Kelso Students Will Represent Washington State In National Special Olympics Leadership Role (Photo) - 02/20/26

Kelso High School has two students and one staff member heading to the national stage for something special. Unified athlete Isayah Eddleman, partner Mallory Wells, and Head Coach/Paraeducator Karen Cloke were selected to represent Washington at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota this June not as competitors, but as Youth Leaders. They are the only Washington Youth Activation Committee team traveling with athletes to experience the 10-day event.

Before heading to nationals, Isayah, Mallory, and Cloke will continue their leadership journey at the Winter State Games in Wenatchee, February 27–March 1, as part of the Youth Leadership Experience. There, they will deliver presentations about Unified Sports, lead activities, participate in student Q&A panels, build social media outreach, and assist with Winter Games events. Cloke will also collaborate with Unified coaches and school directors from across the state, mentoring and guiding schools as they expand their programs and deepen their impact.

For Cloke, the results of Unified Sports are visible far beyond the basketball court.

“Experiences with Unified sports seeps into the whole school,” said Cloke. “Students who had limited opportunities to interact with each other before are now giving each other hugs and high fives in the hallways. They greet one another with smiles and excitement. Thanks to Unified sports, their compassion grows and they form genuine bonds of friendship that go beyond athletics.”

As Kelso High School prepares to represent Washington on the national stage, one thing is clear: Unified Sports is not just building teams—it’s building leaders, friendships, and a culture where everyone belongs.

How They Were Selected

During the 2024–25 school year, the trio interviewed and were selected to serve on the Washington Youth Activation Committee (YAC) for Unified and Special Olympics. In their interview, they were asked to reflect on their experiences in Unified Sports and its personal impact. Isayah and Mallory shared how their friendship—formed through basketball—has shaped who they are as both athletes and individuals. Together with Cloke, they spoke passionately about their mission to expand inclusion and ensure every student feels accepted and supported in school and in sports.

Last June, the team attended a statewide conference where they met other Washington YAC members. They engaged in meaningful discussions about what inclusion looks like in their schools and how it changes lives. The Kelso team also assisted with the Special Olympics Summer Games—participating in events, conducting interviews with athletes and volunteers, and amplifying the voices of the Unified community.

Soon after, Cloke received extraordinary news from Morgan Larche, Director of Unified Schools for Special Olympics Washington: Isayah and Mallory had so impressed leaders with their authenticity, leadership, and commitment to inclusion that they were invited—along with Cloke—to represent Washington at the 2026 USA Special Olympics competition in Minnesota this June.

Why It Matters

Unified Sports is about more than competition — it’s about belonging.

By bringing together students with and without disabilities on the same team, Unified Sports creates authentic relationships that extend far beyond the court. At Kelso High School, those relationships are reshaping school culture.

Programs like Unified Sports directly support Kelso School District’s commitment to Climate & Culture by:

• Expanding opportunities for every student to feel seen and valued
• Creating student leaders who model inclusion
• Building empathy and compassion across peer groups
• Strengthening school connectedness — a key indicator of student success

When students feel that they belong, they show up differently — academically, socially, and emotionally.

Unified Sports is not just building teams. It’s building a school where everyone belongs.

From Crayons To Cozy: Kelso Knitter Turns First Graders’ Drawings Into One-of-a-Kind Hats (Photo) - 02/05/26

What began as a simple crayon activity in a Wallace Elementary classroom has turned into a surprise 23 first graders will never forget. Thanks to local knitter Amy LaFave, students will discover the “perfect hats” they designed before winter break didn’t just stay on paper—they were lovingly knit into real hats, made just for them.

Before winter break in December, Wallace Elementary first-grade teacher Ashley Lowry gave her students an unusual assignment: design their “perfect hat” using a simple paper template and crayons. The students colored bold patterns with their favorite colors, never knowing why they were doing it.

Behind the scenes, those drawings were quietly delivered to Ashley’s aunt, Amy LaFave, who turned each child’s crayon creation into a real, wearable hat.

With a circular hand-crank knitting machine and a little help from her 11-year-old grand-niece, Emily (who also happens to be Ashley’s daughter), LaFave knitted 23 one-of-a-kind hats, each inspired by a student’s original design.

The magic moment will happen on Tuesday, February 10, when students return from morning recess to find their personalized hats waiting for them on their desks, an unexpected surprise.

LaFave is no stranger to knitting or the Kelso community. She owned and operated LaFavorites, a local knitting shop, for 15 years before selling the business in December 2019. Her family’s commitment to service runs deep; her husband, Dave, served for many years as Fire Chief of Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue.

For Ashley Lowry and her students, the project blends art, generosity, and surprise into a memory that will last far longer than winter. From crayons to yarn, this simple classroom activity has become a powerful reminder of how creativity and kindness can come together to warm both heads and hearts.

Fans In The Stands Unites Schools, Families, And Bridges The Gap With Community Partners - 01/30/26

Kelso High School is hosting Fans In The Stands, a regional Unified basketball scrimmage event, on February 4, 2026. Unified teams from Clatskanie, Kelso, Prairie, and Skyview high schools will play 15-minute round robin games starting at 6:00 pm.

New this year will be a Bridging the Gap Transition Services event. There will be a presentation at 5:30, followed by informational tables from 6:00 to 7:30 with community partners such as Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), Life Works, Farm Dog Bakery, Developmental Disabilities Services, Employer Overload, Special Olympics, and the YES Program.

Other highlights of the evening include a photo booth for players and fans and performances by cheerleaders and pep bands from multiple schools throughout the evening.

Admission to the event is suggested donation of cash or canned food items, which will be donated to the Food Bank. New We Are Unified t-shirts can be purchased for $15 at the event and through the Kelso High ASB office, which is open to the community Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 7:30 to noon and 2:30 to 3:15, and on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 1:15.

February 4 is Unified Awareness Day at Kelso High.

• 5:30 – 6:00: Bridging the GAP presentations
• 6:00 – 7:30
  • Fans in the Stands Unified Special Olympic Games
  • Community partner booths

About Unified Sports
Dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences, Unified Sports is a division of Special Olympics. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.

About Kelso School District

Kelso School District has a goal of 100% (bit.ly/ksd-100) of students graduating high school and having post-secondary plans for college, career, trades, or military. Our mission is to prepare every student for living, learning, and achieving success as a citizen of our changing world.

Kindness Takes Center Court As Kelso High Goes Teal For Team Jules - 01/26/26

Kelso High School’s 7th Annual Kelso Kind for the Julia Hiatt Memorial Scholarship Basketball game will be held Friday, January 30th.  The Kelso Hilanders take on the Prairie Falcons with the Boys Varsity playing at 7:00 PM.

This 7th annual event has grown over time from a Teal Out for Team Jules  into the Kelso Kind Project for Team Jules. It is held each year in memory of 2016 Kelso High School graduate, Julia Hiatt, who was deeply admired for her compassion and commitment to community. The Kelso Kind Project aims to highlight our commitment to foster a culture of kindness, inclusion, and community here at Kelso High School and across Kelso School District.

In this 7th year of honoring Julia Hiatt, we will recognize students from Coweeman and Huntington Middle Schools and Kelso High School who stand out at their schools as being Kelso Kind.  

Kelso High School Pep Club students will be raising money for the Julia Hiatt Memorial Scholarship through the Kelso Public Schools Foundation.  This scholarship will be awarded to a Kelso High School Senior who, like Julia, makes Kelso a better place for their peers; someone who believes in doing good for others just for the sake of being kind, and inspires others through their actions.

Wear your Be Kind and Gratitude gear or teal and come cheer on the Kelso Hilanders as they face the Prairie Falcons! Together with the Kelso Kind Project and Team Jules, we’ll honor Julia, celebrate our Kelso Kind Honorees, and continue her legacy by raising funds for the scholarship in her name.

BE KIND gear can be purchased here: bsnteamsports.com/shop/BKIND2025. 

For those unable to attend these games who would like to donate, donations to the Julia Hiatt Memorial Scholarship will be graciously accepted at the Kelso High School ASB office through February 28th and at all times at wa-kelso-lite.intouchreceipting.com/JuliaHiattMemorialScholarship or directly through the Kelso Public Schools Foundation.

WE ARE TOGETHER!!!