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. The program can be used at nearly any public or private college, university, or vocational school in the country. G.E.T. is a 529 plan offering tax-free growth and withdrawals. Betty Lochner, director of the G.E.T. program, encourages families to save an amount that fits best within their budget. “Start saving when your kids are young,” she said, “then plan to contribute regularly over the years. You’ll be surprised how it adds up over time.” The cost of one G.E.T. unit today is $172. The future value of 100 units is equal to one year of resident, undergraduate tuition and required state fees at the highest-priced Washington public university, no matter how much tuition increases. For more information, visit G.E.T.’s website at www.get.wa.gov. Letters About Literature’ contest set The “Letters About Literature” contest encourages young readers to write letters to their favorite authors, living or dead. The contest is open to all students in fourth- through 10th grade. Students can enter by writing a personal letter to an author, explaining how his or her work shaped the student’s perspective on the world or themselves. Students can write about works of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. They cannot write about music lyrics. Entries in Spanish will be accepted and translated for the Washington State judges. Entries for this year’s contest must be postmarked by Jan. 11. The state winners will be announced in March. The contest’s cosponsors are the Office of Secretary of State, the Center for the Book and the Library of Congress. Letter writers compete at three levels: Level one for grades 4-6; level two for grades 7-8; and level three for grades 9-10. Entrants must be at least 9. One letter from each level per state is entered into the national competition. Each letter must be accompanied by an entry coupon that can be found at www.sos.wa.gov/library/lal/LettersAboutLiterature2013.aspx. Entries should be mailed to: Letters About Literature, Competition Level (Indicate Level 1, 2 or 3), P.O. Box 5308, Woodbridge, VA 22194 State judges select the top letter writers in Washington, who then advance to the national competition. State prizes include a $125 cash award and a certificate. CHS students will perform in Portland Ballet production Two Camas High School students, Hope and Anna Garcia, will be part of the The Portland Ballet production of Shakespeare’s, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The performance will feature young dancers from age five through high school. The Portland Ballet is one of the premier youth ballet companies in the Portland metropolitan area. The production is being choreographed by John Clifford specifically for The Portland Ballet. Peformances will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 23 to 25, at Portland State University’s Lincoln Hall. Times are 4 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, and 1 and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Lincoln Hall is located at 1620 S.W. Park St., Portland. Tickets are $35, $25 for seniors, and $15 for youth. Call 503-452-8448 or visit www.theportlandballet.org/Performance/index.htm to purchase tickets. Attorney general will discuss Internet safety Parents in Southwest Washington communities are invited to join Jenny Durkan, U.S. attorney for Western Washington, for her presentation on the topic of keeping children safe online. Attendees will learn tips on keeping their kids safe from Internet predators and harmful activity. The presentation will be at Education Service District 112, 2500 N.E. 65th Ave., Vancouver, from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Clark College will offer cultural experiences Clark College will recognize International Education Week with a "Global Harvest." Events scheduled through Friday will allow attendees to experience the richness of travel and learn about cultures as diverse as China, Japan, Italy, Fiji, South Africa and Tibet right at Clark College. Highlights will include a Japanese tea ceremony Thursday, at 11 a.m., and a performance by Senegalese/Benin musician Parfait Bassale Friday, at 2:30 p.m. Events are free and open to the public. Clark is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way. For a complete event list visit www.clark.edu/cc/ieweek.

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