![Students in the National Art Honor Society work on the Mount Hood mural on the window of SouthLake Church. The students brought a variety of paints and mixed their own custom colors. “Instead of brushstrokes, we’re doing more dabbing, because it gives [a] better impression of tree foliage, rather than looking like actual brush strokes, because if we’re painting trees, we need it to look like trees,” Crawford said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_2397-1200x900.jpg)
![Main Street said farewell to summer on Aug. 30 through the second annual Chalk Walk Art Festival. Ruth Offer, Chalk Walk organizer, brought this tradition from Wyoming in an attempt to make use of the renovated sidewalks of Willamette Falls Dr. “[This is] a community event for the kids,” Offer said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-12-1200x803.png)
Kyla Minato, sophomore, starts off her journey in France
Hoping to taste European schooling Kyla Minato, sophomore, will be leaving for France on a ten-month exchange this September. Minato will be traveling through the AFA intercultural program.
Inspired by her middle school camp counselor’s trip to Germany through the program.
Minato decided to take the opportunity to travel to France without a hesitation. “France is a country with enough differences to get a new point of view, while still being about to keep some norms and get a comparable education,” Minato said. “Not to mention, they have great food and a beautiful language.”
Through the program Minato hopes to learn as much French as she can and also she “hope[s] to clear up confusions about the U.S., at some point.” Minato said.
Still not knowing who her host family is Minato hopes that while there she can visit Normandy for anything involving D-Day.
“I’m excited for everything about it, but mostly I’m excited for ‘living’ in France, for waking up in France, dreaming in French, walking in town, having a French family to eat dinner with.” Minato said. “I’m most excited for all the everyday things people do.”
Sometime in Minato’s life she would like the opportunity to visit Norway, Greece, New Zealand, Brazil or Zambia, or even visiting the rest of the U.S.
Minato looks forward to all her traveling experiences in the future, and hopes to have an amazing time in France.
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