Principal suggests change in school conferences

The Wahkiakum School Board met November 24 to hear principal and superintendent reports.

Wahkiakum High School Principal Loren Davis reported 65 athletes have turned out for winter sports; that breaks down to about 41 percent of the student body.

Counselor Nancy Renner organized a guest speaker from the Portland and Seattle Art Institutes November 19. Over 130 of the students from the high school and middle school learned about careers in the arts and how to go about training for those careers, Davis said.

This year’s Financial Aid Night was better attended than last year. Buzz Goreman from Lower Columbia College came to speak to parents and students regarding college funding.

The annual Winter Music Concert featuring the middle school and high school musicians will be on Thursday, December 11 at 7 p.m. in the high school gym.

Julius A. Wendt Elementary/John C. Thomas Middle School Principal Theresa Libby told the board the recent parent/teacher conferences went well with a 95 percent attendance rate with elementary parents. It dropped for 7th and 8th graders.

Next year, Libby said, instead of doing conferences in two afternoons from noon until 3 p.m., teachers are considering staying from noon until 7:30 p.m. and would leave early the following Friday.

Instead of having an overnight Cispus trip for the 5th grade, Libby said it had been suggested by staff to spend a few days at Vista Park doing many of the same activities they would at the overnight trip. “It would save us a lot of money in the long run to be able to do it right here locally,” she said.

Superintendent Bob Garrett told the board he was pleased that attendance is up 14 students since September.

Two months into the school year, the budget is on track. Although things are currently fiscally fine, Garrett said, “That’s not to say we aren’t trying to find ways to cut costs.”

The next school board meeting will be December 18 at 7 p.m.