August 11, 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! I hope you and your family had a restful and rejuvenating summer. As we prepare to begin a new academic year, I want to extend a warm welcome to both our returning families and those joining us for the first time. We are excited for the year ahead and the opportunities it brings for academic growth, personal development, and community engagement.
Students who did not attend a Fern Ridge School (FRMS or EHS) last semester will need to attend New Student Registration on Wednesday, August 13th. You can drop in from as early as 9 am until 7 pm. Please park in the back of the high school to avoid construction on the parking lot. You will need to enter from Fir Grove Lane and keep right of the old football field, past the first building on the left, and park in the bigger parking lot. The back gate will be open. Follow the maps, signs, and arrows to find your way to the front office.

Bring: birth certificate, immunization records, proof of address, and an unofficial copy of the most current transcript if the student is an incoming Sophomore, Junior, or Senior.
Registration for all returning students will take place next week. Due to the ongoing work at the high school on the parking lot and stadium, we will hold registration at Elmira Elementary School at 88960 Territorial Road, Elmira, Oregon.

• 12th Grade – Wednesday, August 20, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
• 10th Grade – Wednesday, August 20, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
• 11th Grade – Thursday, August 21, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
• 9th Grade – Thursday, August 21, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

During registration, students will take school pictures, receive important information and materials, including class schedules, locker assignments, school IDs and yearbooks if you purchased one last year. 

Additionally, we’re pleased to announce that athletic sign-ups are now open! Whether your student is interested in trying out for a new sport or continuing their athletic journey, we encourage all interested students to register early and stay informed about tryouts and practice schedules. If you are interested in playing sports at Elmira High School this year, please click on this link: https://fernridge-or.finalforms.com. The first day of practice/try-outs for Fall sports will be held on August 18th. All athletes must have a current physical on file to participate on the 18th. If you know your student-athlete plans to participate in more than one sport this year, you can sign them up for a Winter or Spring sport at the same time you register them for Fall sports. Fall sports registration will close, but Winter and Spring registration will remain open until a week into those respective seasons. 

The summer work on the front parking lot, science remodel, and stadium upgrades are coming along. The parking lot is scheduled to be completed before the start of school. Once it is completed, the flow of traffic will be very different from what you've experienced in the past. Please follow all directional signs once the project is completed. Student parking will move to the west lot, and visitor parking will be in the east lot (next to the gym).  

Recently, Governor Kotek mandated through Executive Order No. 25-09 that school districts create a personal electronic device policy that bans the use from the start of regular instructional hours until the end of regular instructional hours. We will share more about the specifics of the order once the details are worked out. If you would like to read more about the order, please go to: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/teachingcontent/Documents/eo-25-09.pdf

As always, our faculty and staff are committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment where every student can thrive. We are here to support you and your child throughout the school year, and we encourage open communication at all times.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to seeing you at registration and throughout the exciting year to come.

Warm regards,

Cydney Vandercar, Principal
Elmira High School