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Schools

December 11, 2012
WHS student Cheyene Dady is collecting mittens, scarves, coats and hats for the homeless as a part of her senior project.

WHS senior collecting items for the homeless

Most of us will never know what it is like to stand shivering on a cold street, homeless, with nowhere to go.But for some, it's a way of life. Washougal High School senior Cheyenne Dady wants to make the winter a little more bearable by collecting new and gently used hats, scarves, coats and mittens for those in need. "I wanted to help the homeless in our community," she said. "Last year, I handed out coats to the homeless with my church, and really enjoyed it."

December 4, 2012
Umpqua Bank recently donated $2,000 to Jemtegaard Middle School through its "Give Back to School Fund." Pictured here are, left to right, Principal Ron Carlson, parent/nominator Jenny Dayley, student Cameron Dayley, special education teacher Lou Peterson and fund organizer Lori Wick.

Giving back to schools

When parent Jenny Danley clicked "like" on Umpqua Bank's Facebook page, she never imagined it would result in a $2,000 grant for her son's school. But that's exactly what happened. Jemtegaard Middle School in Washougal was randomly selected as one of Umpqua's "Give Back to School Fund" winners. Every "like" generated $1 for the fund, totalling $20,000.

November 27, 2012
The Two Rivers Heritage Museum volunteer Carol Phillips reads the story of Princess White Wing to second-graders from Hathaway Elementary School.

Hathaway Elementary students enjoy new experiences through field trips to downtown Washougal

Hathaway Elementary School students had the chance to connect with their community recently with a fifth-grade field trip to the Washougal Library, Community Center and City Hall, while second-graders visited the Two Rivers Heritage Museum.The fifth-graders from the classrooms of Andy Schlauch, Erin Hayes and Carol Dinnel walked to and from school during the field trip. "It is important for the students to get to know their community," teacher Andy Schlauch said. "This is our second year and it was better than the first. We hope to make it an annual fifth- grade trip that all Hathaway kids look forward to." A highlight for several students was time spent visiting with Mayor Sean Guard.

November 27, 2012

School notes for Nov. 27, 2012

Clark College concerts coming soon The Clark College band and choir groups will present their fall concerts.

November 20, 2012
Students fill a school bus with non-perishable food items during last year's Stuff the Bus food drive, which generated 61,000 pounds of food. Organized by the Camas-Washougal Business Alliance, the effort is a friendly competition between Camas and Washougal high schools and involves students in all grade levels.

Stuff the Bus: Neighbors helping neighbors

An annual food drive that brings together hundreds of kids to help generate thousands of pounds of food for the needy is underway. Stuff the Bus, organized by the Camas-Washougal Business Alliance, is a friendly competition between Camas and Washougal high school students. Each and every school in both cities' school districts participate by collecting donations. Last year, 61,000 pounds of food was raised, and organizers are hoping to top that this year.

November 20, 2012

School notes for Nov. 20, 2012

CYT works under a new name Christian Youth Theater VanPort has changed its name. The new organization is now called Journey Theater Arts Group. Organizers hope the new affiliation will better serve its participants.

November 13, 2012

School notes for Nov. 13, 2012

G.E.T. program enrollment open Parents wanting to save for college can open a Guaranteed Education Tuition account. The new enrollment year runs through May 2013.

November 13, 2012
Liberty Middle School students climb on the anchor which was once a part of the SS Davy Crockett, a World War II Liberty ship. "It's a community art piece," principal Marilyn Boerke said. "You can climb on it."

Anchor from a ‘Liberty ship’ will rest at Liberty Middle School

Students, city officials and school administrators gathered to watch a piece of history come home Friday.A 4,500 pound anchor from a decommissioned World War II Liberty ship was unveiled at Liberty Middle School. It was an event several years in the making. "This is a very exciting day," said Liberty Principal Marilyn Boerke. "It has been in the works for six years." Eunice Abrahamsen, a local community member, pitched the idea of procuring a piece of a Liberty ship to install in the school when it first opened. The goal was to teach the students the history behind Liberty's name. "I was thinking a cute little porthole or doorknob or some kind," Boerke said. "Then I got a call, 'Do you want to take the anchor?' I thought it would be something small. Then I saw it and realized it was ginormous."

November 6, 2012
Hathaway Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Erin Hayes assists Consuelo Martinez with a research question. The students in Hayes' class are part of a district-wide iPad pilot group. "The use of technology increases my ability to meet the individual needs of each student," she said.

Bringing the world to their classroom

When teacher Erin Hayes first told her students they'd be using iPads in class, the general response from the fifth-graders was, "What's an iPad?" Two months later, the students are becoming experts in using apps, doing Internet research and using the devices as a resource for a majority of their class work. "The iPads extend learning in every subject," Hayes said. "They have apps for math, spelling, writing, everything. (The students) are recording themselves to practice public speaking, they are using Google Earth to take virtual field trips of the locations they're studying, and they are interacting with each other to discuss new ways to create projects and solve problems."