Document text
MONDAY February 23, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels December 1, 2003 Tiny Pinehurst turns up big in scavenger hunt Despite having only 33 students, elementary school wins State of Jefferson contest By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings With a total student population of 33 students from kindergarten to 8th grade, Pinehurst School is usually out-manned when it comes to other schools in the area. But its small size didn't stop 15 middle school students from banding together and winning the 5th annual State of Jefferson Academic Scavenger Hunt recently against middle schools with hundreds of students. The scavenger hunt is a time-consuming four-day event where students had to document and answer 34 challenging questions. The event, sponsored by the Southern Oregon University Youth Programs, concluded on Nov. 21. Marie Mannatt, a middle school teacher and a coach of the scavenger hunt for Pinehurst, was overwhelmed her small school, located in the Greensprings area 21 miles from downtown Ashland, did so well. "It was very exciting and fun to win," she said. "But what was so valuable was what they learned and accomplished from the entire process. My goal was just to compete. It was wonderful our little school was able to win." Students had to answer a number of demanding questions and tasks - from when did Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show visit the Rogue Valley [answer: Sept. 24, 1910 in Medford], to having their picture taken with a live snake. The Pinehurst team scoured the Internet and local library's looking for the answers and had to call different sources throughout the country to obtain what they needed. "The great things about the scavenger hunt is all the kids are actively researching and looking for materials, which is a great life skill," Mannatt said. Pinehurst student Aria Hemphill, 13, said the best ways way to complete a task was to stay the course no matter how challenging and impossible the question seemed. To Hemphill, it was about "focus. If you switched around from question to question, you would never get things done," she said. Hemphill enjoyed the experience of talking to people and looking up questions. She plans to go out for the Ashland High School debate team as a freshman next year. "It's really great being confidant in talking to people and researching things," she said. "I really love it." Jordan Kling, 13, recalled the thrill of finding answers to the questions. Kling recalled one question where she had to find out the origin of the word sophomore, and what school it was first used at. After much research, she discovered the word originated at Cambridge University in England. Mannatt was proud of what her students accomplished. "It was just a great experience for everyone involved," she said. "They put their heart and soul into it. It took 150 percent from each kid to compete with the larger schools like Ashland." Pinehurst garnered 147 points, one point more than second place McLoughlin Middle School. Ashland Middle School came in third. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: A new improved archive search is coming! Look for it in mid-February! .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams