Inside our schools: North Pines Middle School getting ready for 60th anniversary

A little Cub pride is being sought this month to celebrate a 60th-year milestone for North Pines Middle School.

Principal Gordon Grassi wants to hear from former teachers, staff and administrators with memorabilia as well as those interested in attending a May 29 celebration at 6 p.m. It has been 60 years since the groundbreaking of North Pines in 1948.

Students and staff are planning A Celebration of Learning for current and former students, parents, faculty and anyone with ties to the Central Valley school. The gathering will feature student-prepared displays demonstrating their learning through the use of technology. Band, choir and drama students will perform, and the North Pines English Language Development students will celebrate their ethnic backgrounds.

Organizers will offer cake and refreshments. In addition, the school will recognize and welcome former teachers, staff and administrators in attendance. The school secured a $1,000 Community Outreach Grant from the Washington Education Association Eastern Washington Council to purchase materials and supplies for the event.

To help, contact Grassi at 228-5022 or ggrassi@cvsd.org.

Science on wheels hits local schools

Visiting displays from the Pacific Science Center arrived this past week at Spokane Valley schools. The center’s Rock and Roll and Engineering vans made local stops as part of its Science on Wheels program.

On Monday, the mobile Rock and Roll science van came to Broadway Elementary, allowing students to study earthquakes, volcanoes and geology. The exhibits also had kids studying the tracks of a dinosaur, the difference between a rock and a fossil and how to test rocks for radioactivity.

At East Valley Middle School on Monday, the “Engineering” van allowed students to design, test and redesign while exploring the world of gears, machines, buildings and circuits. The day included a school assembly, classroom lessons and hands-on exhibits.

Contest encourages going TV-free

At Trent Elementary, counselor Larry Snider has organized a Turn-Off TV Week with contests for students to participate in Monday through Sunday.

This is the third year the school has launched the program now offering daily prizes from books to games. The overall winning classes for primary and intermediate levels will get to have parties. All students who participate the entire week also get to enjoy a root beer float celebration.

The contest includes a graph in the school’s front entry showing the progress of each class, and students will receive a list of 144 activities to do instead of watching TV. Jessica Cross, counseling intern, also helped plan the event.

Painted Hills names scholarship winners

Organizers recently selected 2008 Painted Hills Scholarship winners. Each student will receive a $1,500 scholarship toward college. This is the 18th year that Painted Hills Men’s and Ladies Clubs have sponsored this program.

The recipients include:

“Nick Piger, a CVHS senior, is a Chase Youth Award recipient and graduate of the 2007 Leadership Spokane program. A school and community leader, he has served on the mayor’s Student Advisory Council, in the CV LINK Crew as a mentor, and with DECA and Future Business Leaders of America. Piger is active in both club and high school soccer, winning team and state honors. He operates his own lawn mowing service and has volunteered for St. Vincent DePaul. With a 3.7 g.p.a., he plans to continue his education at Gonzaga University.

“Mark Hall has a 3.3 g.p.a. at West Valley High School and plans to begin studies at Spokane Community College, where he will specialize in education and complete his degree at Eastern Washington University before entering the teaching field. Hall stayed active as a student body leader in the DECA. He is also an athlete and was a co-captain on the varsity football team.

“Jenna Raymond, Valley Christian High School, has a passion for the piano and will study music at EWU. She has won numerous honors as a piano player and also participates in golf and volleyball. Raymond was selected as one of four individuals in summer 2006 as INETS Ambassador to Japan, where she spent two weeks as a representative of the United States and the INETS company. She maintains a 3.96 g.p.a..

“Melissa Mauro, from WVHS, is an outstanding athlete in volleyball, basketball and track. She has numerous awards as a participant and as a leader of her teams while maintaining a 3.6 g.p.a. and serving with ASB and National Honor Society. She attended Washington Student Leadership Camp for two years and volunteered for numerous church and community activities. She will attend the University of Montana this fall.

“Chase Baxter plans to attend Spokane Community College for one year following his graduation from WVHS. He will also be enrolled in an internship program with his church’s youth pastor and take correspondence courses. He plans to continue his education at Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash., to obtain a degree in General Ministries and a minor in Business Administration. His involvement includes class offices, city of Spokane Valley Student Advisory Council, DECA, National Honor Society and LINK crew leader. He is also a varsity tennis player and has a 3.7 g.p.a.