• Class of 2021 Graduations
• Award and Scholarship Winners
• Free Summer Meals
• Water Safety This Summer

Superintendent Snell reported that guidance for fall has not changed since the last board meeting. State officials continue to examine two important topics for fall: wearing masks and contact tracing in schools. We expect to receive more information over the coming weeks. Our staff members continue to build schedules and make plans to have students back in the fall five days per week.

Snell also commented on the past year. “It’s been quite a school year and I want to thank the students, families, and staff for making the most of it. We can all take pride in their collective creativity and resiliency. I also want to thank our school board members for their leadership during these challenging times. They have had to make difficult decisions on behalf of our community in the face of a lot of polarized perspectives. It was a huge celebration to come together as a community and graduate the class of 2021 at Doc Harris this year. We wish all of the graduates the best as they transition to post-graduation life.”

Capital Projects

We are in the process of rezoning Skyridge Middle School and the UL/Leadbetter Campus from Light Industrial/Business Park (LI/BP) to Business Park (BP). This effort will ensure educational uses of both parcels will align with updates to city code. There are no plans to perform any construction or remodel of district buildings at this time. The public notice signs of the rezoning, like the sample shown above, will be erected this week.

Work on the Garver Theater is moving along nicely and the CHS Field House is complete, images shown below.

CHS Fieldhouse

Garver Theater

Student Recognition

In a recent, early morning virtual meeting, the Camas Washougal Rotary recently honored Hayes Freedom High School student Ruby Cowart as the 10th grade Student of the Year! Additionally, the group awarded scholarships to CHS seniors Gabriel Guo, Joey Stanley, and Alexis Williams.

Leaders Lorraine Schmidt and Patty Place from the Public School Employees group highlighted four scholarship recipients from the class of 2021. Pictured left to right: Jaydn Kahakauwila, Union HS; Cole Kendall, CHS; Rebecca Kullberg, HFHS; and Aiden Wood, CHS.

The Camas Education Association president Shelly Houle share that this year they more than doubled their total number of scholarships for 2021! This year’s Future Educator Scholarships were awarded to ten graduates of Camas and Hayes Freedom High Schools pictured above.

Congratulations to all of our outstanding award recipients!

Would you like to see more? Agendas, supporting documents, minutes, and written public comments are posted here. View recordings of this and past board meetings on the CSD School Board YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/camassb.

CFRC Partners

Our Community Family Resource Center manager Olivia Eagle recognized community patterns who have helped stock shelves, collected donations, organize the center, and more throughout the pandemic. Thanks so much to the following groups:

• Journey Community Church: Coordinated efforts of Jennifer Spiegelberg, Ellen Scott, & Susan Hoff

• Camas United Methodist Church: Coordinated efforts led by DiAnne Harrington

• Downtown Camas Association: Coordinated efforts led by: Carrie Schulstad and Jan Carter

• CHS Senior Students: Audrey Stewart and Joshua Fernando

• Other key volunteers: Gia Barnhartt, Kristi Fraser, Crystal Bohannon, Amber Johnson, Donna Whitefield

• DECA Club & ASB Club

• Family Promise of Clark County

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Our FIRST Robotics team is looking for high school students to join their ranks! Learn more about Team 2471 at their website (https://team2471.org) and their upcoming Demo Day (https://team2471.org/demoday).

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We are happy to announce our second Summer Food Service Program. All meals will be FREE for children ages 1-18. Each child in your household will receive 7 breakfasts and 7 lunches in weekly meal boxes. Meal boxes can be picked up curbside every Wednesday beginning June 30 through August 18 at Skyridge Middle School or Camas High School, between 9 AM - 2 PM.

Please complete this form to sign up! https://forms.gle/zP7gxnrZd61AqTDV9

If transportation or accessing one of the designated sites will be an issue, please contact us, we want to help your family. Also, if you are not able to pick up your weekly meal box, or if you have questions, please let us know.

Nutrition Services: 360-833-5768

• Tamara Westmoreland at tamara.westmoreland@camas.wednet.edu or
• Richelle Mellendorf at richelle.mellendorf@camas.wednet.edu.

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Visit CSD's mobile Book MoBus for a great read for any age. Parent resources are available too! Any CSD student or parent is eligible to check out books at any stop on Wednesdays this summer. Also, Kona Ice will be on-hand selling icy treats. Mask and social distancing guidelines apply.

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Summer break is here! Please enjoy cooling off on hot summer days in our waterways in a fun and safe way. In partnership between the City of Camas, Camas School District, and Clark County, you’ll see “Be Safe” signs installed around Lacamas, Fallen Leaf, and Round lakes and social media safety reminders throughout the summer.

• KNOW THE WATER: Even on very warm days, lakes and rivers are still cold enough to shock and immobilize swimmers. Remember, rivers can be swift and dangerous.
• KNOW YOUR LIMITS: Drowning can happen swiftly and silently, and especially when swimmers tire. Please don’t go swimming alone. Never leave children unsupervised in or near water, and remember supervision requires complete attention.
• WEAR A LIFE JACKET: Please wear a life jacket anywhere without lifeguards or whenever on a boat, personal watercraft, inner tube, or other water sports equipment. Life jackets save lives.

Take a moment to review these safety tips in more detail:

https://clark.wa.gov/public-works/swimming

https://clark.wa.gov/public-health/healthy-swimming-safe-swimming

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You don’t need to be an artist or define yourself as “creative” to reap the numerous benefits of being creative. For example, creativity causes the gray matter in the brain to grow (similar to meditation), increases the ability to focus after 45 minutes, and cortisol (stress levels) decreases. Listen in as local art therapist Jocelyn Fitzgerald talks with CSD's Social-Emotional Liaison Jennifer McMillan about the connection between creativity and wellness.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17xcICRtHkGXcRgDXwj3Ms-TVISnjAbBT/view?usp=sharing

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Seventh-graders earn spot at national STEM competition, $5K science grant with 'algaegator' invention

Teens tackle toxic algae! Camas School District middle-schoolers Rafa Lavagnino, 13, and Tenzin Kelsang, 13, test their mobile, algae-filtering "algaegator" invention at Camas' Lacamas Lake in the spring of 2021. The seventh-graders' work recently earned them a spot in a national STEM competition sponsored by the United States Army and the National Science Teaching Association, as well as a $5,000 grant to improve the toxic-algae filtration device. Read the full Camas-Washougal Post-Record.

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