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Inslee Issues New Guidance Encouraging Return to In-Class Instruction

Olympia, WA — Governor Jay Inslee issued new statewide recommendations Wednesday that encourages Washington schools to begin a phased return to in-person instruction that should begin with younger students.

Citing new data that indicates COVID-19 doesn’t spread as prominently among young children, Inslee said he is confident that following proper safety measures will control virus spread in schools. He emphasized the wearing masks at all times, maintaining six feet of physical distance whenever possible, improved ventilation, and increased cleaning.

“Now that we have a better understanding of how the disease spreads and have developed health and safety protocols specific to schools, we are in a better position, we have more confidence when it comes to phased-in, in-person learning,” he said.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal said he doesn’t believe remote learning has been successful “for a lot of kids.” Reykdal said his ability to re-open schools is limited. Inslee echoed that sentiment.

Inslee said that while he does have the ability to close schools for emergencies, he does “not have the statutory authority to make them reopen.”

He is, however, hoping that these new recommendations will give school districts the confidence to begin in-class instruction.

Inslee’s new reopening guidelines include the following:

  • Districts in counties where COVID cases are less than 50 residents per 100,000 people: In-person learning should be made available to all students.
  • Districts in counties where COVID cases are between 50 and 350 residents per 100,000 people: Districts are encouraged to phase in in-person learning, starting with elementary and middle school students.
  • Districts in counties where COVID cases are greater than 350 per 100,000 people: Districts are encouraged to bring elementary students “and those with the highest needs” back into classrooms in small groups of 15 or fewer.

Clark County currently has 450 cases per 100,000.

“Our teachers and school administrators have done a phenomenal job navigating unprecedented challenges,” Inslee said. “This updated guidance provides a framework and will help schools plan and prepare so that when the metrics reach the appropriate level, they’re able to resume in-person instruction quickly.”

Inslee advises against high schools returning to classrooms until “areas see a plateau and decrease in cases.”

Inslee
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Natalia’s Cafe Hosting Mariah Corbin Fundraiser, Virtual Silent Auction

Camas, WA — Natalia’s Cafe is hosting a fundraiser and silent auction this week for Camas resident Mariah Corbin and her family. Mariah was diagnosed with Stage 3 anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (an extremely rare brain tumor) in September and is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments following two brain surgeries.

The purpose of the fundraiser, said Wendy DelBosque, is to help the Corbin family through the financial burdens associated with Mariah’s treatment, including medical and travel expenses, as well as employment income loss. Mariah’s mother, Michal, is a yoga instructor and owner of Camas Yoga & Co. While Michal fights for her daughter’s life, she is also trying to keep her business afloat during the pandemic.

“We are coming together as a community to try to raise money that will allow Michal to focus on her daughter, her treatments, and God willing, her recovery instead of worrying about her business and the overhead she continues to have while she is shut down due to the pandemic,” said Samantha Horner-Boucher, who is organizing the silent auction. “Your generous gift will make this happen.”

The silent auction begins this Thursday, December 17 at 10 am and runs through Sunday, December 20 at 8 pm.

Here’s the virtual auction link: https://www.32auctions.com/MariahsFundraiser

You may also stop by Natalia’s Cafe to see the items up for auction.

Corbin
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Corbin
Silent Auction items.
Corbin
Silent auction items.
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Camas City Council Approves 115 Acres of Land to Preserve as Open Space

Camas, WA — The Camas City Council has approved the acquisition of 115 acres of land on the west side of Green Mountain adjacent to Ingle Road in Camas with the intent of preserving it as open space.

The acquisition includes 60 acres of donated land and 55 acres for purchase, including the top of Green Mountain itself and the area north of the former Green Mountain Golf Course. The land is currently zoned for residential development and includes 159 preliminarily approved property lots near Ingle Road. Construction of the lots had not yet begun and, as a result of the acquisition, will not move forward.

The city plans to engage the community and explore possibilities for the land’s use that are consistent with the city’s Comprehensive Plan and its Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan.

The city will acquire the land, which has been valued at $20.1 million, for $3.8 million. The purchase price of the 55-acre parcel will be paid in October 2021 to allow leaders the option of securing grant funding.

“The advantages of acquiring this Green Mountain land are tremendous,” said Mayor Barry McDonnell. “By securing this property, the City of Camas will preserve more forested areas, ensure public access to green spaces, and provide connections to recreational amenities in the region for the foreseeable future.”

The acquired land has been part of the community vision for over 20 years due to its importance in linking existing and proposed public trails, viewpoints and recreational opportunities around Green Mountain, Lacamas Lake and Camp Bonneville. The existing Lacamas Lake recreation and conservation corridor includes nearly 1,000 acres on the south, east and west sides of the 320-acre Lacamas Lake.

Camas
www.clarkcountyrelocations.com

The acquired land also preserves significant open space in Camas, as requested by the Camas community. It is positioned in an area where considerable open-space acreage is owned by other public agencies, including Clark County, Camas School District and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

The current owners of the property, who applied and received approval from the City for the Green Mountain Planned Residential Development, recently approached the city with this opportunity. The appraised value of the 60 acres of donated land is $15.5 million and the appraised value of the additional 55 acres has been estimated at $4.6 million. The timing of the acquisition is connected to year-end charitable gifting rules, as represented by the developer.

The vision for the city’s open spaces has been developed over several years with substantial input from citizens, stakeholders, city staff and key conservation partners. It reflects a variety of city, county and regional plans, including the Clark County Conservation Areas Acquisition Plan; the City of Camas Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan; the Lacamas Corridor Master Plan and the City of Camas Strategic Plan.
The council considered the details and impacts of the acquisition at the Dec. 7 workshop and regular meeting before formally approving the acquisition.

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Washington State Receives First Shipment of COVID-19 Vaccine

Everett, WA — The first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by Pfizer, arrived in Washington state today, as medical professionals start working to distribute it to citizens most at-risk.

The vaccine is authorized by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, which is comprised of health experts from Washington, California, Oregon and Nevada. The workgroup has been meeting in recent weeks to review the vaccine to ensure its safety.

Governor Inslee’s office said the first groups to receive the vaccine will be those most at risk, including healthcare workers, firefighters, paramedics, ambulance drivers and others who come into direct contact with COVID-19 patients. Inslee said he would get the vaccine himself once he is eligible. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is 95 percent effective. 

Michele Roberts, acting Assistant Secretary of the Washington State Department of Health, said this first round of 62,000 doses is not enough. 

“It’s tight right now. 62,000 doses of vaccine is not enough for that whole 1A group, which is at least a half-million people,” Roberts said.

Roberts is optimistic, though. The DOH believes it will take two months to administer the two-dose vaccination to frontline workers, and that it could take several months to get it to the general population. 

By the end of of December, the state is expected to get a total of 220, doses. Roberts also expects the Moderna vaccine to be approved for distribution within two weeks. Pending approval, Washington would receive 180,000 doses of Moderna’s version before the New Year.

Pfizer’s vaccine offers some protection after the first dose, with nearly full protection after the second dose, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The information was made public before a meeting 10 days ago of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, or VRBPAC — an advisory group to the FDA that voted to grant emergency use of the vaccine to the general public.

Vaccine
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Washougal Uses Pre-K Inclusion Champions Grant to Assist Special Needs Students

Washougal WA  — Washougal School District’s mission to know, nurture and challenge all students to rise was given a boost last spring when it was awarded a Pre-K Inclusion Champions grant worth $20,000.  The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) grant aligns with the state’s goals of prioritizing inclusive practices in early childhood learning as well as the K-12 system.

“This is the perfect grant for us as our district focuses on equity, diversity and inclusion,” said Penny Andrews, WSD Special Education Director. “By creating supportive and inclusive classrooms and learning experiences for our preschool students, we are laying the groundwork for improving our inclusion practices into K-12 classrooms. Part of the grant money is designated for creating inclusive classrooms for our earliest learners by having activities designed for learners with specific needs.”  

The inclusive practices grant is helping school districts shift to a model where students with special needs are able to access general education classroom settings as much as possible.

Other funds are being used for professional development including an inclusionary practices book study, Universal Design for Learning in the Early Childhood Classroom,  for all preschool staff as well as a series of seminars through ESD called The Inclusionary Practices Project that staff are participating in.

“This year, as we focus a lot of energy into equity, the Pre-K Inclusion Grant from OSPI has been of great support,” said Leslie DeShazer, Birth-5 Teacher on Special Assignment. “A portion of the grant money was used to purchase material to support inclusion in our six preschool classrooms.”

Washougal
https://www.lesschwab.com/store/?storeId=714

They include equity driven books to support social/emotional differences, tools to accommodate fine/gross motor differences, tools to accommodate sensory processing differences, and tools to accommodate communication differences. 

“The materials purchased with the grant will provide the opportunity for students with special needs or learning differences to participate and attend preschool with their general education peers,” said Maggie Jennings, preschool speech language teacher.  “Inclusion is a wonderful opportunity for students with special needs as well as their general education peers.”  

“I’m confident that these materials will help each and every one of our students feel more supported and empowered in our preschool classrooms,” DeShazer added.  “In combination with the professional development our teachers have been hard at work with, these materials will make the huge task of embracing equity much more attainable.” 

“I can’t tell you how impressed I have been with the preschool classrooms during ‘regular times,’ but especially this year with the COVID challenges,” said Mary Templeton, WSD Superintendent. “They have all created inviting, vibrant, exciting environments for our youngest learners! I appreciate their commitment and passion to see our littlest ones known, nurtured, and challenged to Rise!  The investment of this grant into equity makes my heart happy!” 

The grant ends in spring of 2021.

Washougal
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Inslee Extends Current COVID-19 Restrictions Through New Year

Olympia, WA — Governor Jay Inslee announced today additional economic supports for workers and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a three-week extension of the state’s current restrictions which will now be in place until January 4, 2021.

“What we do between now — when COVID activity is still at crisis levels — and the time when vaccines are widely available, is literally a matter of life and death,” Inslee said today.

Inslee was joined by Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown who announced an additional $50 million, doubling the number of Washington small businesses that will receive aid. Brown said industries recently shut down, such as restaurants and fitness centers, as well as businesses that have been severely impacted by the pandemic, like music and event venues, have been prioritized.

“The needs among our small businesses are profound, and speed is of the essence,” Brown said. “This additional funding allows us to double the number of small businesses we can provide aid to, but we know it’s not enough. As we battle the toughest months of this pandemic, we need Congress to step up so we can support our businesses and workers as we continue asking them to do these hard things.”

In addition, Inslee also announced the state’s readiness to step in in the case of Congressional failure to extend the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funding in the CARES Act by the end of the year. Washington will be able to fill some of the funding gap for residents that aren’t eligible for regular unemployment insurance, such as self-employed workers, freelancers and independent contractors.

“Whether it is through federal or state aid, if Congress fails to act by Christmas, we will step up to help workers and their families who are not covered by pre-pandemic unemployment insurance benefits,” Inslee said.

The three-week extension of statewide restrictions come as the state’s healthcare system nears dangerous occupancy levels. With the effects of Thanksgiving on infection and hospital numbers still unknown, the extension is designed to grant the state’s medical system much needed time to increase Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity.

“We all hoped a fall surge would not materialize. Sadly, that was not the case and our hospital systems continue to be heavily impacted by rising cases,” said Secretary of Health John Wiesman. “It’s important we stay the course right now. We cannot let our guard down, even though it’s hard and we’re tired. We need people to mask up, stay home as much as possible and delay gatherings with anyone outside your home.”

Currently, nearly 80 percent of ICU beds are currently occupied, with approximately 1,000 residents in those units. Even in the best-case scenario, hospitals across the state would need to add surge capacity to ensure enough ICU beds to care for COVID-19 patients in the weeks and months to come. In the worst-case scenario, state ICU capacity would need to be doubled before the end of the year.

“They’re not all COVID patients taking up the ICU beds, which is very important to remember: If COVID overwhelms our medical facilities, every other person with a significant medical need will be affected, not just COVID-19 patients,” Inslee said. “We are all, quite literally, in this together.”

Inslee
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Vancouver Experiencing Boom in Permit Activity For Single Family Residences

Vancouver, WA  –The Building Industry Association of Clark County (BIA) reports that the City of Vancouver is experiencing a boom in permit activity. In November, 41 Single Family Residence (SFR) permits were issued – compared to the 15 SFR permits issued in November 2019 – representing an increase of 173 percent in permits issued.

After examining the data, the BIA anticipates 2020’s permit activity in the City of Vancouver will surpass 2019’s by more than 50 percent. This is likely due to the pent-up demand for housing as a consequence of low inventory and lifestyle changes related to the pandemic, as well as historically low interest rates.

“Home is more important than ever,” said Andrea Smith, of the BIA of Clark County. ”It used to be that homes were a landing zone for family dinners, relaxation, and sleep. Now houses are doubling as offices and playgrounds. Due to housing’s essential nature, the BIA of Clark County and Building Industry Association of Washington fought to get the industry back to work from the statewide work stoppage in March, during the first round of government mandated COVID closures. Because of these advocacy efforts, the industry was able to get back to work five weeks earlier than other industries.“ 

“Contractors have proven that the industry can build and remodel safely and we will continue to do so effectively,” said Dave Myllymaki, the BIA’s President and Owner of ReNew Creations.

Permit
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Downtown Camas ‘Winter Wonderland’ Events Happening on First Friday

Camas, WA — A weeklong Downtown Camas Association (DCA) “Winter Wonderland” series of online events culminates this Friday with a cookie walk, winter wonderland displays, snowman, winter photo ops, and art shows. Visitors can also enjoy the downtown Christmas tree, which is all decorated and will be lit up.

The fun begins at 5 pm on Friday, December 4.

Enthusiasts have been able to enjoy new games or activities posted on the Downtown Camas First Friday Facebook Page every morning between November 29 and December 4, and can enjoy a Facebook Live event on First Friday (December 4) at 5 pm where the DCA will announce the winners from the week.

First Friday will also be right in the middle of the DCA’s Winter Wonderland in Downtown Camas event, which consists of 12 days of activities! These activities will be following social distancing and safety guidelines.

Here are the daily activities:

  • Sunday – Winter Wonderland Word Jumble
  • Monday – Pick & Pic–Pick your favorite snowman and then post a pic of you having fun in the snow or a picture of a fun snow scene!
  • Tuesday – Seek & Find the Snowman in Downtown Camas (also find the hidden woodland animals in the Downtown Winter Wonderland windows!)
  • Wednesday – Where is this product from in Downtown Camas?
  • Thursday – Post your favorite Holiday Cookie Recipe
  • Friday – Two different passports!
  • **Virtual “Elf on the Shelf” Merchant Passport
  • **Downtown Merchant In-Store Passport will be a Cookie Walk in Downtown Camas and Vote for Your Favorite Downtown Winter Window!
Winter Wonderland
www.champpizza.com — Ready for take out or delivery.

According to the DCA, enthusiasts have until 3 pm on First Friday to complete each of the daily activities to be entered to win downtown gift cards and prizes. You have until 9 pm on First Friday to post your in-store merchant passport to be entered to win!

In-town First Friday events include:

  • Cookie Walk in Downtown Shops! Start at the DCA table by Papermaker Pride & pick up a “Cookie Bag” & fill it with a free wrapped cookie from each while you shop!
  • Winter Wonderland Window Displays! Vote for your favorite on First Friday & be entered to win prizes
  • Snowman & Winter Photo Ops in town
  • Enjoy art shows and after-hours holiday shopping & dining in Downtown Camas!

First Friday prizes are sponsored by the DCA and Bear Insurance to support our downtown merchants. 

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Feast @316 Opens Outdoor Seating Thursday After Major Investment

Camas, WA — As Tim McCusker, co-owner and Executive Chef of Feast @316 was hauling lumber into the protected cover of his restaurant today, he told Lacamas Magazine he and his team will begin their outdoor seating tonight beginning at 5 pm.

It’s been a long haul to get their outdoor seating set up — which has been approved by Clark County Public Health — given challenges of finding outdoor heating units, tents, and last week’s $2,600 theft of lumber that was purchased to create seating decks.

“It’s a big gamble,” said McCusker. “But, we had no choice. I’d also like to give a shout out to Shur-Way Building Center in Vancouver. When we learned about last week’s theft, I called them and told them our situation. They cut us a great deal.“

The downtown Camas steakhouse is known for its exquisite culinary achievements, guided by McCusker, an Iron Chef and his talented team.

When the current COVID restrictions went into place, the Feast team jumped into action and kept a positive attitude, but it’s cost them a lot financially. McCusker said the outdoor seating, which includes the high grade tents, two sets of decking, hardware, tables, chairs, and outdoor heating units cost $45,000, not including labor.

The gamble is that Governor Inslee could at any time shut down outdoor restaurant seating, a topic which came up during a local Restaurant Roundtable meeting today, which includes local business owners, as well as local and state officials.

Restaurant owners feel they’re taking the brunt of the restrictions without adequate data to back up the current restrictions. Schuyler Hoss, representing Inslee’s office, said the rising cases in Clark County justify the closures. When pressed by restaurant owners, Hoss said “the state doesn’t know definitively if (COVID) cases are coming from restaurants.”

But, Feast presses forward, encouraging takeout orders for lunch and dinner, and offering specials for Thanksgiving.

To order, call 360.210.7498 or go to www.camasfeast316.com

Feast
Feast @316 owner, Tim McCusker, unloads new lumber to replace what was stolen Thanksgiving weekend.
Feast
Outdoor seating in the tent.
Feast
The entrance to Feast @316.

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Questions and Answers With Educator Jamie Holmes, of A Creative Twist

Camas, WA — This is a question and answer session longtime educator, Jamie Holmes, owner of the new learning studio, A Creative Twist, which is located in downtown Camas.

What is A Creative Twist all about?

A Creative Twist is all about Common Sense in education.  It is a creative twist in today’s education style.  Students need hands-on experiences that focus on the building blocks of mathematics and BASIC FACTS so they can apply them in their lives and make meaning out of today’s jargon.  Common Core is full of analytical language that is hard for the common person to understand.  

At A Creative Twist we use many techniques, and we focus on basic foundational building blocks in mathematics, i.e., basic facts (add, subtract,multiply, divide)

What we do differently is:

  • We listen with our hearts to hear the struggles, we heal with caring opportunities.
  • We create success before going on.
  • We laugh, we enjoy, we relax into math and learn how to have fun with math. 
  • We look and listen for ideas that draw you in (perhaps MineCraft, rectangular arrays galore). 
  • We believe in you and create successful interactions.
  • We collaborate and create projects, games, and inquiry that engage BASIC FACTS.
  • We have similar style problems with a project or a set of manipulatives so the student can master BASIC FACTS. 
  • Interactive and engaging projects and games that build BASIC FACTS, so they can feel SUCCESS and apply it on a regular basis.
  • Explain with words and pictures, and manipulatives what the problem is asking.
  • How to decode the language to set up and understand the problem.
  • Draw conclusions, look for patterns, and convey knowledge in a safe collaborative environment.
  • We create, design, and have fun utilizing basic facts.
  • We use art, design, science, social studies, and writing — all that encompass BASIC FACTS.
  • We observe and listen and work with you to assess your learning style and your confidence (no fancy testing, no computerized results).

What age group is your primary focus?

Our target age range is 2nd through middle school.  The pandemic has set students up for teaching themselves through the virtual classroom. That is a tall order to ask anyone of any school age. They don’t know to teach themselves, they don’t understand how their brain accesses information with ease. Kids usually label themselves “dumb” when they don’t understand. Once a child has declared they are “dumb” or “can’t learn” because the system failed them, we all sufer and it takes YEARS to recover from that self doubting thought. Your brain starts to look for evidence to validate your self destructive belief. Self doubt is dangerous, especially at a young age.

What is your background as an educator?

I think out of the box, I understand the wounded math warrior, I have taught math for 30 years in Portland, I am “Highly Qualified in Math”, I have a sense of humor and laugh and have fun, I have high expectations that are attainable, I believe in the student’s ability to “Get it”, I get results, I have taught BRIDGES math curriculum and know what they are expecting of students and where the program is weak.  

I now work in downtown Camas, an I am open during COVID just like Kumon or Sylvan Learning Centers. Kids like me, but most of all I MAKE A DIFFERENCE in how your child will perceive themselves and learning.

To you, what is Common Core, and why do people react negatively when Common Core is mentioned?

Kids often don’t understand the language of the problem nor do they understand the format of math problems. It just dives deep and dives in too quickly, and continues whether the children understand the concept or not.  The kids who “don’t get it”  need someone (ME) or some place (HERE) to explain what the system is asking the student to do. 

Then the student needs to be exposed to that same style of experiences to grasp the concept so they can master it and apply in different situations.  The hardest part of the Common Core Problem Solving is it doesn’t focus on building a strong foundation of successful experiences before going further into the next set of ideas and concepts..  It skims the surface and then plunges deep, and continues whether the children understand the concept or not.   That said, students do not have the basic foundation to build their house of mathematics on, a strong foundation is a solid place to grow in any direction.

What is Project Based Learning?

Project Based Learning (PBL)uses a concept/idea that you can apply to a project.  This project can take various shapes and forms. Traditional school has replaced this style for standardized instruction.  

PBL is an inquiry lead approach wherein students ask questions about ideas or concepts and inquiry leads them to a project. At A Creative Twist we introduce the projects so that students can catch onto the idea of PBL. Sometimes the projects are 3D and sometimes they are field research. The projects that are done here are 3D.  

Students may create a replica of the subject they are studying, for instance, they are studying erosion. They can make miniature streams, deltas, rivers, gorges to demonstrate how the erosion takes place. They may make a salt dough map of Washington and have elevation of the Cascade range. This is where science comes alive and students are eager to read, write and learn.  The text leads them to their next creative thought and through collaboration ideas of projects are explored. This is the excitement that fuels education. 

For the reluctant reader, we read together for information, for the reluctant writer we write for an authentic reason or for a specific audience.  It is my dream to have this learning center as a showpiece for the downtown with demonstrations on First Friday or Parent night so the kids can present their ideas to a genuine audience that wants to see them excel in confidence, public speaking, and creativity.  We, as a society have to take education in a different direction and apply it in part of our social structure in order to give it contextual meaning.  It is up to the leaders, the adults of the communities to encourage these activities through social engagement. Often parents and the community are so busy they invest more face time in the screen of their phone rather than the faces of the children. We need to lead in a different way, they are following our examples.  So let the screen be a video of the children showcasing their work outside the traditional confluence of school.

Contact Information

Phone: 503.319.6498

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.acreativetwistcorp.com

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