Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 2015)
18A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 18, 2015 Polk County Schools/Education Center will increase health access SCHOOL NOTES Full dental, medical, infant-toddler care to be available ‘Spring into reading’ event slated By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer INDEPENDENCE — Walls came down on Thursday at what will be the new student-based health center for Central School District kitty-corner from Central High School. Five youths from Central High School donned hard hats, visors, gloves and bright orange vests, grabbed a sledge hammer and began the destruc- tion, knocking down walls in what will be the child development Early Head Start part of Central Health and Well- ness Center. The center will open with full dental, medical and mental health services on June 15 if all goes well, said Brent DeMoe, Polk County Family and Com- munity Outreach manager. While the center will provide much needed services to families in the Mon- mouth and Independence ZIP codes — 60 percent of students and parents missed school and work time to attend medical appointments, DeMoe said — perhaps the biggest service will be in- fant-toddler care for teen parents. The program will be in partnership with Western Oregon University Teach- ing Research Institute, said Jon Reeves, Head Start director. “The focus here is to serve the chil- dren of teen parents, get the parents back in school and have their young babies close,” Reeves said. “Then they’ll learn infant-toddler care and parenting while they’re going back to school.” Though the number of teen parents enrolled at Central or Talmadge Middle School are not astronomical now, there are 109 teen mothers between the ages of 11 and 19 in the Monmouth and In- dependence ZIP codes, DeMoe said. Many of them are not attending school, Superintendent Buzz Brazeau said. MONMOUTH — Monmouth Montessori School is hosting a “spring into reading” free book giveaway Saturday. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Monmouth Montes- sori School, 1140 E. Main St. All ages are welcome. In addition to the free book giveaway, there will be free snacks, handmade crafts for sale and tours of the school. Donations of books suitable for adults and children are still being accepted. Donations can be left on the large table behind the school. For more information: 503-838-6478; www.Monmouth- Montessori.com. New charter school plans meeting DALLAS — Dallas Community School, a charter school slated to open for the 2015-16 school year, is holding an informational meeting for parents and students Sunday in Dallas. The meeting will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. Those interested in finding out more about the new school are asked to email info@DallasCommunitySchool.org to RSVP. Directions to the meeting location, which is small and will fill fast, will be given when people RSVP. More informational ses- sions will be held in April and May. For more information: info@DallasCommunitySchool.org. Donations sought for Perrydale play EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer Central Student Sarah Hall helps tear down walls after school on Thursday in what will be the child development area at the health center. “We think we would have more if we have a great facility,” he added. “It’s a pretty large number of kids who aren’t in school currently.” School-based health centers are gen- erally geared toward middle- and high- school students, but the district doesn’t have enough students to make the medical center sustainable, DeMoe said. To make it worthwhile for the medical partners — Capitol Dental and Salem Health — the center will be open to the entire community. The center will allow Salem Health to better serve the people of Mon- mouth and Independence, said Pam Cortez, director of operations at West Valley Hospital in Dallas. “It’s been a goal to be a partnership with all the communities we serve,” she said. The ability to help children be healthier and make healthier choices fits with Salem Health’s wellness model, rather than an illness model, Cortez noted. “We will be able to provide healthy lifestyle changes that (children) will be able to keep through their lives,” said Karen Remington, clinic manager. The clinic will open with dental tech- nicians, as well as teledentistry — allow- ing communication off site with a den- tist — a family nurse practitioner, med- ical assistant and clinic coordinator. See CENTER, Page 15A PERRYDALE — Perrydale School’s spring musical will be “The Sound of Music,” and the school is looking for help putting on the show. The theater department is in need of quite a few costumes and needs donations to purchase them. Those wishing to contribute, or for more information, call di- rector Misty Matthews at 503-623-2040. Tickets on sale for Perrydale benefit PERRYDALE — Tickets are now on sale for Perrydale Parent’s Club annual dinner and auction, slated for May 16. This year’s dinner will be built around the theme “Taste of Italy.” Auction tickets are on sale online at www.perrydalepar- entsclub.com or in the school office for $22 per person or $160 for a table of eight. For more information: Perrydale School, 503-623-2040. ACADEMIC HONORS Dallas students recognized by SPU SEATTLE — Lauren Elaine Isham and Anna Margaret Rebis- chke, both of Dallas, qualified for the 2014 autumn term dean’s list at Seattle Pacific University. Students on the SPU dean’s list completed at least 12 credits and attained a 3.50 or higher grade-point average. Lunches available for youths during spring break in area Itemizer-Observer staff report POLK COUNTY — Free lunches will be available for children ages 1 to 18 during spring break, beginning Monday and continuing through March 27, at loca- tions in Dallas, Independ- ence and Grand Ronde. Lunches are provided through Marion-Polk Food Share and its partners’ “Su- perFunHappyBreakTime” program, which offers nutri- tious meals during the vaca- tion period when schools are not holding classes. The pro- gram also offers free activi- ties and books to take home. No registration is required. Lunches will be served from noon to 1 p.m. begin- ning Monday and continu- ing through March 28 at the following locations in Polk County: • Lyle Elementary School, 185 SW Levens St., Dallas. • Whitworth Elementary School, 1151 SE Miller St., Dallas. • Grand Ronde Commu- nity Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Building B, Grand Ronde. • Henry Hill Elementary School, 750 S. Fifth St., Inde- pendence. • Colonial Amistad, 30 S. Gun Club Road, Independ- ence. The program sites were chosen because they are in areas where many children receive free and reduced- price lunches. For more information: 503-581-3855.