In this Issue:

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• Thanksgiving Break Holiday Schedule
• School Board Regular Business Meeting – Tuesday, Nov. 17
• School board tours Wa-Hi bond project
• National School Psychology Week
• District to implement Modified Learning Day during hazardous winter weather conditions

School Stories

• WWHS JROTC holds virtual Veterans Day assembly 
• School Farm Improvements: New Hog Facility – By teacher Jessica Johnson
• Walla Walla FFA members earn American FFA Degrees – By Teacher Jessica Johnson

Community Stories

• Reach Out group seeks community feedback on substance abuse and mental health

• Early dismissal Wednesday, November 25 (No live teaching sessions in the afternoon)
• No school Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27

NOTE: Grab and go meals for the holiday will be served the day before the holiday.

- Tuesday, Nov. 17
- 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- IMPORTANT MEETING NOTICE: Pursuant to the Governor’s Proclamation No. 20-28, school board meetings during the COVID-19 disease outbreak must not take place in-person, but occur remotely. Members of the public are invited to attend by utilizing the following methods:
- Watch: https://wwps-org.zoom.us/j/98411456906
- Listen: Dial 1-253-215-8782 and enter the Webinar ID: 984 1145 6906
- Meeting open to the public

This week Superintendent Dr. Wade Smith took school board members Eric Rindal, Sam Wells and Ruth Ladderud on a tour of the Walla Walla High School bond project. The new Science Building was completed this fall. Recently a new roof was installed on the nearly 40-year-old CTE building. Additions off the library, main gym and auditorium are underway.

Renovation of the original Science building is moving along nicely as most of the interior has been cleaned out. The Commons building addition will begin soon. Most of the infrastructure improvements for gas, water, sewer and technology have been completed.
- Web: https://www.wwps.org/bond
- Twitter @bondwwps
- #deliveringonourpromise

During the week of November 9-13, 2020 schools throughout the United States will celebrate National School Psychology Week (NSPW) to highlight the important work school psychologists and other educators do to help all students thrive. This year’s theme is “The Power of Possibility.”

The word “possibility” implies hope, growth, resilience and renewal. Possibility suggests that even something as small as a seed can grow into something magnificent. The word “power” implies that things can and will happen. When we focus on what is possible, we have hope that students will grow, thrive and bloom.
#SPAW2020

While under distance learning, Walla Walla Public Schools is modifying how it responds during dangerous weather conditions this winter season. There will be no two-hour delays this school year. If road conditions are poor, campuses will remain closed to students and staff for safety, but learning will continue for all students remotely regardless of what reopening stage the district is in.

During these Modified Learning Days, all students will stay home and engage in distance learning with their teachers. Depending on weather conditions, grab and go meal services may still be available at district meal pick up locations. Households will receive notification by phone, usually by 6:15 a.m., notifying families if winter weather conditions will result in a Modified Learning Day and if meal services will be available for pickup.

“With our 1-1 technology program we are able to implement this new approach when mother nature doesn’t cooperate,” said Superintendent Dr. Wade Smith. “Implementing Modified Learning Days during winter weather conditions excludes us from having to make up these snow days at the end of the year.”

Tuesday the Walla Walla High School JROTC Blue Devil Cadet Battalion held a virtual assembly on YouTube live to honor all veterans.

The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets prepared the commemorative program for the assembly and invited veterans and their guests to watch. Veterans of all periods, branches and conflicts were honored for their service to the nation.

Click on link to watch the assembly: https://rebrand.ly/wahiassembly

Walla Walla High School has a unique feature: a seven acre on-campus ‘school farm’. The property located on the west end of campus is available for students enrolled in Agriculture Education classes. Students utilize the farm to complete Supervised Agriculture (SAE) Projects and for class activities. The school farm predates the original high school and has been a fixture of the Agriculture Education program for countless students.

Although the school farm has value beyond measure, there has not been a substantial investment into the property in many years. With the shutdown of schools in the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, an opportunity arose to make improvements to the school farm. The team of Ag teachers (Jessica Johnson, Arch McHie, Erin Peek and Peggy Payne) along with Mike Kay and Jerry Maher, completed a needs assessment of the school farm facilities and buildings. The team developed a five-year plan of projects to complete with the ultimate goal of providing more opportunities for students.

The first item on the five-year plan was building a new facility to raise market hogs for student SAE projects. The old facility did not provide enough space for hogs and there also were issues with drainage and general access for students. The team determined that a pole building with open sides and a concrete floor would be ideal as the floor would be easy to keep clean and optimal ventilation would be allowed in the hot summer months. With Mr. Kay’s help, a 40’ x 80’ pole building was designed and built by local contracting company S & K Mountain Construction. Jessica Johnson communicated the Ag Team’s plan with Noble Panels, a local company which specializes in livestock fencing, buildings and supplies. Jessica worked with designer Grayson Ingersoll to create a design for the new hog barn which features eight 15’ x 15’ growing hog pens, five 5’ x 5’ wash pens and three 5’ x 10’ holding pens. In addition, Jessica worked with Michele Lyons at Bordertown Feed and Supply to purchase new feeders for the barn. The new facility will house up to 24 hogs.

Each year, the National Future Farmers of America Organization honors FFA members who show the utmost dedication to the organization through their desire to develop their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The American FFA Degree is bestowed upon a select group of students in recognition of their years of academic and professional excellence. This year 4,353 American Degrees were awarded. Sponsored by Case IH, Elanco Animal Health and Syngenta, the award recognizes demonstrated ability and outstanding achievements in agricultural business, production, processing or service programs.

To be eligible, FFA members must have earned and productively invested $10,000 through a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program in which they own their own business or hold a professional position as an employee. Recipients must also complete 50 hours of community service and demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities and civic involvement through completion of a long list of FFA and community activities. Less than one percent of FFA members achieve the American FFA Degree.

Naddile Widner and Mikayla Hardin, 2018 Walla Walla High School graduates, earned the American FFA Degree in 2020. Naddile and Mikayla will receive the coveted gold American FFA Degree key and certificate. Both Naddile and Mikayla were leaders in the FFA, and are pursuing degrees and careers in Agriculture.

Naddile transferred to the Walla Walla School District her freshman year, and quickly became an active member of the FFA. Naddile has a competitive spirit as she competed in FFA Career and Leadership Development Events including the Agriculture Issues Forum, Employment Skills, Dairy Products Evaluation and Livestock Evaluation. Naddile has a gift for leadership as she served in roles as a chapter officer for three years, as a Washington FFA District VI officer and as a delegate for the Washington FFA Association at the 2017 National Convention and Expo. Naddile earned a position on the elite Washington FFA State Officer Team, and served as State Secretary in 2018-2019. Naddile completed multiple SAE projects including Swine Entrepreneurship, placement in her parents’ orchard and Agriscience research. Naddile is attending Oregon State University pursuing a degree in Environmental Science.

Mikayla began her FFA journey as a sophomore in high school. Mikayla found her passion with Veterinary Science and became a valued team member with caring for the flock of Suffolk/Hampshire sheep on the school farm. Mikayla learned a number of animal husbandry skills and successfully completed three Sheep Entrepreneurship SAE projects. Her experience working on the school farm and in the Veterinary Assistance class sparked her interest in research and she completed three award winning Agriscience research SAE projects, earning the Washington FFA Star in Agriscience award her senior year. Mikayla is pursuing a degree in Veterinary Science at Washington State University.

Reach Out Walla Walla is in the process of conducting their yearly survey to understand adult concerns facing teens in Walla Walla. This survey will be given in every county and will assess concerns around substance use/abuse and mental health for our community’s youth. The survey is anonymous and should take no more than five minutes to complete. Results will be shared with the public in the spring of 2021, prioritizing concerns for our youth.

Please take a few minutes to help Reach Out by completing this survey. For more information contact Peggy Needham at pneedham@co.walla-walla.wa.us or call (509) 524.2654.

ONLINE SURVEY
• https://www.research.net/r/WAWAWAWAEN2020