Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Ione preschool puts creativity into
early learning
If you’ve ever won-
dered what your children
do when you drop them off
for preschool, you might be
surprised to ind the answer
is pretty amazing.
For Creative Care Pre-
school in Ione, the struc-
ture of the day starts with
some free play. This is a
time when the magic be-
gins; children learn to make
choices for themselves,
gaining some autonomy
in a world where they are
too small to choose much.
During this time they also
are encouraged to learn to
problem solve, get along,
share and be polite.
As the preschool day
continues, children learn to
listen—a skill many adults
have not perfected.
These skills may seem
pretty basic, and one might
be tempted to cast them
aside, but many years ago
a man named Robert Ful-
ghum wrote a famous essay,
“All I really need to know
I learned in Kindergarten.”
This essay spoke of the
skills referenced above.
With core curriculum
standards placed on kin-
dergarten, children now
are expected to know these
skills along with their let-
ters, numbers, colors and
shapes prior to beginning
school, making preschool
important in the larger aca-
demic picture.
Parents and staff say
the preschool in Ione meets
those expectations. In just
one day children learn so-
cial skills, art, math, hand-
writing, reading and sing-
ing, and even incorporate
imaginative play.
In addition, while
learning about the letter
“E,” children recently en-
gaged in a science lesson
about eggs. Children were
asked to pick a bag contain-
ing a variety of materials
including water, cereal, cot-
ton balls, paper towels and
lentils, to name a few. Each
child picked a different
material in which to encase
and protect their raw egg.
The child then dropped the
Ione library
announces new books
While learning about the letter “E,” children at Creative Care
Preschool also engaged in a science experiment, using plastic
bags full of various materials to see which would best cushion
a raw egg. -Contributed photo
egg inside a zipper storage
bag to see if their egg would
break. Through the activ-
ity, staff say the children
learned to predict, to ask
why, to change how they
conducted the experiment
to change the outcome—
and had a lot of fun.
“It’s fun whether or egg
breaks for not,” said Ali-
son Ogden, lead preschool
teacher, adding that this
simple experiment is help-
ing to build a foundation of
quantitative thinking and,
perhaps more importantly,
a love of learning that will
hopefully last a lifetime.
This preschool, like
many others, relies on com-
munity support. The pre-
school policy is to provide
scholarships for children
who would not be able to
otherwise afford to attend.
Anyone who would like
to make a tax deductible
donation, contact Ogden at
541-422-7003 about spon-
soring a child.
She is the daughter of John drive and trick or treat for
and Doashea Qualls.
the food pantry. Piper has
Piper is the junior class recently been certiied as
president of Con-
an EMR and vol-
don High School,
unteers on the am-
a member of the
bulance crew. She
Chemistry Club
is also very active
and Gilliam County
in her church and
4-H, and competes
volunteers at vaca-
in Oregon Battle
tion Bible school
of the Books. Piper Piper
in the summer, as
also participates Jamieson
well as being a 4-H
in volleyball, bas-
camp counselor and
ketball and track for the a kitchen volunteer at Sum-
Condon/Wheeler Knights. mit Springs Retirement
Piper is also a member of Home. Piper is the daugh-
the National Honor Soci- ter of Leslie and Andrew
ety, which puts on a blood Jamieson.
CBEC director earns gold certiication
Columbia Basin Elec-
tric Co-Op Director Lori
Anderson of Condon was
recently presented with a
Gold Level Certiicate of
Director Education from
the National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association
for her continued education
as a cooperative director.
The Gold Certiicate is
the third and inal level of
director education accom-
plishment.
The initial certiicate,
CBEC Director Lori Anderson with Board President John
the
Credentialed
Coopera-
Qualls. -Contributed photo
tive Director (CCD) certii-
cate, is received upon the
successful completion of
prescribed classes detailing
the role of the co-op board
and directors in today’s
Flowers with a Personal Touch
modern cooperative.
Murray’s
Country Rose
Love is an art that comes from
the heart - Murray's has what
you need for that
special someone
V alentine ' s D ay is
F ebruary 14
Meeting planned for
Fourth of July
committee
The irst planning meeting for the 2016 Ione Fourth
of July celebration will be held on Thursday, Feb. 11, at
7 p.m. at Route 74 restaurant in Ione. Anyone interested
in any aspect of the event is welcome to attend.
Students selected for D.C. trip
Sydney Qualls from ing the Smithsonian and the
Heppner and Piper Jamie- Vietnam War Memorial.
Sydney is an Associ-
son from Condon will act
ated Student Body
as student repre-
council member,
sentatives for the
plays varsity basket-
Columbia Basin
ball and varsity soft-
Electric Coopera-
ball, is a Big Sky
tive NRECA Youth
Scholar Athlete, a
Tour in Washington,
member of National
D.C. June 9-16.
Honor Society, and
While at the na- Sydney
is on the honor roll
tions’ capital, the Qualls
at Ione High School.
students will have
a chance to speak with Sydney also volunteers for
Oregon’s state representa- The Dalles Veteran’s Home
tives, learn about electric coin drive, Haiti toy drive,
cooperatives, listen to mo- and helps raise funds for the
tivational speakers and tour Wounded Warrior Project.
national landmarks includ-
The Certified Board
Leadership (CBL) certii-
cate acknowledges classes
accomplished toward train-
ing in a board leadership
role.
The Gold Certificate
acknowledges those coop-
erative directors who are
committed to continuing
their education in the indus-
try regarding governance,
risk management, commu-
nication, rate making and
policy development.
Anderson serves as a
director and is a former
president of the local, con-
sumer-owned electricity
provider, Columbia Basin
Electric Co-Op. She has
been a director with the co-
op since 1990.
Bunco this week at
Holly Rebekah Lodge
Holly Rebekah Lodge will host an evening of Bunco
this Thursday, Feb. 11, starting at 7 p.m. Cost to play is $5.
The Ione Public Li-
brary is encouraging pa-
trons to stop by the library
and check out all the “latest
and greatest” new books.
Library hours are Monday
and Wednesday, 1-6 p.m.,
and Tuesday and Thursday,
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Every month the library
orders about 30 new books;
they encourage patrons to
give them ideas on books
they’d like to see in the
library, as well as the for-
mat—books, large print,
audiobooks, etc.
GIFT OF LOVE
-Continued from PAGE ONE
she’s blond with blue eyes.
“But she’s also part
Native American, and the
doctors thought that might
have a lot to do with it,”
adds Skroch, who is herself
half Alaskan Native.
The next month she
took a trip to Providence
Sacred Heart Medical Cen-
ter Kidney Transplant Cen-
ter in Spokane, where medi-
cal staff again drew blood to
conirm a match. The pro-
cess took two days, and in-
cluded not only blood work
and various imaging tests,
but also consultations with
the transplant surgeon and
other doctors—ive total—a
psychologist and a regis-
tered nurse who worked as
transplant coordinator.
“It was nothing like I
expected,” says Skroch,
“having so many people
involved in the process of
making sure I knew what
this meant for me, for my
health, for my mental sta-
bility.
“One of my worst fears
was them telling me I only
had one kidney,” she adds.
Instead, doctors con-
irmed a match and cleared
Skroch to give her friend
the kidney she so desper-
ately needed. On Jan. 12,
Skroch and Harding went
into surgery at Sacred
Heart. Skroch was surprised
to ind out the surgery was
unique in that she, the do-
nor, was still alive.
“I was the only live
donor on my floor,” she
says. “They said it was only
their second living donor
transplant in eight months,”
she adds, explaining that
potential donors are often
turned away because of
health issues.
Still, it wasn’t clear
sailing. It turned out Skroch
had two arteries connected
to her kidney, which is very
rare. A surgery that should
have taken two or three
hours instead took eight.
“The doctor told us it
was the most dificult trans-
plant he’d done in his life,”
she says.
With the surgery over,
Skroch is a month into what
could be a long recovery
time.
“It was the worst pain
in my life,” she says. “I’ve
had three kids; I know.
“They tell me I should
start feeling better at six
weeks,” she adds, though
recovery time varies from
person to person. “Trisha
was up and walking before
I was. She went from three
percent kidney function to
103 percent; I went from
two kidneys to one. It’s just
how things are.”
Skroch is now living
with her in-laws, Rusty
and Cyde Estes of Hep-
pner, while recovering.
Her husband has relocated
to Portland for his job but
their three children are with
her, attending school and
day care in Heppner during
the day.
“Grandma’s been a big
help,” she says. “I’m so
thankful for Rusty, Cyde,
my husband…This has
been amazing in Heppner,
all the support we’ve had.”
She is taking time away
from work, and says this
will be the longest she’s
ever not worked. She also
admitted that her interview
with the Gazette was the
irst time she’d worn jeans
since the surgery.
Despite everything,
though—despite the pain,
the recovery time and may-
be even some boredom—
she says she doesn’t regret
her choice.
“I never second-
guessed it. People live in
their own little worlds and
don’t realize they could
be changing lives,” says
Skroch. “It forever changed
my outlook on life and giv-
ing back to other people.
“A lot of people have
said, ‘I never would have
done it,’ but I say, ‘Why
not?’” she adds. “Would
you do it for your best
friend? She has kids. I
couldn’t imagine her not
being around for them.
“I’d do it again.”
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- THREE
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