On Thursday, November 7, W.F. West High School hosted the 11th annual Career and College Fair. The event featured 48 representatives from community colleges, technical colleges, universities and vocational/trade programs. W.F. West High School students were joined by students from Adna High School, with approximately 972 students attending the event to learn more about opportunities available to them after high school and to make connections with these professionals.

This event is part of the Student Achievement Initiative with a Career and College Readiness focus. Chehalis School District’s goal is for graduates be career prepared and successfully obtain a meaningful certificate or college degree post-graduation. Aware, eligible and prepared = ready.

Participating career and college representatives: Air Force and Air Force Reserve; Air Force ROTC; Air National Guard; Army; Marines; Academy of Interactive Entertainment; Central Washington University; Centralia Beauty College; Centralia Community College; Chehalis Fire Department; Clark College; Corbin University; Cornish College; Eastern Washington University; Gonzaga University; Grand Canyon University; Job Corps; Kugel Construction; Laborers Local 252; Miss Lewis Co. Scholarship Program; New Market Skills Center; Northwest Laborers; Olympia Master Builders; Pacific Lutheran University; Perry Technical Institute; ROTC Pacific Lutheran; Portland State University; Lewis County PUD; South Puget Sound Community College; Tacoma Power; St. Martin University; Trinity Western University; Twin Transit; University of Portland; Universal Technical Institute; University of Washington – Tacoma; Warner Pacific University; Washington State University; Washington State – Vancouver; Washington Tractor; Wells Fargo; West Coast Heavy Equipment Training; Western Washington University; Western Washington University; Whitworth University; Work Source; WSD Cottey College.

Reading Buddies are up and running! Students from Orin C. Smith Elementary and James W. Lintott Elementary are enjoying the opportunity to prepare stories to read aloud to their friends at the other school. Classes in the Buddy program are paired up and each Orin C. Smith student is partnered with a James W. Lintott student.Students shared that it was the "best part of their day!" This is a great opportunity for students to apply Career and College ready skills such as communication and time management, as students work on expression, fluency, oral speaking, listening, vocabulary and confidence. Currently, a few classes in each grade level are piloting the program – and staff hope to grow the partnership in the future. This project reflects the work of the Student Achievement Initiative with a Career and College Readiness focus. Chehalis School District’s goal is for graduates be career-prepared and successfully obtain a meaningful certificate or college degree post-graduation. Aware, eligible and prepared = ready.