Chief Kamiakin Elementary School
Encyclopedia
Chief Kamiakin Elementary School in Sunnyside, Washington
, was the first public school to be named after the famous chief of the Yakama
, Chief Kamiakin
.
The original building housing Chief Kamiakin Elementary School was built in 1910 and initially served as Sunnyside's High School
. That building was nearly destroyed by a fire on March 20, 1933, but was subsequently re-built. When a new three year high school was built in 1954, the old high school was converted into a junior high school for 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. When a new junior high school was built nearby in the late 1950s, the old building saw its final use as an elementary school beginning in 1960. It was at that time a contest to name the (now) elementary school resulted in what was called "the odd choice (so many people thought) of Chief Kamiakin." It served as one of the two public elementary schools in Sunnyside until it burned down on the morning of Tuesday, February 12, 1974. Investigators determined that the fire was caused either by a problem with electrical wiring or a faulty furnace on the ground floor of the building. Several months after the fire, young boys were paid to salvage bricks from the gutted building at 1.5 cents per brick.
Following the fire, Kamiakin students shared Washington Elementary School
until the new building was finished. The new elementary school building was erected by V.K. Powell Construction of Wapato, Washington at a cost of $3.23 million dollars. The building was financed by $500,000 in School District funds, $1 million dollars in insurance payments, and $2 million dollars from the state of Washington. The current school retains the name of Chief Kamiakin.
Sunnyside, Washington
Sunnyside is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States. As of the 2010 Census the population was 15,858.-History:On September 16, 1902, residents voted 42 to one to incorporate as the town of Sunnyside. By state law a town needed to have 300 citizens in order to legally incorporate...
, was the first public school to be named after the famous chief of the Yakama
Yakama
The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, or simply Yakama Nation , is a Native American group with nearly 10,000 enrolled members, living in Washington. Their reservation, along the Yakima River, covers an area of approximately 1.2 million acres...
, Chief Kamiakin
Chief Kamiakin
Chief Kamiakin was a leader of the Yakama, Palouse, and Klickitat.-Early years:Kamiakin was born about 1800 near present-day Starbuck, Washington. His name means "He Won't Go" derived from ka - miah - kamman...
.
History
Construction of the current school began in 1975 and was finished in 1976. It replaced an earlier building that burned down in 1974.The original building housing Chief Kamiakin Elementary School was built in 1910 and initially served as Sunnyside's High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. That building was nearly destroyed by a fire on March 20, 1933, but was subsequently re-built. When a new three year high school was built in 1954, the old high school was converted into a junior high school for 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. When a new junior high school was built nearby in the late 1950s, the old building saw its final use as an elementary school beginning in 1960. It was at that time a contest to name the (now) elementary school resulted in what was called "the odd choice (so many people thought) of Chief Kamiakin." It served as one of the two public elementary schools in Sunnyside until it burned down on the morning of Tuesday, February 12, 1974. Investigators determined that the fire was caused either by a problem with electrical wiring or a faulty furnace on the ground floor of the building. Several months after the fire, young boys were paid to salvage bricks from the gutted building at 1.5 cents per brick.
Following the fire, Kamiakin students shared Washington Elementary School
Washington Elementary School
Washington Elementary School, or George Washington Elementary School, is an often-used name in the United States to honor George Washington, the first president of the United States...
until the new building was finished. The new elementary school building was erected by V.K. Powell Construction of Wapato, Washington at a cost of $3.23 million dollars. The building was financed by $500,000 in School District funds, $1 million dollars in insurance payments, and $2 million dollars from the state of Washington. The current school retains the name of Chief Kamiakin.
Awards, grants, and honors
- GLOBE Program Chief Scientist's Honor Roll: Clouds (October, 2000 - January, 2001)
- Peer Coaching Grant Awardees 2008-2009 (Karie Youngblood)