Hawks Happenings Monthly Newsletter

Hello Hawks Families,

Isn't fall just fabulous in the Walla Walla valley? I love seeing all of the leaves turn colors, and the weather drop into the cooler range. A light jacket and a nice pumpkin spice latte, and fall is officially in the air!

For our October Newsletter, we have so much information to share with you. This edition of the newsletter includes details about our Financial Aid Night, Teacher/Parent conferences, Homecoming 2026, recognitions, and a ton of Perch related info to share from our Family Academy, college visits/trips, and our College Application Day.

Thank you, and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me at raguilar@cpps.org

Go Hawks!

Dr. Robert Aguilar, Principal

Families of seniors. Please consider coming to our Financial Aid night event on Oct. 1st. Drop in any time between 4:00-7:00pm in the CPHS Perch. Dinner and Childcare is available.

We will financial aid experts on site to help answer any questions you may have. Hope to see you there!

Parents are invited to attend our annual fall Arena Style conferences here in the CPHS Commons:

Monday, October 12th from 3:30-7:30pm

Wednesday, October 14th from 3:30-7:30pm

On Thursday, October 15th from 8:00am to 3:00pm, teachers will be available for conferences as well in their classrooms. If you want to arrange a time with a teacher on that date, please email them directly to set that up.

Looking forward to having you to discuss your students learning progress and journey!

We are so excited for this years Homecoming week! October 4th-9th!

It is full of events, assemblies, dress up themes, and of course culminates in our home football game against Wahluke on Friday and the Saturday Homecoming Dance!

College Place Public Schools is excited to partner with Chevrolet and Nissan of Walla Walla for the first Driven by the CP Way Award!

We need YOUR help identifying an outstanding CPPS staff member who Owns IT, Teams IT, and Grows IT while making a difference for students and our community.

Anyone can nominate—students, families, staff, alumni, and community members—and nominees can be teachers or other staff members working in our schools!

🏆 The recipient will receive the use of a brand-new vehicle for an entire year, courtesy of Chevrolet and Nissan of Walla Walla!

Nominations are open through Friday, October 9.

👉 Nominate someone here: [LINK]

The recipient will be revealed at the CPHS home football game on Friday, October 30!

Who is Driven by the CP Way? Tell us their story!

Congratulations to the following students who have been nominated by their teachers and staff for the Five Star Hawks recognition for this past month and the theme of "Recognizing Your Energy". These students always bring a positive vibe to the school and it is noticed and appreciated by our staff!

This month's instructional shout-out goes out to Ms. Allison Collier. Ms. Collier teaches special education and math support classes here at CPHS, while also serving as our Hawks Golf Coach! Her combination of high expectations with high levels of support, use of student data, and evidenced based approach to her craft, allows her to lead our math department with a clear focus on student growth.

1. What do you love most about teaching Math and math support classes here at CPHS?

What I love most about teaching math and math support classes at CPHS is seeing a student's face light up when they realized they have figured out a new concept, solved a problem, or made a connection to a real-life example they've experienced.

2. What is one thing you hope all students leave your class with?

I hope that all students leave my class with an understanding that showing up and trying is most of the battle in life. Sometimes you have to make mistakes along the way to learn and to arrive at the solution.

Thank you Ms. Collier for being a positive, team-focused member of our Hawks community, and for believing that all students can strive for greatness!

Our Special Education teachers at CPHS are absolutely the best! Ms. Collier getting this month's instructional shout out is only one of a team full of exceptional teachers you should know about:

Mr. Donald Ponds teaches ACCESS and PE, while also serving as a Football Coach. He believes strongly in inclusionary practices and is co-teaching in World History/ELA to make sure all of our students get the ability to experience high levels of learning.

Ms. Joy Espinosa is a Special Education case manager and ML Specialist focusing on improving student and adult practices in our building on language acquisition.

Mr. Matt Babcock as our Life Skills teachers has transformed the classroom into a welcoming space where flocks of gen-ed students are coming in to engage, play, and interact with our Life Skills students. The ultimate inclusion room, his heart for serving this fantastic population is unmatched.

Thank you all for being a part of our CPHS team!

Congratulations to senior Carter McCullough on earning "Commended Student" status on the National Merit Scholarship program. Carter is one of 34,000 students across the united states who are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. He entered into the 2027 competition by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

"Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success," commented a spokesperson for NMSC. "These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuits of academic success."

We invite all grade level families to join in on our Family Academy! Free childcare and dinner!

October 22 to November 19.

Every Thursday from 5:30-8:00pm

CPHS Perch

What you'll learn in the 5 free workshops:

--What your student needs to graduate.

--Options after high school: college, trades, and apprenticeships.

--Financial Aid: FAFSA, WASFA, and scholarships.

--How to apply to college and choose the best option.

--How family support makes a difference.

Questions? Contact CCRA Edith Martinez (emartinez@cpps.org) or Anna Inman (ainman@cpps.org) for more details.

See details below. If students are interested, please encourage them to speak with their CCRA in the Perch.

Friday, October 23

All-Day in the Perch!

Sign-Up on SchooLinks!

See details below, but this huge regional college fair is a great opportunity to hear from over 50+ colleges/universities across the country.

Talk to your CCRA in the Perch to sign-up for this event!

With this month being Hispanic Heritage Awareness Month, our Latino Club has put up posters of inspirational Hispanic figures, while also providing us with some fun announcements trivia competition between classes. They are also prepping for the Dia De Los Muertos event. See the Save-The-Date flier below.

College Place School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression, or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Title IX and Harassment, Intimidation & Bullying (HIB): Marissa Waddell, mwaddell@cpps.org; Civil Rights and Section 504, and Gender Inclusive School Coordinator: James Fry, jfry@cpps.org;

(509) 525-4827,

1755 South College Avenue,

College Place, Washington, 99324

Email: raguilar@cpps.org
Website: https://www.cpps.org/o/high-school
Location: 1755 South College Avenue, College Place, WA, USA
Phone: (509) 522-3312
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegePlaceSchoolDistrict/