The Falcon Flash

Dear Skamania Families,

As we head into the final stretch of the school year, it is time to channel our collective energy into finishing strong! April is a busy and meaningful month for our community, filled with opportunities to connect, give back, and showcase our students' hard work.

Here is what is happening at Skamania:

State Testing Reminder
A gentle reminder for our families of students in grades 3 through 8: state testing begins on May 14th. A good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast will go a long way in helping your child feel prepared and confident.

Bake Sale - May 19 & 20

Our 8th graders are excitedly planning their upcoming trip. To raise funds for the trip costs, our 8th graders will be hosting a bake sale on May 19 and 20. Delicious baked goods will be available for purchase during lunchtime on both days, with items priced between $1 and $3. We invite you to support our 8th graders by purchasing treats at the bake sale! Additionally, if you're interested in donating baked goods for the sale, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for helping make this trip a memorable experience for our students!

Annual Color Run – May 21
Get ready for our annual Color Run in the afternoon! This event is a favorite among our students and serves as an important fundraiser for the PTO, helping to support various initiatives throughout the next school year. Encourage your child to participate and gather some sponsors—it’s sure to be a colorful, fun-filled day!

Spring Concert

As many of you have noticed, our Skamania School family has grown significantly over the last few years! While we are thrilled to have so many new faces, our growing population means we’ve officially outgrown our single-show format for school events.

To ensure everyone has a seat and a place to park, we are splitting our Spring Concert into two performances on June 4th:

• 6:00 PM: Grades TK – 3rd

• 7:00 PM: Grades 4th – 8th

We recognize that some families have children in both groups or may have older students assisting with the first show. While there will be a little overlap, we truly appreciate your flexibility as we transition to this new format to make the experience more comfortable for everyone!

Promotion Celebrations in June
I’m thrilled to announce our promotion celebrations on Tuesday, June 9th!

• TK and Kindergarten Promotion: 12:30 PM
• Eighth Grade Promotion: 1:30 PM

These milestones are special moments for our students and families, and I look forward to celebrating these achievements together!

Field Day Celebration - June 10

On June 10th, Skamania School will be buzzing with energy as we host our Field Day Celebration! It’s going to be an unforgettable day filled with fun activities, outdoor games, and lots of laughs. We hope to have lots of parent volunteers as well!

Last Day of School – June 11
Finally, our last day of school will be filled with class parties and recognitions, with dismissal at 10:00 AM. It’s a lovely way to wrap up the year and celebrate our students’ accomplishments together.

Thank you for your continued support as we make these final months the best they can be!

Warm regards,

Katie Chavarria
Superintendent/Principal
kchavarria@skamania.k12.wa.us

May 4-8

Staff Appreciation Week

May 11

5/6 Field Trip to BizTown

May 14, 19, 21, 28, & June 2

State Testing

3rd-8th grades

May 21

1:00pm

Annual Color Run

May 22 & May 25

Memorial Day Weekend

NO SCHOOL

May 27

11:30am-1:00pm

TK/K Preview

May 29

7:00pm

ASB Movie Night

June 4

6:00pm - Grades TK - 3rd

7:00pm - Grades 4 - 8

Spring Concert

PTO Bake Sale

June 9

12:30pm

TK/K Graduation

1:30pm

8th grade graduation

June 10

Field Day

June 11

LAST DAY

Adjusted Dismissal at 10:00am

We are incredibly proud to share that the Washington State Board of Education has officially recognized Skamania School for outstanding performance during the 2024-2025 school year. Specifically, Skamania School was honored for Growth for students in one or more racial or ethnic groups.

This is a prestigious honor; our school is among only 16% of schools statewide to receive recognition this year for successfully closing gaps and improving student outcomes. Achievements like this are a direct reflection of the hard work of our students and the dedication of our staff.

As a symbol of this achievement, a commemorative banner will be delivered to Skamania School soon. We look forward to hanging it in our commons alongside our other awards to celebrate our collective success. Thank you for your continued partnership in making Skamania School a place of high expectations and even higher achievements!

Dear Skamania School Families,

Our PTO exists for one reason: to make school an even better place for our kids. From fun events and enrichment programs to classroom supplies and teacher support, everything we do is made possible by families like yours.

This year, we're asking for your support with a donation to our general PTO fund. No amount is too small, every dollar goes directly back into our school community.

How to donate:

Each family has a calendar with days numbered 1–31. Siblings are combined into one calendar, but you can complete more than one for prizes. Friends and family can “claim a day” by donating that amount. Choose one day or multiple to add up to the donation you want. Share your child’s page with friends & family by scanning the QR code, click on their name, then the orange “share” button brings up a variety of sharing options! Each Monday we will give the kids dot stickers for their sponsored day and give out raffle tickets so students can enter a raffle to win big prizes.

Link to share calendar: https://donate.calendarfundraiser.net/JDBR-77Z4

You can also print the calendar attached, to ask for donations.

If you have any questions or would like to get more involved, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're grateful for every bit of support.

With appreciation,
Montse Chang

PTO President

These six outstanding students have shown what it truly means to value honesty—by being truthful in their actions, taking responsibility for their choices, and consistently doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. They strengthen our classroom with their sincerity, trustworthiness, and a steady commitment to integrity. Their consistent transparency makes our learning community more principled, reliable, and a better place for everyone to feel safe and respected.

TK/K - Sawyer F.

1/2 - James W.

2/3 -Sequoia M.

4/5 - Macee H.

5/6 - Abigail W.

7/8 - Marcello P.

This May we are excited to launch our Miles in May Movement Program for all students in TK–8th Grade. This school-wide initiative is designed to promote physical activity, goal setting, and healthy habits while building school spirit and community.

Throughout the month of May, students will have opportunities during PE classes and recess to walk, jog, or run laps to track their mileage. Every step counts!

Tracking Our Progress

To make this program fun and engaging, students will use EZScan QR codes assigned to them to log their miles. This allows us to:

• Track individual progress

• Monitor class totals

• Celebrate growth and effort across the entire school

Goals

The Miles in May program encourages students to:

• Stay active every day

• Set and achieve personal fitness goals

• Work together as a class and school community

• Build lifelong healthy habits

Culminating Celebration

At the end of the month, we will celebrate everyone’s hard work with a fun and exciting Skamania School Color Run!

We are looking forward to an active, fun-filled May where every student has the opportunity to move, grow, and succeed. Let’s make this a month full of energy, positivity, and school pride!

Dear Skamania Families,

We have some VERY exciting news to share! Skamania School has been awarded the Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools grant, providing $200,000 toward the purchase and installation of brand-new playground equipment.

Because we know our playground is a vital resource for the entire community, we want your input to help us prioritize and plan this project. Your feedback will ensure the new space meets the needs and preferences of our students and neighbors alike.

How you can help: Please take a few minutes to complete our community survey. Your voice is essential in helping us design a space where our children can play, grow, and thrive.

Thank you for your continued support of our school and students!

Dear Skamania Families:

In the coming weeks, students in grades 3-8 will participate in the Smarter Balanced assessments for math and English language arts. Additionally, students in grades 5 and 8 will take the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS).

The results from these assessments will provide valuable insights into each student's readiness for college and career pathways, helping to ensure they are on track for future success.

Students will take the tests online. Our school is scheduled to take the tests:

• May 14 & 19 (3-8 ELA)

• May 21 (5 & 8 Science)

• May 28 & June 2 (3-8 Math)

For more information about the Smarter Balanced and WCAS tests, visit: https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/testing/state-testing.

To try out an online Smarter Balanced practice test or WCAS training test, visit: https://login9.cambiumtds.com/student_core/V288/Pages/LoginShell.aspx?c=Washington_PT

Please call or email kprill@skamania.k12.wa.us if you have questions about state testing.

Your support and cooperation in ensuring your child's on-time attendance during these testing days are greatly appreciated as we strive to create an optimal testing environment and set our students up for success.

Thank you for continuing to work with us to make sure your student is successful. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to better support your student. We want your student to leave us with a solid foundation of skills and a future full of opportunities.

Sincerely,

Katie Prill

Testing Coordinator

• To ensure student safety and follow district medication protocols, please remember that all cough drops must be kept in the school office. If your child needs them during the day, simply drop them off at the front desk, and our staff will make sure they are available whenever your child needs relief.
• Students may bring other beverages for lunch, but only clear water is allowed in the classroom. Thank you for your cooperation!

• Please dress your child for the weather. Also, please remember to wear PE-appropriate shoes on PE days (every day but Wednesday and other early dismissal days.)
• Cell phones must remain in backpacks during the school day. Phones that are taken out will be held in the office until the end of the day.

• Gum is not allowed at school. Please help to remind your child of this policy.

• During dismissal, please avoid parking in the staff parking lot on the side of the building.

• If your child arrives after 8:00, an adult must walk him or her into the office and sign in.

What is Child Developmental Screening?

Children are screened in the areas of motor, concepts, speech and language. A hearing and vision screening may also be done. A developmental screening can identify children who are in need of further evaluation and/or participation in Early Intervention or Early Childhood Services that address their areas of need.

Early Intervention (EI) Benefits

• Early identification and implementation of services during the most crucial time in your child’s brain development.
• Services are designed for children in the natural environment of their homes, in child care, or in preschool programs.
• Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is a written plan for services to eligible children and families.
• Transition Plan prior to age 3 is a plan developed for your child when leaving early intervention at age three.

Skamania School District is part of the ESA, making these services available to our families. Please visit this link for more information: https://www.esd112.org/category/programs/early-intervention/