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| in
this issue |
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| Welcome
Back to School! |
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 We are proud to share
District News with you during the school year. District News will be distributed on the Thursday of the week following a school board meeting.
Each issue will feature
current events within the school district, the current
John's Journal,
Wall of Fame, school board activities, and easy
links that direct the reader from site to site. The quick link “Happenings Around Highline” will display photos and quick captions of events happening around our district. If you have a digital photo and caption to share, please send them to
communication@hsd401.org.
If you are interested in submitting a story for consideration in an upcoming issue, click
here for more information. If you would like to submit an announcement to be included in an upcoming issue, click
here to view issue dates and submission deadlines and email event details to
Judy Balko.
We look forward to hearing from you. Please send your comments to
communication@hsd401.org.
Best wishes for an exciting school year!
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| Ribbon-Cutting Celebrations Open Mount View and North Hill Elementary Schools |
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During the first week of school, two Highline elementaries celebrated ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
Mount View Ribbon Cutting
 A standing-room-only crowd packed the multi-purpose room at Mount View Elementary on September 8 for a ribbon cutting dedicating the school's new facility. The festivities opened with a traditional Vietnamese dance performed by Mount View students. King County Councilman Dow Constantine, state Senator Karen Keiser, and state Representative Joe McDermott joined Superintendent John Welch and school board members Tom Slattery, Phyllis Byers, and Mengstab Tzegai on the platform as the ribbon was cut by students.
North Hill Ribbon Cutting
 North Hill Elementary dedicated its new school with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, September 9. Guests of honor included state Representative Shay Schual-Berke, state Representative Dave Upthegrove, Port Commissioner Pat Davis, Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler, and school board members Phyllis Byers, Matt Pina, and Mengstab Tzegai. Superintendent Welch led the crowd in a countdown, and North Hill students cut the ribbon inaugurating their new school. After the ceremony, a dinner of pizza and salad was served to 450 people.
North Hill is one of 15 Highline schools that received noise insulation to mitigate the impact of nearby Sea-Tac Airport. Noise mitigation measures were funded with dollars from the Port of Seattle, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the state of Washington.
Check
out photos »
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| Highline Schools Foundation Welcomes New Teachers |
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Photo credit: Photography by Steven
Left to right: Tushar Patel; Jennie
Murphy; Victoria Salazar; Miguel Marquez, Criminal Justice teacher, SeaTac
OSC; Ann Crossler, Available Personnel Services
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-- 40 Local Businesses Show Their Support --
Fifty first year teachers in Highline Public Schools were surprised recently with boxes filled with gifts and discounts from 40 local businesses. Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence organized the welcome. Committee Chair Georgia Trejo Locher noted, “We were thrilled at the outpouring of response from the business community. It really shows the amount of support there is for our teachers!”
As a community service project, staff from Available Personnel Services assisted by picking up donations, assembling boxes, and stuffing them with items donated by businesses. “We are delighted to welcome the new teachers and show them they have the support of the business community,” said President Ann Crossler.
“The welcome is a wonderful way to show our new teachers that we all understand that good schools are a critical component of strong communities, and that good schools come from having truly committed and capable teachers,” said Marcy Yoshida, peer mentor, Highline Public Schools.
Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence was established in 2001. Its mission is “to develop community resources to help students succeed.” The Foundation is the only 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization supporting all Highline public schools.
To contribute or for more information about the Foundation, contact Executive Director Kathy McCabe at 206-248-5196 or
Kathy@fund4excellence.org.
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| Welcome,
New Leaders |
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A Message from Superintendent Welch:
I am pleased to announce that Carla Jackson has been promoted to Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning, and School Improvement. Dr. Jackson will continue to lead our efforts to build a system of excellent instruction that will result in high levels of achievement for every student.
In recognition of the level of responsibility that Marsha Spreier and Susanne Jerde are handling, their titles have been changed to Executive Director of Elementary Learning. In addition to supervising schools, Marsha will continue to oversee elementary curriculum and instruction, and Susanne will continue to supervise ELL and Title I programs.
Highline has an excellent Teaching and Learning team. I am confident they will lead us to reach our goal of 9 out of 10 students graduating ready for college and career by 2010.
In addition, I want to welcome the following new administrators in Highline Public Schools:
| Kathy Anderson |
Principal - Beverly Park Elementary |
| Rudy Baca |
Educational Assistant - Madrona Elementary |
| Dr. Beckie Bouchard |
Director - Assessment, Evaluation, and System
Accountability |
| Catherine Carbone Rogers |
Director - Communication and Community Relations |
| Joan Ferrigno |
Principal - Odyssey High School at Tyee |
| Rick Harwood |
Principal - Global Connections High School at Tyee |
| Rebekah Kim |
Principal - Marvista Elementary |
| Karin Jones |
Educational Assistant - Southern Heights Elementary and C&I |
| Nancy Melius |
Educational Assistant - Seahurst Elementary |
| Jeff Petty |
Principal - Big Picture High School |
| Stacy Spector |
Principal - Academy of Citizenship and Empowerment at Tyee |
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| 2005 WA-ACTE Award Winners |
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At the annual summer WA-ACTE (Washington Association of Career & Technical Education) conference, the following Highline instructors received awards:
Jan Broz, a Family and Consumer Science Education and GRADS instructor at Highline High School, received the Outstanding Teacher in Community Service award. GRADS, Graduation, Reality, and Dual-Role Skills, is an in-school program for pregnant teens and/or young parents. Throughout the year, the teen parents are involved in numerous community service projects, such as working at the food bank and making quilts for infants.
Jan Metcalf, who instructs Career Choices at Global Connections, Odyssey, and A.C.E., received the program award for Excellence in Teaching. Her project brought together education and community leaders from the City of SeaTac, King County, the local YMCA, and CATCH 21 program to give students a meaningful work experience.
Evergreen counselor Barb Wilson won the Outstanding Career Guidance Counselor section award from the Career Guidance and Counseling Association.
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| Insights |
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Get
the details regarding September 2005 Calendar of Events,
payroll information, tips for getting that second
wind, and special offers for Highline School District
employees in this month's issue of Insights.
September
2005 Insights...»
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| Board
Minutes |
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| Click
here
to read the minutes from the September 14, 2005 school board
meeting.
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John's
Journal |
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| Read September's
John's Journal - Reflections from the Superintendent
by John Welch,
click here.
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