A.C. Houghton Elementary

The Good Shepherd Community Health Fund has selected two A.C. Houghton teachers to receive classroom funds for the rest of the school year.

Erin Mills, Physical Education teacher at A.C. Houghton in Irrigon, received $4,385 for new gymnastics equipment. "So many of my students are so talented in gymnastics but haven't been able to take after-school classes. I am excited to create opportunities for them to learn new skills and see what they can do with the right equipment."

With this award, Mills will purchase new tumbling and landing mats, a turning bar, a vaulting board and a "Cartwheel-inator," a special mat that helps the youngest students learn cartwheels. Mills can see herself utilizing new equipment to teach a unit on gymnastics, inform students on the proper use of equipment, and incorporate gymnastics stations into obstacle courses.

Jennifer Pope was awarded $500 through the GSCHF as well. She is the English Language Learners Teacher at A.C. Houghton. Pope will be using her award to purchase several classroom sets of beginner-level bilingual books printed in both English and Spanish.

The importance of having these bilingual books is best explained by Pope herself. “We got Little-Readers, beginner books printed in both English and Spanish on the same page. This way, monolingual parents can follow along with the material, and have a better opportunity to be helpful to their students. Some students even say their parents are picking up the English language with these books.”

Pope has created a sign-out sheet, where students can check the books out of the classroom and bring them home to enjoy. Students have already begun to take these books home to read with their families.

The Mission of the Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation is to enhance the quality of life and general health of residents living in the West Umatilla and Morrow County communities.