Washougal, WA — Washougal students from Jemtegaard and Canyon Creek Middle Schools are the newest contributors to the surge of public art in Washougal. On October 12, a crisp, sunny Saturday morning, more than 25 student artists from the Club 8 after-school program met to create a patchwork Chinook salmon mural on a public retaining wall at the corner of “D” and Durgan Streets downtown.
The creative mural work began weeks ahead when Club 8 students, lead by JMS art teacher, Dani Allen, met with local muralist Travis London to come up with their individual designs for the piece. Allen was the driving force behind the project that has been envisioned for several years.
“This was a great example at the partnerships that take place in Washougal to support art,” said Allen. “City of Washougal supplied the location and cleaned and primed the wall. Washougal Schools Foundation provided a grant for the paint and a consulting fee for Travis. Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance worked to bring these relationships together and Washougal School District supports the middle school Club 8 after-school program.”
“It’s great working with middle school students,” said London. “They enjoyed learning the process of mural creation. I met with them just once and gave them tips and direction on how to take these designs from paper to a wall. They did great!”
London conceived of the Chinook salmon design to serve as a template because of how the fish represents the Washougal area.
According to Allen, the message around the mural was to celebrate diversity and individuality.
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“Students took inspiration from the theme that being different is ok and differences should be celebrated,” she said. “They wanted the images to be positive and inspirational. The students took their design and this project very seriously. Just look at how many kids came out early on a Saturday to be a part of it.”
“I love painting and love making our world a better place,” explained Aubrey Kleiva, JMS 6th grade student. “It is cool because I can make people smile through art.” Her section of the mural included a quote to offer encouragement. Her words are; “Life can be a rough current but just keep swimming through it.”
Allen and her Club 8 art students were also responsible for creating a mural on the baseball shed at Lower Hathaway Park ball field in 2018 and are already looking at locations for their next public art project.
Washougal, WA — The City of Washougal is inviting local families to the annual Downtown Washougal Pumpkin Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 26 from noon to 3 p.m. at Reflection Plaza. Everyone is encouraged to come in their Halloween costume. The event will take place rain or shine and is presented by City of Washougal.
Nearly 1,000 free pumpkins will be available for children thanks to generous donations from Columbia River Realty, Dental Excellence and support from City of Washougal. A straw hay maze will be created for kids to walk through to select their special pumpkin. Pumpkins are limited to one per child, while supplies last. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
“The Washougal community really enjoys our family fun events such as The Pumpkin Harvest Festival,” said Rose Jewell, event organizer and City of Washougal Assistant to the City Manager. “It continues to grow with more sponsors and partners and each year we add new fun activities!”
The event will feature carnival games with candy and toy prizes, balloon animal makers sponsored by IQ Credit Union, apples donated by Washougal Family Dental, popcorn from the Washougal Fire Department, safety treat bags from Washougal Police Department, a selfie station and more. Other sponsors include Rivertalk Weekly and Washougal Business Association.
Washougal, WA – Columbia River Gorge Elementary first graders are getting a helping hand from Jemtegaard Middle School students to practice problem solving and engineering skills as they explore how the human hand works.
“We are currently studying the whole human body which includes the skeletal and muscular systems,” said Allison McGranahan, CRGE first grade teacher. “Using paper hands along with string, straws and tape to represent muscles, bones and tendons, older students helped the younger students examine how these systems work together to make a hand move.”
Last year, McGranahan and fellow first grade teacher, Sydney Termini, were looking for projects to support this learning and were drawn to the engineering component of this lesson.
“This work required a bit of one-on-one help, so we approached the middle school and they agreed to assist us,” McGranahan said.
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This year JMS science teacher, Greg Lewis, recruited his Robotics class to lend a hand.
The project work was completed over two days, September 27 and 30. “Some of our first graders were a bit overwhelmed the first day with so many instructions and materials,” said McGranahan. “But having a buddy beside them to ask questions and give advice made all the difference.”
“We are always looking for additional opportunities for middle school students to explore engineering experiences and to practice leadership and teamwork,” said Lewis. “This project challenges our students and helps them to get outside of themselves and engaged with younger students.”
“It is exciting to see these first graders looking deeper into the study of a body part,” said Termini. “The involvement of middle school students made it wonderful for our students to hear from someone other than a teacher on a project. This has been good for them to be able to talk through design issues and get attention from middle school students. It’s very fun!”
“We are also seeing energy and focus on this work from some students who might usually be reluctant to participate in projects,” McGranahan said. Lewis commented that he too saw the same benefit with excellent participation from several of his middle school students who do not always get involved.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/07075357/1D1091EB-861D-4A9D-BBF3-62808188A8D0.jpeg8011525Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-10-08 19:17:592019-10-08 19:18:05Washougal Schools: Using Human Hand to Practice Problem Solving + Engineering Skills
The City of Washougal is inviting the community to celebrate the city’s history and its newest piece of public art with the official unveiling of the White Wing Mural in honor of Betsey Ough, Wednesday, October 9 at 4 pm. The ceremony will take place in front of the piece, located outside the Washougal Library at 1661 C Street, Washougal. A reception will follow in the Washougal Community Center next door.
“If you are familiar with Washougal’s history, you know that Betsey White Wing Ough, a Cascades Tribe princess, along with her husband Richard Ough, founded our great city,” said Jim Cooper, Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance board president. “For her role, Betsey is lovingly referred to by many as the ‘Mother of Washougal.’ The theme of the mural is Richard Ough courting Betsey White Wing Ough.”
WACA spearheaded the effort and lead fund raising for the work.
Mural artist Toma Villa is an internationally renowned Native American artist. He will attend the dedication and share his thoughts about White Wing and how he developed the 8’-11” x 25’ scene. “Through my extensive research on Betsey Ough (White Wing) of the Washougal people, I found her story inspiring on a personal level,” he said. “What it shows is how love can change one’s life and what can be created from it.”
Inspiration came in part from a quote describing Richard Ough’s feelings for the young princess. “…he thought he could see White Wing in the clouds and in the forest and in his dreams. He said, “Come pretty bird and fly with me, for I am lonely, and my nest is empty.”
For the mural, Villa chose to feature the egret bird to represent White Wing for its beauty and grace. “I used seven of them for that is a significant number in Columbia River longhouses,” he explained. “They are facing East; of the way the wind blows on the river. The baskets are from the Two Rivers Heritage Museum and are part of a greater collection in Washougal, accenting the mural representative of White Wing as a weaver same as her grandmother.”
The unveiling and dedication ceremony program will begin with a Washaat Prayer by Members of the Yakima Nation, White Swan Longhouse in the tradition of their native heritage. In addition to Villa, speakers will include Washougal Mayor, Molly Coston speaking about how influential White Wing was as a woman and native landowner in early Clark County.
Former Washougal City Council member, Joyce Lindsay, will also speak on the impact and attention drawn to Native American cultures by efforts such as the Confluence and the inspiration that led WACA to work with the artist that would memorialize Princess White Wing in this colorful mural.
Another speaker will be Elder Johnnie Lee Wyman, who will represent the Yakima Nation and is a Great Great Grandson of Richard and Betsey Ough through their son, Benjamin Ough. Wyman will speak on behalf of his family about the significance of this gift in honor of White Wing and how it impacts her future generations.
Attendees of the ceremony are invited to meet and greet the Ough family descendants, artist Toma Villa, city leaders, and the WACA board at the reception following in the Washougal Community Center – 1681 C Street. Additional historic information will be provided at the reception by the Two Rivers Heritage Museum.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/07075402/0A463597-A184-48D8-86C6-92ECDC58634E-scaled.jpeg9352560Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-10-08 18:48:542019-10-08 18:49:04Official Unveiling of the White Wing Mural in Honor of Betsey Ough
Washougal High School Advanced Culinary students were put to the test on September 26 when they created and served a special lunch entrée for students and faculty.
In addition to preparing ingredients and cooking the meal, students were asked to market the lunch special using posters, Instagram, announcements, and Twitter.
“This was the first time for many of the students to participate in this type of activity,” said Brenda Hitchins, WHS Culinary Arts teacher. “They applied organizational skills, teamwork, sanitation, time management, cooking methods, presentation, and making sure everything was cleaned up at the end.”
The lunch offer was “Pasta Pronto” and featured penne pasta with either marinara or alfredo sauces and a choice of other delicious additions such as red onions, sliced olives, fresh spinach, and sausage.
“Culinary students sautés the ingredients, toss in penne pasta, and finish with their choice of sauce,” Hitchins said. “It takes teamwork and coordination as they pass the pan down the line for each step. The dish is finished and placed in paper boat and topped with a whole wheat breadstick. Students can add parmesan cheese and chili pepper flakes if they choose.”
Regular school lunch pricing applied.
“Lunch numbers have been low, so we partnered with Mark Jasper of Sodexo to put on this event,” said Hitchins. “We had a goal to serve more than 230 lunches and we brought the number up to 208.”
“This lunch project was a great opportunity for students to apply what they are learning in class to a real-world situation,” said Margaret Rice, WSD Career and Technical Education Director. “The experience gave them the chance to serve peers, practice what they know and assess how it went so they can improve upon their skills. We hope this is the first of many opportunities like this.”
Students were required to first complete “Introduction to Culinary” and “Baking and Pastry” classes to enroll in “Advanced Culinary I and II”.
“Our biggest challenge is setting up the stations and get the food ready before the event,” Hitchins said. “Students are giving up their lunch time to participate in these school lunches as well as their part of their fourth period class to help breakdown and clean.”
Hitchins believes participation in these type of events builds student self-esteem and confidence.
“Our goal this year is to teach them how to quantify what skills they have so they are able to present this information on different platforms such as a resume, job interview, and volunteer service,” she said. “Some students struggle to be at school. My goal for this class is not only that they are learning a life skill, but they are finding a reason to want to come to school and participate.”
Moving forward, students will work more with Jasper and Sodexo in creating other lunch offerings. They will forecast ingredients needed, do complete station set up, food prepping and all while meeting the school lunch program standards.
“Students will run the event and learn about planning, how to make sure they are prepared, delegating duties to others, and reflecting on the event so they think about their learning and assess their performance objectives to see how they have grown,” said Hitchins.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/07075421/0995EF21-5601-4BB6-BBD8-3C64FDFBFCFF-e1570139891241.jpeg7742025Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-10-03 15:00:022019-10-03 15:00:12Washougal High School Advanced Culinary Students Serve Up Lunch
Washougal WA — The Camas-Washougal Historical Society was presented a check for $5,000 from The Honorable Frank L. and Arlene J. Price Foundation on Tuesday, September 3 at the Two Rivers Heritage Museum.
CWHS board members looked on as Kay Dalke-Sheadel, Price Foundation Executive Director presented the funds to CWHS president, Jim Cobb. The grant is the second received by CWHS by The Price Foundation and is earmarked for the Gathering Place at Washuxwal project, a Native American-inspired longhouse replica to be located on the south side of the museum.
“The building’s foundation is poured, cedar logs delivered, and we will begin structural construction soon,” said Cobb. “We know this outdoor pavilion will provide a beautiful, new venue at our museum to tell important stories of our area. We are honored that The Price Foundation accepted our grant proposal and is helping to make our vision a reality.”
The Price Foundation was created to provide funding for education, health and historical preservation projects in Clark and Cowlitz Counties. “It is exciting for me to see this money at work locally,” said Dalke-Sheadel. “Our giving supports education and historic preservation and you will be doing both with this grant!”
The CWHS launched its Gathering Place capital fund raising campaign in fall of 2017. So far, there has been more than $200,000 raised in in-kind gifts, grants and donations. Fund raising continues for the final stages of the project that include Native American carvings and artwork to adorn the pavilion, educational signage and landscaping.
Kay Dalke-Sheadel and Jim Cobb at the site.
“We are so grateful to the Price Foundation, our members and the community for their continuing support to help this project come to life,” Cobb said.
The Gathering Place is expected to help attract tourists, educational field trips and history lovers to the Two Rivers Heritage Museum and the community. “We look forward to increasing our ability to share stories of our earliest history,” Cobb said.
Find more information on The Gathering Place at Washuxwal visit www.2rhm.com. Donations can be made online. CWHS mission is to research, collect, preserve, and make available the rich history of Camas and Washougal, WA for the public. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. CWHS is a registered tax-exempt organization, Tax ID #91-1181503.
The Two Rivers Heritage Museum is located at 1 Durgan Street in Washougal and open March through October. Regular hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission costs are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for students and free for children under 5 and all CWHS members. Group tours are available any day of the week (by appointment only). Call Lois Cobb 360-835-5449 for scheduling.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/07075648/028FB44F-0DB2-44E4-9EF3-253C8E400384.jpeg9651780Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-09-10 18:52:362019-09-10 18:52:45Camas-Washougal Historical Society Receives Grant From Price Foundation
When Washougal dentist and ultra runner, Dave Stinchfield, decided he’d tackle a 200-mile race, he wasn’t totally sure he could do it. But, when he embarked on this remarkable journey that began August 9, deep in the Cascade Mountains, he realized all his preparation running 50K and 100-mile races paid off.
“I was really excited building up to it, I was really excited about the whole thing, but I thought could I actually do this 200-miler? Actually I thought there’s a 50/50 chance, so I was wondering where my weak point was going to be,” said Dave, about a week after the race ended. “There was actually no part of the race where I thought I needed to quit.”
Aided by his wife, Adina; daughter, Morgan; brother, Tom; and a team of pacers and supporters, Dave completed the Bigfoot 200 race in 85 hours, 10 minutes, crossing the finish line at 10:30 pm on August 12.
Making the race successful is a delicate balance of mental stamina, focus, support, proper nutrition, hydration and foot care.
Dave walks us through the adventures of each day.
Day One
“The first part of the race is the Mount St. Helens blast zone, it was like running on the moon, and then going into Coldwater Creek I heard the thunder in the distance,” said Dave. “I was going to get two to three hours of sleep and it was just dumping and the rain was so loud I couldn’t sleep. My next leg was 19 miles that went up 5,000 feet. That’s what I had ahead of me and there was lightning and thunder and I put on all my rain gear and it took me seven hours to get through that section, and it took me on mountain ranges and cliffs. I passed a lot of people who were getting really discouraged. That was the first night.”
The 160+ ultra runners were supported by aid stations (10-15 miles apart) and sleep stations that are dispersed throughout the race. The runners let support staff know they’re ready for sleep, or if they have a vehicle they use those, but you’re not allowed to leave the area. Dave used a roof top tent on his truck, which Adina drove.
Dave along the trail.
Nutrition
Dave fueled up on breakfast burritos, guacamole, veggie hamburgers, and protein gels eaten along the way. Ultra runners need lots of salt and carbs.
“You need salt because it gets depleted and it makes you tank and you lose your appetite so I was taking salt tabs,” said Dave. “I sweat salt. I drank a lot of water and a lot of electrolytes. I use Tailwind, which is an electrolyte, and it keeps you balanced. I figured I burned about 25,000 calories during the race! I wasn’t able to replace all of that with food. I lost weight. I usually lose 5-10 pounds on these type of races. And, when I was done I really wanted pizza.”
Day Two
On day two, the storm cleared out and Dave was joined by a pacer named Wes, from Sunnyvale, California, who ran three legs with him, which lasted the whole day and into the next night — a total of 50 miles.
“A lot of the trails were deep rutted and shaped like a V from water run off or motorcycles and there were angled surfaces,” said Dave. “That was the whole 50-mile climbing stretch. He stayed with me until Lewis River camp ground aid station where I got three hours of rest. You have to balance how much you sleep with how far you’re getting behind. I had four time goals set, and I finished only three hours off my awesome goal. I had a really good pace going. I’m typically in top third group and I wanted to stay there in that top third.”
Foot Care
Experienced runners know when you start getting hot spots on your feet that’s where blisters form and you have to take care of it.
“I changed shoes five to six times, and most of the time I’d get wet pretty quick,” he said. “If you run on soaking wet feet it will create worse blisters. After 100 miles I had blisters that hurt with every step. I learned to endure the pain in my feet, but my joints and muscles didn’t hurt too much.”
Dave and Adina have been married for 26 years.
Day Three
On day three, Dave was joined by his brother, Tom Stinchfield, who ran two legs with his older brother.
“We left there with a river crossing and we went through this thick wet, overgrown trail area that was soaking wet,” said Dave. “I had a bunch of climbing with Tom, and he stayed with me for 25-30 miles. So he got me to the next aid station in the late afternoon and then he dropped off and I got my feet taped off again. A group called Dirtbag Medic was there and they examined everyone’s feet, so I felt like I covered a lot of ground and realized I had 60 miles left. I felt good, my pace was good, my joints and muscles felt really good.”
“So I left that aid station alone and it had four river crossings, one of which had a five-mile relentless climb, and once I got to the top of that it was nighttime. It was 1 or 2 am on Monday and I slept for three hours.”
Dave told Adina he just wanted to wake up at a particular time, and once he laid down flat, he was gone.
“I took my socks off to air out my feet,” he said. “I had a pair of running shoes once size larger because the feet swell up. To prevent foot damage you go to a bigger pair of shoes. Julie, works with Adina, joined me there, and she ran two or three legs with me. That was beautiful, and we went up these areas with gorgeous views of Mt. Rainier and Mount St. Helens and Mt. Adams. We came across a runner who was passing a kidney stone on this ridge out of reach of anybody. He wasn’t able to move anymore. He ended up having the Air National Guard airlifting him out from a ridge up 4,500 feet.”
On these long races, Dave said you have to watch your urine output as you can be totally dehydrated. Urinating regularly is sign you’re properly hydrated. Runners take dirt naps or short breaks at the aid stations, but they’re focused on constantly moving.
Day Four
During one of the updates, Adina reported “Just a marathon left.”
Dave said there were a couple times in the last quarter of the race where nothing would hurt.
“I didn’t feel tired at all, my feet didn’t hurt, it was almost this euphoria,” he said. “I could just take off running way faster than I was going. It was really a runner’s high. I felt I was able to do it with a decent time. Everything feels good, and you just take off running. I did my last leg with Morgan and then she jumped on with a half-marathon to the finish and at that point that was mile 193 and ran into 206.5, which was a nice sunset. I came in around 10:30 pm. The finish line was at White River High School in Randall, WA. You finish on the track right there.”
Pacers helped along the way.
Lessons Learned
“I learned that with every increase of distance and endurance I was always wondering am I capable of doing that? I learned that it was possible. We’re all going through struggles and I learned I had to take it one chunk at a time. I took it into small little chunks. I think I just got to get to that aid station. I learned I can actually do it. I’m so grateful for Adina and all they pacers that got me through it. That middle section is really tough.”
Would he do it agin?
“Yes, I would do it again. I’m gonna do it again next year.”
There were 160+ runners that started, and 55 dropped the race. Dave was number 35. There were 70 runners that came after him.
“After the race, we went and got some pizza then we went back to the hotel, I took a shower and I went to bed and slept for eight hours. Then I went back to the track in Randall and kept my feet elevated while I watched the runners finish. There were people from all over the world. I made some really good friends and saw people that really struggled and overcame it. I stayed there until 6 pm when the last runner came in.”
He said his feet really hurt for the next four to five days, and a couple of toes are numb.
He uses a couple brands of shoes: Altra and an Italian brand called Los Portiva.
“I think I need different brands to keep my feet guessing. I use Ultimate Direction for gear. I go through two to three pair of shoes at once and they last four to five months.”
“Ultra running is catching on. There’s a slogan that says 200 is the new 100. There are lot of ultra runners out there and the Pacific Northwest is the best place to run with all our trails and varying terrain. People come from all over the world to run here.”
Ultrasignup.com is where you go to sign up for these races, and search for Bigfoot 200 to learn more about this particular race.
Washougal, WA — Incoming Washougal High School freshmen, the class of 2023, were welcomed at a special, “We will graduate!” rally event on Monday, August 26. After learning the school cheer and meeting class advisers, school leadership and counselors, each student was invited to sign a banner, pledging their commitment to graduate high school.
“We want the Class of 2023 to be the first class to have a 100 percent on-time graduation and leave a legacy for other classes to follow,” WHS principal, Sheree Clark (this is her freshman year as WHS principal) told students and parents seated on gym bleachers. “Every thing you do at school the next four years will matter for you to reach the goal of graduating on time,” said Clark. “The good news is you are not alone. You have your friends, parents and a whole team of people at WHS to help you get through!”
The idea for the Freshman graduation commitment signing came from the Panthers Rising event held last spring that featured all graduating seniors who had made commitments for their post-high school education, including four and two-year colleges, apprentices, military and trade schools. They want students to be fully aware of all the options available to them post-graduation.
“We are challenging all of our WHS students to rise,” Clark said.
After students signed the banner, WHS staff present also signed their commitment to help students reach this goal. Today is the first day of the new school year at WHS and all through the school district. #EyeOfThePanther
Lacamas Magazine will be covering events throughout the school year, including several community outreach programs that are being planned.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/07075859/77699F38-569D-41C3-B0A4-3C3E92E38A42.jpeg11632395Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-08-27 13:02:072019-08-27 13:02:14Washougal High School Kicks Off New School Year w/ Special Freshmen Rally
Washougal, WA — Washougal High School is introducing a new Advanced Placement (AP) course titled Computer Science Principles this year, bringing the total number of AP courses to 13. AP courses offer a rigorous, collegiate level curriculum that prepares students to succeed in college and other educational and training programs after graduation.
The Computer Science Principles course will feature volunteer instructors through the Microsoft Philanthropies TEALS program, bringing subject matter experience and opportunities for students to learn alongside industry professionals. In addition to computer science, students at WHS can take AP courses in subjects like art, calculus, biology, chemistry, English, music theory, physics, psychology, Spanish, and history. Students who complete the course can register for the AP exam in May, and students who perform well on the exam can earn college credit, providing an opportunity to skip introductory coursework when they enroll in college.
“We are excited about adding a new AP course subject for the 2019-20 school year,” said Aaron Hansen, WSD Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Student Services. “Last spring we were intentional with our message to students that we wanted all of our students to challenge themselves academically. Our AP enrollment reflects the good work our counselors did as we have many more students enrolled in AP courses this coming school year.”
According to Hansen, students who take AP courses learn valuable college-level study skills that will benefit them in all their high school classes and beyond. One of the benefits of taking an AP class is the exposure to the level of thinking, rigor and academics that Washougal students will experience in college, not to mention earning college level credit. “We are planning to continue to add more AP offerings at WHS as well as continuing to encourage all students to stretch themselves,” he said. “The work our students are doing now is preparing them to compete in the global economy and be able to effectively participate in a rapidly changing world.”
“Some families or students may believe that AP offerings are only available to students who ‘already get it’ or who already have all of the skill sets necessary to be successful in an AP course,” said Sheree Clark, WHS Principal. “This in fact is not the case at all. While our AP courses are rigorous, there is a high level of support within a small classroom setting that will coach and teach our students the skills necessary to be successful in these programs.”
Additionally, Clark points out that some believe AP courses are only for students on a 4-year college track. “While having AP courses on a students’ transcript for 4-year colleges can significantly increase a student’s chance for acceptance, these courses also provide essential 21st Century Skills needed for other post-secondary programs including apprenticeships, vocational programs and other career focused programs,” she said. “Many of these post-secondary programs and careers are seeking out candidates who are willing to take risks, work hard and challenge themselves.”
WHS students can also earn college credit while studying at WHS by taking College in the High School coursework in pre-Calculus, Calculus, and Spanish through a partnership with Central Washington University, and many additional courses through Dual Credit courses with Clark College and Mt. Hood Community College.
Helping students be prepared and be able to contribute to their community through career and college opportunities is a pillar of the new WSD Strategic Plan. These AP options prepare students academically to succeed in college and build job readiness skills to expand career opportunities. Students and families interested in learning more about Advanced Placement, Dual Credit, or College in the Classroom coursework can contact their school counselor. More information can also be found at http://www.washougal.k12.wa.us/whs/dual-credit-classes/
“At Washougal High School we believe that students should have every opportunity and access to rigorous courses, we want to see more of our students challenge and stretch their thinking beyond what is easy; if you take on the challenge, we will provide the high level of support,” Clark said.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/07075916/997B65BD-E655-4CEC-B669-12AF9C287C64-scaled.jpeg10822560Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-08-21 19:37:492019-08-21 19:37:58Washougal High School Adds Computer Science Advancement Placement Class
Washougal, WA — A parking and circulation project was completed over the summer at Gause Elementary to enhance student and staff safety while increasing parking capacity. These improvements were one of the final projects to be completed using funding by the voter approved 2015 capital facilities bond.
The Gause Elementary Circulation Project added a drive lane in front of the school with a pull-out lane that allows families to drop students off in the driveway rather than on the street. This will reduce congestion along 34th Street during peak pick up and drop off times.
In addition, the north parking lot was expanded to accommodate additional vehicles, and to create a loop for cars to more easily enter and exit without drivers needing to do a 3-point turn at the end of the lot. The parking area includes crosswalks for pedestrians to increase safety and trees to make the area cooler in the warmer months.
“Gause Elementary is excited to start the school year with a major redesign of the front of the school for safer and more efficient student pick up and drop off,” said Tami Culp, Gause Principal. “We are also grateful for the extended north parking lot to provide more adequate parking for our families and community for the school day and events.
“Student safety is a priority in the Washougal School District and these renovations align with the improvements needed to ensure the safety of our students,” said Culp. “We wish to thank the Washougal community for the dollars provided by the Bond for these features to Gause. I would like to invite the community out to Gause to see the investment they have made in our school!”
The Gause project was approved by the WSD Board in January 2018. It was paid for with excess funding resulting from excellent fiscal management of the 2015 $57 million capital bond. This project had been identified as a needed safety improvement during the 2014 Long Range Capital Facility Planning process.
The original bond funded safety and security remodel and upgrades at all schools, a new 550-student Columbia River Gorge Elementary (CRGE) and new 600-student Jemtegaard Middle School (JMS), a new Excelsior Building at Washougal High School, roof and HVAC improvements at Gause and Hathaway Elementary and building a new, modern transportation facility.
The other additional projects funded with excess bond funds were: construction of covered play areas for Gause and Hathaway Elementary Schools; construction of a dry storage building for athletic equipment at Canyon Creek Middle School; and improvements and upgrades to the Fishback Stadium (including replacing existing restrooms with ADA accessible facilities, relocating the concessions area, additional dry and secure equipment storage, replacing wood plank seating with aluminum seats, and installing new visitor side bleachers) all finished during the 2018-19 school year.
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