

This season, the seniors on the Lowell High School football team are making sure those moments don’t slip by.
As they reflect on their journey through the Lowell School District, these student-athletes are looking back at the teachers, staff, and mentors who made a real impact along the way. To show their appreciation, the players are handing out special "Difference Maker" T-shirts—and a whole lot of heartfelt gratitude—to the local heroes who helped guide their paths.
Here are the first three senior matchups:
Colton Crutcher & Mrs. Beckett
Colton chose Mrs. Beckett as his Difference Maker for always having his back. Whether navigating classroom challenges or life outside of school, her steady encouragement kept him on the right track and left a lasting mark on his life.
Jax Norcutt & Mrs. Maloy (Lundy Elementary)
Jax went back to his roots, honoring Mrs. Maloy from Lundy Elementary. Her patient kindness and dedication during his early school years set a strong foundation—one that Jax credits with helping him grow into the top student he is today.
Carson Ewan & Mrs. Karli Efseaff
Carson’s connection with Mrs. Efseaff spans two schools—first at Mountain View Charter School, and later at Lowell Jr/Sr High School. Carson shared that her endless patience, perseverance, and warmth taught him life lessons he’ll carry with him long after graduation.
A huge thank you to Mrs. Beckett, Mrs. Maloy, and Mrs. Efseaff for pouring so much heart into our students!
Stay tuned—we’ll feature three more player-teacher pairs next week!



Staff Spotlight: Justin Ricci
Kicking off our very first Staff Spotlight of the 2026-2027 school year is the one and only Justin Ricci! Since joining the Lowell School District family in 2024, Mr. Ricci has been making a major splash as a high school social studies teacher. Outgoing seniors routinely sing his praises, giving him huge credit not just for helping them navigate history, but for his signature calm style that instantly makes every single student feel right at home in his classroom. For Mr. Ricci, the feeling is mutual. His absolute favorite part of working in the Lowell community is getting to build connections with students, making their daily school journey memorable, and sparking that light that inspires them to pursue higher education after graduation.
When he is off the clock, Mr. Ricci stays busy with a fantastic mix of hobbies and good company. He loves working alongside his fellow Lowell colleagues and can often be found testing his knowledge during trivia nights with friends, family, and coworkers. A proud Illinois native, he also enjoys unwinding in nature through hiking and camping, getting lost in a good book, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or playing music. If he could sit down for a dream lunch date with anyone in history, he would share a table with Abraham Lincoln himself. Keep him fueled up with a steady stream of sparkling water or coffee, and he will be good to go. Most importantly, he wants everyone to know that his door is always open, so do not be shy—come on by and say hello to him and Ms. Karli in their building!

Dear Lowell Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
It is time to get ready for the winter sports season! Registration is officially open for all Lowell Middle School and High School student-athletes.
With Middle School Girls Basketball kicking off practice next week and all other winter sports beginning in mid-November, we strongly encourage families to complete the registration process as soon as possible so your athlete is cleared and ready for day one.
How to Register
We are using FinalForms for all athletic registrations and physical clearances.
👉 Register your student-athlete here: https://lowell-or.finalforms.com/
What You Need to Complete Registration:
Account Setup/Update: Log in or create an account to select your student’s winter sport.
Form Signatures: Both parent/guardian and student must sign the required online participation forms.
Sports Physical: Ensure your athlete has a current Oregon OSAA Sports Physical on file with the athletic department before the first day of practice.
Thank you for supporting Lowell Athletics. We look forward to a great winter season—Go Red Devils!

Check out the link to see Ben Thurman, Associated Heating and Air’s player of the week!




Lowell School District has partnered with 15th Night, a committed, dedicated network of volunteers and community partners who intervene quickly so that youth who are unstably housed can connect to community resources and services. By removing barriers, the 15th Night network creates access, connecting youth to existing support services and resources in real time.
To sign up to be a volunteer for the students and young people of Lowell, scan the QR code. You will receive notifications when an at-risk student has unmet needs. Our community can step in to help support our students.


We're excited to welcome all students who are new to Lowell Jr./Sr. High School! New Student Orientation is designed to help students and their families become familiar with our campus, meet teachers and staff, learn school expectations, and start the school year with confidence.
Orientation Schedule:
Incoming 7th Grade Students: 8:30–10:00 a.m.
Freshmen & All Other New High School Students: 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to attend with their students. We look forward to welcoming our newest Red Devils and helping everyone get off to a great start. Be sure to check out the flyer for additional details.

Help your student start the school year prepared! Our 2026–2027 school supply lists are now available and include the essential items students will need for each class. While the lists are intentionally minimal, we ask that students arrive on the first day of school with the required supplies so they are ready to learn from day one.
If purchasing school supplies presents a financial hardship, please contact Ms. Cindy or Mr. Winn in the school office before school begins. We are committed to making sure every student has what they need to be successful.

Fall sports registration is open! Be sure to get your student athlete registered and ready for the first day of practice. https://lowell-or.finalforms.com/
Don't miss any practices or games! Make sure you get your sports physicals before your season starts! Free sports physicals for all athletes K-12 on Thursday, July 23, from 5:30-7:30 pm at Pacific Sports and Spine.

Notice of spraying on district property


SUMMER MEAL SERVICE PROGRAM:
This summer, Lowell School District will offer free breakfast and lunch to all kids ages 18 and under. Meals will be served in the Lundy Cafeteria, Monday–Friday, July 6 through August 14. Breakfast will be served 9:00-10:00 AM. Lunch will be served 12:00-1:00 PM. Per usual, meals will not be permitted off site.
SUMMER REC PROGRAM:
This year, the Lowell Summer Rec Program will operate Monday–Friday, July 6 through August 14. The program will run 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM each day. Participation is open to all Lowell School District children, ages 7-12. The online participant enrollment is now open for parents and guardians to register their kids. High School students in grades 9-12 can also apply to be program volunteers. Participants and high school volunteers must be registered online by a guardian, prior to attending.
If you have any questions regarding either program, please call 541.937.2105.


Lowell School District is proud to feature Allison Oleman, who has spent twelve memorable years in the district. Throughout her time at Lowell, Allison has been highly involved in the musical community, participating actively in both choir and band.
Looking back at her journey, Allison shares that her favorite memory took place at the end of her sophomore year, a time when she spent every single day hanging out with her closest friends in the band room. High school also brought plenty of laughter, notably when a teacher tried to convince a whole class of high schoolers that gravity wasn’t real.
As graduation approaches, Allison reflects on the relationships that shaped her experience. She notes that she will miss her friends the most, specifically highlighting Mila, and expresses gratitude for the comforting daily routine of having a close friend right next to her to help get through the school day.
When asked about her academic inspirations, Allison emphasizes the impact of Ms. Miller. She explains that Ms. Miller has always been there to support her through school, noting that while the coursework may be difficult, it is intentionally designed to prepare students for the world. Allison also deeply appreciates that Ms. Miller provides a high level of guidance and support that perfectly matches the challenging work she assigns.
Based on her own experiences, Allison offers a valuable piece of advice for future students. She urges them to take college classes now, even if they do not want to. In her view, it is much easier to put the effort in during high school than to wait until you have to pay for those credits yourself.
The next chapter of Allison's life will take her to the University of Oregon, where she plans to study accounting. While she is still deciding whether she will pursue a bachelor's or a master's degree, her ultimate career goals are clear. She intends to work her way up the accounting world to establish a successful career, with the long-term goal of retiring early and comfortably.
Before she departs, Allison wants to send out a few special shout outs to the educators who made a difference in her life. She shares a heartfelt thank you to Ms. Miller for keeping her going with school until the very end, and extends another big thank you to Mr. Burch for providing so many fun and memorable times leading up to her graduation from choir.
Lowell School District is proud to feature Barrett Straight in this Senior Spotlight! Barrett has spent six fantastic years within the district, during which he dedicated his time to the athletic department by playing both football and baseball. When looking back at his time at Lowell, his best memory is a classic high school moment: sitting in the back of science class doing nothing with Nic.
Barrett found a great mentor in Mr. Ricci, noting that he is his favorite teacher simply because he is a cool guy. As graduation approaches, the person Barrett is going to miss the most is Henry Coiner.
Barrett has an honorable and exciting path mapped out for his next chapter. After graduation, he plans to enter the United States Navy on an eight-year contract, where he will fulfill his future career aspirations of working as a Navy Aircrewman.
Before he officially sets off on his next adventure, Barrett wants to send a special shout-out and goodbye to Henry Warren Coiner and to his dad!
Congratulations, Barrett, and thank you for your future service!

Lowell School District is proud to spotlight graduating senior Ciaran Burch, who has spent the last four years making his mark on the community. Throughout his high school journey, Ciaran has stayed highly involved, participating actively in Band, Choir, and Football. His favorite memory from his time at Lowell was traveling to Canada on an unforgettable music trip.
When it comes to the staff who made an impact, Ciaran names Mr. Burch as his favorite teacher simply because "he is the best," though he notes that Mr. Ricci is the person he will miss the most after graduation. Looking back, the funniest moment of his high school career happened during a visit to Marshfield High School, when a random lady stopped by to tell Barrett Straight that he had beautiful legs.
As he prepares to walk across the stage, Ciaran leaves future students with a critical piece of advice: do your homework now, not later.
Looking ahead, Ciaran has clear goals to become a paramedic and secure a full-time job as a firefighter, ultimately fulfilling his career aspirations in emergency services. Before he takes that next big step, he wants to send a special shout-out and goodbye to Hank!

Lowell School District is proud to feature Liam Burch in our Senior Spotlight! Liam has spent four wonderful years in the district, making a lasting impact through both sports and the arts. Throughout his high school career, he dedicated two years to both baseball and football, and he spent all four years sharing his talents in band and choir. His favorite memories of Lowell revolve around traveling with the music department and simply spending quality time with his friends.
When reflecting on his time in the classroom, Liam highlights Ms. Miller as his favorite teacher because she truly holds her students to a high standard and pushes them to work hard. While he leaves behind many great connections, the person he will miss the most is his dad, whom he loved being in school with every day. High school also brought plenty of laughs, with the funniest moment being the time he successfully convinced a substitute teacher that his classmate Alex’s name was actually Greg.
Looking ahead, Liam has bright and ambitious plans. Starting this fall, he will attend Lane Community College (LCC) to complete the prerequisite classes required to apply for the paramedic program in 2027. His ultimate career aspiration is to become a firefighter/paramedic.
As he prepares to graduate, Liam leaves future students with this valuable advice: work hard on your grades, hold others accountable, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
Before he walks across the stage, Liam wants to give a few special shout-outs: a huge thank you to Ms. Miller for always pushing everyone to do their best, to Mr. Winn for constantly helping the students succeed, and a special goodbye to everyone's favorite Junior, Hank!
Congratulations, Liam, and best of luck in your future career!
