Broadway Elementary students study skeletons

Broadway Elementary students recently explored skeletons and other science relating to the human body.

The Pacific Science Center from Seattle brought its traveling Science on Wheels Program to the Spokane Valley school last week. Students saw hands-on “Blood and Guts” exhibits, completed a model of a human skeleton, explored cells with a microscope and compared the anatomy of animals and humans.

In fifth-grade teacher Mark Dickeson‘s class, Pacific Science Center instructor Ben Schneider led one of many classroom explorations about bones.

“Why do we have bones?” Schneider asked, to which a student answered, “So we won’t be blobs.”

Other students added that bones help people move and support body structure.

“We’re going to do two big projects,” Schneider said. “First we’re going to put some skeletons together, fake ones, and then if you do that responsibly, we’ll put together some real skeletons of real animals.”

Classmates Nate Moore, Jonathan Jewell, Forrest Rogers and Ian Hicks later worked together to assemble skeletal pieces from a dog.

“Everybody likes dogs,” said Rogers as the team examined the bones. “Are these for a smaller dog? I think these are the legs, aren’t they bigger?”

After completing a skeleton of a cat, Keisha Webster said she learned an important fact off the instructions. “I learned that cats can fit through any space they can fit their heads through.”

Added teammate Charlee Armstrong, “It was fun. I thought a cat had a lot less bones.”

Other students worked on skeletons for a monkey, cougar and an opossum.

In another room behind the gym, classes took turns at different tables displaying exhibits. One table had a light screen and X-ray pictures of legs, arms and hands.

“You can get nails or something in your body,” said first-grader Hannah Mayers, while looking at an X-ray showing screws in an ankle.

Another group worked together to match a model of a human skeleton to pictures of bones on a carpet.

First-grader Braden Brumbaugh pointed to a mid-section. “This is where the stomach is,” he said.

“We’re learning about our bodies,” said Destiny Zumwalt, a first-grader. “We’re learning about our bones, and it’s really cool.”

Kathryn Clark receives journalism award

Kathryn Clark, a University High School senior, received an Edward R. Murrow Award at an April 10 Washington State University ceremony in Pullman.

The WSU-Edward R. Murrow School of Communication annually recognizes outstanding high school students in journalism. Clark, a photography student and a photographer for the VOX edition of The Spokesman-Review, was awarded a first-place photography award. She plans to study fine arts at the University of Oregon after graduation.

CVHS teacher nominated for EOU award

Freshmen honor students at Eastern Oregon University have nominated 29 educators from across the Northwest to receive 2006 Inspirational Teacher Awards.

EOU students maintaining dean’s list standing in the fall term can nominate a teacher who influenced them on their road to higher education and academic excellence.

Central Valley High School graduate Selena Leavitt nominated Chuck Bowden, history teacher, for the award. The university presents the awards annually, recognizing teachers who have encouraged and modeled the importance of higher education to their students.

Freeman students compete in state FBLA

Earlier this month, 12 members of Freeman High School’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter attended the 2007 State FBLA Leadership Conference in downtown Spokane.

Competing from Freeman were Katie Casto (Public Speaking II and Impromptu Speaking); Stephanie Watson (Job Interview and Emerging Business Issues); Audrey Fish (Creed and Business Math), Anthony Emtman (Technology Concepts and Intro to Tech Concepts); Isaac Hamilton (Desktop Publishing and Business Communications); Hannah Lally (Emerging Business Issues and FBLA Principles and Procedures), Cameron Moore (Desktop Publishing and Intro to Business), Megan Primmer (Entrepreneurship and Business Law), Stacy Sainsbury (Accounting I and Entrepreneurship), Greta Underhill (Business Calculations and Public Speaking I), Leah Willard (Intro to Business Communications and Marketing), and Taryn Wingett (Entrepreneurship and Economics).

All 12 members finished high in their competitions. Hamilton and Moore (team event Desktop Publishing) took second place at state and qualified for Nationals. They, along with adviser Scott Moore, will head to Chicago this summer for the 2007 National FBLA Conference.

CVHS students earn FBLA awards

Twenty-three Central Valley High School members of the Future Business Leaders of America also attended the 2007 State FBLA Leadership Conference in Spokane. The following students received awards in their events: team of Nic Morden and Alicia Bird: third place in business graphics; team of Mikala Locnikar and Gavin Johnson: fifth place in desktop publishing and fifth place in management decision making; Andrea Avenger: third place in local chapter annual business report and third place in Who’s Who in FBLA; team of Tony Kanago and Pete Knowlton: third place in network design; and Tony Kanago: second place in networking concepts.

The CVHS FBLA Chapter also received the Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit. This award recognizes outstanding local chapters that have prepared an annual business report and actively participated in projects and programs identified with the goals of FBLA.

WVHS band students honored

Two West Valley High School band students received the following awards at the Jazz Unlimited Festival at Columbia Basin College in Pasco on April 14. Krystal McCarthy was selected Outstanding Drum Soloist (Jazz Band) and Samantha Rancourt as Outstanding Trumpet Soloist (Jazz Band).

The West Valley High School Wind Ensemble performed well at the recent Eastern Washington Music Educators Association Festival. The group received a superior rating in performance and superior plus rating in sight reading.

WVHS Dance Team earns awards at state competition

The WVHS Dance Team won first place in “Pom” at a recent state competition in Yakima.

The 2007 State 2A Pom champs include Britt Anderson, Olivia Bergman, Darby Moore, Jessica Peterson, Lauren Fiedler, Renee Prichard, Maria Bensler, Corri Woods, Stephanie Guttromson, Amanda Edens (captain), Sarah Steele, Annika Swanson, Katie McLeod, Louise Zahller, Lacey Leckman, Hailey Warren, Lexi Buchholz, Savanah Atabelo, Jessica Ray, Megan Riley, Kylie Stein, Victoria Phelan, Jenny Gudgel (captain), Jodee Cahalan (adviser), Lexi Spies and Peyton Boone (captain).

Also at state, the WVHS team placed second in 2A dance and third in 2A hip-hop.