5220 NW Parker Street, Camas, WA 98607
Phone: 360 833-5800 • Fax: 833-5801 • Attendance: 833-5806
http://schools.camas.wednet.edu/skyridge/
May 2015
From the Principal – Aaron J. Smith
Dear Skyhawk Families,
To say that May is a busy time of year at Skyridge would be an understatement. In addition to beginning our
state testing, our track season is in full swing, our young actors and musicians are getting ready for our production
of “Starmites”, and we are in the midst of our hiring season for the 2015-16 school year. Choosing new teachers
to work with our students is one of our paramount duties, of course. This is why we have our candidates teach an
entire period to a full classroom, in addition to the traditional interview. As part of the process, students are given
the opportunity to weigh in using a rubric to help us find the best fit possible. We have found adding this element
of student voice to be very helpful when making hiring decisions. Believe me, we have some very thoughtful,
honest, and insightful kids!
Speaking of great kids, I am pleased to share that Skyridge has once again been honored with a Washington
Achievement Award. This is the sixth consecutive year that Skyridge has been selected. Specifically, we are being
recognized for overall excellence, reading growth, and math growth. This is an extraordinary accomplishment and
is a direct reflection of the hard work of our students, the dedication of our teachers, and the support and
guidance of our parents. The selection process for the Washington Achievement Award is very rigorous, and all of
us take great pride in this accomplishment. While I could go on and on, I hear the hallways brimming with
excitement at the moment as we are just about to begin our first session of our Exploratory Flex classes. I’m going
to go watch the fun begin! Thank you for your support, feedback, and for sending us such great kids!
Smarter Balanced Testing Underway!
April 27 marked the first day of Smarter Balanced testing here at Skyridge. As expected, our Skyhawks have
done an outstanding job of taking the testing seriously and doing the best that they can. It is truly impressive to
walk into a classroom and see everyone diligently working on the questions and making us proud. As a reminder,
you can view the testing schedule by clicking on the Smarter Balanced Schedule under quick links on the Skyridge
Website. Please make every effort to have your student at school on their testing days. If you know that your
student will be gone during one of their assigned testing days, please let us know as soon as possible so that we
can make other arrangements.
For 8th grade parents, we also have the Science MSP coming up on May 13. All 8th graders will take the test on
this day and do not have any Smarter Balanced testing that week to help them perform at their best. Again,
please make every effort to have your student at school on this day and let us know if your student will not be
here. If you have any questions regarding any of our testing, please contact our Associate Principal, Clint Williams
at 833-5800, ext. 79140 or [email protected].
ATTENDANCE CALLS? PRESS 2
The Camas schools installed a new phone system in
March allowing you to select the department you wish
to speak with from a menu. Press 2 for all attendance
concerns including bus notes, absence notifications,
emergency requests, and after school dismissal plans.
Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 1
Ch
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Daily calendar review is available on our website:
www.http://schools.camas.wednet.edu/skyridge/
May 1 – End of Grading Period – Progress Reports
May 2 –“Cinco de Casino” Athletic Booster Fundraiser
May 4-8 Teacher Appreciation Week
May 4 – Exploratory Flex Begins
May 5-7 ASB Campaign Speeches
May 8 – ASB Election Day for 2015-16
May 9 – Camas Plant & Garden Fair
May 10 – Mother’s Day
May 15 – Yearbook 2015-16 Applications Deadline
May 15 & 16 – Skyridge musical @ CHS Theatre
May 18 – Fall Sports paperwork accepted in Main Office
May 19 – Jazz Band concert @ CHS Theatre 7PM
May 21 – CHS Athletics/Activities Night 6 PM
May 25 – NO SCHOOL – MEMORIAL DAY
May 28 - District Track Meet @McKenzie Stadium
May 28 –June 5 LMC BOOK FAIR
May 30 - ASB Retreat
Stay informed…
Skyridge Network News (SNN) Posted on Facebook and
YouTube. Search for Skyridge Middle School and be sure
to click “Like Page”.
Choir Competition
th
The 8 grade choir participated in the LCRMEA middle
school choir festival held Wednesday, April 15. Twelve
area choirs participated in this all day event with Skyridge
earning the top rating for the festival. This is the highest
level earned by Skyridge at this festival.
SKYRIDGE TRAFFIC FLOW
Safety is our #1 concern. Please
support the following practices:
Parents are required to use our dropoff/pick-up loop. DO NOT use staff or
visitor parking lots unless you are
parking and entering the building.
Pull forward as far as possible when you
enter the student drop off area. Your
student will be able to enter the building
through any of the front doorways.
Allow adequate time. Classes begin at
8:00 AM. Students can access their
classroom hallways and lockers any time
after 7:45 AM.
Be courteous to others, use safe driving
practices including no cell phone use,
and be cautious of pedestrians.
Do not enter or drop off students on the
Leadbetter Drive bus entry road at the
rear of our building. This entrance is for
buses ONLY.
THANK YOU!
Solo Ensemble Competition
Three Skyridge musicians performed at the
solo/ensemble competition on March 14 at Covington
Middle School. Gabriel Guo, a 6th grader, played the
piano and earned a rating of 1. Athena Tsai, an 8th grader,
played trumpet. And Xiang Liu, a 7th grader, also played
the piano and earned a 1+, the highest rating a
contestant can earn.
Way to go Skyhawks!!
8th Grade Families:
You are invited to our
Skyridge 8th Grade Celebration
Friday, June 12, 2015 8:15 – 9:45 AM
Ceremony in Tom Wallenborn Gym;
Reception following in Dining Room.
Students will then go to Big Al’s
to celebrate from 10:30 AM - 2:15 PM.
Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 2
New Vaccine Requirements for Fall 2015!
At Skyridge we
Dress for Success!
With warmer weather on
the way, please remember to
follow our dress code. The
shaded portion of this figure represents
those parts of the body that need to be
covered up while attending school. Further
details can be found in our Student
Handbook. What may be considered
appropriate at home often differs from what
is appropriate at school.
Students in 7th and 8th grade will be required to
have two (2) doses of the Varicella (Chicken Pox)
vaccine. This year only students in 6th grade were
required to have two doses. If you are unsure if
your student will need this vaccine, please call the
school nurse at 360-833-5800 ext. 78203.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR
DRESS CODE!
Four 6th grade Skyhawks, Akash Prasad, Owen Baenen, Alex Gee
and Tyler Gee, competed in the WA State Elementary Chess
Championship 2015 on Saturday, April 24. All of the boys had 3
out of 5 wins, for which they each received an individual trophy.
In addition, the team achieved a total score of 12 points, which
resulted in 17th place out of 149 4th-6th grade teams.
2015 State Finals – Third Place
Earning its best placement at the state competition
yet, Skyridge Middle School’s Science Olympiad
team placed 3rd out of 22 teams on April 18 at
Highline College in Des Moines, WA. The Skyridge
Blue team won 14 medals and ribbons out of 23
events including 3 medals in 3 trial events. Events
included Dynamic Planet, Road Scholar, and Game
On. Team members participating at the state
competition include:
Tsering Shola, Maia
Kawamura, Yeh Seo Jung, Rahul Ram, Jason Liu,
Donna Ferdows, Ben Peterson, Athena Tsai, Lucas
Mansfield, Christopher Xia, Samantha Walters,
Zaynah Usmani, Devank Shekhar, Shivank Shekhar,
Victor Wu, Quan Ho, Daniel DeLeon, Justine
Pendergraft, Donla Gyalnub, Efra Ashan, and Diya
Lonial. The Skyridge Science Olympiad teams are
coached by Brenton Hunting who received the
Outstanding Coach award.
Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 3
Tickets are available from the Main Office during school hours and at the theatre door. Tickets are $7 for
adults and $5 for students. There are only three shows so buy early and enjoy this wonderful show.
 As the end of the school year approaches our Skyridge ASB Team is actively seeking new
Commissioners and Officers for the 2015-2016 school year. Applications were due at the end of
April and campaigning begins May 4 with posters and videotaped speeches. Voting will take
place on May 8.
 Additionally, the ASB team is providing service to our school and our planet by weeding and caring
for our natural garden.
 ASB continues our work with the Feed the Hungry project. Students put together as many sack
lunches as possible with supplies then distribute these lunches to the hungry citizens in need
within our community.
 Finally, at the end of the month, there will be a retreat at Camp Currie for the 2015-16 ASB team to
begin planning for next year.
Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 4
The Athletic Department will begin accepting paperwork for Fall 2015 sports on May 18
 6th, 7th, 8th Girls Cross Country and 8th Football will begin in mid-August, (date to be decided)
 All interested athletes need to turn in a Medical/Parent form, a Concussion form and have a current
physical. Please indicate all sports your student might be interested in for the entire year. You only
need to fill out one form per year.
 Forms and information about our Athletic program is on the Skyridge Web Site –Athletics/Activities tab.
9th Grade Athletic Eligibility
The Camas School District provides many opportunities for student-athletes at the high school level. It is
important to understand our district’s scholastic requirements now in order to compete as a 9 th grader
next fall.
 Fall academic eligibility is determined by the last grading period of the year. So a freshman’s
eligibility will depend on his/her third trimester grades
 Student-athletes must end the school year with at least a 2.0 GPA and not fail more than one class
 Student-athletes that are academically ineligible will be under academic probation which does not
allow the athlete to participate in competition
 The academic probation period can be viewed under “ATHLETICS” in the Camas High School
Student Handbook or the Camas School District Athletic Handbook
The Camas School District is committed to the notion of the scholar-athlete. While we look forward to
having your athlete participate in the high school athletic program, we are equally excited for your
student to experience the excellence of our academic programs.
Cheerleading 101
For 6th -11th Grade May 4-7 @Camas High School – Registration forms can be found in the Main Office
CHS Football Cheer Tryouts May 11-13. Packets are available in the Main Office
SKYRIDGE YEARBOOK APPLICATIONS DUE BY May 15
Interested in being on next year’s Yearbook staff?
Applications for 6th and 7th grade students are available Monday, May 4.
The application deadline is Friday, May 15 with interviews scheduled for Friday, May 29.
The 2015-16 Yearbook Staff will be posted by June 3.
Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 5
EAST COAST TRIP 2016 INFORMATIONAL MEETING
Are you interested in traveling to the East Coast with a group of
friends for a week? This 8th grade trip will be June 17-24 2016. On
this trip, we will visit Colonial Williamsburg, Washington D.C.,
Lancaster, PA, Gettysburg, PA, and New York City. To find out
more about this trip, you and your parents can attend the East
Coast Trip Informational Meeting at 7pm in the Skyridge Library
on Monday, May 11. Parents who are unable to attend the
meeting, can email Jeanette Romano at
[email protected] for more information.
Stay in the loop by clicking the PTO link off the
Skyridge website, viewing our Facebook page, or
adding your name to the PTO email list by sending
us a message at [email protected].
Teacher Grants — The PTO board unanimously approved nearly $2,200 for a huge wave of teacher and staff
grants to fund these projects and purchases:
 8th grade “To Be a Slave Project” class speaker and raw cotton
 Art history curriculum materials
 Building materials for robotics projects
 Video camera for choir and drama
 Panels to dim fluorescent lighting in the special education high needs classroom
 Alarm clocks and checkin/checkout program incentives
 Faculty appreciation event support for ASB
 Wheelbarrow for use in greenhouse and Lewis and Clark garden
Staff Cinco De Mayo — May’s Staff Appreciation event will be a Cinco-de-Mayo-themed taco bar. Thanks to
parent donations, all the food items are covered! To help set up, serve, or clean up, contact Erika Cox
at [email protected].
Pens For All — Did you know? Through your support, the PTO provides every student with a commemorative
pen for signing yearbooks and keeping as a memento.
PTO Board and Committee Chairs — While students do the lion’s share of fundraisers and activities at Skyridge,
the PTO remains a vital source of support and financial backing. For more info on open officer positions for the
2015-16 school year, please contact Lori Tunstall at [email protected]. Most positions require 1-2 hours of
time per month, including an hour of face time with Principal Smith.
Ideas Welcome — PTO board meetings fall on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 12 noon. All are welcome!
This month we heard some ideas fabulosas from parents seeking more Spanish at Skyridge and beyond. You are
always welcome to attend and share your thoughts! Reach out to Lori Tunstall at [email protected] at least
one week ahead of time to get on the agenda. Next meeting is May 26.
Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 6