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MEMO BLOG | |
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To fully serve the community, the Mid-county Memo offers this section to showcase upcoming special events, celebrations of milestones in our readers' lives, those seemingly small accomplishments that often do not receive the recognition they deserve, and everyday events that should be shared with friends and neighbors.
Memo Pad submissions for the August issue are due by Thursday, July 15. For best results, e-mail Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. Or mail submissions to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave, Portland, OR 97230. To leave a phone message, call 503-287-8904. The fax number is 503-249-7672.
Former Parkrose student graduates from the U.S. Air Force Academy
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| 2nd Lt. Todd Gamiles, a Parkrose High grad, and now a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. PRESTIGE PORTRAITS BY LIFETOUCH |
Gamiles, who earned a bachelor's degree in military strategic studies with a minor in German, graduated with an overall 3.3 cumulative GPA. While a cadet, Gamiles was active with the cadet radio station, 97.7 KAFA FM, and served as its general manager during his senior year.
Upon his graduation from the academy, Gamiles noted “It was a long, hard road to graduation, but the leadership challenges I've faced and the academic and military opportunities I've had over the last four years I know I could not experience anywhere else. I'm looking forward to serving on active duty as an Air Force officer.”
Gamiles has been assigned as a logistics/readiness officer with the 366th Logistics/Readiness Squadron located at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Todd is the son of John and Peggy Gamiles of Parkrose.
Parkrose couple shares bright future
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| Parkrose grads Brandon Slyter and Rebekah Thompson were married in June. He is a recent George Fox University graduate. She will graduate next spring. They make their home in Newberg. COURTESY REBEKAH THOMPSON |
Slyter graduated this spring with a degree in cinema and media communication with a concentration in multimedia animation. He plans to pursue freelance work in modeling and animation while Thompson completes her degree in mechanical engineering. She is on track to graduate next spring.
After graduation she will look into building space exploration equipment and plans to seek a master's degree and eventually a doctorate in aerospace/astronautical engineering. Thompson, who has long held a dream of becoming an astronaut (See “She dreams of outer space,” Mid-county Memo, September 2003) said, “I still would love to travel to space, but starting a family is really important to me and that would require more time than an astronaut can offer. The space program is still a realistic goal as a ground member.”
Slyter is the son of Tony and Tina Slyter. Thompson is the daughter of Andy and Myra Thompson. Both families reside in Parkrose. The couple will live in Newberg while Thompson finishes her degree.
DDHS cited as overachiever school
A national report on graduation rates released recently singled out David Douglas High School as among the most outstanding schools in the United States for overcoming traditional education barriers to graduate students at a high rate.
Each year, the national publication “Education Week” issues its Diploma Counts report. In the recently released Diploma Counts 2010, David Douglas is credited with a graduation rate of 83 percent. Using national averages and demographic data, “Education Week” calculated that a large, urban school similar to David Douglas would have a graduation rate of about 63 percent. That means David Douglas graduates students at a 20 percent higher rate than demographics and other statistical data would predict. As a result, “Education Week” named David Douglas one of only 21 schools in the nation as an overachiever school. The staff at David Douglas believes it's not a matter of overachieving, but rather of ignoring traditional excuses, making personal connections and believing that every single student can achieve.
“We have a staff that works hard at making connections with kids,” DDHS Principal John Bier said. “I think kids know that our teachers care about them.” Bier said that in a recent student survey, 84 percent of DDHS students felt strongly that at least one adult at the school cared personally about them, and that 87 percent of students said they were proud to be David Douglas students.
The high school has several specific programs aimed at keeping kids on track to graduate with a clear vision of their future, according to Bier. These include a career pathway program that provides every student an opportunity to do job shadows, mock job interviews and internships. As a result, Bier said, “Our kids don't view high school as the end, but as a means to an end.” A comprehensive counseling program in which all students also supports this view set up a four-year plan and then meet with their counselor a minimum of 3 to 4 times a year to guide their personal and academic progress. David Douglas also has several programs in place that target struggling students or students who are at risk for falling behind, including Skills for Success, AVID, Read 180, Scots Center, Ninth Grade Counts and attendance mentorship.
Parkrose teacher chosen for unique program
Stephanie Murdock, a Parkrose middle school teacher, was recently selected to attend the Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Teacher's Program in Europe this summer, with a group comprised of 30 teachers from across the country. They will visit Yad Vashem in Israel as well as numerous camps and ghettoes in Germany and Poland.
Murdock plans to use what she learns as a platform for a writing class for eighth-graders. She believes this exposure will help make the holocaust real to her students and help them connect to this period in history. She plans to make herself available as a resource on this subject throughout the Parkrose School District.
Design-build charter school graduates first class of future leaders
The Academy of Architecture, Construction & Engineering, an innovative high school program for juniors and seniors, graduated its first class of 63 students on June 9. ACE Academy started in 2008 to ignite the next generation's interest in design-build careers.
ACE brings advanced academics in math, science, English; project-based learning and workplace skills; and credit by proficiency in the context of the design-build pathways of architecture, construction, and engineering. The curriculum is nationally recognized and many classes provide students with the opportunity to gain college credit.
The theme for this graduating class, “Stepping Up & Stepping Out,” embodies the entrepreneurial spirit the students and their parents demonstrated by embracing the experience at ACE. Students are seizing the opportunity of this new educational model. They understand the relevance of what they are learning in real time as they are engaged in designing, engineering and building complex projects to professional standards. Credit by proficiency encourages students to experiment, persevere and continue to make the work of learning better over time.
ACE Academy Director, Mike Taylor, professes confidently, “As our graduates take their next steps into the larger world of post-secondary learning and work, they are taking with them significant experiences and accomplishments that give them confidence in their own ability.” And to his students, he boasts, “You are the leading edge and first wave of what we believe is a well-prepared group of young men and women who will be tomorrow's leaders, not only in our design-build industry but throughout our community.”
To get to know some of the graduates, you can view selections from the ACE 2010 yearbook online at acecharterschool.org. See what the new graduates have planned for their career pathways. Students are pursuing careers in the trades, construction management, civil engineering, architecture, interior design, forestry, sustainability, power generation, business management, the military, and teaching, to name a few. Students may also be available for summer internships. Call ACE at 503-546-9928 for more information.
ACE Academy is made possible by the guidance, support and sponsorship of the Oregon Building Congress, Parkrose School District, Gresham-Barlow School District, Centennial School District, Reynolds School District, Mt. Hood Regulatory Cable Commission, AGC Foundation, Contractors Administration Fund, Intel Foundation, PGE Foundation, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Association, NECA-IBEW, The Pacific NW Carpenters Institute, NW College of Construction, HVAC & Metals Institute, Goodfellow Bros., Andersen Construction, P&C Construction and Emerick Construction.
SnowCap announces new board
Retired pastor James Liefeld was named chairman of the board of SnowCap Community Charities. A longtime supporter and volunteer at SnowCap, Liefeld will emphasize expanding SnowCap's popular community garden project and developing improved programs to effectively meet the needs of low-income families and individuals.
He succeeds Carlene Weldon of Gresham, who will co-chair the annual Valentine's Day fundraiser.
Other officers include vice chair John Andersen, retired land-use planner; secretary James Lipscomb, retired business analyst; and treasurer Linda Kidby, Gresham city communications specialist. New board members are James Mahnke, manager of the Gresham Old Chicago Restaurant; Shannon Lopez, economic development consultant; and Alisa Karin Bean, who works with the Multnomah County Corrections Department.
SnowCap Community Charities is a philanthropic organization created more than 40 years ago to provide food, clothing, advocacy and other services to the poor in Parkrose, Gresham, Fairview, Wood Village and Troutdale.
Oregon Solutions names new director
Oregon Solutions is delighted to welcome Dick Townsend as its new director. Townsend comes to the position with a sound background in local government collaboration. He retired from the League of Oregon Cities after serving as executive director for 17 years.
Prior to his work at the League, he was the city manager of Tillamook, Oregon, and before that, the first city administrator for Lowell, Oregon.
Oregon Solutions, a program of the National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University's Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, develops solutions for community-based problems and opportunities that support Oregon's sustainability objectives for the economy, environment and community. Oregon Solutions' projects are led by local conveners appointed by the governor and are built through the collaborative efforts of business, government and the civic sectors.
“Dick Townsend's long experience and high credibility will be a great benefit to the Oregon Solutions network,” said NPCC Director, Greg Wolf.
"I am looking forward to my new responsibilities at Oregon Solutions and hope my enthusiasm and skills will complement and enhance the good work that is being accomplished by this organization,” said Townsend.
For more information about Oregon Solutions, contact Lauren Beeney at 503-725-9092.
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