Tag Archives: South Kitsap High School

SKHS dance team sweeps in Anaheim competition

Dance teams from South Kitsap cleaned up at the American Showcase event in Anaheim, Calif., in April.

The Cedar Heights Junior High School’s junior varsity team, coached by Lexi Sperber-Meekins, took first place in the pom event for its division.

The South Kitsap High School varsity dance team, coached by Devin Hanson, won all three of the events in which they were entered in the finals on April 12: Varsity jazz, varsity hip hop and varsity Pom.

“For a high school team to win that many first place awards is quite an accomplishment,” said Sheila Noone, of Varsity.com, which hosts the event and a number of other dance team and cheer competitions. “I would assume that they are a very versatile team, strong in many different genres of dance. Some teams are strong in pom, or hip hip, or jazz, but to be great at all is very impressive.”

This is their jazz number.

The SKHS dance team has been together for a year. They tried out last spring and worked over the summer and fall to perfect their technique and competition routines. According to Hanson, the team puts in roughly seven to 10 hours a week at practice.

The team performs whenever they can, at the back-to-school fair, high school basketball games, and they did the half-time performance for a Kitsap Admirals game in February.

The dance team competes in Washington Interscholastic Activities Association competitions, and this year they took their hip hop, and jazz routines to state.

As you watch these other videos, check out what an athletic endeavor these dance routines are. If you think this looks like fun (and if you’re a student), tryouts are coming up, likely some time in early June.

This is their pom number.

This is their hip hop number.

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SKSD students show TLC to aging machinery

Ah, 1955, it was a very good year. Happens to be the year I was born and the year a certain Ford 640 tractor rolled off the assembly line.

By the time the tractor was donated to South Kitsap High School’s Future Farmers of America by the Blackler family (in memory of Bud Blackler) it was in pretty rough shape. Well who wouldn’t be at 58 years old?

Students in the high school’s agriculture program took the old gal from “ragged” …
Ford 640, old

… to “righteous.”
Screen shot 2013-10-02 at 8.20.49 PM

“The tractor was a mess when we first got it,” reads the school’s entry in the Delo (tractor products somehow related to Chevron gas) tractor renovation contest.

Who knew tractor renovation was so popular with high school students? There were scores of entries, most from states that end in “-ois”, “ana,” “owa,” and “sas.” There were also a lot from Texas, a disturbing number in fact, as you will see.

“Immediately, we started tearing the tractor down, taking every component off until it was completely dismantled.”

This gets a little graphic, here, so those of you with weak stomachs, beware.

“We disassembled the engine and sent the block and head in to be cleaned up and machined. After taking every piece off the tractor, we sandblasted, primed, and painted every single piece individually. We got the engine block and head back assembled, torqued, and adjusted it according to specs. Then, we began assembling the tractor.”

(If only renovating humans were so easy.)

They rebuilt the distributor, starter, generator, and steering box. Amazingly, the carburetor, grill, radiator, water pump, and front fender were the only parts that needed to be replaced.

New tires, a new seat cover and steering wheel (along with some other miscellaneous parts essential to ignition) completed the job.

The students won awards at the Washington State Fair and at a local tractor show, and they put the “Triple Treat” to work, raking and tending hay fields.

Then they entered their tractor in Delo’s annual tractor renovation contest, “established in 1995 to recognize and reward the creativity, technical aptitude and business knowledge of high school-aged students from around the country.

“Participants develop teamwork, project management, budget management, planning and marketing skills. All of these new skills will enable them to become future leaders in the agriculture community,” the fine folks at Delo said.

SKHS submitted before and after pix and a video of their work. According to rules I read in September on the Delo website, voting was to have remained open until Oct. 25. The Triple Threat received 1,611 votes, far better than many, but far behind others, mostly from states ending in “xas.”

Although voting technically is still going on, the judges, in their infinite wisdom, have chosen a dozen finalists, seven of which hail from Texas. Texas is just too darn big, if you ask me.

The judges said, “While all the entries demonstrated the remarkable dedication, determination and teamwork, a few tractors really caught our eye.”

So it’s over for the Triple Treat, just like that. Ah, but she’s a beauty. Yes, 1955 was a very good year.

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Video: SKHS students rally against staff cuts

Our story on the rally ran last night. Organizers plan a larger rally for 4 p.m. Wednesday (May 22), starting at South Kitsap High School, with a march to the district office. Students in charge are Gabrielle Wagner, ASB president, and Vincent Bachteler, a “passionate Wolf.”

C. Henry, reporter

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Friday Afternoon Club (early): Art Show at South Kitsap High School

South Kitsap High School Presents its 15th annual Senior Art Show

When: 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 20
Where: Common Project’s Area of South Kitsap High School, 425 Mitchell Avenue, Port Orchard.
What: Guests will enjoy more than 300 photographs, 100 paintings and drawings, displays of ceramics, wooden boat projects, graphic art, videos, clothing design and more.

Attendees will have a chance to vote on “Best of Show” and participate in a silent auction of various pieces of art work. The funds from the auction go into a scholarship fund.

For more information contact SKHS photography instructor Robert Davis at (360) 874-5600.

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Chappo Live Performance Video

Local kid done good. South Kitsap High grad Chris Olson, now living in Brooklyn, N.Y., is featured with other musicians in the indie band Chappo on the new iPod touch commercial with a clip from their song “Come Home.”

Here’s a video of a live performance the group did earlier this year, with stage door interview before the songs.

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South Kitsap Native Holly Mattson Alive and “Thankful”

Friends of South Kitsap native Holly Mattson will hold a benefit concert for her on Sept. 30 at Neumos
nightclub in Seattle to help her with steep medical bills incurred from a horrific July 26 car crash that claimed the life of her friend Douglas W. Simmons III of Fife, also originally from South Kitsap.

Changes are pending against the Auburn woman who hit the car Simmons was driving broadside. The woman allegedly was traveling at speeds up to 80 miles per hour while fleeing a Federal Way police officer when the collision occurred.

Mattson, who was a passenger in Simmons car, has rough days since the accident but remains the upbeat person friends from Marcus Whitman Junior High School and South Kitsap High School remember. She is taking “baby steps but in the right direction,” she said on a recent Facebook post.

Mattson only learned that Simmons had died after she got out of the intensive care unit.

“My ex-husband and my three boys all came in and surrounded my bed,” Mattson said, in an e-mail to the Kitsap Sun. “They said I had to know and proceeded to tell me. I stopped them after hearing about Doug’s death. My heart was instantly broke.

“He was such a good guy and the waves of tears hit me without warning over him,” Mattson said. “He was a wonderful dad and family was the most important thing in the world to him. He was a true man in his walk in this life.”

Mattson, formerly of Oregon and the Seattle area, for now is living with family in Port Orchard. She is somewhat overwhelmed by the outpouring of support that has buoyed her since she first remembers regaining consciousness in the hospital.

“I am so humble over the outreach from everyone on this whole tragic event. I really cannot even form words other then being ‘Thankful,’” she said. “You ask how I am right now. I am better then yesterday. I say that I feel like my heart, my mind and my body are broken, but honestly, my spirit has been strong throughout and I owe that to all the love and support of friends and family.”

Find the story on Mattson’s heroic recovery in today’s Kitsap Sun.

Friends, spearheaded by Dave Dayton, also formerly of South Kitsap, now of Seattle, have organized this concert at Neumos, entitled “There is a Light That Never Goes Out.” The concert will feature 10 bands covering The Smiths, a 1980s rock band (details below).

I didn’t realize how eerily poignant the name of the event was until I looked for The Smiths on You Tube and found this video.

“There is a Light That Never Goes Out”
What: A benefit concert for South Kitsap native Holly Mattson.
When: 8 p.m. Sept. 30
Where: Neumos, 925 East Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98122-3816; (206) 709-9442
More Information: Find organizer Dave Dayton on Facebook, e-mail
openheart_70@yahoo.com or visit www.neumos.com.
Bands: Leeni, Like Lightning and Guests, Bradford in Taxco, Leslie Beattie,
Trentalange, Mikey Davis (Calligraphers), Joshua Morrison, The Small Change,
Aaron Mannino and The Missionary Position.

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Money for Youth Sports, a Double Play

1. You may have read about recent efforts by proponents of a turf field at South Kitsap High School on their efforts to raise funds for the upgrade, estimated to cost $1.5 million. South Kitsap Community Sports Foundation was turned down by USA Soccer in its bid to land a planning grant for the much-needed field renovations at Joe Knowles Field and improve the quality and conditions of other athletic facilities in the district, but they are planning a 7-on-7 flag football tournament, for Aug. 28 at South Kitsap High School as a fundraiser.

Registration: Forms and more information on the tournament can be found at the organization’s website or on Facebook at Turf 4 SK.

2. South Kitsap Babe Ruth, which folded in March due to lack of players and a poor economy, has donated the balance of its funds to three other baseball organizations in South Kitsap. In that way, said president Jerry Holaway, the spirit of the 50-year-old organization lives on.

“I met with Kevin Archuleta President of South Kitsap Eastern Little League on Monday before SKELL board meeting at Puerta Vallarta,” said Holaway on Aug. 12.

“I also met with board member Daniel Garrett, Vice President Kathie Thoma (in picture) and President Margot Rustad (not in picture) of South Kitsap Southern Little League before SKSLL board meeting at SKSLL ball park,” Holaway said.

” I presented each league with equal donation checks with the only stipulation that the money be used for players ages 13-18 years old to help with registration cost, supplies and up keep of their ball fields.

 “We also donated all of our baseball equipment, lawn mower and everything in our concession stand to South Kitsap Western Little league when they took over the lease from the city on the Babe Ruth field.

 I feel all three organizations were given equal parts of Babe Ruth 

South Kitsap Babe Ruth will be closing out the leagues bank account within the next couple of weeks depending on when the donation checks clear the account.”

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South Kitsap High School Student’s Art Noticed by Google

5/27 Update: National winner announced. See update at bottom of this post.

After posting this blog entry, I learned that there are two other local finalists in the Doodle 4 Google Contest, Michelle Ortiz of Poulsbo Middle School in North Kitsap and Bryan Wei of Kopachuck Middle School in Gig Harbor. Bryan’s doodle, titled “Build and Earthquake Proof City” was among 40 regional finalists. Four national finalists, chosen by public vote from among the 40, will be announced Thursday. The winner’s doodle will appear on Google.com.

If you pay attention to the day-to-day changes in the Google Image on the search engine’s home page, and if you’re from South Kitsap, you’ll want to pay extra close attention and look for for a contribution from our little corner of the world.

Karlie Goss, a South Kitsap High School junior and advanced graphics student, recently was selected as a state finalist in her age group (10th through 12th grade) for the Doodle for Google Contest. Students across the country were asked to create a Google design, mentally completing the sentence, “If I could do anything, I would … ”

Goss’ design shows hands of people of different races playing with a river of rainbow colors. The title of the piece is “To Give the World Color.”

The contest drew participants from 20,000 schools, and Google received more than 33,000 entries. Goss’ art is among four hundred state finalists’ doodles selected by judges.

Goss’ art teacher at South is Cathy Duttry.

Google hosted the competition because, “We are delighted to encourage and celebrate the creativity of young people, and are excited to see the range of creative doodles that are submitted.”

As for the theme, according to Google FAQ’s on the contest, “At Google we believe in thinking big and dreaming big, and we can’t think of anything more important than encouraging students to do the same. We are looking forward to what kind of creative visions kids will submit for what they would do in the world, if they could do anything.”

By the way, if you see one of those fancy Google logos and you wonder what it refers to, you can click on the image and the good folks at Google will give you an explanation. I felt so enlightened the day I figured that out.

5/27: The national winner of the Doodle for Google contest is a third grader from Missouri. You can see her artwork today on Google.com. Gig Harbor student, Bryan Wei, was not among the four national finalists announced today on the Doodle for Google blog. But hey, good on ya, Bryan, and Karlie and Michelle. Keep on doodling and dreaming.

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SKHS Baccalaureate: Is There a Pastor in the House?

South Kitsap High School’s baccalaureate service was canceled Monday, essentially for lack of interest.

The baccalaureate, a non-denominational religious service, is at the high school but not hosted by the high school, said Devin Leith, youth pastor of the Family Worship Center in South Kitsap. Leith was in charge of the service this year, but he had a hard time drumming up enthusiasm among community religious leaders and students, who in the past have co-produced the event.

To the best of Leith’s knowledge, the baccalaureate used to be a regular part of graduation rituals; then it kind of just fell off the table. A couple years ago Family Worship Center picked up responsibility for the event, Leith said.

This year, however, “I put up the word and got zero feedback.”

Leith said he’d like to see a number of churches and the students themselves involved in planning for the event. He thinks a little more advance planning might go a long way.

Leith said a Bible Club at the high school that used to be active in planning the baccalaureate is waning or non-existent. If that group were to fire up again, it probably would help generate enthusiasm for the event, he said.

Does the baccalaureate bust indicate a secular wind in South Kitsap? Leith doesn’t think so. There’s plenty of enthusiasm among young people in his congregation and at other churches. “We just need more community involvement,” he said.

So what do you think? Should the South Kitsap community pursue a baccalaureate next year? Check back later today when I’ve been able to get our Web editor to add a place on the new blog for polls.

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