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.
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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.