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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 2019)
A6 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 Mandarin: ‘Our program is growing’ Warrenton: Continued from Page A1 to prepare Chinese food like dumplings, fried pan- cakes and broccoli. Xia Qin believes incorporating authentic cultural aspects in the classroom enhances the student’s experience. This year, Xia Qin will teach students to make Chi- nese clothes from different dynasties. “My classroom is going to be a mess,” she said with a laugh. This is Xia Qin’s second year at Naselle-Grays River Valley S chools. She grad- uated from Portland State University in 2017 with her second master’s degree in teaching. Prior to coming to the U.S., she taught in China for fi ve years, where she received her fi rst mas- ter’s to teach Chinese as a second language. She’s been teaching Chinese for over a decade. Teachers are highly respected in China, but that’s not what drew her to the fi eld. “I love to talk so I think teacher is the best job to me,” she said. “I put my hobby in my career.” The language program started in 2013 thanks to a grant the school district received that helped fund foreign teacher salaries. For the fi rst fi ve years , half of the school day was taught in Mandarin. The program steadily expanded , and continues to add a new kindergarten class of Mandarin learners every September. However, after the grant expired two years ago, the school district had to reevaluate and decide how to continue offering the language. The school district con- verted the immersion pro- gram to a world cultures class , during which stu- dents study in Mandarin for 50 minutes every school day. The switch allowed the program to reach more stu- dents than ever before, and is able to operate with just one Mandarin teacher. “The lucky thing is every year we have new students that want to participate in the Chinese program,” Xia Qin said. “Our program is growing bigger and bigger, and that’s a good thing.” Lisa Nelson, the school district’s superintendent, said the program provides students with the oppor- tunity to learn and experi- ence a world language in elementary school. “The Mandarin language is sym- bolic in nature, so young minds get an opportunity to explore both sides of the brain in its early develop- mental stages,” she said. “This can produce divi- dends in the long run as stu- dents learn new and unique ways to communicate, com- prehend and address new information.” Kendall Ford, the Man- darin m entor t eacher, has three children in the pro- gram. “Of course I would love to have the immersion program back, but I do also think that the way we’re doing it now is very bene- fi cial for them,” she said. “I feel like they are learning more of that conversational ( language ).” Ford and her family moved to Naselle-Grays River Valley during the fi rst year of the program, and her oldest son, Trajen, was part of the fi rst kindergar- ten class to learn Mandarin. He’s now in seventh grade, and continues to study Man- darin at school. “My husband and I fi g- ured that this is an amazing opportunity, especially in a rural area like we’re in,” she said. “Once I knew about the program, I did some research and learned how much your brain develops at these younger ages with language … there was no question.” In Pacifi c County, where the population is over- whelmingly w hite , Ford thinks the program helps her children become more culturally aware. “Sometimes, when we’re in these rural areas, this is all we know,” she said. “ I think kids learn … school in China is so different than us and what they eat is so dif- ferent. They just become more culturally aware of other people.” T his second culture is part of daily life for the three Ford children, who can’t imagine an educa- tion that doesn’t include Mandarin. “It’s my daily routine,” said Avrey, Ford’s 9-year- old daughter, who has a lofty set of dreams to accomplish in her bilingual future. “What I want to do is go visit the Chinese teachers in China in the future and then learn more Chinese … and see a panda!” Tobacco: ‘Clearly this isn’t for adults who are trying to quit smoking’ Continued from Page A1 After conducting an e -cigarette assessment in public schools, the county found that students believe vaping is safer and poses no health risks . S chool offi cials feel overwhelmed at the scope of the problem. During a public hearing Wednesday, Julia Hesse, a county h ealth p romotions s pecialist , said tobacco com- panies use fl avors to attract kids. She said a popular fl avor is called “Unicorn Vomit,” which is described by one retailer as, “imag- ine you’re 9 and your mom let you get whatever you wanted at the store and you chose the most sugar-fi lled, sour powder you could fi nd.” “Clearly this isn’t for adults who are trying to quit smoking,” Hesse said. More than 95% of smok- ers started before they were 21 and those who smoke by 18 are twice as likely to become a lifelong smoker, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “When we do these pol- icy-level changes it makes a difference for everyone,” said Brooke Stanley, the Columbia Pacifi c Coordi- nated Care Organization h ealth i mprovement c oordi- nator for Clatsop County. “And at Columbia Pacifi c CCO that type of equity in preventing access, especially to youth, for these addictive things at the policy level so that it really is helping every- one I think is really import- ant. A nd Columbia Pacifi c CCO and CareOregon have backed it and are interested in seeing it go through.” The county surveyed tobacco retailers this sum- mer about the proposed ordinance. Out of the retailers that responded , the major- ity supported l icensing and believed it would not affect their businesses. R etailers also said they could consider discontinuing vaping prod- ucts to deter young people from using. Commissioner Pamela Wev, the liaison to the Pub- lic Health Department, said she is impressed with the research and work on the ordinance. She said she feels very confi dent the ordinance would enhance public health. Commission tabled discussion on the code amendments Continued from Page A1 argued the changes will provide property owners more fl exibility. “That’s great, except that in a neighborhood like that, where everybody’s expecting a certain qual- ity of life, it can drastically change it,” Hayward said. “And in Warrenton, there are a lot of big chunks of residential property.” Commissioners took issue with a proposal to require that subdivisions of 10 or more lots include structures — likely garages — ready for attached or detached accessory dwell- ing units. Paul Mitchell, the chairman of the Planning Commission, argued the requirement would increase the already often unafford- able price of homes. The Planning Commis- sion could recommend a higher threshold of lots to require accessory ready housing, Cronin said, but the proposed requirement would represent maybe 1% of the cost of a house for builders. “It may not be a big expense to the home- builder, but the consumer who buys it is now going to pay more for square foot- age,” Mitchell said. “It’s going to cost them more.” The market should decide what’s needed, Hay- ward added. The proposed code amendments included allowing small clusters of smaller cottages meant to add more affordable housing . Nathan Watson, a tiny house developer from Albany who previously planned a presentation to the city about the concept, testifi ed in support of the cottage cluster approach . “Tiny houses are not necessarily the solution, but defi nitely part of the solu- tion” to the housing crisis, Watson said. “So there’s a lot of opportunity for infi ll and cottage clusters.” Planning Commissioner Ryan Lampi, a building contractor, took issue with a proposed ban on exte- rior plywood, vinyl and synthetic stucco. Cronin argued the sidings do not hold up in the local envi- ronment or aesthetically fi t . Bridgens and Lampi, noting that their homes use the forms of lower-grade siding, argued that upkeep determines their quality. But Cronin said most of the city’s derelict build- ings where owners are not keeping up on maintenance include the siding . “Under the new nui- sance code, which includes the new derelict building ordinance, there are seri- ously degraded structures in town,” he said. “The problem is we don’t have a grant program to help replace that siding. The owners aren’t just doing it.” After nearly three hours of back-and-forth with Cro- nin, the Planning Commis- sion tabled discussion on the code amendments. The commission also continued other master planning dis- cussions concerning resi- dential properties between U.S. Highway 101 and Spur 104 and the Warren- ton-Hammond School Dis- trict’s new Dolphin Avenue K-12 campus to an October meeting. Partner with a company that truly cares. As your local, neighborhood experts, we spend the time to understand the way you live and what’s important to you. 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