Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2015)
SIUSLAW NEWS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ❚ APRIL 2015 SCHOOL ZONE A Monthly Newsletter for the Siuslaw and Mapleton Schools and Florence Community PTA Florence PTA, SES pursue National Excellence program Hosts needed for exchange students, chaperones The 4-H International summer and year-long programs are seeking local host families. Applicants do not need to have previous or current 4-H involve- ment to become hosts. The summer program involves host- ing a Japanese student, ages 12 to 16, for four weeks, July 26 through Aug. 22. Hosts for Japanese chaperones also are needed. Such host families do not need to have children in the home. The year-long program involves hosting a student from Japan, South Korea or a nation in Eurasia. Host fam- ilies can be without children or with children of different ages than the dele- gates. Summer program youth delegates are matched by age and interest with fami- lies applying to host them. American families must have a child within two years of the hosted youth’s age and of the same gender. The year-long program focuses on life skill development, including com- munication, tolerance, respect for oth- ers and engaged citizenship. Families hosting an international student do not have to have children at all, or can have children that are of any age. All applicants must complete either an online or paper application, which includes a background check among other information. Contact Lane County Coordinator Lauren Hesse by email at stang-hesse@ msn.com or call 541-268-6943 for more information. Local Realtors offer scholarships to seniors The Central Oregon Coast Board of Realtors (COCBR) will again be offer- ing a number of scholarships to local residents pursuing their educational dreams. COCBR has offered scholar- ships to students in the Florence area for more than 20 years. Two of the $1,000 scholarships offered are for high school seniors from the Florence and Mapleton area gradu- ating from an accredited high school (including online high schools), or who have earned their GED or equivalent and are wishing to pursue either an aca- demic or vocational career at an accred- ited college, university or vocational institution. An additional $1,000 scholarship has been added this year and is open to anyone in the community wishing to pursue (or who is currently pursuing) education at Lane Community College. Applicants can complete the COCBR scholarship application online at www.cocbr.net. The Scholarship Committee has extended the 2015 deadline to May 15, and recipients will be contacted by June 1. Contact the COCBR office with any scholarship questions by calling 541- 902-2560. for PTA to partner with the school to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of students by engaging families in student success and continuous school improvements. Locally, the School of Excellence program kicked off last fall with a sur- vey distributed to the families of all 640 elementary school students. The 31-question survey examined how families felt the school measured up to a number of research-based key indi- cators of effective engagement. Based on the responses, Siuslaw Elementary School is operating very successfully overall. The school received positive feedback on being welcoming, respecting and valuing diversity, communicating effectively regarding student success, helping families understand expected academ- ic standards, listening to concerns and seeking solutions, and being a central part of the community, among other elements. Several areas were also identified for improvement, based on survey responses. PTA volunteers, school staff and community members have been working throughout the school year to address these areas. Activities include: • Breaking down barriers by provid- ing school communications in multi- ple languages and offering interpreters for meetings as requested; • Helping families with school tran- sitions by promoting the successful Kindergarten Round-up event, distrib- uting “Get Ready for Kindergarten” activity packets to incoming kinder- garten students and “Transition to Middle School” booklets for incoming sixth-graders and sharing “Parents’ Guide to Student Success” handouts for all students to highlight grade-spe- cific key learning items and at-home activities; • Empowering parents to advocate for their child’s success by distributing easy-to-use tips that help families become involved on a local, regional and national level — even with just one minute of free time available; See SCHOOL page 3 LIKE A DREAM CYAN MAGENTA YELLoW BLACK Research shows that when families and schools work together, student achievement increases, schools improve and communities grow stronger. This is why Florence Community PTA is partnering with Siuslaw Elementary School to com- plete the National PTA School of Excellence program. Florence PTA volunteers and ele- mentary school staff began planning this effort in 2014. Strengthening fam- ily-school partnerships is at the core of the Excellence program. The goal is “Disassociation” by Rose Kapelka-Wolpoff (below) SIUSLAW EIGHTH - GRADER ’ S ART CHOSEN FOR EUGENE DISPLAY B Y J ACK D AVIS Siuslaw News “D isassociation,” an acrylic abstract work by Siuslaw eighth- grade student Rose Kapelka- Wolpoff, was chosen as one of 56 works of art from students through- out Oregon to be displayed at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA) on the University of Oregon campus. More than 380 submissions were received by the museum. The theme for this year’s competition was “Last night I had the strangest dream.” The display features works from students in first through 12th “My mom traced grades. All submis- my profile, then I sions had to be cut it out and paint- original works cre- ated in the last year. ed it red and Each student sub- attached it to the mitted an artist’s painting. I didn’t statement to accom- actually have a pany their work. dream about blue Kapelka-Wolpoff’s spots, but hey, you read: “A few weeks can’t prove I did- ago I had the n’t.” strangest dream. Lisa Abia-Smith, The dream itself JSMA director of was of space and education, said, PHOTO BY JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS clocks but the feel- “The way Kapelka- ing that came with it was much Wolpoff was able to execute the more abstract.” work is impressive, particularly for “I used acrylic paint on watercol- an eighth-grader. The strong com- or paper,” Kapelka-Wolpoff said. position and use of color combined with the spattering technique is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock.” Kapelka-Wolpoff entered the competition Jan. 30. The following month, the museum informed her that “Disassociation” had been cho- sen for display. Her painting may be viewed at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, 1430 Johnson Lane in Eugene, until May 17. The public is invited to celebrate the artists at a reception Saturday, May 16, at 11 a.m. The museum is not the only place Kapelka-Wolpoff’s work is currently being displayed. “My father’s refrigerator actually has quite a few of my works on it,” she said. RELEASE THE FRY Mapleton Elementary School fifth- and sixth-grade students recently gathered at Knowles Creek to learn about diversity within the ecosystem. They studied fish species, macro invertebrates, water quality and the riparian zone surrounding the creek, with the help of presenters from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Siuslaw Watershed Council. Students used the scientific method and the data they collected to determine that Knowles Creek would be a healthy environment to release the steelhead fry currently in their classroom’s Salmon Trout Enhancement Program tank. They released their fry this month at the creek. —Submitted by Debra Fleming