Straight-up, foster parenting is one of the deepest ways you can make a difference for a kiddo, and if you’ve ever found yourself curious on the matter, you’ll be wanting to mark your calendar.
At 6:30 pm, Wednesday, Aug. 30 at New Morning Bakery, a combo of folks who have fostered and people from Oregon’s Department of Human Services will be on hand to field questions and offer their firsthand lived experiences.
Titled Exploring Fostering, the event is organized by Oregon’s Department of Human Services and Every Child Oregon. The convo only takes about an hour, and it’s an opportunity to get a sense of the rewards and challenges of fostering, and to learn the facts and data that surround helping children in this way.
Please RSVP to assure your spot. Sign up online at eventbrite: or contact Benjamin Potter: benjamin.potter@odhs.oregon.gov; (541) 921-7421.
Crescent High Gets a New Interim Principal
Cathy Wright has been hired as the interim assistant principal at Crescent Valley High School for the 2023-24 school year. She will fill the vacancy left by Nicole Hendricks, who has accepted a position with the Salem-Keizer school district.
Wright most recently worked as the Long-Term Care and Treatment Director for the Linn Benton Lincoln Educational Service District. Before that, she worked for the Corvallis School District as the high school success coordinator and dean of students at Corvallis High School, the post graduate specialist at the Corvallis School District Office, and a counselor at Corvallis and College Hill High Schools.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Child and Family Studies from Portland State University and a Master of Science in Counselor Education with a School Counseling Specialization from Portland State University.
“We are excited to have Cathy return to the Corvallis School District,” said Superintendent Ryan Noss. “Her knowledge of career pathways for our students and ability to build relationships with students and staff will make her a tremendous asset to Crescent Valley High School.”
Back-to-School Health & Resource Fair
The Corvallis School District is hosting the third annual Back-to-School Health & Resource Fair on Friday, August 25, from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. This free event is at Linus Pauling Middle School, located at 1111 NW Cleveland Ave. and is open to anyone in the community.
Here’s some of the free resources and services that will be available…
- Operation School Bell (clothing & hygiene kits)
- Dental, vision, & hearing screenings
- Sports physicals
- Kids vaccines, including COVID-19
- Backpacks for kids
- Community resources & booths
- Cultural events (music, dance, art)
- Special note, there will be some free food too
The district is providing a free transportation shuttle to and from the event. Pick up and drop off are available from the following locations:
- Lincoln Elementary, 110 SE Alexander Ave
- Witham Hill Oaks Apartments, 4275 NW Clubhouse Place
- Adair Village Community Center, 6030 NE William R Carr Ave
These shuttle routes will run approximately every hour.
“Providing these much-needed health resources ensures students are ready to start the 2023-24 school year,” said Assistant Superintendent Melissa Harder. “This collaborative effort with our community partners allows us to provide these resources free of charge and in a fun and engaging way for the whole family.”
For more information on the event, call 541-207-8099 or email Viviana.Gonzalez@co.benton.or.us
This Oregon Undergrad’s Algebra Struggle Became a new Children’s Math Book
While studying Fundamentals of Abstract Algebra, University of Oregon undergrad Abby Lewis was struggling with mathematical proofs.
The class was a departure from the math that she was used to, such as algebra and calculus, where you mostly plug numbers into equations. In this course, she had to apply mathematical ideas creatively to find solutions.
“If I had gotten more education on proofs when I was younger, that would have made the transition a lot easier,” Lewis said. “When you get to college, if you are learning proofs, that can be overwhelming — it’s a whole mindset shift.”
Several months later, Lewis — who is double majoring in mathematics and cinema studies, and minoring in music — published a children’s book titled The Forest of Numbers in early June that introduces elementary school-aged students to some mathematical concepts to try and take the scariness out of numbers.
A mathematical proof is a way to show that a concept is true or false. But it’s a subject that is usually taught in middle school and then glossed over until college, so Lewis wanted to write a book that could make it accessible for children.
“Proofs all rely on logic,” Lewis said. “It’s finding all of the pieces and putting them together and then being like, ‘Oh, this actually shows that this must be true, which is a very satisfying feeling.’”
Some of the mathematical ideas covered in the book include explaining what an even number is (that it can be evenly divided by two) and exploring proofs by contradiction.
The book’s protagonists are Maisie, an endangered Humboldt marten, and her best friend, Worm. Despite Maisie’s fear of numbers, she and Worm journey through the Forest of Numbers to see the ocean.
Lewis also illustrated The Forest of Numbers, a product of her artistic side and a way to show readers that the arts and math can be connected.
“Bringing that art perspective into math is really important,” Lewis added. “A lot of people think that math is out of their reach, or just for ‘smart people.’”
Combining those two disciplines reflects Lewis’ academic journey. She entered the UO as a cinema studies major, but she kept taking more and more math classes during her first year — and realized she loved the courses.
“I felt like I could offer more of a different perspective on math than I could on cinema studies,” Lewis said.
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