The Applegater

22 Summer 2017 Applegater Ruch School information provided by Julie Barry, Principal 541-842-3850 • julie.barry@medford.k12.or.us NEXT GENERATION Next Generation features the talents of our local students and school news and updates. All schools in the Applegate Valley are encouraged to submit news, art, writing, photography, and any other creative pieces to gater@applegater.org. Applegate and Williams school information provided by Darrell Erb Jr., Principal 541-846-7224 • darrell.erb@threerivers.k12.or.us Ruch student wins park season pass Ruch Community School is very excited to announce that first-grade student Savanah Barclay won a Cantrall Buckley Park Season Pass for 2017! Savanah created a scene that she often enjoys—the playground at our favorite local family park and campground, Cantrall Buckley. She then submitted her design and was declared the winner. e annual contest encourages local children to draw favorite activities at the park and campground. A panel of judges reviews all the drawings submitted, and their votes determine the winner. Savanah received a season pass for her family and her classroom teacher, Mrs. Brown. "I love playing on the monkey bars," shared Savanah with a smile. She also enjoys helping stack wood and working on structures in the park. Savanah plans to spend a lot of time this summer in our very own Cantrall Buckley Park, making memories to last a child a lifetime! Cantrall Buckley Park and Campground supports community youth and their families. With 1.75 miles of Applegate River frontage, it is one of only two public access points to the river. It provides a swimming hole, fishing opportunities, beautiful picnic spots, and a newly renovated playground where children like Savanah can spend lots of time playing on monkey bars and other equipment. Top photo: Savanah Barclay and her teacher, Mrs. Brown. Bottom photo: Savanah's winning design. If you would like to join the efforts to modernize the campground and provide utility hookups to the campsites, please visit gacdc.org for more information. It seems that the world of education is always looking for a new math curriculum, strategies for assessment, or a new and better way to manage student behavior. We should look no further than right outside the front door. Students from Ruch Community School recently spent a morning in the Jackson Creek Wetlands with their teacher, Ryan King, and forest park volunteer and retired teacher, Clayton Gillette. Joined by other volunteers, students pulled blackberry bushes, hauled gravel, and restored parts of the trail that meanders through the Wetlands. Engaged in a classroom activity and lesson that was the furthest thing from textbooks, notebooks, or computers, the students instead were armed with gloves, shovels, and wheelbarrows. Nature was their classroom! Students at Ruch Community School know better than anyone that they learn most outside while providing a service to their community. Service learning combines the principles of experiential learning with service to the community. In the process, it supports students' personal, academic, and social development. "We look forward to regular work and fun visits with your students in the future The best classroom is outside! as they can lay claim to adopting the Jackson Creek Wetlands as their very own creation," stated Tony Hess, Jacksonville Forest Park volunteer. "ey showed up with great enthusiasm and demonstrated hard work." So, while other institutions are desperately searching for curriculums to boost test scores, I suggest getting outside with your students and staff. Discover services that can be performed by your students, and offer them something greater than a grade: a sense of ownership and passion for the environment around them. Give them a sense of belonging and connection to their community—then watch your test scores take off. "Science+" a success Applegate School staff and students welcomed a big crowd of parents and community members on Monday, April 24, for "Science+," a celebration of science and learning. ere was plenty to do for those who attended! In addition to science projects and classroom exhibits, Pacifica's Caterpillar, the touring science museum, was on hand to provide information on pollinators. And Liese Murphree with ScienceWorks Museum in Ashland led an exciting show using liquid nitrogen. Students' science projects were on display, and families received passport stamps for each of the areas they attended, to qualify for a drawing held at the end of the evening. ree students were honored at the district level for their projects. Cody Locke, Seventh grader Aiden Fimbres fills up a balloon with gas during the "Science+" ScienceWorks Museum presentation. grade five, received a Gold award for his experiment, "Comparing Hackamores"; Chris Hartley, grade five, received a Gold award for his "Battery Life versus Temperature" experiment; and Max Vidlak, grade four, received a Silver award for his experiment, "How Many Seeds." Applegate School National Junior Honor Society members recognized C a p p i n g t h e S c i e n c e + celebration was the induction into the National Junior Honor Society, where hard-working students joined a time-honored and elite society of young scholars whose commitment to academia, citizenship, and leadership are recognized. Pictured are 2017 inductees (front row) Maria Cross, Seth Davis, Lily Emmons, Soren Emmons, Lexi Hill, and Ronan Hodge; (back row) Macy Kliewer, Hunter Krouse, Coral Lowry, Carlen Nielsen, Emma Singleton, and Nate Vidlak. Teachers Star McAdam (left) and Michelle Stone (right) presented certificates. Existing members Sam Vidlak, Bree Saunders, Marly Marcoulier, and Lucas Cross officiated. Applegate School's new inductees display their certificates from the National Junior Honor Society. Great crew, and great job done! Literacy Night was fun for all Students and families who attended the recent Literacy Night at Williams Elementary were pleased to see a special guest that night: e Cat in the Hat! is coincided with our library's book fair, and those present were able to purchase books and other items that promote literacy. Folks came early and enjoyed a hot-dog dinner, then went to the gym to participate in loads of games that emphasized learning. There was also an academic corner where parents could pick up information on how to help support their students' learning by grade level. e night ended with ice-cream sandwiches and a classic Dr. Seuss story read by Principal Erb. It was a fun night. Hope you can join us next year! Williams students back in the garden again Sa r a h a n d Sh a y n e A y r s m a n a re two wonderful volunteers who have agreed to be garden coordinators for our school. Students are getting their hands dirty preparing beds for spring planting. All grades are involved—we believe students should learn by doing, and our garden provides a great opportunity for them to learn where their food comes from and the work it requires in order to realize a harvest. Southern Oregon Sanitation taught us the three Rs No, not "reading, 'riting and 'rithmatic," but "Recycle, Reduce, Reuse." Our students are learning not only how to grow their own food, but also how to keep our land beautiful and clean. Second and third graders have even taken a further step and made reusable fabric grocery bags to help reduce the use of plastic bags. Students have also written letters to encourage businesses that still provide styrofoam cups and takeout boxes to find biodegradable solutions. Great things are happening at Williams Elementary! Re-invention Show uses recycling Inspired by the three Rs, Williams Elementary held a Re-invention Show on April 10 to honor Earth Day and to culminate a school-wide unit on reducing, re-using, and recycling. Local star cast in Music Man A talented student in our fourth-fifth classroom, Samantha Solano, was cast in Music Man, a play produced in Grants Pass. e entire school was able to watch the performance along with neighboring schools and districts. We were proud to see one of our own on stage. Thanks to two generous folks! A special thank-you needs to be expressed to James Kalfas and Greg Cox for their generous contribution of the new banner that has been placed on our gymnasium wall. e banner reads "Williams Elementary, Our School, Our Family, Our Community." Reader board facelift under way Our reader board is getting a facelift and will be moved closer to the road for your viewing pleasure! Look for the board in the near future. It will be placed close to the stop sign in front of the school and will list important events and exciting news. Smokey Bear was in the house e kindergarten and first-grade class received a surprise visit from Smokey Bear. Remember, only you can prevent forest fires! Upcoming events Coming soon Williams School will have a visitor from the National History Museum. ere will also be an all-school field trip to Pacifica, a trip to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, and a jet-boat excursion on the mighty Rogue River to ride out the school year! Lots going on in our growing school! Valley by Katie Costello Applegate Valley So much to do lots to see Run outside and play Swimming in the lake Have fun hiking, and biking See the scenery Applegate by Lori Yates Have you ever been to Applegate? Where salmon jump lake to lake. e geese fly and say GOOD- BYE! Oh you must come to Applegate. e lake dances beautiful with majestic colors. Come join us with the fun in the sun. Applegate, awaits you... Rogue River by William della Santina I feel the spray of the raging river, I hear the sound of the splashing rapids, I see the glistening of the calm water, I taste the sweet summer in the air, I love the glorious Rogue River, Flowing through my heart forever. Authors are students of Ruch School teacher Jennifer Drane.

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