Cashmere High School Monthly Newsletter - November ‘25
From the Principal's Office
We closed out Quarter 1 with Student Led Conferences that provided parents, students and Pathways Advisors the opportunity to reflect, look ahead, and set goals. Students came in Game Day Dress, practiced their presentation skills, and provided their parents a window into their learning at CHS. We have so much to be proud of in our Q1 experience! FFA excelled at Nationals, Choral and Band Concerts showcased our performing arts, Fall sports teams are primed for state competitions and 64% of our students are involved in a Fall extracurricular sport/club/program. As a school we set monthly goals around attendance, tardies and grades. See our performance in Sept. & Oct. below. Tardies and Fs need to go down. We are working with student leadership to consider how we can leverage peer accountability, in addition to our extended lunch incentive, to improve student performance in these areas. Our recent wellness survey yielded important data that we are responding to in support of our students. While our overall data is positive, an area of focus tied to our School Improvement Plan is on building connections between teachers and students. See our summative data and teacher/student relationship data below. We identified every student that said they didn't feel they had a strong connection with a teacher and reached out to them in support of growing relationships.
Fall 2025-6
Fall 2024-5
We saw a 12% Improvement in overall positive attitudes about school, and 10% improvement in teacher/student relationships. We are proud of the connections we’ve made and the culture established, but know that we have work to do! 100% is always the goal!
From the Dean's Office
The Habit Effect: Small Choices, Big Results
As we wrap up an incredibly successful first quarter, it's a great time to reflect on what made it so special. From our student-athletes taking all fall sports to state and the FFA winning a national championship, to the beautiful choir concerts and our amazing school play—these achievements are all testaments to the power of positive student habits at CHS. You've seen firsthand how showing up, putting in consistent effort, and making small, deliberate choices every day really does pay off. Excellent report cards and glowing student-led conferences are not just luck; they are the direct result of habits you've chosen to build, whether it's sticking to a consistent study schedule, rehearsing that difficult solo one extra time, or making sure you get enough sleep before a big game. Your commitment to demanding the most out of yourselves is truly inspiring, and we are so proud of the excellent groundwork you’ve laid for success.
However, the flip side is always there: students who are now dealing with report cards they wish they could have a do-over on or serving time after school for being tardy. These moments, too, are the result of habits—or the lack thereof. When we let our consistent study time slip, put off starting that essay until the last minute, choose distractions over focus or hit snooze one more time, the outcome is predictable. Remember this crucial truth: every single little choice you make is part of the habits you form, and those habits shape your entire outcome. There are no small choices when it comes to forming character and achieving your goals. Heading into the next quarter, challenge yourself to evaluate the habits that are currently driving your day. If you want a different result, you must change your daily routine. It's never too late to demand more of yourself and start forming the habits that will lead you to the success you truly desire.
From the School Counselors
Seniors
The month of November is a transition month for students who are planning to enroll in college after high school. All college applications should be complete and students can begin preparing to apply for scholarships.
The Washington Apple Education Foundation may be offering scholarships just for you. Head to the WAEF website today to see if you qualify and start your application. The deadline is March 2, 2026, so don’t wait! If you have any questions or need a hand, stop by the guidance office. Good luck — go get that scholarship!"
The Cashmere Schools Foundation Scholarship application opens on January 1, 2026. Start today by asking for letters of recommendations and drafting your essays. Any questions, stop by the guidance office.
🎉 Big shoutout to the 20 awesome sophomores and juniors who came to school on a no-class day to explore post-graduation options at the Donut-Miss-Out College Fair! 🍩✨ They dove into the world of trade schools, colleges, and community colleges right here in Washington. Learning AND donuts? Yes, please! 🙌 #FutureReady #DonutMissOut #CollegeFairFun
Department/CTE Program Spotlight
BIG things are happening in Agriculture Education! A huge shout out to Mr. Finch and 16 FFA competitors for their amazing results at FFA Nationals last week in Indianapolis, IN. Cashmere students returned home as NATIONAL CHAMPIONS in Milk Quality and Production (Gloria Smith, Jair Naranjo, Addy Burger and Vanessa Oropeza). Also noted were 3rd place finishers in Environmental Natural Resources (Adi Poole, Abigail Kim, Finn Smith and Marshall Pell), 5th place Meats Evaluation (Sophie Hill, Jacob Holladay, Paige Dart and Aleida Nolasco) and 13th place Food Science (Addie Talley, Logan Potter, Madisyn Stoffel and Dayami Najar).
Meanwhile, in the Agriculture Education classrooms, students continue to put Career and Technical Education knowledge and skills to work. In Mr. Finch’s Animal Production class, students just completed critical thinking to research and analyze all sides of ethics in animal production and ecology. Students researched and presented on topics that included the use of antibiotics in our meat supply, selling of raw milk and the release of grizzly bears in the Cascades. Ag Leadership students are busy learning how to identify various apples, fruit blemishes, fruit pests, calculate maturity, and grade apples as they prepare for the District Apple Evaluation Competition on November 14th. Freshmen in Ag Science are completing their learning about WA commodities by creating maps and presentations.
Under the direction and expertise of Mr. Odenrider, Natural Resources students have been “playing with fire.” All kidding aside, they have been putting their knowledge and skills to the test by using resources to successfully start fires with limited resources. Check out the Student Spotlight section for more information! Natural Resources students have recently completed their WA Boaters Safety Certification course. Also, students enrolled in Natural Resources this semester have the opportunity to earn college credit through our CTE agreement with Wenatchee Valley College. Students who receive a B or better at the end of the semester and sign up through our online system will earn 3 college credits for free!
Don’t forget: Employability Matters! In all CTE programs at CHS, employability will be an important factor of student grades. Our goal is to provide students with a learning environment that prepares them for life after high school. Employability is part of 21st Century Skills and Leadership Development. All CTE students are expected to show up on time, stay on task and treat the classroom like it’s their workplace!
If you have questions or want to know more about CTE learning standards or how to sign up for CTE college credits, please contact Rebecca Swanson, CTE Director.
English Department - The journalism class had the unique experience of a Zoom interview with Bill Oram, the top sports writer for the Oregonian. Students had a chance to hear his path to becoming a journalist, what his daily work life is like, and get advice on how to conduct good interviews. He was an engaging and inspiring speaker, and students were thrilled about the experience.
Learning w/ AI Efficiencies - CHS Faculty met on October 17th for professional development. As part of that day, teachers shared efficiencies they have discovered through AI, and how they are exploring student use of AI in school. In breakout sessions, teachers discussed the ethics of AI and its implications for teaching and assessing writing, shared how to create AI “experts” (chatbots) that can support student practice in the classroom, and learned about Magic School applications, including one that helps students narrow career pathways through series of increasingly targeted questions, and ways that Magic School can support student study in preparation for assessments. We continue to explore, share and pilot potential values of AI in school while reminding ourselves there is no substitute for academic risk-taking, productive struggle and grit.
Students Spotlight - From Mr. Odenrider. A skill my Natural Resources class learns is how to start a fire with a handmade Bow and Drill. This team - Layne Bagley, Gauge Ordos, Keegan Watts, Nahaum Corbaley - was the first group to succeed. I was incredibly proud of them and they were incredibly proud of themselves. Mrs. Stutzman videoed them and took the attached picture.
From Mr. Finch: Highlighting Millie Flick:
Super supportive of her peers that went to Nationals even though she didn’t attend.
Has given up several of her lunches to facilitate our lunch-compost program.
Taught the Ag Science 2 class Apple ID’s and Fruit Pests and in my absence.
An overall Team Player!
Clubs/Programs Spotlight
Nuestra Comunidad - Both the CMS and CHS Clubs were active participants in a successful Dia de los Muertos celebration hosted in the front of Ron Doane Gymnasium. Students decorated an altar to commemorate loved ones, painted faces, served hot chocolate and conchas, and supported craftwork. Mariachi Huanachi performed for the 180 attendees.
Hello! Please support the Key Club/Equity Club Food Drive next week. Here are the details:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HPyLG3DYDM29sRCRvvjkXrvKOcn215XdBlr-gTJWao8/edit?usp=sharing
Music Program - The Choir concert was a success!
The Jazz Band and Jazz Choir went to the NCWMEA Fall Jazz Workshop (See photos).
The Band has a concert on the Nov. 6th.
First ever fall jazz night on the Nov. 13th featuring guest artists that are Alumni of CHS.
Select Choir students will be going to the University of Idaho later this month to explore music in the collegiate setting.
Four Band students were selected for WIBC and will be going to that later in November.
From the School Nurse
This year we are asking you to complete our student health form via Google Forms. We hope this makes it easier for you to communicate your student’s medical needs in a timely manner. Find the link HERE: Please complete this form in September so that we can best support your student. We want to be able to support your student’s health here at school. We have received less than 20% of the forms back. Please make this a priority for the health of your student. Thanks!
Important Dates & Reminders
November 10th – Veterans Day Assembly 10:00 a.m.
November 10th – 14th – Key Club Food Drive
November 11th – NO SCHOOL – Veterans Day
November 13th – Fall Jazz Night CHS/CMS Choir and Band @ CMS 7:30 p.m.
November 17th – Winter Sports First Practice Day
November 18th - Kelly and Charise in Staffroom for Insurance Questions 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Drama Musical Parent Meeting @ CMS 5:30 p.m.
November 21st – 23rd WIBC @ SeaTac
November 26th – Blocks 1 and 2 Early Release for Thanksgiving
November 27th – 28th NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Break
There will be a lot of athletic district/state games but those are all still up in the air….
