Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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The black-eyed pea is infamous in traditional American lore as representing luck and prosperity if consumed first on New Year's Day. Dating back to the American Civil War, one story shares that it is the substance that aided in the survival of Confederate troops during the bitter frigid winter of 1864. Other tales share that it was used to celebrate freedom as the emancipation proclamation gave liberty to those enslaved on New Year's Day. The South traditionally will serve “Hoppin’ John,” a dish of pork, black-eyed peas, and cornbread, to comme...
Students from John C Thomas Middle School had a career exploration opportunity on Friday Dec. 5. at the Clatsop Community College campus in Astoria. Tina Merz, teacher of the Career Exploration class, took fourteen students to learn about the potential of maritime career training. Students were given a tour of the campus as they learned about careers related to seafarers, vessel operations, and other maritime opportunities. Students gained an understanding of what it takes to get certified and how they can take higher education courses close to...
The proud winners of the annual Veterans Day Essay Contest were awarded a monetary gift and recognized by Veterans of Foreign Wars representatives Bill Tawater and Doug Schoppelrey. The winners from Julius A. Wendt Elementary and John C. Thomas Middle School had a special visit to their classrooms, and they were recognized with a check and certificate that recognized students for their impressive work and insightful essays. Elementary students wrote to the prompt “How Should Our Veterans Be Trea...
In this column we showcase the special education teachers who work tirelessly to encourage students to suceed. Each student has a different gift and special circumstance that impacts their learning. We offer kudos to our special education teaching team and the talents they offer our students. Shannon Smith Shannon Smith is a special education teacher at Julius A. Wendt Elementary and joins our team for the second year. She has sixteen years of experience in education, with eight years certified...
There is a gemstone growing in winter gardens, ready to harvest about Christmas time. The brussels sprout loves the cool weather the PNW offers and is growing happily while everything else is laying in dormancy or harvested, the brussels sprout continues to plump and develop as it soaks up the ideal climate. Brussels sprouts resemble a tiny cabbage and enjoy the same lineage, with leafy green edible buds. The were first cultivated in in the 13th century in Brussels, Belgium giving them their...
Speeches and candlelight celebrated the induction of six new members of the Wahkiakum High School chapter of the National Honor Society (WNHS) on Monday, December 6th, in the high school library. Each year, Wahkiakum sophomores, juniors, and seniors with at least a 3.25 accumulative GPA are invited to apply for admission in our local chapter. Applications reflect not only scholastic achievement, but the four pillars of the National Honor society: scholarship, service, leadership, and character....
The Wahkiakum School District Board of Education held its regular December meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The original agenda was amended to add an executive session and discussion on the pool information. The consent agenda was approved as submitted, which included regular payroll, vouchers, meeting minutes, supplemental contracts, and the second reading of the civil rights policy update. The old business was short, and the focus of discussion was on the child’s nutrition review with the upcoming January audit of the school nutrition program. ...
The Wahki Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), is an ambitious group of parents and school supporters that have come together to support students by filling the gaps for needs in the classroom, while offering exceptional support to literacy and other academic needs in the community. The PTO consists of parents, teachers and school volunteers. Leadership of the group consists of board members: Ashley Hilton, President; Chris Coleman, Vice President; Alice Coleman, Treasurer; and Lyndsey Hansen, Secretary. All are actively supportive parents in...
As crazy American traditions would have it, hanging a pickle on the Christmas Tree is a popular and bizarre ritual. It is connected to the German American folklore of receiving good fortune in the year to come and yielding an extra special gift under the tree to the lucky person with the keen sense to spot the prize. The tradition of the Christmas pickle ornament to German heritage has a variety of historical originations. One story credits a Bavarian soldier during the American Civil War for requesting a pickle while starving at battle, which...
The Wahkiakum School District Board of Education met for their monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 19th for a short, yet productive meeting. After welcoming guests and presenting the agenda, the trustees approved the consent agenda which included minutes and approval of the coaching staff of winter sports. The agenda was brief, reviewing necessary updates on grant work, maintenance, and administrative reports. Old business began with providing the status of the Apollo fire alarm systems being installed in the high school. This was followed by...
utumn sets the table as we give gratitude for the harvest and beauty around us. November provides a time of reflection to celebrate the fruits of our labor and is time of rest for nature and the gardener's soul. While the garden pace slacks, it is a time to think ahead as we enjoy all this year's season has provided up. Think of planting bulbs to prepare for their own seasonal show in a few months. Pruning dormant plants, planting evergreens and culling plants that do not fill our needs. It is time to be out and doing things as we tidy up and...
The foundational work of primary grades can never go unnoticed. It is the core structure and instruction that takes place in the beginning years of a child's education that lays the groundwork for student success. Wahkiakum School District has a trifecta of excellent teachers building that foundation for our students as they enter their educational career at JA Wendt Elementary. Meet the Kindergarten-1st grade team in this week's teacher feature. Karrin Stephens Karrin Stephens joined the JA...
An easily looked over fruit, cranberries are a staple ingredient in holiday baking placing Washington in the top five producing states for the tart fruit. Cranberries are noted as a festive addition to the Thanksgiving table and have more benefits than merely a side dish served with turkey. Cranberries are a native wild fruit in North America and became a staple in colonial diets, as native peoples were consuming wild cranberries, combining the crushed fruit with tallow and deer to make pemmican. The vitamin C in the fruit also hyelped fight...
The middle school leadership class at JC Thomas is learning about filling a need in the community while putting the focus on others with the holiday season approaching. For five years, Mrs. Badger’s Leadership class has organized a food drive to benefit the local food bank. She teaches her students that small acts can create a significant impact. The class of fourteen students has promoted the food drive to the middle and elementary school classrooms, encouraging them to donate to the food drive by creating a contest. Food items are given a p...
The Wahkiakum High School leadership class put together a heartfelt ceremony to honor our local veterans on Thursday, November 7th at the high school gym. Over ____ veterans were in attendance as the students from the high school and middle school paid tribute to their time as service men and women. The program kicked off with a robot parade created by Mrs. Olson’s 4th and 5th grade students. Robots were decorated in red, white, and blue and were programmed to create a heart shape formation as patriotic music played in the background. This ente...
The Wahkiakum School District Board of Education held their regular October meeting on the 22nd. The board, school administration and a few guests were present for the meeting. The meeting opened with public comment from cheerleading coach, Kaitlin Kincaid. She came to address the board about the exciting opportunities the cheer team has in starting competitions this winter. “The team has grown significantly over the last few years, from four to over sixteen. The squad is ready for the next level and to shine in their own world as a...
Student health and wellness is a focus of attention at Wahkiakum High School and finding ways to help students advocate for themselves is at the forefront of the student care package from an academic setting. For the third year in a row the community came together to provide an education on healthy living and resources for students and what services are available to them at the Health and Wellness Fair hosted by the district on Tuesday, October 22. Twelve booths were on display for high school...
Our teacher features this week shares teachers' passions beyond the classroom and their committed to the district by waking up early to commute long distances from Longview and Rainier to serve our students. Katie Baker came to Wahkiakum amidst pandemic learning as a student teacher, then became a full-time substitute and has been in the fourth-grade classroom for three years. When she was growing up her teachers had a strong impact on her, specifically Nicole Wilson and Carrie Badger. She knew...
A sea of orange dots the store fronts and porches in the communities and farm fields throughout the state as the love of pumpkin mania has grown to a $16 million dollar a year industry for the state of Washington (2023, USDA). The agtourism sector has jumped to astounding levels, much due to the love of the fall pumpkin harvest connected to the upcoming holiday, Halloween. Families flood the fields to pick their favorite pumpkins to use as art projects for their little goblins and goons. The pumpkin is one of the most versatile plants one may...
Jamie Cothren has been teaching 25 years. She taught one year in Montana prior to moving to Cathlamet. Mrs. Cothren is the 2nd grade teacher, but has taught Kindergarten, 1st,5th and Title/Lap as well. She loves to teach the "littles" of the community and see their excitement for school. "My why (for teaching) is promoting this excitement! I love fostering a love of learning." Cothren hopes to encourage curiosity in her students while nurturing their enthusiasm to build a relationship with...
The John C Thomas Middle School volleyball team wrapped up their 8-week season on October 9th with their last league championship game. This was a big year of growth and building for the team of 19 girls. With eight strong players moving to the freshman level of play this fall, and nine young 6th grade players to replace them, the season was about developing skills as an individual and learning to play as a team. The team struggled to pull out consecutive wins with a season record of 1-10 for...
Volunteers from the Wahkiakum Fire Department teamed up with Kyle Hurley's FFA program to provide a day of fire safety fun and learning at J a Wendt Elementary School Thursday, October 10th. Three stations gave interactive opportunities for students to learn about fire safety. The collaborative event was a tremendous success and is held annually to address the importance of fire safety with young people. A stop, drop and roll station hosted by Helen Lewis and Carra Tawater gave students...
As the leaves turn color and signs of fall paint the landscape with beautiful autumn tones, the gardener is reminded of the fateful end of the season coming near. With the number of to—dos to complete during harvest season, the top priority list should be to plant. Plant garlic that is! While we busy ourselves colleting the bounty of our labor, let us not forget to plan and prioritize the planting of a garden staple on that to do list. Garlic, a member of the allium family, needs a total of 240 days to mature when planted from cloves, however t...
Wahkiakum Mule Cheerleaders showed their spirit loud and proud representing the district at the UW Spirit Days, hosted by the University of Washington in Seattle. This took place during the UW vs. Northwestern football game on Saturday, September 21st. Cheer program participants that attended the Spirit Day event had a dance training session by their hosts, then choreographed their own dance based on the training experience. They performed both dances at the halftime show of the UW vs....
The bounty of a beautiful summer harvest of cucumbers is nearing its end; however, one can tap into summer in the midwinter months by enjoying a freshly pickled cuke to reminisce about the beautiful growing season. No one likes mushy pickles and finding the best tricks to preserve make the pickle pop with a crunch is easier than expected. Picking a variety of pickling cucumber is the best place to start, then picking them when they are small, and firm will yield the most optimal future crispers....
