A Kids-Eye View of the Palouse
magazine
A YEAR FOR
YOUTH Stories that encouraged and inspired us in 2011 THE LAST WORD Sonia Todd
Halloween: a mother’s quest to find the right pirate | 14
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October 29, 2011 |
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ABOUT TAG Tag is published quarterly by the Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Issues are planned for January, April, July and October in 2012, to coincide with the start of school semesters, start of summer, and arrival of winter. For more information on how to advertise, contact Carol Cooper at (208) 882-5561.
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A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse
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COVER STORY
A Year for Youth
Stories that encouraged and inspired us in 2011
T
he Moscow-Pullman Daily News recently commemorated the 10th anniversary of the terrible events of Sept. 11, 2001. The newspaper ran a reprint of our front page from 9/11, with a photo of a plane hitting the World Trade Center and Americans like ghosts running from Ground Zero in a cloud of dust and debris. The morning after that great tragedy, on Sept. 12, 2001, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News ran a front-page story and photo featuring a pair of then
13-year-old girls from Pullman, Kaarin Swanson and Rebekah Largent. The two girls were pictured on a dark downtown Pullman street corner. In the photo, Rebekah protected a lit candle from a breeze. Kaarin, standing nearby, held a handmade sign that read, “Honk 4 America!” “We’ve been out here since 7 and almost everyone that has passed has honked,” Swanson told our reporter.
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“We’re not soldiers and we’re not in the Red Cross ‘cause we’re not 18, so we decided we would do what we could to help,” Largent added. Swanson and Largent took a tragic situation and did what they could to make it better. Their small gesture resonated with a community in need of healing, inspiration and hope. That front page still hangs in the front lobby of the Daily News, and it was with Swanson and Largent in mind that the staff of Tag publishes similar stories of inspiration and success from the past year. These are stories covered by the news staff of the Daily News, reprinted with the purpose of shining a light on the great contributions and successes from youth
across the Palouse in 2011. From fundraisers to school projects to academic and social successes, the following stories are a reminder of how talented and dedicated our young people can be. The stories celebrate the people who both inspire and are inspired by our children. Keep in mind that we’ve listed only some of the great stories from the past year, and the stories have been abridged. To read the entire story or find others, you can go to www.DNews.com and subscribe to see all of our archives (stories and photos). Enjoy. And when someone asks “What’s the matter with kids these days?” please hand them a copy of Tag and say with some confidence, “not much.”
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lows or stuffed animals tucked under them. JANUARY Students and parents alike erupted in Charter School students giggles as Andy’s dog, Buster, made his raise money grand entrance to greet Woody. See, Buster January 5 had gained a significant amount of weight since the sequel - so much that his belly Moscow Charter School students, staff swept the floor. and parents raised $460 for Heifer InFriday’s viewing of “Toy Story 3” at ternational during a fundraising drive in Franklin’s Family Movie Night had a bigger December. turnout than expected — Principal Brian Heifer International is a nonprofit organi- Moore brought in last-minute seating to aczation that works to end hunger and poverty company the floor mats and silver bleachers. worldwide by providing families with liveMoore said movie night is just one way stock and training. Families with livestock the school and its Parent Teacher Association can improve their nutrition and generate in- try to involve parents and make conneccome, and the offspring of donated animals tions. are given to other needy families. “The more comfortable our parents feel MCS students chose to use the money here and the better relationship we can they collected to donate six flocks of chickform with our parents, the better partnerens, two flocks of ducks or geese, three trios ship we’re going to have with educating of rabbits, two hives of honeybees, three their kids,” he said. They try to do as many shares of a goat, one share of a llama and social programs as possible to get parents to one share of a pig. interact informally with teachers, he said, and they see many parents they wouldn’t Pullman school encourages normally.
family connections January 15
Students sell scarves to benefit Haiti’s future
Children sat on mats on the middle of the January 24 Franklin Elementary School’s multipurpose room in Pullman, squirming with exciteStudents of Kathryn Bonzo’s joint fifthment. Yellow popcorn in red cups were in and sixth-grade class at Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning in Mosnearly every hand. Some kids even had pil-
cow don’t want people to forget about Haiti. Since September, students have been brainstorming ways to raise money for the country in crisis, which, following its 2010 earthquake, is dealing with an outbreak of cholera, an acute diarrheal illness that leaves about one infected person in 20 deathly ill. “Even though it’s been a year, it still needs help,” said Emma Reeder, a 10-year-old fifth-grader. “It’s not over. Because of the earthquake, more things happened.” Individuals living in places with inadequate water treatment, poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene are at a greater risk for cholera. After much thought, consideration and planning, Bonzo’s students decided to make and sell scarves at Saturday’s Winter Market at the 1912 Center. The Winter Market features artisan foods, handcrafted products and art for sale. All proceeds will go to two local organizations working toward a sustainable future for Haiti, the Paloma Institute and Courageous Women: Promoting Human Rights in Haiti. The scarves were finger-knit, hand-crocheted or knit with needles.
Teacher receives grant for LEGO robots January 29 Luella Stelck, gifted and talented fa-
A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse | Tag cilitator at Lena Whitmore and West Park elementary schools in Moscow, has been awarded a $9,600 grant from the Qwest Foundation. Stelck plans to use the funds to purchase programmable LEGO robots to teach math, science and engineering at both schools. The foundation is providing a total of $90,000 to 10 Idaho educators this year. In the past seven years, the foundation has contributed $490,000 to the grant program. The grants are administered by the Idaho State Department of Education.
Looking to reel in the perfect catch of the day January 31 Hundreds of people bundled against the rain huddle in small groups across the expanse of the frozen water at Spring Valley Reservoir They’ve gathered for one aim — the catch of the day. The 11th annual Ice Fishing Derby, held at the reservoir, is organized by the University of Idaho’s Recreation Student Organization, the city of Moscow’s Parks and Recreation Department and Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Sara Skinner, program coordinator for the RSO, said about 200 people came out for this year’s derby.
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Tag | A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse “We’ve seen 2-year-olds out here catching their first fish,” she said. “And people come back every year. It’s tradition. We’ve talked to kids who remembered their catches last year and the years before that.” Eric Newell, Moscow Parks and Rec’s recreation supervisor, said the event is a way for local families to get away from the television and spend quality time recreating in Idaho’s wilderness. “That’s why we do this,” he said. “It brings families together.”
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the high school’s commons giving educational sessions, speeches, writing legislators and creating protest signs.
Local students recognized in reading program March 7
About 100 local students who met their reading goals in the Readers as Leaders Program were celebrated at the University of Idaho men’s basketball game Saturday at Cowan Spectrum. The students’ successes and reading FEBRUARY achievements were recognized during an Jazz in the Schools awards ceremony during halftime. The program in full swing program has more than 2,000 participatFebruary 23 ing students and their families from Latah County. Alan Durst believes everyone begins to Prizes for participants included a laptop form his or her musical tastes at a young age. computer for a Gold Reader Award student, Durst, a nationally recognized saxophon$600 in book gift certificates and boys and ist from California, participated in the Jazz girls basketball camp scholarships. in the Schools program that’s part of this All students who completed their basic week’s Lionel Hampton International Jazz reading goal by Christmas were given TFestival at the University of Idaho. He and shirts that allowed them to attend the game keyboardist Erik Bowen of Lewiston and for free. bassist Troy Robey of Moscow played for Moscow School District Superintendent students Tuesday at Palouse Elementary Dale Kleinert, UI Director of Athletics School and West Park Elementary School in Rob Spear and Readers as Leaders Program Moscow. Director Michael Pickard awarded the Other musicians participating in the Jazz students their prizes and recognized award Festival visited schools across the Palouse winners and participating students during and Lewiston-Clarkston Valley and will do the ceremony. so again today, performing for children and teaching them a little about what they do. Troy students, parents At West Park, Durst said he enjoys introducing young children to jazz music because raise $515 for pets March 12 they are enthusiastic and are just beginning to develop their musical preferences. Troy Elementary School students and “With the current media, it’s almost their parents raised $515.45 for the Humane impossible to get access to music that’s not Society of the Palouse during a penny drive. corporate mainstream,” he said. Fifth- and sixth-graders organized the fundraiser, according to student teacher AlMARCH lison Wallace. Decorated collection jars were MHS students protest placed in each TES classroom. Idaho education reforms The students’ original fundraising goal was just $100, but they quickly surpassed March 4 that total. While a group of Moscow High School A Wii bit of praise for students have serious concerns about Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom a youth mission to seniors Luna’s education reform pending before the March 19 state Legislature, they knew they didn’t want to send the wrong message. The youth group from the First United “We know other students have been leav- Methodist Church in Moscow, consisting of ing schools in walk-outs, but we wanted to fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade children, will stay in school to show how much we love present a Wii gaming system to the residents our teachers,” said Celeste Hufford, a MHS of the Good Samaritan Society. They also senior and one organizer of Thursday night’s will perform a variety show and bring snacks Save Our Schools, Stay in School sit-in. for the event in the Moscow Village’s main The idea for the sit-in was implemented lounge. by a handful of concerned students Tuesday These children organized fundraising events this year and voted that their March after students around the state walked out Mission Project would be to gift the gaming of classrooms on Monday in protest of the system to Good Samaritan residents. proposed legislation. They held bake sales and put together a Students spent the night camped out in
Dean Hare/Daily News
Art teacher Shanti Scutt-Norman, second from right, demonstrates how to apply grout to fill the space between ceramic tile pieces to her Lincoln Middle School students as they work on a mosaic tile mural . variety show featuring the “Veggie Tales” to raise money for the gift. In a news release, Jan Ahles, Good Samaritan community relations director, wrote: “These children did not know that raising
funds to purchase a Wii gaming system for our Therapies Department was one of our Resource Development goals for 2011. How wonderful to see these miracles happen each and every day.”
Parents, be a good role model this holiday season.
Parents play an important role in preventing substance abuse among youth. Talking with a child about the dangers of substance use and showing disapproval of such behavior is a key factor. It’s also essential to stay involved in a child’s day-to-day activities. PARENTS, TALK TO YOUR KIDS! Youth • Family • Community
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Astronaut wants children to aim for the stars
March 29 Sixth-grader Jayson Cass peered through a polarized filter at a clear plastic disc. While completely transparent to the naked eye, the disc shimmered with colors when viewed through the filter. “It was like gas in the rain,” the Lena Whitmore Elementary School student said. Kathy Dawes, educational outreach coordinator for the Palouse Discovery Science Center, led several Lena Whitmore classes in interactive activities Monday. Sixth-graders participated in a series of experiments titled “Peculiar Polarizations” to learn how polarization can affect the way humans see light. Dawes began her lesson by asking if the students in teacher Molly Pannkuk’s class if they knew what the word “optics” means. “Optics is the science of the properties and behavior of light,” she explained after several children offered their own, more simplified answers. Pannkuk said Dawes’ visit was paid for with donations from employees of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman. She said due to budget cuts, each class is only allowed one field trip per year, so teachers appreciate any and all community support their students receive.
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A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse
APRIL
Moscow sixth-graders get lesson in optics
April 13 John Herrington, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, didn’t always know he’d be an astronaut. “When I was about your age,” he told Pullman first- and second-grade students Tuesday, “I used to sit in a cardboard box and pretend I was going to the moon.” He visited Franklin Elementary School in Pullman to explain what it’s like to be the first Native American tribal member to enter space. Herrington said he went to college without knowing what he wanted to do. “I was kicked out of college because I didn’t study very hard,” he said, and took a job rock climbing in the mountains. He went back to school for applied mathematics and became a test pilot in the U.S. Navy. Geoff Crimmins/Daily News He later was accepted to NASA, where The St. Mary’s/All-City Band rehearses at St. Mary’s School in Moscow, prehe worked for nine years, getting to travel into space on a mission to the International paring to perform at Disneyland. Space Station.
Children pick up trash on Earth Day April 23 Shrieks and a wave of “ew”s erupted from the mouths of about nine children as Mike
Bonney pulled a soggy, dirt-laden shirt out of Hogg Creek in Moscow on Friday and threw it onto Asbury Street with a slap. Garbage is gross, but the children of White Pine Montessori were out getting their hands in it as part of a fourth-annual
creek cleanup. Scampering from road to grass, the children shoved bottles, cups, bags and scraps of paper into their sacks. This time the children were cleaning up after adults. “Garbage is hiding everywhere,” said
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Tag | A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse Klarissa Stiff, 4, as she eyed the grass. One of the owners of White Pine, Tammy Bonney, said it’s not just an excuse to take a field trip outside. The stream cleanup on Friday, Earth Day, is the culmination of many lessons the students learned throughout the week. Just the day before, White Pine students visited the Moscow Recycling Center to learn about how and what to recycle. The children will later sort through the items they found on their cleanup and take them to the center. “You can see they have definitely made an impact,” Tammy said of her students’ effort.
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
Brad Malm said. Students in McFall’s chemistry class collect used cooking oil from area restaurants, receiving extra credit for their efforts. They process the oil so it can be used in conventional diesel engines, testing it along the way to make sure it’s the right formula and won’t cause engine damage.
LMS technical art class creates mosaic mural May 13
Shanti Scutt-Norman spoke casually to her technical art students Thursday. Group of Moscow youth raise “It’s like icing a cake,” she said while spreading grout across one of the three pan$8,400 for Relay for Life els of the class’s mural mosaic project. April 29 She even told them about her previous Carscallen Crazies, a team of 14 fifth- and mistake — making grout and assuming it’d sixth-grade girls from Moscow elementary stay wet longer than it did. schools, have raised more than $8,400 for The class of eighth graders is creating the University of Idaho/Latah County Relay a 4-by-8 art installment to be placed in a for Life. hallway near the library of Lincoln Middle Mary Gresch, team captain of the Carscal- School. It’s a tribute to the school, and it len Crazies, said the students have been was designed by last semester’s students. motivated by the breast cancer diagnosis of Groups of teenagers were grouting, breakLisa Carscallen, whose daughter, Sidney, is a ing glass and using a hammer and chisel to relay team member. adjust the placement of glass. Lisa Carscallen is a physical education This is the first and only year of LMS’s teacher at McDonald Elementary School. technical art class — it was created at the last minute before the school year started to The girls have been meeting weekly and have held a variety of fundraisers, including replace a shop class. bake sales, where they have gone doorJUNE to-door contacting businesses, relatives, neighbors and friends. Business owner helps The money raised by relay teams is used students make wearable art to help the society continue funding cancer June 3 research, legislative advocacy and educational and patient service programs. Cooper Stephens was almost done tieThe American Cancer Society is funding dying the first half of a white T-shirt on two research grants in the state of Idaho in Thursday when a classmate said something the amount of almost $1.5 million. was askew. Stephens, a fifth-grader in teacher Lance MAY Hamma’s class at McDonald Elementary Troy teacher innovation School in Moscow, had inadvertently dyed the shirt orange and blue, the official colors fuels biodiesel program of Boise State University. May 4 He happened to be wearing a University Agriculture and chemistry students at of Idaho Vandals shirt. Troy Junior-Senior High School are get“I have to change it,” he said as a look of ting a jumpstart at involvement in one of panic washed over his face. America’s fastest growing alternative energy “Just put different colors in it, dude,” said industries. his classmate, Nathan Aston. “Your dad is Teachers Bill McFall and Steve Braun not going to let you wear that.” developed a cross-curricular plan for high Stephens quickly grabbed a bottle of school students to learn about and process green dye and started filling in the white their own biodiesel on school property. bits of fabric that had managed to escape the The program is now in its fourth year and Bronco colors. involves more than 100 students per term. It was the third year in a row Arlene Falcon, owner of the Moscow store Tye Dye The first of its kind in Idaho, the curEverything, visited Hamma’s class for an riculum was named an exemplary program this year by the Northwest Accreditation end-of-the-school-year wearable art lesson. Hamma said once the students’ shirts have Commission. That means it can serve as a model for other schools hoping to institute been washed and dried, they’ll use markers their own biofuels programs, THS Principal to design the fronts and sign autographs
on each others’ backs. They plan to wear the shirts to an assembly on the last day of school next week.
McDonald Elementary School wins national health award June 4 McDonald Elementary School in Moscow is the winner of a HealthierUS School Challenge Silver award, the Idaho State Department of Education announced Friday. The school is just one of 100 nationwide to be recognized for creating a healthy environment for its students. Schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program are eligible to enter the HealthierUS School Challenge if they improve the quality of foods served, provide students with nutrition education and engage students in physical education and activities.
Moscow youth to perform at Disneyland
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to perform next week at Magic Music Days, a Disney program for youth in the performing arts. Nikki Crathorne, the band’s director, said the students will perform on the Carnation Plaza Gardens stage where famous musicians have left their marks. “These kids will remember doing this all their life,” she said.
Pullman students take 5th in national math competition June 10 Three Pullman High School students recently traveled to Las Vegas to compete in the 36th Annual American Regions Math League competition. Sophomore Vivek Jayaram, freshman Rachit Singh and junior Mitchell Tang joined 12 other students from Washington to compete on a team in Division A, finishing in first place in Las Vegas and fifth in the nation - the highest a Washington team has ever placed.
June 9
Local teen stars in new Steven Spielberg movie
Thirty young musicians in the St. Mary’s School/Moscow All-City Band are beginning their summer vacations with a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. Officials at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., invited the advanced section of the band
Moscow’s Joel Courtney, one of the stars of the new Steven Spielberg movie “Super 8,” got a bit of the Hollywood treatment Thursday night when his friends, classmates and family gathered at the Eastside Market-
June 11
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MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
place for a special sneak preview of the film, which opened nationwide Friday. A couple dozen well-wishers, including Courtney’s classmates wearing orange T-shirts with “Courtney Fan Club” on the front and “Super 8” on the back, waited in front of the theater for Courtney and his parents to arrive. Courtney, 15, will be a freshman at Logos School in the fall. “It’s pretty cool. I’m excited to see it,” Gresham Schlect, a former classmate of Courtney’s, said of the movie as he waited with others for Courtney’s arrival Thursday. “I had no clue. It was a total surprise,” said Courtney’s friend Derek Belschner. “I never thought of him that way. But now that he’s done it, I can totally see him being a movie star.”
JULY
Potlatch teacher experiencing summer of science with students
A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse | Tag and other forms of alternative energy. As if that weren’t exciting enough, Pollard was immersed in an Earthwatch expedition in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, when the solar panels were turned on in June. She spent 11 days that month working with nearly a dozen other math and science teachers from around the country to help scientists understand how the Arctic is affected by climate change. Employees at the Northrop Grumman Foundation nominated Pollard for the expedition, which was titled “Climate Change on the Arctic’s Edge” and led by Peter Kershaw of the University of Alberta. The foundation provided funding for all 12 participating teachers.
Pullman’s Stuff the Bus collects 10,000-plus items August 23
The Kiwanis Club of Pullman, in collaboration with Pullman Child Welfare and the Pullman and Colton school districts, collected more than 10,000 school supplies July 28 during the third annual Stuff the Bus drive Laura Wommack is interested in science held earlier in August. because it’s everywhere. The supplies have a total value of about Geoff Crimmins/Daily News The Potlatch Junior-Senior High School $12,700 and will be distributed to Pullman science teacher said she’s heard plenty of Moscow High School senior Jasper LaFortune is organizing a project to and Colton/Uniontown students based on students ask why they have to learn about make and send 1,000 paper wish cranes to 100 people with a terminal need. seemingly impractical topics, like physics. illness. The cranes will be made by students in Moscow Schools. This year’s drive filled 170 backpacks with “Well, do you want to be able to drive school supplies for elementary and middle on the ice this winter, or not?” she said. school students, packed 50 school kits for “Science is everywhere. They can’t really get high school students, and obtained 107 flash away from it.” drives and 100 scientific calculators. Wommack’s devotion to science has led “The drive’s success is due to the generous to her spending the summer immersed in contributions of business and community science, technology, engineering and math sponsors, media sponsors and ... citizens, (STEM) activities and experiments at several and we are very grateful,” said Sandra WoodNASA facilities across the United States. row, Stuff the Bus coordinator and Kiwanis She’s one of very few teachers nationwide to member. be invited to participate. ys a Wommack’s involvement with NASA d SEPTEMBER 705 N. Main St. n7 k e began last summer when she participated in p Environmental Club e O we Moscow, ID 83843 the Summer of Innovation program hosted a spruces up Phillips Farm by the Idaho Space-Grant Consortium. (208) 874-4559 September 19
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AUGUST
Genesee teacher has busy first year August 13 Jennifer Pollard has had a whirlwind first year as secondary science teacher at Genesee School, and she’s preparing to share her unusual experiences with her students again this fall. Pollard and her students last year secured a $260,000 grant that enabled the school to install a series of solar panels that will help cut electricity costs for at least the next 20 years. The panels are also an opportunity for Genesee students to learn about solar power
Members of the Moscow High School Environmental Club spent about 488 hours volunteering at Phillips Farm this summer, but the work is never done at the 160-acre park north of Moscow. A group from the Environmental Club returned to the farm this weekend to prepare the property for an open house scheduled for Saturday. The high schoolers spent the day cleaning out bird boxes, watering a new apple orchard and replacing signs describing plants that can be found along the park’s primitive hiking trails. Phillips Farm was bequeathed to the city of Moscow in 1972 by Virgil Phillips “for the benefit and use of the children of Moscow for recreation purposes.” That is why
Tag | A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse science teacher and Environmental Club adviser Lee Anne Eareckson said it is appropriate to use the property as an outdoor classroom.
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
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total of 100,000 paper cranes to be given to 100 terminally ill individuals.
OCTOBER
CSI lesson a ‘tasty’ More Colfax students taking experience for students college classes in high school September 21 More students in the Colfax School District are earning college credits while attending high school. The dual credit program is new in the district, but science and math teacher Kathryn Vogler said it is already popular, with dozens of high school students now enrolled in college preparatory courses through LewisClark State College. “Last year we offered pre-calculus and chemistry,” Vogler said during a Sept. 12 Colfax School Board meeting. “Those had 21 and 22 students, and I think it went pretty well.” This year, she included calculus in the program, attracting 17 dual-credit students out of 24 students in the class. Vogler said 20 of 29 chemistry students are on the dual-credit track, with another 29 of 32 students earning two credits in pre-calculus.
Moscow student enlists help to make paper cranes September 22 The kindness extended to Jasper LaFortune’s family during his father’s battle with brain cancer has inspired the Moscow High School senior to pay it forward. LaFortune has created Wish Cranes, a service organization that will collect origami paper cranes to send to terminally ill people, in the hopes that the remainder of their lives will be brightened by the gesture. His father, Jim, was diagnosed with brain cancer in fall 2009 and was told he had only six more months to live. But the Moscow Junior High School science teacher survived until the morning of Nov. 12, 2010, when he died at the age of 51. LaFortune said a July 2010 gift from a group of complete strangers was one of the highlights of his father’s final months. A class of elementary school students in Colorado folded and mailed a set of 1,000 paper cranes that arrived in a box on the family’s doorstep. “It was really remarkable for his healing,” he said. “It made the rest of his life really worth living.” LaFortune said he wants to share that kindness and generosity with the rest of the world. He is calling on students and teachers in the Moscow School District, in addition to community members in general, to fold a
October 7
Classes may have been canceled Thursday for professional development training in public schools throughout Idaho, but in Moscow’s charter school the rooms were filled with students who were actively engaged in the learning process. “This isn’t a real school day; it’s an academy day,” fourth-grader Zeynep Ay said. “It’s fun.” For the past year, Moscow Charter School has hosted a series of workshops to give students a place to go on in-service days. The classes last all day and are open to any child who signs up. “I think we did eight (workshops) last year - we wound up doing a few more than expected,” school board member Aria Arrizabalaga said. “People would come to me with an idea, and I couldn’t turn them down.” Parent volunteers organize the lessons, which cover topics ranging from anatomy to Spanish. The Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute is planning to host an event in May, and Arrizabalaga said other ideas are “still in the works.”
Pullman sculpture garden unveiled after five years October 8 For the past four years, it has been pretty easy to find Pullman High School art teacher Rob McPherson. If he wasn’t in his classroom, he most likely was hard at work with students and volunteers in the school’s newly dedicated Vic Moore Sculpture Garden. “He has worked and worked,” PHS principal Joe Thornton said Friday evening at the garden’s grand opening ceremony. “This got done because of Rob’s vision and dedication.” The project is not just about McPherson, however, and the art teacher said as much during his remarks Friday. Building the garden has been a community effort, with the goal to give students an outlet for their creativity. “Those who hear about it or see it are currently dreaming up sculptural creations to display,” McPherson said. “They’re asking me, ‘How big can I go?’ This is the reason for the Vic Moore Sculpture Garden at PHS.” See Youth Page 13
Dean Hare/Daily News
People attending the Vic Moore Sculpture Garden dedication view a swordin-anvil sculpture and fountain Oct. 7, 2011, at Pullman High School. Moore taught art and sculpture at PHS.
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MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse
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There’s more to vision than ‘perfect 20/20’ By Palouse Vision Clinic | for Tag
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id the doctor’s office or the school vision screening indicate that your child has 20/20 eyesight? But he still struggles with reading and school work. Have you been told that your child has ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, Asperger’s syndrome, or some other poorly defined “mysterious” brain malady? Even kids with “perfect 20/20” still may have eye coordination, focusing, and visual processing problems. This is because reading is a complex vision/brain activity. The eyes must simultaneously converge (point at the words), focus just the right amount for that distance, track across the print, and find the next line as their eyes move down the page. Beyond this, their brains must convert the symbolic squiggles (words) to pictures and
concepts. Listen to your child read out loud. Can you hear him sounding out many of the words? A child that continues to decode words that he has previously decoded has very little comprehension of what he has just read. Successful readers do not decode words as they read, they recognize words that are in their minds from previous experience. A persistent phonetic decoder might be called dyslexic. Successful reader who learned by phonetic methods store the word visually after he has seen it or several times. Does your child prefer to be read to, do they have to read out loud or move their lips when they read or have to keep their place with their finger? These are signs of visual problems that can be alleviated with visual therapy. Other signs of visual problems are headaches, closing one eye, loses place with reading, short atten-
tion span, letter reversals, motion sickness, poor hand writing, holds reading very close, blurred print, and other symptoms that you may not think are related to vision. Can you read this: Is Phnologoical Anyslais Reuqired for Reaidng? Aoccdrnig to rscheearcdh atan Elingsh uinervtisy, the order of ltteers in a word deosn’t mttaer, the olny iprmoetnt thing is that the frist and lsat ltteers aer in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total msses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slsef but instaed vusially roceginze wrods as a wlohe. It would be difficulty for a phonic reader to read this. Beyond this, slow readers read or process the words they see through the auditory (hearing) area of their brain. They hear their own voice in their head as they read. Fast
readers read through the visual area of their brain and are more likely to see pictures as they read. The good news is that none of this is “hard wired” but is just how the brain is being used (the software needs updating). Through vision therapy the eyes can be trained to work more efficiently and the brain channel can be switched from auditory processing to visual. If your child is struggling in school, is not reading fluently, has eye strain, headache, motion sickness, or is just not getting it, he should be seen by a behavioral optometrist. Also if your child’s eyes are not straight, get a second opinion from a behavioral optometrist. You can visit these websites for more information: covd.org; oepf.org; and palousevision.com.
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New physicians and location for Palouse Pediatrics By Palouse Pediatrics | for Tag
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alouse Pediatrics now has six board certified pediatric physicians available to provide care in Pullman, and soon will be opening another office at the Eastside Marketplace in Moscow. This year, doctors Methuel Methuel Gordon and Amy Gordon Kinkel joined the practice, which specializes in providing medical care to infants, children and adolescents. Gordon grew up in Jamaica, West Indies and attended Pennsylvania State University
School of Medicine. He performed his residency in pediatrics at Lola Linda University and is licensed to practice in Washington and Idaho. Kinkel attended Creighton University School of Medicine and performed her residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in Dartmouth. She is licensed to practice in Washington and Idaho. Amy Kinkel The other physicians at Palouse Pediatrics are P. Malini Ariyawansa, Lennis Boyer, Alvin Frostad, and Michael Frostad. Palouse Pediatric’s Pullman location is 1205 S.E. Professional Mall Blvd. Suite 104.
The phone is (509) 332-2605. The website is www.palousepediatrics.com.
Pediatric training Medical students who want to go in to pediatrics graduate from medical school and then take special intensive training in pediatrics for three or more years. The pediatrician-in-training acquires the knowledge and skills necessary to treat a range of conditions, from the mildest childhood illnesses to the most serious diseases. The state board in medicine must be passed before the physician becomes a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This certifies the physician has reached the highest status of membership in this professional
organization. To maintain board certification, a pediatrician must continue the medical education through a lifelong pursuit of pediatric knowledge and training and must take a re-certification exam every seven years. Board certified pediatricians are committed to the care of infants, children and teens. They have focused their training and experience in these areas to be better suited to help these patients and to partner with the family members caring for them. Palouse Pediatrics is available to provide this kind of pediatric specific care for your children.
Advertisers in Tag were invited to submit articles for publication. This is one of those submissions.
Tumbling toward academic success through gymnastics By Debra Em Wilson | for Tag
both sides of the body to work together and separately. Coordinated movement patterns create he more a child tumbles, climbs, creeps and crawls, the more densely efficiency in the brain. Efficient pathways create fluent readers who complete reading wired the brain becomes for acatasks easier. For example, during reading, demic success. Movement is the architect the left hemisphere attends to letters and seof a child’s brain. The two hemispheres of quence of words, while the right side of the the brain are designed to constantly combrain focuses on comprehending what is municate with one another. The left side read. Reading fluency depends on intimate of the brain controls the right side of the body and the, vice versa. Bilateral activities, conversation between the two hemispheres common to all gymnastic programs, require of the brain creating a clear signal.
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Bouncing on a trampoline, tumbling down a mat, swinging from the bars — all of these activities help with the brain and integrate the vestibular system. Located in the inner ear, the vestibular system is intricately connected with the brain. Its job is to make sense of all the perceived sensory information from the environment and tell us where our bodies are in space. Like the hub of a wheel, the vestibular system integrates vision, hearing, balance, and skin sensations. If children have poor sensory
processing skills, they may have a difficult time learning gymnastics skills or regulating behavior. Weaknesses observed in gymnastics classes may lead to discovering that the child might struggle in school as well.
Tag advertisers were invited to submit copy for the publication. This is one of those submissions, submitted on behalf of Palouse Empire Gymnastics.
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Youth from Page 11
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
ing that class,” Nelson said, describing the way they tunneled through the brush and snow. “The kids imagined themselves to be in a magical place.”
Sunnyside students get back to nature
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Coming to Moscow Fall 2011
Students march into national spotlight
October 15 When Drew Schudt first saw the landscape behind Sunnyside Elementary School, he said it was “just waiting” for a project like the one envisioned by fifth-grade teacher Nancy Nelson. The hillside was overgrown with shrubs and bushes, and it was impossible to walk among the crop of native trees standing to the north. But Nelson and Schudt saw the potential for the environmental classroom that has become a reality this year. The Pullman School District worked in partnership with the Palouse Conservation District, Palouse Pollinators and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop Sunnyside’s outdoor space, which now is home to three distinctive habitats: A wetland sits below a Palouse prairie hill, with a forest of trees adding a “magical” touch, Nelson said. The wonder of the forest is what initially sparked Nelson’s interest in the area. Several years ago she brought a class outside for a walk in the snow, and she said the group eventually wandered into the woods. “It’s one of my fondest memories of teach-
October 21 Three Moscow High School students will be spending this Thanksgiving far away from their families in Moscow, but they won’t be completely out of sight - they’ll be appearing on television screens all over the nation. Seniors Michael Allen and Korinna Meekhof and junior Mikaela Hannon were chosen to perform in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band that is heavily featured in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. This year’s band features more than 200 students from every state. The young musicians will be directed by Richard Good, director of bands at Auburn University in Alabama, and Jon Woods, a professor of music education and marching band director at The Ohio State University. The performance in New York City’s Herald Square will be complemented by about 50 flags and dancers choreographed by Greg Lagola of the Cadets Drum Corps of Pennsylvania.
Partnering with parents to facilitate normal physical, emotional, and spirtual wellness for children from birth through adolescence. Conveniently located in Pullman and coming soon to Moscow 509.334.5754ËVËÝÝݱ¬? ÖÄj¬ja ?ÍÁ WıW
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A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse
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A quest for the right pirate
H
alloween is upon us and whether you give out treats, host a party, or take the little ones doorto-door, it is a holiday all about kids.
Yes, indeed, it is all about the children, and each year, in each family there is always that one kid who makes things all about him. One memorable year, when my youngest son was 3, he told me he wanted to be a pirate. I was so excited to purchase a store-bought costume I practically ran to the mall. No sewing, no gluing, no fabricating of any kind, I was excited to have my easiest Halloween ever. At home, I showed him the costume and with barely a glance in my direction he said, “That is the wrong one.” BY Sonia Todd “What do you mean? You said you wanted to be a pirate.” costume they had. I showed it to my son with a flourish and a “Ta-da!” “Not that one.” Indifference. “That is not it.” I was undeterred, as any mother who “It was the only other one I could find.” cannot sew and despises making home“That is not the right pirate.” made costumes would be. I went back to Deep breath. “Ok, you want to be a the store. I purchased the only other pirate
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pirate. Did you mean like pirates of the Caribbean?” “No. I want to be a captain.” “What captain? Captain Crunch? Captain Kirk? Captain and Tennille?” He looked me and said with some annoyance, “Captain Hulk.” I tried not to act superior when I said, “Captain Hulk? Do you mean the Incredible Hulk that is big and green and goes ‘rawr’?” Yeah, I was that desperate. He let out a sigh that only a 3-year-old who has come to the end of his rope could muster. “No Mommy, from Peter Pan.” That was my Ah-ha moment. We had been to Disneyland on vacation and my toddler was talking about Captain Hook. “Ooooooh.” “He has a hook Mommy, and an eyepatch, and a mustache. He has a parrot and a long red coat. Plus I want a pirate hat with a feather. A red feather.” I could see where this was going, and there was no way I was giving up my dream of not making a costume just so this kid could be ‘Captain Hulk’ for Halloween. After all, he was only 3 and I read an article that said childhood memories don’t really take effect until age 4. I was adamant that I was not going through this kind of trouble for a kid who wasn’t even going to remember it. Fast forward three weeks. After searching three states, 16 websites, and a multitude of costume shops I had no luck finding a pre-made Captain Hook costume. I spent a week gathering materials at craft supply stores, thrift shops, and discount stores so this kid could be the talk of the neighborhood. On Halloween, we checked his costume to make sure the sword wouldn’t cause him
to trip, the eye patch wouldn’t impede his vision, and his parrot would stay upright. All was good; the costume was ready for its début. We gathered pumpkins and took them outside to light them. Once outside, the door shut, and locked behind us. There we were — all stranded on the porch locked out of the house, all of us, except ... Captain Hulk. “Honey,” I called through the window with just a hint of panic in my voice, “Come open the door.” He tapped it half-heartedly with his hook. “Won’t open” “Honey, you will have to take off your hook and open the door.” He looked at me through the window with his one good eye and said, “Arrgh” then wandered off. My husband ran to the backside of the house to try and coax our little buccaneer into removing his hook and see if he would open the kitchen door. I stayed at the front, horrified. My older son said, “Can I light my pumpkin yet?” After some time, my husband persuaded our toddler to open the back door by saying things like “Ahoy Matey! Can ye open the hatch so’s we can have some grog?” The little swashbuckler would only do so if we promised to “swab the deck” after. Once back inside, I admitted to being scared. My older son said, “Yeah I know. But were you scared because we were locked out, or because instead of creating a pirate you created a monster?” Sonia Todd is a freelance writer who lives with her family in Moscow. She has been previously published in Adventures in Mothering, and the book, A Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas. She blogs at http://myfirstlaunch.blogspot.com.
The best child care on the Palouse www.pullmanlearningcenter.com
Tag | A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse
Give your child a positive dental experience.
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alouse Pediatric Dentistry is specifically designed to engage and relax children. Our friendly and expert staff treats all children with compassion and respect. For the anxious child, we offer a variety of treatment options, including conscious sedation and general anesthesia.
1246 W. A Street Moscow (P) 208.882.9999 • (F) 208.882.9998 palousepediatricspa@frontier.com
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A Kid’s-Eye View of the Palouse
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