“The trees, which we present today, are our gift to a community, which has treated us and our children as neighbors and friends rather than people of another race and country. It is our hope that in the years to come these trees, symbol of the land of our birth, may grow and flourish, making more lovely our Vashon Island.”

With these words in March 1932, Mr. Ujiro Nishiyori, the President of Vashon Island’s Japanese Society, gifted 100 cherry trees to be planted on the Vashon High School (VHS) grounds as a sign of appreciation for the education the Japanese American community enjoyed on Vashon. Throughout the years, as the new buildings were built and old buildings were torn down, the cherry trees slowly but surely dwindled in their numbers. Now, just four trees remain on the campus.

But now, thanks to collaboration and partnership between Mukai Farm & Garden, the Vashon Island School District (VISD), and the Vashon Heritage Museum, an interpretative sign is being installed on the VISD campus to commemorate and honor the 30 VISD students who were forcibly removed from their homes on May 16, 1942.

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Three fourth-grade friends at Chautauqua Elementary have been engaged in a passion project for the past several months — assembling 100 backpacks for people without housing, stuffed with supplies including water bottles, first aid kits, personal care and hygiene items, N95 masks, and notes of encouragement.

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The Spanish Intern Program is designed to give CES students exposure to Spanish language and culture and to spark interest in continuing in world languages. In addition, the program supports English Language Learner (ELL) students by providing primary language support for students and families, increasing cultural awareness and acceptance through adult heritage speakers, and providing Spanish literacy support for native Spanish speakers.

Read more about the program here.

For many families in the Vashon Island School District, the school day is just another of the 365 days in the year. For families who do not primarily speak English at home, life can be more complicated as they attempt to engage in a complex system while navigating the challenges of language barriers. Helping break down those barriers is the world of Nidia Sahagun.

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