COLUMBIA RIVER WEEKLY NEWS
November 20, 2020

Columbia River High School
800 NW 99th ST.
Vancouver WA 98665
360-313-3900
Principal/ Head of School - Alex Otoupal
Associate Principal/Curriculum - Rob Duncan
Associate Principal/Activities - Ken Roberts
Associate Principal/Athletic Director - Nick Davies
River Stadium ReModel Updates
Associate Principal Ken Roberts captured a moment we are calling "CraneBow".
Patrons will still be able to access all eight lanes of the track.
For everyone's safety, please respect the fenced off area as a construction zone and is off limits.
Grade Level Canvas Courses Now Open!
CLASS OF 2021!
We would like to introduce you to our official Graduation vendor, Royal-T / Herff Jones. Royal-T has been servicing schools in our area for over 40 years and Columbia River High School is proud to partner with them in creating a memorable graduation experience for every Senior. They will be providing caps & gowns and our official Columbia River graduation announcement, as well as 2021 apparel and memorabilia to ensure that this much anticipated celebration is unforgettable.
This email is time sensitive and orders should be placed right away to ensure correct sizing and availability.
Please take time to watch the virtual Senior meeting and read through this email carefully. This meeting will help answer any questions you may have and show you the benefits of ordering now. Contact Royal-T / Herff Jones with any of your questions.
Congratulations Class of 2021! My name is Scott Thompson and I am your graduation representative from Royal-T. We are excited for a great year and have created a Senior Meeting video for you to watch at home today. Click here for a link directly to your senior meeting!

NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS
Students looking for a topic for the Native American Heritage Month Project,(offered for credit in many classes) may select a biographical or historical poster/project on one of the following topics:
Native American Medal of Honor recipients listed here: https://web.archive.org/web/20060919131934/http://www.homeofheroes.com/e-books/mohE_indian/list.html
Contributions of Native American women in the military:
https://www.womensmemorial.org/native-american-women-veterans
Native American participation in the world wars:
Progress Reports, Quarter and Semester Grades
During the school year, we encourage students and families to monitor grades using Skyward and or Family/Student Access. We will continue to mail home progress reports to students who have a failing grade or are in danger of failing.
1st Quarter Progress Grades - The grading period ended on November 3rd. Grade reports will be mailed home November 13, 2020 (that's today!)
2nd Quarter Mid-term Progress - January 5, 2021
2nd Quarter/Semester 1 Grading period ends January 28, 2021; reports will be mailed home on February 9, 2021
*This posted Semester grade determines the final rank for the Class of 2021*
3rd Quarter Mid-term Progress - March 15, 2021
3rd Quarter Grading period ends - April 13, 2021; reports will be mailed home on April 23, 2021
4th Quarter Mid-term Progress - May 25, 2021
4th Quarter/Semester 2 ends - June 16, 2021; reports will be mailed home on June 23, 2021
*Class of 2021 Transcripts will be available after June 23, 2021*
River Athletics
The WIAA announced this week that all season dates had changed again. You can read the season announcement here. Here are the new season dates. All of these dates are tentative, but we are hopeful that some sports will start in February! The WIAA has extended the open period for workouts/practices until January 23. However, due to the new COVID restrictions for Washington, Governor Inslee canceled all indoor workouts. We will continue to work with the district and state to get our athletes safely back on campus.
School Pictures & Student Portraits
Picture packets will be mailed to your home and available on site...
Monday, November 30: Juniors
Class of 2022
3:30 - 5:30 pm
Tuesday, December 1: Sophomores
Class of 2023
3:30 - 5:30 pm
Wednesday, December 2: Seniors/Freshmen
Class of 20211:00 - 3:00 pm
Class of 2024
3:30 - 5:30 pm
At the moment - the following are the guidelines for safety while students participate in this optional event:
Students will enter through the main entrance
Students will sign in
Students will walk to main gym (Hoover)
Students will get photograph taken
Students will exit through the back of the gym
All students must wear masks at all times. Removal of masks is only allowed when photograph is taken
Help is on the way!
A Virtual Resource Room is available for students being served by an IEP. It is open Mondays - Fridays, 7:30 - 8:30. For more information, contact your student’s case manager. Accessing the Resource Room.
Senior Portraits


56th Volume of the Tyee Annual Yearbook
Good news on the 56th Volume of the Tyee Annual Yearbooks. Pre-ordered copies of the 2019-2020 are available for pick up. Remember this is for the 2019-2020 Yearbook only. Please contact our Business Office by emailing Dana.Lubbers@vansd.org with questions about The Tyee.

Seniors: wondering how you'll pay for college?
To get started, find out if you should file a FAFSA or a WASFA by completing this questionnaire.
To start the FAFSA:
Check Out Our Upcoming Virtual College Visits!
Click the links below to pre-register.
Wednesday, 12/2
Military Visit, 8:00 AM
Evergreen State College, 10:30 AM
University of Washington Tacoma, 11:15 AM
Pacific Lutheran University, 1:30 PM
Wednesday, 12/9
Portland State University, 8:30 AM
Pacific Northwest College of Art, 10:30 AM
Montana State University, 11:15 AM
Warner Pacific University, 1:30 PM
Thursday, 12/10
Tuesday, 12/15
Washington State University Vancouver, 12:10 PM
Wednesday, 12/16
University of Montana, 8:30 AM
Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber Scholarship Information Session, 11:15 AM
University of Alaska Anchorage, 1:30 PM
Wednesday, 1/6
Oregon Institute of Technology, 8:30 AM
Wednesday, 1/13
Washington State University Vancouver Admissions On-the-Spot! 10:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Looking for different colleges? Check out our blog post to see what others are coming up.
Did you miss a visit that you wanted to attend? Check out this document with videos from many of our frequently attended colleges. Not seeing one on there you want to know more about? Reach out! We can get the information for you.
Interested in Learning More about the Trades?
Did you know that you can make great money, even if you don’t go to college? Did you know that in an apprenticeship, they train you on-the-spot, WHILE you get paid?! We call this “earn while you learn”. Some apprenticeships even pay for tuition at a college! Would you like to consider going into a trade or apprenticeship that has these benefits? Hear what it’s all about directly from the people working in those trades!
Click on each link below to pre-register for an event. If you want to learn a little bit about what any of these are about before signing up, check out these videos!
Tuesday, 12/1 @ 12:10 PM
Merchant Mariners
Tuesday, 12/8 @ 12:10 PM
Sheet Metal Workers
Tuesday, 1/12 @ 12:10 PM
Sprinkler Fitters
Tuesday, 2/9 @ 12:10 PM
Laborers
Tuesday, 3/9 @ 12:10 PM
Operating Engineers
Tuesday, 4/13 @ 12:10 PM
Bricklayers
Tuesday, 5/11 @ 12:10 PM
Lineworkers
Requesting Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation
If you are using Common App for your college application, you should also request letters of recommendation through Xello.
If you need directions on how to do any of these things, check out these videos:
Instructions on how to request a transcript through Xello
Office Hours for Seniors
Scholarships
ALL GRADES: HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND PLANNING
To complete these lessons, you should log into ClassLink and find the Xello app. Click on that and complete the lessons that correspond to your grade level:
9th Grade:
- Getting Experience
10th Grade:
- Workplace Skills and Attitudes
- Program Prospects
11th Grade:
- Goals & Plans
- Choosing a College or University
- Job Interviews
- Resume
12th Grade:
- Goals & Plans
- Financial Aid
- Work/Life Balance
- Job Interviews (if not completed in junior year)
If you want to talk individually about your plans for after high school or need support with any planning, please schedule an appointment! We're here to help.
STUDENT & FAMILY SUPPORT DISTANCE LEARNING CHILD NUTRITION
Our Child Nutrition Program will return to charging for daily meals using student PINs (issued at registration) once the Fall 2020-2021 school year begins on September 1, 2020. Students can receive free or reduced price meals by applying and qualifying for the National School Lunch Program (see below). Any enrolled student can also purchase a meal using their student meal account.
During Distance Learning, grab-and-go meals will be available for pick-up, Monday-Friday from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the following locations:
Serving sites for the Vancouver School District, beginning September 1, 2020:
· Anderson Elementary, 2215 NE 104th St.
· Fruit Valley Elementary, 3410 NW Fruit Valley Rd.
· Ogden Elementary, 3200 NE 86th Ave.
· Roosevelt Elementary, 2921 Falk Rd.
· Washington Elementary, 2908 S. St.
· Discovery Middle School, 800 E. 40th St.
· Jason Lee Middle School, 8500 NW 9th Ave.
· McLoughlin Middle School, 5802 MacArthur Blvd.
Whether you are renewing an application or applying for the first time, we encourage you to fill out a Free & Reduced Meal Application:
· English https://vansd.org/wpdm-package/free-and-reduced-price-meals-application/?wpdmdl=11802
· Spanish https://vansd.org/wpdm-package/free-and-reduced-price-meals-application-spanish/?wpdmdl=20381
· Russian https://vansd.org/wpdm-package/free-or-reduced-price-meals-russian/?wpdmdl=20387
A new application must be completed each school year.
Find additional Child Nutrition information on our website at
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION
Vancouver Public Schools is an equal opportunity district in education programs, activities, services, and employment. The district does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity, age, families with children, honorably discharged veteran or military status, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal. The district provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. The district complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Older Worker Protection Act, and all other state, federal, and local equal opportunity laws. You may contact any of the following people at 2901 Falk Rd., Vancouver, WA, 98661, or by writing to them at VPS, PO Box 8937, Vancouver, WA 98668-8937 or by calling 360-313-1000: ADA & Affirmative Action/Title IX Coordinator––kathy.everidge@vansd.org; Title VII, 504–steve.vance@vansd.org; IDEA–daniel.bettis@vansd.org; Title IX Elementary–debra.hale@vansd.org; Athletic Equity & Title IX Secondary–james.gray@vansd.org. This notification can be provided in the appropriate language for communities of national origin and minority persons with limited English language skills by contacting 360-313-1250.
Care Closet Donations
We are accepting donations for our care closet which could include, but not limited to, the following; non-perishable/non-expired food, toiletries, holiday items, new or gently used winter clothing etc. If you would like to donate you can do so by dropping off items at our contactless donation center which is located in our front entry way. We are open M-F 7-3p and you can enter the building by pushing the buzzer button on the side of the building by the front doors, our secretary will let you in and our donation bins will be right there. After you drop off we will take it from there :) Thank you! We greatly appreciate your consideration and support to our River families and community.
Thank You!!