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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 2002)
Attn: Lesli© Larson UO Library-OMP 1299 University Of Oregon Eugene OR 97403-1299 Voi. 17, No. 24 PRESORTED STANDARD U S . P o s ta g e P a id V e rn o n ia , O R 9 7 0 6 4 “Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley” FREE December 19, 2002 Education goes way beyond the three Rs Hyde will head Oregon Counties group Columbia County Commis sioner Tony Hyde was elected president of the Association of Oregon Counties at the organi zation’s annual conference in November. Hyde succeeds Lake County Commissioner Jane O’ Keeffe as leader of the Salem- based association, which repre sents all 36 Oregon counties. Hyde is joined by a leader ship team elected by confer ence participants to serve for the next year, including Kla math County Commissioner Al Switzer, who will serve as A O C ’s first vice president, Clackam as County C om m is sioner Michael Jordan, second vice president and Lincoln County C om m issioner Jean Cowan, treasurer. Hyde was first elected to the Colum bia C ounty Board of Commissioners in 1996. Before then, he served seven years as mayor and city councilor in Ver nonia. Hyde unhurt in wreck Among the drivers who had problem s on the extrem ely slick roads last W ednesday morning was Columbia County Commissioner Tony Hyde, who was late getting to the weekly Board of Commissioners meet ing because he had to wait for a tow truck. A resident of Vernonia, Hyde was not the only driver who en countered problems on un sanded Scappoose-Vernonia Road. When his car slipped off the road, Hyde said, he was traveling slowly enough to avoid injury. “Oregon is facing tough times, but by working together with our state and federal part ners across the urban-rural di vide, and among our local com munity organizations and busi nesses, we can get Oregon back on track,” said Hyde. “Col lectively, as an executive com mittee, we look forward to working with the governor-elect and legislative leadership to help guide the state through our current financial and eco nomic challenges. County gov ernments are trusted settings for forging these partnerships.” County officials also voted to support a resolution requesting that the federal government im plement a timber salvaging pro gram to restore habitat on pub lic lands affected by wildfires earlier this year. Education has changed a lot since many who are reading this have been in grade school. Even elementary students en gage in multidiscipline learning activities that cover a broad range of curriculum— and the students have fun because the activities are structured as games. W ashington Grade School students Samantha Lee and Rebecca Young were intro duced by WGS Principal Kirk Sherrill at the Vernonia school board meeting, December 12, to talk about the “games” they are playing in their sixth grade classes. “Spanish Galleons," a game just completed, has been used for several years. As Lee ex plained it, the sixth grade class is divided into teams or “ships” which must leave their home- port and complete a trade jour ney without being captured by pirates. Students learn map and navigational skills and must complete a journal, re search project, hands-on proj ect and a presentation speech. The climax of the game was a treasure hunt that ended in Sherrill’s office with a treasure chest full of goodies. Young told the board about a new game that will soon be played for the first time. Called “Caravans,” the game will focus on the political, economic, so cial and cultural aspects of var ious locations around the world. Like “Spanish Galleons,” students will be required to complete a paper, a project and a speech. In addition to the reading, writing and research skills, students also learn team work. Young agreed with Lee when she said that playing the games was “a lot funner than reading a social studies book.” Futures Committee Board cha ir Carla Strand told the board that a newly form ed “ Futures C om m ittee” met recently to begin exploring how to obtain community sup port for a bond measure to re place aging school facilities. Michelle Blum, Marie Botchie, Mike Funderburg, Cari Lev- enseller and Strand attended the initial meeting. Compliance with ODE Though the district has been reported by Oregon D epart ment of Education (ODE) as in compliance with the Standards for Public Elementary and Sec ondary Schools, it lacks many of the policies or plans that should be in place, according to superintendent Mike Funder burg. Work to develop the poli cies has been divided among the administrative team and will be included as part of the Jan uary consent agenda. The con sent agenda is a portion ot the board meeting where business items are grouped together and voted on with a single motion in order to conserve time and al low the board to “focus on less routine matters,” according to the printed agenda. Funder burg recom m ended that the board approve all of the poli cies and make revisions in the future as necessary. The C a reer Development Program will be voted on in January, along with other policies presented as part of the consent agenda. Policy for Career Development Program As an example, Funderburg included a policy for a K-12 Ca reer D evelopm ent Program which will “recognize the ODE requirements and reflect indi vidual needs as developed in the student’s Personal Educa tion Plan (PEP).” Elementary and middle school curriculum will include activities that sup port career-related learning ex- Please see page 3
