CSD Newsroom
The Latest from Camas School District
Board Highlights (just the facts)
At the May 26 regular board meeting held via Zoom:
Superintendent's Report
Outreach to Community - We discussed fall planning and the work the state task force on reopening schools is doing. It will be important to collectively engage our community in considering how we can best support our students and families. Next week we will be doing an all-staff meeting and then a Town Hall meeting with our community to share information from the state, our local planning structures, and collect ideas and concerns.
Continued Focus on Equity - We witnessed another horrific death this past week that has captured our collective attention and amplifies the continued need for conversations focused on equity. Our students are entering a polarized world. They recognize this and talk about it usually through their social media of choice. They talk about race. They talk about religion. They talk about poverty. They talk about ability. They talk about power and privilege. These conversations can sometimes be messy and hurtful. There are powerful emotions in these conversations such as fear, anger, guilt, and pain.
As adults, we unfortunately don’t always model these conversations well. We struggle to talk about race. We struggle with approaching others that look or sound different from us. We struggle with words like privilege.
I’ve come to understand privilege in this way. I carry privilege with me in my life. It doesn’t mean that my life was easy or I didn’t work hard. It means that I don’t worry about going for a run on the trail by myself. It means I don’t worry about climbing a flight of stairs. It means I don’t worry about encounters with authority. I recognize that many others have those worries.
As school leaders, we in Camas are committed to getting better at recognizing and acknowledging equity while preparing students to be curious and empathetic as they engage in the world beyond K12. Through our equity forums, we’ve been having these conversations. We will continue to keep growing in the way we support our students so that each of them knows they belong and we love them.
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Garver Theater Bids – If you read our last newsletter, you know that the bids for Garver Theater came back high than expected. The great news is that we've moved funds set aside in capital reserves to the Garver Theater budget, and we will be able to move forward with construction. Heidi Rosenberg, our Capital Programs Director, announced Todd Construction as the winning bidder. Project launch begins immediately and completion is scheduled for September 2021.
Budget Report – Business Services Director Jasen McEathron shared that work on next year's budget is developing with very modest growth in enrollment. A project currently in the works is an interactive, real-time budget guide that will be available in the fall.
Mill Town Pride Awards
Rachel Best
Right from the start, Camas Community Ed childcare staffer Rachel Best jumped into action to get our childcare to open and ready for medical and first responders in this crisis. She kept abreast of all rules, guidelines, and developments. She has been consistently ready to pivot, and adjust to keep kids and staff safe. Great work, Rachel!
Olivia Eagle
We'd like to give a huge shout out to Olivia Eagle who runs our Family Community Resource Center. During this crisis, her work has focused mostly on keeping the food pantry stocked and assisting families with access to food, clothes, and needed services. She has also played a big role in working with volunteers for our weekend backpack program. Thanks so much, Olivia!
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Around Our District
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Do you or someone you know have an incoming kindergartener?
Well, now is time to register for fall! We are so very sad that we're not having our normal Kindergarten Roundup events in our schools this month. However, we're tentatively planning for kindergarten orientation in August where families will meet teachers and staff, learn about the curriculum, and take a ride on a real school bus!
To get started, visit http://bit.ly/CamasReg to register online. Questions? Contact our district registrars at CSD.Registrar@camas.wednet.edu or at 360-833-5410.
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Caring for Your Family During COVID-19
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Contact Us
Email: communications@camas.wednet.edu
Website: camas.wednet.edu
Location: 841 Northeast 22nd Avenue, Camas, WA, USA
Phone: 360-335-3000
Facebook: facebook.com/CamasSchools
Twitter: @CamasSchools