WHS Senior Project Aims to Warm Hearts

Washougal High School senior Cheyenne Dady is definitely warming hearts as well as warming those in need through her senior project.  Cady's Warming Hearts campaign has collected several hundred new and gently used hats, scarves, coats and mittens to be distributed to the homeless.

Dady set out donation boxes at area businesses and has been overwhelmed by the amount of giving from the community and the impact she is feeling.  “At first, it was more about getting a good grade,” she said. “But now the best part is being able to hand out the coats personally and meet who I’m helping.”

She will continue to collect items through Saturday, Dec. 22.  She has also established a Warming Hearts account at Riverview Bank for donations. This is just another example of the great community service that many Washougal High School seniors undertake as a part of their Senior Project.

Cheyenne's project was also featured in this week's Camas Washougal Post Record.
http://www.camaspostrecord.com/news/2012/dec/11/warming-hearts/

Rotary Scholar of the Month for December: Jacueline Steffanson

Jacueline Steffanson was selected as the Camas Washougal Rotary Scholar of the Month for December 2012. Jacueline is a sophomore at Washougal High School and has a 4.0 GPA and is at the top of her class.  Scott Boothy, her Social Studies Teacher, says that Jacueline “is one of those kids that always stays on task and works to her potential.”  He adds that “her work ethic and attitude inspire her peers to work to their potential as well.”

AP Literature Teacher Sheila Good describes Jacueline “is a real joy to have in class” saying she is “dedicated to her work, and also to giving her best effort.”  She wishes she had “900 more students just like Jackie!”  Honors Biology Teacher Pauline Rule lists Jacueline as quiet, studious, intelligent, hard working, friendly, and eager to learn.  Spanish Teacher Rochelle Aiton adds that Jacueline “is diligent in her academics, thorough in her work, and knowledgeable in her subjects” and that she has “a peaceful countenance that makes her a joy to have in class.”

Her parents are Bruce and Susan Steffanson.  Congratulations, Jacueline!

Cape Horn Skye Elementary Students Experience the Joy of Giving

Cape Horn-Skye Elementary fourth graders’ “The Giving Tree Project,” allowed them to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate at the Open House homeless shelter in Vancouver.

The students made Christmas crafts in class and then “sold” them to parents for donations of food and clothing for people in need.  The project collected more than 850 items and was a combined effort of students in Mrs. Lawrence, Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Hickey’s classrooms.

“The gift was about giving, not only did your school give lots of food and non-perishable items, but the gift they gave was kindness, love, and interest in our families who live at our shelter,” said Lucy Gaspar from Open House Ministries.  “We truly appreciate all the hard work the school staff and students did in collecting all of the items.”

VFW Essay Contest Winners

Two Cape Horn-Skye students, Tyler Conrad and Maddox Edwards were among a group of Washougal Students recognized by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for their essays written for Veteran's Day.   The students were honored during an assembly, and received a certificate from Bill Menton, Ray Loney, and Bob Hitchock.  

Pictured left to right, in the back row are Bob Hitchcock, Ray Loney, and Bill Menton, with Tyler Conrad and Mattox Edwards in the front row.

Here are their winning essays:

I show love for my country in lots of different ways. Some of these

ways are by learning USA history, protecting others and respecting our

leaders.

Learning United States history is important to me because it helps me

learn about veterans and wars. It also helps us understand how our

freedom was won. Lastly, learning about our history will help me

understand what our country's values and laws are.

Protecting others is really important to me. Stand up means to stick

up for someone if they are getting hurt. Stand up means to help a

friend. If your friend needs help you would find another friend or a

teacher to help.

Our leaders, the president and our city's mayor are important. We

need to respect them by following the laws and talking kind and

respectful about them. Others we need to respect would be our moms

and dads. We should always be polite to them and follow their

directions.

I show love for my country by respecting my family, my leaders,

following laws and rules, loving others and learning everything that I

can about my country.

 - Tyler Conrad

The best way to show love for my country is to celebrate the Fourth

of July. Celebrating the Fourth of July is celebrating the birthday of

America. I celebrate the Fourth of July by shooting Roman Candles,

lighting sparklers, and participating in many other colorful and loud

displays. To show my love for my country I can wear red, white and

blue to be patriotic. I can walk in a parade to celebrate my country's

birthday.

Another way that I show love for my country is to donate time,

money, toys, clothes and food to nearby charities. Showing love for

others is showing love for my country. My family and friends donate

furniture and clothes to a local clothes closet. Our church and its

members, including me, make care packages for the homeless. The

packages include socks, food, toothpaste, a toothbrush and a Bible.

Another way to show love for my country is to recycle. My family and

I recycle paper, plastic glass and metal. Twice a month we take the

recycling items to the transfer station. Recycling is also a way to help

the environment and the Earth. I can also show love for my country and

the Earth by picking up trash and not littering.

I like celebrating the Fourth of July, but I know that when I help

others and when I recycle, that also shows my love for my country.

 - Mattox Edwards

Dictionary Project Provides Gift of Words for Local 3rd Graders

Through the Gift of Words Project, Rotarians across the nation help

promote literacy in their local communities. In Clark County, the project

is sponsored by IQ Credit

Union, US Bank, Columbia Vista Corporation and local Rotary Clubs.

Upon receiving their dictionaries, students quickly discover that the book

given to them is much more than just a dictionary, it also includes over

150 pages of supplemental information. Key features include the

Constitution of the U.S., the Declaration of Independence, brief

biographies of all U. S. presidents, world maps, and information about

all 50 states, countries of the world, and the planets in our solar

system. It ends with the longest word in the English language.

The Gift of Words Project targets third graders specifically because it

has been identified as a key year for language development and vocabulary

improvement. Having a dictionary of their own allows students to have a

resource right at their fingertips, one which can be easily stored in a

backpack or desk and doesn¹t require internet access. Owing to the

popularity of this tradition, many of the third graders¹ older siblings

still have their dictionaries and remember the day when they were

presented.

This year the project included WHS Interact students, who were

enthusiastic about being involved. Interact is Rotary International¹s

service club for young people ages 12 to 18.  Interact Club members lent a

hand in readying the books for distribution by affixing bookplates in the

front cover and inserting bookmarks into the dictionaries.

Students decorate for Festival of Trees

Students from Canyon Creek Middle School decorate trees for the Festival of the Trees fundraiser at Washougal Town Square.  The event runs Friday, Dec. 7, 3:00 - 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, Dec 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.   The students hope to raise money to help fund the Positive Behavior Intervention Support program and to create a middle school National Honor Society club.

 

Students are: Karen Kellogg, Sydney Mederos, Rylee Erdwins and Bridgette McCarthy and ASB Advisor, Lori Schilling.