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Posts Tagged ‘Jessica Caselden’

The photos, my friend, are blowin’ in the wind

Posted in Fashionable Fans, soccer, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Wolf soccer ace Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim was not aware the paparazzi were allowed to get this close. (Mia Farris photo)

The camera is seemingly everywhere.

With a record number of photographers clicking away on the prairie this fall, pics are falling like leaves bailing out of their former homes up in the trees.

The glossy images seen above and below come to us from a variety of paparazzi swarming the streets and ball fields of Cow Town, and we appreciate them all for taking the time to make the shutter do what she does.

Taylor Brotemarkle enjoys her best life. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

“You’re a freakin’ legend, Mr. Davidson.” (Courtney Sollars photo)

Adrian Cunningam (left) and Yohannon Sandles, ready to bring the pain. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Sherry Bonacci keeps a watchful eye out for any shenanigans. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

“Strawberries? I’m smelling strawberries.” (Bailey Thule photo)

School board candidate Leanne Leavitt, ready to work for your vote. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

CHS Athletic Trainer Jessica Caselden surveys her empire. (Jackie Saia photo)

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Daughter of the prairie returns

Posted in jobs, tagged , , , , on August 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Jessica Caselden (left) returns as Coupeville High School Athletic Trainer, after the community raised $8,600 to fund her position. (Mandi Black photos)

It’s official-official.

After the community rallied to fund the position — raising $8,600 with a GoFundMe and car wash — Jessica Caselden returns as Coupeville High School Athletic Trainer.

Her rehiring, and approval of the district accepting the grant via a donation from the school’s booster club, were part of the consent agenda at Thursday’s school board meeting.

The vote was 5-0.

With Caselden set to work the sideline at Friday’s home football opener, a turbulent roller coaster ride reaches its final destination.

For a year, at least.

The athletic trainer position was slashed in the 2023-2024 budget crafted by Superintendent Steve King and Business Director Brian Gianello.

That budget, approved by the school board in a 4-1 vote after much back-and-forth, also cut the Dean of Students position held by 19-year vet Tom Black and reduced paraeducator positions and hours.

The public backlash was quick, loud, and consistent.

In Caselden’s case, a huge chunk of the blowback against the decision came from CHS athletes themselves, with Wolf softball players leading a pro-Jessica letter-writing campaign.

District officials later agreed to allow the public to fund the athletic trainer position, though not a specific employee.

Caselden’s direct supervisor, CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith — whose own duties were briefly on the chopping block before a reversal from King — was always clear he would retain the Wolf grad if that option was available.

Coupeville’s athletic future helps ensure its present success.

The GoFundMe brought in donations from 81 people, while the car wash, which was staffed by a large collection of young Wolf athletes, earned $1,300+ on its own.

Caselden, who also got married this summer, is a PE teacher and athletic trainer at the same high school where she once played softball and basketball.

A daughter of the prairie, back where she belongs.

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Take a victory lap, Wolf Nation!!

Posted in Fundraisers, tagged , , , , , on August 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »

“Your wallet, take it over there, son!” (Mandi Black photo)

We did it.

Working together as a community, as Wolf Nation, we turned a negative into a positive.

Budget cuts originally claimed the Athletic Trainer position at Coupeville High School, but we weren’t having it.

Thanks to contributions through GoFundMe and in person, we made a solid run at collecting the $8,600 necessary to fund the job for the 2023-2024 school year.

Then, Sunday, spurred by a large group of volunteers, a car wash got us the rest of the way.

The district agreed to accept a donation from the public to fund the position.

The Athletic Trainer’s direct supervisor, Coupeville Athletic Director Willie Smith, has confirmed Wolf grad Jessica Caselden will remain in the position.

When Sept. 1 rolls around, and the Wolves host Klahowya in the football opener, a daughter of the prairie will be exactly where she should be — providing care and inspiration to your children.

Take a victory lap, Wolf Nation. You deserve it.

Surviving the smog for a good cause. (Mandi Black photo)

“Let the sponges hit the floor!” (Dina Guay photo)

Smooth operators. (Mandi Black photo)

Future CHS athletic stars make a stand in support of one of their best role models. (Mandi Black photo)

They will … rock you. (Mandi Black photo)

Jessica Caselden (in red shirt) with some of her many fans. (Dina Guay photo)

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Push hard for the finish line!

Posted in Fundraisers, tagged , , , , on August 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Jessica Caselden (right), and her fellow daughters of the prairie. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Two weeks from today should be cause for celebration.

The Coupeville High School football team steps onto the gridiron at Mickey Clark Field that night, hosting Klahowya in the first athletic contest of the 2023-2024 school year.

When the Wolves make their debut, the cheers will be even louder if CHS Athletic Trainer Jessica Caselden joins them on the sidelines.

If that happens, it will mean that we, Wolf Nation, rose up as one and righted a potential wrong.

That while we understand budget cuts are part of the new reality for many schools, that cutting the athletic trainer position, especially when it’s filled by a daughter of the prairie, is a step in the wrong direction.

Coupeville administrators decided they couldn’t fund the $8,600 necessary to provide protection for our town’s student/athletes, so we did.

We saved the position for a year and are sending a clear message something has to change before the next budget is crafted.

Having an athletic trainer in place, especially one as talented and committed as Caselden, who returned to The Rock and bought her childhood home, shouldn’t even be a question.

The position is too important to be reduced to a line item on a piece of paper.

It is your sons and daughters’ health and well-being.

It is having a trained pro on scene when the unthinkable happens, it is preventing and lessening injuries, it is a woman inspiring a new generation with her words and actions.

It is everything this school district says it wants in its core principals.

And we’re almost there.

The community has raised $6,420 as of Friday morning, leaving us $2,180 shy of saving the position.

There’s a car wash this Sunday, Aug. 20 from 10-2 at Ebey Academy, which sits on NE Terry, right across from the high school.

Suggested donation is $10, and you are certainly welcome to add tips.

 

Our GoFundMe, which has attracted 65 supporters, can be found here:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/protect-inspire-wolf-athletes

 

You can also contact me at davidsvien@hotmail.com if you would like to donate in some other manner.

 

This is the weekend to make this a reality.

Whether you can donate $5 or $500, every dollar pushes us closer to sending a positive message across the prairie and out into the world.

We are Wolf Nation, hear us roar!

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Shiny cars fuel teen athlete safety

Posted in Fundraisers, tagged , , , , on August 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

With Athletic Trainer Jessica Caselden on scene, Coupeville students had one of their most injury-free school years in memory. (Mandi Black photo)

Get your vehicle sparkly, while helping us drive over the finish line.

Members of Wolf Nation are holding a car wash this coming Sunday, Aug. 20 as the community works towards funding Coupeville High School’s athletic trainer position for the 2023-2024 school year.

The wet ‘n wild fundraiser is from 10-2 at Ebey Academy on SE Terry Rd., right across from CHS.

Suggested donation is $10 per vehicle, though tips are more than welcome.

The car wash is part of a grassroots movement to retain Wolf alumnus Jessica Caselden as athletic trainer, after recent school budget cuts threatened to erase her position.

While the district won’t fund the invaluable position this school year, officials agreed to allow the community to do so, at a cost of $8,600.

The donations fund the position, not a particular employee, though CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith, the trainer’s direct supervisor, has confirmed Jessica will be retained.

If you can’t be at the car wash, you can contribute to our GoFundMe, or contact me at davidsvien@hotmail.com to set up an alternative way to donate.

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/protect-inspire-wolf-athletes

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