Battle Ground Public Schools
IN THIS ISSUE:
October employee recognition
Group effort leads to new water stations at River HomeLink
Teacher, volunteer recognized as BGPS Learn Here honorees
Oct. 28 board meeting update
Prairie High School Drama presents 'Mary Poppins'
Donation drives underway
Social media highlights from around the district
Nov. 5 general election reminder
REMINDER: Fall back an hour on Sunday
Pictured back row from left: Superintendent Denny Waters, Bonnie Roggenkamp, Angela Borges and Dustin Swain. Front row from left: Laura Ochoa, Deputy Superintendent Shelly Whitten and Mary Woodard
Congratulations to our October Employee Recognition Award winners:
Dustin Swain, custodian, Pleasant Valley Middle School
Bonnie Roggenkamp, counselor, Battle Ground Virtual Academy
Angela Borges, teacher, CAM Academy
Mary Woodward, secretary, Pleasant Valley Primary School
Laura Ochoa, paraeducator, Prairie High School
Head on over to the district website to learn more about each of this month's recipients.
The Employee Recognition Awards highlight staff members who embody the district’s values and commitment to student learning. Nominations are open to every staff member in Battle Ground Public Schools. The selection criteria include commitment to the district’s mission, contribution to a safe environment, support for high-quality instruction and collaborative behavior demonstrating trust and respect.
Do you know another deserving staff member? Submit a nomination.
Students and staff at River HomeLink now have two brand-new filtered water bottle filling stations, thanks to a couple of enterprising seventh graders who recognized an issue and took action. During their sixth grade year, Chloe Schultz and Charis Ahrendt noticed the only drinking fountain in the entire building was near the main office. So the two students wrote a letter, got more than 80 signatures on it, then handed it in to Principal Matt Kessler.
“I set that letter down, thinking, ‘I have no idea how to accomplish this,’” Kesler admitted. But a few weeks later, he received a call from the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization saying they had some surplus in their budget and needed to spend it before the end of the year. But it wasn't enough for the water bottle stations and the installation. So BGPS maintenance supervisor John Parker and his crew donated their time to complete the installation.
“I use them all the time,” Schultz said of the filling stations. “I love it when I see other people using them and talking about it. It just makes me really, really happy.”
Read the rest of this inspiring story on the district website.
Karen Guenther, a teacher from Summit View High School, and Vivian Zoller, a longtime volunteer at River HomeLink, were honored as Learn Here Heroes for 2024. Given by the nonprofit Identity Clark County, the award recognizes staff members and volunteers from school districts and higher education institutions across Southwest Washington.
Congratulations, Karen and Vivian! Thank you for everything that you do for students, families and staff members!
Visit the district website to learn about why Karen and Vivian were chosen for this year's honor.
BGPS’ board of directors held a work session and regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 28. Summaries and the recordings are available on the district website.
The board's next meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 12, starting at 6 p.m. You are invited to attend in-person at the Lewisville campus (406 NW 5th Ave., Battle Ground) or watch the meeting online.
One of the most popular Disney movies of all time comes to life on the stage at Prairie High School in November as the school's drama program presents 'Mary Poppins!'
“We can’t wait to welcome you into Mary’s magical world!” said Prairie Drama director Claire Verity.
Come along with England's favorite flying nanny in this Tony Award-winning musical romp that's fun for the whole family!
Shows will be Nov. 15-16 and 22-23 at 7 p.m., with 1 p.m. matinee showings on Saturdays.
Purchase tickets online in advance. The cost is $7 for students, $15 for adults and $12 for honored citizens.
We hope to see you there for this supercalifragilisticexpialidocious experience!
October kicks off donation season throughout Battle Ground Public Schools. Many buildings will be doing sock drives, canned food collections, giving trees and much more over the coming months. Watch for communication from your child's school to see what they or their parent-teacher groups have going on. We're so grateful for our amazing school communities who step up to help out those in need during the holidays. Thank you!
Yacolt Primary fourth grade students recently showed off their electricity projects. To be honest, we were shocked at all the creative energy on display! ;-)
What if you could get some exercise and read a good book at the same time? At Captain Strong Primary, students can thanks to teacher-librarian Ted Schelvan's story walk. Students walk from station to station learning about life inside a school. Neat!
Student-athletes from Battle Ground High School recently visited Captain Strong to read books to the younger students (or have a book read to them). It was as adorable as you'd expect.
If you are registered to vote and have not yet received your ballot for the Nov. 5 general election, contact the Clark County elections office to request a replacement. Online voter registration has ended, but eligible voters wishing to register and vote can do so in person at the downtown elections office until 8 p.m. on election night.
If you have already voted, you can check the status of your ballot at VoteWA.gov. To view an online voter's guide or a list of ballot dropbox locations, visit the Clark County elections website.
Daylight saving time officially ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. Enjoy that extra hour of sleep this weekend!
Battle Ground Public Schools’ Family and Community Resource Center helps meet the needs of families facing challenges. No judgment, only support.
The FCRC works with the Battle Ground Education Foundation to help maintain quality education for all students in Battle Ground schools.
Something fun happening in your building or classroom? Is there a student, teacher or volunteer doing something remarkable? Let us know about it! Battle Ground Public Schools' communications department is here to share your story and the stories happening all around you. Please reach out and let us know if you think there's a story worth sharing.
Email: communication@battlegroundps.org
Phone: 360-885-5337
Battle Ground Public Schools is currently hiring for a number of positions. Visit the jobs page for details and to apply.
Lead student system coordinator (CASEE C)
Student records technician (CASEE C)
School nurse (districtwide)
Structured learning center teacher (Tukes Valley and Pleasant Valley middle schools)
Resource room teacher (location TBD)
Testing coordinator assistant (Yacolt Primary)
CTE lab technician (Prairie High School)
Registered behavior technician (districtwide)
Special program classroom assistants/paraeducators (various schools)
Classified and certificated substitute positions
Crossing guards and lunch/recess supervision (various campuses)
Custodian - swing shift (Laurin Middle School and Yacolt Primary)
Sports/coaching positions:
Head coach: Basketball (Unified) - Battle Ground High School; Speech & Debate - BGHS; Dance team - BGHS; Wrestling - BGHS; Boys soccer - Tukes Valley Middle
Assistant coach: Girls basketball - BGHS; Basketball (Unified) - PHS; Cheer team - PHS; Gymnastics - BGHS/PHS; Track - BGHS; Wrestling - BGHS; Boys wrestling - PHS; Girls wrestling - PHS; Volleyball - Pleasant Valley and Tukes Valley middle; Boys soccer - Tukes Valley Middle
Varsity assistant coach: Baseball - BGHS; Boys basketball - BGHS; Girls basketball - BGHS; Boys soccer - BGHS
Find more information and apply online.
Bus drivers
BGPS' transportation provider, First Student, is in need of part-time bus drivers. Get more details on First Student driving careers, including sign-on bonuses starting at $1,500 ($3,500 for experienced drivers).
Right At School
The district's before and after-school care provider, Right At School, is looking for program managers and educators. Learn more or email your resume to michael.speer@rightatschool.com.
