News

• Spanish murals represent school values
  Kathleen Sassara; Co-Content Editor   Recently, Sarah Powell’s Spanish II and IV classes embarked on a journey unique on the high school campus so far: two murals on the concrete walls surrounding the air inductors to the north and east of the […]
• Students take field trip to see Kwame Alexander
  Sequoia Gregorich, Law and Ethics Editor   On April 20, McMurray teacher Patty Gregorich’s seventh grade humanities class, along with a few other seventh graders, embarked on a field trip to hear award-winning author Kwame Alexander speak at […]
• Vashon students explore Japan
  Shira Stahl, Reporter & Designer   Japanese teacher Raeanna Fisher and English-teacher-turned-chaperone John Rees accompanied 20 students to Japan over spring break.   The group arrived in Tokyo on April 5 after a nearly 10-hour flight […]
• Whopping cough infects Vashon
  Aidan Janssen, Reporter & Designer There have been many reported cases of the respiratory infection pertussis in Washington. While only having around 200,000 reported cases a year, pertussis — also known as whooping cough — spreads very quickly […]
• Superintendent search concluded
  By Shira Stahl, Reporter   The date of superintendent Michael Soltman’s retirement bears ever nearer, and the search for the next superintendent has been an intense process for both the school board and the candidates.   The board […]
• Gov. Jay Inslee signs Senate Bill into new law
  Katherine Poston, Reporter and Designer   On March 21, Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5064 into law. The law will be put into effect June 7 of this year, and will prevent public high schools from censoring material and advertisement […]
• Sophomores serve in Puerto Rico
  By Mari Kanagy, Reporter & Designer   In mid-March, sophomores Maya Harrison, Djuna Schuerholz-Wright and Shira Stahl traveled to the city of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, to help a community still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane […]
• Graduation in the gym
  Elizabeth Lande,  Reporter & Designer   This June, along with thousands of other senior students across the country, the VHS Class of 2018 will receive their diplomas and graduate into the world beyond standard education.   Over the […]
• Peru Trip
  By Aidan McCann, Reporter Spanish teacher Sarah Powell and a group of seven students traveled to Peru over mid-winter break. The group ranged from freshmen to seniors and was joined by another high school group from Brooklyn. The students from […]
• Dr. Kehl’s Vet Assistant Class Donates to Homeless People’s Pets
  By Marisa McTighe, Assistant Social Media & Distribution Editor From 3 to 5 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month, The Doney Memorial Pet Clinic in Seattle provides a free veterinary clinic for the pets of homeless and low-income […]
• SkillsUSA
  By Clara Atwell, Business Editor and Associate Editor-in-Chief SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit that aims to help students develop personal, workplace and technical skills by partnering them with teachers and industry workers. The abilities […]
• Umergency
  Aidan Janssen, Reporter As graduation approaches, many families are preparing to send their children away from home to a college or university campus — places, from the perspective of home, which are full of unknowns. In order to combat such […]
• VashonBePrepared prepares islanders for natural disasters
  By Clara Atwell, Business Editor Vashon’s isolated position in the Puget Sound puts the whole island community in a vulnerable position in the case of a natural disaster. VashonBePrepared is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition of organizations that work […]
• Rheagan Sparks sworn in as new board member
  Katy Sassara, Co-Content Editor Rheagan Sparks was sworn in as a new board member on Nov. 30, beating one-time board member Jake Jacobovitch in the November election for VISD school board position no. 2, taking the position most recently filled by […]
• I like it when bathrooms are available
  An Op-Ed written by your white, privileged Editor If you are reading this and know that I exist in some physical form beyond just the words I put down on this page, then there is a chance you have spotted me occasionally roaming the halls of our […]
• Educational Programs and Operational Levy
  By Mari Kanagy, Reporter In early 2018, local voters will cast their ballots for or against the Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levy supporting VISD. The EP&O levy is run by the school district every four years. The revenue goes […]
• Theatre trip to China forces participants to think differently
  By Marisa McTighe, Assistant Social Media and Distribution Editor In September of this year, a group of VHS drama students was chosen to present their technical and acting talents at the Luo Hu Youth Drama Month Festival in Shenzhen, China. Seniors […]
• Students attend speech
  by Isabel Allende & Sequoia Gregorich, Law and Ethics Editor On Nov. 28, a bus full of VHS students traveled to Seattle to hear renowned author Isabel Allende speak. In addition to her 23 books, Allende is also an activist, Presidential Medal […]
• The school has a littering problem
  By Adriana Yarkin, Copy Editor The bell has just rung, declaring the passing period between lunch and fifth. Getting up with my tray and peering into the three large bins standing against the wall, I’m met with a few seconds of confusion. There is a […]
• New board member Spring Hecht brings passion for equity to her role
  Katy Sassara, Co-Content Editor On Nov. 7, Spring Hecht won the election for VISD board director Position no. 4 against incumbent Steve Ellison. A clinical social worker and therapist, Hecht has long been passionate about advocating for youth and […]
• District needs to offer common-sense, financial training
  By the Editorial Board “Nothin’ like the Quotient Rule at 8:04 a.m. on a Tuesday.” This quote, stated quite enthusiastically by calculus teacher Andy Callender, is not only humorous and oddly specific — it’s also a more-than-decent summary of our […]
• Wrestlers work with coaches to plan weight cuts
  By Katherine Kelly, Managing Editor Most wrestlers experience the need to lose weight in order to fit into a certain weight class. It is often difficult for them to get weight down for a match while retaining muscle gained earlier in the season. One […]
• NW Detention Center: refuge for immigrants or prison for innocents?
  By Julian White-Davis, Photography and Publishing Editor A man in a dark uniform stands with his hand resting against a tall chain-link gate. A low voice issues from a walkie talkie strapped to his shirt, signaling that it’s time. The group of […]
• J-Term concept would reorganize school calendar, bring advantages, drawbacks
  By Elizabeth Lande, Reporter At the beginning of the 2013 school year, the high school completed its transition from trimesters to semesters. The change resulted in a reduced number of classes for students to take each year, but a longer time span […]
• How to restore herd immunity to the island
  By Adriana Yarkin, Copy Editor Vaccines: A trip to the doctor’s office, a poke in the arm. Done. Diseases such as pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae and measles are not common fears in the U.S., and cases are rarely reported. However, prior to the […]
• District needs to offer common-sense, financial training
  By Adriana Yarkin, Copy Editor “Nothin’ like the Quotient Rule at 8:04 a.m. on a Tuesday.” I chose this quote — stated quite enthusiastically by my calculus teacher Andy Callender — to be my senior quote because not only is it humorous and oddly […]
• Washington State Ferries is inefficient and expensive
  By Aidan Courtney, Reporter   Recently, many island residents have harbored complaints with the Washington State Ferries (WSF). Some residents and commuter students have struggled to catch ferries due to an unreliable schedule and misleading […]
• Faculty attempts to respond to student drug use
  By Clara Atwell, Business Editor   The Healthy Youth survey is taken by students of all grades every other year and presents questions focusing on various factors of adolescent health in Washington state.   The fall 2016 survey surveyed […]
• Appleford Enrichment Fund
  Léa Ringeval, Reporter   Do you remember your favorite elementary school library book? What about that great field trip you took in middle school? Chances are they were funded by Partners in Education (PIE).      PIE is a local non-profit […]
• Vashon becomes the new home for three Syrian families
  By Julian White-Davis, Photo Editor and Publishing Editor   When the civil war in Syria escalated, three families left their homes in the war-torn country to travel across the globe, eventually making a new home here on Vashon Island.   […]
• Parents, school team up to improve racial equity
  Mari Kanagy, Reporter   Since spring of last year, local community members have been actively working with the Parents and Friends for Racial Equity Committee (PFREC) to improve racial equity on Vashon.   In March of 2016, PFREC requested […]
• Neighborcare Comes to VHS
  By Aidan McCann and Kadin Oliva, Reporters   Neighborcare may have only opened its Vashon clinic a year ago, but it now has a separate clinic here at VHS with a fully licensed nurse practitioner.   Neighborcare will have the ability to […]
• Standards-Based Grading
  By Adri Yarkin, Copy Editor   Last year, the English department took an excited leap into Standards-Based Grading (SBG). This year, they have drawn back.   While the English department currently utilizes a system which combines the […]