Students selected for the WMEA Junior All-State Orchestra are Emily Morgan, Joseph Colsen, and Joseph Turner from Thomas Jefferson Middle School; Anna McNutt, Madison Neil, and Zoe Steidel from VSAA; and Lauren Siess from Discovery Middle School.

Rebecca Duncan, VSAA, was selected to perform with the American Choral Directors Association Northwest Division Junior Honor Choir in Seattle in March.

• Skyview’s DECA team is sending 14 people to state competition. Amanda Foote, Miyoko Barrett and Amanda Miller are moving on for Sports and Entertainment Marketing; Anna Romanovsky advances for Advertising Campaign; and Doug Siegel and Alex Zwingli for Finance Operations. Rachel Zwingli, Chelsea Rhoads and Andrew Prince will advance for Creative Marketing Project; Emma Helms and Emily Flanagan for Hospitality and Tourism Operations; Rachel Krueger and Madison Krueger for Chapter Awards Program; and Carissa Cavilee for Apparel and Accessories Marketing.

• Columbia River’s DECA team is sending 27 people to state competition. Carrel Lack is advancing for Accounting Applications, Henry Rolfs for Automotive Services Marketing, and Alexis Soesch for Marketing Management. Teagan Ryan and Michon Hunsaker are advancing in Restaurant and Food Services Management; and Mindi Hunsaker, Zack Kruger, Eric Sundberg and Jennifer Rogers for Business Law and Ethics Team Decision. Eamon Brennan, Madison Vandroff, Jon Rapacz, Colin Butterfield, Kevin Cotter, Silas Collentine, Nate Dahlstrom and Justin Gwinn will move on for Financial Analysis and Team Decision. Eli Everson advances in Sports and Entertainment Team Decision. Kevin Barsotti and Davis Thurston will advance in Technical Sales, and Clayton Frank for Entrepreneurship Participating. Taylor Krebs and Eden Behrens move on for Fashion Merchandising Promotion Plan. Bri Brown, Brent Villiot and Kayla Hildalgo advance in Fashion Merchandising Promotion Plan Team, and Jack Cabanatuan for Advertising Campaign.

• Skyview’s Knowledge Bowl A Team took first place in a varsity competition held at Skyview on Jan. 13. The Skyview B Team took third. Columbia River was among the 12 other teams who competed. Columbia River teams placed 5, 9 and 12 in the Clark County Metro League. The final competition is at Fort Vancouver, Feb. 10. After that there is a regional competition in Longview, followed by a state competition in Tri-Cities.

• Amy George, Jonathan Herman, Rebecca Leong and Taylor Remsing of Columbia River High School and Lawrence Espinoza and Joseph Rojan of Hudson’s Bay High School were selected to participate in phase one of the Washington Aerospace Scholars Program. Through this program they will compete for a spot in the Summer Residency Program at The Museum of Flight in Seattle.

• Fort Vancouver horticulture students raised $500 during their winter wreath sale. The students decided to donate $150 of their earnings to a Life Skills class at Fort and $150 to Heifer International. The money given to Heifer International will provide a goat and honeybees to a family in a developing country enabling them to establish a business and provide food for themselves. “I thought it was great how eager my students were to donate our money to different organizations,” said teacher Amy Sidran. The Fort students also built raised garden beds for low-income families in the local community.

• Vancouver Public Schools transportation department received special recognition from Educational Service District 112 for having high scores on school bus inspections. The award was given after ESD 112 Regional transportation department reviewed the results from Washington State Patrol school bus inspections for 2009.

• Vancouver Public Schools records department received a $10,000 grant from the Office of the Secretary of State. This grant will fund projects that improve the preservation and management of records. School board minutes and resolutions from the last 122 years will be archived.

• The Hudson’s Bay gymnastics team earned the distinguished WIAA Scholastic Award.

• The Columbia River girls soccer team, recent state champions, placed in the top 15 high schools for the NSCAA National Rankings for Region 6.

• Skyview High School Cheerleaders placed sixth in the small varsity category of the WIAA State Cheerleading Championships. Hudson’s Bay High School Cheerleaders placed eighth in the non-tumbling category.

Certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is the highest ranking for K-12 teachers. Teachers go through a rigorous application process that includes cataloging and videotaping their teaching experiences, creating portfolios, and passing tests.

“These teachers are stars. They have demonstrated the highest levels of competence,” said Superintendent Steve Webb. “I truly believe that teaching is the most important profession. Our students are fortunate to be able to learn from the best.”

2009 National Board Certified Teachers
Pictured left to right: Lisa Phillips, Thomas Jefferson; Constance Hogan, Peter S. Ogden; Maighain Proulx, McLoughlin; Jennifer Blechschmidt, community/family resource centers; David Conditt, Discovery; Ann Medellin, VSAA and Thomas Jefferson; Jessica Gadzinski, McLoughlin; Katie Arkoosh, McLoughlin; Rose Treacy, Fruit Valley; Jami Phelps, Fruit Valley; and Shelly Sundal-Wilkerson, Felida. Not pictured: Moira Armen, Hough and Lake Shore; Myke Pace, Alki.