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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 5, 2006 Students at Sams Valley Elementary School hold class in the school�s gymnasium Wednesday after runoff from heavy rains flooded nine classrooms, a computer lab and the library on Friday. School flood becomes a LEARNING EXPERIENCE Sams Valley Elementary School students are roughing it in makeshift classrooms but at least one kid says it’s ‘actually pretty cool’ By PARIS ACHEN Mail Tribune Pasting together collages out of magazine clippings, a class of fifth-graders sits in tiny chairs in a kindergarten classroom in Sams Valley Elementary. Displaced by floodwaters that seeped into the school’s west wing Friday, the class has convened in the gymnasium each morning since classes resumed Tuesday. After the kindergartners go home midday, the fifth-graders meet in the kindergarten space. "We are a floating class," teacher Trey Jenkins quipped as he loaded up materials to haul back to the gymnasium. About 100 students were relocated to the gymnasium, theater and staff room after two inches of water flooded the library, a computer lab and nine classrooms Friday. Advertisement Regular classes were held in only four of the classrooms. The other five were used for tutoring. Runoff from heavy rains and overflowing irrigation canals caused the flooding, the first in the school’s 35-year history. "It happened so fast, and the ground was so saturated, there was no place for the water to go," said Principal Bonnie Sutton. Sutton rushed toward the school Friday after a custodian called her to report the flooding. The closure of Highway 234 and Table Rock Road prevented her from reaching the building. An Oregon Department of Transportation employee gave her a lift to the school through the floodwaters. "The whole area looked like chocolate milk," Sutton said. Cleanup began Saturday when about 15 staff members worked to extract standing water from the building. "The help and support has been phenomenal," Sutton said. A professional cleaning company worked to dry out the building Wednesday. The floodwaters destroyed new carpet installed last summer, two computers and about 15 books, Sutton said. The cost of cleanup, repairs and replacements has not yet been determined, said Vicki Robinson, director of business services at Central Point School District. Students are slated to return to the west wing Jan. 30 after the walls and floors have dried, Robinson said. In the meantime, the gymnasium, which doubles as the cafeteria, holds two classes. Students eat their lunches in their classrooms. A special education program run by Jackson County has moved to the staff room. And a third-grade class meets behind the curtains of the stage surrounded by theater props. "It’s pretty awesome going to school on stage," third-grader Taylor Nigh said Wednesday. "I had never been on stage before yesterday. I was kind of nervous the first time. Then, I got better at it." Fifth-grader Sierra Triplet, whose class meets in the gymnasium, said she doesn’t mind the time away from her classroom. "It’s actually pretty cool," Sierra said. "It feels like recess, but you’re still learning." Jenkins said he and other teachers have tried to turn the misfortune into a learning experience for the children, some of whose homes were also flooded. "We have been talking about hurricanes and earthquakes that have been happening," Jenkins said. "It’s not that kind of catastrophe here, but it certainly is a challenge in its own way." Reach reporter Paris Achen at 776-4459 or e-mail School flood becomes a learning experience ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Cheap Website Hosting Discount Hotel Reservations Online Pharmacy Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans High End Computers Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s