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Student HighlightsSt. Helens School District will continuously provide information about student achievements, projects and awards. Please join us by clicking on the links to the left to celebrate our extraordinary accomplishments.
2010 National Honor Society Induction
St. Helens School District Rotary Students of the monthOctober 2009 SHHS Student Caitlin Munger
November 2009 CCEC Student Jack Scheuermann
December 2009 CRYC Student Brighton Lain
January 2010 Lewis & Clark Student Hailey Garrison
February 2010 CCEC Student Alisha Aguilar
March 2010 SHHS Student Brooke Nolte
April 2010 Columbia City Students Jarrett & Miles Boynton
May 2010 SHHS Student Erik Schmauss
June 2010 SHMS Student Buddy Terry
National Geography Bee Finalist8th grader Gabe Hagman
National Geography Bee Semifinalist
6th grader Annika Anderson
Spelling Bee Top Scorers
6th graders
Annika Anderson and
Robert English
Students Spencer Gordon and Melanie Naillon star on KOHI
SHHS Ceramics Students Work on Coordinated Wood Fire Project in Willamina
6th grader Miles Boynton wins Space Camp Scholarship for the 1st Congressional District
Symphonic Band finishes 2nd at NWOC League Band Contest 2010
April 8, 2010 at the State Thespian Conference, junior Kacy Helwig competed in the category of Light Design and knocked out the competition receiving first place. While at the conference, Thespian Troupe 2002 earned the distinction of being named Honor Troupe for the sixth year in a row from Oregon Thespians. This is an amazing achievement.
Lewis & Clark Intermediate Canoe Crew Showcase
Real world processes are learned through posting of the jobs on the L&C website, applying and interviewing for the job, and the students are then either hired or not hired. The students have bosses, go through performance evaluations, and there is even a dismissal process in place. The success of the high flying students who are employed by Canoe Crew is evident. Ms. Carson noted how Canoe Crew was originally intended for at risk students but because of the success, all students are interested and apply. This school year there have been 84 positions posted and there are a total of 122 students employed by Canoe Crew.
L&C presented with US flag flown in Iraq
Fifth-grade student Shelby Carroll beamed with pride as her stepfather, Staff Sergeant Dan Pierce, presented Lewis and Clark Elementary School with a US flag flown in Iraq. Principal Cathy Carson accepted the flag and a commemorative plaque and thanked Pierce, who recently returned from Iraq, for the gifts and for his service to the country.
The flag and plaque are currently on display at Lewis and Clark
Automotive Technology Success
For the 9th consecutive year, the student technicians from St. Helens High School’s Advanced Automotive Technology Program, ‘Mike’s Automotive’, have proven themselves to be among the ‘Best of the Best’ by qualifying for the Ford/AAA Troubleshooting contest. The team of Thomas Noelke and Callen Prettyman had the 2nd highest combined written test score state wide! On May 7th and 8th, they will challenge nine other teams of Automotive 'Top Guns' at Mt. Hood Community College to see who can diagnose and correct all of the faults in 10 identically bugged 2010 Mercury Milan cars and be the first to drive theirs!. If successful, they will go on to the National Competition in Washington D.C. to represent Oregon
Reflections Poetry Reading and Journal Release 2010.
This year’s production manager is 8th grader Janessa Peel, and the photograph was taken by 8th grader Nathan Don.
This is an exciting year for St. Helens Skills USA, with over 60 students competing at the state competition including students from Culinary, Drafting, Childcare, Woodshop, Technical Math, Structural Engineering, Student Leaders, Welders and Machinists, and of course our 4 time state champion Engineering Students
17 St. Helens High School students qualified to attend the National competition this summer in Kansas City Missouri! St. Helens Skills USA team won 5 first place trophies, 18 gold metals, 9 silver metals, 9 bronze metals and had a large number of finalists.
St. Helens High School SkillsUSA Team brought home a phenomenal 30 medals and awards from the recent state competition held in Albany last weekend. More than 40 students competed in all areas of metals/manufacturing, engineering, leadership events, and culinary. A record number of St. Helens students, 17 in all, qualified to attend the national competition in Kansas City in June. St. Helens Shelby Brogli was elected Region 1 SkillsUSA State Officer.Below are the people who placed in the state competition. The students highlighted in red are qualified to go to nationals.Students are now taking on the task of raising funds to get to the national competition as the cost per student is projected to be at about $1000.. The nationals competition is June 22-27Automated Manufacturing
1st Jacob carpenter, Jerrod Gump, Kyle Babuska
3rd Daniel Fuson, Steven Cox, Caled Larson
Commercial Baking
1st Miki Simpson
Sheet Metal
1st josh Holtz
2nd Callen Prettyman
3rd Garrick Youngberg
5th MistyRose Farmer
6th Stephen Thomas
Precision machining
5th Skyler Kent
General Welding
1st Michael Bailey
Welding FAB
6th brad Kistner, Stephen Cyr, Kadee Ansotegui
Job Interview
3rd Nicole craft
6th Cody Lufkin
Tech Prep Showcase
2nd Mikalan Conrad, Garrick Youngberg, Andy Perry
Job Skill Demonstration
3rd Tyler Bennet
Opening Closing Ceremonies
1st brad Kistner, Stephen Cyr, Nicole craft, Christina gray, Shelby Brogli, Kadee Ansotegui, Sheldon Barnes
Engineering Technology
1st Nicole craft, Shelby Brogli, Derek Eidem
There are also a few fist time things that happened at this year’s competition.
· We had our first culinary student win gold
· This is the first time in St Helens history that an opening and closing ceremonies team will go to nationals
· The first time in 30 years we have had a general welder go to nationals
· The third year in a row that our engineering team has wonSkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives, working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. It helps each student excel.
SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations. It was formerly known as VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America).
KPAM's "Standard Standout of The Week."Click Play to Hear Taylor Play
Player Spotlight: Taylor Webster of St. Helens
Last year we sent 54 of our 70+ Skills USA students to Albany for the State competition and we expect to send even more this year. We were extremely successful medaling and even sent some on to Nationals. According to senior student Michael Bailey “What I get out of Skills USA is pride in myself and my team. We are competing against the best in the state. Of course a lot of our success is due to the commitment and time of our Instructor.” Skills USA allows students to showcase their skills in many different areas and also have the opportunity to coordinate with our community. Shelby Brogli is new to the program and is enjoying getting involved and her own accomplishments, along with the successes of her peers.Skills USA Leadership representatives held their first annual retreat recently at the new Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, WA. Pictured from left to right: Kadee Ansotegui, Shelby Brogli, Devin Matlock, Christina Gray, Jacob Carpenter, Brad Kistner, Jared Rosier-Pierce, Garrick Youngberg, Callen Prettyman, MistyRose Farmer and Instructor Rory Lewno.
Explorer Newscasters produce six exceptional videos for the web 2009-2010
On Thursday, April 23rd, Mr. Fugere and Mrs. Korpela took a group of 37 TAG identified students on a field trip to Medical Teams International’s world headquarters in Tigard to see their Real Life Exhibit. The Real Life Exhibit is a walk-through, multi-sensory exhibit that allows people to experience what real life is like for children affected by disaster, conflict and poverty.
The week before our trip, counselors met with our TAG population in the Loo-Wit room to talk about the exhibit and to gauge interest. Counselors led an activity called “If the World Were a Classroom” where students were split up into groups according to actual percentages of the world population’s access to food, water, sanitation, and money to show them just how privileged Americans are among the world’s population.
We arrived to Medical Teams International around 11am on Thursday and were greeted by volunteers who split us up into groups to cycle through the exhibit. We were all given lanyards with pictures of real children that we would learn more about as we explored the exhibit. It took our students around an hour to walk through the rooms of the exhibit which included:
- A medical triage clinic at the New Orleans Convention Center after Hurricane Katrina.
- A room with a 25-foot tsunami wave, along with stories and drawings made by children who survived the tsunami.
- A Ugandan camp for people displaced by a terrorist group that abducts children and forces them into their “army.”
- An Albanian refugee camp housing Kosovar refugees who fled from ethnic cleansing.
- A Mozambiquan village compound where HIV and AIDS has ravaged the community.
- A Mexico garbage dump, where people live and scavenge for their livelihood.
- A Romanian placement center for orphans and abandoned children.
- A burn unit in a Moldovan children’s hospital.
Our students described the experience as: “Heart touching,” “Unbelievable,” “Eye-Opening,” and “Life Changing.” One student said, “I thought that I had a comfortable life before, but now I realize how incredibly lucky I am to be living as a middle-class American.”
These students experienced not only the real need but also the real hope that Medical Teams International has provided around the world. They saw the “before” and “after” scenes of places that have been transformed by the volunteers of Medical Teams International.
Several of the students left feeling a sense of responsibility to do more for the struggling people they learned about throughout the exhibit. Some students even decided to collect donation in jars around St. Helens to help Medical Teams International distribute donated medical supplies and send volunteers throughout the world.
The following statements were made by our students: “I thought I knew that things were harder for people in other countries, but didn’t realize how bad it really was for them.” The exhibit “made me realize that we are among the wealthiest 90% of the world” “It made me want to take action to help these less fortunate people in the world.” “I want to help them all, but even if I can only touch one life, it will be worth it.”
Spring is a busy time for St. Helens ceramics students. One of the premier activities is participating in a wood fire project with Western Oregon, Linfield, and George Fox Universities. We join Dallas and Lakeridge high schools in loading, unloading, and manning the fire. It's a truly awesome experience for those able to participate and an honor to be included. Manning the fire usually entails working a four hour shift at stoking--putting wood into the kiln every three minutes or so around the clock for three days. SH participants Emily Mann, James Olson, Sean Melin, and Lathan Favor spent Saturdays splitting and stacking wood for the fire, stoking, and cleaning afterward. Enjoy our effort:
A stoking crew in action.
Sean Melin holds the door for a Dallas High School student
Mr. Brame adds salt to one of the three kilns firing
George Fox professor, Mark Terry (St. Helens class of '76) peeks at the cone pack.
Here are some sample poems from Mr. Orr’s 3rd Grade Class book of Winter PoemsMr. Orr’s Winter Poems
St. Helens High School students Emily Higgins and Jake Redding
St. Helens High School students Emily Higgins and Jake Redding receive scholarships at the Pacific Northwest Foundation Key Club Convention. Of eight total scholarships awarded two were awarded to St. Helens students. There are approximately 10,000 Key Club members in this district all eligible to participate for this award. It takes a stellar academic record, much time devoted to volunteering, proven leadership as well as a diversity of other activities (such as sports, the arts, other clubs, community and/or church activities etc,) to be recognized with a Kiwanis District scholarship. Jake and Emily are very much all of that, so gained the recognition they have earned from the scholarship committee. Even though they are from the same school. Sometimes exceptional demands recognition. These are two truly outstanding young people.
James MunginSenior James Mungin has been singing for 5 years and intends to attend PSU School of Music.Press the play button to watch video
Alex CsakSt. Helens High School student Alex Csak is an accomplished musician who volunteers on a regular basis to play piano for events supporting the Sacagawea Health Center and other non-profit organizations. He has also composed and recorded a CD and sold it to raise money for these organizations.Below you will find some sample clips of his fine work.
St. Helens School District had a record breaking 17 students qualify for the Skills USA national competition this year which took place June 23rd – 26th in Kansas City .
Tech Prep took silver, Engineering team 5th, Automated manufacturing 4th, sheet metal 18th; opening and closing 8th; job skill 16th in the room with the same judges; welding 40th; commercial baking 26th out of 40.
Micki Simpson burned herself during baking in the first hour and spent the next hour keeping her hand in a bowl of ice and working with the other hand. She didn't finish decorating her cake and still took 26th out of 40. The judges were so impressed with how she worked on that they gave her a prize for being a trooper and the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute offered her a $1000 scholarship on the spot and offered to work with her before next year's competition.
We are so proud of all our participants.
Culinary Team participating in opening ceremony orientation
Micki Simpson get’s ready to compete
Micki Simpson decorates a cake for the competition
Micki Simpson’s table of prepared foods for this competition
- A medical triage clinic at the New Orleans Convention Center after Hurricane Katrina.
