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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 2015)
Page 12A OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian GARRETT: 80 percent of SHRSOHZLOOEHSHUVRQDOO\ connected to someone ZKRWDNHVWKHLURZQOLIH Continued from 1A to go,” she said. “This is really a place of hope.” The Smiths approached the microphone to- JHWKHUDQGORRNHGRXWDWWKHRYHUÀRZFURZG7KH VHQDWRU GHVFULEHG WKH OLEUDU\¶V QHZ KRPH DV ¿W- ting. ³6R PDQ\ \RXQJ PHQ DQG ZRPHQ ZKR MXVW like Garrett have a debilitating physical illness of WKHEUDLQZDONWKHVHKDOOV´KHVDLG He praised the community for helping them bear the burden of losing their son and for keeping his memory alive. ³*DUUHWW¶VOLIHZDVEULHIEXWEHDXWLIXO´KHVDLG “and it continues to have meaning for others.” Sharon Smith’s voice held emotion as she talk- HG DERXW WKH URDG VR PDQ\ ZDON GRZQ 6WDWLVWL- FDOO\VKHVDLGSHUFHQWRIXVZLOOEHSHUVRQDOO\ FRQQHFWHGWRVRPHRQHZKRWDNHVWKHLURZQOLIH 7ZHQW\SHUFHQWRIXVZLOOORVHDIDPLO\PHPEHU 6KH DFNQRZOHGJHG WKH VWLJPD UHODWHG WR PHQWDO health problems and said she hoped talking about VXLFLGH ZRXOG HPEROGHQ WKRVH ZLWK FOLQLFDO GH- pression to reach out and get assistance. “There’s help out there. There’s no reason to EHKRSHOHVV´VKHVDLG³7RPRUURZFDQEHDEHWWHU day.” BMCC Board Member Kim B. Puzey de- scribed clinical depression by quoting a psycholo- JLVWWZRZULWHUVDQGDSUHVLGHQW “Clinical depression is truly a brain storm. Kay 5HG¿HOG-DPLVRQFDOOHGLWWKHXQTXLHWPLQG:LO- liam Styron called it darkness visible. In the days RI/LQFROQLWZDVVLPSO\FDOOHGPHODQFKRO\:LQ- ston Churchill called it the black dog. Nell Casey called it the unholy ghost,” Puzey said. “It is truly DQDIÀLFWLRQWKDWFRPHVXSRQPDQ\RIXVLQWKH human family.” *DUUHWW VDLG 6KDURQ 6PLWK ZRXOG KDYH DS- proved of the gathering. ³+RZKDSS\KHZRXOGEH´VKHVDLG³+HZDV RQHZKRUHDFKHGRXWWRRWKHUVDQGDOZD\VKDGD lot of love in his heart.” ——— Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@eastoregonian. com or call 541-966-0810. Saturday, February 14, 2015 SCHOOL: 631 students have an individualized education program Continued from 1A DZD\ IURP WKH (6' ZRQ¶W WR- tally upend Hermiston’s current practices. The district has al- ready been taking over special education services for the past IHZ\HDUVLQFOXGLQJDVZLWFKWR KLULQJLWVRZQSK\VLFDOWKHUDSLVWV and occupational therapists. 1RZ WKH GLVWULFW ZLOO UHFUXLW D QHZ EDWFK RI VWDII LQFOXGLQJ speech pathologists and school psychologists. &LQG\0LGGOHWRQZKRVHVRQ Rian gets therapy for both learn- ing and physical disabilities in the life skills program at Sand- stone Middle School, said she’s QRW VXUH KRZ QRWLFHDEOH WKH FKDQJHZLOOEHIRUSDUHQWV ³:KHQ\RX¶UHZRUNLQJZLWK a team of 10 people and sit GRZQ DW D WDEOH \RX PD\ QRW NQRZZKRLVDQ(6'HPSOR\HH DQG ZKR ZRUNV IRU +HUPLVWRQ 6FKRRO'LVWULFW´VKHVDLGRIKHU experiences advocating for her son. Middleton said her biggest ZRUU\ DERXW +HUPLVWRQ KLULQJ PRUH RI LWV RZQ VSHFLDO HGX- cation employees is that those SRVLWLRQV FDQ EH GLI¿FXOW WR NHHS ¿OOHG DQG GHDOLQJ ZLWK substitutes and series of interim employees is especially hard for students like her son. “Consistency is a big, big thing for them, and routine, and it’s really a challenge if they have somebody different every time,” she said. So far, though, Middleton said Rian has had a “marvel- ous experience” in Hermiston 6FKRRO'LVWULFW6KHVDLGVKHKDV seen lots of positive develop- ments in the district’s special ed- ucation practices over the years. 6KHSDUWLFXODUO\OLNHVDQHZL3DG app Rian and his classmates Staff photo by E.J. Harris Rian Middleton show Mikayla Herrera how to use an edu- cational program on an iPad Thursday at Sandstone Mid- dle School in Hermiston. KDYHEHHQXVLQJZKLFKDGMXVWV to each student’s comprehen- VLRQ OHYHO ZKLOH VWLOO FRYHULQJ topics that their peers in a main- stream classroom are covering. “They’re talking about things that are very appropriate WRWKHLUDJHOHYHOEXWDGMXVWHGWR their skill level,” she said. People tend to have a nar- URZ YLHZ RI ZKDW ³VSHFLDO HG- ucation” means, but Mishra said it can look like anything IURP'RZQ6\QGURPHVWXGHQWV learning basic life skills at the Kik Center to a student in a PDLQVWUHDPFODVVURRPZKRVHHV a speech therapist for a stutter. ³7KH GLVDELOLW\ MXVW KDV WR have an impact on educational performance,” he said. This year 631 students have an individualized education pro- gram (IEP) for a total of 12 per- cent of students in the district. The state funds special educa- tion up to 11 percent. “Probably 98 percent of those kids are eligible to grad- XDWH ZLWK D +HUPLVWRQ +LJK School diploma,” Mishra said. Gracie ~ You are my Special Valentine. Love you to the moon & stars. Love Mommy To my Husband & Daughter, You have touched and filled my world with so much love. You are both sweet and beautiful in the deepest sense. You shine and sparkle my world. Thank you for being my life’s companions! Love Forever, K. Happy 1st Valentine’s Day to our precious Isaiah Timothy. With Love from your Family Happy Valentines Day to my little monster! My life wouldn’t be complete without you! Love, Mommy There’s no place in the world I’d rather be than with one of my sons... Daniel & Eric You are the best part of living & I love you more than life itself... Sweeeet Sally, God is so Good. He gave me you and with you nothing is impossible. Sidney, A daughter is the happy memories of the past, The joyful moments of the present, And the hope and promise of the future. My cup runneth over... Love, Mom /DVW\HDUSHUFHQWRI+6' VWXGHQWVZLWKGLVDELOLWLHVHDUQHG D GLSORPD ZLWKLQ ¿YH \HDUV RI HQWHULQJKLJKVFKRROMXVWVKRUW RIWKHVWDWHZLGHUDWHRISHU- cent. 0LVKUDVDLGZKLOHVRPHVWX- dents are better served outside of a mainstream classroom, the district’s goal is also to have as PDQ\VWXGHQWVZLWK,(3VDVSRV- VLEOH VSHQG D PDMRULW\ RI WKHLU day in one. According to the last state report card 71 percent of Hermiston special education VWXGHQWVZHUHVSHQGLQJDWOHDVW 80 percent of their day in a reg- XODU FODVVURRP IXO¿OOLQJ WKH VWDWHZLGHJRDORISHUFHQW Mishra said he’s seen special education numbers stay pretty VWHDG\ RYHU WKH \HDUV ZLWK WKH exception of a trend, mirrored HOVHZKHUH RI DQ LQFUHDVH LQ FKLOGUHQZLWKDQDXWLVPGLDJQR- sis. 0LVKUDVDLGVWXGHQWVZLWKDQ ,(3 VLW LQ RQ DQ DQQXDO UHYLHZ RI WKDW SODQ ZLWK WKHLU SDUHQWV teachers, specialists and admin- istrators. The team talks about VSHFL¿FZD\VWRKHOSWKHVWXGHQW be more successful in the class- room and prepare for the transi- tion to life after school. ³:HZDQWWKH,(3WREHDOLY- ing document,” he said. Mishra said district staff DUH DOZD\V FROOHFWLQJ ³WLSV DQG tools” to use more broadly. For H[DPSOHVLQFHVWXGHQWVZLWKGL- DJQRVHVOLNH$'+'RIWHQKDYH trouble sitting still, the district has introduced exercise balls in place of chairs for some students and its physical therapists are training teachers on implement- ing more movement into their classrooms. ³,IWHDFKHUVMXVWVD\µ)RU seconds stand up and stretch and WKHQ VLW GRZQ¶ WKDW FRXOG WDNH FDUHRILVVXHVWKDWZRXOGFRPH XS PLQXWHV GRZQ WKH URDG that could take 20 minutes to GHDOZLWK´0LVKUDVDLG 'HVSLWH OHDYLQJ WKH ,QWHU- 0RXQWDLQ(6'WKHGLVWULFWZLOO VWLOO XVH WKH (6'¶V ZUDSDURXQG program that handles referrals and screening of pre-kindergar- ten children. Mishra said that’s one of the biggest changes he has seen in special education — disabilities are being caught ear- ly, sometimes in infancy, instead RIWKHROGHQGD\VZKHQDGLVDELO- ity often didn’t get addressed un- til as late as third grade. ³,I ZH FDQ JHW WKRVH WKLQJV HDUO\ DQG DUH DEOH WR ZRUN through that, it makes a huge difference for the kids,” he said. Mishra said helping create the right conditions for a student ZLWKVSHFLDOQHHGVWRÀRXULVKLVD UHZDUGLQJMRE “I’ve seen magic happen,” he said. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4536. There is never a dull moment And always a laugh You have made our lives totally awesome! Love you so much Grandma and Grandpa I love my pack H appy Valentine’s Day to m y “M agic C h ef!” Love, Su e Jerrod, A son holds his mother’s hand for a little while and mother’s heart forever. My cup runneth over. Love, Mom To my Hubby Rick, Happy Valentine’s Day to the man of my dreams. It’s been 16 years of ups and downs and our love keeps getting stronger. I love you to infinity and back plus 1. Your wife Dana Degan & Ethan ~ Only an AUNT can give hugs like a mother, keep secrets like a sister and share love like a friend! 40 Years and it’s getting better and better. I’m proud to be your wife. Cameron, A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart. My cup runneth over... Love, Mom