District names Partners of the Year
Walla Walla Public Schools named the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds, Original Design, Walla Walla Foundry, Fort Walla Walla Museum and Commitment to Community its 2014 Partners of the Year as part of May’s Partners in Learning celebrations.
Walla Walla School District established Partners in Learning Month in May 2010 to thank the businesses, organizations and agencies who partner with the district throughout the year to support students and staff. This month the district sent more than 130 proclamations and letters of recognition to the district’s Partners in Learning.
Walla Walla County Fair Grounds
Each Labor Day Weekend, hundreds of Walla Walla Public Schools students are at the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds showing animals, performing or displaying class projects. The local fair is an outstanding venue to showcase district programs and student talent.
The fairground Community Building also serves as home of the Lincoln High School graduation ceremony each June. For the past three years, Lincoln students and family members have flocked to the fairgrounds to celebrate graduation. The Walla Walla Fairgrounds also plays a key role in the district’s emergency planning efforts. The site serves as an evacuation location for Garrison Middle School in case of a crisis. The fairground’s is also the parent relocation site for all schools if their campuses are deemed unsafe due to an emergency.
Original Design
Original Design is much more than a local t-shirt and custom apparel shop. It symbolizes small town America thanks to owner Anne North-Jones. Those who drive by her 2nd Avenue store front will see her passion for schools, especially Walla Walla High School. Chances are if you see people wearing Blue Devil shirts, or sitting on Blue Devil grandstand seats they were purchased at Original Design.
Anne was a tremendous help to the Walla Walla Citizens for Schools organization during the 2013 bond campaign. The group wanted a t-shirt to promote the proposal. She came up with the t-shirt design and slashed the price to cover costs only. She also printed them on demand and was very flexible on the way funds came in. Anne just gets it. She understands the kids are the most important part of anything we do. Anne also was the key person in establishing the high school swim program. She organized fund-raisers, did exhaustive research and provided leadership for how the program could operate in Walla Walla.
Walla Walla Foundry
Thanks to the generous support of the Walla Walla Foundry, all Walla Walla Public Schools 5th graders and 5th grade students from schools throughout the entire Walla Walla valley are able to visit this amazing facility each school year. This field trip opportunity is in conjunction with the Carnegie Picture Lab program. Learning stations are set up throughout the foundry so students can see the step-by-step bronzing process. The activity concludes at the foundry’s main building with an informative slideshow.
The Walla Walla Foundry has supported Lincoln High School this year by creating the frame for the school’s Macy's parade float. They also worked with Lincoln staff and students to create Hamlet for the Day of the Dead celebration, and made a $1,000 donation to the school. Principal Marci Knauft said many Lincoln students are very artistic and the support from the Foundry helped to engage them and connect them to their learning. The Walla Walla Foundry also donated a beautiful bronze soccer ball for the annual staff versus students Blue Devil cup soccer match.
Fort Walla Walla Museum
The Fort Walla Walla Museum is truly a community treasure. Walla Walla Public Schools students and their families have a one-of-a-kind resource in their backyard to explore the valley’s past and see first-hand who helped shape our community. A generous scholarship program allows students without the necessary funds an opportunity to visit the museum at no cost. The Fort Walla Walla Museum staff support field trips by escorting students and educators throughout the facility and explaining important details about the exhibits on display.
Executive Director James Payne extends his talents well beyond the walls of the Fort by getting involved in his community. He was a long-standing leader for the Green Park PTA and he is actively involved in the Exchange Club, including holding the honor as the number two duck salesman for the annual Ducky Derby.
Commitment to Community, Nancy Jacobsen
With a mission of Building a Strong Community, through Building Strong Neighborhoods, Commitment to Community or better known as C2C provides a conduit for families to access the community’s safety net programs and services. This mission has a positive impact on children and their school experiences. C2C staff members regularly visit district schools in their assigned neighborhoods to build relationships with staff and administrators. These visits also build trust with the students. The students realize they can count on the C2C adults to provide support and become mentors. This partnership also provides C2C staff members access to district administrators to improve communication and engagement with families and students.
C2C is a grassroots neighborhood support organization which hinges on building relationships and trust with and among neighborhood residents. This community partnership provides the school district a "point of entry" to improved relationships with district families.