Thanksgiving Holiday Break Schedule
- Early Dismissal: Wednesday, Nov. 24
- No School: Thursday, Nov. 25 and Friday, Nov. 26
- Classes resume Monday, Nov. 29

Dress appropriately for winter conditions
As we enter the winter months, please remember to dress for the conditions. It’s important for students to wear winter coats, gloves, hats and boots during these times of extreme winter weather conditions.

Thanks for taking the necessary measures to help keep everyone safe this winter season!

Walla Walla Aggressive Drivers Response Team posters, banners and flyers are being created to inform the public about the program. Parents, staff and students will also be briefed on the program as part of the communications effort.

Walla Walla Public Schools Holiday Food Drive to benefit local food bank
Walla Walla Public Schools is planning its annual Holiday Food Drive November 29 to December 17. All food donations support the Blue Mountain Action Council Food Bank to help replenish local supplies.

Collection sites will be at all Walla Walla Public Schools, the school district central office and Providence St. Mary Medical Center. Non-perishable items, including tuna, macaroni & cheese, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, are being collected.

Look for Walla Walla Public Schools school buses at area grocery stores Saturday, December 4 for the “Fill the Bus” event.

Fill the School Bus (School buses to be parked in front of these stores for shoppers to fill with donated items.)

Saturday, December 4
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Albertsons
- Harvest Foods
- Safeway (Plaza)
- SuperOne

2010 Holiday Food Drive Chairs:
Christina Price-Huntington, Pioneer Middle School Para-Educator
509.527.3050 or e-mail: cpricehuntington@wwps.org

Lori Finn
Lincoln Alternative High School Teacher
509.527.3083 or e-mail: lfinn@wwps.org

Walla Walla High School boys basketball teams plan Blue/White scrimmage Saturday
The Annual Blue/White Boys Basketball scrimmage is set for Saturday, November 27 at the Walla Walla High School gym. Admission to the scrimmage is free.

Scrimmage Schedule
- Freshman teams: 4 p.m.
- Sophomores and junior varsity teams: approximately 5 p.m.
- Varsity: 6 p.m.

The 2010-2011 boys basketball varsity season begins Tuesday, November 30 in Lewiston against the Bengals.

Walla Walla High School newspaper staff compete at national school journalism conference
Four journalists traveled to Kansas City last week to attend journalism workshops and compete at the national level. Sophomore Miranda Ruff ranked third with an Honorable Mention in the Environmental Portraits event.

Close to 2,000 participants descended on Kansas City over five days. Seniors Camille Kammer, Kristine Leier, and Olivia Welker, and Ruff spent each day in multiple one-hour workshops ranging from new trends in newspaper designs to tips from a National Geographic photographer.

“It was really educational. I learned a lot of managing skills and interviewing techniques. It is always a great experience to attend one of these conventions,” Kammer said.
Shot at Whitman’s Harvey Pool, Ruff’s portrait featured swimmer Emma Timm-Ballard, who recently swam at state. The portrait had “nice angles and framing, made the looking down angle work and the expression was great,” according to the evaluator.

Adviser Gay Buissink accompanied the journalists. “Miranda did two photo shoots at the pool to get the photo of Emma that she eventually entered,” Buissink said. “All the competitive events are difficult at Nationals, especially when we travel east for this competition.”

Garrison Middle School Principal participating in National Board Principal Certification program
Garrison Middle School Principal Gina Yonts is participating in the National Board Certification field test for principals. The field test is being conducted to determine if the assessment is a valid and reliable tool for measuring accomplished principal practice as described by the Accomplished Principal Standards. If the assessment is found to be valid and reliable and a cut score can be established, those field test participants who meet the established cut score will achieve certification, according to Yonts.

“This is an awesome professional development opportunity, to help grow good leadership skills,” Yonts said. “It’s an honor to have been selected to participate and I am really looking forward to the challenge and personal/professional growth.”

Reflective practices, goal setting and strategic planning are key components of the National Board Certification program. Yonts is in her ninth year as a school administrator.

Whitman College Youth Baseball Winter Camp scheduled
- Athletes ages 8 to 18 are invited to the Whitman College Baseball Winter Camp
- Mark Michaud, pitching coach for the Whitman College baseball team and the Walla Walla Sweets baseball team, will direct the camp which will cover baseball fundamentals.
- Saturday, December 4 and Sunday, December 5
- 9 a.m. to 12 noon each day
- Location: Sherwood Athletics Center, Whitman College
- Cost is $60 per student (includes a camp t-shirt)

For more information, contact Mark Michaud Jr. at 509-522-4438 or michaum@whitman.edu.

Wa-Hi FFA Holiday Wreath sale
- 16" ring (the wreath will be 20"-24" wide when it is finished)
- Bow colors: Red, White or Blue
- Cost: $20 (payable upon delivery or pick-up)
- Deliveries begin Wednesday, December 1
- To place an order, contact FFA Advisor Arch McHie - amchie@wwps.org / 527-3020

Winter weather is here! School closure procedures
At Walla Walla Public Schools, we make every effort to post up-to-the-minute school closure information due to inclement weather or any circumstance that would delay or cancel the normal school schedule.

Decisions to delay or close school usually are made by 5:30 a.m. or earlier. This triggers the district’s comprehensive school closure/delay announcement plan. The district makes every effort to begin announcements by 6 a.m.

Announcements include:
- Media release (radio, tv, newspaper)
- Telephone automated message (staff and parents)
- Web posting (www.wwps.org)
- Staff e-mail (GroupWise)
- E-news message (sign up on the district web site: www.wwps.org)
- Twitter message (twitter.com/wwschools)
- Facebook page message
- Orange signs posted in front of schools

Homelink Program Parent Teacher Organization to host Hunger Banquet
The Homelink Program Parent Teacher Organization and Homelink students are hosting a Hunger Banquet for Family and Friends December 9 at 6 p.m. at the Berney Elementary cafeteria.

“The Hunger Banquet is our school’s service project for the holiday season,” said Becky Betts, event organizer. “This is a way to give back and at the same time, raise awareness among our student body that everyone on earth has the same basic needs.”

Guests at the banquet draw tickets that randomly assign them each to either a high, middle or low-income tier based on the number of people worldwide who live in poverty. Each guest receives a meal matched to their “income level.” The high-income tier (15 percent) are served a meal of spaghetti, bread, salad, and dessert; the middle-income tier (35 percent) eat a simple meal of rice and beans; and low-income tier (50 percent) receive small portions of rice and water.

After the meal, guests are invited to share their thoughts, and a speaker will discuss the pressing impact hunger has on our local community. All proceeds from the Hunger Banquet will be donated to charity, with most going to local charities that combat hunger and a portion to Oxfam America. Homelink students will be working at the event and many of the Homelink teachers will incorporate learning activities into the classroom as well.

For more information: Becky Betts, Event Organizer
509-876-1970 / bobeck@charter.net