Polk County Education
14A Polk County itemizer-Observer • april 6, 2016
SCHOOL NOTES
LVCS to host kinder round-up April 14
DaLLaS — Luckiamute Valley Charter Schools Kindergarten
round-Up for 2016-2017 school year will be held on april 14
from 5:30 – 7 p.m.
The school is public and students can enroll from any district.
it has small class sizes, averaging 18, and busing is available.
Bring a copy of birth certificate and immunization shot
records. Open enrollment for all grades will be May 1. Contact
amber Chase with any questions at 503-623-4837 or search for
information online at www.lvcs.k12.or.us.
MES students compete in math tourney
MOnMOUTh — Monmouth Elementary School had four fifth-
grade teams of five students each participate in a math tourna-
ment at Mount hood Community College on Feb. 6.
Fifth-grade teachers Bailey Lind, Brian Wakefield and Timothy
Kreta coached the four teams for the tournament.
Students participated in an individual timed test (15 questions
in 30 minutes) and a team timed test (10 questions in 20 min-
utes). The combined scores from the individual and team compe-
tition was used to determine placing. This was the first year MES
students participated. although the teams did not place, they
have already started talking about convincing their sixth-grade
teachers to help them prepare for next year’s competition.
State universities to visit Dallas High
SharMan EnSMingEr/for the itemizer-Observer
Princess-ipal Isabell Garcia-Becerra (right) consults with Assistant Superintendent Rich McFarland on Friday.
PRINCESS-IPAL FOR A DAY
IES second-grader is principal after raising the most money for jogathon
By Emily Mentzer
The itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE – Isabell
Garcia-Becerra walked the
halls of Independence Ele-
mentary School on Friday
afternoon. She passed a line
of students waiting to return
to their classroom.
“Be quiet or the Princess-
ipal will take you with her,”
their teacher cautioned.
“Hi Princess-ipal!” stu-
dents said and greeted Is-
abell with a hug or a high-
five.
Isabell, second-grader,
was principal for the day at
IES.
“I’ve been doing a check-
list,” she said. “I had to get
ready for the assembly to
tape our gym teacher to the
wall, and go over my daily
calendar.”
Tape the gym teacher to
the wall? A second-grader in
charge of the school? What’s
going on at IES?
“She earned the privilege
of being principal for the
day,” said Sharman Ens-
minger, usual principal at
IES. “She earned $500 out of
a total of $9,252 for our jo-
gathon.”
That was the most anyone
raised for the annual event,
Ensminger said. This is Is-
abell’s second year in a row
taking the top prize for her
fundraising efforts.
“We thought it would be
re a l l y f u n t o c a l l h e r
‘princess-ipal’ and give her
the tiara,” Ensminger said.
Last year as principal for a
day, Isabell said she partici-
pated in a pizza party and
handed out birthday pen-
cils. A year older — and
nearly to third grade, Ens-
minger pointed out — she
has a lot more responsibility.
Isabell had to go with the
custodian and help with
safety inspections.
“I had to check the hall-
ways, the restrooms, and
then the fire extinguishers,
the front door lock — to
make sure it still worked,”
she said. “I had to go
through the first aid cabinet,
and I did look at the safety
hazards on the playground.”
After careful inspection,
she found IES in compliance
with all regulations, Isabell
said.
It being April Fools’ Day,
some fifth-graders thought it
would be fun to cover Ens-
minger’s car windows with
Post-it notes. Isabell said
she, Ensminger and Super-
intendent Buzz Brazeau had
to address the vandalism.
“They didn’t think they’d
get caught,” Isabell said.
“ Then Mrs. Ensminger
brought them down as if
they were in trouble.”
Once the students real-
ized they had been caught,
but administrators had a
sense of humor, they all
started laughing, Isabell
said.
Catching students playing
April Fools’ jokes was the
best part of the day.
“It feels like today was
part of my weekend,” Isabell
said. “Like a three-day week-
end.”
Though she knows it’s not
always so easy to run the
school, noting that Ens-
minger “has to work a lot.”
After spending a day in
Ensminger’s shoes, Isabell
said it is one thing she will
consider being when she
grows up.
“I want to either be a prin-
cipal or a teacher or a gym-
nast, because I’m really good
at gymnastics, or a basket-
ball player,” she said. “I’ve
done every single one a lot.”
If she were principal all
the time, Isabell’s first
proclamation would be no
homework.
DaLLaS — Eight Oregon public universities will be at Dallas
high School, 1250 SE holman ave., on april 13 at 6:30 p.m. This
is an informational evening with breakout sessions for each uni-
versity throughout the night and opportunities for students to
spend time with at least two colleges of their choice.
This “meet and greet” is open to all students, all grades, par-
ents and community members, and will be in Bollman auditori-
um at the school.
Participating schools are: Oregon State University, University
of Oregon, Western Oregon University, Southern Oregon Uni-
versity, Eastern Oregon University, Portland State University,
Oregon institute of Technology and Oregon State University-
Cascades in Bend.
WOU celebrates Arbor Day Friday
MOnMOUTh — Western Oregon University will recognize
being listed as a Tree Campus USa by the arbor Day Foundation
during a celebration Friday.
The event kicks off at noon at the north entry to the campus,
one block north of the Oregon Military academy Building.
Kristin ramstad of the Oregon Department of Forestry will pres-
ent the tree campus award to WOU President rex Fuller.
a tour of three campus legacy trees will follow the ceremony.
“This recognition acknowledges that we’re conscious of the
significance of trees on campus and it makes people aware of
their environment,” said Paul Finke, chairman of the University
Tree Committee.
WOU is the fourth college in Oregon to earn the honor.
WOU announces affordability grant
MOnMOUTh — Western Oregon University has eliminated its
tuition increase for some undergraduate residents with a grant.
The grant would be offered to students whose expected fam-
ily contribution on their Free application for Federal Student aid
(FaFSa) is zero. WOU’s grant will reduce financial barriers to edu-
cational access.
“The WOU affordability grant is further evidence of WOU’s
strong commitment to support Oregon students by keeping
WOU affordable and accessible so that more students can earn
bachelor’s degrees,” said Jim Baumgartner, chairman of the
WOU Board of Trustees.
Students must fill out their FaFSa to receive the grant.