School notes for Sept. 29, 2015

Outdoor space enhances classroom experience

A new classroom at River HomeLink in Battle Ground is being enhanced to boost student learning in a variety of subjects.

The classroom, called the Outdoor Learning Space, has seen a constant flow of traffic since it opened last February.

The space is a garden of flowering and native plants, vegetables, a decomposing log and other elements that teachers, parents and students planted and arranged after receiving a grant from the City of Vancouver’s Water Resource Education Center.

The organization provided $1,500 for plants, top soil, supplies and equipment. Parent Tracy Ceravalo donated her time as a landscape designer to develop the site plan.

“Research shows that outdoor spaces help students learn,” said Kris Potter, school garden coordinator at River HomeLink. “We wanted to have a place that could be used by all our classes, so we call it the Outdoor Learning Space. It invites not just the science teacher, but also the art teacher and the writing teacher to use it as inspiration for assignments.”

On a recent sunny day, students from a science class rubbed elbows with students from an art class. While students from one class walked around with clipboards recording the flora and fauna, making scientific observations, students in the other class got comfy on the bark dust with their pencils and sketch paper, focusing on a specific leaf as the subject of their art.

“It’s more than just a garden,” Remmen said. “It’s a classroom where we can engage students in activities that bring these subjects to life.”

HomeLink is a parent-partnered education program in the Battle Ground School District. There are 1,000 students enrolled, including several from Camas and Washougal.

Local students graduate from UW

Several local students earned degrees from the University of Washington. They include:

Camas: Kaitlin Colleen Ramey, Bachelor of Arts in history; Olivia Kay Janson, Bachelor of Science in biology, Sara Marie Slayton, B.A. in bus administration; Victor Chung So, B.A. in communication; Jay Ouyang Feng, B.S. in electrical engineering; Kara Nicole Amber, B.S. in biology: Aksa Saria Manzer, B.A. in political science; Tonya Nichole Wiek, B.A. in history; Zenan Kevin Li, B.S. in electrical engineering; Meghan Cassie Cowan, B.S. in computer engineering; Carolyn Jane Foster, B.A. in community, environment and planning; Brando Bryan Shepherd Delgado, B.S. in neurobiology; Zachary Tyler Valenter, B.A. in geography; Lauren Taylor Burton, B.A. in communication; Ciara Anne Klein, B.A. in business administration; Lucas Michael Smith, B.S. in microbiology; Meredith Rose Barrett, B.A. in communication; Dylan Bo Howell, B.A. in psychology.

Washougal: Sarah Kay Hess, B.A. in political science; Laycee Marie Hyde, B.A. in communication; Brian Joseph Price, B.A. in communication; Darcy Sheila Akers, B.S. in civil engineering; Parker Burgess Roland, Bachelor of Design in industrial design; Colton Pace, B.A. in business administration; Mayelee Alexis Watts, B.A. in communication; and Kimberly Michelle Jones, B.S. in biology.

Teens needed for fair’s junior advisory board

Teens who are involved in 4-H and FFA and incoming ninth- through 12th-graders are invited to submit an application to be on the Clark County Fair Junior Advisory Board.

Students will develop leadership skills and plan parts of the fair.

Visit www.clarkcofair.com/junior-advisors.html to fill out an application, due Friday, Oct. 16.