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Schools

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 [email protected].

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.

April 16, 2013
CHS sophomores Meghal Sheth (left) and Sophie Shoemaker have each qualified for an all-expenses paid trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Ariz., next month. There are only 10 students total in the state of Washington who earned this honor.

Meghal Sheth and Sophie Shoemaker are making school history

Meghal Sheth and Sophie Shoemaker are making Papermaker history. They are the first Camas High School students to qualify for the International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Ariz. In addition, they are just sophomores and only 10 students across the state of Washington were selected for the prestigious event. "At first, I was in shock," Shoemaker said. "I wasn't really expecting it, but it was great to know something I worked on was rewarded." Added Sheth, "It was surprising, but I was really happy because I put a lot of effort into my project. It was nice to see the hard work pay off."

April 16, 2013

School notes for April 16, 2013

Environmental education class set for teachers Teachers from Camas and Washougal are invited to participate in the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Day Saturday, May 4.

April 9, 2013

School notes for April 9, 2013

Locals graduate from WSU The following students earned bachelor's degrees from Washington State University for fall term 2012.