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School boards, by their very nature, are tasked with hard choices, tough decisions involving families’ children and money. The La Conner school board last Thursday faced a tough choice of a different kind – whom to select to fill the unexpired term of Swinomish director district representative Amanda Bourgeois, who resigned in February after three years. The decision was hard, board members said afterward, because all three applicants were well qualified. Yet, ironically, it was also an easy assignment, given that the board felt it couldn’t go...
La Conner High School families filled the library Wednesday evening to celebrate the successes of their students. Twelve sophomores and juniors and one senior accepted the invitation to join the La Conner Chapter of the National Honor Society. This organization requires that students be of good character, practice leadership skills, value academics (students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better) and are committed to service to their communities. Former LCHS National Honor...
The Kiwanis Club of La Conner High School Student of the Month for February is Andrew Villard. Andrew's parents are Lucas and Shaye Villard. He is a senior. Andrew enjoys his leadership, automotive and wood shop classes. He is a teacher assistant with the special education class and helps with maintenance in the school bus barn. Outside of school he is an Eagle Scout and a volunteer fire fighter with the Mclean Road Fire Department. After graduation he plans to work toward being a diesel mechani...
All states, including Washington, provide two statues to the U.S. Capitol. In the near future one of those stone figures gifted by the Evergreen State will bear the image of late Nisqually tribal leader and treaty fishing rights champion Billy Frank, Jr. La Conner Schools recognized Frank with a special program March 7. The two-and-a-half hour public event, billed as the district’s first annual Billy Frank, Jr. Remembrance Fair, was held in the middle school gym and included information booths focused on salmon protection and key chapters in F...
Join La Conner Schools administrators at La Conner Waterfront Cafe, 128 South First Street, 2 p.m. March 20 for a candid conversation. Bring your questions for Superintendent Will Nelson and his team of administrators. Source: La Conner Schools...
Dave and Lynette Cram caught themselves coming and going at the La Conner school board meeting Monday night. The couple traded places as district leaders when Lynette Cram stepped down after eight years on the board and David Cram was hired as the new La Conner Schools deputy superintendent of finance, human resources and operations. The board's senior member, Cram resigned to avoid possible conflict-of-interest issues with her husband returning for his second tour as the school's fiscal chief....
Despite a 10 a.m. tipoff, the clock struck midnight on the Cinderella La Conner Braves in Auburn Saturday. The No. 10 Chief Leschi Warriors clinched a berth at the Spokane Arena this week by defeating 15th seeded La Conner 68-41 in a loser-out state regional matchup. The Braves, who had upset bi-district favorites Auburn Adventist and Coupeville the week before, fell to a talented Chief Leschi team that controlled tempo throughout with a stifling full-court press, crisp transition game and...
The Stanwood-Camano Branch of the American Association of University Women is pleased to announce the opening of the 2023 Scholarship season. Applications for university students in their junior or senior year or in Master’s Degree programs will be accepted through April 29. Scholarships of $10,000 will be awarded to three applicants who are current residents of La Conner, Stanwood, Camano Island, Arlington or Lakewood areas or are high school graduates from these school districts. Applications are at:.aauwsc.org/scholarship. Source: A...
At its study session Feb. 13, the La Conner School Board heard and accepted Amanda Bourgeois’ resignation from their body. The board continued its examination of declining student enrollment numbers, accepted two major cash donations and met with and sought feedback from middle school and high school students. Board President Susie Deyo presented a spread sheet showing 56 students from outside the district have enrolled. Forty-seven students have left for other districts or remote learning programs. Despite the net gain, K-12 enrollment has f...
La Conner Soroptimist honored student for February Taylor Rae Cayou has demonstrated an aptitude for leadership in several significant ways. As a member of Peer to Peer at La Conner High School, Taylor and 8-10 other students work on addressing important issues affecting the high school population. During suicide prevention month, they presented a lunchtime slide show explaining how to talk about suicide. They also are creating a movie, "Most Teens Don't Vape." As a school board student...
Amanda Bourgeois, a strong advocate for equity in education, has resigned from the La Conner School Board, citing schedule conflicts with her new employment. “She has a new job,” board President Susie Deyo said during the panel’s study session on Monday, “and felt she just didn’t have the time anymore. It’s with deep regret that we accept her resignation, but we have to respect her wishes. “We really tried to twist her arm,” stressed Deyo, who credited Bourgeois with providing keen insight on multiple topics during her three years as a boar...
La Conner High School construction class students are building their skills by following a blueprint that addresses the area's housing crunch. The 10-member class, taught by instructor Daniel Castillo, is constructing a small house the students plan to turn over to a tiny home village in either Burlington or Bellingham at the end of the school year. "This is a great chance to serve our community while affording the students an opportunity to build their carpentry skills," Castillo told the...
In an age of specialization, senior Ellie Marble is having a ball as a multi-sport standout. The proof was provided Jan. 31 before a standing room only crowd at Landy James Gym. That’s when Marble, a prized Central Washington University volleyball recruit, was presented a commemorative basketball in recognition of having passed the elite 1,000-point career hoops scoring mark. Marble, the reigning Washington State 2B Volleyball Player of the Year, was honored in front of the scorer’s table by Lady Braves head coach Joe Harper as part of the Sen...
On a night when La Conner School Board members were recognized for their service to the district, the panel first deflected attention to retiring faculty member and coach Suzanne Marble. At its two-and-one-half hour Jan. 23 hybrid meeting, the championship volleyball mentor was lauded for her upcoming induction into the Hall of Fame of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the state’s governing body for schools athletics and extracurricular programs. Marble joins the 2023 WIAA Hall of Fame class in a May ceremony. She guided t...
The La Conner Kiwanis Club's High School Student of the Month for January is Nathan Haley. Nathan's parents are John Haley and Bonnie Beddall. He is a freshman at La Conner High School. Nathan enjoys his English and art classes. He has been part of ETC – a service club at school. Outside of school he enjoys videogames and drawing. He is not sure what his future career will be but plans to go to college. Middle school Student of the Month is Eva Porter. Her parents are Brian and Laura Porter. She...
Juna Swanson has been named to the fall semester Pacific University dean’s list. A freshman at the Forest Grove, Oregon school, she earned a grade point average of at least 3.7 (of 4.0) while completing 12 or more credit hours. Swanson participates in women’s basketball at Pacific, which competes at the NCAA Division III level....
La Conner Schools served up a dinner menu that included food for thought during the district's winter open house last Wednesday. As the over 200 attendees finished a community ham-and-potato meal served by school staff, the district's administrative team outlined the status of on-going programs and its recipe for student success and achievement going forward. Superintendent Will Nelson, hired in 2021, shared with the public the building blocks of a major five-year plan: social-emotional...
Rachel Haley, a senior at La Conner High School, is the January Honored Student of the Month for Soroptimist of La Conner. Rachel is a member of the McCauley family and attributes much of her artistic leanings to her family. The late Curt McCauley, her grandfather, was an artist and was very involved in MoNA, the Museum of Northwest Art, as both a docent and a supporter. Gretchen, her grandmother, served on the board. Her aunt Eve is an accomplished painter. Rachell wants to represent all of...
When the La Conner and Mount Vernon Christian basketball teams tip off next Tuesday, winners will have already been determined. They being the La Conner High senior class and lucky raffle ticketholders. The seniors will be raffling over $1,000 in donated items at Landy James Gym that night to raise funds for their graduation trip in the spring. Tickets will be sold during the boys’ game, which gets under way at 5:15 p.m., with drawings held at halftime of the girls’ game that follows immediately afterward. Ticket prices are $5 each or five for...
A sudden shortage of bus drivers at La Conner Schools is forcing daily routes to be combined while threatening cancellation of student field trips and overnight travel to athletic events. Randy Swift of the schools short-handed transportation department apprised school board members of the troubling situation during their two-hour meeting Jan. 9. Swift said one driver retired over winter break. In November supervisor Kim Pedroza left for a similar post with the Stanwood School District. “We don’t have enough drivers to do our regular rou...
The Kiwanis Club of La Conner has chosen its November students of the month. Kendall Lee is the high school student for November. Her parents are Jason and Dawn Lee. Kendall is a sophomore at La Conner High School. She is her class ASB treasurer. She plays the flute in pep band and recently joined the knowledge bowl team. Kendall plays soccer and tennis both in school and outside of school. After graduation she would like to study emergency medicine. Kellie Cayou-Lockrem is the November middle school student. Her parents are Josh and Va...
La Conner Schools Transportation Supervisor Kim Pedroza is leaving the school district for a similar post with the Stanwood School District. School Board President Susie Deyo formally recognized the many contributions Pedroza has made at the panel’s monthly hybrid meeting Friday morning. Pedroza will be hard to replace, a point underscored by transportation staff member Randy Swift, who juggles driving, maintenance and classroom instructional assignments. “Our coach has gone to Stanwood,” Swift lamented, “and we’re in the process of finding s...
'Tis the season to put-up Christmas trees. At school, it's also the time of year to remove diseased trees and trim back others that are intruding on campus buildings. La Conner School District staff will take out "five sickly trees" plus trim several more over the upcoming winter break. "Three of these sick trees will be removed from the front of the high school," district staff stated in a release last week, "and four others will be limbed back in that area. One tree will be removed from...
La Conner and Wahkiakum are longtime foes in the athletic arena. Soon they might be allies on the judicial front. La Conner School Board President Susie Deyo raised that prospect during the panel’s 90-minute Nov. 28 hybrid meeting. Deyo asked that the board later this month support a resolution and modest financial contribution – perhaps $3,000. The Wahkiakum School District is suing the state government to extend the McCleary decision mandating basic education funding to include campus capital improvement projects. The state Supreme Court in...
La Conner school board members approved a new district civility policy promoting mutual respect and a positive learning environment throughout the district at its Nov. 28 meeting. This builds on an earlier policy addressing student use of telecommunication devices as part of a campaign to curb bullying. Student school board representative Taylor-Rae Cayou said bullying issues related to uncivil behavior and mental health awareness were topics of discussion at the Washington State School Directors Association conference. “I’m excited you went (t...
