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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.