Wednesday, March 1, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
5
Sisters educator retiring after 33-year teaching career
By Steve Kadel
Correspondent
It’s a familiar story.
Someone visits Sisters
Country for recreation, the
visits become more frequent,
and before long they’ve
found a way to move here.
That was the scenario for
Janis Quiros and her hus-
band. They were living in
Seattle and longing for a life-
style that would allow them
to ski and be involved in
other outdoor activities when
they realized Sisters was the
answer.
“This area was without
a doubt the place to be,”
Quiros said.
That was more than three
decades ago. Since then,
Quiros established herself as
a vital part of Sisters School
District, being hired in 1984
by former superintendent
Ron Ball and elementary
principal Earl Armbruster to
teach seventh- and eighth-
grade Spanish and English.
Thirty-three years later,
she has announced her retire-
ment from the only district
she’s ever worked. In a letter
to the school board, Quiros
called teaching her pas-
sion and said “every student
touched me in some way.”
In accepting the resigna-
tion request, which becomes
effective June 14, school
board chairman Jeff Smith
thanked Quiros for her long
service.
“She has done a great
job and has provided lots of
extra services for our kids,”
he said.
Quiros taught Spanish
and French to ninth- through
12th-grade students after
the new high school was
built in 1992. Girls soccer
didn’t exist then, so Quiros
recruited students to join
a co-ed soccer team and it
grew into the current soccer
program.
There was lots more, too.
“During my career I
took on the role of Sisters
Education Association presi-
dent and secretary,” she said.
“I had the pleasure of work-
ing with seven principals and
eight superintendents. I was a
member of the Oregon State
Board for textbook reviews,
designed world language
curriculums, was secretary of
the Confederation in Oregon
for Language Teaching, and
facilitated local committees.”
She also teamed with for-
mer elementary principal Tim
Comfort to design the first
bilingual education program
in the district, which Quiros
coordinated. As tennis coach,
her teams competed in three
state tournaments.
Quiros has seen lots of
changes in education during
her career. Technology ranks
as the biggest change of all.
“Having access to hybrid
online courses, use of
PowerPoint, chat, email,
smart phones, and tablets has
changed pedagogy and learn-
ing styles for students,” she
said.
Other factors such as non-
traditional learning, declining
budgets and student-centered
proficiency are changes
Quiros has seen in the educa-
tion landscape.
She grew up in the
Midwest and graduated
from Lafayette Jefferson
High School in Indiana. She
earned a Spanish degree
from Indiana University,
an English degree from the
University of Oregon, and
studied bilingual education at
Oregon State University and
Portland State University.
Quiros said she was
attracted to a teaching career
after enjoying teaching
swimming and diving lessons
as a teen. She also worked
summers and weekends as a
nanny. She always enjoyed
school and said that might
have been a factor in her
career choice.
The longtime teacher
plans to continue her own
learning in retirement. Quiros
wants to learn the Italian lan-
guage, write short stories,
and run more half-marathons
once she has additional free
time. She also hopes to par-
ticipate in more bike rac-
ing, live in Europe, begin to
design clothing again, and
visit family more often.
Substitute teaching and
volunteering are also on her
to-do list for retirement.
She leaves the school dis-
trict with memories that will
last forever.
“My most cherished
memory is when the first
Sisters High School opened,”
PHOTO PROVIDED
Sisters teac2er Janis Quiros said advancements in tec2nology 2ave been
t2e biggest c2ange in education during 2er long career.
Quiros said. “The positive
energy, the excitement, inter-
viewing a new staff with dif-
ferent interests from all over
the U.S. was powerful. We
provided a wide variety of
offerings, five different for-
eign languages, vocational
programs, and photography
classes.”
Rainwater makes everything beautiful!
GRAND OPENING!
HOMEMADE BREAKFASTS,
LUNCHES & BAKED GOODS
TAKE-N-BAKE PIZZAS
Opening Saturday, March 4
— Sisters owned —
The
RAINWATER
CAFE & PIZZERIA
161 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters
Open every day 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
In Town Square • 541-914-5394
Espresso ICE CREAM
BURGERS Biscotti
Sandwiches
Homemade Lunches
Gluten-free Options
Soups Pies Scones
Homemade Breakfasts
Coffee $1 (A buck per cup, always!)
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