Notice: Undefined index: HTTP_REFERER in /home/stparch/public_html/headmid_temp_main.php on line 4394
Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
February 10, 2022     Shelton Mason County Journal
PAGE 46     (44 of 46 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
 
PAGE 46     (44 of 46 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
February 10, 2022
 
Newspaper Archive of Shelton Mason County Journal produced by SmallTownPapers, Inc.
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information
Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader




Page A-46 - Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, Feb. 10, North Masonschools review online art programs V Boxleitner kbox/e/tner@masoncounty. com Anne Crosby, James A. Taylor High School principal, and Aimee Beutel, a teacher with the North Mason Home- Link Program, addressed the North Mason School Board on Jan. about how J THS and HomeLink Elementary students are receiving art education through virtual interactive instruction and independent assignments. The high school’s project-based art class runs six weeks and‘ counts for 0.5 credits, with one Zoom meeting per week. Students are expected to com- plete independent work through the week. ‘ High school art projects include drawing, ceramics, sculpture, paint- ing, mixed media and student~chosen projects, which are intended to give students opportunities to learn and ex- periment in a variety of art mediums. The HomeLink Elementary art class consists of third— through fifth- graders who meet once every month for six months of instruction sessions via Zoom to create an art project at home. The art projects for students in third through fifth grades include. drawing, air-dried clay, oil pastels, painting and mixed media. Beutel said the grade bands for these art programs are flexible, in part to facilitate full-family participation. “We do have a couple of students who have younger siblings in the sec- ond grade,” Beutel said, adding that if pre-third-grade students “have sib— lings that are in fourth or fifth grade, they can join in with them, but right now, we’re just trying that out.” Beutel said she didn’t have student participation numbers in the art pro- gram for James A. Taylor High School but, “I know, when I’ve been in the school commons, and they’re doing art, they have a really good turnout. The kids are so excited to get hands-on in their work.” As for HomeLink Elementary, Beu- tel estimated Career and Technical Ed- ucation teacher Cathy Dunn has six or seven students in the program, in addi- tion to the art classes that are already part of the regular K—12 curriculum. , Beutel touted how the more hands- on art projects work “hand in hand” with the students’ art history lessons, with both subjects complementing and conteXtualizing each other. District 3 Director Laura Boad said she “would really like to kind of join the (art) group, if I could,” while Dis- trict 2 Director Leanna Krotzer admit- ted, “I’m really excited about that too, because we’ve made a decision in our household” to move her son into the I North Mason HomeLink Program. “I’m trying not to be selfish about it,” Krotzer said, “but I’m really excited to see how it all works first- hand, so I’m excited about the art part as well.” District 4 Director John Camp- bell told Beutel,"‘You exemplify what you’re talking about” with the Power- Point presentation she submitted to the board. Crosby offered kudos to Dunn, whom she hired at the beginning of the year to be the district’s career and technical education teacher. Crosby said, “We’ve been working on graduation pathways, and trying to get our kids up to speed with meet- ing all the graduation requirements,” when Dunn approached Crosby about also offering an online art program for both the high school and HomeLink. As with the CTE program, Crosby credited Dunn with putting together the art program “completely on her own.” Crosby said of Dunn, “She is all en- ergy, all enthusiasm and all-in when it comes to providing these experiences for kids, and they have really excelled at this. Kids you wouldn’t think would be into art at all are producing amaz- ing things.” Crosby said, “We are addressing some social-emotional needs through art, which we’ve not done before,” even as she emphasized that the district has “always tried to find a kid’s gift, so if art is the way they want to express a concept, that’s all good. We just want to know they have the standard. If they have the standard, through whatever mode, then that works for us.” “I think there’s a great deal of initia- tive and creative thinking on the part of the teacher in charge of this,” Camp— bell said. “I think it does our district proud.” ' “Anytime I hear of a district having to get rid of their art program, the kids lose their expression,” Krotzer said. By Kirk Boxleitner kbox/e/tner@masoncountycom The Port of Grapeview’s Case Inlet Fisheries Task Force is in a holding pattern. Task force member Brad Pomroy reported to port commissioners that the task force has contacted Joseph Peters, natural resources policy represen- tative, for the Squaxin Island Tribe. He described the tribe as “very interested in talking with us” and “very excited about meeting with us and hearing what we have to share.” , According to Pomroy, Peters imficated he would contact the tribe’s fishery biologist and hatchery manager because the tribe “really understands how the Squaxins’ support of the work that we’re do- ing would help us move along more quickly” and is “very aware of the political environment that we’re in.” . Pomroy said he hoped such a meeting could be scheduled, especially since the task force is holding off on reaching out to other key parties until it has met with the Squaxin Island Tribe. . “I think that will be a pivotal meeting for us,” said Pomroy, who expressed optimism “given the favorable reception we’ve received from them so far,” even as he acknowledged that “we need to get this meeting done, to see how we can partner with the tribe going forward.” Bob Pastore, a member of the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee for the task force, reminded the board of commissioners that the committee’s five volunteer members meet on the Monday before each month’s commissioners meeting. He reminded commissioners that SPAC has addressed the need‘ for continuing maintenance to the port’s boat ramp complex. . . “Our concern is that the structural integrity of both the ramp and the dock are degrading, and the commissioners have not provided funding or autho- rization to address these issues,” said Pastore, who emphasized the need to prevent further erosion of the south side of the ramp. ‘ Pastore added, “The current damage needs to be repaired, and changes need to be made to prevent future erosion. Left unchecked, the ramp’s surface could fail.” ‘ Pastore, citing concerns raised by biologists with Port of Gr’apeview updates Fisheries Task Force,» SPAC. Gig Harbor-based Soundview Consultants, called for more support of the drain outflow onthe north ' side to prevent it from failing. Pastore said all of those measures require per- mitting from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, which was secured last year. . Pastore noted that SPAC’s professional fish bi- ologist, who’s also a member of the port’s Case Inlet Fisheries Task Force, has recommended that: the port’s‘ board of commissioners contact Soundview Consultants and request assistance through its nual mitigation and maintenance fund to help the port address such projects; r. ,. , __ Pastore summed up additional issues he and Pomroy had noted, including the lock on the janitjoi’ rial closet to the South Treasure Island buoy magi; missing and needs to be replaced. “We’ll have our recommendations to you 30099141 those,” Pastore said. District 3 Commissioner Jean F er antici- pated that inc0ming District 1 Commissioner Art Whitson’s technical expertise would aid the port in addressing many of the issues identified by SPAC Within “the next month or so.” Port of Grapeview’s order of commissioners changes By Kirk Boxleitner kbox/eitner@masoncounty com The Port of Grapeview said farewell to one commissioner and welcomed an- other Jan. 18. , Technical difficulties prevented Art Whitson of Mason Lake from be- ing sworn in as the port commissioner for District 1, which includes the Ma- son—Benson Lakes area, but District 3 Commissioner Jean Farmer nonethe- less read the oath of office for him and arranged to ,have her and District 2 Commissioner Glenn Carlson’s elec- tronic signatures sent to him so he “ could complete the paperwork for the county auditor, officially installing him in the position. Whitson described himself as a re- tired facilities and environmental en- gineer for The Boeing Co., who “lived with” all the environmental regula- tions and building code requirements. Whitson has tried to get Green Dia- mond Resource Co. and other relevant HOMELINK, continued from page A-45 “Our goal is to reach the whole child where they are and teach them in a way they can feel safe, grow and even flourish,” Beutel said. “That’s governmental and tribal entities to address the flooding of Mason Lake each winter, which he has asserted is “a consequence of beaver dams, and possibly a bad culvert design, where the county road passes over Sherwood Creek.” Whitson is a professional civil engi- neer and an estuarine ecologist. Farmer and Carlson spoke glowing- ly of Whitson’s knowledge, With Farm- er touting Whitson’s backgrounds in engineering, environmental sciences and comprehensive planning project management as all being “so help- ful” and “to the port’s favor.” Carlson praised Whitson as “an outstanding person to take over this position,” due to being “engaged with a lot of inter- ests and a lot of energy.” Whitson’s term extends through Dec. 31, while Carlson’s final term in office expires at the end of this. month. Bob Pastore of the Port of Grape- view’s Strategic Planning Advisory what we’re really seeing a lot of this year.” , Beutel clarified that HomeLink Elementary technically includes four ELL students, although by her ad- mission, that could include “students Committee submitted a letter in honor of Carlson’s 10 years in office that was read aloud during the commissioners’ Jan, 18 meeting. Pastore wrote how he wished Carl- son’s retirement from the board could have been “indefinitely deferred,” and thanked Carlson for his “dedicated service” on behalf of “ail of us” who live in Grapeview. . “It would» be extremely difficult to overstate the value of your services that you have rendered to the Port of Grapeview, and ultimately, to the res- idents within,” wrote Pastore, as he lauded Carlson for devoting his talents to his duties as port commissioner. Pastore added, “Your marshal- ing and presentation of facts got us through some rough times. You suc- ~ cessfully initiated asearch for proper funding for the Port of Grapeview’s in- frastructure projects.” Pastore likened Carlson’s “spir- it, strength and confidence” to “a chime that awakens the soul,” before that maybe need more intervention for ELA, but that’s something that we’re training on right now.” District 5 Director Arla .Shephard Bull praised the program and asked how parents might find out about it, commending him for being “alert in detecting fallaciOus arguments of some opponents to progress,” as well as rendering decisiOns that were “al- ways examples of brevity, accuracy, clarity and strength.” Even as she said Pastore had “put it best,” Farmer added her thanks to Carlson for his “friendship and hard work” and “all you’ve done for this community.” Farmer recalled knowing Carlson for nine years, since she was still a commissioner for the Port of Allyn, . and in that time, she characterized him as “always approachable‘and easy to work with.” Carlson said he’d “reached a point where I’m done for public service for a while.” He said he appreciated “all the kind words.” Because no further ' applications have. been submitted for the'District 2 commissioner position, Farmer and Whitson will be review- ing the application and qualifications of Mike Blaisdell next month. ‘ . which led Beutel to recount how she and Crosby had agreed to “amp up the marketing” for HomeLink, which is mostly promoted via word-of- mouth in terms of parent-to-parent referrals.