to make the area more attractive to visitors. The town grew attached to its new identity, and the plan to make it a more endearing place to shop flourished.

In a Nugget News article titled, “How Sisters Became Sisters,” Bonnie Malone describes the situation, “This (loan) would give Sisters a unique image and enhance its attraction. If a business owner kept the Western theme frontage for ten years, the loan would be forgiven.” 

However, the town kept this theme for much longer than ten years, and the Western aspect became entrenched in the appearance and activities of the community. The most prominent reason was because it attracted tourists and created a steady income for the town’s small businesses. Today, the town is still a major tourist attraction, especially in the summer when visitor numbers peak. 

The town also attracts visitors through events like the Sisters Rodeo, an annual Western-themed show with barrel races, bull riding and steer wrestling. According to the official website of the Sisters Rodeo, the rodeo has inspired the Western theme of the city of Sisters. 

However, that doesn’t mean the Western theme has always maintained its force over the years. Jim Cornelius, a Sister’s inhabitant of over 30 years said, “Over the time I’ve been here the theme has waxed and waned in strength.” 

The commercial buildings that the Sisters Planning Department approved exemplify this. Many of these nationwide companies, such as Subway, McDonalds and Dairy Queen, didn’t have a Western theme. These buildings may have dampened their outward appearance to fit in, but they couldn’t transform their entire business personality to fit into Sisters.

However, Sisters isn’t the only small town with a theme, a Washington town by the name of Leavenworth, is observed to also share a similar, but more strictly enforced, Bavarian-style theme. 

“Some people have stated that they think Sisters should adopt Leavenworth’s strictness in enforcing the theme, but the idea has never stuck,” says Cornelius. 

This is because, for the most part, Sisters inhabitants are pleased with their home. The small town has a charm and endearing quality that draws in tourists and locals alike. Although the town’s theme’s distant future remains unknown, it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

The post Sisters: Oregon’s Modern Wild West appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

Jason Chinchen is at the helm of these hands-on woodworking activities, having taught at Sisters High School for three years; his goal is to prepare his students for life with imaginative, technological and software skills. Chinchen has been leading his classes with admirable care and thought, cultivating a hands-on learning environment where students have the opportunity to learn new skills to apply to their future endeavors.

“What I took over was already created, but I try my best to bring in new tech and software, such as our CNC Wood Carving Machine, to better prepare students for working in the real world,” says Chinchen.  

Although most high schools have a woodshop class, the Sisters School District offers a wide selection of classes, including Woods I, Woods II, Intro to Engineering, Manufacturing Technology and Luthier classes to students.

The Luthier Program has garnered previous media attention and even a visit from Governor Kate Brown in 2016. This class teaches students how to create their own guitars, even offering the chance to learn how to play folk-music through the SHS Americana Program. Students in the Manufacturing Technology class, however, learn about modern methods of industrial production, graphics, and equipment operation. They gain these skills by getting the chance to create a pair of skis or a snowboard.

“When they’re finished a lot of students end up using them on the mountain…They run great and I love seeing them up there having fun,” Chinchen said.

“I took this class to be able to personalize my snowboard. And it’s nice because the work you put into the board reflects the product you get,” says junior Holly Madron. 

Students taking the class must have taken Woods I and Intro to Engineering as prerequisites. Crafting such a specific type of product takes concentration and skill; many students make mistakes throughout their journey which derail their projects. Nevertheless, pushing through these obstacles is what many artisans find joy in, making their final product that much more satisfying to achieve.

“The hardest part is to make such perfect stuff. But when you mess up you just have to work it out,” said senior Timber Bionda.

The process takes an entire trimester, 12 weeks, to complete, and even then many students do not finish completely. However, with the help of their teacher, and a dozen community volunteers, all students do eventually finish with a feeling of satisfaction at a job well done.

“Watching them get to take the top sheet off their finish is great, the growth in their ability over the term makes me really proud,” remarked Chinchen.

Upon completing the class, students leave the classroom with a sense of pride in their accomplishments. They recognize the privilege bestowed upon them to participate in the class. This instruction not only teaches them how to create their projects, but also offers them the opportunity to use their skis and snowboards outside of the classroom, forging new connections and generating enjoyable memories.

The post Sisters High School’s Unique Creations appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.