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