October 2024 Employee Excellence Awards
Congratulations to the recipients of the October 2024 Excellence Awards!
Oct
2024
Jan
2020
New to #TeamVPS
Vancouver Public Schools is pleased to welcome these new educators!
Dec
2019
#TeamVPS: Benefits team
The team spent spent countless hours assisting their colleagues from across the district.
Sep
2019
New to #TeamVPS
Welcome to our newest certificated employees!
May
2018
Pathway expands Spanish language learning opportunities
The class is a pre-AP Spanish seminar taught entirely in Spanish, a language these students have been studying for years.
May
2018
Graduate success story: Because she’s brave
A Skyview alum overcomes her past through optimism and compassion. Plus, learn about Positive Alternative to School Suspension Coordinator Eric Silvey.
May
2018
Middle schooler moves legislators
Meet William Clark, a young leader from Discovery Middle School. Plus, learn about Carrie Newton, one of his favorite teachers.
Nov
2017
Students on board with free city bus passes
The Youth Opportunity Pass isn’t meant to replace the school district’s buses, but rather expands transportation options for families.
Jun
2017
Graduate success story: Learning for all
Fort Vancouver High School alum Katie Brown, the 2014 Washington Teacher of the Year, took time to answer a few questions about her path to working in education. Plus, learn about Julie Pagel, the Fort teacher who inspired Brown.
Oct
2016
Graduate success story: Forward momentum
Three-time Olympian Kara Winger (formerly Patterson) has spent half of her lifetime throwing the javelin, from her days at Skyview High School to her recent Olympic showing in Rio de Janeiro, where she narrowly missed qualifying for the final round.
Oct
2016
At King, college is core
Washington State University Vancouver student Adriana Benitez stood in front of teacher Katherine Howard’s fifth-grade class at King Elementary. “How many of you are excited to go to college?” she asked.
Jun
2016
#TeamVPS: Andy Meyer
Meet Hudson’s Bay High School Associate Principal/Athletic Director Andy Meyer.
Jun
2016
#TeamVPS: Angel Banta
Meet Family-Community Resource Center Coordinator Angel Banta.
Jun
2016
#TeamVPS: Lori Talley, aka “T-Boss”
PE and art teacher Marshall Elementary School Years with VPS: 24 One thing I’ve learned: That when students believe they can be successful, they are. I create a positive learning environment by personally having an [...]
Jun
2016
Explorations in early learning
Teacher Kendra Yamamoto guided Saul’s hands across a table coated with shaving cream. “Mira, mira,” she said in Spanish. With her palm atop the boy’s fist, she maneuvered his index finger through a lathery curl.
Jan
2016
#TeamVPS: Jim Jeffers
Meet Instructional Technology Facilitator and former classroom teacher Jim Jeffers.
Jan
2016
#TeamVPS: Valerie Hunt
Meet Nurse Valerie Hunt.
Jan
2016
#TeamVPS: Jonathan Lawrence
Meet McLoughlin Middle School District Resource Officer Jonathan Lawrence.
Jan
2016
#TeamVPS: Diana Avalos-Leos
Meet Family-Community Engagement Coordinator Diana Avalos-Leos.
Oct
2015
#TeamVPS: Jois Brownstein
Columbia River High School English and AVID teacher Years with VPS: 28.5 Most memorable career experiences: Seeing my 21 Advancement Via Individual Determination students graduate in June 2015. They were the first AVID class at River. I started with them as freshmen. By [...]
Oct
2015
#TeamVPS: Don Rogers
Vancouver iTech Preparatory math teacher Years with VPS: 8 Most memorable career experience: Starting out in Vancouver at then–Lewis and Clark [High School]. First time with alternative education and the realities that some of our students had to bear was an eyeopener.(Editor’s note: Lewis and [...]
Jun
2015
#TeamVPS: Eddie Sawyer
Instructional technology facilitator Years with VPS: 23 Most memorable career experiences: Seeing the progression of technology since I started as a student at Peter S. Ogden Elementary in 1980. I started with the first Apple [...]
Jun
2015
#TeamVPS: Steve Lorenz
Hudson’s Bay High School teacher Years with VPS: 28 Most memorable career experiences: Winning the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national competition in 2015, being selected the VPS High School Teacher of the Year in the [...]
Jun
2015
#TeamVPS: Charlene Shea
Gaiser Middle School seventh-grade life science and math teacher. Years with VPS: 13. Most memorable career experiences: Turning a bioswale and blackberry patch into Gaiser Pond, our living lab.
Jun
2015
#TeamVPS: David Finnie
Fort Vancouver High School Culinary Arts teacher Years with VPS: 17 Most memorable career experience: While VPS was building the Jim Parsley Education, Family and Community Center, I had the opportunity to work with George [...]
Jun
2015
#TeamVPS: Wen-Shun Chen
Franklin Elementary second-grade teacher Years with VPS: 2 Most memorable career experience: Useful and appropriate Mandarin materials are hard to find. Last year, I decided to create a Chinese Pinyin dictionary with high-frequency words. On [...]
Jun
2015
#TeamVPS: Lee Gunter
Minnehaha Elementary School counselor Years with VPS: 13 Most memorable career experience: A couple of years ago, a former student came back to visit. He was going to graduate and wanted to make sure that [...]