Smoke Signals 3
NOVEMBER 1, 201 1
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signalt itaff writer
The Grand Ronde Tribe's Edu
cation Department has turned a
funding shortfall at the Willamina
School District into an opportunity
for students at the Tribe.
Earlier this year, the lack of fund
ing forced the Willamina district
to sell its middle school in Grand
Ronde and to close its remaining
schools on Mondays. The Tribe,
of course, purchased the middle
school and Tribal Council has made
it available on Mondays to the
Tribe's Education Department.
At the same time, the Tribe is
building an addition at Youth Edu
cation that has temporarily reduced
classroom space there.
"We've traditionally had all-day
programming on no-school days,"
said Matt Bucknell, Youth Education-Elementary
K5 Lead. "We
knew we'd have to pick up the
pieces and give the students a full
day of enrichment in a school set
ting (when Willamina shortened its
school week).
"We realized that it was going
to be a real unique time. During
afterschool, we only have an hour
to work with the kids."
Since the beginning of the school
year, Mondays have included paint
ing classes with Tribal Elder and
professional artist Richard Fen
wick; science sessions focusing on
aerospace and aviation education
with Evergreen Aviation Museum
teacher J.R. Pollnow; cultural
language, singing and canoeing
activities with Cultural Resources
staffers; and even Chess Club.
Students also bring their bi
cycles and scooters to the Monday
sessions. There is plenty of room
outside and time to ride.
"If they are coming from troubled
homes or have issues, they can
start with a clean slate here," said
Fenwick, who also teaches art in
Bethany, Woodburn, Dallas and
Committee & Special Event
Board meeting days and times
Below Is the most current information on the meeting days and times for
Tribal Committees and Special Event Boards:
Ceremonial Hunt Board meets as needed. Chair: Shonn Leno.
Cultural Trust Board meets at 4 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each
month. Chair: Perri McDaniel.
Culture Committee meets at 1 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month in
Modular No. 3. Chair: Kathy Provost.
Education Committee meets at 5:15 p.m. on the first Monday of the
month in the Adult Education Building. Chair: Shelby Rogers.
Elders' Committee meets at 1 0 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month
in the Elders' Activity Center. Chair: Gladys Hobbs.
Enrollment Committee meets quarterly in Room 204 of the Governance
Building. Acting Chair: Robert Schmid.
Fish & Wildlife Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of
the month at the Natural Resources Building. Chair: Harold Lyon.
Health Committee meets at 1 0 a.m. the second Wednesday of the month
in the Tribal Wellness Center. Acting Chain Patti Tom-Martin.
Powwow Special Event Board meets at 5 p.m. the first Thursday of the
month at the Tribal Community Center. Chair: Dana Ainam.
Rodeo Special Event Board meets at 6 p.m. the first Thursday of the
month at the Tribal Rodeo Office. Acting Chair: Harold Lyon.
Social Services Committee meets at 4 p.m. the second Monday of the month
in the Social Services Conference Room. Chain Ron Hudson.
Timber Committee meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of the month
at the Natural Resources Building. Chain Bob Mercier.
Veterans Special Event Board meets at 4 p.m. the first Tuesday of the
month in the Tribal Community Center. Chair: Dakota Whitecloud.
1 --'l-v
Salem. "I build them up."
Tribal member Hattie Mercier, 6,
ran up to Fenwick with her cat and
moon coloring book page, showing
what she'd done. "Look at this,"
she said.
"When you get a kid that comes
up and shows their work with a
smile," said Fenwick, "that's what
it's all about."
"You can't go wrong with art,"
Fenwick said. "We have what we
call 'happy accidents.' If a kid spills
water on a project, we ask, 'What
can we do with that?' It gives them
confidence to make things work
even outside of class."
Some 25 K-5 students and 15 to
20 middle and high school students
have been participating.
"We had 64," Bucknell said,
"when we went to Heiser's pump
kin patch." j
; The department also has lever
aged its opportunities by bringing
in high school interns, like Tribal
member Tiffany Tonso, a senior at
Willamina High School, to work
with the younger students.
Tonso sees the work as "an oppor
tunity to grow in my culture with
my community. I really enjoy work
ing with the kids. It's definitely
a way to be a part of something
good."
Outgoing Youth Education Coor
dinator Molly Matthews has used
the time to hold cooking classes
with the help of Tribal member and
Food Service Coordinator Kristy
DeLoe, students are preparing
Photos by Michelle Alalmo
Above, Tribal member Codie Haller,
left, and Raven Harmon (Doyon)
put together what will ba grilled
chaasa sandwichas as thay prepara
lunch for tha group of studants
and taachars who participata in
anrichmant programming offered
by the Tribe's Education Division
on Monday's at the former middle
school in Grand Ronde. In the
background, Tribal member Michael
Reyes gets grapes ready for the
lunch on Monday, Oct. 24.
Left, Tribal Elder Richard Fenwick
teaches a group of Tribal youth
to paint using watercolors during
enrichment programming offered by
the Tribe's Education Division .
lunches for the Monday classes.
They get a head count, said Buck
nell, then shop for food and prepare
it for the students.
"This is real world experience,"
said Bucknell. "When kids eat the
food, they can see the older kids
that prepared it for them, and it
kind of builds a bond."
On a recent Monday, Tribal mem
ber Codie Haller and community
member Raven Harmon prepared
grilled cheese sandwiches and to
mato soup. Sometimes the lunches
are more exotic.
The addition of some ethnic foods
to the lunches has been a bonus,
Bucknell said. "For some, this may
be the first time they've tried a cer
tain spice or food," he said.
This special time and place for
Education will come to an end at
the beginning of 2012 when the
Youth Education Building addition
should be finished and the Wil
lamina School District will again
have funding to return to a five-day
school week.
"It's pretty fun," said Tribal mem
ber Audrey Mercier, 7. "I like doing
fun stuff like art."
"Youth and staff want to thank
Tribal Council and the Facilities
staff for making this space pos
sible," Bucknell said. B