Skyview Elementary receives patriot award
The staff and students at Skyview/Continuous Curriculum Elementary in the East Valley School District received the “My Boss is a Patriot Award,” from the Employer Support of the National Guard and Reserve in a surprise ceremony March 16.
The school was nominated by teacher Colleen Piehl. She said when her husband Maj. Doug Piehl was deployed to Iraq in the Army Reserves, he made one request of everyone at the school: “Please take care of her.”
Maj. Piehl was deployed in September 2009. Since then, his wife said, the staff has provided encouragement, support, cards and presents. The students have written letters to Maj. Piehl, and he answered each one.
“My husband has mentioned over and over how his task is much easier knowing that I am in good hands,” Colleen Piehl said in her nomination.
DECA doings
• West Valley High School will celebrate DECA week Monday through Friday this week.
DECA students will spread the word about the benefits of participating in the organization. Events include lunch hour competitions, handing out promotional material, putting up posters and hosting informational booths with students in DECA who will answer questions.
• Central Valley High School DECA students recently competed at the State Career Development competition in Bellevue.
Students who finished in the top 10 of their categories include: Hannah Damiano, third place in entrepreneurship participating, franchise; Ashleigh Seely, eighth place in entrepreneurship participating, franchise; Ashley Rennick, Allison Burdick and Christian Koch, eighth place in international business plan; Derek Oakshott, Joseph Guerrinha and James Notrica, ninth place in international business plan; Ryan Nungester, Austin Parker and Courtney Stokesbary, 10th place in international business plan; and Savannah Rutter, top 10 subcategory in quick-service restaurant.
Students qualifying at the International Career Development Conference in Florida next month include: Kaitlin Wulf, Connor Stephenson and Spencer Stephenson, fifth place in learn and earn; Michael Barnhart, third place in entrepreneurship promotion; and Roni Dringle, Kendra Reilly and Barnhart, seventh place in chapter awards project.
Barnhart was the winner of the regional Dollars and Sense Personal Finance Challenge.
Student kudos
• Parker Culton of Greenacres Elementary School in the Central Valley School District has won the Washington State PTA Reflections Outstanding Interpretation Award in film production.
Culton’s project, “Together We Can … Get Dogs Adopted,” will be entered in the national competition.
The Reflections Contest is held by PTAs around the country to keep the arts alive in schools.
• Christina Correll, a 2007 graduate of Central Valley High School, has won a $2,500 scholarship through the Lucille Christ Undergraduate Fellowship.
Correll attends Eastern Washington University and is studying social work.