Education notebook: Spokane Public Schools to hold meeting on vaping

Spokane Public Schools will host a vaping prevention symposium, “Cutting Through the Vapor: The Reality of Vaping,” on Nov. 21, 5-8 p.m. at North Central High School.

The event will feature speakers from the district as well as Spokane Regional Health District, NEWESD 101 and the Washington Poison Center. The speakers will be joined by SPS students who are involved in leading peer conversations about vaping.

The event begins with a community partner resource fair followed by presentations and breakout sessions, opened by North Central High Principal Steve Fisk.

The symposium is in reaction to the increased vaping in middle schools and high schools over the past year and will include information on the potential health problems of vaping, solutions for prevention in schools and local survey results on student use. The event is open to students, parents and community members.

Riverside school board

honored for its work

The Riverside board of directors was recently selected for the Washington State Board of Distinction.

The Riverside board is the only one selected from the Spokane area out of 34 selected throughout the Washington.

The board members are President Brandi Maynard, Vice President Bob Carroll, Gary Vanderholm, Sandra Huggins and Scott Ellsworth. They were recognized for working with school and district leaders to improve student outcomes and address diminishing achievement and opportunity gaps.

The Boards of Distinction program is awarded by the Washington State School Director’s Association.

Medical Lake band teacher receives Hage award

Craig Johnson, the band teacher for Medical Lake School District’s middle school and high school, was the recent recipient of the Carolyn Hage Nunemaker Music Teacher Appreciation Award for his contributions to music education, programs and youth. The award is given by the Spokane Youth Symphony.

Lakeside Middle School earns power rebate after upgrade

Lakeside Middle School was the recent recipient of a power rebate from Inland Power and Light because of its HVAC upgrade constructed June through August of 2018, which included the installation of a new roof on the school.