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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 2020)
SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020 | 3A Community News Siuslaw School District receives grant from First Book, Lego In August, Siuslaw School District Business Manager and first-grade teacher Shan- non Graham announced that the school district received a generous grant from First Book, CDW-G, Intel and Lego. “Siuslaw School District was one of only 45 school districts in the United States to be chosen to receive this incredibly generous grant,” the two announced in an of- ficial press release. A recent survey found that 40 percent of children do not have reliable internet and al- most 40 percent are without access to functioning devic- es. The closure of schools in March exacerbated an ex- isting crisis in education for children in poverty, millions of whom do not have access to enable virtual learning. These children are isolated without educational support and are falling further be- hind. To help address the widen- ing digital divide, education and technology companies came together to announce a first of its kind grant: Cre- ating Learning Connections (CLC) grant. The grant aims to provide a holistic learning experience to students in the U.S., most notably those im- pacted by COVID-19. “We are so excited to an- nounce our district was awarded 350 fully config- ured Chromebooks and 20 sets of LEGO Education learning solutions, which teach students STEAM con- cepts with LEGO bricks, and a $4,000 stipend to help sub- sidize the cost of the internet for families we serve,” Blake and Graham stated. The 20 new Lego Solutions kits will provide the district with the ability to send kits home for all kids enrolled in Siuslaw Middle School’s Lego Robotics program. The students will be able to par- ticipate in STEAM education through comprehensive dis- tance learning. “We feel that this is an in- credible gift to the students and families in our school district, which is also how we are able to ensure that every single student in our district will have access to a Chrome- book to help make distance learning online more attain- able for all,” the two said. As part of the CLC grant, underserved families in 17 states will receive support, with nearly 15,000 devices and 7,500 LEGO Education solutions being delivered to 45 School Districts. “This grant illustrates the critical need for, but also the power of teaching with, technology and hands-on solutions to engage and in- spire students wherever and however they are learning. It’s never been more import- ant to provide as many stu- dents as possible with playful learning opportunities that can help build their confi- dence and ultimately inspire a lifelong love of learning,” said Esben Stærk, president of LEGO Education. “We look forward to seeing all that these well-deserving teachers and students are able to achieve with the re- sources provided through this program. From making a mistake and trying again, to overcoming challenging circumstances, kids teach us the important lesson that with creativity and resilience, you can always rebuild, thrive, and succeed.” Learn more about the CLC initiative at www.firstbook. org/creatinglearningconnec- tions. Register soon for fall term classes at LCC Florence While Lane Community College continues to conduct classes and provide services for students, all campus loca- tions, including the Florence Center, are still closed to the public. In Florence, the school is winding down its summer classes and getting ready for its usual summer break — Aug. 14 through Labor Day — but online services through the main campus in Eugene will remain avail- able. Visit www.lanecc.edu/ covid19/service-availability to see which services are available and when. For the fall term, all class- es will continue to be offered via remote instruction (with a few exceptions), meaning live-streamed, interactive online instruction, tradition- al online classes or a combi- nation of the two. Registration for fall credit classes is open now. New student services, including placement test- ing, advising services and financial aid assistance, are all available online. To learn more about getting started at LCC, visit www.lanecc.edu/ admissions/online-inform ation-sessions to sign up for an online informational we- binar. Registration for LCC’s Continuing Education class- es begins Sept. 8. The fall class schedule will be avail- able in the Sept. 5th edition of the Siuslaw News and will be available online — just follow the link at www.lanecc .edu/ce to browse class list- ings. Because all instruction will be remote, an expanded selection of classes will be available to our community members, including those offered through Eugene and Cottage Grove campuses. For assistance in register- ing for classes, call 541-997- 8444. Backstreet calls artists to the ‘Shell-a-bration’ Challenge Let’s “Shell-a-brate!” Backstreet Gallery invites community members and artists to take the “Shell-a- bration” shell challenge now through Oct. 15. To participate, people can pick up a bag of shells, an application and pay the $15 entry fee. Artists are encour- aged to use the shells, add their own if they wish, acti- vate their imagination and create. Submitted entries may be two- or three-dimensional. There are no limitations on creativity, but the rules and application contain informa- tion on size restrictions and other relevant information. People should hurry to get their entry form and shells, as supplies are limited. The juried Shell-a-bration Show will hang for six weeks starting Nov. 15. Pick up the rules and ap- plication at Backstreet Gal- lery, 1421 Bay St. in Historic Old Town Florence. People should submit the entry form to the gallery by Oct. 15 and bring the completed project to the gallery by Nov. 8. Jurors will award ribbons for this special, shell of a show. As the show runs from mid-November through De- cember, the timing of the show makes the entries per- fect for Christmas and holi- day gifts. The gallery is open Thurs- day through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. So go forth and Shell-a- brate and create! Parenting Now! offers virtual support for county families During the COVID-19 pandemic, families need support now more than ever, which is why the Lane Coun- ty nonprofit Parenting Now! has moved its programs to a virtual platform to provide support, parenting education and more — all while safely practicing social distancing. Currently, Parenting Now! is offering free “One-2-One” support, a program where parents can chat with a par- enting educator weekly or bi-weekly, or whatever they need. Families can select which platform works best for them, including phone, text or email. In addition, Parenting Now! is hosting a virtual “Baby Connection” for fami- lies with infants one year and younger, live discussions via Zoom on a wide variety of parenting topics, as well as prerecorded “Circle Time” videos. Starting in mid-Septem- ber, Parenting Now! will start hosting virtual par- enting groups for its “First Three Years” Program and “Make Parenting A Plea- sure.” These programs are vital for families in Lane County. Parenting Now! is a non- profit offering groups and workshops so that all chil- dren are raised by nurtur- ing, skilled parents. Parenting Now! can be found at www.parenting- now.org and on Facebook and Twitter. Locally, people can con- tact Jen Nelson, Family Sup- port Specialist with Healthy Families and Parenting Now!, at 541-999-4880. Aug. 26 event honors ratification of the 19th Amendment On Wednesday, Aug. 26, in Historic Old Town Florence, the commu- nity is invited to attend the 100-year celebration of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. This is a non-partisan event to honor the Suffrag- ists who fought for equal rights for all women. Note: Masks are required and social distancing will be practiced. A parade/march starts at 1 p.m. Participants will leave the parking lot just west of the Veteran’s Memorial Park at 1200 Bay St., traveling east on Bay Street, turning left up Maple Street to end at the Siuslaw Pioneer Muse- um parking lot, 278 Maple St. During the event, ex- cerpts of historic speeches by notable Suffragists will be reenacted outdoors by actors from the Last Resort Players and the John Quay Heritage Players. Actors will appear in pe- riod costumes. There will also be a pre- sentation from League of Women voters and music and a performance by the Dancing Divas. Voter registration and information will be also available after the event at the Old Town Gazebo Park.
