Polk County Education 12A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 9, 2017 Keeping science, and kids, cool By Stephanie Blair CHS Class of 1952 The Central High School Class of 1952 will meet for a 65th an- niversary dinner at Murphy’s Restaurant, 288 Ellendale Ave., in Dallas, on Aug. 18 from 1 to 4 p.m., with dinner at 1:30. For more information: Yvonne Pettit, 503-838-0626, or Barbara McCul- lough, 503-831-3845. The Itemizer-Observer INDEPENDENCE — At Talmadge Middle School and Henry Hill Education Support Center, the Sum- mer Science Program will be wrapping up this week. The program has provided more than 100 children with activities to keep them in engaged and air condi- tioned, as well as providing them with free breakfast and lunch every day, said Angelica Gloria, the school district’s Summer Programs Coordinator. “(The program is impor- tant) because it’s giving stu- dents the opportunities that enrich them during the summer, so that they’re not at home, but they’re actual- ly actively involved still in the learning process,” Glo- ria said. “But it’s not like a typical school year, so we can offer field trips, and we can actually make more personal connec- tions and more relation- ships.” The elementary program, which serves students who are going into third, fourth and fifth grades, began at IES, but had to relocate to Henry Hill due to the old building’s inadequate air conditioning. At Henry Hill, a short walk from the public pool, students learn about the solar system and space travel while working on reading and problem-solv- ing skills in the classroom. The whole day isn’t spent inside, however. Students also get to visit the public pool and enjoy the summer sunshine. Down the road, at Tal- madge Middle School, incoming sixth-, sev- enth- and eighth-graders are learning about the science of space and the solar eclipse while work- ing on skills such as reading, graph-making and teamwork. REUNIONS IHS all-school reunion The annual All-School Reunion of Independence High will be held at the Independence Public Library on Saturday, Aug. 26, beginning at 11 a.m. The luncheon, catered by Ovenbird Bakery of Independence for $15, will be served at noon. Send your reservation check to: IHS Reunion, P.O. Box 291, Independence, OR 97351. Questions? Al Oppliger, 503.838.1353 or email to jcoppliger@aol.com. DHS Class of 1977 40th reunion Date: Saturday, Aug. 12; 4:30 to 11 p.m., Latitude One, 904 Main St., Dallas. Cost - $35 (Individual) or $70 (Couple). RSVP to Tammy (Koloen) Bird, TBird861@msn.com. Additional informa- tion DHS Class of 1977 Facebook Page. 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. Reunion for Falls City schools STEPHANIE BLAIR/Itemizer-Observer Jesus Manzo Jauregui,12, and Marcos Rincon Ochoa,12, present the planets they de- signed in groups for the one of their classes in Summer Science Program at Talmadge. The middle school stu- dents also got out of the classroom and into the sun- shine on a number of trips to the pool, and got to visit a little farther from school. “(The OSU Hatfield Ma- rine Science Center trip) was one of my favorites be- cause I was just sitting around with (my friend) Angel and poking at every- thing,” said Marcos Rincon Ochoa, 12. “I’m surprised the guy behind the little counter where they run that big line of fish didn’t get annoyed with me and Angel. I’m surprised be- cause we asked him probably 50 questions.” The program also provid- ed students with an oppor- tunity to visit OMSI and the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. Over the course of the program, students have learned about the eclipse and the solar system while completing hands- on projects, such as building model marsh- mallow rovers at the ele- mentary school and water rockets at the middle school. “We had a great time making water rockets,” said Tracy Barnes, one the sum- mer school instructors and a Central School District teacher. “It was a blast and the kids really got into it, so it was a lot of fun — espe- cially when you got to see their rockets go up.” This program provides learning opportunities for more than children, though; the teachers and staff get an amazing expe- rience working in the classrooms, explained Glo- ria. The teaching staff for the summer program in- cludes a mix of school teachers, Polk County vol- unteers, Western Oregon University Bilingual Schol- ars and a 16-year-old volun- teer from Central High School. While the volunteers are an immense support to the program, they’re not the only outside support that the district has. The program also has a number of partners helping to support it, including OregonASK, Polk County and the city of Independ- ence. Specifically, the In- dependence Library, which is spearheading the STREAM (Science, Tech- nology, Reading, Arts and Math) program. Through STREAM, the children within the Sum- mer Science Program were able to use a mobile maker space. This is the second year this program has run and the first year that the mid- dle school and K-2 pro- grams have been intro- duced. For more informa- tion: Angelica Gloria, aglo- ria@central.k12.or.us 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 when The Breadboard closes. There is a special Facebook group page: www.facebook.com/groups/434784380189748/. For more information: Tracy Quiring, dgutf@outlook.com or 541- 903-1434. CHS Class of 1977 40th Requesting all classmates to attend Central High School’s Class of 1977 40th reunion for a no-host dinner and drinks at Kolby’s RB&B at 3838 River Road NE, Keizer, on Aug. 12 from 6 to 11:30 p.m. RSVP on Facebook: www.facebook.com/events /631545067040419/?ti=icl or text Molly Derry at 503-917-9251, via email, mderry@aol.com. ACADEMIC HONORS Deters named to Whitworth honor roll SPOKANE, Wash. - Melia Deters, of Dallas, has been named to the Whitworth University provost’s honor roll for spring semester 2017. The student qualified for the academic honor society by maintaining a grade-point average of at least 3.75 during the semester. Phaup honored on Spring Dean’s List BOSTON – Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences University named Katelyn Phaup, of Independ- ence, to the dean’s list for the spring 2017 semester. The dean’s list recognizes those students with a full- time course load who have achieved outstanding scholar- ship with a 3.5 grade-point average or higher for the aca- demic term.