Bend’s Desert Sky Montessori receives $5,000 OnPoint Credit Union Community Builder Award

Will use for music program, instruments

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- As the 13^th annual OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education campaign continues, OnPoint Community Credit Union announced Tuesday the five schools. including Bend's Desert Sky Montessori, that have won this year's Community Builder awards. The winning schools will receive up to $5,000 for a special project that positively impacts their school and community.

OnPoint also announced today the six finalists for the Educator of the Year awards. Three winning teachers (one representing grades K-5, 6-8 and 9-12) will have their mortgage or rent paid for one full year and receive $2,500 for each of their schools. The three runners up (one representing grades K-5, 6-8 and 9-12) will each receive $5,000 for themselves and $1,500 for their schools. The winners will be announced live on KGW 8 during the 7:00 p.m. broadcast on Thursday, May 26. 

“When students have access to a quality education, our entire community thrives,” said Rob Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. “From reducing the wealth gap and fostering inclusion to inspiring innovation, education enables us to tackle the biggest challenges we face. We are proud to honor these five schools and six teachers making a substantial impact on their students and communities.” 

The OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education celebrates local educators and schools that creatively engage students, inspire innovation in the classroom, and impact the lives of students and families. In its 12-year history, the contest has awarded more than $562,000 in prizes to 296 local educators and schools. This year’s contest will award up to an additional $150,000 to deserving K-12 teachers and schools.

Details on each of the 2022 Community Builder award winners and Educator of the Year finalists are listed below:

Community Builder Awards
OnPoint has recognized five schools from across the region with its Community Builder awards. Four schools will receive $2,000 from OnPoint for a special project of their choice, and one school, determined by online community votes, will receive $5,000. 

$5,000 Community Builder Award Winner

Desert Sky Montessori is the first and only tuition-free Montessori elementary school in Central Oregon. The school’s music program was selected by community votes to receive this year’s $5,000 Community Builder award. The program will inspire students to learn about music and have access to a variety of musical instruments.

OnPoint’s $5,000 award will support phase one of the program’s three-phase project. Specifically, Desert Sky Montessori will use the funds to purchase and use Montessori-centric music instruction tools for all seven of its classrooms. It will also provide Orff Instrument (xylophones, glockenspiels, marimbas and metallophones) training to one teacher in the 2022-23 school year. 

$2,000 Community Builder Award Winners

• Marcola Elementary School's Playground Improvement Project (Marcola School District 79J, Marcola, Ore.), supports the improvement or replacement of playground equipment including a broken slide, basketball hoop and tetherball poles. 
   
• McKenzie School District's Fire Recovery and Art Therapy Project (Finn Rock, Ore.), supports student recovery from the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire through art and music. Funds will be used to purchase art supplies to provide mental health resources to students. 
   
• Pioneer Elementary School's Butterfly and Habitat Learning Gardens (Evergreen Public Schools, Vancouver, Wash.), supports outdoor learning opportunities and provides increased access to nature and science for all students, staff and the community.
   
• Reynolds Community Transition Program's Greenhouse Special Education Program (Reynolds School District, Troutdale, Ore.), provides post-high school special education students ages 18-21 with work experience in on-site greenhouses, allowing them to explore career options, practice work skills and help maintain the campus. Funds will expand the student-run plant business by adding additional garden beds.

Educator of the Year Finalists (by category, then alphabetically)

In addition to announcing its Community Builder award winners, OnPoint also revealed its six finalists for the 2022 Educator of the Year.

K-5 Finalists 

• Jennifer Krebs – Kindergarten, Marcola Elementary School, Marcola School District 79J, Marcola, Ore.
   
• Carissa Shrout – K-5 music, Quatama Elementary School, Hillsboro School District 4J, Hillsboro, Ore.

6-8 Finalists

• Emmanuel Aquino – 8^th grade English - Spanish immersion, Beaumont Middle School, Portland Public Schools, Portland, Ore. 
   
• Carrie Scaife – 8^th grade language arts, Cedar Ridge Middle School, Oregon Trail School District, Sandy, Ore.

9-12 Finalists

• Jesse Bolt – 9-12^th grade English, reading intervention and braille, Washington State School for the Blind, Vancouver, Wash.
   
• Jason Galbraith – 9-12^th grade computer science, Sunset High School, Beaverton School District, Beaverton, Ore.

Click here to learn more about OnPoint's finalists for 2022 Educator of the Year.

Honoring Founders' Legacy of Excellence in Education

OnPoint was founded in 1932 by 16 schoolteachers. In addition to its annual Prize for Excellence in Education campaign, OnPoint continues its founders' mission in many other ways. Click here to learn more.

ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving over 476,000 members and with assets of $9.4 billion. Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union's membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 28 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler, and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) and their immediate family members. More information is available at www.onpointcu.com or 503-228-7077 or 800-527-3932.