Equestrian Team Shines Again!

Washougal HS Equestrian Team had another very successful competition last weekend. 

As a result of last week’s efforts, a total of three of the riders have now qualified for State by placing in the top three at two Meets.  They are seniors Emily Carroll (Poles), Missy Knapp (Reining) and freshman Shelby Valaer from King's Way Christian School (Saddle Seat).  The third Meet is April 22-24 where additional riders will ride for qualifying  scores. 

Senior, Emily Carroll placed in the Top Ten in all events she competed in this weekend.  This is a huge accomplishment and a first for a Washougal rider.

If you are interested in seeing the team in action, check out the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zuE0-JRyFQ

Competition Results

1st

Chandler Audette and Fee (Felicia) Harrison – Team Sorting

2nd

Missy Knapp – Reining (Qualified for State)

Shelby Valaer – Saddle Seat (Qualified for State)

Emily Carroll – Key Hole

 3rd

Emily Carroll – Poles (Qualified for State)

 4th

Missy Knapp, Braman Warren, Rachel Nelson, Fee (Felicia) Harrison – Team Canadian Flags

Megan Townsend – Saddle Seat

Fee Harrison – Barrels

Emily Carroll and Missy Knapp – Team Sorting

 
5th

Emily Carroll – Figure 8

Emily Carroll, Missy Knapp, Rachel Nelson, Tenley Stedman, Shelby DeLong, Maddy Kitchen, Nina Pawelzick – Drill Team

Emily Carroll – Individual Flags

Braman Warren and Rachel Nelson – Team Sorting

6th

Shelby Valaer - Trail

Missy Knapp – Figure 8

7th

Emily Carroll and Goose Rogers – Team Bi-rangle

Maddy Kitchen – Reining

Chandler Audette – Figure 8

Mattie Olson, Shelby Valaer, Tenley Stedman, Megan Townsend – In-hand Obstacle Relay

8th

Nina Pawelzick – Reining

9th

Chandler Audette and Fee (Felicia) Harrison – Team Bi-rangle

10th

Shelby Valaer – Showmanship

Shelby Valaer – Huntseat

Emily Carroll – Barrels

Robotics Wins Seattle Regional Competition!

The FIRST Robotics Team 2471 (Team Mean Machine) composed of students from Washougal, Camas, Hockinson and Hayes Freedom did an absolutely amazing thing this weekend....they dominated over 100 teams on their way to winning the regional competition.

Team 2471....THE CHAMPIONS!

Team 2471 Washougal HS team members

 They won eight of nine matches during the preliminary rounds which left them ranked 1st. During the quarter-, semi- and finals they held strong to become the Seattle Regional Champions.  As a result of winning the regional competition, Team 2471 has qualified the World Championships in St. Louis the last weekend of April. Before that, however, they have one more competition this weekend at the Portland Regional Competition. If you have time and want to witness the spectacle that is a robotics competition, come down to the Memorial Coliseum on Friday or Saturday (3/25-3/26) from about 9:30am-4pm.


You won't be disappointed. You can also see it by streaming video online somewhere at www.usfirst.org<http://www.usfirst.org>  <http://www.usfirst.org> .


Team 2471 was also awarded by the judges the Industrial Design for Engineering Award sponsored by General Motors which "celebrates form and function in an efficiently designed machine that effectively achieves the game challenge."




Team 2471 or Team Mean Machine has improved each year over the last four years.  The very first year, Team Mean Machine was a CHS team only.  The second year, four WHS students joined the team.  Listed below you will see all of the student members of the team.  Along with the students, are the mentors. Team 2471 has absolutely incredible mentors.  The dedication, hard work and long, long hours by the mentors and students is commendable and obviously paid off....REGIONAL CHAMPIONS!

The Amazing Mentors

Camas:                           Washougal:                         Hockinson:            Hayes Freedom:
Hans Cocks                  Patrick McCarthy               Keefe Koenig        Kelsey Hayes
Andrea Saechao          TJ Houze                              Isabella Koenig
Natalie Janson            Anna Kellogg
Henry Midles              Jarred Freeman
Jordan Mazi                 Carolin Scheibel
James Wasson            Jacob Wright
Catherine Le                Riley Taylor
Brett Johnson             Romney Kellogg (CCMS)
Kurt Johnson
Griffen Gorsuch
Nicholas Thornley
Zachary Spratt
Victor Zhang 
Jongkon Khommonthian  

Reading & Writing HSPE Completed

The Reading and Writing HSPE are now complete!  Friday, March 18 we will be going back to our normal schedule.  The next HSPE test is April 12.....it will be the Science HSPE which will only be for 10th graders.

If your student missed either the Reading or Writing HSPE, their next opportunity is this summer at Washougal HS.  August 8 & 9 will be the Writing HSPE and August 10 will be the Reading HSPE.  If you want to know more about the HSPE dates or the HSPE in general please go to the OSPI website at http://www.k12.wa.us/ and visit the assessment tab or call 954-3100 and we will answer your questions.

As mentioned earlier, April 12 we will be giving the Science HSPE.  Our scores the last two years have increased about 10% each year.  Last year we had 53.1% of our students meet standard on the Science HSPE.  I am not sure there are many schools in the state who have shown such an increase.  Our goal this year is to have 60% of our students meet standard.  If you are interested in finding out more about the Science HSPE, please visit http://www.k12.wa.us/TeacherResourceTool2009-10/Science/HighSchool.aspx.  The state has provided a great deal of information about the test.

Rotary Scholar of the Month

Rotary Scholar of the Month for March:  Justice Rosales

Justice Rosales was selected as the Camas Washougal Rotary Scholar of the Month for March 2011.  Justice is a sophomore at Washougal High School and has a 3.839 GPA.  Justice’s Spanish teacher, Rochelle Aiton says Justice “studies hard and enjoys what he’s doing” and adds that he “has a consistent dedication to doing top-quality work.”  Justice is described by English teacher Sheila Good as “highly intelligent and very capable.”  Justice is a very industrious student, and works hard in all his classes.  His World Geography teacher Scott Boothby praises Justice as “hard working, always volunteering during discussions and exhibiting a positive attitude.”  Congratulations Justice Rosales!

HSPE Update

Writing Day II is officially over.  So far, HSPE-2011 has gone well.  We had a number of students who continued working into the afternoon on their writing assessment.  Thursday, March 17 is the HSPE Reading test which begins at 7:55 am.  We are expecting all 9th graders to attend in the morning just as we have Tuesday and Wednesday, March 14 & 15.

Tuesday, April 12 will be the HSPE Science test.  We will run a similar schedule.  9th graders will be expected to attend along with all of the 10th graders who will be taking the  science test.  11th & 12th graders will not be expected to attend.  If 11th and 12th graders must ride the bus, they are certainly welcome to be at school, but will be reserved to the library and W.G.I.L. (computer lab).

Any 10th or 11th grade student who has not taken the HSPE will need to do so August 8-11 at WHS.  The time will be announced sometime in June.  Parents will be able to register their student this spring.

If you have any questions about the HSPE or our schedule, please contact the main office at 954-3100.

HSPE & Forecasting Week

2011 HSPE Writing Goal and Reading Goal - 90% students will meet proficiency 

Our first HSPE day (Writing Day 1) went very well.  The majority of our 10th graders were at school on time and appeared to take the test seriously, as they should because it is a graduation requirement! Any 10th or 11th graders who were not at school this morning and needed to be can take the Writing HSPE during summer HSPE which is August 8 & 9 at WHS.  Writing Day II will begin Wednesday morning at 7:55 am.  Reading takes only one day, Thursday, March 17.

During the morning periods, 9th graders forecasted for the 2011-12 school year during their science classes.  10th graders forecasted in the afternoon during their English classes.  In addition to forecasting 9th and 10th graders took an online survey in which they responded to questions about the effectiveness of Panther Time.  If time remained, we asked them to complete their educational plan within Career Cruising (careercruising.com).

Wednesday, March 16 will be HSPE Writing Day II and those 9th and 10th grade students who did not forecast will do so.  If you have any questions about the HSPE schedule for the next two days, please contact the office 954-3100.  If you have questions about your student forecasting for the 2011-12 school year, please contact your child's counselor.

Parents who are interested in sharing their thoughts about Panther Time, please do so at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BZTQ8Z7HM/.  If you are unable to access the survey, please go to the WHS website where you will find the link to the Parent Survey.

6th Annual Japanese Festival at Washougal High School

The 6th Annual Japanese Festival was a treat for all who attended.

Click here to view a video of the Monmouth Taiko Drummers

The 6th Annual Japanese Festival hosted by Washougal High School and organized by Shoko Fuchigami and several of her WHS & JMS Japanese students was a treat for all who watched.  Those in attendance enjoyed many performances which included a Kendo demonstration, The Minidoka Swing band, Yasuko Fields, Angel Mirabilis, The Monmouth Taiko Drummers and the WHS & JMS Japanese students.

The WHS community wants to thank all of the performers and the individuals who attended this year's festival. 

Press on picture to view video

Additional Information

The Minidoka Swing Band was formed in 2007 by Roberta Tsuboi and Marilyn Loy to encourage youth to remember the perseverance and accomplishments of those who were interned at U.S. Internment Camps during World War II.  The Minidoka Pilgrimage in 2008 enabled the Minidoka Swing Band and Unite People Youth Group to visit and experience first hand a Japanese American Internment Camp.  A lot of the youth that were a part of the initial group have moved on to college and have had to leave the band, but the band continues its mission to educate everyone about the sacrifices and selfless efforts of Japanese-Americans during WWII.  Music was an important part of life during the internment period and this kind of entertainment helped the internees cope during this trying time.

Yasuko Fields has qualified to receive a teaching certificate from the Miyagikai Koto School. She began studying the Okoto (stringed musical instrument) at the age of 8. She married Ray Fields and moved to McMinnville., Oregon in 1990.

Miyoko Maeda is a Grand Master of the Somei Ongakukai Koto School.  She has taught and played the Koto in Japan for more than 40 years, since 1956. During those years, she has performed in Prague (the Czech Republic), in Brisbane (Australia), and at Carnegie Hall in New York as a musical ambassador of friendship between Japan and these countries.

Monmouth Taiko performs traditional Japanese drumming music called Taiko. The group was started in 1995 by Koichi Ando, the Director of International Students in Western Oregon University, and Todd Wilson, a community member.  As a performance group, Monmouth Taiko now reaches out to a wide audience; from the Roseburg and Grants Pass Obon festivals to the Madras "Collage of culture".

http://www.washougal.k12.wa.us/whs/whs-japanese-festival-3-2011.MOV