Clayton L. in Mrs. Green’s fourth grade class has won a Washington State PTA Reflections Contest award for Outstanding Interpretation in Literature. This is the highest level of award and allows Clayton’s poem to move on to the national competition.

My Rose Colored Glasses

My rose colored glasses can’t see the outside of anyone.
It doesn’t show skin color,
It doesn’t show religion,
Everyone the same color.
My rose colored glasses show me the inside,
Their strength, their love—their hope.
But the best thing I see through my rose colored glasses is
people who are working together,
even when they are different on the outside.
You see, what I see through my rose colored glasses
is everyone helping each other,
Learning to see one another from the inside out.

Our Healthy Breakfast Celebration included breakfast entrees at lunchtime, a Healthy Breakfast Fair, and Pajama Day on Friday to remind us to eat a healthy breakfast every day. Congratulations to Elijah S. in Mrs. Wiest’s class whose winning recipe was served on Friday morning.

                                                    Sunny Morning Muffins

• 1 Cup Chopped Strawberries
• ¾ Cup Sugar, Plus 2 Tablespoons
• 1 Cup white flour + ½ Cup whole wheat flour
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• ½ Teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ Teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Ripe banana, mashed
• 2 Large eggs
• ¼ Cup canola oil
• 1 lemon, zested
• ½ Pint blueberries
• ½ Cup chopped walnuts

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a small bowl, mix together strawberries and 2 Tablespoons sugar. Let sit 15 minutes until strawberries give off juices.
3. In another small bowl, mix together flours, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, egg, oil, sugar, strawberries and lemon zest.
5. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not over mix.
6. Fold in blueberries and chopped walnuts.
7. Scoop batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out with a few crumbs but not wet, about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature before eating.

We are thrilled to announce that our school has received a 2011 Washington Achievement Award for Overall Excellence. This honor is a result of the dedication to learning by our students, our staff and our families. Congratulations to all of us!

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education created the Washington Achievement Award to celebrate top-performing schools and to recognize achievement in multiple categories. This highly selective award is based on each school’s performance according to the Washington Achievement Index, a comprehensive measurement of how schools in Washington are performing over time. Visit OSPI’s Education Awards pages to learn more about the Washington Achievement Awards, including details on the Washington Achievement Index and the criteria for selection. http://www.k12.wa.us/EducationAwards/default.aspx

Sixteen Grass Valley fifth graders participated in the recent Science Olympiad Tournament at Clark College. In five events they took two first places, two second places and a third place  as well as two top group awards. Kudos to these talented scientists and their terrific coaches, Mrs. Brouillet and Mrs. Wiest.