H1N1 Swine Flu Update
To ensure the safety of our students and staff, District personnel are working with the Health Department to monitor the H1N1 virus at the local, state and national levels.

H1N1 immunizations are becoming available in Skamania County. Permission forms have been sent to parents and the Health Department will begin immunizing those students (with the intranasal mist) who have returned signed consent forms to their school.

Anyone who has flu-like symptoms is advised to stay home. The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The CDC recommends the following measures to reduce the spread of viruses:
* Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
* Stay home when you are sick. Those with flu-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. They should stay home even if they are using antiviral drugs.
* Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. If a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm. Always, immediately wash your hands afterward.
* Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
* Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
* Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

The following resources have up-to-date information regarding the flu:
• Center for Disease Control (CDC): www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
• U.S. Department of Health:  www.flu.gov 
• Region IV Public Health: www.flunewsswwashington.org
• Region IV Public Health Flu Hotline is 360-397-8021.

Stevenson-Carson School District will continue to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools and the safety and health of students and staff.  We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available.

Stevenson-Carson School District puts the focus on math

With new state standards in mathematics and less-than-outstanding math WASL scores, Stevenson-Carson School District staff seized the opportunity make math an area of focus for student learning in the 2009-10 school year.

While the district reviews and revises its curriculum on an ongoing basis to ensure alignment with state standards, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction substantially changed state math standards, requiring district staff to take a hard look at the current curriculum.

Several staff members gave up a portion of their summer to attend an intensive Mathematics Leadership Institute in Yakima. The four-day workshop offered an opportunity to examine what is working and what is not in terms of meeting math standards across the district at all grade levels and write a comprehensive math plan. The completed plan was shared with administrators and the board in September.

Progress toward the math plan's goals is underway. New standards have been distributed to all staff and grade level teams are working together to study the standards, while demonstration lessons in supplemental curriculum materials are taking place as necessary across the district. (read the complete article....)

Lacamas Community Credit Union donates $3,000 to Stevenson-Carson School District

Lacamas Community Credit Union donated $3,000 to the Stevenson-Carson School District September 25, 2009. SHS Principal Brian Howe accepted the check during a school assembly.

"It is rewarding to contribute funds to this school, knowing that our donation will have a tangible benefit for students and staff," said Kathleen Romane, President/CEO.

School Messenger

We will again this year use an automated calling system to inform parents of snow closures, attendance and other school events.

IMPORTANT: The automated message will begin only after it detects a human voice or answering machine and will appear as a call from Stevenson-Carson School District on your phone's caller id. It is important that you listen to the computer-generated message rather than calling the local school or District Office, as staff may not have complete details of the message that went out.

Annual Performance Report Available

Stevenson-Carson School District's annual Report to the Community is now available for download. The report includes assessment results, graduation rates, and information about adequate yearly progress, school improvement and teacher qualification. You must have a PDF reader to read the report. Click here to download the report.