Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 21, 2017 3A
Award: Tech use evolving Valsetz residents set reunion
Continued from Page 1A
Those who nominated
him and selected the winner
of the 2017 awards felt oth-
erwise.
“The use of technology is
a natural, integral part of
everyday life for all parties at
LaCreole Middle School,”
wrote Dallas Superintendent
Michelle Johnstone in her
nomination letter for
Richardson. “Mr. Richard-
son is keenly aware of the
educational needs of our
‘digital natives’ and how
technology has shifted the
way they think, learn and
process information, and
one of his goals is helping
learners engage and make
real world connection in this
digital age.”
LaCreole has a “bring
your own device” policy that
allows students to use their
phones and tablets for
school work — and doesn’t
shun technology use during
school hours. The school is
social-media friendly, with a
Facebook page and Twitter
and Instagram accounts
showing what students are
doing during class.
“We’re cautious, but we
are not afraid of what the
outcomes could be,”
Richardson said. “When I
look around, and what prob-
ably makes our school dif-
ferent, is we’ve gotten over
that hurdle a little quicker.”
Along with encouraging
technology use, the school
has put in place technology
learning standards that
stress creativity, innovation,
communication and collab-
oration, critical thinking and
digital citizenship.
Richardson said he and
the school’s teachers adopt-
ed use of technology slowly,
incorporating it into the re-
turn of electives, which had
been eliminated due to
budget cuts during the re-
cession.
“It gave us an opportunity
to look at things differently,”
he said. “It been one of
those things that has been
really important to me, is
how do get our kids a little
more prepared to what they
are going to face.”
Richardson said the cul-
ture the school has creat-
ed — which is ever-evolv-
ing — is in large part due to
the teachers’ willingness to
try new ideas.
Using technology in the
classroom isn’t something
teachers are necessary
trained to do, so they are
learning alongside their stu-
dents, he said.
NASSP noted his leader-
ship of that effort in its
award announcement.
Teachers and students de-
scribe him as an exceptional
advocate for technology and
digital-age learning and a
catalyst for implementing
technology, makerspaces,
and project-based learning
programs,” the announce-
ment read. “Richardson en-
sures that all teachers get
time to learn and discuss
technology integration and
that, through social media,
parents stay connected to
the school.”
Learning with technology
isn’t a separate class, but in-
tegrated into all disci-
plines — which is engaging
students in ways Richardson
said traditional teaching
can’t always accomplish.
“Any day, you walk
around our hallways and it’s
full of kids doing creative
things,” Richardson said. “It
can look they’re goofing off,
but in the end, they are
going to have a product that
demonstrates their learning
in different ways. The kids
get excited about it, and
when the kids are excited,
we know they are learning
more.”
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
VALSETZ — Former resi-
dents of Valsetz are gather-
ing this weekend for a camp
out reunion at the site for-
merly occupied by the town
they once called home.
Organizer Ken Jeske said
between 300 and 400 peo-
ple show up every reunion.
A yearly reunion happens
in Falls City, but the town
site camp out is only every
three years.
It’s a special journey for
former residents.
“People are coming from
all over,” Jeske said.
Thirty-three years ago,
Boise Cascade, which
owned the Valsetz mill and
the entire town, forced resi-
dents to move after the mill
closed.
Remembering
Valsetz
What: Third
Valsetz reunion.
Where: Former
Valsetz town site, lo-
cated west of Falls
City.
When: Friday, Sat-
urday, Sunday.
For more infor-
mation: or to register
to camp: Ken Jeske,
503-910-5943.
Once they left, Valsetz
was torn down.
In 2011, former residents
were granted permission to
hold a reunion where the
town once stood, and they
returned in 2014 for a sec-
ond reunion.
Former residents are
welcome to camp starting
Friday and the reunion
concludes Sunday at noon.
Camping is only for former
residents, Jeske said.
For those who can’t be
there the whole weekend,
Saturday features the main
event, a reunion barbecue
at the site.
He said each reunion
brings more former resi-
dents back, even those who
have been reluctant to re-
connect.
“Best thing that I see
happen is those people
who don’t want to come to
the reunion because they
want to remember the
town the way it was are
being drawn out,” he said.
“It’s not so much about the
town as it is the people.
That’s cool to watch.”
Graduation Day
LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer
Western Oregon students file into McArthur Field during the university’s gradua-
tion ceremony on Saturday morning.
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer file
Students at LaCreole Middle School are encouraged to use devices during class, part
of a strategy that teaches students how to use technology for work, just not play.
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Financial Advisor
503-623-2146
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