THE SIUSLAW NEWS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ❚ September 2017
SCHOOL
ZONE
A Monthly Newsletter for the Siuslaw and Mapleton School Districts and Community Groups
Get your
GLOBE on
Earth Science Week, from Oct. 8 to 14,
is making a splash in Florence
he Global Learning and Observations to Benefi t the En-
T
vironment (GLOBE) Program is an international science
and education program that provides students and the public
worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collec-
tion and the scientifi c process, and contribute meaningfully
to the understanding of the Earth system and global environ-
ment. Th is year, in celebration of Earth Science Week, several
GLOBE introductory workshops are happening throughout
the Lane Community College (LCC) service area.
LCC Florence Center is hosting a GLOBE workshop with
Lane’s Dean of the Science Division, Dr. Paul Ruscher, on
Th ursday, Oct. 12, in the Science Classroom from 2 to 6 p.m.
While the program targets science teachers, the public is very
welcome to attend. For more information or to register, visit
www.lanecc.edu/science/globe-program.
GLOBE provides exceptional resources for teachers who
wish to bring environmental data collection and analysis into
their Earth, life and physical science classes, and has abundant
resources for Oregon K-12 teachers who are implementing the
Next Generation Science Standards.
Th ese workshops are being conducted in cooperation with
the GLOBE program, www.globe.gov, the American Geosci-
ences Institute (AGI) and Earth Science Week, www.earthsci-
week.org.
Th e workshops are appropriate for teachers who’ve already
carried out some GLOBE work, as well as those who are new
to, or curious about, GLOBE. GLOBE is supported in the U.S.
by NASA, NSF and NOAA, and internationally by the State
Department and science/education directorates in over 110
other nations. Preservice teachers are also welcome.
— Submitted by Russ Pierson, Dean of LCC Florence Center
New
& old at
Mapleton
I
t was all smiles at Mapleton Elementary
School on the fi rst day of school Tuesday
as students discovered what a crew of
more than 40 construction workers had been
toiling over during the summer break.
Th e school went through a cornucopia of
remodeling projects, including updates to
the classrooms, the gym, bathrooms and the
outside grounds.
Mapleton School District, which obtained
more than $10 million in funding through
bonds and grants, has also undergone a slew
of safety changes including asbestos removal
and drastic improvements in water lead
levels.
“We tested our lead content in the water
and that problem has been solved,” Mapleton
Superintendent Jodi O’Mara said.
Th e elementary is not completely fi nished,
with work on the east wing still continuing,
but the kids love what they see.
“I like this place because it’s new and it’s
not as old. It’s much better than our old
school,” said third-grader Lucie Burrus.
Fellow classmates Charley Johnson and
Averie Walker also enjoyed the new, brightly
colored tiled fl oors and the private bath-
rooms attached to the classrooms.
But the biggest hits with the kids were the
gym and outside playground.
“It’s all about recess,” O’Mara said.
— Story & photos by Jared Anderson/
Siuslaw News
Mapleton Elementary School students enter
an almost brand new campus after contractors
worked all summer.
Standing to deliver
Mapleton — Jocelyn Cain
Mapleton — Molly Dooley
Mapleton — Jessica Nelson
New teachers at Mapleton, Siuslaw
school districts get ready for class
Mapleton — Nancy Reade
T
he fi rst day of class in a brand
new school can be intimidat-
ing: Buying a new wardrobe
and school supplies. Nervously leav-
ing home at the crack of dawn as loved
ones wave goodbye. Walking into class
as all the regular students dart their
eyes at the “new kid.”
Th ose experiences aren’t limited to
students.
Teachers also have those fi rst day jit-
ters, but for the 11 new instructors and
one assistant principal of the Mapleton
and Siuslaw school districts, it’s a chal-
lenge they’re ready to take on.
Starting in Mapleton, where major
renovations have just occurred, fi ve
new teachers are taking the plunge in
the education world of the Upriver
community.
Nancy Reade has taught for 24 years,
most of which were in small towns in
Nevada. She came to Oregon last year
aft er her husband retired, wanting a
“little green and rain” in their lives.
She’ll be teaching second grade.
“Students don’t have fear,” she said
of the age group. “Th ey know they can
learn and want to learn, which they
lose when they get older. I want to keep
that as their belief system.”
Jocelyn Cain has been standing up
in front of the classroom for 13 years.
Teaching runs in her family; her dad
was a high school math teacher. Her
whole family is from Mapleton.
Cain will be teaching Special Educa-
tion for the entire elementary school,
along with second-grade core reading
and math.
“In Special Education, you get to see
students’ individual growth through-
out the years,” she said. “You get to
build a relationship with them.”
Siuslaw Elementary School
From left: Wendy Moore, Christi Riggs and Chelcey Stemberg
Jessica Nelson will be teaching a slew
of subjects for the district, including art
for every grade, middle school drama,
high school composition, world cul-
tures for high school and a “partridge
in a pear tree,” she said.
“Art is a human endeavor, like lan-
guage,” Nelson explained. “It’s a won-
derful way to express yourself, and we
live in a world that uses visual commu-
nication a lot.”
Molly Dooley teaches Social Studies.
A fi rst year teacher who used to live in
Drain, Ore., she said that starting her
career is “exciting, a little nerve-wrack-
ing and I’m ready to go.”
“Social studies shows up in every-
day life,” Dooley said. “Especially with
history. It’s not just in the past. It con-
nects with today. History is happening
now, and it’s important to understand
that so we know what’s going on in the
world.”
Juline Walker is teaching middle
school and high school Spanish, sev-
enth-grade math, ninth- and tenth-
grade language arts and careers. She’s a
Siuslaw High School
From left: Bruce Morganti, Melanie Goeddel, Tom Shinn and Ryan Roach
local, and acted as a substitute teacher
at Mapleton and a Spanish teacher at
Siuslaw High School for the past four
years.
Walker said, “I think that being able
to communicate with someone in their
fi rst language is a really amazing way to
honor that person and to respect their
background and upbringing.”
Heading over to Florence, six new
teachers are joining the Siuslaw School
District faculty ranks this year, as well
as a new assistant principal.
Garth Gerot has been education
students for 14 years before coming to
Siuslaw High School as the assistant
principal.
Th is isn’t his fi rst go-around in the
position, having been principal at
Willamette Leadership Academy in
Springfi eld. He has teaching experi-
ence as well, passing on language arts
to students and career and college
readiness for six through 12th grades.
“I really want to make the students’
current learning relevant to their long-
term goals and prepare them to take
that next step to whatever it may be,”
Gerot said. “I want to help set them up
so they can really follow their passion
and put that positive energy into what
they are doing.”
Bruce Morganti will be teaching mu-
sic, drama and everything in between.
He has an extremely long career in
teaching, having taught in Arizona and
Hawaii.
“It’s the communication and imagi-
native skills that drama gives students
that makes them more prepared for
work and living,” he said. “Th ese skills
translate into real life.”
Tom Shinn is a graduate of Roseburg
High School and went to Western Ore-
gon University. He’ll be teaching Social
Studies along with teaching kids how
to properly throw a proper curve ball
as the baseball coach.
English and Language Arts teacher
Melanie Goeddel is joining the ranks
aft er graduating from the University of
Montana, Missoula, with an emphasis
in English. Her honors thesis project
was on improving classroom literacy
Mapleton — Juline Walker
instruction, taking English beyond just
rote by incorporating speaking, listen-
ing and computer literacies.
“I want to make students excited
about language,” she said.
Ryan Roach is taking his fi rst crack
at the head of the class aft er being an
educational assistant for three years
with the Siuslaw District. He’ll be a
Special Education Resource Teacher
focusing on Social Studies and English
Language Arts.
What’s important to Roach?
“Building a respectful and inclusive
relationship with parents and students,
and a classroom community for my
students so they have a place to learn in
a well-curated environment,” he said.
Chelsey Stemberg is jumping into
the teaching waters for the fi rst time,
looking to shape the minds of fourth-
graders at Siuslaw Elementary School.
She’s not new the community, having
grown up in Florence and graduated
from Siuslaw High School.
“I want to give back to the commu-
nity that gave back to me,” she said.
Wendy Moore has been working
with students for 17 years. She’ll be
working with the Title 1 children in
fourth-and fi ft h-grades.
“I hope to improve my students’
reading scores and therefore instill
confi dence in them,” Moore said.
Finally, Christi Riggs, a 20 -year vet-
eran of the teaching world, got right to
the point.
“I’m just going to say, the reason I’m
a teacher is because I want to make
sure they love to learn and can become
lifelong learners,” she said.
Riggs will be teaching fi ft h-grade.
— Story & photos by Jared Anderson/
Siuslaw News