Polk County Education
16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 8, 2017
SCHOOL NOTES
Santiam hosts OSU for family science
ADAIR VILLAGE — Santiam Christian School will host Ore-
gon State University for a science and engineering night on
Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The evening will feature science and engineering activities
for students in grades kindergarten through 12, and fun for the
whole family. A mobile markerspace will be on site, as well as a
Tesla coil from Linn-Benton Community College, a Segway and
other activities.
The school is at 7220 NE Arnold Ave., Adair Village.
For more information: Kim Conolly, conollyk@santiam.org.
Exclusion Day for schools is next week
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Students at Lyle Elementary School in Dallas listen to a classmate tell his version of an eclipse myth on Feb. 1
Science, myth of solar eclipses
Students at Lyle create their own stories explaining the phenomena
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Ancient soci-
eties explained solar eclipses
through a variety of wild-
sounding stories.
Among them are tales of
demons eating the sun,
dogs stealing the sun, and
the moon fighting with the
sun.
Those stories have the
same ending: The sun is
too powerful to be cap-
tured for long.
On Feb. 1, students at
Lyle Elementary School
dreamed up their own ex-
planations during a pres-
entation about the solar
eclipse part of the country
will see on Aug. 21.
Elaine Cuyler, who calls
herself the “chief eclipse
officer,” presented the sci-
entific reason for solar
eclipses Wednesday at
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Students listed ideas for eclipse myths.
Lyle.
Polk County is part of a
narrow strip of Oregon and
the United States that will
see the eclipse in totality
around 10 a.m. on Aug. 21.
Cuyler’s mission Wednes-
day, and with other presen-
tations she’s given along
the path of totality, was to
spread the news about the
eclipse — and spark an in-
terest in science among her
young audiences.
She also wanted to allow
them to stretch their story-
telling creativity by asking
each class to craft its own
“eclipse myth.”
“Their imaginations can
shine through, to make a
bad pun,” she said, smiling.
“One student from each
class will present to every-
one in the room. We will
hear how different they
are.”
Four third-grade classes
gathered in corners of the
school’s library to come up
with ideas and then narrow
down those choices to their
favorite.
See ECLIPSE, Page 9A
POLK COUNTY — The Oregon Health Authority announced
that Feb. 15 is School Exclusion Day.
The Oregon Immunization Program reminds parents that
children will not be able to attend school or child care starting
that day if their records on file show missing immunizations.
Under state law, all children in public and private schools,
preschools, Head Start and certified child care facilities must
have up-to-date documentation on their immunizations or
have an exemption.
If school and child care vaccination records are not up to
date on Feb. 15, the child will be sent home.
In 2016, 6,995 children were kept out of school or child care
until the necessary immunization information was turned into
schools or child care facilities.
Parents seeking immunizations for their children should
contact their local health care provider or local health depart-
ment, or call 211, or go to 211info.org.
No one can be turned away from a local health department
because of the inability to pay for required vaccines. Many
pharmacists can immunize children aged 7 and older.
More information: healthoregon.org/imm.
FACES receives $25,000 from SMCF
FALLS CITY — The Spirit Mountain Community Fund
awarded Falls City School District’s after school program Fam-
ily Academics Community Enrichment for Success a $25,000
grant.
The grant will pay for a free driver’s education class for
high school students with driver’s permits, staff training in
social and emotional needs of students, and providing stu-
dents and their families access to individual and family coun-
seling.
FACES is waiting on word about a $28,000 grant from Polk
County’s Economic Development Department and is applying
for a grant from Honda, emphasizing literacy and science, tech-
nology, engineering and mathematics.
The program will be applying to the Ford Family Foundation
and Oregon Community Foundation later in the year.
ACADEMIC HONORS
Dallas student graduates Marquette
MILwAUKEE — Raiza Zwirner, of Dallas, has graduated from
Marquette University in Milwaukee. Zwirner earned a Master of
Science in nursing.
Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university with
more than 11,500 students.
Dallas’ Fast earns dean’s list honors
SPOKANE, wash. — Seth Fast, of Dallas, earned placement
on the Gonzaga University dean’s list for fall semester 2016.
Students must earn a 3.5 to 3.84 grade-point average to be list-
ed.
Gonzaga University is a humanistic, private Catholic universi-
ty providing a Jesuit education to more than 7,500 students.