Grant will help launch CV alumni association
A project to form a Central Valley High School alumni association got a jump-start with a $14,300 grant.
Organizers of the plan are members of the Central Valley Activities Foundation that formed four years ago to support the high school’s activities and programs. The foundation holds fundraisers each year, including a golf tournament, and the proceeds are turned over to school groups ranging from leadership to football programs.
One of the group’s goals was to launch an alumni association for CVHS graduates, but it lacked the money to gather and maintain contact information. The group applied for and won the grant from Spokane-based Foundation Northwest, which strives to foster vibrant and sustainable communities in the Inland Northwest.
The grant will cover costs for a database and regular newsletters to former CV students.
“We found a large contingent of Central Valley grads who were excited about the possibility of joining together to do good works and have fun at the same time,” said Dave Graham, CV foundation secretary and treasurer.
“When we realized that there was no general database or a way to contact all these people, then it became a very expensive project. Foundation Northwest has awarded our local CV Activities Foundation $14,300 to create the CV grad database and start a newsletter to those Bear alumni.”
The CV Activities Foundation did some research and estimates that about 11,000 CV alumni graduated after 1960 and are reachable by direct mail.
“The next step is to trace them all down and create a mailing database,” said Graham. “You don’t have to be a CV grad to be interested in Central Valley High School. This is going to be a fun project, and we can use your help.”
Graham said the CV alumni association will be a separate organization from the CV Foundation, which will continue its role as a nonprofit fundraising group with several members who are supporters of the school but not necessarily CV alumni.
Those who are interested in this project can e-mail Graham at david508@ptera.net or send a note to 508 Shoreline Drive, Liberty Lake, WA 99019.
EVHS junior wins art award
East Valley High School junior Christine Strong has won a state “Best of Show” art award for her pastel self-portrait.
Strong traveled to an awards reception honoring winners in an annual Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction high school art competition. The reception was held in Olympia at OSPI headquarters, where Superintendent Terry Bergeson acknowledged art students throughout the state.
Strong won OSPI’s “Best of Show of Educational School District 101” for her pastel drawing. Christine’s mother, Janice Strong, and teacher, Pam Smith, joined her on the trip. They also visited Tacoma’s Glass Art Museum and did sea kayaking on Puget Sound.
“Christine is an exceptional artist and a joy to have in class,” Smith said.
Pioneer team takes first in Math is Cool
A Pioneer School team snatched an overall state first place among small division schools at last Saturday’s fourth-grade Math is Cool masters competition.
Immediately after winning, group members rushed from the math contest at Mt. Spokane High School to Trent Elementary’s theater 10 miles away to perform in the Missoula Children’s Theatre production, “The Jungle Book.”
The Pioneer team math winners are Austin Tran, Dilara Tezcan, Sam Bethmann and Kienan Scott. Tran also won the first-place individual award for Division II schools, and Bethmann took home a sixth-place individual trophy. Their coaches are Jack Benedetto, Tuan Tran and Kelly Scott.
Guests read at Trent Elementary
Trent Elementary promotes reading with a Community Reader Day each year.
Last week, organizers invited 18 guests to visit the school for reading sessions with young students. The adults also talked about how reading impacts their jobs.
Trent Elementary reading specialists Pam Timmer and Lorri Reilly invited community members such as Spokane Valley Fire Chief Mike Thompson, East Valley School District Superintendent Christine Burgess and Fairchild Air Force Base personnel.
Each person visits about two different classes for a short time in the morning.
“If they don’t have a book, we can suggest one,” Reilly said. “The students love it.”
Two seniors receive EVEA scholarships
The East Valley Education Association – a teachers union – has recognized two seniors this year as recipients of a $1,000 EVEA scholarship. They are Brittany Bergam and Nick Studebaker.
The awards were announced May 17.
Bergam plans to study at Gonzaga University, majoring in premedicine. A 2006 valedictorian, she maintained a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. She was selected as a Spokane Scholar for foreign languages and will receive the Foreign Language Medal as the outstanding senior in Spanish. She is active in Honor Society, Washington Drug Free Youth, LINK (a group helping incoming freshmen), as Spanish Club president, and with the Spokane Teen Advisory Council.
Studebaker plans to attend Eastern Washington University, studying chemistry, biology and other prepharmacy courses. He plans to transfer to WSU’s College of Pharmacy. He has performed with East Valley’s Strolling Strings for four years and was selected to go to State, playing the violin. Studebaker is involved with Honor Society and as vice president of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. He was also East Valley’s Spokane Scholar in the fine arts.