Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2016)
22 Summer 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 ‘Applegate to Africa: Communities connect’ project Twenty-some years ago, Ruch School partnered with the Jacksonville Rotary Club to plan and execute a service-learning project in Tanzania. “When the picture that portrayed a child taking care of a small lamb was offered to the children of the tribe, the bridge was built and the connections began,” recalls Rotary member Platon Mantheakis. Now, Ruch School and the Rotary Club are planning another community- connecting project for 2016-17. Named “Applegate to Africa: Communities Connect,” this project will connect students at Ruch School with a village in Tanzania. Ruch students have begun raising the funds to drill a well to bring residents of the village clean water close to home. Be g i n n i n g w i t h t h e a n n u a l Jog-A-Thon held on May 20, 2016, Ruch students collected donations for laps walked or run. Plans are in the works for geographical research, African art and music appreciation, culinary experiences, and learning about similarities and differences between our two communities. A year from now we hope to send students to Africa as ambassadors to see the project to completion! This is what a community school does. If you would like to know more about this service-learning project and/ or would like to donate to Ruch School Jog-A-Thon (the deadline is the last day of school in June), please contact the school at 541-842-3850 or email Julie Barry at julie.barry@medford.k12.or.us. Julie Hill Barry Principal, Ruch Community School julie.barry@medford.k12.or.us Ruch School: A global community “Why am I here?” I thought as we ran and ran and ran. “Self-defense number six!” Mr. James yelled. We immediately stopped running and started the form. Our legs still burning from the miles already run, we set off again. Why was I here? Because I had wanted to try something new. Something fun. Something that could teach me how to respect others. I was in the last stages of my black-belt testing in karate, at the upper end of Emigrant Lake. After the last mile was run, the last punch thrown, the last form shown, we got back into the van that took us back to the karate center where our parents were anxiously waiting. Earning my black belt in karate taught me that things that seem impossible at first can be achieved through persistence and hard work. That’s a lesson I bring to my work at the school I attend, Ruch Community K-8 School, a community-based school with opportunities for students to help the community grow. One project that I’m involved in is “Community 101.” This year we had $5,000 to donate to nonprofit organizations in our community. We reached out to them and asked if they would like to submit a grant application. Once we have received all the grant applications, we will divide the money up to a few organizations that we think will benefit the community the most. At the end of the school year, we will publicly announce the recipients and officially give away the money to the selected organizations. I’m also involved in an exciting project to help a community in Africa. Our principal, Mrs. Barry, has proposed an idea: 25 years ago our school was contacted by the Jacksonville Rotary Club and raised $5,000 for a village in Tanzania. Now the Rotary Club wants us to help them raise money to dig a well in the village. We took on the project because this is a kind of global community. Community 101 and the project in Africa have helped me in more than one way. Community 101 has taught me to take time and be patient about listening to others. It has also helped me think about my community in the Rogue Valley and ways to help it grow and thrive. The idea of helping an entire village in Africa be able to get water without walking miles is exciting. It supports the idea of a global community, one community helping another. I like the idea that a small school in Oregon, through persistence and hard work, can dig an entire village a well. William della Santina Sixth-grade student Ruch Community School williamds@sonic.net Ruch School Annual ‘Night in the Valley’ Auction On Friday, June 24, residents of our beautiful Applegate Valley will come together at Red Lily Vineyards to celebrate—and fundraise for—Ruch Community School! Donations to the “Night in the Valley” auction are being accepted now to help support enrichment programs, technology upgrades, sports opportunities, sustainability practices, and academic resources for students throughout the year. If you would like to attend the auction or support the school with a donation, contact Ruch School at 541-842-3850. Thank you for your support! Applegate students share science with younger peers Substitute teachers are hard to come by, so perhaps the second-grade and third-grade students from Applegate and Williams schools took no notice that their new science teacher on May 11 was a middle schooler! Applegate middle-school students wrapped up their year-long Applegate Field Study by sharing what they learned this year with their elementary school counterparts. The focus was on river life, and the elder students spent two weeks preparing themselves to teach six different stations during the event: Mammals 1 and 2, Salmon Life Cycle, Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians, and Macroinvertebrates. The teaching kits for each of the six stations were obtained from Southern Oregon University. The event was a culmination of visits to Cantrall Buckley Park to collect water samples, plant indigenous plants, learn about river history and its effect on human life, and study the life in the river. The study was initially designed by Applegate teacher Jill Howdyshell. When Jill left for an extended absence, her middle-school partner Michelle Stone took over. The animal study is a great way to spark interest in science among younger students. The older students worked hard to prepare their lessons, and Michelle Stone did a fantastic job of organizing and implementing this valuable project. Applegate School students claim science prizes Five Applegate School students were recognized with ribbons for their science projects at the Three Rivers Science Fair and Competition held on Wednesday, March 9. Top ribbon winner was Masey Embury, a fifth-grade student who received a Gold ranking, followed by Silver ribbon winners Zeyna DiBiasi, grade four, and Sydney Lock, grade five. Laura Kliewer, grade four, won a Bronze, and Azalea Stinson, grade five, was awarded a Participant’s ribbon. Gifts from Parent- Teacher-Student Group Applegate School’s Parent-Teacher- Student Group (PTSG) has given to its school in some big ways recently. The group offered students $500 to support the all-school field trip to Emigrant Lake on Wednesday, June 15, and they also purchased a new swing set for the school. The cost of the four-swing structure, along with a purchase of new tetherballs, totaled $2,000. Seana Hodge, the current head of PTSG, is in the process of handing the reins over to Casey Embury. The PTSG is in continual search of additional volunteers so they will be able to even better enrich students’ education at Applegate School. For more information about the PTSG, call the school office at 541- 846-6280. ‘Moving On’ ceremony is June 14; eighth-grade trip follows Applegate School staff members, parents, and community members will honor the nine years of effort that their eighth-grade students have made to get to high school. The Moving On ceremony, which will be held on Tuesday, June 14, at 6 pm in Applegate School’s gymnasium, will include speeches by each of the members of the class moving on to high school. Community members are invited to attend. The ceremony is part of a big week for the eighth grade. The students are currently raising money to go to Raging Waters at the California Pavilion in Sacramento, then proceed to Vallejo where Six Flags awaits. Students sold pancake feed tickets for the May 28 Applebee’s Grants Pass event, as well as discount cards for pizza. Johnathan DiBiasi donates new greenhouse The Applegate community has been highly supportive of their school, but Johnathan DiBiasi’s offer to supply and build a new greenhouse was a bit of a shocker! “This is no small project,” said Principal Darrell Erb. “That Mr. DiBiasi is willing to donate so much of the needed supplies and complete the labor on a greenhouse of this size is just incredible!” M r. D i B i a s i h e a d s Ev o l v e Greenhouse Systems, so he’s no stranger to putting up quality greenhouses. Why is he willing? For the same, simple reason that many parents step up in such a large way: “My children love Applegate School, and we saw the need for a new greenhouse,” he said. The greenhouse, made of structural steel, will be 24 feet by 32 feet when completed. At this point, the gravel that provides the base has been placed, and construction will begin soon. Mr. DiBiasi wants to thank Robin Pfeifer for pitching in on this project. Copeland Paving Sand and Gravel also deserves to be recognized for donating the gravel and hauling it to the site. School Volunteer Tea slated for June 3 School staff members will host a Volunteer Tea on Tuesday, June 3, at 1:45 pm. This event is held each year to allow the school’s staff to formally thank the many amazing volunteers. Applegate School teacher Debbie Yerby is organizing the tea. For more information, call the school office at 541-846-6280. School information provided by Darrell Erb Jr., Principal Applegate and Williams Schools darrell.erb@threerivers.k12.or.us
