COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL DECEMBER 27, 2017
SLSD TEACHER AWARDED
GRANT
3A
Harrison
construction
continues
By Zach Silva
zsilva@cgsentinel.com
One Cottage Grove educator has been awarded a mini-grant from Northwest Community Credit Union. The winners
were selected from 273 submissions the credit union received as part of its annual Project Community program.
“Education is crucial for strong local communities. We’re committed to helping teachers and students throughout
Oregon,” said Northwest Community Credit Union President and CEO John Iglesias. “Part of our mission at Northwest
Community Credit Union is giving back and supporting the people that make up our local communities.”
Peter Bowers from Latham Elementary School received a $1,000 grant to purchase “Reading Counts!” licenses for a
motivational reading program for all students in their school.
“These mini-grants are designed to help educators create meaningful learning experiences for kids that might not
otherwise be funded by school budgets,” said Northwest Community Credit Union Community Relations Coordinator
Kim Clark. “We can’t think of a better way to invest in Oregon than helping teachers with technology and resources that
help their students.”
This year’s Project Community program recognized a total of 64 teachers at 54 schools throughout Oregon with over
$58,000 in grants. A full list of winners is on the blog at nwcu.com.
This is the third year of the Project Community mini-grant program. To date 187 educators have been awarded over
$164,000 in funding. The next application period for grants will begin in Fall 2018.
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As workers are moving in and out of soon-to-be classrooms, the
new Harrison Elementary begins to resemble the shape of a school.
What was in recent memory a hole in the ground now has walls,
windows and identifi able rooms that will serve the new school.
Funded by a $36 million bond that passed in May of 2016, the
new Harrison, located on Taylor St. just a few blocks from its pre-
decessor on 10th St., won’t be fi lled with students until next fall but
at the moment is under the steady occupation of up to 85 workers
getting it prepared.
Buoyed by an unusually dry stretch of weather in December, the
crew was able to ramp up the pace of construction and work on the
roof of the school. The roof, that exceeds energy code, has a foam
that while being installed, cannot get wet.
“That two weeks of dry weather, they went gang busters. And
they worked Saturdays. We all worked Saturdays. A lot of these
guys, when the weather is good, are going to make hay when the
sun shines and just go,” said South Lane School District mainte-
nance and facilities supervisor Matt Allen.
With the roof complete, it allows for other jobs, such as elec-
tricians, to be able to come in and get started on their part of the
job. One area in particular that has come together are some of the
“pods.” The pods are classroom spaces that are attached to a shared
open space. At each grade level, there is an open area of space that
the grade will share and directly attached are the individual class-
rooms, or pods, that the teachers will have.
“Right now I think we’re probably still a week behind but as soon
as that dries in we’ll be able to catch up again,” said Allen who not-
ed that those working on the site are not bothered by cold weather.
“We wear warm gear and we go to work. Plus if you’re working
hard, you’re warm. That’s what my grandpa used to say: if you’re
cold you’re not working hard enough.”
As the building comes together, there is a growing excitement,
and nervousness, that accompanies a multi-million dollar project.
“For so long I’ve looked at 2D paper drawings of this building
but to be inside of the structure is awesome and overwhelming. Just
wow, we’re really doing it,” said Harrison principal Heidi Brown
earlier this year.
Former Harrison teacher and current school board member Jerry
Settelmeyer, has feelings of excitement and trepidation as the reali-
ty of the new school approaches.
“[The new Harrison is] going to be beautiful and people will be
proud of the new building. Personally, I think it’s too gaudy but I
grew up in North Dakota. I grew up in a one room school house,”
said Settelmeyer.
“I think that, that building, Harrison Elementary will be a won-
derful showcase as long as it isn’t a showcase. If it’s an elementary
school with a family personality, then it will be absolutely gorgeous
to everyone that walks in the door.”
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