If you are an academically motivated high school junior or senior, Running Start may be of interest to you and your family! The Running Start program at Skagit Valley College/San Juan Center offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take college level courses to earn dual credit toward both your high school diploma  Continue Reading

On Wednesday March 27, the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors will hold a regular School Board Meeting at 5:00 pm in the high school library.  This is an open public meeting.   All public comment, with the exception of public hearings on policy, budget or other specific items, will be heard during  Continue Reading

Griffin Bay Bookstore is proud to announce that San Juan Island author, Thor Hanson, author of The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers, has won his third Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association award, receiving the 2019 PNBA award for BUZZ: The Nature and Necessity of Bees. Please join us at the San Juan Island Library when Griffin  Continue Reading

OPALCO’s Nourdine Jensen Cooperative Youth Scholarship Program is accepting applications from high school sophomores and juniors of OPALCO member households. Up to five scholars will receive a $1,000 scholarship from OPALCO and the family of Nourdine Jensen, as well as an all-expenses paid trip to the Youth Rally, a co-op leadership camp at the College  Continue Reading

EDC and SVC to offer Free Training in Construction Welding this Spring The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) is partnering with Skagit Valley College to offer free training in Construction Welding basics at SVC’s Mount Vernon campus this May.  This latest class in the EDC’s Trades Education Initiative is sponsored by the Washington  Continue Reading

Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae… If you are caring for a loved one, an aging parent, a spouse or child with special needs, a neighbor or a friend and if you are not a paid care provider, the Mullis Center is offering a free,  Continue Reading

There is Always Something New Greeting Spring is the new program of Family Art Days (FAD) at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA). The informal classes start on Saturday, April 6th at 540 Spring Street in Friday Harbor. The classes are held in the cozy upstairs workshop area from 1:00 t0 5:00 on  Continue Reading

Skagit Valley College announces academic Honor Roll for Fall Quarter 2018 In support of student success, Skagit Valley College is pleased to announce that the following students were placed on the Academic Honor Roll for Fall Quarter, 2018. Mark Green and Christy McLaglen of Friday Harbor. To qualify, students must maintain a 3.75 or higher  Continue Reading

San Juan Island Garden Club invites you to celebrate spring with Ciscoe Morris – Great Plants for Rain Shadow Gardening. Wednesday, April 3rd, at 7:00 pm at Brickworks. Tickets are $15.00 and will be available March 18th at Browne’s Garden Center, Ace Hardware, Griffin Bay Books and Roche Harbor Store. (proceeds fund garden club special  Continue Reading

“The fate of poetry is to fall in love with the world” ~Poet and playwright, Derek Walcott Some call poetry the caviar of literature. Others call it nitroglycerin: intense, powerful, explosive. This spring, join poet Jill McCabe Johnson and fall in love with the world of poetry. Jill will guide the class in an exploration  Continue Reading

EDC to Offer Free Low Voltage/Fiber Optic Training at Friday Harbor High School The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) is partnering with Rock Island to offer free training in low voltage wiring and fiber optic installation at Friday Harbor High School this April.  This latest class in the EDC’s Trades Education Initiative is  Continue Reading

Local Student Named National Geographic GeoBee Washington State Competition Semifinalist by National Geographic Society Student’s Name: Henry Jensen School Name and Address: Friday Harbor Elementary School Grade Level: 5th The above-named student has been notified by the National Geographic Society that he is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2019 National Geographic  Continue Reading

  Study ballet and contemporary dance with Jeanne Peihl at Salish Sea Ballet during Spring Break! Dancers will work on learning and improving dance technique, creating choreography, and producing a short performance for end of camp. Please bring socks or ballet slippers, a snack, and water bottle. This camp, for ages 8-12, runs from 1:30-4pm,  Continue Reading

The San Juan County Department of Emergency Management and Economic Development Council are teaming up to present a training on Disaster Preparedness for Small Businesses. This concise class will provide basic information about the risks to the islands, and will offer some simple tools and approaches to help businesses prepare. Tuesday, March 26th: 8:30am –  Continue Reading

Skagit Valley College Marine Maintenance Technology program receives Evinrude outboard engine  Evinrude’s donation of $2 million in engines to the American Boat and Yacht Council Foundation will help train the next generation of Marine Technicians The Skagit Valley College Marine Maintenance Technology program is pleased to announce that it has received a new outboard engine  Continue Reading

Ted Strutz shares this photo of the winners of last week’s Rotary Spelling Bee… I thought you might like to have a photo from the spelling bee that the Rotary Club conducted. Here is winner Eve Hulse and runner-up Haley Rennick (in the middle) and their teacher Mrs Hallock of the Paideia Classical School. They  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag we find this letter from Rich Meenan… The San Juan Public Schools Foundation wants to thank everyone who helped make Monday night’s silver anniversary Knowledge Bowl a smashing success: The teams from Friday Harbor 8th through 12th grade, Spring Street International School, Kiwanians (congratulations, winners!), Lions, Soroptimists, and Rotarians for  Continue Reading

The San Juan Island Library now offers free access to lynda.com. At lynda.com you can find thousands of online classes about using technology and business. Popular classes include Photoshop and Quickbooks. All you need to do is visit https://www.sjlib.org/investment-research/a-z-list-of-online-resources/. Have your library card handy. Your pin is usually the last four digits of your telephone  Continue Reading

This two-part workshop given by Katerina Wen, M.Ed. will focus on how breath, movement, and nutrition can enhance the health of your brain. For everyone that values the longevity of their brain and seeks to upgrade its capacity and performance! Classes are held Monday and Wednesday March 25th and 27th at Friday Harbor Holistic Health,  Continue Reading

It is that time of year for building and remodeling projects! The San Juan Center of Skagit Valley College is running two separate building related classes.  One class will discuss tiny home building in San Juan Country and the other will discuss remodeling in San Juan County.  Classes are being held on both San Juan  Continue Reading

San Juan Island School Board Director Jack McKenna announced his resignation from school board position #5 on February 27, 2019. The school board accepted his resignation with regret. Director McKenna will be missed and the district would like to thank him for his 7.5 years of dedicated service to the students and community of San  Continue Reading

Please join us for a reading with Christopher Phillips on March 21st at the Spring Street International School Studio from 6-8 pm Spring Street International School is hosting a reading for Christopher Phillips, author of Socrates Café, Socrates in Love, A Child at Heart, and others. Christopher has worked with adolescents, adults, prisoners, and terminally  Continue Reading