Reverse job fair planned for students

Sat., April 15, 2006

Treva Lind Correspondent

Valley high school students will get to test-drive career options during an upcoming reverse job fair.

Adult volunteers from various businesses are welcome to participate.

The Spokane Valley Reverse Job Fair is an opportunity for dozens of selected high school students to display their portfolios and discuss careers with business professionals. It will be held April 26 from 10 a.m. to noon in CenterPlace at Mirabeau Point, 2426 N. Discovery Place.

Working adults will visit with students about their own career path, review resumes and share knowledge about the world of work to help the transition from high school to work. More than 75 students from Central Valley, East Valley, Freeman, University and West Valley and Freeman high schools are expected to participate.

“The Reverse Job Fair is a great experience for kids to connect with business leaders in the community,” explained Morgan Jones, a Central Valley district learning specialist and an event organizer.

Students are considering a variety of career choices this year, including medical and dental health care, culinary arts, technology, cosmetology, real estate, automotive, food service, retail, graphic design and photography.

Event contributors include the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, Yoke’s Fresh Market, Educational Service District 101 and Graphics by Lucero. Organizers include educators and specialists from the Valley school districts and Freeman.

Business professionals interested in sharing their experiences with students are urged to call 924-4994 or bring a friend, co-worker or boss along to the Reverse Job Fair.

DREAM Award winners named

Several people who encourage diversity in schools received awards last month.

The eighth annual Central Valley School District Diversity “DREAM” Awards were presented March 20 during a celebration with a musical performance by the Greenacres Middle School sixth-grade choir. Eleven honorees were selected by a panel of community judges from among 22 people nominated for the 2005-06 DREAM Award.

Districtwide DREAM Award winners included students Zachary Brown, University High, and Courtney Ramsey, Horizon Middle School.

Staff award recipients were Progress Elementary teacher Jeff Wallingford, Central Valley High School teacher Earnie Tate and English language development specialist Natasha Gerasimchuk.

The six-person Greenacres Middle School diversity team of Martha Bayle, Pat Dempsey, Nathan LeBret, Janet Mosby, Charleen Steele and Joe Whitson also received an award.

WV students excel at math event

West Valley students earned successes at the fifth-grade Math Is Cool event at Mt. Spokane High School on March 31. Teams from Orchard Center, Ness, Pasadena Park and City School participated.

The high scoring individuals from each school were: Orchard Center – Jorge Dowler; Ness – Connor Gore; Pasadena Park – Ben Shannon; and City School - Gail Gallaher.

In addition, Shannon scored eighth place overall out of more than 400 fifth-graders, and Gallaher received the trophy for first overall on the individual tests.

The Pasadena Park team earned second place and is eligible to send a team on to the masters event in May.

EVMS students aid Leukemia Society

East Valley Middle School students collected $1,695 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in March. The top three classes bringing in donations were those of teachers Jack Brownson, Craig Hanson and Mike McGowan.

In addition, about 160 EVMS students are working in teams of three or four reading books for the second annual Name that Book Contest. Teams compete byanswering questions about the 10 books included in the contest that starts on May 1.

Another reading bonus is happening with Reading Counts, a program from Scholastic books in which students earn points for the books they read by taking quizzes on the computer. During the first trimester of this year, EVMS students passed 1,435 quizzes, and in the second trimester, 1,582 quizzes.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.