Dear Skamania School Families,

I hope you all are doing well and getting back into the rhythm of school and work. I have some updates to share with you.

New Board Member

Please join me in welcoming Lisa Young to the Skamania School Board!

A former Skamania School parent, PTO president and finance committee member, Lisa is also an active member in the community. She is a recent retiree from the Washougal School District where she served as the Extended Learning Manager for 17 years. During her time at Washougal, she managed programs serving preschool aged children, grew the before and after school care program and was awarded multiple grants to fund program expansions and additional supplies, among many other duties. We know her historical and working knowledge of Skamania will be a great asset to our school.

We are still in the process of filling our remaining open board position. The selection process for the final board position is scheduled to be completed at the February 28th board meeting.

Staff Updates

I have some sad and happy news regarding our staff:

  • Sadly, we have received the resignations of longtime teacher, Shelly Carlton, and Nicole Olsen-Yott, who provided sub and office coverage this fall. They both will be missed, and I hope you join me in wishing them well.
  • I am pleased to share that Stephanie Ober will be staying on as an intermediate long term substitute.
  • And please join me in welcoming back teacher, Katie Chaveria, from maternity leave, as well as our office manager, Amber Warren, who will be easing back into things by working part time at home and school.

Health & Safety

As I shared a few weeks ago, the CDC and our state DOH have recently adopted new guidelines regarding shortened quarantine periods. Some of the changes can be confusing, so please review the Summary of Changes document if you have questions, or call the school office. We’ve also posted an updated Symptom Flowchart for your reference on our website.

Skamania School is also participating in the Test to Stay program, which is a way to reduce the amount of missed time in the classroom due to COVID. This allows for a modified quarantine, where students continue attending classes and will be tested multiple times (called serial testing) during their quarantine period. A consent form must be signed by a parent/guardian for students to participate, and the rapid tests will be administered for free at the school during the school day.

Those who are 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses (including boosters), those who are 5-17 who have completed the primary series of COVID vaccines, and those who have had a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 90 days are not required to quarantine if they are exposed to COVID.

If you choose not to participate in Test to Stay, you must still quarantine for 10 days after the last date of contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID. Please stay home if you or your child are sick or have tested positive for COVID. Please also remember that masks are required at all times while inside the school building for all students, staff, and visitors to the school.

You may schedule a FREE COVID test at the school by following this link: https://calendly.com/skamaniacovidtesting/weekly-covid-19-testing

Board Meeting Update

Yesterday, we had our regularly scheduled board meeting. We started the meeting with the swearing in of Lisa as a new board member. Other decisions included hiring a consultant to do the superintendent search, extending Dr. Jerry Lewis’s contract through the rest of the school year, along with the personnel items listed above.

I am so grateful for each of you. Our students and their families are what make Skamania School so special and unique.

Sincerely,
Dr. Ralph Pruitt, Superintendent/Principal