22 Fall 2015 Applegater
RUCH SCHOOL
NEXT GENERATION
“Next Generation” features the talents of our local students and school news and updates.
All schools in the Applegate Valley are encouraged to submit art, writing, photography and
any other creative pieces to gater@applegater.org.
APPLEGATE SCHOOL
Applegate School garden
is a community effort
Last June the Applegate school
community joined hands to install an
irrigation system around the historic
school building.
The project got its start when
the school’s Garden Club members
began to talk about how nice it would
be not to have to come to the school
each day throughout the summer to
water the gardens that students had
planted when school was in session.
Soon, wishful thinking
blossomed into a full-blown project
involving many people whose efforts
have resulted in a completed first-
class irrigation system that will, when
the project is finished, mean green
grass and healthy gardens around the
old building.
This project has been a real
team effort—classic Applegate. The
historic building deserves this kind of
care, and folks have really stepped up.
Many people endured
some extremely hot days
to complete the trenching and
installation. Joshua Morrison, who
works in the irrigation industry,
was instrumental in the design and
installation of the system. Joshua also
was able to get all of the materials
needed for the project donated by
his employer, HD Fowler. Tyler
Van Buskirk donated his time and
equipment from his company, In
Season Irrigation. Jake Lowry donated
equipment and his expertise. Mac
Embury donated topsoil, and plants
were donated by Applegate Valley
Nursery, Murphy Country Nursery,
Sandy’s Nursery, and Jacksonville
Blue Door Garden Store.
I was proud to work alongside
the many hands who braved the heat
and worked hard to get this project
underground: April and John Krause,
Vickie and Chris DiStefano, Mathew
Embury, Maggie Lowry, Fred Hall,
Carrie Holloman, Janie Burstein, and
Debbie Yerby. Thank you all!
Darrell Erb
Principal, Applegate School
darrell.erb@threerivers.k12.or.us
Photos (top) Joshua Morrison helped design and
install the new irrigation system.
(bottom) Tyler Van Buskirk used a trenching
machine from his own business.
Photos (below left) Fred Hall gave his time and
energy to help complete the
installation of the irrigation system.
(below right) Jake Lowry takes a break
after donating equipment and
his expertise to the project.
First graders become published
authors at Ruch Community School
This past spring, I was asked to write
an article about first graders who were
writing and self-publishing their own
books in Kim Neiswanger’s class at Ruch
Community School. Being an author
myself, I jumped at the opportunity
to visit these young writers. After all,
it’s important to check out the local
competition, right?
As part of my assignment,
I drove to the school and watched the
young authors at work. I had no idea
what to expect. When I arrived, the
students were still at recess. Kim greeted
me enthusiastically and said she would
bring in the children. “What would you
like the children to call you?” she asked.
“Mr. Curtis, will be fine,” I responded.
The first graders arrived in two neat
rows. I expected them to make a beeline
for their desks. Instead, they made a
beeline for me. Each child walked up to
me with an outstretched hand, waiting
to shake mine. The kids looked me in
the eye, gave a warm smile, and said,
“Welcome to our class, Mr. Curtis,” or
“We are glad you are here.” I melted.
What did it matter what the children had
written; they had won me over. I may
have met the most polite first graders in
the world.
But the truth was, the children
had a great project going. As they
settled in to write or draw illustrations
for their books, I walked around and
talked to them while Kim worked with
individual students. The children were
eager to share their tales and show
me their illustrations. I learned about
dragons, tigers, dinosaurs, princesses,
kitties, and even robots. Apparently,
Robocop was having a crisis because his
batteries were low. At least that’s what I
thought I was told. There may have been
an interpretation problem between the
student’s young voice and my old ears.
The class was in the second phase of
its project when I visited. The students
had started by brainstorming what they
wanted to write about and picked up
skills for idea-generation that I wouldn’t
learn until I was 30. At the time they were
finishing up their first drafts. After my
visit the students did peer reviews. “I see
you have drawn a big elephant but there
is no elephant in your story.” Whoops.
Next they did one or two rewrites. The
finished product was then shipped off to
a publisher in the Midwest.
Each child’s work came back as a
beautifully bound and illustrated book.
While in the classroom, I looked through
a selection from last year. Every child’s
book had a cover, a title page, a copyright
page, a dedication, the story, and an
author’s page. Imagine the children’s
thrill when they saw their finished books
and held them in their hands. I suspect
it wasn’t much different from the thrill I
felt when I held my first published book.
An authors’ reception was
held in June at the Ruch Branch Library
adjacent to the school. The children
proudly read their books to parents,
school district administrators, and
community members. (The authors’
reception was the culmination of a
whole-school celebration of writing at
Ruch Community School, with local
authors sharing their stories and expertise
with the students.)
The first-grade book-
publishing project, now in its
fourth year, is a collaboration between
Ruch Community School and the
Oregon Writing Project at Southern
Oregon University. Funds for publishing
the books are generously donated by
members of the community at Ruch
School’s annual PTO fundraiser. My
wife, Peggy, and I have been twice to
this fun event with good food and a
great cause, worthy of your support.
(This year’s fundraiser, “A Night by the
River,” was at Red Lily Vineyards on
Friday, August 21.)
After the children went to PE that
day last spring, I stayed and chatted with
Kim. As a teacher, she was brimming over
with enthusiasm. “I love to write,” she
told me. “It is my hope that the children
will develop the same enthusiasm I have.”
I bet they do.
Curtis Mekemson
cvmekemson@gmail.com
To view all 31 students’ books (with
the option to purchase any individual
paperback book), visit www.thebookpatch.
com, click on “Site Search,” then search for
“Neiswanger.”
Photos (top) Audience listens enthusiastically
to first graders reading their books.
(bottom) Kim Neiswanger’s class of
first-grade authors proudly hold their books.
Photos: Margaret della Santina.