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May 21, 2013
Camas DECA chapter members were are smiles at the Portland International Airport as they prepared to board a plane to attend the International Career Development Conference last month.

DECA students place in top 10 at international competition

Nineteen Camas High School marketing students traveled to Anaheim, Calif., for the DECA International Career Development Conference in April. Students competed in a variety of marketing competitions against others from the United States and Canada. The local CHS chapter had six of its students qualify for the final round of competition, and four place in the top 10. DECA students come from the various marketing classes at the high school. Finalists included Megan Napier, Amanda Shi, Madison Berkeley, Jasmyne Samuels, Annika Bales, and Cameron Vega.

May 21, 2013
The Washougal High School Panther mascot encourages youngsters as they cross the finish line during Saturday's 10th annual Student Stride for Education at Fishback Stadium. Hundreds of youth and adults took part in the running and walking events, which serve to promote fitness and learning and fundraise for the Washougal Schools Foundation's grant and scholarship program

Student Stride marks 10th year

Approximately 550 participants and countless volunteers celebrated the 10th Annual Student Stride for Education Saturday, raising almost $20,000 for the Washougal Schools Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that provides teacher grants and scholarships.

May 14, 2013

School notes for May 14, 2013

'Annie, Get Your Gun,' comes to Washougal Journey Theater Arts Group will present, "Annie, Get Your Gun," at Washburn Performing Arts Center, 1201 39th St., Washougal Friday through Sunday, May 24 to 26, and May 31 to June 2.

May 14, 2013
Students on the Camas-Washougal Robotics Team, known as "Team Mean Machine," make adjustments to their robot, Odd Job, during a competition. The team is made up of students from Camas, Washougal and Hockinson high schools.

Robotics team returns from world championships

For the third year in a row, the Camas-Washougal Robotics Team has competed at the world championships. FIRST Robotics Team 2471, or "Team Mean Machine," as it's known, has had a successful season, winning first place alliance honors at both Portland and Spokane FIRST Robotics competitions during March and April. The team also brought home awards for team imagery, safety and quality. Adding to that success, team members recently returned from the FIRST Robotics (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) World Championships in St. Louis, Mo. Students from Camas, Washougal and Hokinson high schools participate on the team. "Robotics provides a unique environment to learn while working with experienced mentors from industry," said Debbie Lindy, team publicity chairwoman. For information about the team or FIRST Robotics programs, browse www.team2471.org.

May 14, 2013
By volunteering at the Jack, Will and Rob Center, Levi McDonald, a Canyon Creek Middle School eighth-grader, helped kids be active during his study topic of preventing childhood obesity.

Camas-Washougal eighth-grade projects help local students prepare for success

Eighth-grade students at Canyon Creek and Jemtegaard middle schools in Washougal are preparing for success at high school and in the real world through two differently specialized programs.Each is designed to help students as they develop new skills and a broader understanding of society and themselves. The project at Canyon Creek is based on volunteerism. Students choose an area of interest, then are required to write a research paper, complete a minimum amount of volunteer hours that supports their topic, create a poster illustrating their work, and make a presentation to an audience of parents and peers. "Students come away from this experience with the realization there is more out there in life than 'my little world,' " said Pete Forgey, CCMS eighth-grade social studies teacher. "They benefit from the experience of working with new people and come away knowing it isn't so scary out there. Students also realize that there are people who need help, and they can help them."

May 7, 2013
April Sutherland won a statewide award for her efforts to help save The Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Summer Sensory Camp Program for special needs children. "It felt great to represent the team of moms who made this happen."

Helping save sensory camp

Raise $27,000 in just a few months.That's a daunting task for anyone to undertake, but for a group of local moms, it was worth all the efforts. In 2012, April Sutherland, a nurse in the Camas School District and mother to a special needs child, found out that the Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation summer sensory program would be shut down due to a $1.2 million budget reduction. Her son, who has autism, had attended the camp for several summers, and looked forward to it every year. For more information, visit www.savesensorycamp.brownpapertickets.com.

April 30, 2013

School notes for April 30, 3013

Camas student places at SkillsUSA competition Seth Albert of Camas was the runner-up at the state SkillsUSA competition.

April 30, 2013
CHS exchange students Francesco Ughi (left) and Gianluca Volpe are organizing a homemade Italian dinner for their senior project. Proceeds will benefit the Community Pregnancy Clinic of Camas-Washougal.

Exchange students planning authentic Italian dinner to benefit pregnancy clinic

Gianluca Volpe and Francesco Ughi are hoping to bring a little of their homeland to Camas High School. As a part of their senior project, the two are preparing an Italian dinner from scratch, which includes making noodles by hand, creating two different sauce recipes, preparing appetizers, and decorating the CHS commons. Tickets are $15 each and proceeds benefit the Community Pregnancy Clinic of Camas-Washougal. The dinner will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 9, in the CHS commons. To purchase tickets, contact Volpe at 360-921-0333 or e-mail gianluca_volpe@hotmail.it.

April 23, 2013
Camas-Washougal Parent Co-op Preschool teacher Maria Lattanzi helps student Fiona Robertson create a sunflower with paint. The activity was designed to complement the reading of the book, "Sunflower House." After 27 years, Lattanzi will retire on May 22 to pursue a career in social work. "Maria truly cares for each and every student's well being," said Kara Prynne, a member of the preschool's executive board. "It shows in the way she interacts with the children on a daily basis."

Maria Lattanzi helping young minds bloom

The 4-year-olds buzz around the brightly decorated preschool classroom, zooming from station to station.Two students paint pictures of the yellow and purple tulips that are displayed in a vase on a table. Another child sits in front of a tray of plastic toy dinosaurs and reptiles, examining them closely under a magnifying glass. Meanwhile, a few others work on alphabet recognition exercises with a parent volunteer. The calm voice that resonates through it all is that of teacher Maria Lattanzi. One-by-one, she summons each child up to her station. She takes their hand, gently plops it down into a tray of bright yellow paint, then presses the tiny palm and fingers onto a piece of white construction paper. The youngsters lift up their outstretched hand to peek at what they've created -- the petals of a sunflower. The children then dunk the tips of their fingers into brown paint, quickly creating the dots that form its seeds. At the Camas-Washougal Parent Co-op Preschool, all of these activities are part of a curriculum that encourages little minds to experience, grow and change.