16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 3, 2015
Polk County Education
An introduction to middle school
Central volunteers, staff to be honored
INDEPENDENCE — Lyon Masonic Lodge No. 29 AF&AM will
host a recognition dessert June 10 at 6 p.m. at the Independ-
ence Masonic Center.
The event will honor outstanding parent volunteers and clas-
sified employees of schools in Central School District. Superin-
tendent Buzz Brazeau and school principals will be in atten-
dance to help recognize honorees.
The Masonic Memorial Scholarship winners will also be
awarded. The event is open to the public.
RSVP to Howard Haynes, 503-838-0791; or email to
hhaynes@minetfiber.com.
Uhrig earns doctorate at Oregon State
CORVALLIS — Monmouth resident Emily Uhrig completed
her doctorate studies at Oregon State University. Uhrig Ph.D.
earned her doctorate in zoology.
Her field of study will be parasitic implication in the common
garter snake. Uhrig plans to pursue a post doctoral position in
Australia in the near future.
KVCS in need of maintenance supplies
KINGS VALLEY — Kings Valley Charter School is taking dona-
tions of items to help complete regular maintenance routines.
Needed are: a tow-behind garden cart for a riding mower;
basic hand tools, shovels, rakes, pitch forks and garden hoes;
and a wheelbarrow.
For more information or to donate: David Crowe, 541-929-
2134.
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Next year’s sixth graders and their parents got a glimpse of what next school year will be like on Thursday night
at LaCreole Middle School during the sixth-grade introduction. The preview consisted of meeting sixth-grade
teachers, seeing the hall and classrooms where they will attend class next year and enjoying a root beer float.
Itemizer-Observer staff report
POLK COUNTY — The
Class of 2015 is about ready
for its official send off at
graduation ceremonies
across the county starting
this week. All ceremonies are
free and open to the public.
Here’s the list of local
school graduations:
• Falls City High School —
Thursday, 7 p.m. in the Falls
City High School gym, 111
N. Main St., Falls City. 503-
787-3521.
• Central High School —
Friday, 7 p.m. at Panther Sta-
dium (Panther Pit if it rains),
1530 Monmouth St., Inde-
pendence. 503-838-0480.
• Dallas High School —
Saturday, 2:30 p.m. at Gal-
lapsy Stadium (tickets are
required to sit in grand-
stand; field seating is free),
1250 SE Holman Ave., Dal-
las. 503-623-8336.
• Perrydale High
School — Saturday, 5 p.m.
in the new gym at the
School districts to offer summer meals
POLK COUNTY — Central School District 13J will offer break-
fast, lunch and dinner for free beginning Monday.
Meals will be served Monday-Friday through Aug. 28, and will
be available for children 18 or younger.
Independence Elementary School will serve breakfast from 8
to 8:30 a.m. and lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. Monmouth Ele-
mentary School will serve lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. Ash
Creek Elementary School will serve lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m.
and Henry Hill Educational Support Center will serve lunch from
noon to 12:30 p.m. and dinner from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Dallas School District will offer free lunches to children ages 18
or younger beginning June 15. Lunches will be provided week-
days through Aug. 28 at Whitworth Elementary School from noon
to 12:30 p.m.
Kings Valley seeks music teacher
KINGS VALLEY — Kings Valley Charter School is looking for a
music teacher for high school to help students achieve applied
arts credits toward graduation. The charter also is looking to fill
other positions. For information: email pskvcontact@gmail.com.
Local student makes dean’s list at COCC
BEND — Cody Manzi, of Monmouth, was named to Central
Oregon Community College’s dean’s list for winter term. The list
is based on enrollment in 12 or more credit hours with a grade-
point average of 3.60 or higher.
Lucas Costa receives multiple honors
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer file
Dallas High’s Class of 2015 will graduate at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Gallapsy Stadium.
school, 7445 Perr ydale
Road, Amity. 503-623-2040.
• Morrison Campus Alter-
native School — June 11, 7
p.m. at Dallas High School
gym, 1250 SE Holman Ave.,
Dallas. 503-623-8480.
• Western Oregon Univer-
sity — June 13, 11 a.m. at
McArthur Field (seating
opens at 9 a.m.), 345 Mon-
mouth Ave. N, Monmouth.
503-838-8000.
FRONT ROYAL, Va. — Lucas Costa of Monmouth has been in-
ducted into the National Spanish Honor Society.
He is the son of Cinthia Costa Jones of Monmouth and Alexan-
dre Costa of Curitiba, Brazil.
He also won first place in the Persuasive Division of the 2015
Sophomore Speech Contest; won first place in the fiction catego-
ry for a submission to the 2015 Randolph-Macon Academy Liter-
ary Magazine Competition; and was recognized for outstanding
achievement in the Air Force JROTC.
The ceremony took place on March 27 at Randolph-Macon
Academy in Virginia, where Costa is a sophomore. Randolph-
Macon Academy is a college-preparatory, coeducational board-
ing school for students in grades six through 12.
Charter school earns top marks
KVCS garners national honors as a ‘most challenging high school’
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
KINGS VALLEY — Kings
Valley Charter School gar-
nered national honors when
it was named the 44th most
challenging high school in
the United States by the
Washington Post.
Out of eight Oregon high
schools that made the list,
KVCS ranked third.
Director Mark Hazelton
said the honor is something
the students and staff are
proud of.
“They (students) work re-
ally hard,” he said. “I think
they are working at really the
limits of what a kid can
(do).”
Being recognized as one
of the most challenging high
schools in the U.S. gives stu-
dents and staff a reference
point, Hazelton said.
“I think that’s motivating
and satisfying,” he said.
The list is based on the
number of advanced place-
ment tests taken compared
to number of students.
This year, 63 AP tests will
be taken by students in high
school at KVCS, Hazelton
said. The high school has an
enrollment of 44 students
this year.
The preparation begins in
ninth grade, when all stu-
dents are enrolled in AP
human geography, with an
option to take AP biology, he
said.
By their junior and senior
years, students are taking
two AP courses, with an op-
tional third AP class.
The more challenging
tests cost roughly $90 each,
but the charter school places
priority on them, Hazelton
said.
The state subsidizes the
costs of the test for students
who are on free and reduced
lunches.
AP tests are recognized by
colleges and universities,
Hazelton said.
“It’s a pretty intense high
school for these kids,” he
said.
“The stress is the down-
side. To get that level of ac-
complishment, there’s defi-
nitely some stress.”
DALLAS 121 Main St. • 503-623-8155 Mon-Fri 8AM - 6PM • Sat 8AM - 5PM
INDEPENDENCE 1710 Monmouth St. • 503-838-6340