Third Annual Stuff the Bus

If you have not had the chance to donate to our third annual Stuff the Bus food drive, it is not too late! Your Papermakers will be stuffing the bus from 10 AM to 6 PM at Camas High School on Friday, December 10. You can bring donations to the school ALL day and any volunteers are more than welcome to help load! The “Weigh-in Party” will start at 6 PM at Exterior Woods in Washougal with the final weigh-in set for 6:30 PM. Come out and support your Papermakers in their effort to beat Washougal High School while helping out your local Camas-Washougal families in need!

Zebras take to the Wildlife Refuge

Our fifth-grade zebras studied the White Oak habitat recently. They discovered it was a managed ecosystem and that Native Americans burned it every year to keep unwanted plants from taking root. They discussed the ways in which the White Oak has been affected by development and population growth, and how it and other dependent species are now becoming fewer.
The entire group then took a trip, sponsored by Columbia Springs, to the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. There the kids rotated through four stations that dealt with the following:

• how fire affects a prairie ecosystem;
• how to use GPS devices;
• how to measure trees; and
• how Native American cultures depended on the White Oak.

The kids loved it. It was completely funded by a grant written by Columbia Springs.

Hometown Holidays

Don't miss your chance to hear both jazz bands from Skyridge Middle School and Liberty Middle School tonight at Hometown Holidays! The Hawks begin at 6:45 PM and the Lions swing in at 7:15 PM. This annual event is fun for the whole family  and includes tree lighting, local art, hay rides and crafts for kids. Entertainment and activities begin at 6 PM and last until 8:30 PM.

Financial Literacy Week in full swing

Camas High School Delta Epsilon Chi Association (DECA) students Sara Slayton and Evan Klein are spearheading a project dedicated to teaching and informing students on how to budget and plan financially for the next stage of their lives.  With support from the Camas School Board by proclamation this week, November 29-December 3, has officially been declared as Financial Literacy Week.  Throughout the week, there are posters in the hallways of CHS with financial quotes, a book display in the library, and today, December 1, there is a workshop after school in the Career Center from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. about college budgeting and debt.

Last September, Sara and Evan chose this topic as a DECA project for its strong correlation to the state of our society and economy. They thought that in this current recession, it was more than appropriate to spread the word about the importance of financial literacy.

The Camas High School DECA Chapter is a student-run organization with a membership of approximately 100 students. These students are enrolled in marketing classes at various levels, and are also members of the International Organization of DECA. As DECA members, the students compete every January in an ‘area competition’ where they try to qualify for the state competition held in March in Bellevue, WA. Students either compete in role plays, or they submit research or chapter-wide projects.

In addition to the activities of Financial Literacy Week, Sarah and Evan are organizing and implementing several activities that are attracting the attention of our chapter and school. Some of these activities include:

Read more »

Internship Presentations

This coming Monday evening before the school board meeting, all of our Math Science and Technology Magnet seniors will present their summer projects, answer questions about their internships,  and talk about their four years in the MST Magnet program here at CHS.  A month ago the board heard presentations from a few and asked to hear from them all. This will be in an arena-style setting so guests may move freely among the exhibits and converse with the students informally.

Where: Camas High School Commons and Library

26500 SE 15th Street Camas WA 98607

When: Monday November 22, 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Who is invited: Parents, interested community members, district staff, mentors and sponsors.  MST Magnet 9th, 10th, 11th grade students. 

Why: to allow the community to learn about the incredible experiences each of these students have had in real world settings in our community; to allow future internship students to find what appeals to them.

For further information contact: 

Ron Wright, MST WBL Coordinator

State Football

The Camas High School Football Team defeated Juanita in the first round of the state football playoffs Saturday night and will host Lakes High School in a quarterfinal game at Doc Harris at 7:30 PM tonight.

• Ticket Booths and Gates will open at 6:00 PM.
• Ticket prices are $8.00 for adults and students without an ASB card and $6.00 for students with an ASB card, elementary children ages 5-11 and seniors 62 and older. No passes are accepted for this game. Please note that CHS receives no proceeds from ticket sales for playoff games.

Inclement Weather

Today Livingston Mountain snow routes are in effect due to inclement weather and classes are on time. Students should plan to arrive at bus stops at their regularly scheduled time, but please allow for delays.

Veterans' Day

Lacamas students and staff welcomed local veterans in for a wonderful, song-filled assembly. These honored guests were also invited to a reception in the library following the presentation. Our leopards did a great job showing their appreciation for those who have served our country!

Gearing up for Stuff the Bus

This is the third year for the Stuff the Bus program which is a large food drive competition between Camas and Washougal High Schools to see which school can raise the most amount of food by weight. Last year CHS raised over 35,000 lbs of food for the local community and this year we are hoping to collect even more! But we can’t do it alone.

Our own Camas Burgerville has been very generous this year by offering CHS numerous fundraising opportunities. Our first is today, Friday the 12th. If you eat at Camas Burgerville tonight from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., 10% to 20% (depending on how many people come out!) of the proceeds will be given to the CHS Stuff the Bus program. 100% of the funds raised will be used to purchase food to "Stuff the Bus!"

We look forward to seeing you so please come out and support your Papermakers in their effort to feed the local community this holiday season.

Fall Sports Update from CHS

Student athletes at CHS are no slackers! These amazing students have proven to be not only top in their game, but also top scholars. Take a moment to check out their latest accomplishments and the team grade point averages. 

Volleyball (3.59 Varsity GPA)

Last night, the Papermaker Volleyball team won their third straight District IV Championship by defeating Prairie in three straight games.  This district title is the team’s latest accomplishment.  Last week, the girls made school history by finishing the regular season as undefeated league champions.  Coach Nidick will be taking team to the District III-IV Volleyball Tournament this Friday and Saturday at Auburn-Mountain View High School (the girls’ first game will be at 6:00 PM Friday). Ticket prices are $7.00 for adults and students without ASB, $5.00 for students with ASB and $4.00 for elementary students. For more information, visit http://www.wcd3.org/g_volleyball.htm

Girls Swimming (3.59 Varsity GPA)

The girls finished second in League and have qualified 26 swimmers for the District Meet Friday and Saturday at Kelso High School.  

Read more »

CEF’s 12th annual raises $65K for innovation

After the last bids were tallied and the bills were paid, CEF’s 12th annual auction raised nearly $65,000 that will be applied towards educational innovation across the Camas School District. Teachers will soon be able to apply for mini and major grants to try out new and scale up proven ideas.

“Even during a deep recession, the Camas community showed their support for education,” said Ron Gompertz, CEF President. “Nearly 200 generous patrons and sponsors turned out to have some fun and invest in a strong school district."

Read more »

Marshall Earns Principal of the Year Award

Camas High School principal Steve Marshall was recently named by the Washington Library Media Association (WMLA) as the High School Level Principal of the Year. Steve was nominated by CHS Teacher-Librarian, Rosemary Knapp. He was honored at the WLMA annual conference at a banquet on Friday, October 15, held at the SeaTac DoubleTree Hotel. The banquet featured author Sherman Alexie as the keynote speaker.


WLMA Awards are given to professionals or paraprofessionals who have provided outstanding service and support to the Library Media program, in order to achieve a school's instructional goals.


According to Knapp, the list of Marshall’s library merits includes several hands-on participation activities. When he had been principal for just over a month, Marshall willingly took part in the 2008 Teen Read Week Theme “Books with Bite” by dressing up as a vampire and greeting students in the Library. Not many new high school principals are willing to put themselves forward like that. This school year he came in twice during Teen Read Week and joined students in activities for “Read Beyond Reality.” One activity included his eating canned oysters!

Read more »

CHS Drama Dept. presents “Rumors”

The CHS Drama Dept. presents the play “Rumors” by Neil Simon this Friday and Saturday and next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m. in the CHS Theatre. At its start, four couples gather in the posh suburban residence of a deputy New York City Mayor for a dinner party. When they arrive, they discover there are no servants, the hostess is missing, and the host – the deputy mayor – has shot himself through the earlobe! Comic complications arise when, given everyone's upper class status, they decide they need to do everything possible to conceal the evening's events from the local police and the media.


Cost for the play is $5 for adults and students w/out an ASB and $3 for students. 

Lacamas Fire Drill

The Washington State Legislature recently passed a law, RCW 28A.320.125, requiring school districts to participate in what is known as a Multi-Agency Fire Drill once every four years. On Tuesday, October 26, the Camas Fire Department, the Camas Police Department, and CSD Operations team conducted a fire drill that simulated the actions necessary if a structural fire at Lacamas Heights Elementary were to occur. With the help of Lacamas Staff, students were relocated to Grace Foursquare Church, which is the school’s pre-determined, off-campus evacuation site. From the church, buses picked students up at regular dismissal time and departed for the trip home as usual. Parents who regularly pick up their students were able to do so at Grace Foursquare.

Both the Camas PD and FD as well as district staff did an outstanding job ensuring the safety of our students during the drill. A big thanks goes out to the volunteers at Grace Foursquare Church who let us borrow their space and audio equipment and who also generously provided hot coffee drinks to the Lacamas staff and fire/police personnel.

Camas Holly Days Arts & Crafts Fair

Get in the holiday spirit by attending the 

Camas Holly Days Arts and Crafts Fair. 

Unique holiday crafts, decorations, gift items, 

food concessions, holiday music and fun for the family!

Saturday, November 13

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Liberty Middle School Cafeteria

1612 NE Garfield Street

College & Career Options

The upcoming CHS College & Career Options Event will offer important college and post high school information for all high school students (9th-12th grade) and their parents. Several workshops will be held in the theatre along with other breakouts sessions. Click here to view the announcement.

Beauty and Mathematics

Come and join the community to hear Dr. Frank Wang speak on Beauty and Mathematics Tuesday, October 19, From 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Camas High School Theatre. The event is free to the public and all are welcome.

Dr. Wang’s personal story is inspiring. Dismissed at a young age and deemed unable to learn, Dr. Wang failed at school until he began to secretly study math. Through his determination, Dr. Wang went on to earn a PhD in pure mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After building a successful publishing company, Dr. Wang decided to return to the classroom to share his love of mathematics with young people.

His presentation on Beauty and Mathematics is the perfect answer to the question "What do  mathematicians do?" Dr. Wang will illustrate through humor, riddles, and concrete demonstrations - a higher purpose of mathematicians: To seek and find structure and order in apparent chaos and disorder.

Seating for the presentation is limited.For reserved seating please email your name and the number of people who will join you to: Jonathan.burton@camas.wednet.edu. 

Once you receive the confirmation, email please print it and bring it with you to the event. Also, send this email to a friend.

To learn more about Dr. Wang you can visit his web site at: http://www.wangeducation.com. 

Know a student interested in a career in tech?

I wanted to let you know that the Software Association of Oregon is holding this year's Portland-area careers in IT education event for middle and high school students on October 21 at WSU Vancouver from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Eric VanderHouwen will be the keynote speaker but there will be three young women talking about their experiences from age 14 onward about careers in computer science, management information systems, and web site development/design.

If you or someone you know has a child who might benefit from hearing about the reasons they would want to get excited about going into a wide-range of careers in IT, this is the event for them to attend. Please consider bringing your children to this event or sharing this with others who have children who might want to come. The link with more information and how to register is http://www.sao.org/events/event_details.asp?id=127665.

Camas Schools: A Tradition of Caring and Quality

Take a few minutes to view this video which highlights the significant support our students have received from our community. Images from the Two Rivers Heritage Museum, and the Camas Community Center are included with interviews from Burt Duncan, Gail Welsh, Doug Quinn, and, of course, Mel Cardon. From our earliest days of educating students through our outstanding programs today, we have much for which to be thankful. 



This video was produced by ESD 112 and can be seen on TV ECT Comast channel 28.

Camas Transportation Ridership Week: October 1-7, 2010

School districts in the State of Washington receive funding based on the number of students who utilize busing services. Each fall, districts conduct a ridership count for one week. This count is used to report average student ridership to Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. If the Camas School District regularly transports your student, please have them ride the bus to school during the week of October 1-7, 2010.

If you have questions, contact the Transportation Department at 833-5585.

Way to Go, Ms. Clark!

Camas High School teacher Melanie Clark was one of 40 teachers nationwide chosen to participate in a food science workshop developed and implemented in a partnership between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the Graduate School at Washington DC. The one-week workshop for middle and high school science and family and consumer science teachers took place in Washington, DC, this summer.

The workshop is part of the FDA/NSTA Professional Development Program in Food Science, a sustained effort that also features curriculum implementation, a follow-up conference, and participant-led workshops. The goal of the program is to educate teachers and students about critical food safety issues such as foodborne illnesses by exploring the science behind them. The program arms teachers with a unique new topic and curriculum with which to teach science. In addition, participants learn about nutrition and food allergies from FDA experts and receive nutrition material to help teach their students how to use the Nutrition Facts Label to make better food choices.

At the workshop, teacher participants learned firsthand about the development and spread of foodborne illnesses; the vulnerability of at-risk populations; and the science behind safe food handling, storage, and preparation. These teachers also learned how to better use the Nutrition Facts Label to assess the nutritional value of foods. In addition, the teachers talked with scientists from FDA and conducted laboratory experiments at the University of Maryland to further increase their understanding of food science.

For example, the teachers investigated how a single bacteria cell can multiply to millions in just a few hours, and they observed how different temperatures (heating, room temperature, chilling, and freezing) affect the growth of bacteria. The teachers explored these concepts by putting their culinary skills to the test. After cooking hamburgers to various temperatures, the teachers tested them for bacteria and other organisms that cause disease.

The food science program is centered on a standards-based curriculum developed by FDA in partnership with NSTA. The Science and Our Food Supply curriculum is available at no charge to any middle level or high school science teacher; it explores the science behind the production, transportation, storage, and preparation of our nation’s food supply, and contains a video, hands-on experiments and activities, and evaluation tools. Other parts of the curriculum explore little-known facts about food science that affect millions of people every day, such as how the passage of time affects the nutritional value of produce, the likelihood of certain foods to cause foodborne illness more than others, and reasons why salt serves as a good preservative. 

Healthy Youth Survey

It is fall and that means many of our middle school and high school students will be asked to participate in the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey which measures health risk behaviors that contribute to morbidity, mortality, and social problems among youth in Washington State. 2010 marks the twelfth year of the statewide survey of Washington's students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12.

The results gathered are an important source of needs-assessment data for school districts, community-based organizations, local health and human service agencies, and state agencies. The results are used to monitor the health status of adolescents and track progress on state and federal education and health-related goals. The information from the Healthy Youth Survey may be used to identify trends in patterns of behavior over time. 

Click here for more information.

CEF Auction Tickets Available Now!

The Camas Educational Foundation is proud to present the 12th Annual Auction on Saturday, October 23, at Camas Meadows Golf Club. Tickets for the event are just $35. This year’s raffle winner will receive a one-week stay in Hawaii; tickets for the raffle are only $10. Event registration and raffle tickets are available online at www.cefcamas.org.

Over the past eleven years, CEF has given over $740,000 to Camas Schools: $267,500 through its strategic grant program and over $475,000 in "mini-grants." The 2009 auction brought in more than $61,000 which is distributed directly to teachers and students for innovation in the district.

Seeking Name Suggestions

The Camas School District has broken ground on the new east-side elementary school. This building is set to open in the fall of 2013. Planning Principal Jan Strohmaier is looking for your input on naming our newest school. If you have any ideas, please let us know in this web survey:

Take the survey.

The survey responses will be collected until Monday, September 27, 2010.

District seeks advisory committee members

In preparation for the new school year, the Camas School District is seeking volunteers to serve on the district’s Citizens Advisory Committee. CAC consists of 18-25 school district patrons who advise school administrators and board members on a variety of issues.

Meetings are held the first Monday of each month during the school year. Interested citizens are encouraged to visit the next CAC meeting on October 4, 2010, at Helen Baller Elementary School, 1954 NE Garfield Street, at 5:30 p.m.

Applications to CAC can be completed at the meeting, online at www.camas.wednet.edu or by contacting Lynette Marshall at 833-5412. All completed applications should be returned to the Camas School District Administration Center by no later than Wednesday, October 1, and will be forwarded to the School Board for appointment.

Thanks to WaferTech Employees!

Employees at WaferTech have demonstrated their generous support of our Camas scholars by donating essential school supplies for our students in need. For several years the staff at WaferTech have participated in this employee-driven cause.

Pictured above are CSD administrators accepting this gracious donation. Thank you for your support!

Lacamas Lake Cleanup

Join our community of service leaders in the annual Lacamas Lake Cleanup!

Saturday, September 18, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Meet at the Heritage Trail boat launch parking lot on Lake Road. Click here for more information.

Newest East Side Elementary Site Grading

Our final major construction project, authorized by the 2007 bond, will be set in motion as clearing and grading work begins at the site on Monday, August 30. The yet-to-be-named elementary school is located off of Crown Road just south or Norse Road and will open in the fall of 2013.

Click here to view a map of the area.

New Elementary Websites Go Live

Over the summer the district's technology and public relations staff transitioned all the elementary websites to WordPress, which is a content management system. This transition gives the staff at each building control of the content of their websites and allows easy posting of news, events, photos, video, etc.

The home page of each site is designed as a blog, where news items are listed chronologically in a scrolling list. A new feature is a live feed of calendar events filtered for each school from DynaCal--the district's web calendar. Also new is a staff directory search tool which returns results specifically for each building.

Take a peek at our new sites!

Dorothy Fox: http://schools.camas.wednet.edu/dorothyfox/

Grass Valley: http://schools.camas.wednet.edu/grassvalley/

Helen Baller: http://schools.camas.wednet.edu/helenballer/

Lacamas Heights: http://schools.camas.wednet.edu/lacamasheights/

Prune Hill: http://schools.camas.wednet.edu/prunehill/

Why WordPress?

We chose to utilize WordPress because:

• It is open source technology, so there is no cost for the program;
• The interface is web based, which means there is no need to locally install software;
• It provides good search-engine optimization; and
• It requires very little training for staff. Creating new pages and posts is snap with a rich-text editor.

Coming Soon

We'll be working on WordPress sites for the middle schools and Hayes Freedom High School in early fall. Camas High School's web site will also be converted to a content management system (Drupal) in the coming months.

Part VII, 2010 Staff Award Winners

Join us this summer as we spotlight our 2010 Staff Award winners each week. In our seventh and final post, we honor the Grass Valley Maintenance and Custodial Crew.

The new Grass Valley Elementary School opened its doors on the first day of school this year. One would think that to maintain and clean a new school would be easy—but that assumption would not be correct. Although the building opened on time, the contractor still had “punch list” items and the commissioning of the heating and cooling system to complete.

The custodial team, consisting of Marilyn Reppe and Terrie Anicker, has provided contractors access to the building on nights and weekends in order to not impact teaching and learning—even when it has meant adjusting their shifts and working overtime. Terrie and Marilyn are committed to making our school look clean and sparkling, but they also are strong members of our school community. This is evident in their positive communication with staff members. It can be challenging to remind staff to wash their own dishes and prepare their rooms for cleaning, but they find light-hearted approaches to get the best out of everyone.

Bill Seekins has also gone beyond the call of duty by being the on-site link between the construction office, the operations department and the contractors. He has volunteered to work overtime on the weekend to troubleshoot the commissioning process for the heating and cooling system. He is dedicated to learning the new system and making sure it works correctly. Bill has also provided valuable input to the contractor and design engineer regarding the daily performance of the system, so that correct adjustments can be made. He is a quiet and “behind-the-scenes” person who always works efficiently, effectively, and is always willing to help!

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Part VI, 2010 Staff Award Winners

Join us this summer as we spotlight our 2010 Staff Award winners each week. In our sixth post, we honor Amy Wing.

The Helen Baller Bears have no time to hibernate with PE teacher Amy Wing keeping them active.

Twice each week, Amy sees all 560 Baller students for regular physical education. Each day during lunch, she serves an additional 250 kiddos in the gym for tumbling, jump rope, and juggling team practices. Then in the winter, Amy brings those teams to perform at girls and boys basketball halftime shows. When spring rolls around, Amy organizes an exhilarating, fun-filled afternoon for these teams to participate in the Junior Rose Parade in Portland—this year they won first place in the Dance/Drill Juvenile Class. And finally, she invites all the families of the tumbling, jump rope, and juggling teams to an end-of-year bash where the kids show off their expertise. Whew! Staff members at Baller think she is an amazing ball of energy and proclaim the Energizer Bunny has nothing on Amy!

Open Registration Begins August 11

Parents and guardians who wish to register their students in Camas Schools for the 2010-11 school year are invited to open registration. Beginning August 11, 2010, families may drop in for registration in the cafeteria at the Zellerbach Administration Center at 841 NE 22^nd Avenue, Camas, WA. No appointment is necessary, and hours are 7:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m., closed from 12:00-12:30 p.m. for lunch. Open registration will be available through September 3.

Information about required immunizations, proof of residency, and registration forms will be available on site and also at the district website at www.camas.wednet.edu.

Part V, 2010 Staff Award Winners

Join us this summer as we spotlight our 2010 Staff Award winners each week. In our fifth post, we honor Hannelore Tweed.

Camas High School teacher Hannelore Tweed has left her mark on her students. In fact, two of her students initiated the nomination for this staff award. They write:

Upon entering Mrs. Tweed’s classroom, you will recognize her energy to teach and learn day in and day out. Her class is very comforting in that she has invaluable experience in the education system. She definitely knows what she is doing! Mrs. Tweed is approachable and makes it very easy to come after school and learn any concept that you may be struggling with—she is always there to help you and wants the best for you in her class.

Mrs. Tweed has the purest soul and heart I know. She shares this gift with all her students. She develops a special connection with each of her students, and that is why I will always remember her. Mrs. Tweed will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Free and Reduced Meal Information

Families who meet eligibility requirements can now complete the 2010-11 Free and Reduced Meal Application. Click here for the application.

Part IV, 2010 Staff Award Winners

Join us this summer as we spotlight our 2010 Staff Award winners each week. In our fourth post, we honor Brandy Reed.

Brandy Reed is the in-school suspension supervisor at Liberty Middle School and is an integral part of the Liberty team. While her responsibilities are specifially to supervise students who have been removed from class or assigned to lunch/after-school detention, she does far more. Her work ethic is exemplary; she arrives before her shift begins and works hard. What makes Brandy stand out however, are the things she does that are not part of her job description. She can be counted on to converse with the students positively and offers encouragement to them as she passes them in the hall.

Brandy brings a “can do” attitude to all that she does and has communicated to others the understanding that the success of the students is paramount. She works well with others. She works to ensure the students will have a positive learning experience even when not in their classroom, and she listens to the students so they feel supported—therefore strengthening their ability to learn.

Last Blast Fun Run

Join the CHS 2010 Cross Country Team for its first annual Fun Run on Saturday, September 4. It will be held at the Camas Meadows Golf Course, and preregistration is $25; registration is $35 the day of the event and includes a t-shirt. Participants may choose a half-mile marathon, a 6.5 mile run/walk, or a tot walk for our future Papermaker athletes.

Registration is available online at the Camas Educational Foundation website. For all event details, view the Last Blast Fun Run flyer.

Part III, 2010 Staff Award Winners

Join us this summer as we spotlight our 2010 Staff Award winners each week. In our third post, we honor Traci Kosaki.

At Skyridge Middle School, Traci Kosaki supports her students, colleagues and parents in numerous ways. Her primary assignment is to assist learning disabled, autistic, and behaviorally challenged students within the regular classroom setting. Traci not only helps students stay organized and on task, but also helps emotionally stressed students take time to become calm and successfully reenter the class lesson.

Traci has also been instrumental in many large projects each year including the Holiday Research Project, the Gingerbread House Geometry unit, the social studies Classroom-Based Assessment and the District Writing Assessment to name a few. Throughout these projects, Traci ensures students are utilizing all resources effectively and have access to technology devices referenced in their IEP’s. This year, she also created and laminated writing folders to help students organize their drafting and editing work through the writing process. The special education students used the folders all year and are now scoring 1-2 points higher on the district writing rubric.

Traci maintains a positive, friendly demeanor with everyone she encounters at Skyridge Middle School. She is warm, cheerful, and a joy to be around.

Kindergarten Academic Screening

The district is conducting a quick, 30-minute pre-assessment of early literacy and numeracy skills for all incoming Camas kindergarten students. Results will ensure students receive appropriate level of math and reading instruction on the very first day of school.

Screening assessments occur August 17 - 19, 2010, from 9 AM – 3 PM at Helen Baller Elementary. To schedule an appointment, contact Shanna Anderson or Gail Soohoo by e-mail or call 360-335-3000 (select option #5).

Doc Harris Stadium Construction

The replacement stadium designed by DOWA Architects and constructed by TEAM Construction is about 70% complete and is scheduled to be open for the first home football game of the fall season. The new stadium will seat 3,000 fans on the home side, with covered visitor bleachers for another 1,000 guests. A statue of the late Doc Harris will greet fans as they return to the new stadium.

CSD Summer Schedule

All schools offices are closed for the summer, but will re-open on August 23. Summer hours will be 8 AM-3 PM daily. Please note that all school building offices will be closed from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM for a district-wide, all staff meeting on September 2.

Back-to-school events occur during the last week of August, and the first day of school is September 7. Click here to view summer office hours and back to school information for all buildings in the district.

Part II, 2010 Staff Award Winners

Join us this summer as we spotlight our 2010 Staff Award winners each week. In our second post, we honor Maria Klein.

Maria Klein has worked in several capacities throughout the district for many years. Currently she divides her time between the ASB office and the Career and Technical Education office at CHS lending her support and expertise. Maria is always professional, friendly, and positive to students, staff, parents and the community in general. She is highly organized, always dependable, and is willing to do whatever is asked with a smile.

Maria also possesses excellent communication skills—every person who comes in contact with her feels understood and valued. Any task that she is assigned is completed in an exceptional manner. Maria is truly an incredible asset to Camas High School.

Part I, 2010 Staff Award Winners

Join us this summer as we spotlight our 2010 Staff Award winners each week. In our first post, we honor Dottie Chadwick.

Dottie Chadwick serves kindergarteners with Title I services at Grass Valley Elementary and has impacted many of our youngest learners at a crucial time—the beginning of their academic careers.

First and foremost, Dottie excites these youngsters! Her enthusiasm is downright contagious. She not only teaches content, but also devotes her time to encouraging students to become better people. Dottie takes the extra time it requires to explain her services to parents. These parents may be hearing their child is struggling to grasp reading for the first time, but her caring heart and optimistic demeanor immediately puts concerned parents at ease.

Dottie has designed her kindergarten support in a Reading Camp program. She meets with her “campers” daily keeping her interventions fresh, upbeat, and with the skills interwoven so discreetly, only a trained eye can see the depth of her instruction. The campers are captivated from the moment Dottie arrives with the result being that all kindergarteners want to be part of Reading Camp. Dottie takes pride in turning students on to learning and making them educationally successful—all while making it look easy.

Three Schools Honored for Achievement

Three Camas schools received statewide recognition this spring for profoundly affecting student learning. Liberty and Skyridge middle schools and Camas High School were among 174 schools statewide to be recognized with a prestigious 2009 Washington Achievement Award. In May, the awards were presented by the State Board of Education and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. “It is simply amazing to have three Camas schools recognized with this honor,” said Superintendent Mike Nerland. “We’re so proud of how hard staff has worked to prove that great gains can be made for all students.”

Nerland said he was most impressed with the gains shown among students identified in the low-income category. The schools were all recognized in the “overall excellence” category. CHS also was honored for improvement in language arts.

The awards are given by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education based on student performance in statewide reading, writing, math and science tests, as well as the school’s extended graduation rate.

Camas School District Earns Energy Star for Superior Energy Efficiency

Liberty Middle School and Prune Hill Elementary are first schools in Camas to earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) prestigious Energy Star, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. Commercial buildings and industrial plants that rate in the top 25 percent of facilities in the nation for energy efficiency may qualify for the Energy Star.

Commercial buildings that earn the Energy Star must use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. By following and implementing new energy policies, the District improved energy performance by managing energy strategically across our entire district and by making cost-effective improvements to its buildings. Camas School District conservation efforts have decreased utility cost for the district by 20% from last year.

The EPA’s national energy performance rating system provides a 1-100 scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a rating of 75 or higher is eligible for the Energy Star. Commercial Buildings that can earn the Energy Star include offices, bank branches, financial centers, retailers, courthouses, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories, and warehouses.

Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the Energy Star designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. In 2006, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved about $16 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles.

Visit www.energystar.gov for more information about the Energy Star program.

Zebras Receive Green Award

On June 1, Grass Valley Elementary School attained Level One status in the Washington Green School program. To achieve certification, schools must earn a minimum of 100 points per level in a six-step process designed to take approximately one year. Under the leadership of the building Green Team and advised by Erin Rowland, Clark County Waste Reduction Specialist, staff and students conducted an Earth Day trash audit, earning points in the Recycling and Waste Reduction category. Washington Green Schools is organized into this and four additional environmental categories:

· Energy Efficiency

· Transportation & Outdoor Air Quality

· Toxics Reduction & Indoor Air Quality

· Water Quality & Conservation

With data from a Green Team waste and recycling assessment and the trash audit, staff agreed to make two lasting changes for the coming year: 1) develop and implement a plan to increase the percentage of recovery for a material already recycled at our school, and 2) develop a program to decrease the uneaten and unopened food in the garbage. With the help of classroom monitors, teachers and students aim to reclaim more clean paper for reuse and recycling. Also, our SOS (Save Our Scraps) cafeteria monitors plus a group of Eco Officer representatives from grades second through fifth can: encourage students to make better lunch choices, save leftover lunch for snacks, and take reasonable servings, going back for seconds instead if they choose.

To complete the certification process, schools must implement action in each of the other four environmental categories. At Grass Valley these include:

· Energy Efficiency: Improving school-wide strategies for turning off lights when adequate sunlight is available.

· Toxics Reduction & Indoor Air Quality: Making sure all air vents are unblocked to maintain healthier indoor air quality.

· Transportation & Outdoor Air Quality: Offer a bicycle safety workshop such as a bicycle rodeo.

· Water Quality & Conservation: Establish an environmental club that focuses on environmental issues and projects at your school.

Each year after attaining certification, schools can either renew at the current level, maintaining the same lasting changes, or build on those changes to advance to the next higher level. Currently in our district, Skyridge has also achieved Level One status. A representative from the WA Green School steering committee will present Grass Valley with a flag and certificate at the end-of-the-year assembly on June 17.

For more information on the Washington Green Schools program, visit: http://www.wagreenschools.org