Tag Archive for: Washougal

Washougal, WA — Remote learning has been a challenge to navigate for all students, teachers and administrator, but for two first-year teachers at Washougal High School, the challenge comes as they begin their careers in education.  

Jered Barker, WHS 9th and 10th Grade Algebra/Geometry teacher said his biggest challenge has been to build a relationship with students.

“Relationships are the key to any successful classroom and in the virtual world it has become increasingly difficult,” he said. “Students rarely have their cameras on, so I don’t even know what some of my students look like outside of one picture in their Skyward account. I love building relationships with my students so I have done the best I can with what they will give me.”

Elise Piet, WHS 9th Grade English and 10th Grade World History agrees. 

“It is difficult to get to know my students and their needs,” she said. “I have to help my Freshmen navigate high school and the demands of it, without them ever having set foot in the building.”

Both Barker and Piet use conversation starters in their ZOOM classrooms to help develop connections.

“I spend time every class talking with the students about their interests, things that have happened to them,” explained Piet. “The time I spend getting to know the students has paid off ten-fold as they are more likely to come to class, engage, and feel valued in my classroom.”

Barker starts his class with a silly question that has nothing to do with academics.

“The goal is to get the students talking to me and to each other,” he said. “This has built a sense of community in our classroom. I get to learn what they like and dislike and interesting facts about each student.”

Barker came prepared for the distance teaching having attended Western Governors University, which is a completely online University.

“All my classes were taught using a webcam with a teacher sometimes I never even saw,” he said. “All the work was left up to me to complete at my own leisure, so I know how the students are feeling because this type of learning involves a lot of self-motivation to get work done.”

Piet attended Washington State University Vancouver, and her program focused a great deal on restorative practices. 

“That relationship building aspect has helped me navigate classroom management and community and culture,” she explained.  “I also took a Technology in the Classroom course that has helped me navigate online learning, so I am able to better help my students when they have questions with tech.”

“For both of these educators; the first year of teaching is a scary and tumultuous time,” said Sheree Clark, WHS Principal. “The fact that they were not only willing but excited to start their first year of teaching during a pandemic, speaks to their dedication as educators.” 

Clark has heard feedback from both parents and students that Piet’s class is engaging and the students feel truly cared for.

“Elise also has a way of making history come alive and connect it to current world issues,” said Clark. “And Jered brings with him an energy that engages students yet challenges their math thinking skills. He has taken bold technical steps by using multiple platforms to help students engage during remote learning.  We are delighted Jared and Elise are both Panthers!”

Piet said she feels students are much kinder to not only their peers, but to themselves, which is a positive result of remote learning.

“They have really stepped up to the plate and are trying to help each other get through this,” she said. “Not just in my classroom, but district-wide students are volunteering, helping out, sending virtual hugs, and checking in with each other.”

An unexpected positive for Barker has been having more time at home with his newborn daughter. 

“It has been a blessing to get to work from home and see my daughter all day and help my wife out by changing diapers in between lessons,” he said. “It has not been easy or the first year that I expected but I am grateful to have a job and work with an amazing staff,” Barker admits. “I know going forward this will only make me a better teacher because I have learned new ways of teaching that I never would have thought of without the distance learning. I cannot wait to get into my classroom and see my students, some for the first time!”

Washougal
Jered Barker, WHS 9th and 10th Grade Algebra/Geometry teacher.

Washougal, WA – Washougal School District is making plans to reopen a two-day per week hybrid learning model in January.  Following Washington State Department of Health updated guidelines for school reopening released this week, the district will begin the phased implementation of its hybrid model, starting with students in grades K-3.  The hybrid model features both school and remote learning components.

“We are so excited to welcome additional students back in-person, we know how critical this is for student success,” said Mary Templeton, WSD Superintendent.  “We know this will be a huge support to our students and their families, and make so much more learning possible.”

These new state guidelines include new metrics, based on emerging research and data gathered by state and national officials, that will allow schools to have increased in-person learning opportunities for students.  

“We are working with our teachers and staff, public health officials, and other area school districts to review our safety protocols,” said Aaron Hansen, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Student Support, in a letter to parents and staff.  “We will get students into classrooms as quickly as we safely can within these new frameworks.”  School and class schedules will be posted as soon as they are available.

The WSD timeline calls for grades K-3 to begin the hybrid model starting Tuesday, January 19, 2021.  Grades 4 & 5 would begin the hybrid learning model starting shortly thereafter, as long as transmission in the school environment is limited.  Students are placed in small cohorts, or groups of 15 or fewer students per group.  They will be assigned their group alphabetically by their guardian’s last name. 

“We want our families to know they have a choice to come back to the classroom in the hybrid learning model, or to stay in distance learning,” said Templeton.  “Families can let the school office know if their student will remain in full-time distance learning, and teachers are provided time each week to support these students.”

According to state guidance, plans for middle and high school will be available once the spread of COVID in our community declines to levels specified in the updated reopening guidance (average cases per 100,000 over 14 days below 350 for middle school, below 200 for high school).  “In order to serve more students in our classrooms safely, all of us must wear masks, watch our distance, and wash our hands,” added Templeton. “Health officials studying the spread of COVID emphasize these simple, but critical steps the entire community can take to enable next steps in our reopening.” 

For more information visit the WSD website at:   http://www.washougal.k12.wa.us/covid-19-communications/

Washougal
www.champpizza.com

Washougal, WA — For the first time ever, Washington State and Oregon held Blood Donor Day on December 18 to commemorate the Amtrak 501 passenger train heading from Seattle to Portland that was tragically derailed on December 18, 2017, prompting immediate action by first responders to aid everyone aboard the train. Injured passengers were transported to local hospitals, and cared for with the blood donations made by our community. The care provided was only possible because our shelves were stocked, weeks prior, with enough blood.

“But our efforts to keep a health and safe blood supply doesn’t end there,” said Lauren Reagan, of Bloodworks. ”Bloodworks needs all donors to keep donating throughout the winter season to help our preparedness plan and be ready for anything. Donating blood is a simple act that can mean so much to those in need.”

Today’s special day is also preparation for January, which is National Blood Donor Month.

January is National Blood Donor Month, so what better time to make a donation and impact someone’s life? That “someone” could be a loved one or friend,” said Reagan. “It’s the time of year when local blood supplies are dipping due to high patient demand. Don’t wait until a person close to you needs blood, act now by giving at a Pop-Up Donor Center near you.

The next Pop-Up Donor Center will be held January 4 and 5 at the Black Pearl on the Columbia, which is located at 56 South 1st Street, Washougal, WA 98671. Hours are 8:30-2:30 pm each day.

Link to Book Appointment:  https://schedule.bloodworksnw.org/DonorPortal/GroupLanding.aspx?s=686b

Bloodworks Vancouver Donation Center: 9320 NE Vancouver Mall Blvd Ste. 100 Vancouver, WA 98662

All donations are by appointment only. The one hour donation appointment is a safe and essential action to support local hospitals and patients. The pop-up centers are being conducted in accordance with social distancing guidelines. No walk-ins, guests, or people under age 16 are permitted onsite. All donors are required to wear masks during their appointment. Bloodworks has posted information addressing questions and concerns for blood donors at bloodworksnw.org/coronavirus.

Blood
www.acreativetwistcorp.com

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

Washougal, WA — Lesson topics come to life for Hathaway Elementary fifth grade students of Sara Elmore and Sydney Croucher as ZOOM Classroom boxes on computer screens are filled with faces of students in costume each Friday.  

“We are trying to make learning more engaging and personally relevant to the students in fifth grade by incorporating activities intended to bring their learning alive,” explained Elmore. “We end each week with a themed Friday learning celebration. Students are encouraged to make props and/or dress representing topics they are learning about. They can even change their ZOOM backgrounds on Friday to fit the theme!”

The classes have had many different themes including patriotic, space, privateering/pirates and more. A zoo/circus theme was tied to their literature story “The One and Only Ivan.” Hathaway Music Specials teacher, Becky Miller, is also tying weekly themes into her music class with the students.

“We even had a remote field trip tied to our World History topics of privateering, trade routes, spice and slave trade, and their ships,” explained Elmore.  “We ZOOMed with Keith B. Raisch, a retired Coast Guard Captain of 30 years, and the students were taught about navigating with a sexton, sailing terms, and pirate folklore.”

Croucher said there are a lot of things she misses about teaching in the classroom. 

“With distance learning, my goal is to make sure we could still enjoy the experiences we loved so much in the classroom, but do it virtually,” she explained.  “For example, picture day! I miss getting all dressed up and getting to take home a keepsake class photo to remember the class by. To make this possible via ZOOM we made a virtual class photo together and kids each designed their own avatar. Then we dressed the virtual class photo up for Halloween, that was super fun.”

“We want these themes to make the week more exciting and interesting for the kids,” added Croucher. “Sara and I also relate our asynchronous work assignments (independent study) to the theme.”

“The students enjoy the bit of fun as well as the anticipation of celebrating their learning topics each Friday,” Elmore said.

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

Washougal, WA — City of Washougal continues to innovate to keep the holiday spirit alive with the creation of two new events to help families welcome the season. 

“We had to cancel our traditional Downtown Washougal Christmas Tree Lighting and Lighted Parade due to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings but felt it was still important to reach out to the community,” said Rose Jewell, event coordinator.  “Our two new special holiday celebrations have been designed to help our community enjoy safe, socially distanced connections and bring some joy at this time of uncertainty.”

The annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Reflection Plaza will be held virtually on Thursday, December 3 at 6 p.m.  The event will include duets performed by Mary Templeton, Washougal School District Superintendent and community member Rod London and will culminate with Santa, Washougal Mayor Molly Coston, and several other special guests pushing the big red button to power the 40-foot lighted tree at the Plaza.  The entire event will be available to watch via live stream on the City of Washougal Facebook page at facebook.com/WashougalGov

Then on Saturday, December 5 the City will hold the new “Ho Ho Holiday Drive-Thru at the Plaza” from 2-4pm on Pendleton Way between C and Main Streets.   

“Santa will be there in his sleigh to wave to families who will drive past,” explained Jewell.  “Then, city officials will be handing out safely prepared goodie bags for each child in the cars.  We can’t hold a big parade, but we hope having Santa available to say hello will create a special afternoon for our Washougal families.”

More details can be found at cityofwashougal.us/HoHoHoliday.

Washougal
www.champpizza.com


WASHOUGAL, WA — Software startup Mathaesthetics LLC has released MathPaint, its flagship software application, enabling anyone with a Mac to create amazing art generated by the power and beauty of mathematics.

MathPaint is built for graphic designers who have a need to create abstract, geometric, or fractal illustrations and visual textures. The new software title is also expected to appeal to experimental visual artists, hobbyists, and students.

MathPaint 1.0 is offered through Apple’s Mac App Store. The software’s sale price is $29.99. The App Store entry includes more information about the software, screenshots, and video previews: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mathpaint/id1476765339

The MathPaint home page on the Mathaesthetics website also features more information, screenshots, and a free 10-day demo version of the software:https://mathaesthetics.com/wp/mathpaint/

Connecting With a Virtual Art Community
Although MathPaint was only just released the app has already gained a following online on social media. MathPaint creator Christopher Corbell regularly posts images created with the program on Instagram and other channels. Digital art made with MathPaint has earned follows and “likes” from around the world.

“The images made with MathPaint have gained follows and likes from France, Brazil, Japan, Iran and other places around the world,” said Corbell. “At this time when we’re all isolated by the pandemic it’s really meaningful to see how art can connect us worldwide. There’s a virtual community around hashtags like #generative and #creativecode. Mathematical art has a kind of beauty, like music, which transcends cultures. Its visual forms reflect something in that’s in all of us, in our sense of harmony and our wonder at complexity. Anyone can appreciate these designs even if they don’t regularly do mathematics. That’s really what made me want to create MathPaint – it’s a program powered by math but it isn’t for doing math; it’s for making art. I think this kind of program might be really useful in education as well. It can give students a way to explore mathematics as a creative activity, motivated by wonder or playfulness.” 

Mathaesthetics
www.acreativetwistcorp.com

Introduction to MathPaint Video Tutorial
Mathaesthetics will be delivering MathPaint tutorials on its YouTube channel, accessible from within the application or in any web browser. The initial video tutorial is an introduction to the features of MathPaint, showing its variety of capabilities in action:
https://youtu.be/al-OtRTYxmI

About Mathaesthetics LLC

Founded in the summer of 2020, Mathaesthetics is a Washington limited-liability company based in Washougal. The company’s mission is to explore the intersection of technology and creativity with imaginative software products. Founder Christopher Corbell moved to Washougal in 2019 from nearby Portland. Corbell has worked as a software engineer since 2000 and has also participated in the Portland arts scene as a music composer, producer, and performer.

Mathaesthetics
An example of digital art.

Washougal, WA — The Association of Washington School Principals has named David Cooke, Principal of Jemtegaard Middle School, as the Washington State Secondary School Principal of the Year for 2020!  The Secondary School Principal of the Year award is given to individuals who set high standards for instruction, student achievement, and community involvement, as well as advocating for education. 

“I am honored to be the Principal of Jemtegaard Middle School,” said Cooke. “It is an incredible place to work. This award represents the culture and efforts of the staff and students who come here every day.”

AWSP leadership joined WSD leadership at a middle school staff meeting to make the announcement to Cooke and his staff.  Superintendent Mary Templeton announced the guests from AWSP, who proceeded to share accolades with Cooke. 

“Under David’s leadership, Jemtegaard Middle School has gone from a school that was failing to make progress under No Child Left Behind to one that has been State Recognized multiple times for academic performance increases and closing the achievement gap,” Templeton said. “Through this work, Washougal students are rising, and our district with them!  I could not be happier for David receiving this great recognition!  It is so well deserved.”

Cooke has fostered a culture of support for students and their families, focusing on equity, positive behavior expectations, high engagement, and the whole child.

“At every opportunity, David credits the teachers and staff at Jemtegaard for the school’s accomplishments,” said Kurt Hatch, AWSP Associate Director of Middle Level Leadership, adding “His staff has a willingness to challenge practices, remove barriers to success, and do what is right for students.”

“I could not be prouder of my staff,” said Cooke. “About six years ago, we knew that we needed to make changes to ensure that all students could be successful. It was not easy, but we persevered as a team to make difficult decisions, learn together, and build the best opportunities for all students. As a result, our students have experienced significant growth. We have been supported along the way by so many including our fellow Washougal teachers, staff, District Office and an amazing Washougal community.”

Cooke has overseen implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention Support system at Jemtegaard, featuring common classroom expectations, quick support responses, and a focus on ensuring that students who need help are guided through restorative practices and back in the classroom as quickly as possible.  This has led to a dramatic reduction in missed instructional time, and fewer discipline referrals for students. 

“David exemplifies the best of the best in school leaders in his relentless pursuit of bringing adults together in a common purpose and mission. Their focus on equity, student achievement, and intentional impact on each and every child is what brought his nomination to the top,” said Scott Seaman, AWSP Executive Director. “Leading educational change that is student-centered takes an entire school community and David’s leadership has fostered that ongoing culture.”

“Our students are caring, hardworking and resilient,” Cooke said. “They support each other in their academic, social, and emotional growth.”

The Spanish Speaking Family Night initiative was started by Cooke in response to feedback from second language speaking families, who wanted to connect with the school and learn how they could be part of their students’ learning.  Cooke worked with community leaders and Spanish speaking staff and translators to build relationships with students and their families, identifying resource gaps, communication barriers, and providing support and resources that ensure families and students have what they need to succeed. 

Washougal WA — A student’s classroom can be almost anywhere during this time of remote learning.  For second grade students Marina Guevara, Julie Taie and Lisa Haskin at Gause Elementary, their field science assignment took them out into the world to look for and study signs of erosion.

“We began the year by thinking about what it looks like to be a scientist,” said Guevara.  “We felt that this unit provided good opportunities to ‘unplug’ and have students apply what they are learning.” 

Once they received permission to go outdoors, students were challenged to collect and examine rocks and take a photo or draw a picture of a nearby body of water to identify possible signs of erosion. 

The lesson included looking closely at phenomena happening at a beach in Northcove, WA, nicknamed “Washaway Beach” due to erosion.

“We are continuing to read to learn more about rivers, rocks, beaches, and oceans to help us understand what is happening and possible solutions once we do understand,” said Taie.

According to Guevara, taking this time away from the computer screen gives students a needed change of pace.

“We could see students, and even families, excited and engaged in this project,” she said.  “I think it’s powerful that they found these examples on their own. It is also exciting that this current distance learning situation allows us to collect a variety of responses and data to study.”

“If examples were provided in the classroom or in a group, all the students would see the same thing,” said Haskin. “This way we have different sets of eyes and ears finding evidence of erosion in a variety of places and making observations to share with the class.”

One of the biggest challenges with distance learning for all teachers is fostering connections.

“Creating relationships comes first for me,” said Guevara. “I want my students to know I am there for them and that I care about them.  Being behind a screen is a whole different ball game. Connections can be difficult to foster via technology.” 

But projects like this provide for moments of connection as they show their learning and share what they have seen. Students were connecting with the shared photos saying things like, “I know that place! I’ve been there!” 

“The pictures submitted by students not only provide different data points but also included some special moments shared by families exploring together,” said Guevara. “We were lucky that we had some nice sunny days to work with too!”   

Guevara says she sees evidence of resilience in her class of seven and eight-year-olds every day. 

“The end of last school year and the beginning of this one has been filled with challenges and growing pains,” she admits. “But I feel like we are really getting the hang of it. We have found a rhythm. Part of our learning mantra this year is ‘I’m here to grow every day,’ and I see our students embody that in how they approach their learning, how they communicate with me and with peers, and even how they advocate for themselves through technology.”

“Learning and communicating through screens can be daunting but we are still interacting with our students and they are showing a keen desire to learn despite the challenges,” Guevara said.  “We are so proud of them.”

Students
Having a fun day.

Washougal, WA — Washougal High School Associated Student Body leaders are putting 21st Century Skills to use as they work to reimagine their role to unite and inspire classmates. Gone are the tried and true pep assemblies, spirit activities, work parties and school events.  

Ethan Mills, WHS ASB President, said it is a challenge for ASB to do their job to help students feel spirit and unite a school community when everyone is learning remotely.  “We have been isolated for a long time,” he said. “For me, I’m definitely more of an in-person leader and it’s hard to feed off the energy of others when you are just on camera. I’ve learned that you just have to put yourself out there and do your best no matter what the situation is.”

According to WHS ASB Advisor, Kyla Ritchey, there were many discussions on how to shift the group’s thinking for this school year.  “Before the school year started the class met to discuss what we should do and how they are going to best serve their students’ needs as well as the Washougal Community,” she said. “What impressed me about the students was their honesty.  They had no idea where to start but felt the need to help. It was from this conversation that the idea of multiple surveys throughout the year would be the best way to gauge the needs of the WHS students.”

The first survey was given out before school started and ASB is using this data to drive the work that is being done.  “The surveys collected different points of views from the student body,” said ASB Senior Senator, Briahna Ruth.  “It was important to us to try and hear from as many students as possible since we are all learning remotely.”  

“A possible benefit to this situation is that, I believe, we are understanding more of our student body’s needs and their expectation,” added Mills. “Through our survey there are more voices being heard.”

WHS ASB students recently split into three project groups that were determined from the collected data. Each group is assigned a specific area of concern that came up frequently in the survey.  They are social opportunities, communication, and resources.  With the help from partner organization, Unite! Washougal Coalition, a “mantra” was created for students to consider as they work on creating their projects.  It is to “connect, grow, and be well.”

“Students will need to be able to explain how each project will help WHS students and staff feel connected, grow as an individual, and continue to be well whether that is mentally or physically,” Ritchey said. “While projects have not been determined yet, there are a lot of great ideas being thrown around right now.” 

Washougal
www.electannrivers.com

A major challenge for the group is getting to know one another and working together in this time of social distancing and remote learning. “Typically, they would see each other every day during class and multiple times over the weekend when working on events,” Ritchey said. “If they had a question, they could find each other at lunch or before school to get the answers. Currently, they only see each other twice a week during Zoom meetings. We are still working on community building and feeling comfortable working together.” 

Students are also being challenged to think outside of the box.  “These kids have great ideas,” said Ritchey.  “Some of the ideas though we just aren’t able to do for a multitude of reasons. Instead of giving up on the idea, I have encouraged them to think outside of the box to make some changes to the idea that would make it work. It may not be the exact picture they had in their heads but at the end of the day, it will accomplish their overall goal.”

“Our role as ASB, especially for the younger grades, is to help them keep in mind that they will be getting back to class,” explained Ruth.  “There are still good things to look forward to.”  For instance, the group is working on ways to celebrate virtual spirit weeks, development of a kindness week, exploring socially distanced events when it is safe to do so and plans to reimagine the annual Stuff the Bus food drive.  

The biggest challenge for Ritchey as their advisor is to keep the students motivated. “A lot of them feel overwhelmed and hopeless, this was not the year they had pictured,” she admits.  “I try to keep it positive during class, encourage them, and let them know that even though it may not look the same, we can still create some new experiences and traditions.” 

Overall, the WHS ASB students have shown resilience time and time again.  “Whether it be the laughs we share instead of showing frustration in the situation, or finding common ground when disagreeing on a topic,” said Ritchey. “These kids are really great and impress me more and more every time we meet. Being a student leader during this time is more of a challenge than ever before, but I couldn’t pick a better group of students to work with.”

“This is definitely a challenging year, and everything is harder to get done since we are not all together in person,” said Mills.  “I am learning a lot about leadership and resilience that should help us all prepare for our futures.”