Page 10
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, May 24, 2006
IN BATTLE OF THE BOOKS at district wide Three Rivers School District competi-
tion, the top school-level team from Evergreen Elementary School in Cave Junction
took second place. Team members are (rear, from left) Erik Householder, Sam Har-
ris, Brandon Parker, Zach Welch, Catherine Vawter and Brelyn Dhenin; (front, from
left) Amanda Brooks, Shawn Laney, Seth Williams and Joss Vawter. Each team had
to read 10 books, then answer questions about author, title and plot, including com-
prehension. Evergreen’s efforts were directed by Jannie Heller, Title 1 coordinator.
(Photo by ‘Illinois Valley News’)
Garden event
coming June 3
A GOOD SPELL was recorded by (from left) Kevin Scott and Liam Dwyer, students
at Evergreen Elementary School in Cave Junction, who were top winners in the re-
cent Three Rivers School District Spelling Bee. Kevin, son of Kimberly Clifford &
Greg Teunissea, earned second place in the Intermediate Division. Liam, son of Kate
& Mark Dwyer, captured first place in the Primary Division. (Photo by ‘I.V. News’)
21 st Century program coming to I.V. High
(Continued from page 7)
certified and classified
teachers available for tutor-
ing students after school,”
she said. “And the Boys and
Girls Club is one of our
partners in the grant.
“We also offer counsel-
ing, the SMILE Club, sci-
ence club, marimba, art,
video, woodshop, drama,
mock trial team, Brain Bowl
and others, to name a few,”
said Ryan.
According to Ryan, if
students are having an
“academic problem that’s
been indicated by teachers
or parents, then the Home-
work Help House has the
most weight. It helps to bol-
ster kids’ academics.”
On an average day,
Ryan said that she sees any-
where from 40 to 60 stu-
dents. Students are given a
permission slip at the begin-
ning of the year that parents
must sign in order for the
students to stay after classes
and participate in the pro-
gram.
“We also offer at least
two to three family nights a
year where the community
is invited to come in and
play and have fun with their
kids and have a free dinner,”
said Ryan.
“The whole grant is
designed for after-school
activities that bring the par-
ents and students together,
and help to increase com-
munication and academic
performance,” Ryan ex-
plained.
Ryan and Taylor agree
that the program has been a
huge asset to help students
succeed by keeping their
minds and hands active.
“There have been kids
here who wouldn’t have
made it without it,” said
Ryan. “It’s saved a lot of
kids. It’s very valuable, the
whole thing,” Ryan noted.
She added, “This pro-
gram has been very much in
KATHY RYAN
need and mostly successful.
We feel that ours (program)
has been a very successful
opportunity for kids to suc-
ceed much more than if it
didn’t exist. The tricky thing
for us to do when it ends is
to keep it going.
“We’re going into the
fourth year of the five-year
grant; and it’s designed to be
self-sustainable, so that after
the grant is over, the com-
munity supports it.”
Taylor agreed that fund-
ing for programs in Oregon
is “always a challenge.”
“The school funding,”
she said, “Is pretty closely
tied to the economy. If the
economy is up, then so is
school funding. If the econ-
omy is down, then school
funding is too.
“Once the funding ends
after the five years, we’ll be
working on ways to sustain
the program,” said Taylor,
who is entering on her 19 th
year working for TRSD.
Taylor, a longtime Illi-
nois Valley resident, was a
teacher and administrator
for several years at LBMS
and Evergreen. And she
takes great pride in the qual-
ity of education students
receive at all three schools
in the valley.
“Lorna Byrne has had
Sometimes I give myself admirable advice,
but I am incapable of taking it.
- Mary Wortley Montagu -
the highest test scores in all
areas out of all the middle
schools, and IVHS was the
only high school in Jose-
phine County that exceeded
the state average in all test-
ing areas,” Taylor praised.
Besides offering tons of
fun for students, the pro-
gram offers invaluable edu-
cation for valley youth.
“We have great teach-
ers, great kids and great test
scores,” Taylor notd.
She said that TRSD is
in the process of hiring a
coordinator for the program
at IVHS. Once the program
starts, Taylor predicted that
it will offer a variety of pro-
grams varying from “cake
decorating, computers,
cheerleading, archery, sci-
ence and just whatever stu-
dents are interested in.”
Wolf Creek Elementary
is the only other TRSD
school that has the 21 st Cen-
tury Program in place, Tay-
lor said.
For more information
on the program, contact
Taylor at 862-3111, or the
appropriate school.
Illinois Valley
Wednesday, May 24
Mostly Cloudy
High--71 Low--40
Thursday, May 25
Partly Cloudy
High--70 Low--40
Friday, May 26
Partly Cloudy
High--72 Low--41
Saturday, May 27
Cloudy, Chance of Rain
High--73 Low--35
Sunday, May 28
Partly Cloudy
High--78 Low--47
Monday, May 29
Sunny
High--83 Low--49
Tuesday, May 30
Partly Sunny
High--85 Low--51
Tickets are available for
the second annual Illinois
Valley Garden Tour on Sat-
urday, June 3.
The event will benefit
Illinois Valley Garden Club,
and Friends of the Oregon
Caves Chateau. Tickets can
be obtained at Dillon’s
Nursery and Garden Center,
and Family Tree Garden
Center.
The tour will include
“all new natural, native and
cultivated gardens.” The day
will begin at Dillon’s with
complimentary coffee and
pastries.
There also will be wine
tasting at two locations. Ad-
ditionally there will be com-
plimentary snacks in the
evening from Carlos
Restaurante, Taylor’s Coun-
try Store, Wild River Brew-
ing & Pizza Co., and Ste-
vereno’s Family Restaurant.
There will be a raffle,
with the main prize being an
overnight stay at Oregon
Caves Chateau.
Following are the high-and-
low temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded in O’Brien by Cheryl
& Harry Johnson.
*Fri., May 12: 80-48
*Sat., May 13: 84-42
*Sun., May 14: 97-44
*Mon., May 15: 94-51
*Tue., May 16: 93-51
*Wed., May 17: 95-54
*Thurs., May 18:93-52
Following are the high-and-
low temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded in Cave Junction at
Mountain Wind Farm.
*Fri., May 12: 76-44
*Sat., May 13: 81-35
*Sun., May 14: 90-37
*Mon., May 15: 92-45
*Tue., May 16: 90-44
*Wed., May 17: 93-56
*Thurs., May 18:91-44
A MEDIEVAL FAIRE was held at Lorna Byrne Middle
School Thursday, May 18 for all sixth-graders. The
special event was presented by the Learning Through
Art Committee of Illinois River Valley Arts Council.
Students donned homemade costumes, and got in-
volved with activities including stilt walking and cata-
pult throwing. Additionally there was a medieval feast
with students (in keeping with the times) eating with
their fingers. (Photos by ‘Illinois Valley News’)