March 2026 issue

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Fourth grade students from across the district demonstrated their creativity and skill at the recent Discovery Kitchen Cookoff, a showcase of culinary talent in Battle Ground Public Schools. After submitting recipes for their favorite healthy snacks, the nine contestants selected to participate had just 90 minutes to bring their vision to life. Chartwells staff helped each student-chef prep and cook their recipe. The final creations were carefully evaluated by a panel of distinguished judges, who evaluated technique, skill and flavor.

CAM Academy claimed top honors at the Washington State Knowledge Bowl competition, continuing an impressive rise in just three years of participation. The varsity team qualified for state for the third consecutive year and secured first place in the 2B category, outperforming 17 other teams.

The state tournament begins with a written round of 50 multiple-choice questions with a 35-minute time limit. This is followed by four preliminary oral rounds of 50 questions each, setting the stage for the semifinal and championship rounds, also oral rounds of 50 questions each. The questions cover topics such as math, science, history, language skills, literature, music, geography and current events.

CAM’s JV team also had a strong season, scoring the most points of any JV team in the Vancouver Metro league during the regular season. They went on to compete at the Regional JV Invitational for the first time.

Eric Harpe and Sarah Nielsen are the Knowledge Bowl coaches. Team members include:

From left: Grace Wing, Battle Ground High School; Nathan Kim, Ridgefield High School; Itzel Contreras Montiel, Prairie High School; Abeal Sihel, Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School; and Sadie Walters, Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School. Photo courtesy of The Historic Trust.

In February, two Battle Ground Public Schools students were honored at the 2026 Marshall Youth Leadership Awards. Grace Wing, from Battle Ground High School, and Itzel Contreras Montiel, from Prairie High School, were among the six students who reached the final round of consideration. Grace was named a finalist and Itzel was selected to receive this year’s award! Itzel is the third BGPS student to receive the award since it began in 2001, and only the second Prairie student to earn this recognition.

Congratulations to the recipients of this month's awards!

Kindergarten teacher Melinda Beachell has earned National Board Certification, one of the highest professional distinctions available to educators in the United States. This credential recognizes accomplished teachers who demonstrate advanced knowledge, strong instructional practices and a deep commitment to student learning. 

This month Five Battle Ground High School students competed in the annual Charter College Weld-Off in Vancouver. The students had to complete a series of welds according to plan drawings, and the Battle Ground group swept the top three places! Steven Howe placed first and received an $8,000 scholarship and a new Fronius welder. Trent Nixon came in second and received a $5,000 scholarship and new welding equipment. Parker Irvine was third and received a $3,000 scholarship and new welding equipment.  Tod Garred is their adviser.

Students and their families at Daybreak Primary raised an amazing $7,409.19 for the American Heart Association this year! To celebrate, classes gathered in the gym and participated in jump rope stations, danced to music and enjoyed healthy snacks. A shout-out goes to health and fitness teacher Julie Meyer, who brought heart health learning to life!

Prairie High School's Health Occupation Students of America set a new club record. The club, which is the school's largest, is holding its annual drive to collect donations of menstrual products. With a large boost from the Walter E. Nelson Co., the club has already reached almost double its goal, bringing in 3,900 items to date. The items will be available throughout Prairie and at other schools, as well as available for students to take home during the summer. Students planned and organized the drive, which continues through April 23. Mo Levine and Rachel Reid are the advisers. HOSA operates through the health science pathway, part of the Career and Technical Education options in the district.

Six CAM Academy middle school teams competed in the Clark Public Utilities Solar Car Challenge on March 7 at Hudson’s Bay High School. The annual challenge brings together students from schools across Clark County after teams spend months designing and building small cars powered by solar panels and batteries. The Panthers took home second and fourth place finishes in the Solar Car Race, along with second place in the Engineering Design Presentation.

Battle Ground High School’s AFJROTC cadets reached a historic milestone at the final meet of the regular season. For the first time in the school's history, the program earned the overall title at the Columbia River division championship. The cadets went on to compete at the Northwest Drill and Rifle Conference Championships in Oregon City on March 14.

Four students earned nominations in the Clark County Mock Trials as they competed on Cascadia Tech Academy's teams. Congratulations to the following:

Prairie High School students Hector Yanez-Munoz and Dallas Ramos represented the school's Unified Sports at the Youth Leadership Experience as part of the Special Olympics Washington State Winter Games! This event brought together students to learn, lead and help create a more inclusive future. Students grew their confidence and leadership skills while making meaningful connections. 

After reading 20 minutes a day since the start of the school year, students in Ryan Anderson’s classes at River HomeLink surpassed one million words on March 16! They celebrated “Million Word Monday” with a red carpet, confetti and literacy-themed activities. Students also wrote letters to their future selves about the power of reading. Research shows strong reading habits can boost lifetime earning potential by up to $1 million.

Battle Ground High School's cheer team is among the best in the nation! The Tiger squad earned ninth place in Varsity Show Cheer Intermediate Non-Tumbling Small and 10th place in Crowdleader Team Medium. Underscoring their success at nationals is the fact that this is the first year that Battle Ground's cheer team has qualified for the national competition. 

Thank you to Read Northwest and Battle Ground Education Foundation for organizing and hosting Bites & Books, a celebration of literacy.

On March 12, parents and guardians joined their first graders at every BGPS primary school for breakfast and reading activities. Students took home free books, bookmarks and other items to keep the love of reading going. Battle Ground Chief of Police Dennis Flynn also joined the fun and transported the shark mascot from school to school to spread excitement.

We love seeing these meaningful connections across our community!

This episode explores two hands-on learning opportunities available to local students. First, Assistant Director Tami Oppliger and counselor Ryan Hovde talk about Cascadia Technical Academy, the regional career and technical school serving students across Southwest Washington. With 20 programs, Cascadia Tech helps students explore careers and gain real-world skills before graduating high school.

In the spotlight, Prairie High School teacher Jen Engelbart shares how students are gaining practical financial experience through the student-run iQ Credit Union branch at Prairie, where students help operate a real credit union location during the school day.

It’s a look at how local schools are creating meaningful, real-world learning experiences for students. Listen on any of these platforms:

Thanks to the generosity of local Rotarians, approximately $1,000 in school supplies were donated to Laurin Middle School. Rotarians Jessica Ambrose (also a counselor at River HomeLink) and Sean Miller, owner of Spring Brake and Suspension, co-led the school supply drive. We are grateful for their commitment to supporting our local schools!

Join the Battle Ground Police Department, Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Battle Ground Education Foundation in collecting donations for Battle Ground and Prairie high schools' food pantries, which supply nutritious snacks to students.

The inaugural Cram the Cruiser community donation event will collect non-perishable snack items in a Battle Ground Police Department and/or a Clark County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle. All donated items will be used to restock the food pantries at both high schools.

We appreciate the collaboration among law enforcement, the Battle Ground Education Foundation and our schools!

Based on the hit 1992 film and Tony-nominated Broadway musical, Sister Act Jr. is the feel-good musical comedy that will have audiences jumping to their feet! 

Final show dates:

Location: Prairie High School auditorium, 1311 NE 119th St., Vancouver 

Any child who will be 5 years old prior to Sept. 1, 2026, is eligible to enroll in kindergarten this fall. Enrolling early ensures that the child can attend kindergarten orientation in the spring.

In addition, BGPS offers Transitional Kindergarten, a full day, no-cost early learning program for children who will be 4 years old prior to Sept. 1, 2026. Students must meet eligibility requirements, and space is limited. The deadline to apply is April 30.

BGeF is holding a special event to support BGPS students. Proceeds from the soirée will directly support Battle Ground Public Schools and help fund Advanced Placement exams, school supplies, extracurricular activities and more opportunities that Battle Ground students deserve.

📅 Saturday, April 18

⏰11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

📍The Cedars Public House

Get your green thumb ready! Battle Ground Public Schools’ annual plant and greenhouse sales kick off on Saturday, April 25.

Recent meetings
BGPS’ board of directors held special meetings/work sessions and regular meetings in March.

March 9 regular meeting and work session/special meeting
The board of directors voted to award a transportation services contract to First Student, retaining the company as the district's transportation provider for the next four years, with an option for one additional year. The special meeting/work session included a discussion of collective bargaining laws.

March 23 regular meeting
During the regular meeting, the board of directors voted to approve the following:

Upcoming meetings

The board will meet next on April 13 and April 27 at 6 p.m. Special meetings/work sessions may be added at a later date. You are invited to attend all regular meetings and any special meetings/work sessions in-person at the Lewisville campus (406 NW 5th Ave., Battle Ground) or watch the meetings online.

Post McCleary “solution,” the state still hasn’t met its constitutional duty to fully fund public education and schools are being asked to do more now than ever before. 

Did you know?

Washington state ranks 40th in the nation in investment in K-12 education as a percentage of the state’s total economy.

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: 360-885-5470

Visit our jobs webpage for information about current openings.

Bus drivers
Get more details on First Student driving careers, including sign-on bonuses.

Right At School
Before and after-school care provider Right At School is looking for program managers and educators. Learn more.

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