|
 There
are two school campuses in Gold Beach. Riley
Creek School serves kindergarten through eighth
grade, and Gold Beach Union High School which
serves grades nine through twelve. Gold Beach
schools are small, with good curriculum and an
enthusiastic teaching staff willing to give the
kind of attention small town schools are known
for. Students of both schools often place very
high in academic competitions and the athletic
teams are consistently ranked among the best in
the state.
The K-8 school, Riley Creek School, serves about
650 students in three wings, K-3, 4-6, 7-8. The
school is located in the center of town about a
quarter mile east of Hwy 101.
There are large, grassed soccer and play fields,
and both a softball field and baseball diamond,
and a sheltered outdoor play area for times of
inclement weather. The school is named after
Riley Creek, which runs alongside the south edge
of the school campus.
The 7th & 8th grade kids may participate in
league sports, while the younger kids
participate in sports through local service
clubs and sports clubs. Soccer and wrestling
clubs are active from age 4 through junior high.
Boys and girls in grades 4-6 also can compete in
boys and girls basketball and girls volleyball
through Gold Beach Rotary Club.
 The
high school, Gold Beach Union High School,
usually has an enrollment of 210-230 students,
and a typical graduating class will be around
45-55. The excellent teaching staff goes to
great lengths to help students learn and
actualize their individual skills and talents.
Science Club, Mathletes, and Knowledge Bowl
augment the typical high school sports and
clubs. The band seems to be growing in numbers
over the last few years and will play at many of
the sports activities as well as presenting
musical performances for the community. The
choir and the drama club performances are
usually well produced and supported by the
community.
Overall the community is very generous and
supportive of the school activities, especially
sports. The facilities are in great shape and it
may be one of the few ocean-front high schools
in the nation. We don’t have graffiti or other
acts of vandalism to mar the environment of our
schools.
Southwestern Oregon Community College has a very
attractive main campus in Coos Bay. There are
satellite campuses in each of the coastal
communities including Gold Beach. The Gold Beach
Center (29392 Ellensburg Avenue, PO Box 590;
telephone (541) 247-2741, fax (541) 247-6247)
contains a small computer lab for instruction
and student use, with limited Internet access,
and a large classroom.
Southwestern provides an extensive array of
college classes leading to degree or certificate
programs, as well as testing (including GED),
Business Development Center services and
workshops, professional continuing education,
and a variety of enrichment and lifelong
learning opportunities (check out the website
links to see what classes and workshops are
available at
www.socc.edu). Small class sizes and quality
instruction provide students with a great place
to start. |
