12
schools
november13
2012
Student Sustainability Days Fire Department Visits School
Students
at the Vernonia
Schools took part in
two “Sustainability
Days”
on
November 5 and 6.
Elementary school
students
learned
about sustainability
on the first day;
middle and high
school students got
their boots and hands dirty the second
day with some outdoor projects
around the new school campus.
Students worked to remove invaisive
species, cleaned up and planted in the
native plant garden in the front of the
school and planted filter plants to help
with erosion control and run off at the
back of the campus. Engineering
students also worked on plotting a
nature trail around the outside of the
campus.
Meet the Exchange Students
Paula Oliveros is a junior at
Vernonia High School this year and is
from Madrid, Spain. This is Paula’s first
visit to the United States. In the past she
has traveled in Europe including vis-
its to Germany, Belgium, and Hungary.
Paula is spending this year living with
the Mark Brown family. She is currently
on the cheerleading squad and says she
would like to play basketball and maybe
try out for softball in the spring. Paula
says she has enjoyed eating Chinese-
American food and especially enjoys
Panda Express. She also says she likes
cookies. Paula says Vernonia is very
different from her home in Madrid but
she likes that she feels like she knows
everybody. She says there is always
something to do in Vernonia. “If you
don’t have plans.” says Paula, “you just
go downtown and you always find some-
one, so you always have something to
do.”
Ruben Fabers is from Ger-
many and is living with Shelley Cota.
Ruben is a junior who played football
As part of their fire safety program,
the Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District
visited
the
Vernonia
Grade school on Monday,
October 29th. Firefighters
spent the day instructing
students about fire safety.
Topics included:
how
to call for help in an
emergency; stop drop and
roll if your clothes catch
on fire; never play with
matches or lighters; the
value of working smoke
alarms; and conducting
exit drills in the home.
As part of their
presentation, firefighters
brought the E.D.I.T.H.
for the Loggers and will play basketball
this winter and may try baseball. Ruben
says he has traveled extensively to the
countries neighboring Germany and has
been to New York City on a previous
trip to the US. Ruben says
his favorite American foods
are corn dogs. “I like that
everyone supports the sports
teams and always go to the
games,” says Ruben about
Vernonia. “Also, everyone
is nice here, even when you
meet them for the first time.
They try to help you if you
have problems and they are
really open to new people.”
has traveled to Egypt. Ezio says he loves
Taco Bell. “We don’t have Taco Bell in
Italy—it is awesome!,” says Ezio. Ezio
says he likes Vernonia because it is so
small and everybody knows everyone.
trailer. E.D.I.T.H. is an abbreviation for
“Exit Drills In the Home.” The EDITH
trailer is a small ‘home’
on wheels, which
allows participants to
watch a video about fire
safety and exiting the
home in the event of a
fire, and then practice
what they learned with
a mock evacuation.
For
more
information about fire
safety, or to schedule
a tour of the Vernonia
fire station, please
contact Deputy Chief
Dean Smith at 503-
429-8252.
considers himself very lucky because
his parents love to travel, so he had the
opportunity to visit many different coun-
tries, including Australia three times and
all around Europe. His father is Dutch,
so he visits Holland a couple
times each year. He has also
been to the states three times
prior to this trip and has visited
New York City, New Orleans,
California, Las Vegas and the
Grand Canyon. Alex says his
favorite food in America is
Kentucky Fried Chicken, al-
though he knows it is not re-
ally good for him. “I know it
is the worst one ever and I re-
ally don’t want to know how
they make this chicken—I’m
really afraid about that,’ says
Alex. He also says his Ameri-
can mother, Tracy Easlon “...
is a really good cooker. With
that I am really lucky!”
Ezio Rusticali is a
senior from Italy and is also
living with Shelley Cota.
Ezio also played football
this fall and will play bas-
ketball this winter. This is
Ezio’s first time in the Unit- VHS foreign exchange students (from left to right) Paula Oliveros,
ed States but has visited sev- Alex Budde, Ruben Fabers, Ezio Rusticali and Karina Tolmacheva.
Karina Tolmacheva is
eral countries in Europe and
from Kurdistan and this is
He says he likes how the school is the the first time she has ever traveled out-
center of the community. “Everybody side her home country. She is living
rotates around the school,” says Ezio. with the Cheney family this year. Karina
“I think the school is the most important is a junior who has competed in Cross
part of the city.”
Country this year for VHS and will try
out for basketball and hasn’t decided
Alex Budde is also from Italy whether she will try softball or run track
and is spending this year living with the in the spring. Karina says her favorite
Easlon family. A senior, Alex played American foods are bacon and brown-
football and will also play basketball and ies. She says she likes the school spirit
will do field events on the track team in and how friendly people are in Vernonia.
the spring. Alex says he likes Verno- “People are very helpful,” says Karina.
nia because it is so different from his “If you need something they are ready to
home city. “I like that here you have a help you at any time.” Karina also says
lot of privacy and nice neighbors,” says she likes being surrounded by nature and
Alex. “It’s really good.” Alex says he all the timber around Vernonia.
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