Students Raise Cash, Spread Cheer Around

Cheney students got into the holiday spirit a bit early this year.

Reid Elementary students and parents have raised more than $1,000 selling European cypress trees for $5 each. Rather than keep the money at the school, they’ve chosen to play Santa to several local causes.

One third of the money will go to the Cheney Food Bank and another third will go to purchase children’s boots for the Cheney clothing bank.

The remaining third will be divided among three programs: the Betz Elementary Computer Camp, the Cheney School Supply Fund and the Park-N-Rec Fund.

The camp and park funds provide scholarships for Cheney families who can’t foot the entire bill to attend the programs’ activities. The school supply fund is to help families purchase basic back-to-school goods, such as pencils and notebooks.

“The children learned that it’s all of our responsibility to help our neighbors,” said principal Joseph Mirich, who got in on the act by selling trees at a local restaurant and moving an orchard’s worth in just one hour.

Medical Lake Schools get wired

Medical Lake middle and high schools this week became the first schools in the county with access to Spokane County Library District’s computer system.

Students can use their school libraries to search the catalog for holdings in all nine county libraries. Online placement of requests for materials will be available next year.

The library district installed two PCs in the high school and one in the middle school, networked with other school libraries and linked to the school district through the Internet.

During the first half of next year, similar installations will be made in more than 30 schools in 11 other county districts, said library district director Mike Wirt.

By the end of next year, students in every junior and senior high school in Spokane County will have access to county library resources, he said.

The project is funded by the district’s $7.7 million capital improvement program approved in the February 1996 election.

Math’s cool - especially when you’re a champ

The following South Side students earned top individual honors for their school in the recent Math is Cool Championships, sponsored by the Lewis and Clark High School Math Team.

Sixth/Seventh Grade:

Christine Beamer, Hutton Elementary James Chatham, Sacajawea Middle School

Becky House, Cataldo School

Eighth Grade:

Katie Gillum, Cataldo School

Oksana Zhukov, Sacajawea Middle School

, DataTimes MEMO: The Education Notebook is a regular feature of the South Side Voice. Please let us know about interesting programs and activities, and the achievements of students, teachers, administrators, staff and volunteers at schools on Spokane’s South Side and in Cheney, Medical Lake and the Liberty School District. Contact Amy Scribner, South Side Voice, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Or call 459-5439. Fax 459-5482.