DECA students dominate
Nineteen Camas High School marketing students recently returned from Anaheim, CA, after competing at the DECA International Career Development Conference. Students competed in a variety of marketing competitions to compete against students from the United States and Canada. The chapter achieved much success as six of the students qualified for the final round of competition and four students placed in the top 10.
Finalists included Megan Napier, Amanda Shi, Madison Berkeley, Jasmyne Samuels, Annika Bales, and Cameron Vega. In order to make finals, students had to place in the top 18 of 128 students in each event. During competition, students completed a written test and solved role-play scenarios which were judged by members of the business community. Upon making the final round of competition, students complete an additional role-play to determine the top 10 in that event.
Finalist results:
Cameron Vega-3rd place Automotive Services Marketing
Annika Bales-top 10 Hotel and Lodging Marketing
Madison Berkeley/Jasmyne Samuels-top 10 Hospitality Team Decision Making
Other students from Camas that qualified to compete at the international competition were: Jake Hsu, Mary Leighton, Kassidi Sorensen, Nicole Madrigal, Katie Shin, Sierra Brown, Kathryn Johnson, Blake Christopher, Sarah Kelley, Oliver Stanchfield, Bradley Stanchfield, Adam Peterson, and Vaughn Okerlund.
Students gained experience through the marketing competition while developing friendships inside and outside of their chapter; they were also able to visit the Disney theme parks located in the area in their spare time. Some of the chapter members are underclassmen and are looking forward to the challenges of attempting to qualify again next year for the DECA International Conference to be held in Atlanta, GA.
Spring Signing Day
Camas High School honored several Papermakers as they signed their National Letters of Intent to play for various universities and colleges. The following student-athletes were honored:
Tucker Boyd
TUCKER BOYD has already signed with Idaho State University to compete as a runner and will receive a one quarter scholarship. Tucker earned his varsity letter all four years in Cross Country and Track. Between these two programs, Tucker has been a part of six GSHL League Championships and six District IV Championships. His XC team also finished 6th place in 2011 at the WIAA 3A XC Meet and followed up with a 9th place finish at the 4A level this year. Tucker was awarded GSHL 1st Team All-League honors three times and 1st Team All-Region his junior year as a XC runner. As a track athlete, he was also named to the 1st Team All-League list for two years and won a district championship in the 800m. Since his sophomore year, Tucker has been the team captain for the Boys’ Cross Country Team. Tucker carries a 3.95 GPA and has been a scholar-athlete all four years.
Sierra Brown
SIERRA BROWN will be taking her basketball skills to Clark College. Sierra has earned her varsity letter in volleyball (1 year) and basketball (3 years). Sierra was a member of the first girls’ basketball team to make it to the round of 16 in postseason for Camas since 1976. Sierra was selected as a 2nd Team All-League Basketball Player this year. She is a two year qualifier for DECA Nationals and plans to continue down this vein as a Business/Communication Major. Sierra carries a 3.29 GPA.
Tyler Hallead
TYLER HALLEAD is signing today to become a Cavalier. Concordia is offering Tyler a 65% scholarship to play baseball. He plans on pursuing the field of education to follow in the footsteps of his parents. Tyler is a two year varsity letterman in basketball and baseball and earned 2nd Team All-League honors this year as a pitcher. This year Tyler was also awarded the CHS Cy Young Award and was selected as the team captain. Tyler just pitched in the Clark County Senior All Star Game. Tyler carries a 3.0 GPA.
Andrew Kaler
ANDREW KALER will be joining his teammate Tucker to continue their efforts on the Track team as he has also signed with Idaho State University to run. Andrew is a four year varsity letterman with the Cross Country and Track teams. He played an integral role as the Cross Country team earned two district championships, one regional championship and a 6th place finish at the WIAA State Cross Country Meet. Andrew was named as a 1st Team All-League runner for four years in Cross and two years in track. He is a two time District IV Champion in Cross, two time district champion in the 1600m and two time district champion in the 3200m. Andrew was chosen as a Team Captain for both Cross and Track. Andrew carries a 3.94 GPA which has earned him a 50% Honors Program Scholarship to go with his 50% Athletic Scholarship.
Brindl Langley
BRINDL LANGLEY has already signed with Florida Southern to play on their Women’s Volleyball Team. Brindl plans on pursuing Exercise Science and has earned 100% tuition between athletic and academic scholarships. Brindl has earned her varsity letter four years with the CHS Volleyball Team and two years with the softball team. This 2012 season, Brindl led the volleyball team to the first GSHL 4A League Championship, District IV 4A Championship and a 5th place finish in the WIAA 4A State Volleyball Tournament. She is a two time Player of the Year, three time 1st Team GSHL All League winner and two time 1st team All Region Volleyball Player. Brindl has been on the CHS Honor Roll all four years and also earned the Greater St. Helens All-League Academic Award with a 3.67 GPA.
Conner Maloney
CONNOR MALONEY will be taking his skills to Salem, OR, as he will play football for Willamette University and plans to gain a degree in Economics. Connor has earned his varsity letter three years as a varsity football player. This year, Connor was selected as a 1st Team GSHL All-League Corner as well as a 1st Team All Region Corner. Connor was an integral part of two GSHL League Championships and two WIAA semifinal appearances. This year he helped make history as his team was the first CHS football team to win twelve games in a season. Connor received the GSHL Academic All-League award and carries a 3.31 GPA which has also earned him $18,000 towards tuition.
Erin Tauscher
ERIN TAUSCHER will be playing softball at Linfield College as a Wildcat. Erin lettered all four years as a varsity softball player and three years as a varsity swimmer. As a junior, Erin contributed to a 3A League and District Championship, 2nd place Bi-District finish and sixth place finish in the WIAA 3A State Championship Softball Tournament. This year, she was instrumental in the first 4A League Championship for CHS softball. She also helped lead her team to the WIAA 4A State Championship game where they finished 2nd place. Erin has been named to the First Team GSHL All-League Softball Team every year since her freshman year. Since her sophomore year, Erin has been named a GSHL Academic All-League award winner every year in both swimming and softball. She carries a 3.51 GPA.
Abbie Younkin
ABBIE YOUNKIN will be traveling to Iowa as a new member of the Women’s Volleyball Team at Wartburg College where she also hopes to pursue pre-medicine. During her junior and senior years, Abbie helped the CHS Volleyball team win two GSHL League Championships, two District IV Championships and one Bi-District Championship. They also finished 9th place in the 3A WIAA State Volleyball Tournament last year and improved to a 6th place finish this year after moving up to the 4A classification. Abbie was named to the GSHL 1st Team All-League Volleyball team and 2nd Team All-Region Volleyball team her junior year. This year Abbie was also selected to the GSHL All League Team. Both years Abbie was recognized for her leadership on and off the court and selected as a team captain. Abbie carries a 3.93 GPA and has earned a full academic scholarship.
Natalia Zea
NATALIA ZEA will be moving to Walla Walla to play volleyball at Whitman College where she also plans on majoring in Anthropology. Natalia became a member of the Papermaker family this year and was influential along with Abbie and Brindl in competing strongly in the 4A classification this year. She is a three-year letterman as a varsity volleyball player and lettered one year as a track athlete at her former high school. Natalia was a 1st Team All-League Volleyball player her Junior year and earned 2nd Team honors this year along with the teams Leadership Award. Natalia has maintained a GPA above 3.5 every semester of her high school career and made the honor roll each year. She carries a 3.7 GPA.
Please help us celebrate their academic and athletic accomplishments. Congratulations Papermakers!
CHS Named One of America’s Best High Schools
For the third time in four years, Camas High School has been awarded Silver Medal status by US News & World Report. Every year, the magazine rates all U.S. public high schools according to school-specific data on enrollment, ethnicity, participation and success in Advanced Placement classes, and results of state assessment proficiency tests compared to other schools in our state. While its rating formula is imperfect, it is consistent and it does give schools feedback on its students’ level of college readiness. Schools are given a college readiness index score, with the top scoring 4,805 schools receiving a gold, silver or bronze medal and – in the case of gold and silver schools – a numerical ranking. The CHS ranking was 744 nationally and #15 in the state. To put those rankings in perspective: There are over 21,000 high schools in the U.S. and 587 in the State of Washington. To view the rankings, click this link: www.usnews.com/best-high-schools.
To acknowledge this honor and encourage students to continue to challenge themselves academically, the CHS Admin Team scheduled our mandatory monthly evacuation drill for the end of today. When students and staff got outside they received a popsicle or frozen fruit bar to enjoy in the sun while we cleared the campus and took roll. Great work students, parents, and teachers.
Camas teacher makes every day Earth Day
If you ask a student at Grass Valley what makes their school special, they’ll tell you that Grass Valley is a Green School! First grade teacher Julie Della Valle is the leader who makes this happen, and Clark County Environmental Services agrees. The organization will honor Mrs. Della Valle with the “Make Every Day Earth Day” award at a ceremony on April 12.
Della Valle has initiated and managed many activities designed to get students and adults focused on the environment. Most noteworthy of these are: the Eco Officers Club, a school-wide Earth Day celebration, and the accomplishment of being a Level II Washington Green School.
Having the Eco Officers club ensures the school’s green efforts start with kids. Mrs. Della Valle hosts weekly meetings and guides students in their efforts to reduce Grass Valley’s trash output and maximize recycling potential. The kids assess each classroom’s effectiveness in recycling through trash audits and award them for their efforts. Eco Officers teach their peers how to decrease trash production and increase their recycling and reusing habits.
“What we have found is that the adults in our building and parents at home are learning right along with the kids,” commented Grass Valley Principal Patricia Erdmann.
For the past two years, the Eco Officers have contributed to the Washington Green School Summit. The efforts of Eco Officers and their leader have spilled over into other Green Team activities, such as the SOS (Save Our Scraps) program in the cafeteria.
A great example of the community coming together in this recycling effort is the Bottle Cap Drive that Della Valle brought to Grass Valley. In cooperation with a local business, Grass Valley students are collecting thousands of threaded bottle caps that would otherwise end up in landfills. The Eco Officers spend hours collecting and sorting the bottle caps (which are recyclable, but need to be separated from the plastic bottles) to help with this effort. Once again, the grownups in these children’s lives have become caught up in the tide of this effort and are eagerly participating.
For the past seven years, Julie Della Valle has organized an annual, school-wide Earth Day celebration. She involves every single student and staff member in the celebration along with many parents. Each year students design and make their own Earth Day flag to decorate the school. They also host a school-wide garden cleanup to help recognize the day and to beautify the school grounds. Additionally, Della Valle created a walking field guide for nearby wetlands and park areas identifying many local species students can find along the way. Many classes have taken advantage of this resource to explore the native plants and animals in the area around the school. This opportunity is something that all Grass Valley zebras look forward to every year.
Beyond Earth Day, Mrs. Della Valle maintains native perennial plantings in the school garden and composts in her classroom.
In 2012, Mrs. Della Valle led the way for Grass Valley Elementary to achieve Level II Washington Green School status. Reaching Level II acknowledges that they sustained our goals to reduce trash and recycle, and are now making strides to conserve energy throughout the building.
Students and staff members at Grass Valley Elementary are proud of their accomplishments in conservation and stewardship of the local environment and recognize that Julie Della Valle has been the catalyst in these efforts. Her commitment to the environment and the passion for sharing her knowledge empower the children to ensure a green future. Thanks to her determination and enthusiasm the entire Grass Valley community is making our world a better place.
CHS Knowledge Bowl: 4A State Champs!
In case you had not heard, yes they did it! Two CHS Knowledge Bowl teams traveled up to Arlington High School last weekend to compete against the very best teams in the state. One team finished 11th out of 18, while our other team took to top spot – State Champs! This was CHS’ first foray at the 4A level, but their fourth state championship in a row.
The Camas #1 team is comprised of juniors. They finished 11th and consisted of Kyle Binder, Rachel Fadlovich, Tim Liu, Lindsay Weinberg, Shicon Wen, and Xinyang Chen.
The Camas #2 team, featured in the photo above, is the the new State Champion team. Coincidentally, this particular time also won State last year at the 3A tournament. The team members this year include (from left to right in the photo): Tim Grote, Captain Marcus Bintz, Griffin King, and Noah Wachlin.
They dominated the competition, winning their bracket in the preliminaries with a score of 120, about 20 points higher than second place. They then won their semi final and final matches by large margins, taking home the trophy. Go Papermakers!
In case you had not heard, yes they did it! Two CHS Knowledge Bowl teams traveled up to Arlington High School last weekend to compete against the very best teams in the state. One of our teams finished 11th out of 18, while our other team took to top spot – State Champs! This was CHS’ first foray at the 4A level, but their fourth state championship in a row.
The Camas #1 team, as we called them at state, is made up of all juniors. They finished 11th and consisted of Kyle Binder, Rachel Fadlovich, Tim Liu, Lindsay Weinberg, Shicon Wen, and Xinyang Chen.
The Camas #2 team, featured in the photo above, is the the new State Champion team. Coincidentally, this particular time also won State last year at the 3A tournament. The team members this year include (from left to right in the photo): Tim Grote, Captain Marcus Bintz, Griffin King, and Noah Wachlin.
They dominated the competition, winning their bracket in the preliminaries with a score of 120, about 20 points higher than second place. They then won their semi final and final matches by large margins, taking home the trophy. Go Papermakers!
Propane buses hit the roads in Camas, district sees cost savings
Camas School District purchased 10 new, full-sized propane buses from Western Bus Sales to diversify its diesel fleet last fall and has realized multiple benefits thanks to this technology.
The Blue Bird Propane-Powered Vision(R) school bus is a conventional Type C school bus which runs on propane instead of diesel fuel. Designed and built for maximum quality and reliability, this bus utilizes the latest advancements in propane technology, including the ROUSH CleanTech Liquid Propane Autogas Fuel System and a Ford 6.8 liter engine.
Propane buses in the Camas fleet can be identified by the protruding engine at the front of the bus and this sticker on the side.
The district is realizing much more than a simple cost savings in fuel (the current propane rate is $1.72 vs. diesel at $3.30 per gallon); use of the propane buses qualifies the district for the Alternative Fuel Excise Credit–a $0.50 per gallon rebate. Additionally, the new propane-powered buses reduce the district’s carbon footprint because propane produces 60% less carbon monoxide, 12% less carbon dioxide, 20% less nitrogen oxide and up to 25% less greenhouse gases than gasoline.
Propane, also known as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), is the most widely used alternative fuel in the United States due to its high energy density, clean burning properties, established infrastructure, and domestic availability. Propane is also the third most used vehicle fuel, behind gasoline and diesel.
A colorless and odorless liquid, propane is a mixture of hydrocarbons found in natural gas and is refined from crude petroleum. Propane has a high octane rating and is usually less expensive than gasoline. Propane-fueled vehicles emit less carbon dioxide and fewer smog-forming air pollutants than gasoline-powered vehicles. Propane is non-toxic and presents no threat to soil, surface water, or groundwater.
Propane is used mainly by fleets because propane vehicles have a good driving range and the gaseous state of propane eliminates cold start problems associated with liquid fuels. Propane is also popular because of lower maintenance costs. Propane engines have been documented to have an engine life up to two times that of gasoline engines. For example, Portland Public Schools’ buses have been fueled by propane since 1985.
Benefits of Propane-Powered Buses
* Propane exhaust creates significantly less smog-forming and toxic air pollutants than gasoline or diesel.
* Propane is considered an alternate fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
* 85% of propane fuel (LPG) used in the U.S. comes from domestic sources.
* Propane is less expensive per gallon than gasoline or diesel.
* Propane vehicles have the longest driving range of any alternative fuel – more than 250 percent farther than compressed natural gas, about 60 percent farther than methanol, and 25 percent farther than ethanol.
* Those who drive propane-powered vehicles say that there are no significant driving differences between dedicated propane vehicles and diesel-powered ones.
* Many propane vehicle fleets have reported 2 to 3 years longer service life and extended intervals between required maintenance compared to diesel vehicles.
* Propane vehicles have reduced cold start issues than diesel vehicles.
Camas placed on the College Board’s 3rd Annual AP® District Honor Roll
Camas School District 117 is one of 539 public school districts in the nation being honored by the College Board with a place on the 3rd Annual AP® Honor Roll, for simultaneously increasing access to Advanced Placement coursework while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP exams. Achieving both of these goals is the ideal scenario for a district’s Advanced Placement program, because it indicates that the district is successfully identifying motivated, academically-prepared students who are likely to benefit most from rigorous AP coursework.
Since 2009, Camas School District 117 increased the number of students participating in AP from 253 to 478 in 2012, with nearly 78% scoring a 3 or higher on AP Exams. More than 90 percent of colleges and universities across the U.S. offer college credit, advanced placement or both for a score of 3 or higher on an AP Exam — which can potentially save students and their families thousands of dollars in college tuition.
“Camas is one of 73 districts in the nation to appear on the honor roll for the two consecutive years. In Washington, only three other districts hold this distinction,” commented Superintendent Mike Nerland. “It is a testament to the hard work of our students, talented staff and quality educational program offered not only at the high school level, but at our middle and elementary schools as well.”
A total of 539 school districts across 44 of 50 states in the U. S. and six Canadian provinces achieved honor roll status. The state of Massachusetts was represented by the largest number of AP Honor Roll districts, with 46, followed by Michigan, with 39.
“We applaud the extraordinary efforts of the devoted teachers and administrators in these 539 districts, who are fostering rigorous work worth doing. These educators have not only expanded student access to AP course work, but they have enabled more of their students to achieve on a college level—which is helping to create a strong college-going culture,” said College Board President, David Coleman.
Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with a variety of initiatives and strategies to determine how to expand access and improve student performance simultaneously.
“There has been a great victory among educators who have believed that a more diverse population could indeed succeed in AP courses. In 2012, AP scores were higher than they’d been since 2004, when one million fewer students were being given access. These outcomes are a powerful testament to educators’ belief that many more students were indeed ready and waiting for the sort of rigor that would prepare them for what they would encounter in college,” said Trevor Packer, the College Board’s senior vice president of the Advanced Placement Program. “While we recognize that there is still much work to be done to prepare students for college, I find myself inspired daily by what they are achieving.”
Inclusion on the 3rd Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data, from 2010 to 2012 for the following criteria:
Districts must:
- Increase participation/access to AP by at least 4 percent in large districts, at least 6 percent in medium districts and at least 11 percent in small districts;
- Ensure that the percentage of African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students taking AP Exams did not decrease by more than 5 percent for large and medium districts or by more than 10 percent for small districts;
- Improve performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2012 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2010, unless the district has already attained a performance level in which more than 70 percent of the AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.
When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population made up of 30 percent or more underrepresented minority students (Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native) and/or 30 percent or more low-income students (students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work.
The complete 3rd Annual AP District Honor Roll can be found here.
Grass Valley students raise money for Humane Society
Two Grass Valley Elementary School fifth graders took their strong interest in helping animals to the next step last week by organizing a large-scale donation drive and assembly at their school. Megan Bauer and Lily Thompson, both 11, are part of the Kids Club at the Humane Society for Southwest Washington. They decided to take extra strides toward the cause of aiding animals in need by putting on the week-long drive, where they set up shop in their school and asked for contributions. The girls were helped in their mission by Grass Valley jazz teacher Natalie Wilson, Principal Patricia Erdmann and Humane Society customer service manager Shonda Feathers. The drive kicked off with an assembly held to talk about the girls’ goals of spreading awareness and bringing in needed items and money for the Humane Society. Donations flowed in throughout the week, including cat and dog toys, collars, blankets, pet food and kitty litter. One student dropped off a small bag of collected coins.
Retreived from The Columbian
Three qualify as National Merit Finalists
Marcus Bintz
Jake Hsu
Evan Roche
The National Merit Scholarship Program has announced the names of three CHS finalists in the National Merit Scholarship competition. Seniors Marcus Bintz, Jake Hsu, and Evan Roche are all part of this elite group. Congratulations and good luck!
The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test—a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year–and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements.