OCR Text |
Show Salt Lake City UT 84124-1550 Sports: Basketball season begins, A12 | Schools: SHHS I Che Guardian of Your Community News SERVING SPANISH FORK VOL. 4 / NO. 48 entinel SALEM • MAPLETON • WOODLAND HILLS • ELK RIDGE formerly The Spanish Fork News WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009 50^ irit II a Lindsay B. Wolsey / The Sentinel GIVING THANKS: Dawn and Karen Mendelkow enjoy the Thanksgiving festivities at Oakridge School. Thanksgiving at Oakridge School Lindsay B. Wolsey STAFF WRITER apples from the tree or removing branches. The next class shared what they '. You would be hard pressed to were thankful for. Special devices find a school more special than allowed the students to vocalize Nebo School District's Oakridge what they were thankful for. Most School. While Oakridge serves responses included friends and special needs students, it's the family, with one student eliciting feeling in the air that sets it apart a laugh when she said she was from the other schools in the Dis- thankful for trouble making. Sevtrict. Twenty-seven students attend eral students were thankful for the Oakridge and are bused in from classroom sink, which is a popular Spanish Fork, Salem, Payson, spot to play in. Springville and Mapleton. Ages of Last up was a sing-along song the students range from 5-21. warning turkeys to run away. Each "It's a very good school for student held up a poster with the these kids," said teacher Misti Ha- words to help prompt audience maker. "They can get the level of participation. After the last percare that they need." formance, students were helped 'They do wonders with these to their seats, chairs were moved kids," said parent Dawn Mendel- to accommodate wheelchairs, kow. and tables laden with food were Mendelkow's daughter Karen brought in. The desserts were dohas been attending Oakridge for nated by Mary Kraft of Culinary three years. Krafts. 'The teachers are all concerned J. Lynn Jones, Director of about the students, and they all Special Education and Federal work together," Mendelkow said. Programs and Mike Murray, SuEvery year Oakridge students pervisor of Special Education participate with their friends and and Federal Programs joined the family in a Thanksgiving feast. students for the feast. Also in atThe students perform as a class in tendance was Sarah Alanis, Miss front of their attendees, and then Salem 2009. enjoy a meal together. First up After eating their fill of turkey, was a presentation of Shel Silver- stuffing and pumpkin pie, students stein's "The Giving Tree." Each returned to their classroom for the student in the class took a turn last day of school before Thanksacting out part of the story, taking giving break. Namon Bills / The Sentinel DONATIONS: Pictured, left to right, Neil Peterson, Kerry Loveless and Karen Taylor stand near a stack of boxes containing some of the books the Salem Library is donating to Liberia. Christy Hardman STAFF WRITER Neil and Vicki Peterson of Salem came home in 2008 from their mission in Africa, but their love for the people of Nigeria and Liberia lives on in their hearts and motivates them to continue to serve the people of West Africa. Neil's pet project is collect- ing books for a library in Liberia. He said the people of Monrovia, the capitol city of Liberia, are still trying to recover from a civil war that ended in 2003, and according to Neil, the Liberians are still living "without electricity or culinary water in their homes and public buildings. There are no public schools, or access to television, newspaper, radio stations or libraries." Neil and Vicki had the opportunity to tour the national archives building on their mission, and saw firsthand the need for books. Neil said the building had two rooms, both of which were roughly 1,200 square feet, and contained "the See GIVING • A7 Red and Blue Namon Bills / The Sentinel Kate Jarman / The Sentinel SCHOOL SPIRT: Rivalry week between BYU and Utah brings out strong feelings across the state. Diehard Ute fans, Salem's Trotter family came home from their Thanksgiving vacation Friday, Nov. 27 to find their home decked out in BYU blue — even down to blue Christmas lights. The Trotters suspect some neighboring Cougar fans were behind the rivalry-week prank. On Saturday, Nov. 28, the rivalry game came down to the wire. The Utes put up a good fight, but the Cougars pulled out an exciting overtime victory in Provo, 26-23. 'TIS THE SEASON: The day after Thanksgiving featured celebrations in Spanish Fork and Salem to welcome the Christmas season. Above, Santa Claus arrives in Salem to lead the countdown for the lighting of Pondtown Christmas. For more photos of Pondtown Christmas and Spanish Fork's Light Parade, see Around Town, A8. , |