22 Spring 2017 Applegater
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 news, art, writing, photography,
and any other creative pieces to gater@applegater.org.
Ruch student essay to be published
“We sat for a while. I sat
and ate crackers. Then, I felt
a tug. I was so excited! I could
hear the splash of the fish.”
This is an excerpt from an
essay written by Cora Snoke,
a fifth-grade student at Ruch
Community School. Cora’s
essay, titled “Applegate Lake,”
earned her recognition from
the Oregon secretary of state
through the second Oregon
Blue Book Essay Contest.
Cora Snoke (center) was recognized for her winning
“The Oregon Blue Book is
essay. From left to right, Julie Barry; father, Ken Snoke;
mother, Sara Hyman; teacher, Sara Major; school board
the official state fact book
chair, Karen Starchvick; and Medford School District
about all levels of government
superintendent, Brian Shumate.
in Oregon, Oregon’s arts and
history organizations, our
education systems, our elections history, event. There, she and her parents will be
our economy and how various levels able to share her story with an Oregon
of government are financed. The Blue state representative and a state senator.
Book is compiled and published by the
“I think that you will agree with
Oregon State Archives, a division of me when I say our future is bright, and
the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office” I am as proud of Cora and the rest of the
(oregonsosblog.us/2016/05/secretary- students submitting essays as they are of
state-invites-oregonians-ages-contribute- our state,” said Jeanne P. Atkins, Oregon
oregon-blue-book).
secretary of state.
Cora and all the students from Ms.
Cora and her parents were invited to
Major’s 3/4/5 multi-age classroom at Medford School District’s school board
Ruch Community School participated meeting on Monday, January 23, 2017,
in the contest by creating essays about to be recognized for her winning essay.
their favorite thing to do in Oregon’s
Ruch Community School is very
great outdoors.
proud of Cora and her dedication to
As a runner-up in the elementary being an exemplary ambassador of our
division, Cora’s essay will be published school. Congratulations, Cora!
in the soon-to-be-released Oregon Blue
Julie Barry
Book. In addition, Cora, her parents, and
541-842-3850
her teacher have been invited to the state
Principal, Ruch School
capitol in March for the Blue Book release
julie.barry@medford.k12.or.us
Committee formed to study
Williams Elementary School viability
Williams parents and community
members, along with representatives
of the Three Rivers School District
(TRSD), have formed the Williams
Elementary School Viability Committee.
The committee’s first action will be
to distribute a survey in the Williams
School catchment area to gain a more
comprehensive picture of its community
in terms of the number of students who
are in the area, the school choices parents
are making, and the potential for raising
the school’s enrollment.
“We’re at the stage where we need
information in order to move forward in
an effective, positive way,” said Darrell
Erb Jr., principal of Williams School.
“This is an opportunity to take a look at
our community in a new way and to find
ways to make our school a more dynamic
and inviting place for students to learn
and grow.”
The committee is hopeful members
of the Williams community will respond
to the survey in large numbers.
“Your participation with this survey
would be greatly appreciated,” said Greg
Cox, father of a Williams School student.
“We love this school and want it to stay
as Williams Elementary into the future!”
The survey can be obtained in paper
form from Williams Elementary School,
Williams General Store, Williams
Country Store, Provolt Store, the
Williams Branch Library, and Williams
Indoor Winter Market at Pacifica.
The survey can also be obtained at
sites.google.com/a/threerivers.k12.or.us/
williams-elementary-school, on Facebook
by searching for these two pages: “97544”
and “Williams local (97544),” and on Jo’s
List (for subscribers).
The committee was formed in
response to the TRSD school board’s
request for district superintendent
David Valenzuela to research the school’s
viability. Enrollment has been around 60
students over the past several years, which
prompted the board’s request.
Contact Darrell Erb or Mindi
Gallegos at Williams Elementary School
at 541-846-7224 or Stephanie Allen-
Hart at the district office at 541-862-
3111, ext. 5201. Also, Greg Cox,
parent and committee member, can be
contacted at 541-846-6594.
Applegate and Williams school information provided by
principal Darrell Erb Jr. • 541-846-7224 • darrell.erb@threerivers.k12.or.us
Applegate students return to Cantrall
Buckley: Long live the monarchs!
On first impression, the Applegate
Valley is truly awe-inspiring with fruitful
vineyards, a sparkling river, and majestic
mountains. Folks who live here have
reason to be proud of their home;
visitors leave reluctantly, with a promise
of return.
One particular visitor, however,
is not feeling welcome here lately. The
monarch butterfly, once plentiful, has
come into hard times—its habitat is
disappearing as agricultural activity
increases in favor of commercial crops.
For Applegate School students,
though, this situation provides a learning
and service opportunity.
Thanks to a partnership with Janis
Mohr-Tipton of the Applegate Valley
Garden Club and Bonnie Allison of the
US Forest Service, science teacher Star
McAdam’s students will visit Cantrall
Buckley Park this spring to study the
park’s flora and fauna and develop
pollinator gardens for monarchs. The
program will also bring local experts into
the classroom to discuss the scientific
importance of supporting pollinators in
their journey across the valley.
“It’s a great opportunity for students
to learn how ecosystems work,” said Star.
“Hands-on science enriches learning and
helps students understand the sensitive
nature of ecosystems and our role as
stewards of them.”
For Applegate students, ensuring
monarch butterflies are healthy and
happy in this valley is a tradition.
Linda Kappen, a member of
Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates
and an instructional aide at the school,
has been keeping monarchs at Applegate
School for some time. The pollinator
garden behind the school’s office attracts
the butterflies to lay their eggs on its
milkweed. Linda takes the caterpillars
from the garden and nurtures their
development until they are fully grown.
Tagged as part of the Washington
State University study, the monarchs
are then released, often by the hands
of Applegate students. Teachers in the
school use Linda’s program to enrich
their students’ study of science.
This program at Cantrall Buckley
Park is part of the school’s evolving
participation in monarch stewardship.
Fire station tour interrupted
by an emergency
The Applegate Valley Fire District
opened its doors to Applegate School
teacher Kellie Halsted’s second- and
third-grade students on Friday, January
27, as a reward for winning a school-wide
competition initiated by the fire district.
Students were challenged to go
home and take “selfies” while they
changed batteries in smoke detectors and
sat with their families to make a family
fire escape plan. By having the highest
percentage of participants of all classes,
Kellie’s students earned the trip to the
Ruch fire station.
The students toured the station,
and each was awarded a fire helmet.
Predictably, students were awed by the
equipment and engines and listened
carefully as firefighters explained their
important jobs.
It turned out that the highlight of
the visit was not the tour or the helmets
or even the equipment and engines.
Rather, it was a loud fire alarm that sent
fire personnel into their well-drilled
emergency mode!
Applegate students were in a state of
wide-eyed disbelief as they were treated
to an up-front-and-close view of fire
personnel departing for a real fire call.
Kellie was delighted with her little
charges. “They were safe, responsible, and
respectful during all of this excitement,”
she said.
Applegate and Ruch schools to meet
for Battle of the Books matches
Ruch Community School
w i l l h o s t Ap p l e g a t e S c h o o l i n
two Battle of the Books matches on
Friday, March 3, at 1 pm.
Both schools will participate with
their elementary and middle-school
teams for this “neighborly” competition.
The match is part of a growing partnership
between the schools.
“Being able to collaborate and engage
in activities together is the beauty of being
small schools,” said Julie Barry, Ruch
School principal. “These opportunities
will facilitate the community building
that will build long-lasting relationships
in the future.”
Darrell Erb, Applegate principal,
agreed. “We’re just so close in proximity
and nicely aligned in terms of what we
believe is best for students. It makes
sense to get our kids together for some
constructive struggle!” he said.
The schools’ volleyball teams
scrimmaged earlier this year, and other
ways to get the schools together are being
explored.
Both teams keeping strategy close to the vest. Photo, left: Applegate Battlers (from left to right)
Zeyna Seck, Chris Hartley, and Freyja Moeves. Photo, right: Ruch Battlers (from left to right)
Cimara Phillips, Katlyn Hathaway, and Lupita Estrada.
