22 Spring 2016 Applegater
NEXT GENERATION
APPLEGATE SCHOOL
“Next Generation” features the talents of our local students and school news and updates.
All schools in the Applegate Valley are encouraged to submit news, art, writing, photography
and any other creative pieces to gater@applegater.org.
RUCH SCHOOL
Ruch School students partner with
JCFC to provide firewood to needy
Earlier this year, Ruch
Community School students
Anna Rabe-Hemming, Zach
Goodnough, and their teacher,
Ryan King, were invited to give
the closing remarks at the Climate
Change Summit held at The
Commons in Medford, Oregon.
It was there that Anna and Zach
impressed members in the audience
so much that they were approached
to represent Ruch School in a
partnership with the Jackson
County Fuel Committee (JCFC). Preparing firewood for needy families are, from left to
The collaboration would result in a right, Cassandra Auker, Bart Hawkins, Alexis Hodge,
Maddie Strain, Vincent Delgado, and
service project that provided much-
principal Julie Barry. Photo: Matt Epstein.
needed firewood to the families of
the Applegate Valley.
Ruch Community School’s mission of thinning on the overall health of the
includes providing service learning for forest. They were taught how to safely
their students so that they may identify handle tools, such as axes and splitters,
the needs of their community and then and how to successfully work with a
be engaged in experiences that would team. They learned that they can be part
of something greater than themselves and
help facilitate health and wellness.
Anna put it this way: “I like provide assistance to others.
Anna summed it up best: “We love,
participating in these activities because
it warms my heart seeing someone smile. we care, we share.”
Ruch Community School would
It makes me feel good that I was able to
like to thank the Jackson County
help my community!”
On Monday, January 11, students Fuel Committee, our neighbors and
from Ruch Community School, members community members of Applegate
of JCFC, and Applegate Valley volunteers Valley, and our parents and students
began their task of preparing trees for for the hard work and compassion they
firewood that would be offered, free of have for their community! Many thanks
charge, to families needing warmth in to Bart Hawkins with Keller Williams
their homes. Students were involved in Realty for involving himself and his
chopping, splitting, stacking, loading, family in this worthwhile project.
Anna Rabe-Hemming
and ultimately delivering the wood. In
Julie Hill Barry
addition to the actual labor, students
Principal, Ruch Community School
met with the JCFC and learned about
julie.barry@medford.k12.or.us
the health of our trees and the results
Applegate School students
to contribute to park mural
What’s over 25 feet long, brings
a tear to parents’ eyes, and something
Applegate School students will want to
show their own children some day? Well,
nothing quite yet, but it’s in the works!
Applegate School K-8 students will
work with local artist Jeremy Criswell
to create a ceramic mural for Cantrall
Buckley Park. The students will be
given clay to create their individual
contributions. When combined with
students’ pieces from other local schools,
the park-themed ceramic mural will be
over 25 feet long!
The mural project is sponsored
by the Greater Applegate Community
Development Corporation’s Park
Committee at no cost to the school and
is incorporated as part of the Applegate
Artist-in-Residence (AAiR) initiative.
Applegate students have already
enjoyed creating art as part of the AAiR
initiative this past October when art
teacher Joan Kennedy spent a week
with K-8 students teaching watercolor
Applegate middle school students
brave rain, mud, cold to benefit river
The many thousands of salmon and
trout that will swim by Cantrall Buckley
Park in the future won’t know it, but
they will have the students of Applegate
School to thank for a nice, comfortable
stretch of cool water.
The endangered western pond-turtle
population might also consider drafting
a thank-you note to the students—their
home on the Applegate River got just
a bit cozier this past January, when
students and members of the Park
Committee partnered to plant native
trees and shrubs along the riverbanks.
Students in grades six through eight
braved cold, wet weather to participate
in a “service-learning project” in what
Applegate School teacher Jill calls a
“habitat-restoration-in-the-mud-and-
rain day.”
This school year has been a “Year
of the River” for Applegate’s middle
school students. In multiple trips to
the Applegate River, students have
studied watershed science and health,
the natural history of rivers, various
modern problems facing rivers, and fresh
drinking water supplies. On one much
dryer day, students also visited Herb
Pharm in Williams to witness firsthand
how agriculture can coexist with healthy
stream sustainably.
For Jill and her middle-school
Applegate middle school students
plant native trees and shrubs
along the river at Cantrall Buckley Park.
teaching partner, Michelle Stone, the
extra effort involved in taking learning
outside is well worth it. As Howdyshell
said, “Students may or may not remember
the formula for how to find the surface
area of a cylinder in the future, but
without a doubt, when they return to
Cantrall Buckley Park many years from
now, they will remember that they
planted those red-twig dogwoods on the
shores of the Applegate River.”
Good things can happen when
schools partner with organizations in
the community, and this event was no
exception.
Darrell Erb Jr., Principal
Applegate and Williams Schools
darrell.erb@threerivers.k12.or.us
Applegate School’s Concert in the Barn
fundraiser slated for April 17
Musicians Kevin Carr and Josie Mendelsohn will be featured at the Concert
in the Barn on Sunday, April 17, at 3 pm, that will benefit the Applegate School
Artist-in-Residence (AAiR) initiative. Students from the Applegate choir and
Strings Program will also perform. Students may share original poetry and
writings and perform in a “reader’s theater.”
Organizers and hosts Fred and Jean Hall are busy convincing local artists
to donate a piece of art for the silent auction at this event. Art from Applegate
School students will also be for sale this year.
“This event is amazing! It’s a jaw-dropping effort that Fred and Jean make
each year to put this together,” said Darrell Erb, principal of Applegate School.
“I really urge folks to come out for this. Kevin and Josie are truly amazing, and
our kids will be on hand to perform as well, so please get out and support them!
“The AAiR initiative is an important part of our school,” said Darrell. “We’re
hopeful to broaden our base of support and expand our enrichment offerings for
our students. The benefits of students doing art are tremendous and lifelong.”
The concert will once again be held at Fred and Jean Hall’s barn at 950
Kubli Road, Grants Pass.
2015 volleyball team to be placed on
Applegate School’s Wall of Fame
The 2015 volleyball team will join other undefeated Applegate Cougars teams
on the Wall of Fame in the school’s gymnasium. The 2015 team went 10-0 against
stiff competition in the Southern Oregon Middle School Athletic Conference,
Small Schools Division. Coaches Heather Devos and Sandi Garoutte are no
strangers to the Wall of Fame—their 2013 club also posted an undefeated record.
Applegate School first-grader Emily Sumrall
works on a bug painting with Artist-in-
Resident Joan Kennedy. Photo: Linda Kappen.
painting. K/1 students painted bugs, 2/3
students created salmon, 4/5 students
chose a “view out of the window” theme,
and middle school students chose a
watershed theme to dovetail with the
Applegate River Field Study.
Darrell Erb Jr., Principal
For more information about this field study,
see “Applegate School students up to their
knees in study” on page 22 of the Winter
2015 Applegater at www.applegater.org.
Applegate School’s 2015 “Wall of Fame” volleyball team, from left to right:
Bree Saunders, Carlen Nielsen, Johanna Devos, Marisa Elmore, Teryn Powers, Coty Wiginton,
Kennedy Smock, Kaiah Fisher, Alia Seal, Macy Kliewer, Sydney Locke, and Alyssa Seal.
