Christina T Henry

Christina T Henry is a freelance journalist reporting on local news from the Kitsap Peninsula and beyond. Chris lives in Port Orchard and formerly wrote for the Kitsap Sun. Her beats have included education, local government and that quirky and capricious grab-bag we call community news. She enjoys our beautiful PNW trails, open water swimming and cycling.

As wildfire season flares up, here’s how to evaluate your home’s risk

Aug 09, 2022

Our wet spring brought a welcome reprieve from wildfires and smoke that have plagued Western Washington in recent years. But summer isn’t over by a long shot, and wildfire season is just getting started. Several fires that started last week in Eastern Washington — one a brush fire that led to the evacuation of a

Drone pilot training on the horizon for Peninsula and Gig Harbor high school students

Aug 04, 2022

Peninsula and Gig Harbor high school students will have the chance to train for drone pilot certification starting this spring, the Peninsula School District announced Wednesday. Students in the district’s Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) will also be eligible for the classes, which will teach students how to fly drones and earn a

Peninsula teachers’ union negotiates raise to address inflation

Jun 30, 2022

The new contract also calls for lower class sizes in the youngest grades.

School district promises classroom doors for Discovery; Here’s the plan so far

Jun 29, 2022

Supply chain issues will slow the process, Peninsula’s facilities head says.

School District Strategic Plan sets stage for changes to come

Jun 22, 2022

If Peninsula School District were a corporation, its 2022-26 Strategic Plan would be the equivalent of a long-term business plan. But instead of delivering commercial goods or services, the district is a publicly funded entity. Its “customers” are its more than 9,000 students and their families. Its stakeholders include roughly 600 teachers and nearly 400

Class of 2022: ‘There’s no time to waste’ after pandemic’s disruptions

Jun 16, 2022

The Class of 2022 has lived the arc of the COVID-19 pandemic. They began with a normal freshman year. In spring of their sophomore year, schools shut down and learning went entirely online, a benefit to some but a challenge for so many students who struggled with social isolation. High school students across the country

Discovery Elementary parents demand answers on door safety issue

Jun 10, 2022

Parents of students at Discovery Elementary School on Wednesday got a chance to sound off about the lack of interior classroom doors, an issue that lately resurfaced as a security concern. Since the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Peninsula School District officials have fielded complaints about the school’s “open concept” design, which also

Salon Day at Henderson Bay leaves students looking sharp for the summer

Jun 07, 2022

Hair dryers whirred amid a background of relaxing music Monday, Salon Day at Henderson Bay High School. Twinkling lights illuminated black and white curtains in the entryway of what had, until recently, been an ordinary classroom. Staff and volunteers revamped the room for the annual event where students can get a new look or just

Parents, teachers alarmed about lack of interior doors at Discovery Elementary

Jun 01, 2022

Special education teacher Wendi Fein was attending a threat assessment meeting this spring at Discovery Elementary School. An actual lockdown occurred during the meeting. Fein’s thoughts immediately turned to teachers and students in classrooms at Discovery that lack interior doors. As everyone hunkered down, she agonized over their vulnerability. The lockdown was lifted without incident.

With help from 3D printer, students enter Shark Tank

May 31, 2022

Has this ever happened to you? You’re at a ball game. It’s chilly. You’re wearing gloves, cheering on your favorite team. But instead of a loud clap, your hands go “thud, thud, thud.” Lame. Pioneer Elementary School student Kai Sandoval has the solution for you: The Cold Clapper. It consists of two plastic disks you