Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 4, 2015 17A
Polk County Schools/Education
Athletic participation Mr. and Ms. Central Pageant
increases at Talmadge fundraising efforts heat up
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — More
students are participating in
sports now that athletics are
back at Talmadge Middle
School.
Athletic Director Dale
Cutsforth told the Central
School Board at its Monday
meeting that 339 youths have
participated in sports so far
this year, compared to 252
during the 2013-14 season.
“We believe a direct im-
pact to participation is the
reduced fee,” Cutsforth said.
“There’s nothing worse than
turning a kid away who can’t
pay the fee.”
The fee for participating in
middle school sports is $25
since the district reinstated
athletics in the building. Be-
fore that, Central Youth
Sports, which kept sports
programs going while the dis-
trict could not afford to do so,
had a $75 participation fee.
Cutsforth said having the
athletics program back in the
s c h o o l
building
has helped
students —
and staff —
in other
ways.
“It’s easi-
er to track
academics
Cutsforth
of ath-
letes,” he said. “Another posi-
tive is our coaches are teach-
ers.”
Through CYS, coaches
were often parents or volun-
teers outside the school cul-
ture. Now, coaches see stu-
dents in the halls and class-
rooms daily.
The return of athletics has
also added school spirit and
pride for the Talmadge
Cougars, Cutsforth said.
“The talk around school is
what athletic events hap-
pened the day before or the
week before,” he said.
Talmadge Principal Perry
LaBounty said the restora-
tion of athletics has gotten
students more active and
more successful.
“CYS was a great bridge for
us, but it’s great for us to be
restored,” he said.
Board member Jennifer
Mason said she was pleased
that the efforts at the middle
school are growing “whole
students.”
For a schedule for Tal-
madge athletics: www.cen-
tral.k12.or.us, go to “schools”
and then “Talmadge Middle
School.”
Practice assessment tests available
Itemizer-Observer staff report
POLK COUNTY — Stu-
dents in third through eighth
grade, as well as 11th grade,
will begin taking the state’s
new test, Smarter Balanced
Assessments (SBAC), for
math and language arts later
this month.
The new testing format,
designed to align with Com-
mon Core Standards, is a de-
parture from the previous
O re g o n A s s e s s m e n t o f
Knowledge and Skills
(OAKS). It will require stu-
dents to type answers, a skill
not previously required for
the old multiple-choice test-
ing format.
For those who would like
a sample of the new test be-
fore students begin taking it
later this month, practice
tests are available at
http://oaksportal.org/.
The testing window for the
SBAC opens on March 10
statewide and runs through
the end of the school year.
For more information on
the new test, go to
www.smarterbalanced.org.
Contract: No negotiations are
currently scheduled until April
Continued from Page 18A
Deters noted concerns
about the lengthy delay be-
tween sessions.
“We are frustrated by the
lack of communication by
the board, even though that is
one of their board goals,” he
said.
In the meantime, the asso-
ciation’s unfair labor prac-
tices complaint filed with the
Oregon Employment Rela-
tions Board in December has
been set for a hearing in
April.
The complaint alleges the
district failed to “bargain in
good faith” in putting forth
changes it would like to make
to the contract. The associa-
tion asserts those changes
were never formally bar-
gained before they came up
in mediation.
In response, the district
filed a motion to dismiss the
complaint, saying that the
district provided a copy of all
changes in the form of an up-
dated contract in April 2014
and that constituted a formal
proposal.
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE —
Courtney Rhodes lost sever-
al fingers and toes during a
childhood illness. She uses a
wheelchair and struggles to
communicate.
The fundraising efforts of
10 Central High seniors as
part of the school’s annual
Mr. and Ms. Central Pageant
will provide an iPad and a
wheelchair mount for the
device, complete with soft-
ware to help her communi-
cate better, said Jeff Witt,
CHS leadership adviser.
Rhodes, a Central stu-
dent, is just one individual
who will benefit from her
fellow students’ efforts.
“The rest of the money
raised is going to Duffels for
Dignity,” Witt said, noting
the program helps provide
foster children with some-
thing to put their things in
MEET THE CONTESTANTS
Boys: Max Lydum,
Riley Olsen, Lucas Cas-
tanon, Branson Wallace
and Kaj Bansen. Girls:
Ryanne Huffman, Paula
Tamayo, Taylor Ashton,
Daniella Diaz and Mandi
Desmarteau.
WHAT’S NEXT
The next fundraiser
will be on March 14 and
March 28, a car wash at
Les Schwab in Inde-
pendence. Proceeds
from the event will ben-
efit Ms. Central and the
Multicultural Leadership
Club.
when they are moved
around suddenly.
Mr. and Ms. Central is a
sort of beauty pageant, Witt
said. Five senior males and
five females are chosen and
voted on by staff and faculty
at the beginning of the
school year.
“We have to have a good
cross section of our school,
but have people willing to
commit to this because it’s a
lot of work, time and effort,”
Whitt said.
This year’s fundraising
goal is $15,000. Last year,
the pageant raised $11,000.
“This group of pageant
contestants are the most
ambitious I’ve ever had,”
Witt noted. “We’re a third of
the way there already.”
Kids are judged on per-
formances and how much
they’ve raised, Witt said.
People may support the
pageant by donating to con-
testants or dropping off new
or gently used duffel bags at
the high school’s front desk.
The pageant will take
place April 4 at 7 p.m., the
first Saturday of that month.
Tickets are $10 each and
may be purchased from
contestants or from Central
High’s front desk.
Teacher: Shafer praised for
engaging students in history
Continued from Page 18A
Garland submitted a let-
ter of reference in support
of his nomination. She de-
scribed the amount of time
and effort Shafer puts into
engaging students in histo-
ry, including showing film
clips, finding little-known
facts and details about key
events, and relating history
to current events.
Once a year around Veter-
an’s Day, he wears his Ore-
gon Army National Guard
uniform to school and tells
his students about his expe-
rience as a soldier.
“The students love this
interaction with Mr. Shafer
and always leave with a
deeper appreciation for our
military men and women,”
Garland continued. “Roger
is a patriot, a staunch citi-
zen willing to sacrifice all for
his country, and a wonder-
ful educator.”
Shafer first enlisted in the
National Guard in 1996, and
then re-enlisted after 9/11,
serving a total of nine years.
He was sent to Iraq for one
tour in 2003-04.
“I didn’t do anything ex-
traordinary, but what my
service did, as a history
teacher, it gave me a
glimpse into what all the
veterans before us have sac-
rificed,” Shafer said.
Following his deploy-
ment, Shafer went back to
school to finish his teaching
degree. He knew exactly
what he wanted to teach.
“It was kind of a gamble
because the more diversi-
fied you are the more mar-
ketable you are as a teacher,
but I really wanted to teach
social studies,” Shafer said.
“I sort of put all my cards on
the table and was lucky
enough that there was a
job.”
He was a student teacher
at Dallas High School in
2005-06, and was hired for
the 2006-07 school year.
Shafer said for some of his
students, his class is the first
time they learn about the
Revolution and Constitu-
tion in detail. He takes that
responsibility seriously and
it shows to his colleagues.
“He puts so much pas-
sion and heart into what he
is doing,” Garland said. “I
can’t think of a person more
deserving (of the award).”