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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 2017)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL DECEMBER 27, 2017 3C Kennedy continued from A1 It’s part of Henson’s teaching style; reassurance with a dash of tough love. It’s why his language arts class can descend into a conversation about space travel and veer back to align with a discussion on topic sentences and the- sis statements. Students get two-minute cell phone breaks and when they work independently to ferret out key terms, they can do so while listening to rock mu- sic from Henson’s com- puter or their own through borrowed headphones. “I have one student who says, ‘I can’t do it. I can’t do it.’ Every time.” Hen- son said of one of his com- bination kids. “They do it and say, ‘I did it’ and I tell them, ‘Yes, you did it, just like last time. I always look at it as a choice. At Kennedy, it’s this micro- cosm of choices,” he said. Another choice Odysseyware is a com- puter-based program taught by one teacher who reviews student work and holds a weekly check-in. It requires 15 hours a week broken into three hours a day, Monday through Fri- day. It affords students up to six credits a term, two less than the cohort model. “It’s for kiddos who are behind, to get them up to speed,” Ketcher said. “Ide- ally, we want to cycle them out of Odysseyware and into the cohorts.” It’s an ideal program for students who don’t quite fi t into the cohort model due to a variety of circumstanc- es that range from having anxiety to simply being behind in their schooling. They can catch-up and acclimate to school again while earning credits that will add up to the golden number for a diploma: 75. A spark A key in the mission of Kennedy is to get students to be at school. It often feels getting attendance up is not just half the bat- tle, but is the entirety of the war. So after former principal Mike Ingman and Ketcher attended a conference about students pursuing what ignites them – their spark – the school took the idea and ran with it. To get students excited about what they are learn- ing, it starts with the teach- ers. They focus on what kids are passionate about and, with input from the students, create a class that meets twice a week based around a topic. The teach- er, in the role of a facilita- tor, guides the conversa- tion and lessons to where the students are interested in going. The sparks fi lled a gap for students who had be- moaned the fact that Ken- nedy offered no elective courses. In an effort to break up the steady rhythm of the school day these classes let students dive into something they are interested in. This year, those interests include a green team, crafts, music, basketball and storytelling. “The whole idea is it was kind of part of our thing to increase student attendance. If you are do- ing something that kind of interests you, you’re more likely going to come to school,” said Jessica Mar- tinez, the GED instructor at Kennedy and also the leader of the green team spark. “If you’re doing some- thing you like, you’re more likely to like push through those things like challenges and not be like, ‘Ugh, I give up. It sucks.’ And so you know, it has a lot of really good things because one it’s fun, two it helps you kind of develop those skills and gives you a reason to want to be here.” Helping kids fi nd hobbies Much like adults can benefi t from par- ticipating in hobbies, children can reap rewards from engaging in hobbies. Ac- cording to the Child Development Insti- tute, hobbies give children a chance to express themselves. The CDI also notes that hobbies can play an important role in children’s self-discovery and boost their self-esteem. • Involve kids in your own hobbies. Kids look up to their parents and often want to emulate what their mothers and fathers do. If possible, involve children in your own hobbies. Gardeners can teach their youngsters how to grow and tend to a gar- den, while painters can host family paint- ing nights where everyone is encouraged to create their own masterpiece. Parents whose hobbies are more adult-oriented, like woodworking, can still involve their children. For example, work with children to design a new item, then show them how the item goes from paper to fi nished prod- uct; just avoid allowing them to use any unsafe tools or machines. • Let kids choose an activity. While some children might take to hobbies their parents favor, others might need to be giv- en some freedom to fi nd their own activi- ties. Afford youngsters this chance, recog- nizing that it might take some time before kids fi nd an activity that genuinely sparks their passion. • Be a source of encouragement. Some hobbies may prove more diffi cult than kids fi rst imagined, requiring some persever- ance before they can be enjoyed fully. In such instances, observe youngsters while they engage in the activity. If they appear to be enjoying themselves but are period- ically frustrated, encourage them to keep trying. If kids appear to be disinterested in overcoming any struggles, then they might benefi t by pursuing another hobby. • Don’t hesitate to focus on fun. Hob- bies can teach kids valuable lessons and provide a sense of fulfi llment, but it’s im- portant that parents not overlook the im- portance of fun in regard to their children’s hobbies. Hobbies can provide children with the same respite from busy schedules that they do adults, and that break should be as fun as possible. Hobbies can enrich the lives of children. Finding the right activity may require some patience on the part of parents and youngsters alike. Students of the Month NORTH DOUGLAS E/M Macey Mello is the North Douglas Student of the Month. Macey has great attendance, she has increased her independence and social skills, and she also helps her school by helping cafeteria staff daily! December MACEY MELLO Cottage North Grove Sentinel Douglas Fire & Rescue 116 N. 6th St. 541-942-3325 531 • South Cedar St. www.cgsentinel.com Drain, OR 97435 LATHAM ELEMENTARY As a fi rst grader at Latham, Reed Meyers is a natural leader. He always works hard and consistently demonstrates his personal best. He is also a great friend to everyone. We are proud to have Reed represent Latham as our Student of the Month! REED MEYERS Stacy’s Covered Bridge 541-746-1583 401 Main St, CG 541-767-0320 epud.org BOHEMIA ELEMENTARY SOLAY HERNANDEZ Solay Hernandez is a fi rst grader in Mrs. McClean’s classroom. She is a kind, hard working student who always does her best and sticks with a task until it is done. She focuses and gives her whole attention in class discussions. She shows kindness and patience when working with others. She is defi nitely a star student! 401 MAIN STREET • COTTAGE GROVE 541-767-0320 Sawyer Weybright has been chosen for our December Student of the Month. Sawyer has done a fantastic job for Trimester 1 and all of her teachers have very positive comments to share. We look forward to the great things she will accomplish the next 4 years! South Lane County Fire & Rescue 233 Harrison Ave • 541-942-4439 southlanefi re.org FAITH ELLIOTT Faith Elliott 7th grade Hobbies: Coloring, walking cats, Volleyball, Social media Faith was nominated as student of the month because of her citizenship and respect for others. Faith is wonderful to have in class. She volunteers to give answers, pass back papers to fellow students, is willing to help others when they are struggling on a problem and always has a big smile on her face. Faith wants to become an international lawyer who is an advocate for human traffi cking victims. She plans to go to Oklahoma University to study law. STACY’S COVERED BRIDGE RESTAURANT COTTAGE GROVE NORTH DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL SAWYER WEYBRIGHT YONCALLA MIDDLE SCHOOL YONCALLA HIGH SCHOOL Amy is an honor roll student, enrolled in college classes, Student Council Treasurer, involved in National Honor Society, FBLA and is a three sport athlete participating in volleyball, basketball, and soft ball. AMY DOOLEY North Douglas Fire & Rescue 531 South Cedar St. Drain, OR 97435 SHAUNASI HARDY Shaunasi Hardy 11th Grade Hobbies: School Sports, Th ree sport student-athlete Shaunasi has done an outstanding job this year in Engineering/Design and has produced, designed and engineered a model that is quite good and should be competitive in the Oregon State student bridge competition. Shaunasi wishes to become a high school music teacher. Great Quote: “ I’m not a fi sh” Cottage Grove Sentinel 116 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3325 www.cgsentinel.com
