Gladstone School News Blast
Gladstone Schools • Growing Great People • 8.26.22
Educators honored for service to students
Heidi Smith has been the Secretary at the Gladstone Center for Children & Families [GCCF] for more than a decade. She welcomes visitors warmly, shares information, and helps them access family support agencies at GCCF. She also provides an important connection between families and the school. She served her colleagues as co-president of the classified employees association, helping the district navigate the ever-changing policies, procedures, and safety measures of the pandemic.
Amy Otto is a seventh grade social studies teacher at Kraxberger Middle School. She brings history to life and helps students discover a passion for exploring the world through experiences like live virtual tours of historic and modern sites in Egypt. A calm force in her school community, she is a team player dedicated to her school and her students.
Serena Mullen is a fourth grade teacher at John Wetten Elementary and President of the Gladstone Teachers Association. She sees the possibility in each child and provides an equitable learning environment, bringing a special talent for working with English learners. She is a creative problem solver and a great listener who works tirelessly to support and advocate for students and colleagues.
Lisa Lee is the Wellness Center coach at Kraxberger Middle School. In this role, she teaches students to build self-calming skills and manage strong emotions like stress, frustration, and anxiety. At the Wellness Center, she has built a calm oasis in the midst of hectic school days, helping students maintain wellness and build connections in a time of uncertainties. She has become a go-to resource for many students who need a caring adult to advocate for them and support them.
Seth Arnold teaches band at Gladstone High and Kraxberger Middle School, conducting five bands across Gladstone. He helps students develop a love of music, careful attention to dynamics, skill in sight reading, and a passion for performances. He brings music and spirit to football and basketball games, often leading cheers. Last spring, he led Gladstone High School's Symphonic Band to a state championship for the first time in 33 years.
Amy Voelker is the head cook at Gladstone High. She is among the first to arrive at school each morning, providing nutritious, kid-friendly food options for breakfast and lunch despite some staffing limitations and supply chain issues that can make food shipments uncertain. She makes sure students are fueled up for learning and success in school.
Disc Golf comes to Gladstone
Families looking outdoor fun will find it around the perimeter of the Kraxberger Middle School grounds, where a new nine-hole Disc Golf course was installed this summer. The course will be used for middle school and high school physical education classes. It is open to the public on weekends and after 3:15 p.m. on school days.
The project, started in 2019, was launched by Kraxberger P.E./Wellness teachers Alicia Wilks and Glenn Hopkins as a way to expand the P.E. curriculum.
"We were looking for a new activity that would appeal to kids who don't love PE or team sports," said Hopkins. "At the same time, we wanted to create something our whole community could enjoy."
Disc golf, sometimes known as Frisbee Golf, is a sport popular around the world. Players work their way around the course by throwing a flying disc from a tee box toward a basket. Scoring is similar to golf, with the winner being the person with the fewest throws. To play the game, each player needs at least one flying disc, though fans of the game often start with a set of three discs, including a driver, a midway, and a putter.
Jerry Miller, owner of Disc Golf Depot, guided the teachers through course design, helping to improve flow. Ryan Johnson, the school district's Director of Facilites, led his crew to install the baskets, and they are next planning installation of the tee boxes. The nine-hole course begins behind the Kraxberger cafeteria, moving toward the baseball fields, and ending in the trees in front of the school.
Project funding was provided by a grant from the Gladstone Education Foundation and donations from Black Rock Coffee, Beynon Sports/Field Turf, Big 5 Sports, the Kraxberger Gearheads, and Jim Kuehn. Signs for each hole will be created by technology students at Gladstone High School.
"While still a work in progress, the new course is already very popular,and has been in regular use by students and other community members this summer," said Wilks. "We hope more people will come and give it a try!'
Gladstone District names student and family support director
Bowman previously served in the Director's Office at the Oregon Department of Education. Before that, he was a legislative affairs specialist for the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators.
A native Oregonian, Bowman comes from a family of educators. He holds a Master's degree in Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies from the Stanford University Graduate School of Education and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Oregon.
"The Gladstone School District is known across the state for its innovative strategies for supporting students and families," Bowman said. "This record of imaginative, forward-thinking work is why I am excited to join the team and help sustain programs that empower every student to succeed."
Register now for fall recreation classes
Gladstone's Community School program offers an array of classes for adults, from canning, watercolor painting, and mindfulness to yoga, wood working, investing, and Zumba.
The program also offers options for youths, from driver education, soccer, aikido, and tae kwon do to ballet, hip hop, and jazz dance.
Register online or call 503-650-2570 for more information.