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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (May 8, 2019)
SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2019 | 7A PETITION from page 1A The students do, however, want it to be recognized that most seniors have had little to no interaction with the board members during their time as Siuslaw High School students, and that it would make more sense for the teachers who guided them to have a larger part in the cer- emony. “I completely agree with Quality Pet Grooming 541-99 7-2726 Grooming Products Pet Fashions Natural Shampoos Holistic Treats & Supplements 1751 12th Street • Florence AVAILABLE 7 DAYS A WEEK 541•999•6078 8 201 VOTED E F BEST O F LO E N C R FACEBOOK.COM/PETERSENAUTODETAIL Florence Garden Club Plant Sale & Marketplace • • • Saturday May 11 th 9am-2pm Florence Senior Center 1570 Kingwood FEATURED HOME OF THE WEEK their reasoning for having the board members hand out diplomas,” Luevano said. “They do so much for our schools and should be thanked for it in some way. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be a part of the ceremony. Hannah and I do not want the board members to be to- tally erased — we just wish our teachers, the people we know personally, were more so involved.” Along with the signatures, the seniors also plan to hand in a letter suggesting a com- promise, in which the stu- dents would be handed their diplomas by a teacher. After receiving the diploma, they would shake hands with the school board members. That way, both parties could be in- volved in the event. Siuslaw High School Prin- cipal Kerri Tatum, while ad- miring the student body’s 90by30 from page 1A “I think we need to be aware,” Mann-Heintz said. “I see much more community awareness that this commu- nity wants to take care of its children. Obviously, the show of support indicates that it’s a big deal for the community.” Awareness, and creating an environment of empathy for children in the commu- nity, is a key goal of 90by30, which has instituted multiple programs to help create a safe environment for children and families. While Mann-Heintz stated the organization has not done research into what the programs have done sta- tistically to prevent or cur- tail child abuse, the feedback from programs has been en- couraging. For example, the Roots of Empathy program has garnered positive results as it allows first-grade stu- dents in Siuslaw and Maple- ton school districts to interact with newborn infants. “We’ve heard overwhelm- ing support and appreciation for the change in the dynam- ics of the first-grade class- rooms,” Mann-Heintz said. “The young students are be- ing kinder to each other, and they’re developing strategies for telling people how they feel. And problem solving.” The program’s curriculum stresses the notion of accept- ing and appreciating peers, taking in the point of view of others and being kinder. “Creating a kinder, gen- tler world,” Mann-Heintz summarized. “The feedback tenacity in their group effort, wants to make it clear that she and the superintendent have no intention in taking away this privilege from the school board members. “Handing out diplomas at graduation is one of the only truly positive rewards for a board member,” Tatum said. “They have a very difficult, often thankless responsibil- ity.” She added that the grad- uation commencement cer- emony is much more than just about high school or the seniors. “(Graduation) is a com- munity event that represents 13 years of work and dedi- cation by students, parents, K-12 teachers, aides, custo- dians, bus drivers, secretar- ies, board members, main- tenance staff, businesses and the community,” she said. According to Tatum, the Siuslaw School Board of Directors has chosen this as the only public acknowl- edgement for their service to their community. Tatum would like to continue to re- serve them the right to hand students diplomas as a way of recognizing the hard work they do behind the scenes to ensure that the schools con- tinue to run effectively. There is an apparent di- vide between the view of the school administration and the actual students. Another senior, Kaylynn Cannon, who openly sup- ports the petition, hopes that its signatures can be a cata- lyst for change. “I’m not sure if anything will actually come out of the petition, but it would be re- ally meaningful if something did,” she noted. “I think there’s a major significance to having a teacher hand me my diploma. In my experience, the teachers here are the ones who have helped shape me into who I am, not only as a student but as a person. It would feel more rewarding to have them hand me my di- ploma, rather than someone I’ve never even met.” Even if the petition doesn’t change who will award di- plomas this year, Cannon hopes that it will show Siu- slaw teachers how much the students respect and care about them, and how much they wish they were more involved in the actual cere- mony. Luevano and Freudenthal plan to turn the signatures and letter in to the district office sometime this week. The Siuslaw High School Class of 2019 Graduation is Friday, June 7, at 7 p.m. from that has been very pos- itive. We’re kind of wrapping up now. We’ll be having our last classroom baby visits in May and some of the babies are turning one, so it will be birthday celebrations as well.” 90by30 is currently search- ing for new babies to be in next year’s program, which begins in September. The ba- bies should be between the ages of two and four months old to be eligible. “So babies that are born now, between May and Au- gust, would be the right age for next year’s babies. We’re looking for five,” Mann- Heintz said. The Welcome Baby Box Program, which 90by30 is do- ing in partnership with Peace- Health, has delivered 31 baby boxes to new parents since the program’s inception two years ago. “We have quite a number of young families that are hav- ing babies and a lot of times they aren’t far enough in their lives to have created a very stable economic base,” Mann- Heintz said. “The items that are in the boxes that give them a place for the baby to sleep and some clothes and some hygiene kits and infor- mation. All those things are very much appreciated, so we’re very happy with that.” Regarding new programs, Mann-Heintz touted the new K(NO)W More Lane County website, which gives infor- mation on how “a connected child is a protected child,” and emphasized the importance of children not being left alone to deal with abuse and neglect. As far as future programs, 90by30 is focusing on middle- school-aged children. “There are resources in the community to address older kids,” Mann-Heintz said. “But the thing left out is the mid- dle school kids. And so, next year we have two programs that we’re going to be imple- menting.” The first program is titled 40 Developmental Assets. “It’s a kind of an invento- ry of interpersonal skills that all of us need,” said Mann- Heintz. “The research is very dramatic. If you have between 30 and 40 of these skills, then you only have a one percent chance of getting into big trouble, in terms of relation- ships and acting out against others or yourself. There are circumstances like being able to have an argument and then resolve it, being able to disagree with someone with- out overreacting, being able to make plans for something and then carry it out. It’s life skills which a lot of us could still develop. This particu- lar program focuses directly on identifying and teaching those skills.” According to 90by30, mid- dle school is an optimal age to learn these skills, since the children are beginning to think about their relation- ships to others and discov- ering their independence, or lack thereof. “It’s a perfect time for them to start doing introspection about their own feelings and their own relationships and what things they need to know to be able to function normally and more true to themselves,” Mann-Heintz said. The second program would involve foster-grandparents. “There’s a lot of people in the community who are already retired and very in- terested in assisting with programs for young people,” Mann-Heintz said. “Our hope would be that we would be able to set it up so there would be children in the schools that need a listening ear and a car- ing adult in their lives, and that they would be able to get teamed up with someone who would be a safe support- er. There’s a lot of research that says it only takes one sol- id, strong relationship in one person’s life for them to over- come a whole lot of hurdles.” 90by30 is still looking at different program models that would best fit the West Lane community. For more information on 90by30, visit 90by30.com or knowmorelanecounty.org, or attend a regional leadership team meeting, which meets once a month of the fourth Tuesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Siuslaw School District office, 2111 Oak St. “Anybody who’s interest- ed in knowing more, or just wants to come and listen or volunteer, or is interested in a particular area of service, we’re happy to talk to talk to them,” Mann-Heintz said. Wildfire awareness month puts spotlight on making homes safe 5394 BUCKSKIN BOB SILTCOOS LAKEFRONT CABIN...RARE! Discover a bit of history. Siltcoos Lake, largest lake on the Oregon coast, provides stunning setting & playground for this cir- ca 1938 cabin. Fresh and ready for you w/ hardwood fl oors, charming and wood fi lled, 2 bed 2 bath, 1000+ sq ft, Vermont Casting woodstove, heat pump, carport & boat house on the lake’s edge. Massive monkey tail & magnolia trees. Same loving owner for over 35 yrs. 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Although non-combustible roofing material is preferred, regardless of the construction, keep roofs, gutters and eaves clear of all leaves, pine needles and other flammable debris.” To reduce the risk, fire of- ficials suggest removing dead vegetation a minimum of 30 feet around your house and other structures. In most cas- es, trees and healthy plants do not need to be removed. How- ever, trees should be pruned and grass kept short and green to keep fire on the ground and more manageable by fire crews. Maintain a five-foot fire-free area closest to the home using nonflammable landscaping material and fire resistant plants. “Defensible space is a prop- erty’s first line of defense against wildfire,” says Ore- gon Department of Forestry Fire Prevention Coordinator Tom Fields. “Creating and maintaining defensible space around homes can improve your property’s likelihood of Overhead Door Company of Th e Oregon Coast™ Now serving the entire Oregon Coast. 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Should a fire occur near a community, Oregon Office of Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps en- courages residents to be pre- pared if an evacuation is nec- essary. “Wildfires can come with- out warning and move quick- ly, so residents need to pre- pare now in case they have to leave their home,” Phelps said. “Make sure to put together a ‘Go Kit,’ register for emer- gency notification systems in your community, and make a plan where your family will go and how you will stay in contact if evacuated.” It is the homeowner’s re- sponsibility to protect their homes by building defensible space. For more information, contact Office of State Fire Marshal, Office of Emergency Management, Keep Oregon Green and the Oregon De- partment of Forestry.
