Food basket giveaway
Each bag contained everything a family needs to create a huge holiday meal. A large selection of pies was also purchased for the giveaway. The bags were distributed to Phoenix-Talent SD families in need.
The holiday bag giveaway is one of several projects sponsored by PTS this holiday season designed to help our families whose financial stressors skyrocket this time of year. At Phoenix High, for instance, the annual giving tree project, which collects gifts for elementary students, will culminate next week when PHS leadership students wrap the gifts and deliver them to each elementary school.
The Community Care team also organized a Thanksgiving food bag giveaway and used a donation from the south Medford Walmart to purchase toys for our students.
Phoenix-Talent's 'Everyday Hero'
The United Way of Jackson County announced last week that Phoenix-Talent School District assistant superintendent Tiffanie Lambert was one of seven local recipients of the United Way of Jackson County’s 2022 Everyday Hero award.
Launched in 2021, the Everyday Hero award is supported in part by the Joe & Frances Naumes Foundation and intended to celebrate those “who do great things every day.” Each honoree received a congratulatory letter and a check for $500 on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
"I feel truly honored to receive the Everyday Heroes award from the United Way,” Lambert said. “I am grateful to be recognized as one of the many people in Jackson County that stepped up and responded after the Almeda Fire to support the students and families of Phoenix-Talent Schools. I worked alongside an amazing team of dedicated individuals and will forever be inspired by their tireless, selfless work."
Lambert, who has been the PTS assistant superintendent of teaching and learning since July 2016, was nominated by Phoenix-Talent SD superintendent Brent Barry, who explained in the application that Lambert “was instrumental in leading our district through the most tumultuous two-year stretch in its history with integrity, compassion, courage and a focus on students and families that are traditionally underserved. She continues this work each day, as she serves our school community. For this, she is so deserving of this recognition and it is my pleasure to share with you all of her amazing accomplishments.”
TMS partners with Hearts With a Mission
Talent Middle School students in Iris Moya's Community Leadership classes are collecting items for Medford nonprofit Hearts With a Mission as part of a class project that will culminate on Dec. 16.
The roughly 100 students participating made collection boxes and signs explaining the project Monday, and have been making the rounds through TMS classrooms to explain the project's goals and set up the collection boxes. The goal is to collect personal items such as hair brushes, shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste that will go to the at-risk youth that HWAM serves.
According to its website, HWAM strives to provide at-risk youth with "a home filled with love and compassion in a safe and supportive environment, with family reunification as a primary goal."
HWAM representatives will visit TMS on Dec. 15 to talk to students about the struggles that youngsters face locally. The following day, HWAM will collect the donated items and later distribute them to at-risk youth.
Moya hopes the project will open her students' eyes to some of the challenges faced by other children. It also will provide a great opportunity to give back, she said.
"I believe our young students need to be aware of the problems around them and become proactive in their community, school, and at home," Moya said. "I want them to be creative problem solvers...to become adults who can lead and find solutions to problems they will be facing in the future."
Family Focus
Those new to the Phoenix-Talent School District who see Rosa Ochoa around the Talent Middle School campus might assume that she’s on staff, or perhaps is just a very busy substitute teacher. In fact, Rosa is the school’s top volunteer, and her five-person family – six if you count her golden retriever service dog, Vanilla – has been a PTS fixture for years.
Rosa, her husband Luis Cruz, and children Frida (20 years old), Santi (19) and TMS sixth-grader Julian (12) are well known here and were a very active part of the Almeda fire recovery effort. Previously a member of Phoenix Elementary’s site council, Rosa is now a regular at monthly TMS Latino parent meetings, serves as one of five parents on the newly formed PTS Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, and volunteers for Bridging Communities, which offers peer-to-peer support for parents who have children with disabilities. Those are the big commitments, but she doesn't stop there. Did you know TMS has a bell schedule committee? Well, it does, and guess who's on it?
Rosa's older children chose to stay in the Rogue Valley after graduating from high school. Frida is closing in on earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern Oregon University, and Santi is a political science major at SOU.
Rosa says she almost never turns down an opportunity to volunteer because it’s a good way to form lasting connections and allows her to support her youngest son Julian, who is autistic.
“I always go if they ask me to go because it’s a way we can advocate for people who have different abilities,” she said. “For me, it’s very important that the community sees these beautiful kids with these disabilities and includes them in everything so that they have the same opportunities that other kids have.”
Rosa added that she is proud to volunteer for PTS because she has witnessed how hard the district works to make sure all kids feel welcome. She singled out superintendent Brent Barry and assistant superintendent of education and learning Tiffanie Lambert.
“They see the need,” she said, “and they just do it.”
Stellar Student: Adan Mendez
After his family's home burned down in the Almeda fire, Phoenix High senior Adan Mendez could have sleep-walked through the rest of that school year and nobody would have blamed him. After all, he spent the holidays that year sleeping in cars and couch surfing.
But Adan didn't let that terrible loss get him, or his family, down. Instead, he helped his dad rebuild their house, dedicating about a year's worth of evenings and 12-hour weekend shifts to the project, according to a story published last January in the Mail Tribune.
A two-sport athlete (basketball and golf) who is also a member of the PHS Link Crew, Mendez took a year off of sports and other "high school kid stuff" to help with the project, but told the Mail Tribune that he has no regrets.
“There are so many little things in life that maybe at the time you take for granted," he said. "Sometimes when we were trying to rebuild, I would think, ‘Man, I wish I had my nice, warm bed or blanket like before.' But now, falling asleep on the couch watching a movie and just being in my house with my family, I really cherish those moments and that time even more than I did before.”
Here's Adan's Q&A. Enjoy.
What is your favorite family tradition for a holiday or other special occasion and why?
I love Christmas time going to church service and spending quality time eating and having fun with the people I love.
If you could choose the uniforms that students wear at Phoenix High School, what would they look like?
It would look like having blue slacks and a white or blue polo shirt with some sneakers.
What is the best thing about being a teenager in 2022?
The best thing as a teenager would be technology. Having the resource is one of the best and worst things to have in this day and age.
How do you like to spend your free time?
Whenever I get any with my busy life I love to ride on ATV trails or the Oregon dunes. I also love spending time with family and friends.
If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or the future? Why?
I would definitely go into the future to always know and can prevent things from happening to the people I love.
Pride of PTS: Breeze Chapman
One staff member called Breeze Chapman "the heart of PHS."
Another said Breeze "would give the shoes off her feet to anyone in need."
And yet another went a step further: "She has an amazing amount of energy and school spirit. She lights up the room when she walks in. You can't help but feel good when you are in her presence."
Breeze, a special education instructional assistant at Phoenix High School, is a Class of 1993 PHS graduate (voted Spirit Queen, of course), who is responsible for organizing the Pirate Country Parade, the Fall Carnival, the upcoming PHS Flea Market & Craft Fair and probably a few other lesser knowns. But mostly, she is responsible for being Breeze Chapman, a woman who could double over Scrooge himself with a mischievous wisecrack or, if the feeling strikes her, lock him into a wrist hold inside three seconds (read on for details).
We had no idea what to expect when we asked Breeze to fill out a little Q&A. We should have known better.
What would your students be surprised to find out about you?
- When I was 4 years old I spotted the love of my life on Hee Haw, Mr. Merle Haggard! From that day on I swore I would marry him! Fast forward to when I was 19 – I met and started dating one of Merle Haggard's sons, Noel. We met backstage at his dad's concert and I thought he was part of the road crew until he was announced on stage. He then took me on his dad's bus to meet Merle and when he said hello to me my knees buckled and I nearly passed out!
- In my late 20's I did NHB (No Holds Barred) fighting and was pretty dang good at it. My two trainers went on to train the military in hand-to-hand combat and they were featured on a television show. In one sparring match, I not only made my trainer cry by putting her in wrist hold but I also pinned her! This was a huge deal to me and probably one of my proudest moments in life. I would love to go back to fighting again someday but I am maybe aging out at this point.
- My dad bought me a 1963 Dodge D100 pickup truck when I was 15 which at the time I hated because I wanted a 1955 Chevy (huge difference). He paid $35 for it and we re-did it together. I had to not only pass a written test on the workings of an engine but I also had to take the engine apart and put it back together again before I was allowed to take it back to Oregon with me (dad lived in Sacramento). My dad passed away a few years later when I was 18. I still have my truck and will have it for the rest of my life! It is my most valuable possession (mostly only valuable to me).
What is the best thing about being an instructional assistant?
I am so thankful that I have been blessed to have a job where I miss being at work when I'm on vacation (I wish we had year-round school so I would not have to be away from them for so long; three weeks is my limit and then I miss them too much).
I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to work so closely with each student where I get to know each of them and often their families. My work fills me with joy every day and I don't think a lot of people can say that.
If you could take your students on a field trip anywhere in the world, where would you take them and why?
Disneyland!!! Most of our students have never been on a plane (those who have, it's usually for medical appointments) and most definitely have never experienced Disneyland. I can't think of anything better than seeing their faces take in all the wonder! And to put it over the top I would have Taylor Swift there to join us and she could do a mini concert just for our students minus all the smoke and lights and overstimulation of actual concerts. And we would stay at a fun hotel with a pool!
What kind of driver were you when you first got your license?
I got my license on Halloween day 10 days before my 17th birthday! I was dressed like a baby with my hair in a pony on top of my head, freckles on my face, and a pacifier around my neck! I thought I was only taking the written part, which I knew I would pass. However, EVERYONE told me I would never pass the driving portion. I passed the driving portion with a 98% and had my photo taken in my costume.
I have always been a speed racer and I am very lucky my Jeep is a mule and not a thoroughbred! My dream car is a Dodge Challenger Hellcat! I think my guardian angels have never blessed me with one because they know I would surely die in a ball of flames racing around a backroad somewhere.
What would your perfect party look like?
I have always dreamed of having a huge party! I wanted to do that for my 44th birthday and had been planning it for years but stupid COVID messed that up, along with so many other things. I would have all my friends and family, of course, lots of country music (playlist of my choosing), tons of greek food (which I would make because I am the best cook I know), and my brother-in-law Josh and I would perform the final dance scene from Dirty Dancing! There would be karaoke and live music from my friend Jason Johnson, and I would somehow finagle Merle Haggard's sons there to perform. There would also be a video of all my favorite photo moments throughout the years.
Phoenix-Talent School District
Email: brent.barry@phoenix.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.phoenix.k12.or.us/Page/1
Location: 401 West 4th Street, Phoenix, OR, USA
Phone: 541-535-1517
Facebook: facebook.com/PTSRising
Twitter: @Phoenix_Talent