Polk County Education
14A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 12, 2017
SCHOOL NOTES
Perrydale hosts summer reading
PERRYDALE — Perrydale School’s Mrs. Yovino will host a sum-
mer reading program through Aug. 2.
The program is Mondays and Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. at the
school, 7445 Perrydale Road.
For more information: 503-623-2040.
Perrydale board approves budget
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer file
Blake Ogilvie watches a 3-D printer create a design during an exhibition night at LaCreole Middle School in 2016.
The school is building a makerspace lab designed for projects that use 3-D printers, laser cutters and imagination.
LaCreole makes a makerspace
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Standing in the
middle of an L-shaped, mir-
ror-lined room at the end of
a hallway at LaCreole Middle
School, it’s hard to imagine
what Principal Jamie
Richardson has in mind.
The school’s former
weight room is empty and
ready for a major remodel,
some of which will be com-
pleted by the school’s teach-
ers. By September, that
room will become the Inno-
vations Lab.
The vision Richardson
and his staff have for it be-
comes clearer once he de-
scribes what has been hap-
pening in the school over
the past two years.
Students are elbow-to-
elbow in the school’s maker-
spaces, he said.
Makerspaces provide stu-
dents a variety of materials
to invent, build and test in-
ventions, often in response
to a “design challenge.” One
such challenge last year was
building a functional bottle
opener that meets design
standards. Teachers and
staff built makerspaces in a
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Principal Jamie Richardson in the green screen room.
corner of the library, a cou-
ple of large closets, a science
classroom and a portable
makerspace that students
can set up anywhere.
“I’ve watched over the last
couple of years. Our kids
kind of trip over each other
in these makeshift labs,”
Richardson said.
The green screen room —
for making videos — is so
busy, the school built
portable screens, and even
those aren’t enough,
Richardson said. Students
resort to taping up green
paper to make due.
The science classroom is
larger, but it’s still designed
best for science labs.
“It’s just not working be-
cause it’s not built for that,”
Richardson said.
He believed the school
could do better without much
expense by converting its old
weight room it into a large
makerspace.
“The kids can have the
space and the tools to do the
kind of innovative things
that we want them to do,”
he said. “I’m hoping down
the road, we can get our
community in.”
Richardson wants to invite
parents and other communi-
ty members to use the lab, so
adults can see what the
younger generation is up to.
“I don’t think even some
of our parents know what we
do on a daily basis. We have
our exhibition nights and our
open houses, and we try to
have things on hand that our
kids have created or that they
are working on,” Richardson
said. “But wouldn’t be cool if
we could have parent maker-
space night?”
Innovations Lab will have
mobile work stations, a 3-D
printer, a laser cutter,
sanders, saws and other tools
and materials for building.
Along with the lab, LaCre-
ole is adding a business and
design class that could make
use of the space. The point of
the class is to teach students
about all phases of running a
business, from idea to devel-
opment to marketing.
Whether students use the
lab to complete a class proj-
ect or through stem (science,
technology, engineering and
math) after school clubs,
Richardson and LaCreole
teachers want to provide
them with chances to have
fun — and develop skills.
“We are looking at those
things that are really good
for kids,” he said. “I can’t
wait to see what they come
up with.”
PERRYDALE — The Perrydale School Board adopted its 2017-
18 budget on June 13, based on a $7.8 billion state school fund
for the 2017-19 biennium.
The district’s budget includes a general fund of $4.14 million
and a total of $5.27 million.
On June 27, the state legislature voted to send a $8.2 billion
state school fund to Gov. Kate Brown for her signature.
Board member Anna Scharf said at the budget meeting plan-
ning conservatively and hoping for more is the best strategy for
the district — even as lawmakers considered sending more
money to schools.
“The $8.2 (billion) that is now being worked through the legis-
lature would mean that we would have a higher level of rev-
enue,” Scharf said. “But we budgeted like we are not getting it,
which is the best thing we could possibly do.”
She said the board could accept and spend more revenue by
resolution or reconvene the budget committee if necessary.
REUNIONS
DHS Class of 1997
Dallas High School Class of 1997 will celebrate its 20th re-
union at Rogue Farms from 6 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 5. On Aug. 6
from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., classmates will meet at Dallas City
Park for a family picnic. For more information and tickets go to
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dallas-or-class-of-97-reunion-
tickets-35530112523, or on the DHS class of 1997 reunion
group on Facebook.
CHS Class of 1972
Central Class of 1972 will celebrate its 45th class reunion on
July 22 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Independence Riverview
Park. No host; just come and visit. Hope to see you there.
MHS 85th reunion
The 85th Monmouth High School all-school reunion will take
place Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the Historic Gentle House, 855 N.
Monmouth Ave., Monmouth. The event will feature a potluck
lunch, photo displays and lots of memories.
Plates, silverware and beverages will be provided.
For more information” Calene, 503-38-3990 or Madeline, 503-
838-2995.
DHS Class of 1962
Dallas High School Class of 1962 will celebrate its 55th re-
union on Aug. 11-13.
For more information: Case Chaney, 503-881-5810.
Falls City schools
Open to anyone who has attended Falls City schools. The
event will be held on Aug 26 starting at noon at The Bread-
board in Falls City. The event moves to The Boondocks at 4 p.m.
when The Breadboard closes.
There is a Facebook group page: www.facebook.com/
groups/434784380189748/. For more info: Tracy Quiring,
dgutf@outlook.com or 541-903-1434.