The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Dear Editor:

I am prompted to write because of the Opinion column in the April 14 edition. It mentioned happening upon a bench in the park with a memorial inscription.

Deana Land Anderson was my wife until October 11, 1991 when an auto accident in western New York state ended her life way before her time. We deposited her ashes in the Touchet River at Waitburg in 1992.

She had been born in 1937 in Waitsburg on the living room couch of her parents' home on Preston Avenue and by a fortuitous chain of events, we ended up on the same bowling team in 1960-in Issaquah, Washington where we were both teachers. We were married in Waitsburg in 1962 and enjoyed 29 great years together.

By another fortuitous chain of events, our daughter, Maria Anderson Garcia, and her family now occupy the same home on Preston Avenue so we are able to visit the homestead and the bench once in a while.

Doug Anderson Rochester, Minnesota

Dear Editor:

Dayton school district provides quality education to our students, and the teachers in the district are effective and professional. You have the opportunity to discover for yourself how great our schools are by visiting Dayton School District Visitation Day on May 16.

Over the past four months, I have had the privilege of visiting all of the classrooms in Dayton Elementary and High School. I am impressed by what I have seen. I have watched third graders assisting first graders learn a new skill in their computer lab. I have observed high school seniors wrestling with diffi cult questions of both ethics and politics. I have seen students completing difficult geometry and pre-calculus equations, and I've watched as elementary students discover their inner artists with watercolors. Students performed science experiments, created poetry notebooks, completed service projects for others, and took quizzes and careful notes from lecture. Teachers used the newest technology of smart boards and computers, and they also used tried-and-true methods of whiteboards and overheads. Over and over again, I saw students given the opportunity for hands-on learning, and the assignments provided them with a chance to demonstrate creativity, critical thinking, and careful evaluation. The teachers take continual assessments to measure the success of their students. Teaching techniques that do not result in student learning are changed. Those that are clearly successful are used again.

I was greeted with enthusiasm by every teacher in the district. Many of them shared with me the goals of the class, their class syllabus, and the immediate assignment upon which the students were working. With this information, I was able to understand how one lesson built upon the previous and the ultimate high-level thinking that the student would achieve as the unit was completed. The teachers want to share what they are doing; they are excited about the lessons that they have created and the learning that is taking place under their supervision. Seldom does one find a group of such committed professionals in one school district.

Because of past community support, our schools offer our children a quality of education not often found in a small school district. Continued support will only improve upon that quality. I urge every citizen in Dayton to attend the Visitation Day at the schools on May 16. Come discover what quality education looks like.

Sincerely,

Tamara Fritze Dayton