Applegater Summer 2017
7
NONPROFIT NEWS AND UPDATES
— Applegate ACCESS Food Pantry —
Applegate ACCESS Food Pantry
operates out of the back of Ruch School
cafeteria on Mondays from 9:30 - 11:00
am, except holidays and when school is
in session.
When you come to the pantry,
remember that you are on school grounds,
so please observe the speed limit and no-
smoking regulation.
If you bring your kids, keep them with
you; please don’t let them wander. When
you are taking food that is on the dock or
— SMART —
We have now wrapped up the SMART
(Start Making A Reader Today) program
for the 2016-2017 school year. The goal
of SMART is to get children enthusiastic
about reading.
I started as a SMART volunteer at
the beginning of the 2016 school year.
I wasn’t totally sure what I was getting
myself into, but, simply speaking, it was
an exceptionally rewarding experience,
and I can’t wait to do it again. To see the
kids’ faces each week and watch the kids
grow throughout the year was priceless. I
Applegate School SMART volunteers, from left
passed along the idea of joining SMART
to right, Kathy Kliewer, Fred Hall, Jean Hall,
to some good friends, and they became
Babette Rapp, Seana Hodge, and
hooked as well.
Rich Halsted. (Steve Rapp not pictured.)
The process of becoming a SMART
activity stations (birds, insects, tracking,
and many more over the next three years) volunteer at Applegate School, where I progress. As the year progressed, he started
on the Caterpillar’s Outdoor Discovery volunteered (Ruch and Williams schools identifying more and more words, and his
Trail are finished. The trail will center also have programs), was exceptionally confidence improved substantially. At the
around Friendship Pond, and each station simple. I contacted our coordinator, end of each month, and at other special
(like those in the Caterpillar) will have one filled out a short background check times, each student can take home a book
to four hands-on activities. The stations are and application, and attended a brief to keep.
(This is where I make my pitch, so
available free for budding naturalists and orientation at the school. Then came what
scientists and their families. There will be I thought would be the hard part: meeting please read on.)
We still have students who would
nine different and special Summer Day the kids and getting them interested in
reading. It wasn’t hard! The students have benefit from the SMART program, and it
Camps (see list on page 8).
Gardens need volunteers. over 100 books to pick from. It was always would be great if we had more volunteers.
Wo r k i s a l s o p r o g r e s s i n g o n fun to watch them browse before making This program does require a one-hour-
a-week commitment on days school is
a Fragrant Labyrinth Garden and a selection.
Okay, so if you have read this far I’m in session. Also “life happens,” and the
the Pollinator Garden. The more hands
that are involved, however, the faster and guessing you’re thinking, “But you have SMART volunteer may have to miss a day
to teach them to read, and that’s hard!” I or two. No problem. We can work it out.
more fun the work goes.
All right, if you have read all of this,
If you would like to put a few hours had similar thoughts before I volunteered,
into these or other projects, the monthly but learning to read becomes the natural I’m hoping you can join us next year. For
Volunteer Day is the third Sunday of each by-product of the enthusiasm. When I Applegate School please contact Seana
month from 9 am to noon or whatever read with my assigned students, I focus on Hodge at 541-660-8317 or shodge@
understanding their body language. One siskiyou.com. For other schools just
works for you.
Have a great summer—spend some of boy is a fantastic reader, but sometimes contact the main office, and I guarantee
he wants to take a break and have me they will help you out. For those unsure,
it enjoying Pacifica!
read the story. I believe this gives him the contact me at rich.halsted@gmail.com, and
Peg Prag
chance to focus on the pictures and use I’ll be glad to share more of my experience.
peg@pacificagarden.org
his imagination rather than just reading Thanks to all the SMART readers who
out loud. Having me read also enables are certainly making a difference in our
conversations about what is happening community!
in the story. My other student is just
Rich Halsted
feet in the mountains of Nevada waiting learning to read and has made significant
rich.halsted@gmail.com
for the spring melt so it can be retrieved
and its data analyzed.
Help support the Applegater
In our ongoing support of the
by purchasing these unique items!
playground renovation at Cantrall Buckley
Park, the Rotary Club has pledged $1,000
From the Heart of the Applegate anthology of original essays,
toward the final renovation of the RV park. poems, and short stories contributed by Applegate Valley writers in support
The Jacksonville-Applegate Rotary of the Applegater. Available now for $16 at Amazon.com and applegater.org;
Club meets each Thursday morning from Applegate Valley Realty, Jacksonville; Bloomsbury Books, Ashland; Oregon
7 to 8 am at Bella Union Restaurant, Books, Grants Pass; and Terra Firma, Jacksonville.
170 West California Street, Jacksonville.
Please join us to hear interesting speakers
Beautiful planters built with donated local wood
and learn about our upcoming projects to
and volunteer labor. See these useful and long-lasting “Applecrates”
better our community and the world.
at Applegate Valley Realty, 935 N. Fifth Street, Jacksonville. A stock
For more information about the Rotary
planter box, 12” wide x 22” long x 14” deep, starts at $40. For more
Club, contact Peggy Carlaw at 805-801-
information, call Chris Bratt at 541-846-6988.
3882 or pcarlaw@gmail.com.
tables, please be mindful of others who are
behind you—some have large families and
need more food or are picking up a box for
neighbors who are unable to come to the
pantry themselves.
Please help us in thanking Ruch
Country Store for their weekly donations,
and be kind to our volunteers. It wouldn’t
be possible to run the pantry without these
dedicated folks.
For more information, contact manager,
Charlotte Knott, at 541-899-8381.
— Summer at Pacifica —
N ew Caterpillar. Thanks to
contributors and supporters, a new
Caterpillar science trailer will be ready for
action in fall 2017. Thank you all!
Birds and wildflowers. Bird and
wildflower identification sheets, hung at
all the kiosks, will help you learn more
about and enjoy the great trails at Pacifica.
Take these learning guides on the trails
with you and then return them to any
kiosk or the office when your hike is
done. Enjoy! The multitude of wildflowers
that bless Pacifica’s trails come in three
waves: early spring, late spring, and early
summer…which is right about now. So go
for a hike or horse ride or dog walk, and
you might see mule’s ears, monkey flowers,
cat’s ears, pussy-toes, coyote mint—a
whole zoo-full of flowers!
New for horseback riders. Thanks
to Kay Johnson and her Brushrider friends,
there are new trails (up to seven miles
long), new trail signs, and a picnic table
under a tree at the far side of the property.
New for budding scientists-
naturalists. The first three of 10 to 20
— Rotary Club of Jacksonville-Applegate —
Rotarians have been at work improving
the lives of young people in the area. A
recent effort of the club was the delivery
of dictionaries to third graders at Ruch,
Jacksonville, and Madrone Trail Schools.
Educators see third grade as the dividing
line between learning to read and reading
to learn. Teachers help students learn to use
their personal dictionaries to become good
writers, active readers, and resourceful
learners.
The club provided financial support
to help Cub Scouts Pack 17 launch a
weather balloon in April as part of their
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math) training. The balloon reached
60,000 feet and is now lodged at 8,800
Book.
Planter.
Used books from $1 to $1.50
Ruch
Library
oad
Tuesdays 12 - 4
Thursdays 1 - 5
Saturdays 12 - 4
gate R
r Apple
Uppe
Visit the A-Frame Bookstore
@ Ruch Library
A-Frame
Highway 238
Managed by Friends of Ruch Library.
8 miles from Jacksonville
Join us!
