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SPIRIT MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY FUND
Grand Ronde students get creative spark through
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Artist Paul Bennett demonstrates
painting techniques to a group of
Grand Ronde Elementary students
at a recent workshop sponsored by
the Spirit Mountain Community Fund.
Where do ideas come from?
What's it like to be a profes
sional artist? What would you
create on a 3-foot by 3-foot paper?
Those are the questions students at
Grand Ronde Elementary recently got the
chance to ask and answer while
working with professional artist Paul
Bennett, of Sisters. Bennett spent a week
at the school as an Artist in Residence
thanks to a grant from the Spirit Moun
tain Community Fund.
Bennett worked with students in kinder
garten through fifth grade. He talked with
students about how he gets his ideas and
how he uses art to express himself. In
the meantime, school children got the
chance to create along side him. Their
big paintings were displayed in the gym
for the school's year-ending awards cer
emony. "This has been such a positive experi
ence for the kids," said Amy Egli, a first
and second grade teacher at Grand Ronde
Elementary and chair of the school's Arts
for Learning team. "Children learn how
to express themselves. Everyone can be
successful in art. Students' self-confidence
goes way up."
Bennett is the second artist who has
come to spend time with Grand Ronde
students as the result of the Community
Fund grant. Sally Strom, from Newport,
spent a week earlier in the school year
teaching oil pastels and acrylic painting.
Strom also worked with teachers to help
them with their art curriculum.
Next fall, artist Shannon Rey, of
Sheridan, will work with children to cre-
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ate a moveable mural for the school.
The Community Fund grant also sup
plied money to buy materials for a pup
pet making workshop that Terisha Walls,
the schools' music teacher, ran in Febru
ary. Children in all grades made puppets,
which were then worked into the spring
musical concert.
"We believe education is the key in turn
ing things around for kids," said Ed Pears
all, Tribal Council Secretary and a trustee
of the Spirit Mountain Community Fund.
"This grant allows the school to offer ex
citing learning opportunities. We're happy
to be a part of that."
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand
Ronde also have helped the school en
hance its math and reading programs
through the $33,208 Community Fund
grant awarded to the school this year, and
an earlier grant for $17,232. The grants
also allowed the school to hire an addi
tional instructional aide.
"The arts offer a wonderful experience
for children," Egli said. "It helps them grow
as learners and find success."
Grand Ronde students get artistic during a
Residence Paul Bennett. Student art was
siumforalltosee.
Classroom session with Artist in
displayed in the school gymna-
Photos by Justin Phillips
SPIRIT MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY FUND:
for more information and application forms
log on to www.thecommunityfund.com
New records set for
"Down by the Riverside
Volunteers from all over the state participated in the
largest Down By The Riverside ever! The May 20th
event took place at 86 public areas and riverside
locations. Approximately 2,700 volunteers collected
136 tons of litter and debris and also completed the
following list of achievements.
Q Cleaned up 104,530 pounds of man-made litter and debris.
B Removed 169,075 pounds of natural debris from wetland and
natural areas.
B Removed close to 7,500 pounds of illegally dumped tires.
B Planted over 750 trees, shrubs, and native plants in parks and
natural areas.
B Volunteers leveraged $198,341 worth of services to the State of
Oregon.
For more information on Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism (SOLV),
call 503-844-9571 or 800-322-3326 or visit www.solv.org
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The purchase of books and expansion of the SMART reading program in a partnership
with the Blazers is just one example of how Oregon benefits from the Grand Ronde
I nbes and Spirit Mountain Community Fund. The Community Fund gives 6 of profit
from Spirit Mountain Casino to local schools, heajth care, environmental protection,
and other worthy programs. Since its 1997 inception, thousands of Oregonians havd
shared in the benefits of the Community Fund, proJing that the spirit of giving something
back is alive and well at Spirit Mountain.
SPIBJT MOUNTAIN
COMMUNITY FUND
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www.thecommunityfund.corn