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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 2016)
Polk County Education 16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 10, 2016 SCHOOL NOTES MVCA raises food for M-P Food Share POLK COUNTY — Mid-Valley Christian Academy raised 264 pounds of canned food items for the Marion-Polk Food Share. Sixty pounds of food will feed four children for ive days, ac- cording to the Marion-Polk Food Share. In addition, MVCA raised $308 in coin donations to help feed ive classrooms of students for the spring break lunch program provided by the Marion-Polk Food Share. Walk-in immunization clinics open now JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer Sen. Jeff Merkley, left, talks about Faces before present director Amy Houghtaling with a flag Friday in Falls City. Falls City program gets nod Merkley honors after-school education for enrichment opportunities By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer FALLS CITY — Education seemed to be the theme dur- ing Sen. Jeff Merkley’s town hall meeting in Falls City on Friday. He was asked questions about and discussed a num- ber of topics, including eco- nomic development, green energy, retirement savings plans and health care. Throughout the gather- ing, the conversation had a way of circling back to edu- cation, touching on the top- ics of making college afford- able or investing in high school and community col- lege career and technical ed- ucation programs. So it seemed fitting that Merkley (D-Ore.) would rec- ognize the effort of a Falls City school program work- ing to show students career Faces • Family Academic Com- munity and Enrichment for Success is the Falls City’s after-school program that offers classes, homework help and field trips. • Faces uses field trips, which are taken on Fridays when school isn’t in ses- sion, as a chance to show students real-life jobs. Stu- dents also visit colleges on Fridays. • Among the programs offered include roller coaster physics and geo- caching. and college choices around the state. At Fr i d a y ’s m e e t i n g , Merkley presented a U.S. flag that had flown over the Washington D.C. Capitol to Family Academic Commu- nity and Enrichment for Success (Faces) director Amy Houghtaling. Faces is the school dis- trict’s after-school program, offering enrichment classes, homework help and field trips when school isn’t in session on Fridays. Merkley listed a number of program highlights, such as a class called “roller coast- er physics,” geocaching, and those “Friday field trips,” as reasons for recognizing the program. Faces uses field trips not only as educational experi- ences, but as a chance to show students real-life jobs in a fun way. Faces has taken students on a tour of a hospital, had them make their own piz- zas to see what food serv- ice is like, and to a movie while learning about what it takes to run a theater. “It’s a different way to ex- pose our students to things outside Falls City,” Hough- taling said. Students also visit col- leges on Fridays, which Merkley made particular note of. “They are getting kids out to see campuses,” he said. “That matters.” Houghtaling said she was surprised to get the phone call from Merkley’s office saying Faces would be rec- ognized. She said Merkley’s staff members told her he likes to highlight an organization that benefits its community at every stop he makes in Oregon. Houghtaling said she ap- preciated the honor and added: “It is definitely a commu- nity effort. We have lots of community support.” POLK COUNTY — Polk County Public Health is holding walk- in immunization clinics on Tuesday and Feb. 17 ahead of School Exclusion Day. No appointment is needed for the clinics, which are a chance to assure children have updated vaccinations and can continue to attend classes. The clinics run from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. both days at Polk County Public Health, Academy Building, suite 302, 182 SW Academy St., Dallas. Parents need to bring a copy of the immunization letter list- ing the required vaccines. Feb. 17 is School Exclusion Day, the deadline for students or children in child care to have updated vaccinations. Under state law, all children in public and private schools, preschools, Head Start and certiied child care facilities must have up-to-date documentation on their immunizations, or have an exemption. Vaccines requirements have been updated. Now the hepati- tis A vaccine, which protects against a communicable viral in- fection, is a two-dose series required for children 18 months and older in child care, preschool and kindergarten through seventh grade. Parents of children with old exemptions on ile signed before March 2014 will need to submit updated documentation. If parents want a nonmedical exemption, they need to turn in a Vaccine Education Certiicate showing that they've received education about vaccines, either from a health care practitioner or from the online vaccine education module. The parent also needs to sign a new Certiicate of Immuniza- tion Status. For More information about exemptions: www.health-oregon.org/vaccineexemption. Dallas students honored at competition DALLAS — Three Dallas High School students earned region- al distinction and nine qualiied to perform in the national com- petition at the Southern Regional Oregon State Thespian Acting Competition held in Dallas and Independence on Saturday. The competition was co-hosted by Dallas High and Central High School. The state and national acting competitions qualify competi- tors using diferent criteria. National qualiiers performed ac- cording to a set standard, while state qualiiers have to be in the top 10 percent of all performers. Regional inalists are ranked in the top 20 percent in their performance group. Those who earned regional distinction are: From DHS: Molly Bucher, regional inalist in “solo acting, ex- perienced”; and Luke Disney and Emily Jones, regional inalist in “duo dramatic, experienced.” Students qualifying for nationals are Molly Bucher, Meyer Reed, Emma Bucher, Tifani McConnell in “solo acting, experi- enced”; Olivia Widmer, in “solo music”; and Molly Bucher and Josh Biery in “duo music.” From CHS: Hannah Boyack, Jacob Eschette, and Dylan Lewis for their performances — they will be moving on to the state level competition. Connor Layton and Jadie VanVolkinburg were regional inal- ists. For more information: contact Jef Witt (jwitt @central.k12.or.us).
