The Newberg School District managed to close out a turbulent year on a positive note, recognizing the staff at an awards ceremony June 14 in the New­berg High School auditorium.

With ro­bots on dis­play and as­sis­tants dressed in futuristic cos­tumes, Super­in­ten­dent Kym LeBlanc-Esparza used the occasion to mark the district’s transition to 21st century learning.

Included was a tribute to the students — Jackson Engels, Bailey Engels, Alex Weiler and Cesar Campuzano — who died in the past year, as well as community benefactor Joan Austin.

LeBlanc-Esparza took the time to recognize staff and counselors from all schools in the district for going above and beyond as they
were called upon too many times to help students deal with those tragic losses.

This year’s group of retiring teachers and district employees, who collectively served for a combined 417 years, followed the event tradition, vigorously ringing in unison the bells they received as parting gifts.

Among the ranks of the retired was Mountain View Middle School core teacher Tom Willing, who spent all 17 of his years as an educator in Newberg and received a second parting gift when he was given a Crystal Apple award as the district’s most outstanding middle school teacher.

Willing quit what he called a “rather unrewarding career in business,” which included working in purchasing and supply management for the Federal Reserve Bank and Mentor Graphics, in order to become a teacher and said he has never regretted it. He plans to spend more time on his steadily growing woodworking hobby, through which he has been selling pieces to numerous galleries, and his 10-month-old granddaughter.

“I’m not out of education, I’m looking for a new page,” Willing said. “I want to do things with writing for kids. After 17 years of sprinting, I need a little time to catch my wind and reinvent myself, which I’m looking forward to.”

As noted by Esparza during his introduction, the ending point of Willing’s teaching career during the dawn of on 21st century learning stands in stark contrast to when he started, as just two of his students back then had Internet access. They also happened to be twins, so it was just one residence that was plugged in.

“Now it’s the other way around,” Willing said. “Just the role of technology and how fast technology is changing learning, learning has had to change. It’s not going to slow down in the future, so teachers are going to have to be the way the kids are now.”

Receiving the Crystal Apple for outstanding instructional assistant was Chehalem Valley Middle School’s Tina Oathes, who was lauded for having “just the right balance of kindness and firmness that communicates to students that she is willing to do everything in her power to help them learn – provided they put forth the effort.”

“Unbelievably efficient” Grace Bollinger, who serves as the Antonia Crater Elementary School secretary, was named the most outstanding classified employee, with Ewing Young and Dundee physical education teacher Rick Harris earning top honors among elementary school teachers for having “an innate ability to relate to students’ needs and pull out their very best effort.”

Engineering teacher Terry Coss, who was singled out for “the countless hours outside the classroom and multiple opportunities for hands-on learning” he provided, received the Crystal Apple for most outstanding high school teacher.

Like Willing, district director of special programs Don Dorman is leaving Newberg with a Crystal Apple in hand, but unlike him, he isn’t retiring. The Corvallis-area native has decided to return home to serve as an assistant superintendent at the Linn Benton Lincoln Educational Service District.

“Working in Newberg for just four years, I’m honored to be recognized,” Dorman said.  “It’s an awesome group of people.”

Dorman said he was especially proud of his work in establishing the districts’ Chehalem Online Learning Alliance for home-schooled students and is leaving with mixed emotions.

“You’re never really done in special ed. – you’re building programs, you’re renovating,” Dorman said. “I’ve got things I want to see through to completion. It was really hard to leave the people and the projects, but you’re never done, so it’s never a good time either.”

LeBlanc-Esparza also handed out a new honor – the 21st Century Inspiration Award – to NHS Green School social studies and language arts teacher Luke Neff, who also won an iPad mini.

Story by Seth Gordon, Newberg Graphic