Posted: 2009-03-12

The superintendent and her executive cabinet are pleased to recognize the following individuals for their outstanding work and contributions to our school district and community.

Business Partner of the Month – Salem Hospital
Pictured: School Board Vice Chairperson Ron Jones (left) presents Spotlight Award to Sherryll Johnson Hoar, Kristy Kemper Hodge, and Jennifer Chaffin from Salem Hospital.

We are proud to recognize Salem Hospital as our Business Partner of the Month for its work with Bush Elementary and our high schools.

Accepting the recognition for Salem Hospital were Sherryll Johnson Hoar, the marketing and communications department manager, and Kristy Kemper Hodge and Jennifer Chaffin from the Volunteer Services office.  

Salem Hospital has been reaching out to our schools to help in ways big and small.

• "Huggy Bear" made the trip from Salem Hospital to Bush Elementary two weeks ago to kick-off a special assembly celebrating February as Love of Reading Month.
• The hospital also recently made its annual $250 donation to Bush to buy classroom books during its Scholastic Book Fair. It was a win-win situation for Bush as the donation was included in its Book Fair total, which gives the school credits it uses to buy books for the library. In addition, Scholastic applies the $250 to a program called One for Books. Through this program, Scholastic uses the donation to give 250 free books to one of four charities.
• The generosity of Salem Hospital doesn't stop there. Over the winter holidays, the caring employees of Salem Hospital collected gifts for 100 needy Bush students and their siblings through a holiday giving tree.

On the other end of our grade-level spectrum, Salem Hospital is active with our high schools in classroom-to -career programs. It participates in the Job Interview Fair For Youth, known as JIFFY, and supports North's Health Services Academy where students are exploring careers in this realm and learning applicable concepts and skills. West High sophomores and its Health Occupations class complete their required job shadows at Salem Hospital.  Nurses are frequent guest speakers at West.

Salem Hospital also runs a website specifically for high school students to help them learn about and apply for job shadow opportunities in the hospital. Our students frequently use this valuable resource.

It is for these reasons that we recognize and thank Salem Hospital as our Business Partner of the Month for its contributions to our students and schools.

The Statesman Journal's Academic All-Stars for 2008-09
Pictured from left: Vice Chairperson Jones, student Marika Lou of South High, South Principal David Phelps, student Claire Coba of West High, West teacher Lisa McIntyre, student Sunny Ovesen of North High, North Principal John Honey, student Sarah Leslie of Sprague High, and Sprague Principal Cheryl Bower.

This year's all-stars:

• Jose Figueroa, Early College High School
• Janessa Beringer, McKay High School
• Laura Kelder, McNary High School
• Sunny Ovesen, North High School
• Marika Lou, South Salem High School
• Sarah Leslie, Sprague High School
• Claire Coba, West Salem High School

The Academic All-Stars program was started by the Statesman Journal Newspaper in 1994 as a way to acknowledge students who excel in the classroom as well as contribute to the community. Four college and universities co-sponsor the program with the Statesman Journal and offer renewable scholarship opportunities to the students who meet admission requirements.

Each area high school submitted the name of a senior for the award. The schools submitted the students' academic information, and the students submitted biographical information, their top 10 activities and honors, and an essay. This year's essay topic: "Barack Obama takes the office of U.S. President in January. His administration faces numerous challenges, from the economic slowdown to wars overseas. What advice would you offer the new president?"

Board representatives from each of the sponsors reviewed the students' submissions for the honor. Awards included $100 gift certificates, to $2,000 scholarships from Corban College, Western Oregon University and Willamette University, to a full-year tuition scholarship at Chemeketa Community College.

For many students, the award represents the hard work and determination of earning top grades during the past four years. Examples of the commendable career goals of these students include; business administration, physical therapist, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a chemist, and international work for peace and reconciliation. 

These chosen students represent the talent, compassion and sheer excellence found daily in Salem-Keizer District's high schools.

Congratulations!

Fulbright New Century Scholars Award

Pictured: Vice Chairperson Jones presents the Spotlight Award to Megan Garcia.

Megan Garcia has been selected for a Fulbright New Century Scholars award. Her proposal for developing a comprehensive model for institutions of learning to serve as "Knowledge Centers and Innovation Drivers" won her this honor.

Each year approximately 30 outstanding scholars from the United States and abroad are selected as New Century Scholars. Of the thirty, approximately 1/3 are U.S. citizens. The scholarship program provides a platform for those selected to engage in debate and dialogue to develop new global understanding of social context in which nations respond to the many challenges of the 21st century.

Megan's project was to develop a model to determine how institutions of learning can most effectively address the education needs of stakeholders through an innovative pipeline to K-12 and adult education and lifelong learning.  Using technology, the project will include programs for both real and virtual branch campuses. Her model will be developed and piloted for English Language Learners in schools & programs in Galapagos, Ecuador.

 It is her hope that this model can be replicated at the school district level. Megan feels that this project addresses a major goal of the District's Strategic Plan, the "articulation and implementation of a comprehensive program-model for ELL students."  The model gives ELL students opportunities to advance skills by using technology in a program using best learning practices.

Congratulations Megan!