Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2000)
Exchange program in its 20th year; last year for its creator B 3 3 fl 1 3 W 0 t fl 3 11 U of 0 Newa,“ ! L ib ra ry L u ; 3n o , 0.1 Centennial eighth-grade exchange students (left to right): front- Joe Henry, Kori Kajitsu, Summer Mctnnis, Morgan Mosset; back - Jeremy Orr, David Tunnell. At 20 years old, the baby's all grown up now, but, it's the proud papa who's decided it’s time to leave the nest. The baby is the Centennial Middle School-Heppner Junior High eighth-grade exchange program, the brainchild of Centennial Middle School teacher Dave Olcott. Olcott, who created the program and has been with it since its inception in 1981, has decided it's time to turn over the reins. This was the last School board postpones action on administrator 's incentive plai e A plan to offer Morrow County School district teachers an incentive to become administrators and work in the district was derailed, for the time being, at the school board meeting Monday, May 8, in Lexington. The plan had come under fire by the public and board members Barney Lindsay and Keith Lewis, who maintained that the district could not afford to offer incentives while, at the same time, it was cutting classroom teachers. Lindsay and Lewis also said that the district had drawn enough applicants for administrators’ positions in the past and the current system, which reimburses teachers for further education, is sufficient. The board discussed specifying that monies for the incentive program be raised outside the district’s general fund. Action on the issue was postponed. The board also discussed a plan which would establish a high school in Imgon if voters approve a bond levy for construction the school. Board members and Superintendent Bruce Anderson discussed the plan as a way to accommodate the growing student population in • the Boardman-Irrigon areas. They said that considering the rate of growth in the area, Riverside High School and the new school could both possibly reach 3A status within five years. "With five percent growth, at this rate, we could eventually have two 3A schools," commented board member Dwayne Carroll. Riverside High School, now a 3A school, would probably become a 2A school, at least temporarily, if another school is built in Imgon. Operation of a new school would cost in the neighborhood of $200,000 to $250,000, including approximately $150,000 for an athletic program, Anderson said. The board discussed questions for a survey the district plans to have completed concerning the issue. The board heard a report from Sam Pambrun with the concerning Oregon's 21 st Century Schools Act, which includes the CIM and CAM requirements. Pambrun said that his research indicated that while teachers want to be accountable, they feel that the C1M-CAM system is not working and should be revamped. He said that teachers are forced to teach to the tests, are bogged down with administrative work and "the target keeps changing." Anderson commented that with the requirement that current seventh graders pass the CIM to be able to graduate, "less than half the kids would graduate." He said that a big problem with the school reform act is that it was mandated without accompanying state funding to accomplish the goals. "They can require it all they want," said Anderson. "We don't have the money to do it. "You're asking educators to teach something that's not well defined," added Mike Keown, MCSD assistant superintendent. "You're testing kids on something that's not well defined. . .And there's no teeth. If they don't pass CIM, nothing happens." Board member Julie Weikel, however, asked if graduation requirements should be based on "seat time or standards." "Shall we lower the standards?" Weikel asked. Pambrun said that the Oregon Department of Education plans to unveil a state plan to reform the school reform plan. In other business: -the board heard that four applications have been received for the lone Schools principal position. Current lone principal, Dick Allen, will take over the Heppner Junior/Senior High School principal position this fall. Anderson said that the board may have to extend the application time lines to draw qualified candidates. -the board discussed the state report card issued to each school. Anderson said that state representatives visited Columbia Middle School and Riverside High School, both of which received low ratings on school report cards, but the representatives could offer them no ideas as to how the schools could be imroved. Each of the two schools received $10,000, for consulting, training or programs as a means to that end. However, the monies can not be used for personnel. -heard a report from Nate Arbogast concerning a proposal on behalf of the district for an Internet Access Agreement with Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative. If the agreement is approved by both parties, CBEC would act as an Internet service provider, such as Compass or CenturyTel, offering low-cost Internet access for Morrow County School District students and their parents and staff and their spouses. -heard a report from Dick Allen concerning the funding of co- curricular activities by the Morrow County Unified Recreation District. Allen said that he had met with the MCURD Board, who indicated that an additional $24,000 will be available for co-curricular activities. The monies will allow reinstatement of junior high track with one coach cut from each school at $13,974; dance team at Columbia Middle School at $1,860; drama-with one play at lone School at $2,368; and the balance, $5,798, to the Heppner High School golf program. -approved resignations for Kay Chinen, Heppner Elementary special education teacher; Linda Shaw, HES special reading teacher; Julie Walker A.C. Houghton classroom teacher; Annie Patton, ACH/Sam Boardman Elementary art teacher; Bill DeLong, Imgon Learning Center teacher; Michelle Miller, Columbia Middle School reading specialist; Lyn Poison, CMS Title I educational assistant; Wendell Kreder, Riverside High School assistant basketball coach; Bobbi Childers, lone Schools computer trainer; Bingo Ganvoa, RHS assistant girls' basketball coach; Juan Elguezabal, Heppner High School head girls' basketball coach; Keelie Keown, HHS assistant volleyball coach and DART coordinator. continued page 4 contacts with many folks in the area. When he left the program, he felt it was a shame to give up these contacts and again spoke to Cole, this time about establishing a very different program-one which would give city children a taste of rural life and vice-versa. He and Cole worked on a plan and each presented it to their respective school boards. The plan passed inspection and, in the spring of 1981, the Heppner- Centennial exchange program was bom. Over the years, Olcott has worked with five Heppner principals besides Cole, Heppner Elementary principals Bryan Traylor and Bill Karwacki, and Heppner Junior/Senior High principals Steve Dickenson and Ron Anthony. "It's been an extremely positive experience for the kids and very rewarding for me," said Olcott. "Keeping it going has been like a marriage. You have to work at it, but we've been able to establish a very positive marriage." "Centennial students have come away with an appreciation for a totally different lifestyle," he said. "They have a much greater appreciation for entertaining oneself—horseback riding, fishing. But what they learn is that the Heppner kids are really no different from them." "Heppner has been such an Dave Olcott e x t r e me l y supportive year for Olcott to make the community," Olcott added. annual trek to Heppner with his "What really impresses you is the young charges. Olcott has quality of the people. Heppner accompanied the eighth graders has been very special to my from Centennial every year save heart. I’m really going to miss it, one-when he was teaching in but it's time to pass the baton.” Australian through an exchange Next year Bruce Collins, a Centennial eighth-grade social program of his own. Olcott got his first taste of the studies teacher with 21 years of Heppner area as director of a teaching experience, will Youth Conservation Corps accompany the Portland area kids program with Multnomah to Heppner. County Educational Service Olcott, 53, has 29 years of District. Olcott worked at the teaching experience under his Tupper Work Station out of the belt, all at Centennial. Olcott Heppner Ranger District. Once a was raised in east Multnomah week he brought the kids under County and graduated from his care to Heppner for David Douglas High School. entertainment. After a couple After high school, he attended times, he realized that the kids Oregon State University and then needed something to do, so he transferred to Portland State spoke to Don Cole, then principal University where he received a of Heppner Elementary School. bachelor of science degree in Cole gave Olcott a key to the science in 1968. He received a school so the kids could use the teaching certificate at PSU in gym to play basketball. 1969 and then went on to earn a As director of the YCC master’s degree in ecology from program, which he ran from the University of Illinois- 1974-76, Olcott established Urbana/Champaign in 1971 fhat fall he was hired at Centennial as a science teacher. Olcott has two children, a son who is a freshman at Mt. Hood Community College, and a daughter who is a junior at Corbett High School. Now, what do this year’s crop of Centennial exchange students think about Heppner? A pretty positive group, most of the kids, with a few minor reservations, seem to have fallen in love with Catherine Wolfe the area. "There's not a lot of cars out. There a more things to do here than just watch TV. We played in a creek, jumped on the trampoline, did everything but watch TV and go shopping. I miss my parents and playing softball. P’m having a good time."—Kon Kajitsu, 14, who stayed with the David and Pam Piper family in Heppner, lives with her parents, Ed and Nancy Kajitsu in Gresham. "We branded bulls, castrated them, gave them shots and clipped their ears. I got a souvenir ear piece. We fed the pieces to the dogs. I’m having lots of fun. We went fishing-we go fishing at home, too. and take the boat out. I don't care about (the kids') clothes. They're cool. 1 like it all."-David Tunnell, 14, who stayed with the Sheryl Delveaux family in Heppner. lives with his parents, Kim and Vem Tunnell in Portland. He also has an older and a younger brother. "I've ridden four-wheelers, went horseback riding and helped with the ranch chores I'm having a blast. 1 went fishing for the first time. It's also my first time riding continued page 4 Land O’ Lakes DOG & CAT FOOD SALE Cat f o o d : 20 lbs for $8.49 D o q f o o d : 40 lbs High Protein for $13.99 o r 50 lbs. C hunk Style for $12 .99 Sale Ends May 13th M orrow C ounty Lexington 989-8221 • T800-452-7396 G r a in G row ers Forfirmtquipn*nt.yiiitMrwtbsittatwwwmc||>wt Ryan Mattason of Happnar demonstrates calf tying to Centennial student Summer Mclnnis