Quilt Project Dedicated To Columbine Students Junior High Teen Living Class Turns Tragedy Of Shootings Into Positive Gesture Against Violence

Sat., June 5, 1999

Joyce Nowacki Correspondent

Lakeland schools

Students in the Teen Living class at Lakeland Junior High shared their quilt project recently with students at John Brown Elementary.

The quilt, which is dedicated to the memory of students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., will be sent to Columbine along with several hundred dollars collected during a coin drive.

The quilt project was started by student Resa Berger, after teacher Jena Hayenga initiated a study of “Say NO to Violence.”

Berger told the elementary students that when she heard about the Colorado shooting, “I was filled with frustration and anger. But instead of letting those feelings show, I decided to turn them into something positive.”

After much discussion, the students decided on making the quilt. “We agreed that we would use green and gold to represent Lakeland, and blue and silver for Columbine on the quilt.”

Each of 20 classes designed a square, and Hayenga sewed them together.

“So many people donated time, materials and money. It was awesome to see that something so positive could come out of something so sad,” Berger said.

In other school district news

The school district food service celebrated baseball during May, serving specialty meals such as Center Fielder Corn with Bull Pen Milk, Catcher’s Corndog, Mariner Cookie and Fastball Milk. Each student buying lunch during the week received a ticket for a chance to win a ticket to a Seattle Mariners game in August.

Winners of the tickets were: Athol Elementary third-grader, Maddie Cameron and second-grader Miranda Harlow; John Brown Elementary fifth-grader, Jacob Taylor; Betty Kiefer Elementary third-grader, Ryan Huff; Garwood Elementary fourth-grader, Katelyn Hagen; Spirit Lake Elementary fifthgrader, Stephen Cypher; Lakeland Junior High eighth-grader, Chanc Meyer; Timberlake seventh-grader, Dyllan Osburn; and Lakeland senior Bryne Wheeler.

First-graders at Garwood Elementary have been learning about the life cycles of 15 chicks and several butterflies. With brave smiles, each child gave their last goodbye and gentle touch to the chicks before sending them to a local farm, where they will grow up. The students are looking forward to watching their butterflies come out soon. They plan to release them on a nice warm day to a chorus of “Fly Butterfly, Fly.”

Winners from Garwood Elementary at the recent Kootenai-Benewah Spelling Bee in their divisions were third-grader Johnny Roth, fourth place; fourth-graders Abigail McCaslin, first place, and Casey Schelin, third place; and fifth-grader Hillari Foundy, second place.

Sixty-four Garwood Elementary students successfully completed the semester-long DARE course and were recognized at a May 27 graduation ceremony. Students selected by their peers to read their DARE “Taking a Stand” essays were Jesse Barlett, Josh Griffus, Jennifer Brown and Jared Eby.

Garwood Elementary held its annual talent show on Friday. Approximately 60 students showcased their talents in the afternoon program.

Garwood kindergarten graduation will be on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The last day of school on Thursday will include a short awards ceremony in the morning, followed by traditional last day classroom activities. The day will end with the first grade’s annual teddy bear picnic. School dismissal will be early, at 1:30 p.m.

A few year-end happenings at Timberlake Junior/Senior High school included the prom at the Coeur d’Alene Resort on May 29; Powder puff football game at Lakeland on Thursday; and senior barbecue on Friday.

Timberlake’s senior brunch will be Wednesday at Timberlake Commons at 10 a.m., and graduation at Timberlake’s gym will be at 7 p.m. No ticket is necessary to attend. About 58 students will graduate from Timberlake, the first graduating class at the new school.

Physics Day at Silverwood Theme Park in Athol drew more than 1,800 students from around the Inland Northwest and Canada. Lakeland high students from Trent Derrick’s physics class entered the speedy delivery car contest, the measurement contest and the Physics Day logo contest. The measurement contest required students to measure such things as centrifugal forces on rides. Led by placers in the measurement and speedy delivery, Lakeland took first place overall.

Lakeland High School boys varsity basketball team went 4-0 to win the AAU Boys Youth Basketball Tournament over the Memorial Day weekend at University High School in Spokane.

Lakeland’s wins were against Washington teams Oroville, Tekoa-Oakesdale, Mt. Spokane High and Chewelah.

Lakeland played the varsity level tournament with a team comprised of two sophomores and five freshmen, all of whom played junior varsity for Lakeland during the 1998-99 school year.

Lakeland was scheduled to play in the junior varsity tournament, but with no other teams signed up at the junior varsity level, was asked to play in the seven-team varsity tournament.

Sophomore Shane Hubbard, and freshmen Jaime Ploetzner and Isaac Myers led Lakeland. Hubbard scored 29 and Myers scored 18 in the championship game. Ploetzner had a team high of 23 in the second game against Tekoa-Oakesdale. Key contributions also came from sophomore Kurt Kiefer and freshmen Brian Klingaman, Cort Milks and Jared Hansen.

Lakeland was coached by John Myers and Ray Milks.

Brown Elementary paid tribute to all its students with a week-long Creation Celebration. Students’ accomplishments, awards, projects and talents were recognized in displays and assemblies.

Students enjoyed visits from actress Patty Duke, author Mike Lee and athlete Travis Pasco. Parent volunteers were honored for donating more than 2,000 hours of service.

A Memorial Day assembly on Friday included a presentation by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a performance by the Lakeland High Jazz Band.

Winners of John Brown Elementary’s local spelling bee are: third grade: Emily Cowperthwaite, first place; Dianna Temple, second place; and Jennifer Linna, third place.

Fourth grade: Stephen Baxter, first place; Chris Katus, second place; and Andrew Hubbard, third place.

Fifth grade: Justin Sheets, first place; Tianne Darnell, second place; and Dusty Smith, third place.

Sixth grade: Tia Fritzsche, first place; Brandon Jacobs, second place; and Derrick Rodstad, third place.

Christy Hansen, fourth-grader at John Brown Elementary, won first place at the Invention Convention both at the local level and at state competition.

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