Liberty High School's Mrs. Janet Van Wess Receives Teacher Tribute from Stanford University Freshman Carly Lave (Liberty Class of 2011)

Mrs. Janet Van Wess, a teacher at Liberty High School, was recognized in September by Stanford University with a "Teacher Tribute." Mrs. Van Wess was selected by Liberty graduate Carly Lave to receive this special honor as a former teacher or mentor who played a significant role in her intellectual, academic, social and personal development.

"Mrs. Van Wess had had a meaningful impact on the lives and education of your students," Stanford Dean Richard Shaw said. Carly and Stanford's other talented freshmen are fortunate "to have had the support, guidance, and friendship of teachers and mentors who helped prepare them for college."

Through its Teacher Tribute Initiative, Stanford provides each incoming freshman the opportunity to acknowledge one person for their role in preparing them to join Stanford's community of scholars. Mrs. Van Ness joins an elite group of teachers nationwide in receiving this honor.

Over five days, from May 13 through 19, the Hillsboro Schools Foundation's Surprise Patrol made its rounds to award 14 unwary recipients with grant funding for their innovative projects. Here's a recap of awards:

Evergreen: Jessie Bader -- to support Evergreen's afterschool veterinary science club, "All Creatures Great and Small." The program introduces students to veterinary science with field trips, microscopy, dissections and special guest vet visits.

Evergreen: Linda Harrington-- to purchase and install technology that will allow large groups of students to connect with students and cultures around the world through an internet-connected interactive projection system..

Free Orchards: Holly Haskell -- to provide access to netbooks technology as a means to help struggling writers become competent grade-level writers who are confident users of technology. (Sponsored by Verizon READS)

Glencoe: Carol Gaumond -- to purchase Elmo document camers for math classrooms that will allow increased student participation and time on task, engage large classrooms of students with diverse needs, and increase achievement.

Glencoe: Stacy Pelster -- to purchase materials designed to improve student Spanish reading skills and comprehension of Spanish vocabulary through the Total Physical Response Storytelling method and technology to improve data gathering and analysis to enhance future foreign language instruction.

W.L. Henry: Laura Reese -- to support development of a two-way immersion summer school for students in the dual language classes at Minter Bridge and W.L. Henry to reinforce and strengthen bilingual skills in speaking, reading and writing. (Sponsored by First Tech Credit Union)

Hilhi: Cynthia Schubert, Kelda Van Patten and Rebecca Buchanan -- to develop their "Home/Homeless" project to provide art students and opportunity to consider how we understand home and what being homeless is, and to transform their ideas into a series of artworks.

Liberty: Laurie Jenkins -- to help fund the costs of hosting the 2012 Falcon 15K Relay, which raises funds to support the Liberty Fit fitness club which helps often non-involved students to develop physically, mentally and socially. (Sponsored by New Seasons Market)

Miller Education Center: Karen Shea -- to develop "Art from the Heart" to increase student engagement and academic performance of struggling and at-risk students by connecting meaningful, hands-on forms of artistic expression to curriculum goals and achievement standards. Also expands community partnerships that allow students to become more fully and positively involved in their community.

North Plains: Craig Harlow -- to fund Computers on Wheels (COWs), mobile computer labs that enhance classroom instruction by giving teachers more creative flexibility to use online curriculum resources and software programs. (Sponsored by Genentech)

Orenco: Steve Johnson -- to purchase two sets of disc golf equipment for elementary students around the district to increase body conditioning, aerobic exercise and concentration skills in an activity that can be played for the rest of their lives. (Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente)

Poynter: Jessica Thompson -- to purchase cameras and equipment for teacher professional development; teachers will film their own lessons and reflect on and discuss strengths and challenges, with the goal to improve instruction and increase student achievement.

Special Programs: Amy Little and Terri Nickens -- to purchase cash registers for high schools to increase skills in money handling and management, and employment readiness in students with mild to moderate disabilities. (Sponsored by New Seasons Market)

West Union: Connie Greenlee and Diane Kinion -- to purchase iPod technology to allow students to create and produce podcasts, increasing student engagement and participation throughout the curriculum and across all grade levels.

HSF's grants continue a 10-year tradition of funding innovative projects to enhance the education of Hillsboro schoolchildren. Congratulations to all the grant winners and a BIG thank you to HSF and sponsors.

Hilhi's Kim Bliss Earns Fulbright-Hays Award 

Congratulations are once again in order for Kim Bliss, Social Studies teacher at Hilhi. Earlier this year, we told you about Kim’s Galapagos Islands adventure in November 2010 through the Toyota International Teacher Program. Now, he has learned that a month of his summer will be spent studying in China on a Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program award.

The awards are administered through the U.S. Department of Education and provide for short-term study and travel seminars abroad for U.S. educators in the social sciences and humanities. The purpose is to improve educators’ understanding and knowledge of the people and culture of other countries. Each year, just 160 educators nationwide are selected to participate in Fulbright-Hays seminars.

Glencoe's Bill Huntzinger Wins $1,000 at Powell's Books through Wordstock
 
Congratulations are in order for Bill Huntzinger, English teacher at Glencoe High School. He entered Wordstock's Teacher Appreciation Week Contest and was one of five lucky winners of $1,000 in Powell's Books gift cards to be used for classroom/school materials! Wordstock is a literary art and education non-profit that celebrates and supports writing in the classroom and in the community. Their mission is to use the power of writing to effect positive change in people's lives. One of the group's main focus areas is providing professional development for K-12 teachers to help them enhance the way they teach writing to students.

The Hillsboro Schools Foundation's Surprise Patrol announced two grant awards at an Evergreen Middle School assembly on May 13. From left to right are Betsy Biller of HSF, Linda Harrington, Principal Rian Petrick, and Jessie Bader of Evergreen, and Nadine Zimmerlund of HSF.

And the Winner is ...


... Don Domes, technology educator at Hillsboro High School, selected as the Educator of the Year by OnPoint Credit Union in its Prize for Excellence in Education contest. As the top winner, OnPoint will pay for his mortgage for a year and gave $5,000 to Hilhi for resources and supplies.

KGW News Channel 8 anchor Joe Donlon, OnPoint Credit Union executives, and Hilhi principal Matt Smith surprised Mr. Domes in his classroom on May 3 as they announced his selection and presented his award and the $5,000 check for Hilhi.

for Excellence in Education honors and celebrates effective and innovative teaching methods that spark enthusiasm and passion in students and their parents.

Ten teachers from Oregon and Washington were named to the "Circle of Excellence" as qualifiers for the grand prize, including Mr. Domes and Maggie Richardson, fourth-grade teacher at Brookwood Elementary School. Ms. Richardson was awarded $250 for her school as a semi-finalist in the contest.

As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, it's wonderful to see two of our own recognized and rewarded for exceptional and inspirational teaching. Congratulations, Mr. Domes and Ms. Richardson!


Century's Richelle Kennon Receives Congressional Recognition for Food Bank Work

Richelle Kennon, a member of the Century High School staff, was presented with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition by U.S. Representative David Wu at a ceremony on April 29. She was selected for recognition by the Oregon Food Bank for her dedication and volunteer work as a director of the food pantry at the Our Place Christian Church.

Century's June Gerst is 2010-11 Speech Educator of the Year

At the speech and debate state championships on April 22 at Western Oregon University, June Gerst (far left) was honored as the 2010-11 Speech Educator of the Year by her colleagues in the Oregon High School Speech League Coaches Association. Gerst is Century High School's speech and debate coach and a language arts/speech teacher. She was joined by (l-r): Susan Davis-McLain, Glencoe High School's speech coach, who introduced her at the awards assembly; Katy Walker, Century's assistant coach; and John Watkins, who assists with the Glencoe speech squad. Century and Glencoe have maintained a long association in speech and debate -- McLain was Gerst's coach when she was a student at Glencoe and their students have traveled together to state and national competitions for the last 14 years.

Century High School Teacher Nathan Buck Receives 2011 Miller Teaching Award

Century High School Spanish teacher Nathan Buck was selected as a recipient of the 2011 Miller Teaching Awards, and will spend a month studying at a Mexico university this summer.

The Miller Teacher Award is sponsored by the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, which offers professional development awards annually to Oregon high school teachers with less than five years experience in the profession. The ultimate goal is helping teachers pursue activities that will stimulate and nurture student achievement. The awards range from $1,000 to $5,000, depending upon the nature of the individual projects.

As a recipient, Mr. Buck will participate in a program held at the English/Español Training Center (ETC) a privately owned language school in Puebla, Mexico. The studies will entail 80 hours of Spanish language instruction and 40 hours of Spanish pedagogy including field studies. Emphasize on language development courses, divided up into presentation, input-output activities, paired assignments and written assignments. Taking real-life experiences and incorporating it in the method of Spanish instruction.

ETC Spanish language classes are taught by graduates of Mexican universities, many with advanced degrees from US and Mexican institutions, and all with training in second-language teaching.  The program offers eight levels of instruction; and the program and text emphasize oral communications within authentic situations, together with sequential grammar lessons that are reinforced in related communicative activities.

A variety of activities and circumstances augment the formal instruction program, including: accommodations in Mexican homes for all participants; local field trips to visit pre-Columbian and early Hispanic cultural sites, as well as more contemporary facilities such as Mexico's only Volkswagen factory; and a weekend tour of Mexico City with an intensive program of cultural information, including the Teotihuacan Pyramids, the Museum of Anthropology, Ballet Folklorico and other major cultural sites in the city, as well as a concluding tour of the Xochilmilco Floating Market.)

For more information, visit www.millerfound.org