June 22, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A
How sports lessons learned can carry through life
S
ports, especially baseball, have
provided great metaphors in
life for me. The very humbling
game played with a 9-inch, 5-ounce
ball, a glove and a bat taught me a
lot about failure and success, and
that neither will guide what may
happen next.
Most recently, I’ve been lucky
enough to get to coach a group of
11- and 12-year-old boys, and a
regular phrase I’ve been using with
them is to turn the page. It’s some-
thing I know I was told growing up
while playing the game myself. A
strikeout, an error, even a success
on the diamond doesn’t mean things
are finished. There’s nearly always
another opportunity waiting in the
next at bat, another chance coming
when a ball is put in play. I was
taught and like to talk about turning
the page and to be prepared for what
comes next.
SIDE RAIL
JON RAHL
As I sit down to write what will
be my final column from my office
at the Seaside Visitors Bureau,
I’m reminding myself that I need
to practice what I’ve been talking
about, and now turn the page on
this chapter of my work life. In two
weeks I’ll move across the street to
City Hall to take a new position and
I could not be more excited for the
new challenge and great opportunity.
Eight years ago, almost to the
day, I was packing up a moving
van and a white jeep to move with
my family from Salt Lake City to a
town I was still very much getting
to know. I had a lot less gray hair,
my kids were still toddlers and
quite frankly, I had a lot to learn. I
was being given an opportunity by
my boss, Russell Vandenberg, to
oversee the tourism marketing and
advertising for the city of Seaside.
I’ve thought a lot about that time
since I accepted a new position with
the city two months ago.
I’ve thought about Laurie
Mespelt, then Seaside Downtown
Development Association director,
who took me around downtown to
meet business owners and welcome
me to the area. Gretchen Darnell,
my colleague and sales director at
the Convention Center, drove me
around the city and the county to
show me some of her favorite spots
and special places. Joyce Stewart,
Patricia Smiles and Sandy McDow-
all, were my original information
specialists. They encouraged me
and were such incredible supports
to me in those first days, weeks and
months.
There are countless people I
probably should recognize as taking
me under their wing and assisting
me in some great capacity over the
years. I hope you know who you are
and that I’ve thanked you personal-
ly. The Seaside Signal has allowed
me to talk about my job and pen this
column since 2011. And I had amaz-
ing community support when I lost
my dad and mom in 2015 and 2016.
I’m extremely proud of the work
we’ve done since 2010 and espe-
cially over the past three years as we
worked to completely overhaul our
community branding and marketing
materials. To cap all of that off by
placing new welcome signs on both
ends of town that match the brand-
ing work has been a lot of fun. I love
the connections I’ve made, that we
created a marketing coalition with
Astoria, Warrenton and Cannon
Beach and that people trusted our
efforts. This community has given
me a lot to be thankful for.
The final week of June I’ll be
working with my successor in
Joshua Heineman. He too will be
moving with a young family to the
coast. I’m excited for the sense of
community and collaboration that
he’ll bring to Seaside and I wish him
the same great support I received.
Thank you, Seaside, for trusting me
and supporting the work we’ve done
for the past eight years. This page I
now turn is one that’s bittersweet but
one I can’t wait to make.
Jon Rahl has served as the
director of tourism for the Seaside
Visitors Bureau and assistant gener-
al manager of the Seaside Civic and
Convention Center since June 2010
and will transition to assistant city
manager on July 2.
Mission Control launches in Seaside Even strong, silent types need
an annual wellness visit
By Susan Cody
For Seaside Signal
Schools are tasked with
teaching reading, writing and
arithmetic, but it’s hard for
kids to get the lessons when
they are upset and misbehav-
ing.
That’s why Seaside School
District launched an innova-
tive approach to behavioral
health in the 2017-18 school
year. Mission Control is a
calming room where kids can
focus on self-regulating their
emotions and behavior.
The payoff is better-be-
haved, happier kids, principals
say.
Prior to this year, “There
was a real lack of social-emo-
tional education that kids need
to know in order to function,”
says Rachel Whisler, a be-
havior support specialist at
Seaside Heights Elementary
School.
“Behavior is a way of com-
municating that affects friend-
ships, learning and success in
a lot of ways” she says. Kids
may wonder: “Why am I out
of control?” “Why do I say
things like that to my friends?”
“Why am I so impulsive?”
Beginning in kindergar-
ten students are taught about
brain function and how to
identify and control their
emotions and behavior, using
the Zones of regulation.”
After learning how their
brain works, they are better
equipped to regulate them-
selves through calm breath-
ing or holding something in
their hand or saying they need
some space and taking a walk.
“Those are opportunities
kids never had before enter-
ing on this journey as a school
district,” Whisler says.
Building a
calming space
Seaside principals and oth-
er educators visited Butternut
Creek Elementary School’s
Wellness Room in the Hills-
boro School District and were
sold on the idea of creating a
similar room at Gearhart Ele-
mentary and Seaside Heights.
Then the work began.
Finding space required
relocating computer and per-
formance spaces, ordering
supplies and setting up Mis-
By Patti Atkins
For Seaside Signal
SUSAN CODY
Gearhart Elementary School Principal Juli Wozniak speaks to
members of the State Advisory Council for Special Education
about Mission Control.
sion Control. Rooms at each
school feature strings of mini-
lights, calming stations with
sand, theraputty, manipulative
items, larger motor challeng-
es and enclosed spaces like a
tepee.
In addition to the Mis-
sion Control room, regular
classrooms have new flexible
seating, including yoga balls,
standing tables and cushions,
so students can learn where
they were most comfortable.
“Children do well when
they have the skills,” says
Gearhart
Principal
Juli
Wozniak. “We all want to do
well.” The goal is to provide
kids with skills they need.
Identifying emotions be-
gins with looking at facial
expressions. Kindergartners
and Head Start teachers use
the Pocket Full of Feelings
curriculum to teach kids about
feelings.
“When we first started, if
you asked a 7-year-old what
they were feeling, they would
say: ‘sad’ ‘mad’ or nothing,”
says Whisler. “Now they can
say, ‘I’m disappointed,’ ‘jeal-
ous,’ ‘betrayed.’”
She says kids learn that all
feelings are OK. What matters
is what they do with them and
how they act. They can iden-
tify their feelings and not let
emotions run the show.
Trauma-informed
approach
For two years Seaside
educators have studied trau-
ma-informed practices that
take into account adverse
childhood experiences. It in-
NORTH COAST
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
A happy place, a safe place, a learning place...
Is pleased to present the 2018
COMMUNITY CHAMPION AWARD
Thanks to the following dedicated companies and
individuals, NCCS students were able to finish and
dedicate the Alicia Hess Memorial Basketball Court.
They also made it possible for NCCS students to feed
hundreds of needy families in Clatsop County.
And finally, these selfless supporters made it possible
for hundreds of children to receive a world class
education that not only educates but inspires.
volves treating people with
compassion and understand-
ing around traumas they may
have experienced.
“We are building a web of
support throughout the school
that can help students when
they are not able to cope by
themselves,” says Whisler.
All staff members and stu-
dents are trained and famil-
iarized with Mission Control.
It is open to everyone and is
not used for punishment or re-
ward. It is a place where stu-
dents can self-regulate their
behavior.
For the first couple months
of the school year, children
stayed in their regular class-
rooms.
Most classrooms have a
peace corner that students can
access to self-regulate, says
Seaside Heights Principal
John McAndrews. It is part
of the classroom but is a place
where the student can use sen-
sory items or cushions to feel
more comfortable.
“This allows students to
not feel so isolated,” McAn-
drews says. “They are free to
rejoin whenever they want to
come back to class.”
Teachers and counselors
recommend children for Mis-
sion Control. Kids may also
request a travel agent or navi-
gator to take them to Mission
Control.
Now, the goal is to extend
the zones of regulation to par-
ents, pediatricians and fami-
lies.
“We want to improve on
creating a common language
between school and home,”
McAndrews says.
Many men would rather
talk about news, sports or
jobs — maybe even feel-
ings — than talk about their
health.
And deep down, many
would admit they go to the
doctor mostly to make their
partner happy. Or when they
can’t do what they used to
do. And sometimes they wait
too long.
Women have reasons all
their lives to go to the doc-
tor when they’re not sick,
from birth control to cancer
screenings. Men don’t al-
ways have similar reasons.
So let’s pick one: June is
Men’s Health Month. If you
haven’t seen your primary
care provider by June, call
this month to set up your an-
nual wellness visit and if you
are a Columbia Pacific CCO
member, the visit is free.
Think of your annual well-
ness visit like changing the
oil in a car. You do it because
the manufacturer’s specifi-
cations say
it’s
good
for your car.
You might
push it a
bit. But you
wouldn’t go
Denise
years with-
out chang- Greco, M.D.
ing the oil.
As it turns out, there are
specifications for you, too.
“I usually show my pa-
tients the U.S. Preventive
Services Task Force recom-
mendations,” says Domi-
nique Greco, M.D. and med-
ical director for Providence
Seaside Hospital. That’s a
research-based list of what
people need to do for their
health.
“At regular checkups,
your doctor can talk to
you about blood pressure,
weight, diet, exercise, drug
and alcohol use,” Dr. Greco
says. And smoking.
“The greatest cause of
death is heart disease,” she
says. “And one of the prima-
ry factors for heart disease is
smoking.”
Maybe you don’t want to
hear what the doctor says,
but it’s like when your car
makes a troubling noise. Ex-
perience tells you it’s better
to fix a problem sooner rath-
er than later.
If you’re worried about
“that” test, rest easy.
“It’s not recommended
that every man be screened
for testicular or prostate
cancer,” says Dr. Greco.
“Depending on your family
history or other risk factors,
your doctor may suggest it.”
One important bit of
maintenance for people old-
er than 50 is colon cancer
screening. Now you can do
this in the comfort of your
own home. Your doctor
will give or mail you a FIT
kit. You collect the sample
and mail it in. This kind of
screening must be done ev-
ery year. Another way is to
get a colonoscopy every 10
years.
Finally, a very good rea-
son to get regular checkups
is to connect with your pro-
vider.
Local
advantage
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Richard Hess Logging
Nisa’s Thai Kitchen
Bank of the Pacific
Partner Sponsors
Columbia Housewarmers
Forrest Koch CPA
Michael Balensifer Family
Michael Falleur Family
Astoria Granite Works
B and B Garage Door
All Rents Seaside
We’re joining hands with local nonprofits
to build a healthier community.
Creating health together.
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