20A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 18, 2015
Polk County Schools/Education
SCHOOL NOTES
FFA auction, dinner slated Saturday
First-grader Leah
Reyes, with her mother
Ellena Reyes, designs a
handmade Valentine’s
Day card Thursday at
Lyle Elementary
School’s “Celebration of
Writing Night.” The
event was created to
put student writing on
display, as well as en-
courage parents to play
writing games with
their children at home.
Writing night consisted
of selected students
reading their stories
aloud and several sta-
tions with creative writ-
ing activities for
students and their fam-
ilies to participate in.
INDEPENDENCE — Central High School FFA will host its 23rd
annual alumni auction and dinner Saturday starting at 5 p.m. at
the school, 1530 Monmouth St., Independence.
Money raised will provide scholarships for FFA students and
help sponsor other FFA activities and projects. Donors of items
for the auction valued at more than $75 will receive two tickets
to the dinner.
Tickets for dinner are $12 for adults, $6 for children ages 6 to
12, and children younger than 6 are free.
The auction is free to attend. Sign up for a bidder number —for
those 18 and older — and a chance to win a weekend getaway at
the coast. Participants must be present to win the weekend trip.
The silent auction will run from 5 to 7 p.m. Dinner will be
served at 5:30, with the oral auction at 7 p.m. Tickets are avail-
able at Central High School.
For more information or to make a donation to the auction:
Frances Buckovic, 503-838-2035.
Dallas High thespians earn honors
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Catching the writing bug
Lyle Elementary celebrates important skill, stresses making it fun
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Leah Reyes
loves pumpkins.
The first-grader loves to
draw and write about pump-
kins, and her trip to a pump-
kin patch in October.
“I love to carve pumpkins.
It’s really fun,” she said. “You
can make monsters, skele-
tons, a face — or anything.”
Needless to say, pumpkins
were the subject of her writing
project that hung on the wall
in Lyle Elementary School’s
gym Thursday as part of “Cel-
ebration of Writing Night.”
All students at the school
had samples of their writing
posted on the walls — and
some even read their stories
aloud — at the event, which
is supposed to encourage
students and families to
make writing at home fun.
“We are trying to show par-
ents activities they can do at
home, to continue to rein-
force what students are learn-
ing in class,” said Elaine Dun-
bar, Lyle Title I instructor.
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Second-grader Taylor Garcia works on “popcorn writing.”
Selecting two words, written on crumpled-up paper to
resemble popcorn, she created a story using them.
Writing night included
several booths featuring
writing games. One, popcorn
writing, had students create
stories based on random
words they selected from a
popcorn bag. Another gave
youngsters a chance to write
a Valentine’s Day card.
Students were proud to
show off their work to their
parents.
Second-grader Sienna
Pond — who read aloud her
story about a recent, and
“very short,” haircut —
bounded up to the wall
where her class writing was
on display. She read her
story about how lions com-
municate to her mom, Jenn
Pond, and little sister, Zoey.
Sienna said it was nerve-
racking to read in front of an
audience, but found a clever
way to get through it.
“I just acted like there was
nobody there,” she said,
smiling.
Jenn Pond said Sienna
was excited to be selected.
“You came home and
practiced,” she said.
When asked what she
likes about writing, Sienna
said: “I love it. I like that it
helps you learn.”
Dunbar said this is the
third year Lyle has held the
writing event.
“Our school is really fo-
cusing on writing, so we de-
cided we need a night to cel-
ebrate it,” Dunbar said.
Ly l e P r i n c i p a l To d d
Baughman said it’s encour-
aging to see the progress stu-
dents make, from focusing
on forming complete sen-
tences and correct punctua-
tion in kindergarten to writ-
ing full and descriptive sto-
ries in the older grades.
“It’s really meaningful for
school staff and families to
s e e t h a t p ro g re s s i o n ,”
Baughman said.
DALLAS — Four Dallas High School actors were named re-
gional finalists or state qualifiers Feb. 7 during the Oregon
Thespians Southern Regional acting competition at Redmond
High School.
State qualifiers will compete at the 2015 Oregon Thespians
State Festival in Salem April 9-11. Regional finalists are judged
to be within the top 20 percent in the state in their perform-
ance categories, but do not advance to state competition.
Selena Harris and Rachel Tilgner qualified for state in the duo
dramatic acting division.
Justen Noll was named a regional finalist in the solo acting
novice division and Abby Garber was awarded regional finalist
distinction in solo music.
Rotary Club scholarship available
MONMOUTH/INDEPENDENCE — A $1,000 scholarship for a
2015 graduating senior at Central High School will be awarded
by the Monmouth-Independence Rotary Club in June.
Applicants must meet certain academic requirements, main-
tain a minimum of a 3.00 grade-point average and have atten-
dance planned to any public community college or four-year
college or university in Oregon.
The application includes a 250- to 300-word essay.
Application forms are available in the CHS counseling office
and are due by April 20. The winner will be announced at the
Senior Award Ceremony on June 3.
For more information: Al Oppliger, 503-838-7353 or
jcoppliger@aol.com.
ACADEMIC HONORS
DHS graduate receives recognition
LEXINGTON, Va. — Chauncey Baker of Dallas has earned
recognition on the Washington and Lee University honor roll for
the recently completed fall term 2014. Honor roll status at Wash-
ington and Lee represents a term grade-point average of at least
3.75 on a 4.0 scale. Baker, a 2011 graduate of Dallas High School,
is a member of the Class of 2015 at Washington and Lee.
Dallas resident is named to society
SPOKANE, Wash. — Jerusha Dressel of Dallas has been
named to the Whitworth University Laureate Society for fall se-
mester 2014. Dressel qualified for the academic honor society
by maintaining a grade-point average of at least 3.75 during
the semester. Dressel is a 2013 home-schooled graduate.