Naselle school board has reports, resignations

The Naselle School Board met April 21 to discuss a variety of topics.

Naselle-Grays River Valley High School Assistant Principal Jon Tienhaara told the board he would be taking a group of sophomores to the Seattle/Bellingham area May 1, 2 and 3 to tour colleges, including the Art Institute of Seattle and Western Washington University.

Thanks to the GEAR-UP grant, Tienhaara and three parents will take around 20 students to look at the schools. The program is successful because of the staff, “we couldn’t do any of this without them,” he said.

In other business, the board accepted the resignations of girl’s basketball coach Robert Torppa and computer technician Tom Thompson.

NGRV Principal Karen Wirkkala told the board she and her staff have opted to put off any learning material purchases for the 2009-10 school year until they have a firmer idea where the budget stands.

Campus improvement projects will be taking place this summer, including recoating the gym floor and resealing the black top in the student parking area. Superintendent Alan Bennett said camp crews will be used for the labor intensive projects. Rather than hire help, it would be nice to help the students, he said.

Wirkkala said the high school was selected as one of US News and World Report's "Best Schools Across the Country." Selected from more than 21,000 public high schools in the country, they earned “bronze criteria,” which means the school met the qualifying performance criteria for the size and enrollment.

Student led parent/teacher conferences will be held in late May or early June for students in grades 7-11. These meetings will be scripted so the kids know what to say, Tienhaara said. A firm date of the conferences will be scheduled soon.

Naselle Youth Camp Principal Lisa Nelson said a recent survey of student desires` showed that a large percentage of the kids would like to earn high school credit. The second on the list was physical education. “They all want P.E. Even if they work all day, they still want P.E. at night too,” she said. Other high-on-the-list wants included outdoor work and access to the library.