THE SIUSLAW NEWS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ❚ November 2017 SCHOOL ZONE A Monthly Newsletter for the Siuslaw and Mapleton School Districts and Community Groups A PPLY NOW FOR 111 TH ANNUAL R HODY S ENIOR C OURT A pplications for the 111th Senior Rhododendron Court are now available through Siuslaw and Mapleton schools, the Florence Visitor Center and the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce web- site, fl orencechamber.com. Th e Senior Court is open to high school senior girls and boys who exhibit exceptional character and are Siuslaw re- gion residents. Queen Rho- dodendra and her Junior and Senior Princess Courts as well as the King of the Coast and his Senior Prince Court will reign over the 2018 Rhododendron Festival, act as the goodwill ambassadors for this event and make many promotional ap- pearances between the start of the year and the annual Rhody Festival in May. Th e Rhododendron Court will benefi t from experiences with public speaking and media relations. Queen Rhododen- dra and the King of the Coast, along with their Senior Court, will be awarded scholarships on the night of the coronation. Applications for the Rhodo- dendron Senior Court will be accepted until Monday, Dec. 11, at 5 p.m. For more information about the court, participant obligations or the application, call 541-997-3128. Th e 111th annual Rhododen- dron Festival is presented by the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce and will take place May 18 to 20, 2018. For information about the festival, parade participation, vendor registration or volun- teer opportunities, visit www. fl orencechamber.com or call 541-997-3128. Siuslaw shows ‘Attendance Works’ AT T ENDAN C E in the early grad es Who Is Affe cte d Why It Matters Kindergarten and 1st grade classes often have absenteeism rates as high as those in high school. Many of these absences are excused, but they still add up to lost time in the classroom. If children don’t show up for school regularly, they miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. What We Can D o Who Can Read on Grade Level After 3rd Grade? Fi x Tra n s port a t i on 64% hildren’s Repertory of Oregon Workshops (CROW) will hold open auditions for Disney's “Tar- zan the Musical” on Jan. 8 and 9 at 6:30 p.m. with invited callbacks on Jan. 10. Participants may attend ei- ther day of the auditions. It is not necessary to come to both days. Callbacks are by invitation only. Auditions will be at the CROW Center for the Performing Arts, 3120 Highway 101 in Florence. Th e show’s performances will be two outreach shows on April 12 and regular shows April 13, 14 and 15. Rehearsals begin Jan. 22 and are generally Monday to Th ursday eve- nings from 6:30 to 9 p.m. However, not all kids are called to every rehearsal. Cast members receive a schedule on the fi rst day of rehearsal, and are expected to make this show their top priority. Participants are asked to bring: -Short Song (16-32 Bars Sheet B Y R AMIRO R AMIREZ Siuslaw High School Student unning is something I have loved to do ever since I ran down a small hill in my old hometown of Long Beach, Calif. When I decided to join the Siuslaw Cross Country team, I knew that I was going to be with a team that would build my running ability. I wanted to be an extra boost in their points, and show improvement throughout the season. My time with the Siuslaw Cross Country team had many memorable moments. In this story, I will cover three of them from the beginning of the season all the way to the end. My fi rst meet was at Tugman State Park at Lakeside, Ore.; I was placed in the Junior Varsity team, which is probably where future champions are fi rst known. Coming into the meet I was feeling good, but when it came to a minute before the race, the nerves settled on me. As soon as the gun went off , I somehow lost all the nervousness and ran my race. Soon I began to gain more positions. When I was coming to the fi nish, I was ahead of a competi- tor pretty far, but when it came to the fi nal straightaway, I started sprinting to ensure that I would fi nish ahead of the person behind me. Th ankfully I did. I was the fi rst of the seven Siuslaw SCHO OL BUS o f ki d s wi th g o o d attend anc e i n K and 1 s t ( m i s s e d 9 o r f e w e r d ay s bo t h y e ar s ) Health concerns, particularly asthma and dental problems, are among the leading reasons students miss school in the early grades. Schools and medical professionals can work together to give children and families health care and advice. ( m i s s e d m o r e t h an 9 d ay s bo t h y e ar s ) 4 in 10 2 in 10 2 .5 i n 1 0 l o w -i n c o m e k id s homeless kids t r a n s ie n t k id s miss too much school. They’re also more likely to suffer academically. 1 are chronically absent. 2 miss too much school when families move. 2 The lack of a reliable car, or simply missing the school bus, can mean some students don’t make it to class. Schools, transit agencies and community partners can organize car pools, supply bus passes RUˉQGRWKHUZD\VWRJHWNLGVWRVFKRRO A d d res s H ea lt h N eed s 43 % o f ki d s wi th at-ri s k attend anc e 41 % o f ki d s c hro ni c al l y ab s ent i n K o r 1 s t Tra c k t h e R i gh t D a t a ( m i s s e d 1 8 o r m o r e d ay s o n e y e ar ) Schools too often overlook chronic absence because they track average attendance or unexcused absences, not how many kids miss too many days for any reason. Attendance Works has free data-tracking tools. 17% o f ki d s c hro ni c al l y ab s ent i n K and 1 s t ( m i s s e d 1 8 o r m o r e d ay s bo t h y e ar s ) These are a few st eps t hat co mmu n i t i es an d scho o l s can t ak e. Ho w d o yo u t hi n k yo u can hel p? 1 Chang, Hedy; Romero, Mariajose, Present, Engaged and Accounted For: The Critical Importance of Addressing Chronic Absence in the Early Grades, National Center for Children in Poverty: NY: NY, September 2008. 2 Chronic Absence in Utah, Utah Education Policy Center at the University of Utah, 2012. Attendance in Early Elementary Grades: Association with Student Characteristics, School Readiness and Third Grade Outcomes, Applied Survey Research. May 2011. To download a copy of this infographic, please visit www.attendanceworks.org. © Joanna Shieh | The Hatcher Group GRAPHIC USED WITH PERMISSION BY ATTENDANCE WORKS Here are some things parents can do to make school attendance a priority: • Talk about the importance of show- ing up to school every day and make it an expectation. • Have your student get a good night’s sleep. • Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick; complaints of headaches or stomachaches may be signs of anxiety. • Know the school’s attendance policy. • Check on your child’s attendance regularly to be sure absences are not piling up; communicate regularly with teachers. Chronic absence is a problem that can CROW announces open auditions for ‘Tarzan’ C En ga ge Fa mi li es Many parents and students don’t realize how quickly early absences can add up to academic trouble. Community members and teachers can educate families and build a culture of attendance through early outreach, incentives and attention to data. Preliminary data from a California study found that children who were chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade were far less OLNHO\WRUHDGSURˉFLHQWO\DWWKHHQGRIUGJUDGH in kindergarten and 1st grade are chronically absent. In some schools, it’s as high as 1 in 4. 1 Music or about 1 minute with a background track). Th is may be on an ipod/MP3 player. Make sure the song is short and shows off your vocal range. If you sing with a track, please make sure that there are NO vocals in the background. In addition, - i.e. - "Karaoke" track is OK, but do NOT sing with the artist. We prefer that you do NOT sing a capella (without any music). -Headshot/Resume (if you have one) -Clothes/shoes you can easily move in -Water in a closed container with a tightly fi tting lid. Participants aged 4 to 22+ are encouraged to audition. Main cast will be for students aged 6 and up, but “telegrammers” can be 4 to 7. Th ere is no charge to partici- pate in the show, and no previous experience is required to audi- tion. “Please don't be scared!” said CROW Artistic Director Melanie RUNDOWN R w w w .at t e n d an c e w o r ks .o r g 1 in 10 kids T he Siuslaw School District is off to a great start with students who are in classes, ready to learn every day. Show- ing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success, starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Good attendance helps children do well in school and eventu- ally in the workplace. Siuslaw schools are setting a goal for every student to have regular atten- dance, missing less than 10 percent of school days throughout the year. Th e district will be monitoring each stu- dent’s number of absences so it can work together with parents when a student’s absences are putting them at risk. Too oft en, we don’t realize how quick- ly absences add up; missing just two days every month can cause a child to fall behind. Once too many absences oc- cur, they can aff ect learning, regardless of whether they are excused or unex- cused. Some absences are unavoidable when children occasionally get sick and need to stay home. What’s important is getting students to school as oft en as possible. Many of our youngest students miss 10 percent of the school year—about 18 days a year or just two days every month. Chronic absenteeism in kindergarten, and even preK, can predict lower test scores, poor attendance and retention in later grades, especially if the problem persists for more than a year. Do you know how many young children are chronically absent in your school or community? JV runners with a time of 23 minutes 30 seconds. Th e second highlight I will share is the Woahink Invitational at Woahink Lake, where only the best of the best cross country teams participate. A week prior to the meet, I had a sore leg and still competed at the Rock ’n’ River Invitational, but when I was coming into this meet, the pain got a little worse. My father helped me with a warm-up massage prior to the race. Surprisingly, my aching leg did not hurt at all, and when it came to the time of the race, I had confi dence on my side, and ran smart and tough. With the increased training I had, I was able to run more in the front of the pack, and able to hold it. I was running with some of the better run- ners. When we came back to the start- ing location, I started to lose ground. I was running out of energy and, to make matters tougher, there were hay piles we had to jump over. When I made it to the fi nish line, I was beating and banging my way to a 99th place fi nish out of 200 competitors, and a new personal best of 21 minutes and 50 seconds. I later found out I came in a full minute and 30 seconds ahead of the nearest Siuslaw runner, Isaiah Jones, who fi nished in 120th place. My other teammate, Alex Paasch, later came in 128th place. It was a great meet, as I felt really accomplished running up farther than Heard. “Come give us a try!” Short synopsis: Washed up on the shores of West Africa, an infant boy is taken in and raised by gorillas who name him Tarzan. Apart from striving for acceptance from his ape fa- ther, Tarzan's life is mostly monkey business until a human expedi- tion treks into his tribe's territory, and he encounters creatures like himself for the fi rst time. Tarzan struggles to navigate a jungle, thick with emotion, as he discovers his animal upbringing clashing with his human instincts. Th e musical is based on the Disney cartoon by the same name. Characters include several lead roles and a menagerie of creatures for the cast. CROW has a variety of audition tips on its website at crowkids.com. For more information, email crowtheatrekids@yahoo.com or text 541-999-8641. be solved when school staff , parents, and community work together. Relationship building is fundamental to any strategy for improving student attendance, over- coming barriers to good attendance, and setting the expectation that attendance matters. — Submitted by Diane McCalmont for Siuslaw Elementary School Mapleton School District looks to make ‘healthy kids’ All children deserve to be healthy. But for many rural upriver families, fi nding healthcare provid- ers and getting to appoint- ments can be a challenge. Mapleton School Dis- trict is teaming up with PeaceHealth, Lane Coun- ty and other local organi- zations to make sure kids in the community get better healthcare — closer to home. Th e public is invited to the Healthy Kids Commu- nity Meeting to learn more about ideas on the subject on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m., along with sharing thoughts on how to make it easier for kids to stay healthy and happy. Th e meeting will be held at the Mapleton High School library, located at 10868 E. Mapleton Road. Two other meetings were held earlier in the week at the Deadwood Grange and Swisshome Church. For further questions, call Mapleton School District Superintendent Jodi O’Mara at 541-268-4312, or email her at jomara@mapleton.k12.or.us. Healthy Kids Healthy Mapleton C ROSS C OUNTRY H IGHLIGHTS I would normally do, but it came at a cost. Th e next day, I was greeted by a great aching in my right leg. Sure, I got a top 100 result, but I guess when you achieve something excel- lent you might end up with a reaction that you might not like. It was a huge disappointment, as I had to sit out of practices, and was unable to compete in the next two meets. When I went to the walk-in clinic at the hospital, it turned out that the pain came from either using wrong footwear or over- exerting myself. Luckily, I was able to come back and make a return for the last two meets of the season. At the beginning of the season, one of my goals was to show consistent improvement. My favorite compliment that I liked to hear was “Hey, you improved from the last meet.” With recovery underway, I probably wasn't going to hear that phrase. But that all changed. Th e 4A-3 Far West League Cham- pionships was my last meet of the season and I wanted to be my best. When the junior varsity runners were called up to the line, it was almost like our fi rst time there. Confi dence to nervousness a minute prior to the start time. When the starting gun went off I started off at my slow pace, but something seemed diff erent. It looked like I was toward the front. I counted how many positions back I was and counted myself in 14th place. I knew that if I was going to start there, then I might as well keep in that position until halfway. When we came to the second mile, I had made up three positions. I decided to run smart and pounce on the leaders at the campground, but things started to go downhill. I started getting tired, even though I knew that it was not the time to get tired. I knew that the doctor told me not to overexert myself. I was then forced to lose little ground to the pack in front of me. To make matters harder, two of my seven teammates were in that pack, and we had planned to stick together throughout the whole race. It seemed like they would have to face the com- petition on their own. I thought I had put myself down. I was concerned my PR would not be broken, and that I would prob- ably fi nish around 10 seconds shorter than my fi rst time, but then came the rundown. As soon as I saw the fi nish line, I decided to start sprinting. Th ere was no one behind me or in front of me, but I did it anyway. When I saw the timer for a split second, it read 21:41. I immediately knew I was going to beat my PR no matter what. Th en I reached the fi nish line. Th e results showed I fi nished an astonishing 11th place with a new PR of 21:46. It then came to me it didn’t matter I fi nished in a drama style beating- and-banging sprint-down-showdown fi nish, but that I had achieved my goal: Show improvement throughout the whole season. I was very proud of what I was able to achieve. Within a few days of rebuilding yourself aft er an injury, you can be once again, great again. Running with the Siuslaw Cross Country has been an honor that I am glad I chose. Ever since those days running down that tiny hill in Long Beach, I wanted to make things tougher by having competition around me. I wanted to be the one person that boosts a team, and I was that person. Running in cross country may seem hard. Running for miles without stop- ping, doing hard workouts, and the supreme test of endurance, but with the right power, motivation, mindset and advice, you may fi nd cross coun- try not so hard aft er all. I want to thank Coach Chris John- son, who is the coach of our outstand- ing team, for making me a better, tougher and smarter runner. I also want to thank my JV team- mates, most notably Isaiah and Alex, for being great teammates to me. And one big thank you to the entire cross country team, for cheering us on. Whether cheering for the varsity or junior varsity, you have been a very helpful team, and I look forward to running with you guys in the future. With all of that said, Go Viks!