Freewater parents and students - While students are away, I encourage you to visit the following websites to keep students practicing and learning. Here are some elementary websites that we use at school:
Starfall
Moose Math
Eggy Words
Jack Hartman Kids Music Channel
These sites will provide some great review, fun and play while students are at home. You may also check out the Gib Olinger and Ferndale pages for other resources.

MS and HS student may continue Acellus online learning, students know their log-ins and passwords.

Until we see you again. Stay healthy.
Freewater Staff

Parents please be reading to your young students. Did you know that students who read 20 minutes per day will be exposed to 1.8 million words per year and are most likely to do better on standardized tests. Students reading 5 minutes per day are only exposed to 282,000 words per year and is more likely to score in the 50th percentile on standardized tests.

If you have a transportation request that is a change from a normal routine, it must be called in to the office by 2 pm to take affect that day. Thank you.

Just a reminder that Friday's are a 2 hour early release. Subtract 2 hours from normal pick up or bus times to arrive at the appropriate Friday time.


On behalf of Freewater School, I would like to say welcome to the 2019-2020 school year. My name is Jay Rodighiero and I am the new Principal at Freewater School. I am a Mac-Hi alumni and have worked at Ferndale as a paraprofessional, an Alternative Ed teacher at Central, the Athletic Director/Assistant Principal at Mac-Hi and most recently Assistant Principal at Mac-Hi. Once a Pioneer, always a Pioneer.

Freewater School will house Little Pioneers Preschool, Pioneer Explorers Kindergarten, Pioneer Stepping Stones K-5 students, and the middle and high school Connect program. We will work closely with Gib Olinger and Ferndale Elementary Schools and Central and Mac-Hi administrations.

Tara Wheeler will be the returning Little Pioneers Preschool teacher and Marsha McElrath will lead the K-5 Pioneer Stepping Stones program. Joining them will be Allison Henckel who runs the Connect program for the secondary grades 6-12. Allison VanOcker has been hired to teach the Explorers Kindergarten class. Some students will be a full day at Freewater and other students will split their day between Freewater and their home school.

We look forward to a great year.

Regular Office Hours:
7:30 am to 4:00 pm

School Hours:
8:00am to 3:00pm M,T,W,Th
8:00am to 1:00pm Friday

Students needing to register may register at their home school:

KG - 3rd @ Gib Olinger Elementary School
4th - 5th @ Ferndale Elementary School
6th - 8th @ Central Middle School
9th - 12th @ McLoughlin High School

Office (541) 938-6611
Fax (541) 938-5337

Nominations for the 2020 Crystal Apple "Excellence in Education" Awards are now open. These annual awards recognize outstanding educators and school staff in eastern Oregon school districts.

Those eligible to be nominated are full-time or part-time employees who have worked in the district for one year. Crystal Apple Awards can be given to principals, assistant principals, teachers, paraeducators, office staff, maintenance staff and other district staff. They can be nominated by administrators, teachers, paraeducators, school staff, students, parents or community members.

Deadline for nominations is April 1, 2020.

Crystal Apple Nomination Form
Crystal Apple Information Page

Crystal Apple award winners will be honored in May.