EDUCATION
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
A7
Local volunteers share Words for Thirds
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
What is black and white and
“read” all over? Dictionaries!
A total of 52 local third-grad-
ers received Merriam-Webster
dictionaries this month in the
Words for Thirds program, the
books donated by members of the
Mt.Vernon Grange and American
Legion Auxiliary Ellis Tracy Unit
77.
Students from Humbolt Ele-
mentary in Canyon City were
gifted the books Oct. 1, and ele-
mentary students from Long
Creek, Monument and Day-
ville received their books on
Oct. 8. Third-graders at Seneca
School had books delivered, and
area homeschool students also
Contibuted photo
Humbolt third-graders received dictionaries Oct. 1 from members of the
Mt. Vernon Grange and American Legion Auxiliary Ellis Tracy Unit 77.
Front from left: Dominik Sagaser, Rhynna Wyllie, and Ivy Laframboise;
back, Joyce Nodine, Mary Ellen Brooks and Frances Preston.
received the dictionaries at the
Grant County Education Service
District in John Day.
Grange member Jo Stiner, who
is a retired Humbolt Elementary
administrative assistant, said she
and the other volunteers asked the
third-grade teachers if dictionaries
are still needed, since technology
is readily available.
All concluded that it’s important
students know how to use a dictio-
nary, Stiner said, adding that sev-
eral children don’t have access to
a computer at home. The books are
also kept in the students’ desks at
school for classroom assignments.
Stiner and grange treasurer
Mary Ellen Brooks, grange secre-
tary Frances Preston and auxiliary
member Joyce Nodine all helped
distribute the dictionaries.
Costs for the books are split
between the grange and auxiliary.
Prairie City students also
receive dictionaries through their
local American Legion Auxiliary.
The goal is to increase chil-
dren’s literacy with an opportu-
nity for greater success in educa-
tion and life.
“Every third-grader in the
county is able to receive a dictio-
nary,” Brooks said, adding it’s an
expensive but important project.
“At the end of the year they can
take them home. It’s been going
for quite a while.”
Three days after receiving her
dictionary, a third-grade girl ran
up to Nodine while she was at a
dinner and said, ‘I know you. You
gave me a dictionary!’”
“The kids were so excited, and
they really appreciated it,” Stiner
said. “The third-graders are so
respectful. That kind of makes it
all worthwhile.”
EAGLE ON VACATION
Flying Tigers visit Taj Mahal
Contributed photo
More students were treated through the Healthy, Happy Smiles
school-based oral health program than last school year.
Healthy, Happy Smiles
sees an increase in
student participation
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County students
received another year of
Healthy, Happy Smiles and
had higher participation
over the previous year.
The school-based oral
health program provides free
dental screenings, fluoride,
sealants and follow-up care
for students, administered
by Eastern Oregon Healthy
Living Alliance in partner-
ship with Advantage Dental
in Grant, Harney, Baker and
Malheur counties.
The increase in stu-
dent participation can be
attributed to the higher return
of consent forms, accord-
ing to an EOHLA report on
the 2018-2019 school year.
In 2018, the consent form
returns for Grant County
was 48%, while 2019 saw a
return rate of 67%.
“The higher student
participation rate can be
attributed to schools grow-
ing more familiar with the
program and a strong rela-
tionship with the Advantage
Dental from DentaQuest’s
Expanded Practice Dental
Hygienist,” according to the
report.
While Grant County saw
an increase in consent forms
returned, the other three
counties saw a decrease.
Out of the 966 students
screened in Grant County,
292 of them received seal-
ants, 404 received silver
diamine fluoride and 164
had fluoride applied.
Children who received
silver diamine fluoride are
treated with fluoride with sil-
ver that is powerful enough
to stop cavities that are hard
to see.
“It is painted on the teeth
and can heal early tooth
decay. Fillings may not
be needed for the cavities
that are treated with silver
diamine fluoride,” according
to the report.
Funding for this proj-
ect is provided in part by
the Oregon Community
Foundation. Eastern Ore-
gon Healthy Living Alliance
received a $60,000 grant by
the Oregon Children’s Den-
tal Health Initiative to make
the program available for the
2019-2020 school year.
Contributed photo
The Monument Flying Tigers travel club took the Eagle on a trip to the Taj Mahal. Take a picture with the Eagle while on
vacation and send it to editor@bmeagle.com or 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845.
Monument School staff member is also an alum
Blue Mountain Eagle
Six Monument School staff mem-
bers were highlighted in the Sept. 18
article “Several Monument School
staff members return to their roots.”
After the article went to print,
school officials discovered one more
staff member, Rebecca Grassl, is also
a Monument School graduate. She
was recently hired by the school dis-
trict as an instructional assistant.
Grassl
gradu-
ated from Monument
in 1996 and moved
back to Monument in
2011 with her three
children.
Before she was
recently hired, Grassl
Rebecca
volunteered at the
Grassl
school and was a sub-
stitute teacher in the preschool class-
room and as an instructional aide.
“Monument School District is
lucky to have just under 45% of our
staff who are alumni of the school dis-
trict,” said Superintendent/Principal
Laura Thomas. “This really shows the
dedication and commitment to both
the community and the school.”
Other staff members who gradu-
ated from Monument School include
Michele Engle, Chuck Thomas, Kristi
Emerson, Teri Hamilton, Jessica Hud-
son and Mary Cade.
ANNUAL
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
Get the cash you need FAST!
Saturday November 9, 8am-3pm
1809 First Street • Baker City • (541)523-5439
Mt. Vernon Grange Hall
BARGAIN MATINEE IN ( ) Adults $7
ALL FILMS $6 ON TIGHTWAD TUESDAY
MOVIE SCHEDULE OCT. 25 - OCT. 31
JUDY (PG-13)
Judy Garland arrives in London in the
winter of 1968 to perform a series of
sold-out concerts
FRI & SAT
(4:00) 6:50 9:30
SUNDAY
(4:00) 6:50
MON- THURS
6:50
ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP
(R)
A snarky makeshift family faces off
against evolved zombies and fellow
survivors in the American
heartland.
FRI & SAT
(4:20) 7:10 9:40
SUNDAY
(4:20) 7:10
MON-THURS
7:10
MALEFICENT (PG)
Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora
begin to question the complex family ties
that bind them.
FRI & SAT
(4:10) 7:00 9:35
SUNDAY
(4:10) 7:00
MON- THURS
7:00
$9 Adult, $7 Senior (60+), Youth
Located across from Holliday
State Park on HWY 26
We encourage you to come out
and support the grange and all the
vendors for the Christmas Bazaar.
Serving: Stew with fresh baked
rolls, pies, cakes and cookies.
148459
School-based oral
health program
provides free care
Eat lunch here or take it home
for dinner.
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CHRISTENSEN
TOM
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• Costume Contest, Games & Food,
music by DJ
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541-523-6377
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149131
235 N. Canyon City Blvd.
Canyon City • 541-575-0720
140 NE Dayton, John Day
541-575-1824