Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2012)
4 Spring 2012 Applegater A tribute to Jeff Rumelhart ‘He taught me how strong I really am’ BY mArGArEt DELLA SANtiNA On Saturday, March 24, Ruch families and friends gathered at America’s Best Karate in south Medford to celebrate the accomplishments of Ruch students earning a green or purple belt in Tae- Kwon-Do. Since fall 2011, these students worked under the masterful direction of Jeff Rumelhart in after-school classes at Ruch School, progressing from belt- level to belt-level with increasing skill and determination. At the end of the March 24 test, which included a complex 36-move palge form that the students executed smoothly and confidently, we watched proudly as Mr. Rumelhart and his assistants tied a new belt on each student. Just a few days later, on Wednesday, March 28, we were stunned and saddened to learn of the death of Jeff Rumelhart, an honorary member of the Ruch School community. Mr. Rumelhart, who had been undergoing treatments for leukemia for some time, died from cardiac arrest after complications with his blood levels. Mr. Rumelhart took obvious pride in his “Ruch satellite program.” He and an assistant (often his daughter, who has a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do) drove out to Ruch School two days a week to offer a karate program for about 20 kids. They practiced in the cafeteria, tables pushed back against the walls; Mr. Rumelhart made the karate and the kids feel important even in this make-do studio—there were no mats and no mirrors, but there was always a tremendous amount of respect and learning. A c o n s u m m a t e t e a c h e r, M r. Rumelhart often reminded his students to “be safe, have fun, and learn something.” He challenged them physically and mentally while providing just the right amount of support for them to succeed: he understood the importance of creating the optimal “learning zone” where students would feel a legitimate sense of accomplishment. He held students accountable for their behavior, yet always made it clear that he respected and enjoyed them. He was patient even when disciplining students or asking them to work harder; he clearly had a vision for where they were headed and he held that vision for his students. And at each step of the journey, he made sure the students thought about why they were doing what they were doing and were aware of their own progress. By offering Tae-Kwon-Do at Ruch School, Mr. Rumelhart exemplified the role of a “community partner.” He Death Notice Ken Holyome, 69 of Jacksonville, Oregon, passed away on Friday, March 9, 2012, at his home (www.memorygardensmortuary.com). responded enthusiastically to the idea of bringing karate to Ruch, offered a reduced group rate for us, and drove from Medford to Ruch twice a week so that our students wouldn’t have to commute in the other direction. He contributed to our school community through the respectful, caring relationships he developed with our students. “Take the karate outside that door,” he told them. “We’re not talking about the kicking and punching. We’re talking about your character.” Mr. Rumelhart’s students took their karate inside themselves, as much as they took it outside the cafeteria doors. Our son William remembers that Mr. Rumelhart “taught me to be patient.” Not to get frustrated when you can’t do something right away, or don’t have immediate success, but to practice and feel the excitement of accomplishment that comes from training over time. Also, William says, “He taught me how strong I really am.” What better tribute to a teacher? This The late Jeff Rumelhart, former Tae-Kwon-Do instructor at Ruch School is what education is really about. Education is not just about what you learn, it’s about who you are becoming in the process. We are among the many students and families who will miss Mr. Rumelhart deeply, but we feel fortunate that our son’s life has been touched by such a gifted teacher. Margaret della Santina 541-899-9950 Poetry Corner Starcrossed Lovers by John Taylor, Grants Pass, OR Be sure to go to www.applegater.org to see a complete list of advertisers and numerous exclusive articles that appear only online. Please support our advertisers! They help make this paper possible. The Gater thanks you. You and I have met before, And then, as now, Our stars have softly exploded Into one another. We are changed for all time, The path of our lives altered forever. Such is the power of love between us, Between you and me. The voices of all lovers past Will go singing through the halls of time… And you and I have become part of that song. z Lupines by John Taylor, Grants Pass, OR Through fields of flowers, hand in hand In sun so warm and sweet, Pretty bowers…skin that’s tanned, On bare and wand’ring feet. Forgetting time and feeling free, We laugh into the wind, In loving rhyme like you and me, Those lovely lupines bend. H appy F a t he r ’ s D a y !