COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL DECEMBER 20, 2017 9A
Kennedy Continued from A3
exercising and stuff like that,
I decided that it would be just
fi ne for us to play basketball.”
The staff at Kennedy sees
the fl uidity of the spark not as
a detriment but as a great asset
to these programs. The ability to
fi nd what students are interest-
ed in is the end-all-be-all. And
without this ability to adapt the
class would not be outside on a
40 degree December day play-
ing basketball.
Kennedy’s outdoor basket-
ball court, like most things at
the school, deviates from the
norm. The small court, with
its wooden roof that allows it
to be played on all-year long,
features a three-point line just a
step away from half-court and is
begging for a game of full-court
pickup to be played on it. When
the students play, they shoot
full-court shots and are not con-
cerned with the nuances of form
or defense. Their games are
played with Lonzo Ball’s confi -
dence and Lavar Ball’s athleti-
cism and it is clear the
main goal of not being in a
classroom is achieved.
“The goal is – with spark – is
to get the kids an opportunity to
do what they want to do and so
as long as it has academic val-
ue,” said Heritage.
“The more we can get the kids
engaged, the more effective it is
to reach our goal.”
"...we're
different"
in line for a glue gun. Despite
Vickie Costello’s best efforts to
make it to the store during lunch
to pick up an extra one, the kids
will have to share if they want
to fi nish their Christmas center-
pieces.
It’s the latest project for the
crafts spark that has shrunk in
recent weeks but allows stu-
dents the freedom to be creative,
pick their projects, and express
themselves.
Today, they’re doing that by
arranging pinecones and can-
dles and berries on sheets of
wood to give out as gifts. Earli-
er this year, they made life-sized
silhouettes using their class-
mates and black paper. Still to
come, a 40” by 60” bear to be
hung in the school’s gym.
“It’s funny, if you go to the
school district and look at all
of the other school mascots,
they’re all in the cat family,”
Costello said. “But Kennedy is
the bear, we’re different.”
It’s true, Kennedy is different.
At Cottage Grove High School,
art students restore carousel
horses for a community project
but they don’t trace the life cy-
cle of Chinook salmon my mon-
itor a tank of eggs like they do
in Costello’s crafts spark.
“I’m crafty,” Costello said,
“but not a native artist.” So, she
seeks help from others and like
all other spark instructors, lets
students lead the way.
Jam sessions
Inside a classroom, less than a
three-point shot away from the
hoop outside, three kids wait
Wood planked walls curve
into the ceiling that catches
the sounds of Kennedy’s gym.
There’s no squeak of sneakers
chasing after a basketball. In-
stead, cords and hesitant strum-
ming of a learning guitar and the
guiding bow strokes of a violin.
It’s the music spark.
An AV projector sits under
the basketball hoop and a white-
board centers a group of tables.
“Be the change you want to see
in the world,” it asks.
On the other side of the half
court line are six cafeteria tables
with lunch ladies chattering be-
tween notes.
There’s a circle of guitars
with sheet music laid down on
drums and hardly consulted.
Instructor Matt Hall wanders
the group, his violin tucked at
his chin, his boots caked with
dirt and his sweater vest just
slightly askew. His hand comes
up in between bow strokes to
encourage three singers to proj-
ect.
“Some say life will beat you
down.
Break your heart, steal your
crown.”
The skill levels vary from stu-
dents who earn the praise of a
veteran musician to those who
have just picked up the guitar.
Like every other spark, music
is dictated by students and Hall
allows them to choose songs to
work on, fi lling in where sug-
gestions are lacking.
But when he sets his bow
back to the strings, it’s impossi-
ble to tell whose suggestion this
song was and what was disjoint-
ed, confusing chatter becomes
a harmony of effort that fi nds
a rhythm and fi lls the gym. It
turns into a jam session between
the cafeteria and whiteboard,
Cottage Grove Faith Center
33761 Row River Rd.
541-942-4851
Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett
www.cg4.tv
Full Childrenʼs Ministry available
Service: 10:00am
Delight Valley
Church of Christ
33087 Saginaw Rd. East
541-942-7711
Pastor: Bob Friend
Two Services:
9am - Classic in the Chapel
10:30am - Contemporary in the
Auditorium
COTTAGE GROVE:
6th & Gibbs Church of Christ
195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822
Pastor: Aaron Earlywine
Youth & Families Pastor:
Seth Bailey
Service times: 9am & 10:30am
Sunday School: 9am for all ages
Christian Education
Nursery for pre-k - 3rd Grade
www.6thandgibbs.com
First Presbyterian Church
3rd and Adams St
541-942-4479
Pastor: Karen Hill
Worship: 10:00am
Sunday School: 10:00am
www.cgpresbynews.com
Calvary Baptist Church
77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290
Pastor: Riley Hendricks
Sunday School: 9:45am
Worship: 11:00am
The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm
Praying Thru Life: Wednesday
6:00pm
Calvary Chapel Cottage Grove
1447 Hwy 99 (Village Plaza)
541-942-6842
Pastor: Jeff Smith
Two Services on Sun:
9am & 10:45am
Youth Group Bible Study
Child Care 10:45am Service Only
www.cgcalvary.org
Center for Spiritual Living
Cottage Grove
700 Gibbs Ave.
(Community Center)
Rev. Bobby Lee
Meets Sunday 3:00 p.m.
cslcottagegrove@gmail.com
Church of Christ
420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565
Sunday Service: 10:30am
Cottage Grove Bible Church
1200 East Quincy Avenue
541-942-4771
Pastor:Bob Singer
Worship 11am
Sunday School:9:45am
AWANA age 3-8th Grade,
Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm
www.cgbible.org
Hope In The Grove
700 E. Gibbs • 541-520-9529
Pastor: Wayne Husk
Sunday services:
Worship: 8:30a
Coffee Fellowship: 9:30a
Bible Study: 9:45a
Hope Fellowship
United Pentecostal Church
100 S. Gateway Blvd.
541-942-2061
Pastor: Dave Bragg
Worship: 11:00am Sunday
Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday
www.hopefellowshipupc.com
“FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE”
Living Faith Assembly
467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612
Pastor Rulon Combs
Worship & Childrenʼs
Church 10:00 am
Youth 180 Mondays 5:30-8pm
Non-Denominational
Church of Christ
1041 Pennoyer Ave
541-942-8928
Preacher: Tony Martin
Sunday Bible Study:10:00am
Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm
www.pennoyeravecoc.com
“So I’ve started out, for God
knows where.
I guess I’ll know when I get
there.”
Cohorts
All fi ve sparks fi t into a
55-minute window in the cohort
model. The rest of it is made up
of language arts, social studies,
math, science and health. Teach-
ers hold court in the traditional
way and students complete as-
signments but that’s where the
comparison to a CGHS sched-
ule ends.
Each cohort is made up of 15
students and is given a schedule.
Every two weeks, that schedule
changes. It’s called, the tumble.
“If you’re not a morning per-
son and you have, say, math in
the morning, we want to give
them an opportunity to have
math in the afternoon,” Ketcher
said.
So while students may start
the year with one schedule,
they’ll end it having had near-
ly every combination of class-
es, which allows students the
chance to do well in classes
they may have failed at 8 a.m.
Cohorts also allows students
to meet state requirements by
passing standardized tests or
completing work samples.
And because the cohort model
is the most structured, it means
other programs can bounce in
and out of it and the model itself
is fl uid.
On Mondays, an advisory
period is taken out of the time
allotted for spark. On Mondays
and Fridays, 15 minutes from
two cohort classes are given
to students who work on crew
in the cafeteria or around the
grounds (for which they can
earn one credit for every 64
hours worked) and on Wednes-
days, there’s a trip for one co-
hort to a wetlands restoration
site where they earn money that
funds fi eld trips (taken nearly
every Friday), prom and t-shirts
for the school.
This build-your-own-educa-
tion model is uniquely designed
for the students at Kennedy with
the intention of graduating as
many students as possible. But
not everyone wants a diploma.
Showing up
Attendance is a growing di-
lemma for schools across the
state of Oregon, including
CGHS and Kennedy. The spark
program helps, but once a stu-
dent turns 18, truancy laws that
allow schools to fi ne students
for missing class, are no longer
relevant. Traditional GED pro-
grams used to be a way to lure
students back in and advance
them out into the world but
changes to the test in 2016 made
a GED harder to obtain.
“If a student has been out of
school for two years and comes
back for their GED, I don’t like
to put them in the program,”
Ketcher said, noting she’d rath-
er place them in Odyessyware
where they earn six credits a
term while catching up on mate-
rial that will help them pass the
GED test.
Kennedy’s program attempts
to reel in the attendance issue
by making it mandatory for
GED-seeking students who are
eligible for the program by be-
ing at least 16-years-old, one
year behind in credits and have
taken geometry, algebra II and
read at an 8th grade level.
Students who don’t have at
least a 75 percent attendance
rate are on their own when it
comes to paying for the GED
test, which costs $38. Practice
tests cost $6. It’s an investment
Ketcher said could span be-
tween $200 and $500 per stu-
dent.
“We’ve never had a student
who didn’t meet the attendance
requirement pay for their own
test,” Ketcher said.
Choices
By the time Ketcher calls
the last number and the student
chooses a gift, there’s still a
few left over—along with trays
of cookies and treats she des-
perately tries to give away and
she’s presented with her own
gift—one of the craft spark’s
Christmas centerpieces. Teach-
ers chat in groups with Christ-
mas carols fl oating through con-
versations and the AV screen
adorned with the Yule log cour-
tesy of Youtube. There’s no bell
signaling the end of the day, the
end of the term, just students
making a dash for the door and
then, the bus with Ketcher fol-
lowing after them, her hands
cupped to her mouth, shouting,
“Make good choices!”
City names winners of yard light
contest
Worship
Directory
DRAIN:
HOPE U.M.C.
131 W “A” St. Drain, OR
541-315-1617
Pastor: Lura Kidner-Miesen
Fellowship & Song: 11:30am
Potluck Lunch: 12:00pm
Worship: 12:30pm
just this side of half court.
Old Time Gospel Fellowship
103 S. 5th St. • 541-942-4999
Pastor: Jim Edwards
Sunday Service: 10:00am
Join in Traditional Christian Worship
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
and St. Philip Benizi
Catholic Churches
1025 N. 19th St.
541-942-3420
Father: Joseph Hung Nguyen
Holy Mass:
Tue-Thu: 8:30am; Sat:5:30pm
Sun: 10:30am
Confession: After daily mass,
Sat. 4-5pm or by appointment
St. Philip Benizi, Creswell
552 Holbrock Lane
541-895-8686, Sunday: 8:30am
St. Andrews Episcopal Church
1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050
Rev. Lawrence Crumb
“Church with the fl ags.”
Worship: Sunday 10:30am
All Welcome
Seventh-day Adventist Church
820 South 10th Street
541-942-5213
Pastor: Kevin Miller
Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am
Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40
Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00
Trinity Lutheran Church
6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373
Pastor: James L. Markus
Sunday School & Adult Education
9:15am
Sunday Worship 10:30 am
Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & Thur
5:00pm TLC Groups
tlccg.com
The house at 1505 Jason Lee Ave. won the city's annual Christmas lights contest.
The residents at 1505 Jason
Lee Ave. will have a little less
to pay when their utility arrives
next month.
The house, pictured above,
was named the fi rst place win-
ner in the city's annual Christ-
mas lights contest.
"The entries were great.
There are some amazing deco-
rations around town," city man-
ager Richard Meyers said.
The Family Gourmet Buffet
Plus, 4 more
Burgers & 4
more Kielbasa
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2 (5 oz.) Filet Mignons
2 (5 oz.) Top Sirloins
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (1 lb. pkg.)
2 (4 oz.) Boneless Pork Chops
4 (3 oz.) Kielbasa Sausages
4 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers
4 (3 oz.) Potatoes au Gratin
4 (4 oz.) Caramel Apple Tartlets
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added. Expires 2/28/18. ©2017 OCG | 17M1957 | Omaha Steaks, Inc.
United Methodist Church
334 Washington • 541-942-3033
Pastor:Lura Kidner-Miesen
Worship: 10:30am
Comm. Dinner (Adults $5,
Kids Free)
1st & 3rd Monday 5-6:00pm
umcgrove.org
“VICTORY” Country Church
913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913
Pastor: Barbara Dockery
Worship Service: 10:00am
Message: “WE BELIEVE IN
MIRACLES”
Worship With Us!
Our Worship Directory is a weekly feature
in the newspaper. If your congregation
would like to be a part of this directory,
Cowboy Cut ®
Jeans
Available
only at
The house on Jason Lee Ave
will receive a $100 credit on
their utility bill. Second place
(located at 1157 S. 2nd St.) will
get a $75 credit and third place
winner (located at 1808 S. 4th
St.) will receive a $50 credit.
The mayor and city council
judged 22 entries in all. Other
entries included:
317 South 3rd Street
435 Kalapuya Ct.
440 Kalapuya Ct.
234 G Street
1425 W. Harrison Avenue
1517 Jason Lee
1513 Jason Lee
1505 Jason Lee
1440 Jason Lee
1205 Meeker
1157 South 2nd Street
1118 South 2nd Street
1330 South 4th
325 Grant
1808 South 4th
660 Wilson
805 Wilson
987 Wilson
2262 Wilson
2210 Wilson
1950 South 8th
234 South 11th Street
S entinel
C ottage G rove
www.cgsentinel.com
@
cgsentinel
@cgsentinel
#cgsentinel
please contact the
Cottage Grove Sentinel
@ 541-942-3325
Cottage-Grove-Sentinel