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

Baller Bears Shine at Junior Rose Festival Parade

The combined jump rope, juggling, and tumbling teams from Helen Baller Elementary took first place in the Dance/Drill Juvenile Class yesterday at the 2010 Junior Rose Festival Parade in Portland.

PE Teacher Amy Wing said:

Our teams completely filled two city blocks, and I couldn’t have been more proud. Looking out at those kids while they walked along the parade with red cheeks and smiles ear to ear makes my job COMPLETELY worth the time! They feel so proud! We had 30 parent helpers and three amazing teachers assist, which made my job so much easier. The whole experience brings tears to my eyes every year and I feel like the luckiest teacher in the whole world. Thanks to teachers like Cheryl Richey who pass on traditions that can last forever, the families and kids at Helen Baller continue to create lifetime memories. GOOOOOO BALLER BEARS!!! We are so lucky to be in the Camas School District.

Camas Athletics 2009-2010 Year in Review

Camas had an awesome 2009-2010 athletic season! CHS Papermakers shined with high placements in state championships for baseball (2nd place!), boys and girls soccer, girls track, volleyball and golf. To read more about the Papermakers’ awesome winning season, Coaches of the Year and scholar athletic teams, please read the list below.

League Champions

Boys Golf

Boys Swim

Baseball

Boys Soccer

Girls Track

District Champions

Boys Golf

Volleyball

Girls Basketball

Boys Swim

Baseball

Girls Track

Bi-District Champions

Girls Track

State Placers

Boys Golf – 5th

Volleyball – 7th

Girls Soccer – 3rd

Boys Soccer – 3rd

Baseball – 2nd

Girls Track – 3rd

Student Athletes of the Year

Logan Grindy - Football

Daniel Snoey – Boys Golf

Kailee Esser – Girls Soccer

Stefani Sorenson – Volleyball

Melissa Williams – Girls Basketball

Justin Natyzak – Boys Swim

Nick Palodichuk – Boys Soccer

Stuart Jergenson – Boys Soccer

Megan Kelley – Girls Track

Taylor Williams - Baseball

All State Student Athletes

Kailee Esser – Girls Soccer

Stuart Jergenson – Football

Coaches of the Year

Mike Bemis – Boys Swim

Jennifer McDonnell - Gymnastics

Rolland Minder – Boys Soccer

Alisa Wise – Girls Track

Tom Wallenborn – Girls Golf

Joe Hallead - Baseball

Varsity Grade Point Averages Winter and Spring

Boys Cross Country – 3.62 (11)

Boys Golf – 3.46 (14)

Boys Tennis – 3.33 (10)

Football – 3.16 (47)

Girls Cross Country – 3.36 (11)

Girls Soccer – 3.69 (18)

Girls Swim – 3.71 (24)

Volleyball – 3.70 (10)

Boys Basketball – 3.33 (12)

Boys Swim – 3.43 (22)

Cheer – 3.18 (10)

Girls Basketball – 3.44 (10)

Gymnastics – 3.27 (14)

Wrestling – 3.28 (21)

Dance and Drill – 3.29 ((28)

Baseball – 3.34 (19)

Boys Soccer – 3.50 (18)

Boys Track and Field – 3.14

Girls Golf – 3.39 (9)

Girls Tennis – 3.82 (9)

Girls Track and Field – 3.67 (27)

Softball – 3.48 (12)