Baller Bear News - Camas School District

Volume 10, Issue 5 February 2012
Dear Helen Baller Families,
Baller Bear News
I hope you’ve had a nice start to 201 2. My family had a terrific Winter Break. We spent time with family in Camas and Vancouver and then
headed to Richland, Washington to spend a few days with my mother. My daughter, Maya, celebrated her 8th birthday. I cannot believe how fast
she has grown up! I had a couple of BIG disappointments to start the New Year. The Ducks beat the Wisconsin Badgers in the Rose Bowl and
the Green Bay Packers lost to the Giants. I continue to have several students, parents and staff remind me of the two losses!
When we returned to school the staff and students reviewed the rules and expectations at Helen Baller. The students have been excellent this
year. We’ve had several compliments from visitors about the students’ behavior, especially during assemblies.
In the month of January the students participated in Aimsweb testing. We test students in the areas of reading and math. AIMSweb is a progress
monitoring system based on direct, frequent and continuous student assessment. The results are reported and analyzed to determine if our
instructional strategies are meeting the needs of all learners.
I want to compliment the Juggling, Jump Rope and Tumbling Teams. They all did an excellent job when they performed at Camas High School
during the halftimes of basketball games. They were amazing! A big thank you goes to Mrs. Wing and all the volunteers who help support the
teams.
One thing that makes Helen Baller a great school is the support we get from our parents and community. They are an integral part of our
community and enhance all of our children’s education. I cannot thank them enough for what they do. This month I want to give a special thank
you to Kathi Hansen, Amy Sturbelle, Chris Olsen, Shannon Lambert, Vicky Fairbrother, Cheryl Johnson, & Lyn Garcia. They have worked with
fifth grade students on improving their fluency when reading.
Due to the snow day on Wednesday, January 1 8th the Camas School District will have a make-up day on Friday, February 1 7th.
The flu has been going around the school recently. If your child is sick, please keep them home until they are feeling better. We want to avoid
spreading germs and getting other kids sick if possible. When your child is home for a day due to being sick or other reasons, please contact the
main office at 833-5720. If the school is not notified about the reason of the absence, the absence is considered unexcused.
This year I am continuing to draw chance tickets and the kids whose names are drawn come down to my office to pick a prize. I am running low
on prizes so if you have some smaller prizes/toys you are looking to get rid of, please think of us at Helen Baller. You can drop them off at
anytime. Thank you for your support.
On February 23rd the PTA will be holding a general meeting in the library at 6:30. Mike Nerland, Superintendent of the Camas School District,
will be presenting on the possible school boundaries when the Camas School District opens Woodburn Elementary in 201 3. We hope to see you
there.
Parents, if you have a fifth grader who will be attending Liberty next year there will be a Liberty parent information meeting in the commons on
Thursday, May 24th from 9:00 to 1 0:00 a.m. and from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. They hope to see you there.
If you ever have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. Thanks for your continued support. Have a terrific month.
Aaron Parman
Helen Baller Elementary 1954 NE Garfield Street; Camas, Washington 98607-1143
Pnone: (360)833-5720 Fax (360)833-5721 Website: schools.camas.wednet.edu/helenballer/

Children's Dental Health Day
Free Dental Care
Saturday
February 4, 2012
7:30am-4:00pm
Clark College Dental Hygiene Clinic
1 933 Fort Vancouver Way
Free care for Clark and Skamania County children up
to age 1 9 with dental problems. Serving families who
have limited income and no dental insurance.
Services Provided:
- X-rays
- Sealants
- Flouride treatment
- Fillings
- Extractions
Call for an appointment: (360)397-8000 Ext. 7371
or (360)397-8020
This program is not affiliated with any school district in Clark or Skamania
Counties.
Clark County Dental Society has partnered with Clark College, Clark County
Public Health, Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, Greater Southwest
Washington Dental Hygiene Association, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and
Washington Oral Health Foundation to provide Children's Dental Health Day.
Character Counts Store
Friday Dates:
Feb 24th
Mar 23rd
April 27th
May 18th
June 8th
Baller Bear Calendar of Events
Feb 6-1 0 Jungle Week with Ms. Wing
Feb 1 0 Birthday Table
2-3pm PTA meeting
Feb 1 8-20 President's Day weekend
No School
Feb 23 PTA General Meeting, 6:30pm
at Helen Baller
Feb 24 Character Counts Store
March 23 The Fabulous Fifties! Spring
Program at
Camas High 6:30p
Character Counts Store
April 27 Character Counts Store
May 1 8 Character Counts Store
Do you like to flip, jump and dance all around? On
Saturday March 1 7, 201 2 Hayden Sutton will be
holding a gymnastics camp for girls in grades K-5
from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The camp will cost $25 and
will need to be paid through Camas High School’s
ASB by mail or dropped off. All campers must bring a
sack lunch and water bottle. Also, it’s recommended
to wear a leotard and gym shorts but it’s not
required; Shorts and t-shirts will work perfectly fine.
Good thing about this camp is that you don’t need
any experience! Everyone is welcome come out and
try. Also, on the following Wednesday after the camp
(Wednesday March 21 , 201 2) there will be a
performance for the new gymnasts to reveal all they
have learned for family and friends. T-shirts will be
provided and the performance will be from 6:00-
7:00pm. Thanks, I am very excited for my senior
project to begin, and for all to sign up!
Hayden Sutton
Come have lunch with your “Sweetheart”!
Students who have birthdays during the month of February will be celebrating at the Birthday Table on Friday, February 1 0th
from 11 :25am to 1 2:20pm. If you have a child who will be attending the birthday table, please feel free to join him/her during
his/her lunch only or you may join all of the birthday kids for the entire lunchtime. The kids love having a family member there to
help celebrate!
Note: All health concerns and allergies are being closely monitored and can be accommodated for your child to participate in
the birthday table.
If you have any questions, would like to volunteer your time or donate ice cream treats for the event, please contact Cheryl
Johnson at 360.844.5797 or email her at birthdaytable@helenballerpta.org. You may also sign up at Signupgenius.com and
enter hbpta@yahoo.com in the search.

Safe on My Own
Ages: 8-11
This class teaches safety & basic 1 st aid while
children are home alone Bring snack to class.
Bussing to Zellerbach is available from all Camas
Elementary Schools.
Dates: February 9th or March 29th
Time: 4:30-6:30 PM
Location: Zellerbach Admin Center, Conference
Room “F”
Fee: $35 per class
CAMAS PUBLIC LIBRARY INFO:
for 4 th grade and up, and their
parents! Borrow a special copy of the book
from the library, you both read it, you both
come to the meeting, and then you get to
keep the book for free! Sign-up
required. Snacks and an activity, too! The
next book is Schooled
Books are
available for pick-up now!
Come meet 11 published,
award-winning authors who write for children
and teens. Meet them, get autographs, and
listen to them talk about their work! For all
ages. Free!
Trade your used
books (or movies or music CDs) with the
library or with others. Free! Take home as
many books as you bring! The library will
donate several boxes of books to the
swap.
A fun session
where you can decorate a gingerbread man.
Experiment, create a masterpiece, and eat it
up! Yum! For kids through 6 th grade and
parents. Call 360-834-4692
or come into the library to sign-up.
Free!
Soo Bahk Do Classes
(Martial Arts)
When: Saturdays at 1 :30 PM
Who: Anyone older than 7 who is interested in
learning
Why: This is my senior project and I am a Cho
Dan(First degree black belt) in Soo Bahk Do
with
4 years of experience
Where: 21 00 Se 1 64th Ave Suite C-1 02
Vancouver Wa, 98683
Contact info: My name is Alastair Graham,
call/text me any time or feel free to E mail me
Cell phone: 360-71 8-0205,
E- Mail: Ecosse93@yahoo.com
Alastair

Success Book Roll Call
Below is a list of students who have signed the Success Book during the months of December
and January. Any Helen Baller staff member can have a student sign the Success Book for
being successful with academics, behavior or work ethic. Several of the students signed the
Success Book multiple times, but I have only listed their name once. Way to go Helen Baller
Bears! We are proud of you!
Alexia Johnson
Delaney Anderson
Skip Dickson
Victoria Lenoir
Peyton Cody
Jude Sosky
Cassie Templer
Thanh
Kiya Gramps
Lexie Terry
Jaylee Yang
Ellie Harris
Tristen Mangenelli
Courtland Anderson
Macynn Schmid
Angelina Goble
Anne Califf
Julia Marsh
Lance Stuck
Bully Schuldt
Nico Swanson
Edward Kovalenko
Emma Bliss
Anna Chronister
Nicole Gilstrap
Shakyah Boggs
Eric Sandquist
Calvin Wight
Yozen Fang
Makayli Murphy
Elizabeth Nilles
Veronica Metzler
Jordan Geigenmiller
Alex Gilbertson
Sophia Hrella
Gabriel Gramps
Alycen Templer
Luc Utheza
Martin KnyshSyerrah Wilson
James Podrez
Anna Walbruch
Kai Cathcart
Austin Ashcraft
Isabella Krohnert
Deitrich Vu
Regan VanCleave
Jayden Foster
Noah Dangerfield
Luke Bales
Levi Buzan
Clark Dinhy
Timothy Trimble
Arizy Briscoe
Weston Field
Hayden Newell
Jackson Damore
Quyen Do
Taija Souki
Laura Berson
Sophia Rubano
Ethan Troop
Shaye Swanberg
Ella Shannon
Allyson Stoller
Sara Buckholz
Maddie McArthur
Cyenna McCusker
Shelby Bohannon
Laila Markland
Renae York
Gabriel Manila
Rachel Real
Bree McClelland
Janessa Terry
Mia Heinrichs
Michaela Ephraim
Moriah Ephraim
Ewan MCclain
Quantez Crawford
Anthony Flores
Aiden King
Logan Reichert
Lizzy Wing
Taylor Betschart
Ashley Gillespie
Liam Martin
Grace Varsek
Logan Hansen
Ebin D.
Laura Berson
Maddie McArthur
Ruben
Zander Samodurov
Julia Bentz
Gage Craft
Matthew Andrade
Zachary Singleton
Brig Griffin
Kaeden Souki

The 1 0th annual Camas Education Foundation Phone-A-Thon will be held Tuesday-
Wednesday-Thursday, February 21 st-23rd from 6:30-8:30 pm at the District Offices. Student
and adult volunteers will call households in the Camas School District to ask for financial
support.
CEF has raised more than $1 77,000 in the events’ first nine years. This year we’re hoping to
raise $1 8,000 and are looking for corporate or individual donors to match pledges received over
the phone. For those who work for companies that support charities with corporate matches,
CEF is a qualifying charity.
Funds raised go to our schools for innovative curriculum enhancements in the areas of basic
reading, math and science, writing and literature, foreign languages, arts, social studies, history
and more.
A few specific grants recently have been awarded to:
> One School, One Book
> Netbook Mobile Lab at CHS
> Live performing arts, artists and authors in residence
> Making Art with Digital Photography
> No Fear Shakespeare: Twelfth Night
> Science Resource Center Equipment
> Challenge Day
These programs would not be in existence without individual donations given through CEF.
Your volunteer phone caller will be prepared to tell you more about CEF and its support of our
children’s education in Camas. Please consider making a donation; every penny is appreciated.
We need volunteers to make this event a success. If you’d like to help, please contact Marybeth
Johnson at 334-0726.
The Camas Educational Foundation (CEF) is an all volunteer, nonprofit organization founded in
1 997 by parents, administrators, and community members. CEF fund raises year round through
various events and grants those funds to the schools during the spring grant program. Our
mission is to fund innovative programs and curriculum enhancements to help improve the
educational experience for all Camas students.
For more information you can look us up on the web at www.camascef.org