SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 30,1998
New teachers on the job at South Morrow County Schools
Eight new teachers started
school this fall at south Morrow
County Schools. Chns Davis
and Duane Neiffer are new to
lone Schools; Barb Orwick,
Karen Holland and Sue Gibbs
have new positions at Heppner
Elementary School; Jason Just
and Mona Hardman are newly-
hired staff at Heppner High
School; and Darlene Marquardt
divides her time among all three
schools.
Chris Davis
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Chris Davis, 24, teaches
geography, social studies,
history and government at lone
High School.
Originally from Prosser,
Washington, Davis graduated
from Prosser High School and
then
attended
Eastern
Washington
University
at
Cheney, WA, where he
graduated in 1997 with a degree
in social science and secondary
education.
Davis, who played football in
high school and has coached
football and basketball, is
volunteering as an assistant
football coach at lone. He is in
charge of the IHS yearbook and
International Club advisor.
Davis fenjoys golf, basketball
and hiking. He and his wife,
Sara, live in lone with their
three-year-old son, Conner.
Sara is in the process of
completing her degree in
elementary education.
£
Duane Neiffer
While new to his position at
lone Schools, Duane Neiffer is
not new to Morrow County,
teaching previously at Heppner
and at Boardman.
Neiffer, 48, now teaches
seventh and eighth grade
science, high school biology,
geology and PE at lone Schools.
Originally from Montana,
Neiffer,
graduated
from
Dawson County High School at
Glendive, MT. He attended
Dawson College at Glendive
and then moved to Oregon,
transferring to Oregon College
of Education, now Western
Oregon
University
at
Monmouth. He graduated from
OCE in 1972 with a bachelor of
arts degree in secondary
education with a double major
in chemistry and physical
science. He received his
master's degree in physical
science at OCE in 1976.
He started his teaching career
at Heppner High School in the
fall of 1972, teaching physics,
chemistry, earth science and
geology until 1986 when the
family moved to LaGrande. He
worked there for three years,
logging for Bruce Young of
Heppner and working at Boise
Cascade while his wife
completed her
degree in
elementary
education
and
received an endorsement as a
reading specialist.
In 1989 the NeifTers moved
back to Morrow County. His
wife, Linda, got a job teaching
at Sam Boardman Elementary
and he taught another year at
Heppner.
He then began
working for the PGE Coal Fired
Plant as a chemistry technician
from 1990-94. They bought a
farm in the Boardman area in
1992 and he raised cattle and
substitute taught from 1994-96.
From 1996-98 he taught special
education at Hermiston.
In 1997 the Neiffer children,
started attending school at lone
Schools and the family has
moved to lone. Jacob, 16, is a
junior at IHS, Adam, 14, is a
freshman, and Paul, 12, is a
seventh grader.
"We like small schools and
the rural environment," said
Neiffer. "We've always been
tied to agriculture and we know
a lot of people here."
The Neiffers enjoy family
activities and have manned the
Heppner
Ranger
District
lookout at Madison Butte as a
family for the last two years.
They also enjoy raising
livestock and the kids have been
active in 4-H and sports.
Duane, who is a rock hound,
says he likes being able to teach
geology. "Not too many schools
offer it,” he says. "It's great to
have the opportunity.
Sue Gibbs
Sue Gibbs, 31, is originally
from Colorado. She graduated
from high school at Eatonville
High School in Washington.
She attended Washington State
University
at
Pullman,
receiving a bachelor of science
degree in animal science in
1989. She returned to school at
Oregon State University and
then went to Eastern Oregon
University at LaGrande where
she earned a degree from OSU
in range resources.
She met her husband, Jay,
while attending OSU and
working for the MC Ranch, at
that time the largest ranch in
Oregon with two and a half
million acres, raising cattle,
hay, wheat and other grains.
She then moved to Pendleton
where she worked in wholesale
livestock and power fencing
equipment and then returned to
school. She began working at
CB Research Center out of
Pendleton in wheat genetics.
Her husband was working with
the
Natural
Resources
Conservation Service and got a
position working in Condon.
They stayed in Condon for
several years and she worked
for ranchers, running cattle and
feeding livestock. She then
made a turning point in her life,
when she took a job as a
preschool aide. "I fell in love
with it and knew that I wanted
to get my teaching certificate,"
said Gibbs.
She called up a professor she
knew at Eastern and set up an
independent study program,
taking courses one at a time
until she returned to school full
time last fall to take the
education classes she needed.
Gibbs was able to complete her
student teaching at Heppner
Elementary School for teacher
Cherry Webber.
Gibbs did barrel racing and
goat tying in high school and
barrel racing, breakaway and
goat tying in college. She
especially enjoyed training a
colt for barrel racing and was
even able to use the proceeds of
the sale of the horse to put
herself through school.
Gibbs says she loves living in
Heppner because of its "positive
attitude" and comments that the
staff at Heppner Elementary is
"wonderful" and has been really
supportive. "I've enjoyed it a
great deal," she said."I'm
looking forward to a great year
Gibbs and her husband, Jay,
have two children. Garret, who
was bom in 1994, and Macy,
who was bom in 1997.
Karen Holland
Karen Holland, 38, is
originally from Rogue River
near Grants Pass and graduated
from Rogue River High School.
After graduation she attended
Southern Oregon State College,
now
Southern
Oregon
University, at Ashland, where
she received a bachelor of arts
degree in Spanish. She spent a
year studying in Mexico on an
exchange program and then
went to Eastern Oregon State
College at LaGrande, now
Eastern Oregon University,
where she earned another
bachelor's degree, this time in
education, with a specialty in
bilingual elementary education.
She got her first job teaching
at a bilingual school in the
Portland area.
She and her husband, Dale,
were married and then moved to
Ontario where they both taught
school-he
high
. school
chemistry and science and she
third grade. From there they
moved to Unity where she
substitute taught all grades,
kindergarten through 12 "in
everything including metal
shop," laughs Holland. At Unity
her husband taught upper
division math and science,
coached sports and was the
athletic director.
The family then moved to lone
and she substitute taught in
lone, Boardman and Heppner.
When her youngest got into
school, she began teaching full
time third and fourth multi-age
grouping.
"I enjoy my class, especially
knowing what I'm going to do
every day. I'm getting to know
my kids," said Holland. "There
are some really nice kids her
and it's a nice new school."
The Hollands have three
children, Barbara, 11, who is in
the sixth grade at lone;
Stephanie, nine, who is in the
fourth grade; and Thomas, six,
who is in kindergarten.
Hardman graduated from
Crook County High School in
Pnneville. She then attended
Central Oregon Community
College in Bend for two years
before transferring to Oregon
State University where she
received a bachelor of arts
degree in humanities and
received
her
teacher's
certificate.
She taught art for two years at
Crook County Middle School
and then returned to college at
Western Oregon University.
After renewing her basic
teaching certificate she was
again hired as an art teacher at
CCMS. While in Pnneville she
trained a horse to barrel race
and competed at rodeos.
After she mamed her husband
Dennis,
they
moved
to
Newberg. During this time, she
was employed in the Portland
area four and a half years in
clerical/secretanal work. She
also took additional art classes
at Portland State University and
exhibited her art in a juried
show.
In 1992 she enrolled in the
Washington State University
master's program in counseling
psychology at WSU's Tri Cities
campus.
They moved to
Silverton for a short while after
she completed her degree. She
was then hired as an elementary
school counselor in Hermiston
and substitute taught mostly
bilingual students at Umatilla
and Pasco.
Hardman enjoys her floor
loom and has demonstrated
weaving at the Oregon State
Fair. She is a member of the
Friends church and has worked
as camp counselor at the Twin
Rocks Friends Camp. She has
also done volunteer work at a
counseling agency which also
distributed food and clothing.
She is a member of the Allied
Arts Gallery and enjoys
traveling.
Hardman's husband is self
employed as a design draftsman
and has worked as a computer
aided draftsman. He is currently
working through a construction
company in Hermiston.
"I've found there seems to
be a lot of community
involvement here and I'm really
impressed with that," says
Hardman. "I'm looking forward
to getting to know more people
in the community.
rural town provides and added
that the students here are "so
much more capable" than other
places lie has taught.
Just and his wife, Stacy, have
two children, Aubree, eight, a
third grader at Heppner
Elementary School, and Logan,
seven, a first grader at HES, and
are anxiously awaiting a third
baby. Stacy is an art education
major and hopes to return to
school 16 finish her degree.
The family enjoys spending
time together, camping and
hiking. They also have two
horses, a Tennesee Walker-
Morgan mare and a colt that is
half quarterhorse, 1/4 Tennesee
Walker and 1/4 Morgan.
Barb Orwick
While Barb Orwick is new to
her class at Heppner Elementary
School, she is certainly no
stranger to the Heppner-
Lexmgton area.
Orwick, who is currently
teaching fifth and sixth-grade
math and fifth-grade reading at
HES, first started teaching at
Heppner in 1979. She taught
fifth grade at HES for two years
before marrying her husband,
Mike,
and
moving
to
Springfield.
She then was hired in
Boardman. teaching special
education classes half time at
Riverside High School. She and
her husband then moved to
LaGrande and Cove where she
substitute taught, primarily in
special education.
Orwick returned to Lexington
in 1988 and substituted a year
before being hired as a sixth-
grade teacher, mainly in social
studies. She taught sixth grade
for three years and then became
the Title I teacher for the next
six years, with one year in the
middle teaching junior high
school home ec.
The Orwicks have two
children, Doug. 13, who is an
eighth grader at Heppner Junior
High, and Elizabeth, 11, who is
a sixth grader at HES. Her
husband is a machinist at the
PGE Coal Fired Plant in
Boardman.
The Orwicks built their own
house in Lexington.
Barb Orwick enjoys reading,
sewing, and playing golf. For
several years she conducted
study skills classes for kids in
fifth grade through high school.
Jason Just
Mona Hardman
Mona Hardman, 52, is the
new counselor at Heppner High
School, replacing Barbara
Hayes who retired.
Hardman, one of five children,
grew up working on her
family's
cattle
and
hay
operation in Pnneville and
returned summers to help out
until she finished college. As a
youngster she was involved in
4-H clothing and leather craft.
Jason Just has been hired as a
science teacher at Heppner High
School.
Just, 31, credits a six-year
career in the military for his
interest in science. Just
graduated from Sunnyside, WA,
High School in 1985 and then
attended Eastern Washington
University at Ellensburg, WA,
for a short while before joining
the Army. While in the Army
he worked as a physical therapy
assistant and so, after discharge,
returned to EWU to pursue a
career in physical therapy. But,
while he was there, a study
group in which he was involved
nurtured his passion for
teaching and he decided what
he really wanted to do was
become a teacher.
He graduated from EWU in
1997 with a bachelor of science
degree with a major in health
and a minor in chemistry.
After graduation Just
substitute taught for Cheney
Middle School and Medical
Lake High School before being
hired at HHS. Just says he
enjoys the atmosphere a small
Darlene Marquardt
Darlene Marquardt, Athena,
newly hired music teacher for
lone and Heppner schools, has
special ties to the Heppner-
Lexington area. Marquardt is
married to Jim Marquardt
whom she met over the Internet.
Jim Marquardt grew up in
Lexington and graduated from
Heppner High School.
Marquardt, 51, was bom in
Indiana, but grew up in the
Portland area, graduating from
Gresham High School. She
attended Cascade College for
three years and then transferred
to
Oregon
College
of
Education,
now
Western
Oregon University, where she
received a bachelor's degree in
music education. She did her
student teaching in the David
Douglas School District in
Portland.
After graduation, Marquardt
moved to Newport, where she
worked for the Lincoln County
School District full time for two
years and then substitute taught.
While in Newport, she was
instrumental in starting two day
care facilities.
Marquardt then returned to
school
at Oregon
State
University where she received a
master's degree in education.
From there she moved to
California and then Nevada and
taught music in the public
school system at both places.
While at Nevada she got a
master's degree in business
administration and spent two
years working in the business
field, mostly in insurance.
Marquardt then returned to
Newport where she, along with
another woman, started the
Sonshine Christian School and
worked as administrator of the
school for five years.
Marquardt mamed her
husband, who is a police officer
for the city of Athena, and
moved there in 1995. She lives
in Heppner during the week and
goes home on weekends.
During her first year in
Eastern Oregon, Marquardt
substitute
taught
in the
Pendleton School District. In
March of 1996, she accepted a
position finishing the year
teaching business in Echo. The
next two years she taught music
in Echo.
Marquardt, who is certified to
teach both business and music,
says she enjoys her job with the
Morrow County School District.
"Everybody has really made me
feel like I belong to the
community."
Marquardt enjoys writing web
pages and has written them for
numerous agencies. She also
likes cats, reading and plants.
Marquardt has two children,
Donica Mating, 24, who lives in
West Palm Beach, FLA, and
works for a temp agency and
Duncan, 21, who lives in Salem
and works for Willoughby's
Beauty Supply.
Varsity and JV
teams beat
lone in
two games
By Molly Rhea
The Heppner varsity and JV
net squads trotted down to lone
on Tuesday, September 22, and
both Mustang teams won their
matches in two games.
The varsity Mustangs jumped
out to a quick 7-0 lead before
lone was able to post a point in
game one.
The Cardinals
chipped away at the Mustang
lead to come within one point,
11-12, before Heppner pounded
in the final three points to win
game one 15-11.
The second game was close
throughout as the lead see
sawed. Then with the Cardinals
ahead, 14-13, the teams
exchanged the serve four times
before Amber Peck went back
to ace points 14 and 15, and
score point 16 off an lone miss
to take the win, 16-14.
Brooke Boyer and Jill Barber,
along with Trisha Adams,
performed the setting for the
Mustangs. Casey Ingraham had
a great night at the net with at
least eight kills.
The Mustangs served 82
percent (45/55) for the match.
Contributing 100 percent from
behind the service line were
Peck (9/9), Barber (5/5), and
Amy Papineau (4/4), Boyer
served 13/14.
The
Heppner JVs
led
throughout both games to take
their match in two quick games,
15-8, 15-8.
As a team, the JVs served 76
percent (45/59). Abby Kahl
(7/7), Macy Rhea (3/3) Amy
Papineau (3/3) and Leah Denton
(1/1) all served at 100 percent,
Katie Shemtt was 10/11 for the
match.
The Mustangs traveled to Pilot
Rock Tuesday, September 29,
to kick off their CBC action.
News deadline
5p.m. Monday