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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 2018)
School News A monthly newsletter covering area schools February 28, 2018 A look at teen parenthood at Kennedy BY CAITLYN MAY AND ZACH SILVA The Sentinel's series chronicling a year at the community's alternative high school continued this month. In part four, the story examined the struggles of teen pregnancy and parenthood. To read the complete fourth story in the "Bad Kids" series, please visit cgsentinel.com Speaking in front of the South Lane School Board is part of the prize for earning student of the month at one of the community’s two high schools. It’s meant to be an honor but for most, it’s nerve-wracking. Students approach the dais and sit before the board to give updates on their schools and tell the seven board members and superintendent how they’ve grown, what they’ve learned and how they got there. On Nov. 6, Kalie Heiser detailed her long road. She told the board she had struggled with and beat addiction. She’d faced homelessness and family tensions. The Kennedy senior shared her hopes of becoming a beautician and, with her belly rounded under the table, that she was scheduled to take her GED exam the next day and give birth shortly after. She graduated from Kennedy on Nov. 7th. * Delight Valley is diffi cult to explain to those who have never been there. When Kennedy High School made the move to the location in the summer of 2017, it was with the understanding that it would be sharing the space with a few dozen preschoolers who utilized some of the buildings as part of the Head Start program. Six months in, it’s easy to see the compromises that allow 94 high school students to co-exist with toddlers. Entry gates have bungee cords for added security and signs asking that visitors ensure the gates are latched to keep little ones inside. The outdoor hallways that lead to crisscrossing paths dotted with one-story, single classroom buildings are adorned with decorations crafted by tiny hands. And just beyond the principal’s offi ce, there’s a playground. A chain-link fence surrounds the seesaw and slide and on nice days, three-year- olds take turns on the swings and engage in the politics of sharing in the sandbox. Weston Mullen isn’t in the sandbox though. He’s not waiting his turn for the swings or standing in line for the slide. The toddler is at a different daycare at Cottage Grove High School where his mother, Amanda, will pick him up after completing her day at Kennedy. She’ll walk into the same school she started her senior Scholarship deadlines approaching The Cottage Grove Com- munity Foundation's scholar- ship program offers a way for graduating seniors from any school within the South Lane School District to apply for over 40 awards valued at a total of over $70,000. One applica- tion makes the student eligible for any scholarship where they meet the criteria. Awards are from $500 to $2,000. There are awards for students attending LCC or trade school programs at community colleges or pri- vate schools. There are special awards for students who want a career in the medical, engi- neering, veterinarian, educa- tion, mental health, business or agricultural careers. Financial need and overcoming obstacles are more important that the fi nal grade point average. The list of scholarship, instructions and the application form are available from any of the school's coun- selors or on the CGCF website, CGCFoundation.org. Deadline is March 15. Each year, Oregon Communi- ty Foundation offers opportunity to Oregon students by awarding nearly $10 million in scholar- ships for higher education and training. With more than 500 funds that make a bright future more accessible, OCF has one of the largest scholarship pro- grams of its kind in the U. S. The deadline for students to apply for funding for their high- er education and training in the 2018-19 school year is March 1. OCF has partnered with the Offi ce of Student Access and Completion for nearly 30 years. This state agency makes the scholarship process especially simple for students, who can complete a single application form to be eligible for scholar- ships from OCF, as well as from many other public and private sources. The challenges that Oregon students face include the high cost of post-secondary edu- cation, OCF found in a 2015 research paper. Oregon is the seventh least-affordable state for low-income families attend- ing four-year institutions. Our community colleges are third least-affordable in 15 western states. Even modest awards infl uence enrollment and com- pletion, and larger awards have even greater impact, the re- search showed. year, where she had Braxton Hicks contractions during class that sent her home and where she fell behind in her school work. Cottage Grove High School is one of fi ve high schools Mullen attended between Eugene, Creswell and Cottage Grove before she landed in Delight Valley. Like most of her fellow Kennedy students, she found what she needed there. “They’ll be days where I’m dragging my feet and I just don’t feel like a super parent,” she said. “One of the teachers will be like, ‘Hey you’re doing awesome, you’re kicking butt. You’re going to school and you’re a parent.’” When Mullen became a parent, she was a cheerleader, a good student in Creswell and 16-years-old. “When I got pregnant everyone was like, ‘What?’ They didn’t expect me to get pregnant,” she said. But, she did. And so did a lot of other teenagers. SLSD INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURE OUTLINED Snow days are few and far between in South Lane School District but when the winter weather manages to create dangerous road conditions, the district takes action. The district's procedure includes notifying designated media sources if schools must close due to weather or any other emergency. Information is also shared via Flash Alerts, an online news service and the district's social media including Instagram (@SouthLaneSD) and Twitter (@SouthLane_SD). Bus routes may be modifi ed in the event of inclement weather. According to the district's website, "School buses will travel main roads only. Bus drivers have the option to modify their routes more extensively with regard to safety and road conditions." For a complete list of roads drivers will not service during inclement weather, please visit slane.k12.or.us. The district also requests that parents keep contact information up-to-date with their child's school. "South Lane School District may use an automated dialer to call and email staff and students regarding school related emergencies. It is important that your child's school has updated phone and email information for this to be a success," the emergency procedure reads. South Lane School District closed all schools on Feb. 22 after Cottage Grove reported approximately one inch of snow as well as black ice. Senior portraits due MARCH 6th $25 late fee “We know for many students cost is a major road block to achieving post-secondary ed- ucation,” said Max Williams, OCF President and CEO. “At Oregon Community Founda- tion, we want to break down the barriers that keep students from achieving their dreams. Schol- arships provide opportunity for students who are proving them- SCHOLARSHIPS PG. 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