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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 2016)
Polk County Education 16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 15, 2016 Congratulations Western Oregon Class of 2016 KENT ST. CLAIR/for the Itemizer-Observer Above: Western Oregon graduates celebrated in style during the university’s graduation ceremony on Saturday morning. Top right: Western Oregon President Rex Fuller addresses graduates on Saturday morning. Bottom right: A student embraces a professor during Western Oregon’s graduation ceremony on Saturday. AFRICANCHILDRENSCHOIR ™ ® Wednesday June 22, 2016 7:00 PM FREE! Valley Life Center 1795 SE Miller Ave (503) 623-4116 www.polkio.com africanchildrenschoir.com Pencil us in! www.polkio.com Central seeks board member By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer INDEPENDENCE — Kathy Zehner retired from the Cen- tral School Board on June 6, leaving a spot open. Zehner served on the school board for seven years, and has moved to the Crooked River Ranch. She was honored at the June 6 school board meeting with a plaque and cake. The board is accepting applications for someone to fill Zehner’s position, from Zone 5, the portion of the city of Monmouth west of Pacific Highway and south of Jackson Street. Candidates must be legally registered voters and residents within the district for one year immediately preceding the appointment. Candidates should reside in Zone 5, but an out-of-zone appointment may be made if the board does not receive qualified candidates from within the zone. To apply, submit a letter of interest to the School Board, Central School District 13J, 750 S. Fifth St., Independence, OR 97351 by 4:30 p.m. on July 5. The board plans to make an appointment at the July 11 board meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Interested candidates should plan to attend that meeting. The successful candidate’s term will end June 30, 2017. For more information: 503-606-2201. In other business, the board: • Approved the 2016-17 budget as referred by the budget committee. • Approved new curriculum adoptions in math and social studies, and moved $440,000 from the curriculum reserve to cover the cost of the acquisition. CEA announces teachers of the year Itemizer-Observer staff report INDEPENDENCE — The Central Education Association named its elementary and secondary teachers of the year. Mandy Olsen and Adrienne Gault were honored at a ceremo- ny on May 5 at the Independence Elks Lodge Post 1950. Gault was named Secondary Teacher of the Year. She teaches English and language arts at Talmadge Middle School. She was chosen for her dedication to her students and ability to prepare new materials to make her classes fun and to connect with all her students. She is a leader on the school’s Positive Behavior Interven- tion Support Team, advises the Culture Club, teaches the school’s leadership class, serves her fellow teachers as a CEA building representative, and chaperones school dances and volunteers her time for events like the TMS Program. Teachers from all different departments appreciate her mentorship and willingness to share ideas. As one teacher put it, Gault “consistently shows mastery as a teacher” be- cause she “puts children first and advocates for their needs.” Olsen was named Elementary Teacher of the Year. She teaches fifth grade at Independence Elementary School. She was chosen because of her dedication to her students. She goes the extra mile to get her students clothes, warm winter coats, and even a red comforter for a student in need who particularly likes the color red. Her colleagues respect her pedagogical practices and the classroom management that creates a safe environment for her students. She serves her school on the Math Team, the ISTEM Team, the HOPE Committee, the PBIS Team, the social committee, the Chess Club, and more. During a remodel, she and a co-teacher brought 58 stu- dents into a single classroom space and, as one colleague said, “learning continued to soar.” Olsen demonstrates that a teacher can teach the standards and go deeper to show stu- dents how to be productive members of the community.
