4
November 18, 1996
SMOKE SIGNALS
Childhood education report
Twa Sunchako Learning Center has 16 students enrolled, with four applications pend
ing. Children visited the Hciscr Farms pumpkin patch and chose a pumpkin, made
some apple cider and had lunch for their October field trip. The center was also visited by
Mr. Yuk from the Wellness Component, and had a scary and exciting time trick or treating
at the tribal offices. The children would love to have you come and visit them to read or tell
a story, help in the classroom, or share a special talent with them. Call site supervisor Lisa
Lcno at 879-2224 or lead teacher Tcrcssa Olson at 879-2281 to schedule a time for your
visit. Our new playground equipment has been purchased cabana climber, balance
beams, and a tunnel system will be in place by December 15. The program is also in the
process of purchasing a bus, which will transport 20 students. If everything goes through
as planned we will hire a bus driver and begin bus service for the Winter Term. The
program is also ESD certified, and now has services provided for speech, some transporta
tion, and some staff and parent training.
Tanoos Turn Turn, our Before and After School Care has 18 students enrolled with
five applications pending. These children also visited Heiser Farms and have been
very busy planning activities for off-school days. They have made a store front from
cardboard and are learning about purchasing power through store activities. The locker
room has been re-done and is looking more inviting now. Our hope is to eventually find a
better place for this program, that will have more useable space.
Local Parent Committee to meet
The Youth Education Parent Committee (including parents of children in Willamina
Sheridan school district and pre-school parents) community meeting will be held Decem
ber 12at Willamina Middle School and December 13 at Grand Ronde Elementary School.
(Details as to time and meeting room will be in later issues of Smoke Signals, and listed in
the Sheridan Sun.) This is your chance to have some input on program goals. Parent
Committee members receive training throughout the year and often have the opportunity
to participate in parentstudent activities.
New information on child care project
THE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN CHILD CARE PROJECT a col
laboration with the State of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, and the Confeder
ated Tribes of Grand Ronde has been completed. We will now ask for $20,000 to achieve
an expanded work plan which will be accomplished from November 1996 through Sep
tember 30, 1997.
The expanded work plan will continue to give staff support to the combined group of
parents, providers and advocates who have participated in the baseline study so far. (Our
meeting, held at the Casino banquet room, had 57 participants.)
Our Steering Committee will work on the following:
Policy matters related to implementing delivery of services under the new
child care block grant.
Development of parent support groups.
Review standards for child care for disabled children.
Improve communications among families, providers and agencies.
Employ the use of technology systems such as the internet to expand
communications.
Serve as a sounding board for policy and program development at tribal and
state levels.
Support the cost of meetings and travel to perform these functions.
Develop a data bank of information for use of parents and providers.
Make project findings available to other tribes in Oregon for possible
replication.
Develop strategies to help families make connections for appropriate care,
such as child care co-ops, respite initiatives, transportation, and other program
solutions that assist parents with issues of care.
Work with tribal and community R&R systems to make available more
information to parents and providers on disability issues.
Q Develop and coordinate training opportunities for parents and providers in
recognition of available community resources.
Evaluate true cost of care for special needs children and make
recommendations on how tribal government and state agencies could assist
families within existing subsidy programs.
Members of the Steering Committee arc: Frank Petersen, Confederated Tribes of Siletz;
Wcndi Spencer, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Gary Scott, Oregon Child Care
Division; and Terry Butler, Oregon Developmental Disabilities CouncilRespite care initiative.
$ 1
!
'r-J'
1 izx-i"
f5
X II
-- - -
1 t kmmmmmm
MR. YUK spent a day
visiting with our little
people at Little Foot Day
Care in Willamina (pic
tured), Twa Sunchako
Learning Center, and
Grand Ronde Elementary
School. The presenta
tion, sponsored by the
Wellness Division, fo
cused on poison control.
Club activities planned for youth
Native American clubs are up and running with an average of 12 students attending at
the middle school and 20 students at the high school. Willamina High School has given us
a meeting room, which we will also use to provide varied types of assistance to our stu
dents on a daily basis. When the room is completed, we will be on site Monday through
Friday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Young people will be able to discuss class scheduling, college
preparation, receive tutoring and career path counseling, and "let off steam," if needed.
This is a positive step in letting our students get to know members of the Education staff,
and make wise, informed choices about their educational goals.
Individual and in-room tutoring is available at all Willamina public schools. If your
child needs some individual help and can be released during the school day, please contact
Wendi Spencer at 879-2280 to set up a tutoring schedule. We are also able to help with
limited school supplies for families in need.
CAREER PATH PROJECT: Marty Branch, Chemeketa College representative, vis
ited the high school program and presented college information on entrance requirements
and the job market. Marion Mercier, Higher EducationA VT Coordinator, visited the middle
school program to talk to the kids about Oregon colleges and tribes. Both of these initial
visits were very successful and will help to determine the kinds of information our children
need to succeed in school and to prepare themselves for higher education. Marty and
, Marion will be attending the Native American Club meetings one time per month at the
Willamina Middle School and the Willamina High School. They will provide information
and have activities that will help ready the students for college and training programs after
high school. Parents please encourage your child to attend the Native American Club
activities. Native American club members also participated in the drug free march.
Adult Education has something for everyone
By Gayla Tulensru
Our Adult Education programs have ex
panded and now include everything from bus
passes for travel to GED classes to Job En
hancement and Self Improvement classes.
The basic rule is that if a class will build
or improve life or job skills, our program
can cover it. Coverage is generally lim
ited to one classworkshop per term and
depends upon available funding. To be
eligible, one must be a member of the Con
federated Tribes of Grand Ronde and have
a completed Adult Education Application
on file. Call for more information or to
request an application.
As Adult Education Coordinator, I
would like to express my appreciation to
the following for allowing me to use their
sites for program visitation:
Marc Terpin, Director Adult Develop
mental Services, and staff at Chemeketa
Community College in Salem.
John Spence, Director and Tribal Fam
ily Action Program staff (with special thanks
to Pam Warren for transportation); Confed
erated Tribes of Grand Ronde Area Office
in Portland.
Tom Staggs, Program Director of the Si
letz Springfield Office and staff in Spring
field. Yvonne DuMont, Director of Education
and staff at Cow Creek Band of Umpqua,
Roseburg.
All of the site hosts and hostesses were
very gracious and my visits proved to be
very educational, as I received updated in
formation and program ideas.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: GED
classes, co-sponsored with Chemeketa, are of
fered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to
7 p.m. in the Education Training Building
at 28840 Salmon River Highway in Grand
Ronde. Classes are open to the community.
There will be no classes November 26 and
28 due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.