REGION
Saturday, July 6, 2019
East Oregonian
A3
New discipline strategy comes to local schools
Schools and child
care facilities in
the area are taking
a new approach to
instruction
By JESSICA POLLARD
East Oregonian
UMATILLA COUNTY
— The sun is setting on the
disciplinary age of no des-
serts and time-out for chil-
dren in trouble. It’s rising,
instead, on a social emo-
tional learning program
called Conscious Discipline.
Perhaps Dr. Becky Bai-
ley, creator of the program,
said it best: “Discipline is not
something we do to children,
but something we develop
within them.”
Conscious Discipline has
been around for two decades
now, and is currently gain-
ing momentum in Eastern
Oregon.
The curriculum fea-
tures books and other class-
room aides that educa-
tors can purchase online. It
is built around the “Seven
Skills of Discipline,” which
are composure, encourage-
ment, assertiveness, choices,
empathy, positive intent, and
consequences.
It promotes internal,
as opposed to external,
reinforcement.
“You don’t do it because
I’ll like you, you do it
because it’s helpful,” said
Erin Bartsch, the prenatal to
third grade coordinator for
Blue Mountain Early Learn-
ing Hub.
The program also empha-
sizes a focus on childhood
trauma affecting student
success.
“People
understand
adverse childhood experi-
ences and how they impact
learning, and a child’s abil-
ity to come to school ready
to learn,” Bartsch said,
Staff photo by Jessica Pollard
Stanfield Elementary School Principal Lacey Sharpe reads a book in the school’s “Safe Place” room for kids.
“When you understand
trauma, it changes the way
you approach behavior
management.”
This month, the Con-
scious Discipline Summer
Institute, a seven-day foun-
dational training on the pro-
gram, will take place in
Hermiston July 15-21.
Around 150 educators,
administrators and home vis-
itors will be in attendance.
Bartsch said the training,
which costs $1,100 to attend,
sold out within a month.
The Hub, with the help of a
Maternal, Infant, and Early
Childhood Home Visiting
grant, was able to fund 50 of
those seats.
With a grant from the Ford
Hermiston council to vote on
EOTEC strategic plan Monday
Family Foundation, the Hub
will help provide lunch and
travel expenses to attendees.
The leftover money will go
toward learning materials,
which the Hub helps supply
to teachers in the area.
There will be a one-day
Spanish training available as
well, and a follow-up train-
ing focused on parent edu-
cation and home visits in
August.
Currently, school districts
across Umatilla and Mor-
row counties all incorporate
some degree of CD into the
classroom. Umatilla Morrow
County Head Start utilizes
the program.
The Yellowhawk Tribal
Health Center’s Native Con-
HERMISTON — The
Hermiston City Council
will vote Monday on adop-
tion of a strategic plan for
the Eastern Oregon Trade
and Event Center.
The city retained SSW
Consulting to help it cre-
ate a strategic plan for
EOTEC, which opened the
doors to its first building in
2016. Some of the priorities
listed in the plan include
securing water rights for
the site, updating the over-
all site plan, beautification,
improving security, build-
ing storage and office space
for the Umatilla County
Fair, improving the RV
park, adding a multisports
facility and developing a
marketing plan.
The council will also
vote Monday on the next
step in formation of a local
improvement district in the
South Hermiston Indus-
trial Park. The LID, once
formed, would assess
property owners within
the industrial park area to
pay for new roads, water
and sewer infrastructure
the city hopes will draw
more businesses to the
site. Monday’s resolution
would declare an intent to
form the district, setting in
motion the required public
hearing process.
The council’s regu-
lar meeting will begin at
7 p.m. at city hall, preceded
by a 6 p.m. work session to
discuss new parks and rec-
reation department soft-
ware and the Family Prom-
ise program sponsored by
the Faith Based Advisory
Committee.
ON THE
AGENDA
The agenda for the
7 p.m. meeting also
includes:
A presentation of
updates by Hermiston
School District
Adoption of updates to
the employee hand-
book
A vote on joining a new
statewide coalition
called PERS for Public
Service
Staff, council and com-
mittee reports
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Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
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Conscious Discipline in
action
There is a little room next
to Principal Lacey Sharp’s
office in Stanfield Elemen-
tary. It’s full of brightly col-
ored seats and picture books.
The whiteboard reads in
large handwriting, “You
have the power to choose!”
This is Stanfield Ele-
mentary’s “Safe Place.” It’s
where kids go when they
are feeling upset and need to
calm down, and it plays an
integral role in the school’s
CD program.
Sharp said Stanfield Ele-
mentary has been practicing
CD for six years now.
The school prefers “call-
ing for help forms” to tra-
ditional referrals. Rather
than sticking kids in deten-
tion, a “connecting ses-
sion” creates individual
time between the student,
teacher and principal to dis-
Whisky Fest expands kickoff party
East Oregonian
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
nections program is instill-
ing CD community-wide.
After the Conscious Dis-
cipline Summer Institute,
Bartsch said the area can
expect more parent educa-
tion on the matter.
Bartsch said that some
districts are more ahead
than others, and that it
mostly depends on size. She
said educators sometimes
look to Stanfield School
District as an example of
implementation.
cuss the conflict at hand.
“Any type of behavior
that students have, they’re
trying to tell us something
and it’s our job and opportu-
nity to respond in a helpful
way,” Sharp said.
But it’s not just about the
kids. The school has a “Staff
Shout Out” board where
employees can leave positive
comments for each other.
Photos of staff friends and
family are posted outside the
library.
Sharp said when the
school first started practic-
ing CD, kids were showing
up in Safe Place at a much
higher rates than they are
now. Every month, students
participate in an assembly
that covers one of the seven
tenets of CD.
Previously, Stanfield Ele-
mentary didn’t have a coun-
selor. But starting in the
fall, a new counselor will be
available two days a week,
along with a counseling
space adorned with bean bag
chairs and games. The coun-
selor will be integral to the
continuation of the CD pro-
gram, Sharp said.
Sharp said that three edu-
cators from Stanfield, herself
included, will be in atten-
dance at the training later
this month.
The middle and second-
ary schools have adopted
some of the CD practices as
well.
“It’s teaching kids how
to manage their emotions,
it just looks different from
[another] age,” Sharp said.
According to the Stan-
field School District website,
the district has over 520 stu-
dents. Sharp said adminis-
trative support has been inte-
gral to implementing CD so
deeply.
“For parents,” she said,
“don’t be afraid to learn
more about it. [Conscious
Discipline] really starts with
the adult.”
PENDLETON — As the
Pendleton Whisky Music
Fest has grown, so has its
kickoff party.
A Friday night concert on
South Main Street the eve-
ning before Whisky Fest, the
kickoff concert is expecting
to attract more than 6,000
people, organizer Andy
McAnally wrote in an email.
As a result of the antici-
pated crowds, Whisky Fest
is hiring a second band to
entertain an audience pre-
paring for the July 13 main
event at the Round-Up
Grounds.
The kickoff party will fea-
ture holdovers DJ Sovern-T
and Precious Byrd, a self-de-
scribed “dance band” from
Bend.
The acts will be joined by
newcomer Kurt Van Meter, a
former Hillsboro cop whose
brush with death inspired
him to pursue a career in
country music.
The event, which runs
from 6 p.m. to midnight,
will mainly take place on the
200 block of Main Street,
although a section of the 300
block next to the Pendle-
ton Farmers Market will be
open to kickoff party food
vendors.
The Pendleton Police
Department will close the
200 block of Main Street at
4 a.m. on July 12, with the
300 block to follow at 2 p.m.
Whisky Fest has also
filled out the rest of its July
13 slate to compliment head-
line acts Post Malone and 50
Cent.
This year, organizers
are going heavy on hip-hop
acts, with all five performers
associated with the genre.
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Members of the Party Pit watch as Blake Shelton performs
during the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest last year. As a result
of the anticipated crowds for this year’s event, Whisky Fest is
hiring a second band to entertain an audience preparing for
the July 13 main event at the Round-Up Grounds.
Before 50 Cent takes the
stage, Whisky Fest will fea-
ture a performance from
Tyla Yaweh, a Florida rap-
per and singer who is signed
to Post Malone’s record label
and has performed with him
on tour.