U Magazine

A Voice is Heard

One local mama’s efforts to support education in Africa.

Inspired to inspire What a pickle!

Sponsored By

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

WELCOME HOME

The Importance of Furniture Placement At the heart of Interior Designing is the art of furniture placement.

We suggest a five step design process.

ONE, ask the questions above.

This will determine the rest of the process.

Furniture arrangements effect our lives-sometimes mildly, but sometimes not. If you have ever been in a room where the furniture placement was awkward or unattractive, you probably felt a sense of unrest. There is a certain and sure energy or “vibe” that comes from a beautifully placed room. Quite simply, it makes us feel GOOD. As we design our rooms, we should strive for furniture arrangements that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

There are some basic principles to keep in mind as you rearrange furnishings and redesign rooms.

Once they are mastered, you can experiment with additional furniture placement ideas to broaden your options for success. Keep it simple at first as you gain experience.

Use what works and what looks and feels best in a particular space. And most importantly, if you need help, don’t hesitate to call. We take the stress out of it.

What kind of mood do you want to create? Will it be a warm and cozy environment or a trendy and modern space? How many people will occupy the space? Are there small children to

TWO, consider the room’s shape. Angles or long and narrow spaces will feel smaller if you don’t allow for enough breathing room. Rooms with little to no walls allow for your furniture to float. But you still need to create boundaries.

THREE, look at the top three most important items in the room.

Usually, these are items that you can’t live without in the space.

FOUR, get outside the box. Don’t feel so locked into the standards. If your formal dining room would make a better office, do it!

And FIVE,

ask for help. Yes, your friends and family will help you move things around. But in most cases, this means hire a professional. We strive to simplify the process and make you love your spaces even more. In the end, it will save you time and money to actually see your vision through.

Furniture placement shouldn’t be complicated. It has great importance in all designs and we can show you just how it is done.

consider in the placement of furniture, lamps, and accessories? Will the room be used for tasks such as, reading that will require table lamps? Will you entertain frequently? Can some of the pieces be removed—brought to another room or given to a friend? Are you open to using pieces from other rooms in the space? Do you want to add a few new pieces to serve a particular function? The answer to these and other questions will help you to create seating arrangements and furniture placement schemes that work well for daily living, entertaining, and home-based work situations.

Complement s Home Interiors 541.322.7337 w w w. complement shome. com 7 0 SW Ce ntu r y Dr. , Su ite 1 4 5 , B end , OR 9 7 7 0 2 2 | U Magazine | September 2015

U Magazine Table of Contents

Contributors ..........................................................................................................4 Inspired to Inspire................................................................................................5 Through her passion to educate, Karen Stiner is making a difference.

The Rise of E-Learning ........................................................................................8 In today’s digital world, education reaches far beyond the walls of traditional classrooms.

A Positive Impact................................................................................................10 Teacher mentor program helps new teachers grow and gain confidence.

At the Starting Line ........................................................................................... 12 Kate Kranzush finds inspiration in the kids who fill her classroom with laughter and learning.

Creating Connections....................................................................................... 13 Amanda McDonnieal breaks down barriers and fosters a collaborative classroom environment.

What We’re Reading.......................................................................................... 15 Educational Harmony ..................................................................................... 16 One mother’s journey to Kenya, and the united moments she brought back.

Quick Pickles...................................................................................................... 20 As growing season wanes, preserve the garden’s bounty for later enjoyment.

Feeding Kids’ Bodies to Nourish Their Brains ............................................. 22 There are many barriers to learning. Hunger should not be one of them.

Through Their Eyes .......................................................................................... 26 Laura Meyer finds teaching sixth grade simply means seeing the world from a different view.

For the Love of Art............................................................................................. 27 Bethany Gunnarson pushes herself so she can push her students.

Empowering People.......................................................................................... 28 The Latino Community Association strives to build bridges that unite and strengthen us all.

Frontier Teacher ................................................................................................ 30 Ruth Reid’s inspiration in the early 1900s was not only far reaching, but had a lasting impact.

Learning Isn’t Just for Kids ..............................................................................31

Editor’s Note When I first began the task of determining what stories to include in this edition of U Magazine — with its focus on women in education — my assumption was that I would conjure up fond memories of women I’d had as teachers Body Copy during my life who inspired and challenged me.

But as I reflected on my education, I had to acknowledge that the majority of my influences were men, not women.

There was Mr. Krause, my second grade teacher who was so funny and made learning something to look forward to. Mr. Anson in middle school made his students feel special with his genuine interest in their lives and the connections he made with them by caring about their wellbeing. In high school Mr. Obanion had a simple way of encouraging, challenging and provoking thought and debate. College followed the same pattern from my very first journalism professor Mr. Harris, to Mr. Brennan — my professor of environmental journalism my junior and senior years.

I was dumbfounded.

But none of this is to say that I didn’t have some wonderful women make their mark during my education. There were, in fact, many — teachers, counselors, coaches, administrators and the wonderful lunch ladies.

My conclusion, after all of this, is that the people — men and women alike — who are a part of our education, whether it’s behind the scenes or in the front of the classroom and whether it’s in subtle or profound ways, are a part of who we become. As a kid you sure don’t realize that. I didn’t.

But now, as a parent, I not only realize the truth of it, but I realize the exponential importance of it.

The women featured in these pages are touching the lives of so many children. They are shaping our future. From right here in Central Oregon to the far reaches of Africa, from elementary to middle to high school, from the classroom to the lunchroom, these women are making a difference.

Truthfully, books could be put together with page after page featuring all the amazing, inspiring women (and men) in education in our community.

I, for one, am so thankful for that. From my youngests’ incredible preschool teacher for the past two years, to all the wonderful women who have encouraged, guided, challenged and taught my eldest from preschool through the third grade, the caliber of teaching I’ve witnessed makes me feel like one lucky mama.

U Magazine

is a product of The Bulletin’s Special Projects Division, P.O. Box 6020, Bend, OR 97708.

All content is the property of The Bulletin/Western Communications Inc., and maynot be reproduced without written permission. Printed by Northwest Web Press, www.northwestwebpress.com Story ideas may be submitted to editor Kari Mauser for consideration.

Contact her at 541-383-0379 or kmauser@bendbulletin.com Published: Saturday, September 12

— Kari Mauser

Staff members for The Bulletin’s special projects division include: Martha Rogers, Special Projects Manager; Kari Mauser, Special Projects Managing Editor; Stacie Oberson, Special Projects Coordinator; Kevin Prieto, Special Projects Photographer & Graphic Designer; and Clint Nye, Graphic Designer.

Cover photo of Harmony Thomas and sponsored student, Muinti Kennedy.

Courtesy of Harmony Thomas.

To subscribe or learn more about all our publications, call 541-385-5800 or visit us at www.bendbulletin.com

U Magazine | September 2015 | 3

U Magazine CON TR IBUTORS

ANNISSA ANDERSON, a freelance writer and PR consultant, also studied culinary arts and worked as a pastry chef in another life. She now writes regular food and nutrition articles for The Bulletin. When not researching food trends and recipes, she spends her time with her husband and young son exploring Central Oregon’s lesser-known natural spaces.

KIMBERLY BOWKER grew up in Central Oregon under the shadow of the Cascade Mountains and between the scent of the ponderosa pines. She spends her time teaching and writing, exploring stories of the heart and discovering how our lives intertwine. You might find her sipping a pint of craft beer at a local pub, or out on the trail strolling beneath the sky.

A refugee from Silicon Valley, BONNIE BURNS chose to retire in beautiful, eclectic Bend. She volunteers at the Deschutes County Historical Society and Museum where she indulges her passions of history, research, reading and writing. She has recently taken on the challenge of gardening in the High Desert.

DAVID CLEWETT is a writer and explorer based in Bend. Educated at Oregon State University and New Mexico State University, he publishes prose, poetry, and travel narratives in addition to operating a blog. David is frequently out hiking, biking, kayaking, and fly fishing.

ZACK HALL is freelance writer based in Bend and a former staff writer for The Bulletin. When not writing about the virtues of Central Oregon, he can usually be found chasing his daughter around the house or a little white ball around a golf course.

LAURA KESSINGER is a native Oregonian who lives in Bend. Eighteen years ago, her solar-powered smoothie cart was a bit ahead of trend, so she now spends her time working in restaurants, writing about food, narrowly avoiding parking tickets and embarrassing her kids with public displays of awesomeness.

Enthusiastic and outgoing, BRIDGET MCGINN enjoys meeting new people and sharing their stories. She spends her days working as a marketing and advertising professional, making photos or documentary films and spending time with her family. She may also be seen being dragged along the end of the leash of her beagle.

GREGG MORRIS is a local freelance writer and musician. You can find him around town finishing articles at the local tea shop, performing with his band Organic Music Farm or homeschooling his daughter. Supposed free time is spent in the woods with his wife and daughter or executing his duties as a member of the Deschutes County Search and Rescue team.

A former Portland public affairs TV producer, KATHY OXBORROW provides opinion research, facilitation, planning and writing services for businesses and nonprofits. She grew up on a Nevada cattle ranch and moved to Bend, drawn by its outdoor amenities. Her website is oxborrowconsulting.com.

After three decades in Seattle, SUE STAFFORD returned home to Oregon to put down roots in Sisters. The “dry side,” with its beauty, weather and slower pace, affords her the opportunity to pursue her gardening, hiking, and movie going. Sue’s experiences with motherhood, teaching, fundraising, horticultural and expressive arts therapies, and hospice case management inform her writing.

4 | U Magazine | September 2015

Inspired to

INSPIRE Through her passion to educate, Karen Stiner is making a difference.

by Zack Hall, for The Bulletin Special Projects / Photos by Kevin Prieto Enthusiasm pours from Karen Stiner’s voice. Her energy is magnetizing.

As an adult, to speak to the assistant principal at Bend High School is to instantly be reminded of that one teacher who truly inspired you. Stiner draws you in, and in a moment has you hanging on her every word.

Stiner’s is a rare talent, and one that has made her among the most beloved educators in Central Oregon. Yet her approach is simple, almost obvious even.

“It all boils down to one simple thing: Having a relationship with the kid,” Stiner said. “If you can get into their curiosity and help them to wonder, there is a whole world that opens. Then they start to discover with you, and together you can go forward.”

Effectively building that relationship, though, is the real trick. That takes passion.

“If you invest in a kid, they invest back into you,” she said. “Then, it’s such a cliche, it becomes limitless.”

Stiner, with her tireless work ethic, has been the assistant principal at Bend High for one year, and is the co-coordinator of the CLASS Project for Bend-La Pine Schools (a statewide initiative focussed on improving teacher performance).

Before that Stiner spent 15 years as one of the most popular teachers at High Desert Middle School.

She has also been aggressive in sparking girls’ interest in math and science, and is a fervent supporter of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.

Along the way, in 2005, she won the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science, and she spent two years (2007-2009) in Washington D.C., as a recipient of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Fellowship.

By any measure, Stiner’s resume is impressive. But it only hints at the impact she has had on real students and teachers by leading selflessly at Bend High.

“My job here is to be a servant leader,” Stiner said. “My position here is to support the families, support the students and the staff.

It’s all about them.”

Making a Difference Stiner may be new as an administrator, but she has long given all she can to her students.

Andria Lindsey, a math teacher at Bend High who has known Stiner for years as a “fellow math nerd,” said that Stiner’s patience with students is inspiring and her passion for math is contagious.

U Magazine | September 2015 | 5

Often Lindsey’s Bend High students who had Stiner as a middle school teacher rave about her.

And now, Lindsey added, when former High Desert students see Stiner in the halls at Bend High, “they are just ecstatic.”

“She is a person that just gives so much of herself to the people around her,” Lindsey said. “She is one of the hardest workers I know. She’s just always putting kids’ and teachers’ needs first. She’s just so patient and so positive, and I think that is one of the things that her students always liked about her.”

Such enthusiasm from an educator can be transforming for students such as Jennifer Robeson, who graduated this year from Bend High. Robeson had attended a private grade school before transferring to High Desert for sixth grade.

She struggled to adjust to the public school, and found the differing teaching styles and the larger class sizes challenging, Robeson recalled.

Robeson nearly transferred out. But then, in seventh grade, she drew Stiner as a math teacher.

“She was just so high-energy and so cool and she really just tried to connect with everyone,” said Robeson. “You can’t really not be drawn in by her.”

Robeson’s mother, Audrey, saw the change in her daughter almost immediately.

“She instilled in my daughter this love of learning and this love of figuring things out and questioning things,” she said. “She doesn’t talk down to them.

She challenges them. She sets high expectations for them. She just really connects on the right level.”

Stiner hooks students with more than enthusiasm.

She actually cares deeply for her students, and has little trouble showing it.

At Bend High, she started a tradition of passing out handwritten notes to congratulate students for their accomplishments. When a st udent aces a big test or performs well in a sporting event, Stiner’s praise makes its way to that student on one of her notes.

Robeson, who ultimately became student body vice president her senior year at Bend High, said the notes are just part of the way Stiner makes her students feel important. She’s also a regular at school events.

“She makes such an effort to come to everyone’s events, and basketball games, and write the little notes to everyone,” said Robeson. “It just kind of makes your day to kind of see her and [for her to] interact with you.”

A Passion to Educate Stiner never married and does not have children.

Instead, she committed her life to helping other 6 | U Magazine | September 2015

Cutline

“I just realized that working with kids ...

I just saw light bulbs go on and thought there is so much more to life that you can help kids learn, and change a life, and be part of their development.”

help kids learn, and change a life, and be part of their development,” explained Stiner, who first started teaching in the barrio of San Diego before moving to Bend in 2000. “It was a no-brainer and I thought ‘What am I doing in this other field?”

As an administrator, her role is different now. She misses teaching, but embraces being an assistant principal. people’s children excel.

But that was not always her plan.

She grew up in Portland along with two siblings and parents who were both educators. But instead of following in their footsteps and pursuing teaching, she spent six years in the space systems division of General Dynamics after graduating from San Diego State University.

For her, it is just another step in her mission to bring the best out in her students. After all, they have always brought the best out in her.

“It’s been some beautiful plan that I didn’t even know was happening,” Stiner said, reflecting on her teaching career.

“And I look back and I say ‘I had a phenomenal experience didn’t I?’”

Stiner was never far from education, though. She started a company that created educational technology and even tutored her sister’s students, who at the time was teaching in San Diego.

The experience ended up being life-changing for Stiner.

“I just realized that working with kids ... I just saw light bulbs go on and thought there is so much more to life that you can

U Magazine | September 2015 | 7

The Rise of

E-Learning In today’s digital world, education reaches far beyond the walls of traditional classrooms.

by Gregg Morris, for The Bulletin Special Projects / photo by Kevin Prieto

Cutline

8 | U Magazine | September 2015

Twenty-four years ago the internet became public and changed everyone’s lives forever. The wealth of information shared, through websites and emails, has grown exponentially ever since.

While businesses have used the internet to market their companies from the beginning, online educational benefits are beginning to take shape.

The rise of online learning, or e-learning, helps fill in the knowledge gaps of all students, young and old. Adults looking to add personal and professional skills go to YouTube to learn how to play songs, or visit online media companies such as Bend-based Choose Growth for curated content from experts in all industries. But, the true beneficiaries of e-learning are the children, who are using the internet to complete their education in full or part.

“Online learning is an obvious component of education now,” said Christie McCormick, program coordinator for Bend La Pine Schools Online. “The online model makes us rethink what school is.”

Bend-La Pine Schools has seen exponential growth in its online component since it began to offer the programming a decade ago. However, in response to demand for more online options, the district aggressively expanded its online programs in 2012 to meet the educational needs of every student. Its online component, Bend-La Pine Schools Online, works with online content from Fuel Education to provide e-learning to district students. Although legally Bend-La Pine Schools Online is allowed to take any child within the state of Oregon, for now it only serves students in the Central Oregon region.

Bend-La Pine Schools Online is made up of a staff of six, all

with classroom experience.

Included in the program is remote teacher Tanya Everts, who holds face-to-face workshops three times a week with students as well as home visits if needed. Everts was brought on to ensure children using the online program, especially at lower grade levels, are meeting educational goals.

“It is our job to make sure the online education matches the rigor of classroom learning,” said Tres Tyvand, student services coordinator for BendLa Pine Schools Online. “We

20% of the district, enrolled in Bend-La Pine Schools Online.

Administrators expect at least that same number to enroll this year. The bulk of those enrolled are high school students taking one or two classes to supplement their classroom education. In addition, as of last year, any teacher within the district can use part of the online curriculum for their classroom studies.

“We are trying to create educated citizens who will continue to learn,” explained McCormick.

“It is our job to make sure the online education matches the rigor of classroom learning.” offer excellent content backed by our support.”

Bend-La Pine Schools Online is divided into three parts: Pre-K, K-5 and 6-12. Students are allowed to take anywhere from one to all of their classes online, setting up a selection that is tailored to their needs.

Successfully piloted two years ago, the Embark Pre-K section is the only part that charges parents -- $240 for materials.

Additionally, if a student gets injured during the school year, HEAL, or homebound educational alternative learning, works with Bend-La Pine teachers to ensure kids are able to seamlessly re-enter the classroom once they are ready.

Last year, 3,000 students, or

Students participate in e-learning for a variety of reasons. Some are looking for advanced classwork allowed through the course catalog expansion available online.

Other students have outside opportunities, such as travel or employment, that limit their access to classroom learning.

Another reason for e-learning is to retake failed classes through credit recovery. Many students don’t want to retake failed courses with younger kids, and this is a cost-effective method for the school district. Credit recovery, then, is a mutually beneficial option and about 300 high school students retook classes online during this past summer.

E-learning offers many benefits to families, but there are some challenges associated with it as well. First of all, there is a need for parent or caregiver involvement, as it is not just a plug-and-play program. While Fuel Education provides the content, and Bend-La Pine Schools provides the support, it is essential for parents or caregivers to act as learning coaches throughout the process.

In addition, some children experience a social shock of not being surrounded by other kids for eight hours a day. Tyvand believes this is the reason parttime enrollment is growing.

Both Sisters School District and Crook County School District are following Bend-La Pine Schools’ lead and are offering online learning beginning this school year.

In addition to e-learning through school districts, online’s Khan Academy has been offering free educational content since 2006. Boasting more than 28,000,000 learners, Khan Academy offers video instruction and practice exercises in math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and other subjects. They have even partnered with institutions like NASA and The Museum of Modern Art to offer specialized lessons.

For now, e-learning is most commonly used in conjunction with classroom training to fill in educational gaps. But, as its value and legitimacy as a fulltime-education option become more widely recognized and accepted, its popularity and usage will inevitably grow. With that growth, however, comes a responsibility to also recognize that e-learning is most successful when combined with traditional human support.

U Magazine | September 2015 | 9

A Positive

IMPACT

by Zack Hall, for The Bulletin Special Projects / Photos by Kevin Prieto

Teacher mentor program helps new teachers grow and gain confidence, a critical link to student success.

10 | U Magazine | September 2015

Carrie Lowenbach remembers well the feelings of frustration she had as a young teacher still feeling her way around her new profession.

Beginning her teaching career in 1998 at the North Lake School in Silver Lake, Lowenbach worried that she was making little difference with her students.

She wondered if anyone knew she was there at all.

“I taught for four years, and I was one of those people that was sort of disenchanted with the whole thing,” said Lowenbach, who is now a social studies teacher set to begin her 11th year at Crook County High School. “I remember... wondering, ‘Is this really what I am supposed to be doing?’”

Unlike many young teachers, Lowenbach stuck with teaching and moved well past those shaky early years to become the kind of dedicated teacher to which many in the profession aspire.

Reflecting on her memories of those unsettling early days, weeks and years, Lowenbach opted to take on a new challenge in the 2014-15 school year: she became a mentor to all of the first- and second-year teachers for the entire Crook County School District.

In many ways the relentlessly positive Lowenbach is ideally

suited for the job.

“I really remember being in their shoes, and if I can do anything to help them along the way and keep these brandnew teachers in the profession, then I [am] going to do it,” Lowenbach said.

“We desperately need teachers who are good, to stay; and we need teachers who become selfreflective,” she added. “We don’t have time for teachers to be good in five years. We need teachers to be good immediately. We need that for the kids.”

Taking on the position of new-teacher mentor wasn’t an entirely new role to Lowenbach.

She had long participated in Crook County High School’s less formal program in which a veteran teacher pairs with a rookie teacher to form a sort of buddy system.

Crook County, though, in the spring of 2014, was among the Oregon school districts (including Bend-La Pine Schools) that were awarded a TeachOregon grant from the Portland-based nonprofit -- the Chalkboard Project. Among other facets, the grant helps set up a formal mentoring program.

In the case of Crook County, the program would have one mentor for teacher of each grade level throughout the entire district.

Lowenbach jumped at the chance.

And in Lowenbach, Crook County administrators saw a teacher with the enthusiasm, idealism and approachable demeanor that could really help new teachers.

“She’s a phenomenal teacher,” said Crook County High School principal Michelle Jonas. “She’s a lifelong learner, always taking classes and bettering herself in professional development and leading staff development. …

ALL the staff feel comfortable bouncing ideas off her. She just has a way about her.”

Meeting them any time she could, Lowenbach averaged more than 60 hours for each of the new teachers in the first year.

She observed, advised, helped with lesson plans and even offered non-professional advice whenever teachers asked.

“Carrie is really, really good about being personable,” said Orie Gamez, a grade-school

teacher who is in the mentoring program. “I can trust her, and so I can talk to her if I am feeling overwhelmed.”

Lowenbach will continue with the mentoring program in addition to teaching two U.S. history classes.

She also volunteered to teach the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) elective, a new college preparatory elective offered at schools throughout the state.

Cutting edge? Sure.

“Or maybe I just need to learn to say ‘No,’” she joked.

In the end, Lowenbach - wife and mother of two boys - figures it’s worth it.

“For me, it’s been an amazing experience and I am so glad my district believed in me ... and continues to believe in me,” Lowenbach said. “Working with new teachers is great. They are so energetic. … It really energizes me.”

Come to Cool Night Out October 22, 2015 5:30pm

“We desperately need teachers who are good, to stay; and we need teachers who become self-reflective. We don’t have time for teachers to be good in five years.

We need teachers to be good immediately.

We need that for the kids.”

The Cool New Way to Eliminate Stubborn Fat...

FREEZE YOUR FAT AWAY!

BUY 4 COOLSCULPTING TREATMENTS;

GET ONE FREE TREATMENT*

Kybella Study. Please call if interested.

“Don’t settle for anyone but a plastic surgeon for Coolsculpting®.”

*No cash value, Expires 10-15-15 *Requires medical consultation and you must be candidate for coolsculpting treatments.

U Magazine | September 2015 | 11

AT THE

STARTING LINE

Kindergarten is a year full of firsts, and Kate Kranzush finds endless inspiration in the kids who fill her classroom with laughter and learning.

By Bridget McGinn, for The Bulletin Special Projects / Photo by Kevin Prieto

A desire to provide children with a solid start to their education — both academically and socially — motivates Pine Ridge Elementary School kindergarten teacher Kate Kranzush. Now in her seventh year of teaching, Kranzush always knew she wanted to be a teacher. She taught second grade for several years before making the change to kindergarten and finding her true calling.

“I want kids to love school and love learning and being in a collaborative environment, and kindergarten allows me to instill that as best I can,” said Kranzush. “I fully believe that a great start can make a difference in the course of education.”

An added bonus, said Kranzush, is that kindergartners are adorable and say funny things all the time. However, many of the 12 | U Magazine | September 2015

funniest things that happen in her classroom are also kind of gross (think flu season), she warns. Laughter helps her to keep her sanity, along with the supportive team she works with.

“I’m lucky to teach with a team of incredible women who bring different perspectives to education, with the common theme of constantly improving

work hard in obtaining their education, but I need to make sure that I am supporting them in a way to make their hard work successful.”

What Kranzush finds most rewarding about teaching kindergarten is watching the students grow not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well.

“There are so many firsts in

“I want kids to love school and love learning and being in a collaborative environment, and kindergarten allows me to instill that as best I can.” our own practices as well as doing what’s best for the kids,” said Kranzush.

A strong sense of responsibility toward each and every student in her class defines her approach to teaching.

“If a 5-year-old isn’t learning, it’s my fault for not teaching them,” said Kranzush. “Of course, it is important for kids to learn to persevere and

kindergarten. The first word they read, the first math problem solved, the first sticky social situation navigated, the first story written,” said Kranzush.

“It’s empowering for kids in June to look back on work they completed in September and have them see how far they’ve come. Additionally, it’s just a special age. Kindergartners are so willing to give it their all and

take risks. It’s pretty amazing.”

Kranzush recalls a powerful moment in the classroom when a boy who had been struggling to grasp the skills behind reading suddenly got it, a moment that stays in her memory as a strong reminder of why she does what she does.

“The word had gone from squiggles on a page to having a meaning and, in his world, had jumped out at him from the page,” said Kranzush. “There was no stopping him after that.”

It is the kids themselves — especially those who succeed despite their socio-economic status or home situation — that provide daily inspiration for Kranzush.

“I fully believe that education is the key to success,” said Kranzush. “Nelson Mandela said ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,’ and I believe that to be true. What would be the point in doing what I do if I didn’t believe that?”

Creating CONNECTIONS Through taking a genuine interest in her students’ lives, Amanda McDonnieal breaks down barriers and fosters a collaborative classroom environment.

By Zack Hall, for The Bulletin Special Projects Photo by Kevin Prieto

Amanda McDonnieal feels a special sense of pride when a former student drops into Redmond’s Sage Elementary School just to say “hello.”

For the popular fifth-grade teacher, it could be a high-schooler popping in to wish her a happy birthday. Or it could be a chance meeting at a restaurant with a former student who gets excited to tell her all about his progress.

“When they come back I think ‘Oh my goodness, I did make a difference,’” said McDonnieal, a 15-year education veteran who has taught at Sage since the school opened in 2010. “It is the BEST feeling, especially when it was fifth grade and they’re now seniors in high school and coming back. … It’s just amazing.”

Such strong bonds start with her overarching teaching philosophy.

For McDonnieal, teaching begins when she connects with her students on a personal level.

She wants her students to understand that not only is she their teacher, but as a married mother of three young children, she is a real person outside of the classroom, too.

At the end of each school year, McDonnieal asks her students to write a memoir chronicling their memories of elementary school.

And she gets them to share by sharing her own experiences.

“I make sure that I tell stories about my life outside of teaching;

I tell them my own experiences,” McDonnieal said. “They know all kinds of things about me.”

In return, McDonnieal asks her students to tell her all about their interests: soccer, dance, no matter.

The goal is to break down the barrier between student and teacher and make a connection in its place.

That connection creates a solid base for McDonnieal to get through to her students. It also creates a more a collaborative environment, she said.

“I am genuinely interested in what they are doing outside of school,” McDonnieal said. “I think that is first and foremost so that they feel comfortable sharing, and it’s not just ‘Ms. McDonnieal the fifth-grade teacher is a scary person.’”

Those relationships are precisely what make McDonnieal such an effective teacher, said Grant Faulconer, a fellow fifth-grade teacher at Sage.

“She’s real,” said Faulconer, who has known McDonnieal since they were both young teachers in Madras. “It’s not one way in the classroom, then one way out of the classroom. And the kids pick up on that. She is genuinely interested in what they do, but at the same time has high expectations and standards for them.”

A fourth-generation educator, teaching is in McDonnieal’s blood.

And her passion for teaching has been especially sparked with upper elementary school students.

The Redmond High School graduate found her calling teaching fifth grade. And she draws energy

in helping to foster her students’ educational independence while helping them transition from elementary to middle school.

“I genuinely love my job,” said McDonnieal. “I love working with the kids. I love that ‘Aha!’ moment when kids have been struggling and working so hard to understand a concept.

“It’s just so amazing when that light bulb goes off.”

“I make sure that I tell stories about my life outside of teaching; I tell them my own experiences. They know all kinds of things about me.”

U Magazine | September 2015 | 13

14 | U Magazine | September 2015

What We’re Reading

by Susan Stafford, for The Bulletin Special Projects

Brief reviews of recent selections made by Central Oregon book clubs.

T

he 2015-2016 Author! Author! literary series of the Deschutes Public Library Foundation begins with Timothy Egan, the author of seven books including The Big Burn and Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher. His nonfiction account of the Dust Bowl, The Worst Hard Time, won the 2006 Nation-

AMERICANAH

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Beechwood Book Club Young and in love, Ifemelu and Obinze leave military-ruled Nigeria, headed in different directions. Ifemelu, who goes to the United States on a college scholarship, experiences culture shock, hardships, and racism. She is left feeling she has “cement in her soul.” To counter her desperation and depression, she starts writing a popular blog in which she explores what she refers to as Racial Disorder Syndrome. Obinze, who is unable to enter the U.S. post 9/11, is experiencing his own struggles in London where he finds himself an unwanted African. The Beechwood Book Club recommends this “modern view of our culture/society through the juxtapositions of class, race, education, opportunities, ethics and values.” Their discussion “touched upon judgments and ignorance, the touchstones of prejudice.”

THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY

by Rachel Joyce Bibliobabes Recently retired sales rep Harold Fry lives in a small English village with his long-suffering wife, Maureen. The arrival of an unexpected letter from a woman he hasn’t seen in 20 years sets Harold on a new course, bringing to life his long-submerged spirit. Having been a passive observer of his own life, his new quest provides time to reflect on missed opportunities and failed relationships, helping him to become someone who can be respected by the reader as well as his wife. As Harold’s ordinary yet extraordinary journey to try and save the life of a dying woman unfolds, the reader accompanies him through the self,

al Book Award. The Egan event is Thursday, October 1 at 7 p.m. at the Bend High auditorium. Elizabeth Gilbert, Lisa See, and Alice Hoffman are the other authors scheduled. Series and individual tickets are now available at www.dplfoundation. org. General admission tickets are $25 per event or $80 for the four author series.

modern society, time and landscape. The odyssey of a simple man, Joyce’s debut novel is wise, charming and funny. Bibliobabes enjoyed “the sweet and poignant characters,” leading them “into a discussion of the unspoken events in a marriage and family that permeate how we relate to one another.”

BEING MORTAL

by Atul Gawande, M.D. Chapter Chicks The CCs recommend Gawande’s work saying, “This is an important book for everyone to read. Gawande’s treatment of our inevitable loss of independence is an issue everyone will face as we age, whether we want to or not.” A practicing surgeon and author, Gawande contends that in the inevitable journey through aging and death, the goals of medicine too frequently run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Patients and families often desire quality of life for the time left. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to conduct devastating procedures and treatments that only manage to extend suffering. The doctor combines scientific research with riveting story telling to assert that medicine can provide comfort and enhance the experience of both living and dying. Aging and dying are not medical problems to be solved, but rather a human experience to be lived to the last with meaning, dignity and joy.

The CCs encouraged readers, “Don’t let the opportunity pass to confront one’s own inevitable aging in discussing the book. It’s a perfect arena to delve into our own misgivings and perhaps fears.”

THE SECRET LIFE OF VIOLET GRANT

by Beatriz Williams Bend Bookworms Billed as a great summer beach read, Williams’ tale of murder, adultery and a battered suitcase full of secrets is filled with romance and redemption. One of the Bookworms members described the book

very well. “I loved the twists and turns, the jaw-dropping surprises, the interesting characters and constant second guessing, and one of the most unexpected endings.” The two main characters, women separated by 50 years, share equally in the narrative flow as the story jumps back and forth between 1964 New York and 1914 Berlin. Recent Bryn Mawr graduate Vivian Schuyler digs into the past of her great aunt Violet, a young American female physician in prewar Germany, whose story has been buried by the family. The deeper Vivian digs into Violet’s story of determination and desire, the more she becomes invested in Violet’s story. As a result, Vivian learns to step forward with grace into her ambitious future and the love she wants most.

A DEADLY WANDERING: A TALE OF TRAGEDY AND REDEMPTION IN THE AGE OF ATTENTION

by Matt Richtel Red, Wine and Bleu Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Matt Richtel examines the impact of technology on the human mind and body, and all of society. Utah college student Reggie Shaw killed two scientists while texting and driving.

Richtel weaves Shaw’s story into his research on information overload and the cognitive impact of technology, to create a narrative nonfiction which reads like a novel. The RW&B members were all glad to have read this book. “We liked the use of ‘back stories’ of the victims, the lawyers, scientists, and the cell phone users, to make this story very emotional and relevant.” Some felt this book changed their driving habits and should be required reading for all drivers.

U Magazine | September 2015 | 15

Educational Harmony One mother’s journey to Kenya, and the united moments she brought back.

By Kimberly Bowker, for The Bulletin Special Projects / Photos courtesy of Harmony Thomas Every morning that Harmony Thomas awoke, she looked upward to see Mount Kilimanjaro cradled in the clouds. Her days unfolded venturing into colorful Maasai villages and visiting schools, bearing witness on the ground while handing out pads of paper, pens, and pencils to students. Then, one day, she met Muinti Kennedy.

The 8-year-old girl, whom Thomas had sponsored to attend school through the nonprofit organization, A Voice is Heard, was immediately personable and affectionate. She sat on Thomas’ lap, and they talked of school and life. It was a beautiful moment for the Bend mother of two.

Muinti is the same age as Thomas’ son, her oldest child, and she felt the simple yet powerful connection of being a mama and supporting one’s children, especially on paths such as education, as a feeling that surpasses language, distance, and time.

“I can relate to the bottom line of wanting the best for your kids,” Thomas said. “That’s the most important thing at the end of the day.”

Thomas’ sentiment is reflected in the work of the Pennsylvaniabased A Voice is Heard. The nonprofit organization focuses on educating girls, as well as providing other basic needs in the remote area of Amboseli in southern Kenya.

When Thomas traveled to Kenya’s Great Rift Valley with the nonprofit last year, it was 16 | U Magazine | September 2015

her first trip out of the United States. She brought with her a journal to give Muinti, one that she had adorned with drawings of houses, dogs, cats, trees, and flowers all with corresponding English names.

Thomas had always wanted to go to Africa. As a teenager, she worked at Bedouin, a jewelry and clothing shop in Sisters, and fell captive to the stunning African masks and art that passed through the store.

Life continued for Thomas after working at Bedouin. She graduated from Redmond High School, got married, and gave birth to two children. Yet as time went on, her appreciation for

African décor and detail never waned.

Then, four year ago, Thomas’ mother passed away from breast cancer.

Thomas started looking for something.

She found it in photographs.

Images of Kenya featured on A Voice is Heard’s facebook page captured Thomas’ attention.

Thomas’ husband, Brian, had attended school and graduated from Bend High with Carmen Myers, founder and president of A Voice is Heard. That connection from the past soon evolved, as Thomas was drawn to the organization’s work and began dedicating her own

energies to their mission.

Eventually her childhood dream of traveling to Africa came within reach.

Among her things, Thomas packed her camera knowing she would want to capture her experience in a way that would allow her to share it with others upon her return. In the end, she composed more than a thousand photographs during her two weeks in the country, documenting the beauty and truth of her experience.

“Harmony is truly such a wonderful person because she goes and she is telling a story, and telling their story,” Myers emphasized. “She is taking her beautiful photography and sharing it all around to spread the work.”

Thomas’ photographs have been on display at Silverado Jewelry Gallery in downtown Bend, where Thomas has worked for the past 13 years and excels as general manager. Her moving images have also filled the walls at the Blue Star Salon, and will hang at Thump Coffee throughout November.

Her photographs depict people and landscapes that are both impactful and share the soul of Africa.

“There are some parts that are simple and beautiful,” Thomas said, reflecting on what she chose to frame through her camera’s viewfinder.

“The people are amazing and have a smile and are thankful for such basic things.”

Half of the proceeds from sales

of Thomas’ photography goes to A Voice is Heard, and the other half she is saving to fund her return trip to Kenya next year.

Upon her return trip, Thomas plans to assist with the construction of a school and to hand out school supplies and vitamins, as well as her daughter’s collection of Little Golden Books.

She will also spend time simply interacting with the people and the land itself. Additionally, Thomas anticipates volunteering with The Big Picture Project, another nonprofit which works with and will join A Voice is Heard for the trip to Kenya next year.

The Big Picture Project provides cameras and training to local residents, then prints their photographs and organizes gallery shows. All of the proceeds generated during the shows, from photography sales as well as individual donations, are given to their partnering nonprofit, in this

case A Voice is Heard.

A Voice is Heard’s focus on education includes fostering community development that supports the infrastructure of education.

During her trip to Kenya with the nonprofit last year, Thomas helped to build a well. Projects such as this -- the creation of basic infrastructure -- free up time for women to pursue other endeavors because with a well in place, they will not have to walk miles to carry water.

The system is self sustaining -a community water committee is appointed to the village well, and every family pays a monthly due to use the system. That money is saved, so if the well breaks the funds are in place to fix it.

“Women do most of the work and are the driving force and matriarch,” said Myers. “They have the children and are the ones who create the future that’s happening, so when we educate

a girl, she is going to change her country.”

Education allows for choice and opportunity, creating a sustainable way to change and break the cycle of poverty. A Voice is Heard works with Maasai, in partnership with the villages to empower the inevitable movement into the future.

“Education can help them preserve their culture,” said Myers, “and the beautiful parts of their culture that can be preserved. That we can help give them the basic necessities of life and add education into it, then they have the choice. They have an option of how they want to move forward in the future.”

Myers has seen the changes A Voice is Heard has made possible since its beginnings in 2008. She has witnessed shifts in the perspective of a girl’s education, with parents feeling proud of their daughter’s progress. Changes have also

been seen with female genital cutting, through partnering with the villages to disseminate information about this practice and in implementing ways to maintain a coming of age ritual without cutting – and giving girls the choice.

It is Thomas’s dream to attend Muinti’s coming of age ritual, when she is 12 or 13, and to share it with Muinti’s parents.

While Thomas was not able to meet Muinti’s mother during her trip last year, she did later send Muinti’s mama a letter with rainbow drawings from her own children and a necklace.

“I let her mom know that I am thinking of her,” said Thomas, “and that I believe in her and her daughter.”

Thomas recognizes the importance of the efforts and goals of A Voice is Heard.

The nonprofit supports the education of more than 70 girls through sponsorships, three of

U Magazine | September 2015 | 17

whom are in university. The organization is also in the midst of building a school, implementing a teacher-training program and constructing a community center.

Furthermore, the program is not just for girls -- efforts are also made to give information to boys regarding the importance of girls’ education, and to empowering families, too. “ I can see where it would make a lot of mamas happy,” Thomas said. “It’s their pride and joy being able to send their kids to school.”

Witnessing the conditions of schools was an eye-opener, Thomas said. She recognized how fortunate our community is in the resources we have

to educate our children, and through communication that is encouraged with teachers.

The trip to Kenya was a healing one for Thomas, whose mother had also at one time served as a teacher. Being a mama happens everywhere – from the foothills of Kilimanjaro to the shadows of Cascade Mountains – and aspiring to hold our children with support is a maternal depth that can connect across the globe.

“I feel that it shifted a lot of meaning in my life,” Thomas said about her trip and work with A Voice is Heard. “There’s such an emphasis on humanity and life.”

“I can relate to the bottom line of wanting the best for your kids. That’s the most important thing at the end of the day.”

18 | U Magazine | September 2015

www.connectw.org

Come and discover the Connect W community at any of our regular monthly events: FIRST TUESDAY: AFTER HOURS No registration required. Stop in, meet our members, grow your network, enjoy!

SECOND THURSDAY: MUNCH & MINGLE We’ve redefined the concept of the business lunch. No reservation required, just drop by and introduce yourself!

THIRD WEDNESDAY: MONTHLY MEETING You’ll need to register for this one. Good food, interesting programs and great people, what a nice way to spend a Wednesday!

Want to know more? Email marketing@ConnectW.org today.

Connection Marketplace Vicki Hunter

COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE YOGA • MEDITATION • QIGONG 155 SW Century Drive, Suite 113

541-322-9642

www.bendcommunityhealing.com

Bec ky

Bailey

God First, Family Second, Career Third

Pet cremation with compassion and peace of mind in the heart of Bend &

60891 Goldenwood Loop Bend, OR 97702 Office: 541-728-0048 Cell: 818-585-5107 vickido@bendbroadband.com www.marykay.com/vickihunter

Horizon Pet Cremations

M ax g Do

Independent Sr. Sales Director

Call Becky Vaughan 541-318-0026 www.horizonps.com

1723 Lytle Street · Bend, OR 97702

Formerly Back Bend Yoga

Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine for Pain – Sleep – Libidio – Energy – Weight Loss and more.

PacHerbs.com

877.818.9990

U Magazine | September 2015 | 19

Quick Pickles

As growing season wanes, preserve the garden’s bounty for later enjoyment.

by Annissa Anderson, for The Bulletin Special Projects

Want to extend the late summer harvest to enjoy into the fall? Try pickling.

The process, which simply involves pouring a vinegar brine over raw or blanched vegetables, is a growing trend in the age of environmentally conscious eating. Pickles are a resourceful way to preserve seasonal produce, and their tart-sweet flavor and crunch make them popular as healthy snacks and side dishes.

Quick refrigerator pickles are a great way to try pickling without investing in special canning equipment or lengthy processes. (Note, only waterbath canned pickles can be stored at length without refrigeration). Any clean and sanitized container that seals can be used to store quick pickles, though canning jars work best since most recipes call for them, and the clear

20 | U Magazine | September 2015

glass shows off your beautiful wares perfectly.

Though cucumbers are by far the most popular pickling vegetable, don’t limit yourself.

Many other vegetables, like carrots, beets, radishes, green beans, onions, peppers, and even winter squash, lend themselves to pickling. When the garden gives you more than you can consume at the moment, consider whether the extra produce might make a good pickle.

Vegetable Prep

Different vegetables will require a little different processing, depending on their density and water content. But they will all need to be well-washed to begin with, and cut into equal shapes and sizes. Think about which cuts work best with the size of container you’re using.

Green beans and baby carrots

may be left whole, but larger beets or cucumbers may need to be quartered or sliced to fit into pint jars.

Certain vegetables will be enhanced by blanching them (briefly cooking them in boiling water). If you are new to pickling, pay special attention to your recipe’s suggestion for the right amount of time to blanch vegetables. This step can make or break achieving a perfectly crunchy pickle.

Season to Taste

Pickling recipes are all basically the same. Where you can make a pickle truly unique is with your own flavor additions. Either fresh or dry (or both) flavorings can be added. For best results, follow a basic recipe the first time, then experiment with additions the next time.

(See info box for flavoring ideas).

PICKLING FLAVORS Here are a few popular flavorings for sour, spicy or sweet pickles. Think about which combinations work well in other foods, then mix and match accordingly. Remember to start out with small amounts so as to not overpower the flavor of the vegetables.

Dry Flavorings Bay leaf

Pickling spice

Celery seed

Turmeric

Dried Thai chile peppers

Cinnamon

Cumin seed

Allspice

Dill seed

Fennel seeds

Mustard seed

Whole peppercorns

Fresh Flavorings Fresh Habanero or Jalapeño peppers Dill sprigs Whole or sliced garlic cloves Fresh oregano leaves Sliced shallots

A Good Brine Pickling brine is what makes a pickle. A basic brine recipe involves a mixture of distilled white vinegar, water, salt and sugar. The ingredients are brought to a boil and stirred until salt is dissolved, boiled for two minutes and poured over prepared vegetables.

The acidity level of your brine is crucial to making safe-to-eat pickles, so be sure to use vinegar with at least 5 percent acidity for pickling and follow a reliable recipe for correct ingredient proportions.

Brine recipes run the gamut from sour to sweet.

More sugar is added for sweet pickling brines. Salt is always essential as it helps the brine penetrate foods more thoroughly, giving them a crisper texture and longer shelf life. Always pickle with sea salt or kosher salt. Additives in table salt may make the brine cloud, and natural salts lend a well-rounded saltiness to pickles.

Once the brine is ready, pour hot brine carefully into pickling jars or containers to within ½ inch of the rim, covering vegetables completely. Let cool for 30 minutes, seal lids and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Quick pickled vegetables will keep in the refrigerator from a few days to up to 1 month, depending on the recipe.

Try crunchy, healthy homemade pickles, made in a snap!

Swedish Pickled Vegetables with Crème Fraiche Sauce (Serves 6) This recipe for sweet pickled vegetables utilizes a variety of root vegetables. The bright hues, reminiscent of fall colors, make for a beautiful presentation when serving. If baby carrots and beets are unavailable, simply cut larger vegetables into pieces appropriate for the pickling jar size. The dipping sauce provides a creamy complement to crisp, pickled crudités.

Ingredients: Brine:

3 cups water 2 cups sugar 1 cup white wine vinegar 1 carrot, peeled and sliced 1 yellow onion, sliced 1 teaspoon white peppercorns 1 bay leaf 1⁄2 teaspoon allspice berries 1 cinnamon stick

Vegetables:

1⁄2 pound baby carrots, peeled, stems trimmed 1⁄2 pound baby yellow beets, peeled, stems trimmed 1⁄2 pound celeriac, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch sticks 1⁄2 pound radishes, scrubbed, stems trimmed

Dipping sauce:

1 cup crème fraïche 1⁄2 teaspoon white pepper Small bunch fresh dill, picked from stems and finely chopped Kosher salt, to taste 1⁄4 cup coarse sea salt, for serving

Method: 1/ Make the brine: In a medium-sized saucepan, toast the peppercorns, bay leaf, allspice, and cinnamon over high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the water, sugar, vinegar, carrot and onion and bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

2/ Blanch the vegetables: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Prepare an ice bath and set aside. Working with one type of vegetable at a time, cook each until crisp and tender: celeriac about 2 minutes, radishes about 2 minutes, carrots about 4–5 minutes, beets about 15 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and shock in an ice bath (half ice, half cold water).

3/ Pickle the vegetables: Transfer the blanched vegetables to separate containers. Cover with the cooled brine and marinate for 24 hours. Use within 3 days.

4/ To serve, combine the crème fraïche, white pepper, chopped dill, and kosher salt in a small bowl. Drain the pickled vegetables. Serve with the dill crème fraïche and coarse sea salt.

U Magazine | September 2015 | 21

Feeding Kids’ Bodies to Nourish Their Brains

There are many barriers to learning.

Hunger should not be one of them.

by Laura Kessinger, for The Bulletin Special Projects / Photos by Kevin Prieto It’s no secret that nutrition and wellness go hand-in-hand with learning. But when it comes to preparing our students with tools for the coming year — school supplies and new clothes, making sure the zipper works on their backpack — let’s not forget about the fuel we’ll fill their tanks with!

Studies have shown that highly processed, high-sugar and low quality food leads to a lack of energy, a short attention span and a diminished ability to retain information. On the other hand, a healthy breakfast and a balanced lunch, fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks and an adequate evening meal are perhaps the most important tools we can put in our students’ tool belts.

At Bend-La Pine Schools, two women have been forging these tools for years, continuing to provide them to students from 22 | U Magazine | September 2015

all socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the district.

District executive chef Tracie Gleffe and wellness coordinator Katrina Wiest have made it their mission to ensure every student has access to the balanced food they need to be successful in the classroom.

“If you go to bed hungry, all you think about is your stomach,” Wiest explained. “If we can feed you, you have the chance to think: What did you learn today? What’ll you learn tomorrow?”

Wiest has a well-earned reputation for obtaining hardfought government grants.

She works tirelessly to bridge Oregon schools with quality Oregon food producers. A registered dietician, one of her many responsibilities as wellness coordinator is to crunch numbers, making sure each and every meal meets

Tracie Gleffe, executive chef for Bend-La Pine Schools, uses local produce to bring delicious recipes to students.

nutritional standards. As the Bend Farmers Market manager for 14 years running and as a board member of numerous organizations supporting sustainable farming and children’s health, Wiest is a woman who sees plenty of possibilities where others may only see problems.

Chef Tracie Gleffe shares this optimism and has a knack of her own for battling through bureaucracy. A restaurant owner and inspired chef long before she came to Summit High’s kitchen eight years ago, she has been pursuing opportunities to make her lunchrooms healthier and more sustainable ever since.

She stepped up into her current role as district chef a few years after entering Summit High’s kitchen, working with Wiest to create one of the best school nutrition programs in the state.

Together, these women have built enduring relationships with Oregon farmers, ranchers and fishermen. This means students get farm-fresh Oregon produce, Painted Hills natural beef, Oregon coast seafood and freshly milled Oregon-grown wheat.

Produce that’s harvested Tuesday

gets delivered Wednesday and is on the plate Thursday. The fact that Gleffe turns this bounty into restaurant-worthy dishes — that’s just a bonus.

But what’s truly amazing about what these women do is the scale at which they do it. With 30 schools in the district, serving 16,000 fresh, wholesome and unprocessed meals a day takes more than just passion. It takes serious coordination!

Planning menus, making sure to meet nutritional standards, monitoring food costs and waste (not to mention managing 160 employees and 20 vendors) requires excellent execution.

Their enthusiasm only partially veils the enormity of what they accomplish together.

When it comes to accessing tools for learning, the playing field is never level across all socioeconomic planes. And there are many barriers to learning.

But for Bend-La Pine Schools’ students, Gleffe and Wiest have made sure that a lack of adequate nutrition isn’t one of them.

Katrina Wiest, Bend-La Pine wellness coordinator and Bend Farmers Market manager, works with local farmers, including Jeff Rosenblad — owner of Happy Harvest Farms, llc., — to bring fresh, local produce into the schools.

“I tell the kids: Someday you’re going to be conscious consumers. It’s so important to support local farmers because they’re the ones ensuring your future food supply.”

U Magazine | September 2015 | 23

HERE ARE SOME OF THE PROGRAMS WIEST AND GLEFFE UTILIZE TO HELP ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS: Breakfast, Lunch, Snack and Supper Programs In addition to school lunches, the Breakfast, Snack and Supper programs help support students’ total nutritional needs. This means that every student has access to a balanced breakfast and can approach each day with the fuel they need. Snacks of fresh fruit and veggies provide mid-morning and afternoon energy. For those who participate in afterschool programs, a wholesome supper meal is provided, too. This is a huge boost for those who face financial challenges when it comes to providing food for growing kids.

24 | U Magazine | September 2015

Farm To School Program

Farmers In The Classroom Program

The Oregon Farm to School Program is made possible by grants from Oregon Senate Bill 501, enabling all Oregon school districts to be reimbursed for purchasing Oregon-grown and processed food items. This means that more of Oregon’s money stays right here at home, and that kids receive the freshest food possible.

This program provides a variety of chances for nutrition education, where students get to meet local farmers, ask questions and learn about their work.

“I tell the kids: Someday you’re going to be conscious consumers,” Wiest explained. “It’s so important to support local farmers because they’re the ones ensuring your future food supply.”

Chris Casad of Juniper Jungle Farm is a big supporter. He has even brought along his “barn” on occasion — a wooden farmers market stand-on-wheels. With support from the Farm to School Grant, he can offer fresh produce at no charge to students and families.

“Farmers like Chris are so gracious with their time,” Wiest said with gratitude. “They are really instrumental in connecting kids to where their food comes from.”

Boat to School Program Tied to funding from House Bill 2800, this program provides Bend-La Pine Schools with fresh Oregon seafood.

“We’re talking sushi grade, albacore tuna loins,” said Wiest. “Tracie [Gleffe] came up with a recipe using a ginger-soy marinade, coconut brown rice and a pineapple salsa. All of this for less than $2.50 a plate.”

Pink bay shrimp have become a daily protein option on salad bars and have also been featured with fettuccine and even tucked into sushi. Rockfish and Dover sole dishes have also been a hit.

With 200 miles between Central Oregon and the coast, there are many kids here who have never been to the beach or had the opportunity to try Oregon seafood.

The Boat to School program introduces these students to new foods and flavors while helping to sustain the Oregon fishing industry.

CARING FOR OTHERS

CAN I AFFORD TO AGE IN PLACE AT HOME? It is commonly accepted that most people want to stay in their home as they age. While lifestyle choices, available health services and desirable amenities are important considerations, costs can ultimately determine whether or not one can realistically remain in their home as they age. According to a recent study conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), 98% of people age 50 years and older said they would prefer to remain in their home indefinitely as they age.

More and more people electing to live independently are receiving in-home service as their physical and cognitive capabilities decline. Long term care isn’t typically covered by private medical insurance and major medical insurance plans. Care in the home may include non-medical services and skilled home health care services (Medicarecertified). Medicare-certified services may include short-term nursing, rehabilitation, therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, home health aides and medical social workers primarily through the Medicare Home Health benefit. In-home care consists of non-medical care or private duty care. Personal care, custodial or supportive care is provided by unlicensed non-medical personnel.

Non-medical caregivers can assist individuals with tasks of daily living such as medication administration, bathing, meal preparation, housekeeping, shopping, transportation, and companionship. These caregivers support the needs of individuals who

require assistance and this care helps them stay at home as long as possible as opposed to living in a facility. Ultimately, the cost and payer source of in-home care will be determined by whether the services are considered medical or non-medical.

Paying for private duty in-home care services can be a challenging financial issue since services must be paid out of pocket. Contrary to what most people believe, in-home care is not paid for

by Medicare. What do in-home care services cost?

Costs are often determined by the level of care and the amount of hours required. Home care agencies typically charge by the hour. In Oregon, the average cost for in-home care support services provided by agencies can range from $20 to $30 per hour.

For those whose financial resources are limited, subsidized home care programs are available for persons meeting the income criteria such as Medicaid, Veteran’s Administration and Oregon Project Independence. For further information regarding eligibility, contact our local Aging and People with Disabilities office, the local Veteran’s Administration office and Central Oregon Council on Aging.

With increasing prevalence, long term care insurance policies also provide coverage for in-home care services. Long term care insurance can help you pay for the home care you need as you age if you anticipate

your needs and choose your policy accordingly.

There is a vast array of options available in long term care insurance policies. By comparing plans, individuals can tailor their plans to fit their needs and budget. Insurance providers can clarify what is covered by various plans and determine what your needs are and how much you can afford in terms of benefits.

Other possible sources to utilize for payment of services might include life insurance, annuities and reverse mortgages. As with any option, individuals should consult with their financial advisors to examine the pros and cons for their individual situation. As our aging population continues to grow, so does the demand for inhome care. Elder care and retirement planning play a crucial role in helping to support our aging population and determine if an individual can afford to age in place at home.

If you have any questions about in-home care and the options available to you, contact Nancy Webre at 541-389-0006.

Nancy Webre, BS, MS CEO/Owner, Geriatric Care Manager

Locally Owned & Operated Since 1982. State Licensed & RN Supervised U Magazine | September 2015 | 25

Through their EYES

While the preteen years can be a tumultuous time, Laura Meyer finds teaching sixth grade simply means seeing the world from a different view.

by Bridget McGinn, for The Bulletin Special Projects /Photo by Kevin Prieto It all started with Laura Meyer bossing around her four brothers as a child — she just knew she would need to find a career that offered leadership opportunities. That realization, combined with her hunger for learning, led her to the natural conclusion that teaching was the perfect fit for her.

“I am one of those people who was born to teach,” said Meyer.

“It has been my plan since I was a little kid, and I’ve never looked back.”

Now a sixth grade teacher at High Desert Middle School, Meyer is in her eighth year of teaching at the middle school level, which she loves.

“My first student teaching placement landed me with seventh graders, and it was a major ‘aha’ moment for me,” said Meyer. “I felt like I had found my people. I guess I have the right combination of bossiness, optimism and sense of humor to fit right in.”

Working with preteens and adolescents might seem challenging to others, but Meyer has a keen appreciation of their energy and fresh-eyed view of the world.

“They have all these contradictory things that are true: super selfcentered, but deeply passionate about justice; clueless about some things, but weirdly insightful about others; brave and inquisitive, yet shy and unsure,” said Meyer.

“Middle schoolers are both weird and awesome, and I love them.”

Meyer is inspired on a daily basis 26 | U Magazine | September 2015

by the kids in her classroom, and enjoys watching the light bulbs go off over her student’s heads as they understand something for the first time, are enthralled by a fact from ancient history or succeed in trying something new.

“Working with young people is almost never boring, because they are proof of the fact that you can always look at something in a new way,” said Meyer. “I am also inspired by the long view: I’m impacting the future.”

Meyer is often surprised and delighted with the abilities of her students. One of her most memorable moments as a teacher came when she was asked to recommend a student to give an end-of-year address. Meyer selected a young man who was not a particularly high achiever, but she could see his potential.

Together they worked to craft his speech, only to find that during locker clean outs the day before t h e

assembly the speech was thrown away.

“After searching the bins, he slumped home in defeat, emptyhanded,” said Meyer. “But the next morning brought that student to my door with a smile — he rewrote the speech from scratch, ending up with a completely different vibe. And it was way better. He surprised me during the delivery to the class with a shout out for believing in him. Mine weren’t the only wet eyes in the gym that day.”

Armed with the beliefs that knowledge is power, and that there is no barrier to a person’s curiosity other than time and inclination, Meyer finds great fulfillment in her work.

“I love having a job where I get to try to stimulate that adrenaline rush that comes from learning something new every day,” said Meyer. “Education doesn’t just come from school; but school is a great place to strike the spark and fan the flame.”

“Working with young people is almost never boring, because they are proof of the fact that you can always look at something in a new way.”

For the

LOVE of ART

With a desire to offer the very best arts education possible, Bethany Gunnarson pushes herself so she can push her students.

by David Clewett, for The Bulletin Special Projects / Photo by Kevin Prieto Bethany Gunnarson has her dream job. From her own experience as a high school art student, the Sisters native realized early on what she wanted to do with her life.

As a student, Gunnarson had something special. Her exceptional performance prompted her Sisters High School teacher and mentor, Mike Baynes, to suggest the dedicated young lady should someday become an art teacher and even hinted that she could replace him in his role within the Sisters School District.

She took his encouragement to heart and embraced the idea, setting off to college with passionate ambition.

“I had always thought about being a teacher and saw that he had so much fun at his job. He always said it was the best job in the world. I have always loved and excelled at art, and felt like teaching was a place that I could spend my energy” Gunnarson said.

Gunnarson worked hard in pursuit of her dream, and after earning a Master’s in Education from George Fox University and a year honing her teaching style and skills as an intern, she was drawn back to Sisters. Her hometown had a lot to offer, with a well-established arts education program and a community that

embraces and supports the arts wholeheartedly.

Once a student, now the teacher, Gunnarson can be found inspiring students in the Creative and Visual Arts Department at both Sisters High School and Sisters Middle School. As an accomplished art, ceramics and jewelry teacher, she not only pushes her students to learn and grow, but pushes herself as well.

Every October she attends the Oregon Art Conference to get new ideas to improve her teaching.

She says there is always room for growth in the Creative and Visual Arts Department, so she pushes herself to teach the highest level of curriculum that continuously

Her passion to teach beyond the basics also inspired Gunnarson to pursue certification to teach Advanced Placement classes where she can guide her students in further developing their artistic talents.

“I finally felt like I could take on the responsibility of developing this AP program and saw the need to serve a handful of upperclassman to work deeply in their craft,” Gunnarson said.

It is sometimes a struggle to keep artistic avenues open for students, but Gunnarson recognizes the importance of creative arts in

“Every student has a creative voice, and place or a way that they express themselves, and so the more opportunities kids have, the more likely they will succeed.” challenges her students.

“Sometimes when you get into the groove of the school year it’s hard to come up for breath in the hustle and bustle,” Gunnarson said. “That’s a difficult environment in which to foster creativity in myself. I need some time to be student again and be creative and get new ideas.”

student development.

Despite budgetary concerns, the arts program in Sisters is thriving and Gunnarson’s students are enthusiastic about their opportunities. Gunnarson encourages her students to enter art competitions and to exhibit their work at public venues.

“Every student has a creative

voice, and place or a way that they express themselves, and so the more opportunities kids have, the more likely they will succeed,” Gunnarson said.

While Gunnarson is quick to credit her teaching success to those around her -- her past teachers and her current academic peers, her students and their parents, and the school board members who secure the freedom of curriculum she has always appreciated -- it’s her own passion and dedication that resonates with those around her.

“Bethany has carried on a great tradition of making the art room both a place of arts education, but also a welcoming space for people to be at home, while at school,” said Brad Tisdel, Sisters Folk Festival Creative Director.

“She always gets the best out of the students.”

For Gunnarson, knowing that the art classroom has a reputation among students as the “coolest place at the school,” makes everything she does worthwhile.

U Magazine | September 2015 | 27

Nonprofit Spotlight

by Kathy Oxborrow, for The Bulletin Special Projects

Empowering People Working to give families the tools they need to become successful community members, the Latino Community Association strives to build bridges that unite and strengthen us all.

The Latino Community Association (LCA) has come a long way since it started as a hotline for Hispanics launched by Father Mike Walsh, a Catholic Priest at Bend’s St. Francis of Assisi church in 1996. In the last fiscal year, LCA’s services reached almost 2,500 Spanishspeaking clients.

Those services include English classes and tutoring, employment aid, enrollment in health insurance, tax filing help, legal clinics, citizenship assistance, document translation and referrals to other agencies. LCA has offices in Bend, Redmond and Madras.

“The Latino Community Association is very effective at connecting an extremely underserved population to community resources in addition to offering its own programs,” said Lynne McConnell, associate director at NeighborImpact. “Their staff and board work very hard at being apprised of what other service providers are doing and making sure their clients have access in a fairly streamlined process.”

Immigration trends have changed over the years. It used to be that male workers came to the United States for seasonal work and then 28 | U Magazine | September 2015

returned to their families.

That is no longer the case, said Brad Porterfield, the executive director at LCA. “Immigrant families are making Central Oregon their home now and they need a variety of services to integrate successfully. LCA is a generalist organization serving a specific population with unique needs.”

Learning English and acquiring computer skills is critical for LCA’s clients in order to obtain employment.

That’s why the LCA helps

its clients with resume development and computer training.

Porterfield said the education level of the immigrants that LCA works with is low because most of them stopped attending school to help their families get by.

“The need is really great in the area of computer education,” Porterfield said, “because 83 percent of the immigrants we serve from Mexico and Central and South America have had little or no access to technology before

immigrating to the U.S.” Porterfield said that there has been a drop in the birthrate of our native-born workforce, which creates a labor shortage.

“We are not producing workers ourselves and immigrants represent a great resource for employers to help our economy grow.”

On the legal front, LCA partners with attorneys who advise its clients on securing legal work status.

This can occur by obtaining a temporary work authorization document or a Green Card offering permanent residency status.

Immigration attorney Callie Killebrew provides pro bono legal services to LCA. She said many of her clients depend on LCA as the hub for resources in the community from translation services to health care referrals and tutoring.

Killebrew said there is a sizable immigrant population with lots of need in Central Oregon and LCA understands the challenges that immigrant families face.

“LCA’s impact is huge. The number of people they serve on a limited budget is really impressive.”

Karla is one of those individuals whose lives have been improved because of

LCA. She is an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who fled her country because gangs were threatening to kill her and her young son. Through an interpreter she said she learned about LCA from her lawyer who is helping her with her immigration status. LCA is translating documents for Karla, has signed her up for an English class and scheduled both her and her son for dental services.

Karla said her goal is to further her education so she can have a better life for herself and her son.

THE WISH LIST •

•

Capital campaign contributions toward raising $100,000 for a 2,500 -5,000 square-foot building for a Latino Family Empowerment Center in Bend Financial donations to support and grow programs

LCA relies on a variety of income sources to support its programs and services. Last year it raised its revenue by 75 percent.

That may seem like a large increase, but the need is even greater.

Its Bend office is located in cramped space at Deschutes County’s Mike Maier Building. LCA is embarking on a capital campaign to raise money for a building where all of its Bend services can be housed under one roof.

For more information about LCA or to donate money or time visit: www. latinocommunityassociation.org.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED •

• • • •

Board members with experience in nonprofit board operations Marketing and fundraising Computer lab assistants and tutors English tutors (No Spanish required) Tutors to help clients study for citizenship exams

“Immigrant families are making Central Oregon their home now and they need a variety of services to integrate successfully.”

2014-2015 STATISTICS • • •

• •

2,464 people served 94 percent of clients earned $30,000 or less $97,000 — the value of free and low-cost services clients received 916 individuals obtained free or low-cost health services 452 people accessed employment services

UPCOMING EVENT 9th Annual Festival of Cultures Saturday, September 26th at Redmond’s Centennial Park including an Official Citizenship Oath Ceremony, cultural booths, a great kids’ area, fantastic food and live music with Chiringa.

U Magazine | September 2015 | 29

Women in History

by Bonnie Burns, for The Bulletin Special Projects / photo courtesy Des Chutes Historical Museum

Frontier Teacher Ruth Reid’s inspiration as a teacher and principal in the early 1900s was not only far reaching, but had a lasting impact.

The mere fact that Ruth Reid traveled 3,000 miles across the continent from New Brunswick, Canada was indicative of the character and mettle of the woman who agreed to teach in the frontier town of Bend, Oregon. At that time, in 1904, the railway ended in Shaniko so her final leg of the journey was a bumpy ride in a stagecoach.

The Bend school board was delighted to welcome their new teacher. So much so that they voted to supply her school room with a new stove, a wall clock, an unabridged dictionary, and a salary of $60 a month! And so, Reid began teaching in a one-room school above the Mutzig Feed Store on Wall Street. She was the only teacher for those first classes, which consisted of nine students. A year later she became Bend’s first principal with a whopping raise to $75 a month.

She soon recognized the community’s need for a high school -- in 1906 the Bend Bulletin reported that 5 students from Bend were attending high school in Salem as there were no high schools east of the Cascades. Reid had already been teaching her older students after regular school hours, establishing the base for a high school curriculum, so she began campaigning for a high school in Bend, making it her priority.

Later that year a ballot was put forth to the voters and they approved a full four-year high school in accordance with the state laws of Oregon. In 1909 four students became the first graduating class. Later, three of the female graduates became Bend school teachers.

In 1910 there was only one graduate, and she, too, became a teacher.

As more teachers were hired to support the growing student

30 | U Magazine | September 2015

population, Reid became mentor and friend to the new arrivals.

Reid became a supporter of the Priscillas -a social club the teachers formed for “proper” young women. She often joined in their weekly gatherings: dinners, luncheons, costume parties, and Saturday dances at Lara Hall. The talented teachers often put on musical shows for the benefit of the town.

It was imperative for these young women to maintain an exemplary reputation and remain unmarried.

Reid had met her future husband, James Overturf, in 1904, but felt she had much to accomplish in her teaching career and thus postponed marriage, knowing she would have to resign once they married -- as was the custom at the time. They were eventually married, in 1910, but not before Reid made a lasting impact on Bend’s educational system.

When not teaching and mentoring, Reid was also known as an excellent horsewoman and a pretty good shot.

She and another teacher, Miss Jones, called Schoolma’ams by the Bend Bulletin, were recognized for a 200 mile journey through the Cascades, camping along the way. The teachers, the Bend Bulletin reported, were “outfitted in cowboy costume, wore six-shooters and belts of cartridges … their rolls of blankets strapped on behind their saddles and looked as businesslike as veteran cavalrymen.”

In the lobby of the Des Chutes Historical Museum, formerly a school building named in Reid’s honor, there is a formal portrait of a woman in a frothy dress, her hair done up fashionably.

She gazes downward in a demure pose. To the left there is another photograph -- a woman dressed in riding clothes, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, standing next to her horse. Both are Reid, a truly remarkable woman and educator who was suited to the fabric of a frontier town.

At the Workplace

Learning Isn’t Just for Kids

by Connie Druliner, Owner, Express Employment Professionals, Bend, Oregon As the first days of school arrive and people’s thoughts turn to fall clothes, school supplies, and new things to learn, it’s also a good time for employers to think about learning in their workplace.

Study after study has found that supporting and providing development opportunities for employees has major benefits for everyone involved. The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that “the opportunity to gain new skills and experiences can increase employee motivation and job satisfaction, and help workers more effectively manage job stress.”

Development opportunities also benefit companies “by enhancing organizational effectiveness and improving work quality, as well as by helping the organization attract and retain top-quality employees.” Those are some pretty big pay-offs from such a simple investment.

Now, there’s no one-size-fits-all employee development plan. But, there are many ways employers can provide personal and professional growth and development opportunities, many of which are as big or as small as the companies themselves. But, there are three basic ways any emp loyer can kick-start their business’ learning plan without investing a lot of time or money.

Establish a Learning Culture

The excitement and drive to learn new things must start at the top. Employees need to see that management, from the company executives to the frontline manager, are passionate about growing their knowledge and skills.

Managers should encourage their own employees to continue learning and give them the freedom to acquire new skills through a variety of formats, including online videos, webinars, or articles. Growth and development can also be woven into the yearly review and goal-setting process. Each employee should set at least one development goal at the beginning of the year. Then check back around the middle of the year to ensure progress is being made and that the developmental goal hasn’t been pushed aside for something that seems more important.

ing the latest software version to the basics of invoicing and accounting. These luncheons can just be for personal enrichment or to help employees grow their skills in other work areas they might be interested in going into.

Support Professional Organization Involvement

Be supportive of employees’ professional organizations, whether you can cover the annual membership fee on the employees’ behalf or you just allow them time off to attend meetings.

Employees will become even greater experts in their fields as they learn from specialized speakers and network with colleagues at organization events.

Many local organizations also provide opportunities for members to attend nationally-recognized conferences and workshops at discounted rates.

And, the more employees who are involved in local organizations, the better known your business will be around the community.

Learning isn’t just for kids returning to school. Everyone needs to continue learning throughout their life to keep from growing placid and out-of-touch, and that includes your employees. Providing opportunities for growth and development will not only help keep workers motivated and satisfied, their growth will fuel your business to reach its full potential.

Host Internal Lunch and Learns

Schedule regular lunch and learn events where employees can learn something new over their lunch break.

Whether or not you provide lunch is up to you and your budget, but you don’t have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to bring in subject experts to speak. Tap into the experts you already have on-hand. Ask various departments or team members to host the lunch events and teach on everything from understanding social media to us-

Connie Worrell-Druliner is the founder of a locally owned business, Express Employment Professionals,

offering human resource solutions. Express can help your organization, by finding qualified workers, solving your retention needs, and providing knowledge based training to your workforce.

U Magazine | September 2015 | 31