Students, staff, families, and the community helped celebrate the completion and grand opening of the New Parkside Elementary on March 16. Superintendent John Welch and Principal Robin Lamoureux hosted the event, thanking the voters for the continued support of creating quality learning environments for the students of Highline.

Student leaders posted throughout the facility explained special features as the crowd toured the new building.

Designed by TCF Architecture and built by Bayley Construction Company, the new school was ready for students following the February break.

The Office of the Education Ombudsman (OEO), an agency within the Governor’s Office, will be offering small-group classes for parents, family members and other adults caring for public school students.

Learn more at www.waparentslearn.org and click to get the flyer...>.

As buses and cars pull up to Hazel Valley Elementary on a sunny early spring morning, teachers and the principal are out front on the sidewalk, waving to parents, opening car doors, and welcoming students to another school day. No, it's not a special occasion. They are out here every morning and every afternoon, rain or shine.

"Knowing that the teachers are greeting the students outside each morning and sending them home with smiles and words of encouragement the same way makes my day every day!" says parent Jenny Chilson.

Hazel Valley exudes a warmth that "invites you in and welcomes you to participate," says Ila Eells, a tutor for English Language Learner students. "It holds high standards that respect each child as an individual who is deserving of the best we can give. The staff is driven to give each child the best education available and to care for each of them along the way."

Principal Johnathan Letcher, who came to Highline three years ago from the Washington, D.C., area, is adamant about holding students to high expectations. He has worked in some of the most affluent schools in the country; though more than 70 percent of Hazel Valley students live in poverty and one-quarter are English Language Learners, Letcher expects his students to strive for the same high standards. "Never accept or celebrate mediocrity. Compare yourself to the best." says Letcher. "If you accept mediocrity, that's what your lot in life will be."

Letcher is gregarious and warm, but also conveys a seriousness about the business of educating children. Dressed as he is most days in a fashionable suit, crisp pastel dress shirt, and tie, Letcher acknowledges that he is a bit out of sync with the Northwest-casual look of many educators. But he says it's one deliberate way he models to students a purposeful attitude that says "you are here to learn—that's your job." Of staff, Letcher says "Our job is not to teach, but to ensure that students learn."

Letcher and his staff have built a culture of learning not just for students, but for adults as well. Teachers work together to improve their instructional skills and meet to discuss how to help a particular child. They have a blog to share ideas, ask questions, and seek input from their colleagues on ideas for reaching a struggling student. "There is a general atmosphere of 'being all you can be,'" says Eells. "I am challenged to continue learning and trying new things."

School counselor Stephanie Stahelin says, "We have some of the best teachers I have ever worked with. They continually amaze me at how hard they work and how dedicated they are to our students and families."

Involving families is a high priority at Hazel Valley. Every family that registers a child gets a bi-lingual brochure inviting parents to volunteer and outlining what they can do to help. As a result, the school has hundreds of volunteers, both English- and Spanish-speaking.

One very popular family activity is the annual culture night. This year 300 people showed up to share ethnic foods and traditions with one another. The Gym Jam every Tuesday evening, a partnership with Burien Parks and Recreation, draws 70 to 80 people each week.

Parents are especially happy about the school's community room. It's outfitted with four computer workstations for parents to use. Flyers for events and activities are posted on the wall. And there are toys, books, and games to keep young children occupied. The community room provides a "home-base" for PTA and a place for parents to meet with a teacher or counselor.

As test scores continue to rise at Hazel Valley, student success is celebrated in a variety of ways. Exemplary student work is displayed in the glass case near the office and on hallway walls. Students are invited to the office regularly to read aloud to Mr. Letcher and the office staff.

In addition to academics, students are recognized for successful behavior, when they go above and beyond to help another student. "We are teaching our students to be supportive members of our community," says office manager Mary Anderson. "We encourage respect and manners: say hello when you come into a room, hold a door open, stand politely in line." Those who are "caught being successful" are invited to a special activity with the principal – a pizza lunch, a hand of Uno, or a basketball game—and are entered in a drawing for a prize.

Hazel Valley also gives students the opportunity for cultural experiences they might not otherwise have, with fields trips to the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Art Museum—provided free for high-poverty schools. "We never know what little bit of exposure we give students will become a light of their life," says P.E. teacher Karen Strelow. "We need to teach the broad spectrum of experiences that education can offer or we limit the potential of our students."

Hazel Valley staff make sure students understand that what they are learning and doing now is preparing them for college and a successful future. Students get the message loud and clear. "My plans after high school are to go to college so I can be nurse," says sixth-grader Jasmyn Dickerson.

"I want to be a chef, and they helped me to be creative and learn how to take leadership in what I believe in," says Chris Chaffin, another sixth-grade student.

Parent Allison Gobat, who expects her two children to attend a four-year university, says "Hazel Valley is giving them a strong academic foundation as well as instilling in them an enjoyment of learning new things."

Sixth-grader Jennifer Hovland echoes a similar sentiment. "My school helped me to prepare by telling me to follow my own dreams and don't stop trying."

Parents and community members will have an opportunity to voice their views about arts programs in Highline schools on Wednesday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m. at the school district central office.

The superintendent’s Council on the Arts is gathering input about arts course offerings and related opportunities in our schools. The council is charged with developing a recommendation to the superintendent that outlines a vision for the arts and a slate of programs and offerings for students in grades K through 12; identifies programs that can be offered by the school district and community partners; and identifies resources to support those programs.

Additional opportunities to give input will be available at selected arts events. An input session for Spanish-speaking families will be co-sponsored by the Latino Parent Advocacy Group at a time and location to be announced.

You can also give input via email at arts@hsd401.org and at the council’s social networking site: http://highlineartscouncil.ning.com.

Four students from the Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC) Translation and Interpretation program traveled to Olympia on February 26 to take the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Spanish language written medical interpreter test. Those who pass will move onto the oral test. Applicants must pass both tests to become a certified Washington State medical interpreter.

Student names are from L to R : Adan Gastelum, Elvia Saucedo, Everardo Lopez-Sanchez, and Cecilia Ramirez. Everardo attends Mount Rainier High School and the other three attend the PSSC VITAL program.

Rewarding careers as certified medical interpreter offer job security and excellent compensation opportunities.

At the March 10 School Board meeting, proclamations were read by Superintendent John Welch for Classified School Employee Week (March 8-12) and School Retirees Appreciation Week (March 15-21).

Accepting the proclamation from Superintendent John Welch on behalf of Classified Staff were (l-r) Hazel Valley Paraeducator Betty Albright, Teamster Business Representative Evie Gradilla, Beverly Park Paraeducator Laura Butler, Tyee Campus Library Tech Rose Clark and Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Jan May. Security & Safety Director Tony Zeman accepted the proclamation on behalf of the security department.

Accepting the proclamation on behalf of retirees were (l-r) Sammie Monroe, Chris Rohr, and Nell Hepburn.

Highline Public Schools has applied for a federal grant that would fund changes at Cascade and Chinook Middle Schools. The grant opportunity is part of new federal regulations that identify high-poverty schools with large numbers of struggling students. In order to get the funds, districts must agree to restructure the schools by next fall.

Though the restructuring is not mandated this year, school districts have been told to expect that it will be required next year and that funds to implement the changes will be substantially limited at that time. By moving ahead with restructuring now, Cascade and Chinook each stand to receive an estimated $500,000 per year for three years.

School districts applying for the grant were required to select one of four restructuring models, including closing the school, turning it into a charter school (which is not allowed under Washington State law), and replacing the principal and half the staff.

Highline has selected the model dubbed “transformation,” which requires the district to replace the principal, establish new evaluation criteria for teachers that include student progress, increase community and parent involvement in the school, extend learning time for students, and other reforms.

Highline Superintendent John Welch acknowledged that the new federal regulations imply that sole responsibility for getting middle school students to grade level lies with middle school teachers and principals. ”We know there are other issues that need to be addressed—in elementary schools, in our system as a whole, and in the community,” says Welch. "Still, this is an opportunity to gain significant resources we haven’t had before to tackle issues at the middle school level."

In late February, a team of 45 people, including teachers, central office staff, parents, and community partners, gathered for a two-day summit to begin formulating a restructuring plan. Sarah Weir of the White Center Community Development Association, one of the community partners to participate on the planning team, says she left the summit "feeling really optimistic about the passion and commitment of the people who serve our kids."

"We recognize the need for school reform," says Chinook teacher Amber Larson. "We believe all students are capable of reaching their dreams, and we're excited about the possibilities these changes will mean for our students." She emphasized that "school staff, central office leaders, the school board, and parents all hold responsibility and need to work together to make changes."

Theresa Carlson, Cascade teacher and vice-president of the Highline Education Association agrees. "We need to start climbing this mountain and taking some risks. We are all in this together." The plan calls for the school district to support the restructuring plans through policy, technical assistance, commitment from the school board, and creation of a plan to sustain the changes beyond the life of the three-year grant.

"The plan builds on the great work that is already happening and Chinook and Cascade," says Superintendent Welch.

The school district expects to know by March 26 if the funds will be granted. The money could start flowing to the schools by April. If that happens, teachers would start professional development this summer. There could also be summer programs for incoming seventh graders. The schools would open in September with the changes in place.

This year, the Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC) staff and students have been involved in a year-long process of creating a strategic plan that will guide their growth over the next decade. With support from professional consulting firm Hagler and Associates, the Puget Sound Skills Center has embarked on a journey of collecting multiple data points from a variety of stakeholders, including senior administration, community and business partners, as well as staff and students.

This important planning process work is being done to help set and chart the direction for the skills center to stay current and innovative to meet the changing needs of our community. At the forefront of this work has been ensuring that student voice is clearly captured and embraced in all planning opportunities. The planning team recently hosted a large-scale focus group to help reflect on accomplishments and to identify opportunities for improvement. These important sessions involved a variety of stakeholders, including staff and students, and were designed to challenge and stretch the group's thinking to address both the challenges and opportunities in creating the future best suited for Puget Sound Skills Center and the community it serves.

In a speech before the United States Chamber of Commerce unveiling a new nationwide drop out prevention campaign, President Obama recognized and praised the Met Center in Providence, RI and the Big Picture Learning design for effectively reducing the drop out rate and preparing students for 21st century careers through their personalized and authentic learning program.

President Obama singled out the Met Center in Providence, Rhode Island as an institution that offers the kind of individual instruction to students that is necessary in order to effectively target the drop out crisis in the United States. He said: "That's why we'll follow the example of places like the Met Center in Rhode Island that give students that individual attention, while also preparing them through real-world, hands-on training the possibility of succeeding in a career."

The Met Center in Providence, RI is the flagship school of a quickly growing international network of Big Picture Learning schools. Highline Public Schools has incorporated this model in the array of high school options available in the district. Highlines's Big Picture High School is a small school (less than 200 students) offering personalized learning environment with an emphasis on internships and hands-on learning.

Presently, the Big Picture Learning design is being implemented in over seventy schools across eighteen states and has partnering schools in Australia, The Netherlands, and Israel. Big Picture Learning touts a highly-praised and innovative school design grounded in personalization and real-world learning opportunities that has been successfully implemented in grades K-12 with incredible results. This design is applicable and beneficial for all students, both at-risk, over-age, and/or under-credited as well as gifted and talented youth. Big Picture Learning is also a leading organization in the Association for High School Innovation (AHSI), a national network of youth development organizations.

Presently, Big Picture schools average a 93% attendance rate. In the 2006-2007 school year, the Big Picture Learning network achieved a 92% graduation rate across its schools (compared to 52% nationally). Big Picture graduates are members of the U.S. demographic groups who are the least likely to complete high school, enroll in college, or attain postsecondary degrees (85% of BPL schools receive Title I funding; 66% of students are eligible for free/reduced lunch); however, in the 2006-2007 school year, 95% of students were accepted into college (compared to 45% nationally).

About Big Picture Learning
The Big Picture Learning design is a dynamic approach to learning, doing, and thinking that has been changing the lives of students, educators, and entire communities since 1995. All the components of the design are based on three foundational principles: first, that learning must be based on the interests and goals of each student; second, that a student's curriculum must be relevant to people and places that exist in the real world; and finally, that a student's abilities must be authentically measured by the quality of her or his work. Hallmarks of the Big Picture design include small schools, close relationships with a four-year peer group and advisor (teacher), and individualized curricula that arise from student interests and tie to extensive internships under expert mentors.

For more information, visit www.bigpicture.org. For more information about AHSI, visit www.ahsi.org.

Congratulations to Highline High School seniors Devanta Black (left) and Hodo Hussein (right), winners of the Act Six Scholarship. The Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Initiative selects promising urban student leaders, like Devanta and Hodo, and fully funds their university education. In addition to the monetary award, the students will receive training and mentorship in leadership and service throughout their four years of university attendance.

Devanta, a two-sport athlete and academic standout, will attend Gonzaga University in the fall where he will use his exceptional math and science skills to pursue a degree in engineering. Hodo is a strong role model for others, having maintained high academic standards throughout her high school career while participating actively in a number of extra-curricular activities.

HHS teacher Jacque Decker says, "Devanta and Hodo have demonstrated impressive leadership abilities and the Highline community looks forward to their continued success."

Two Highline students have been selected by the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce as Students of the Month - Joslynn Vasques (left) of Highline High School and Bryanna Sloan (right) of Big Picture High School. See their stories as published in the The Business Advocate. Students selected for this honor have the opportunity to apply for scholarships offered each spring by the Chamber's Education Committee.

Joslynn is a hard-working student not afraid to try new things. She joined DECA in her sophomore year and has competed every year since. In her senior year, she took the role as president and even qualified for state in her events Retail Merchandising and the Chapter Awards Project.

In her last year of high school, she has maintained a spot in the top 50 of her class and has busied herself with many extracurricular activities; Joslynn is editor-in-chief and reporter for The Helm, a student-run newspaper, an active member in the Drama Club, a director in the One-Act Play Festival, and a playwright whose play will be featured in the Young Playwrights Festival, hosted by ACT Theatre.

Joslynn plans to attend Western Washington University, and although she isn't sure what in she plans to major, she knows it will incorporate the skills learned from the three years of business she has taken.

Congratulations, Joslynn!

Bryanna chose to attend Highline Big Picture High School because she wanted the opportunity to step out of the classroom and gain hands-on experience in the "Learning Through Internships Program."

Her journey began in a Career Choices class, where she discovered an interest in business and graphic design. Her challenge was to find an internship that would allow her to engage in these fields at a professional level. After many informational interviews and shadow days, she finally found her opportunity this year as a junior in an internship with Cutter Construction in Seattle.

At this internship, Bryanna's outstanding accomplishment was taking the lead in organizing all the paperwork for a state audit required for the company's work with King County. Thanks in part to her efforts, Cutter passed the audit with flying colors. Bryanna also improved her graphic design skills by creating business cards and stationery for the company.

Throughout this internship, Bryanna was steadily increasing her desire to use her developing business skills to help others and promote social justice. The issue she is particularly passionate about is removing barriers to employment for people with felony convictions on their records. Bryanna has chosen this as her senior thesis topic and is currently taking classes in business and social services at South Seattle Community College through the Running Start program. Bryanna is working hard to make a difference!

Congratulations, Bryanna!

Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC) will host an Open House on March 24 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Prospective students and families are invited to meet the instructors, hear about the 18 unique programs available, and see the 21st century classrooms where students learn by doing.

We are saving a place for YOU!

More information on PSSC....

More students, including this group from Chinook Middle School, have completed the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program offered in cooperation with local law enforcement.

The program helps students learn to make good decisions, practice saying no, set goals, manage anger, show empathy for other, help others calm down, and communicate effectively.

Read more from the Highline Times.

Darrell Chase, a middle school Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) instructor, was recently published in the Association of Career and Technical Education national magazine, Techniques. His article describes work being done at Sylvester, Chinook, and Cascade middle schools encouraging students to enroll in more math and science courses by emphasizing STEM and career exploratory options.

Click here and go to Page 34 to read the article online...>

Community Schools Collaboration (CSC) will host a SeaTac Schools Family Night event on March 23 from 5:45 - 8:00 p.m. at Chinook Middle School. The event will feature a presentation for Somali families entitled Learn Ways to Communicate with Your Daughter. There will also be a health presentation. Come, be a part of the learning community!

Get the flyer...>

Do you know a high school sophomore or junior interested in learning what the nursing field is all about? Someone who wants to know how to get into nursing school? Help them apply to participate in the University of Washington School of Nursing's Nurse Camp 2010! This FREE, week-long camp is geared toward increasing access and opportunities in nursing to minority and low-income high school sophomores and juniors.

In camp, they will have the opportunity to...

• Shadow nurses at UWMC in various different units.
• Get CPR certification!
• Learn how to prepare for college and how to prepare to get into nursing school.
• Have a chance to learn in the School of Nursing Learning Lab!
• Connect with nurses, students, and faculty at UW, future mentors.
• Meet new friends!
• Get cool free stuff!

To participate in Nurse Camp, students must:

• Submit the application.
• Get a letter of recommendation from a teacher (or school counselor).
• Provide their official high school transcript.
• Get all immunizations up-to-date when selected for the program.

Students will be selected based on how well they match themselves and their interests to the field of nursing. Space is limited to the 24 most qualified applicants.

DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2010. Everyone will be notified of their status no later than May 17, 2010

To get the application and learn more visit the website...>

Midway Elementary held their annual birthday party in honor of Dr. Seuss, which featured a cake-walk with 70 donated cakes. There were also craft activities including face painting and a contest for students to create hats like the one from the Cat in the Hat.

The event included the annual Book Fair in honor of Read Across America. And, families could partake of the baked potato dinner complete with cookies and milk for the price of $1.00 or a can of food to support Midway families. The staff also set up a clothing shop - all donated items - for families to choose from.

Principal Ben Gauyan wore a Cat in the Hat costume and cruised the building reading Dr. Seuss stories to students and their families. At the end of the event, each student received a special personalized certificate for participating in the Dr. Seuss celebration.

Baked Potato Dinner		Clothing Table
Craft Table		Face Painting

Bow Lake's Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program hosted the first DHH Family Night of this school year on February 25 in Bow Lake's Rainforest (one of the five biomes represented in the building). The event provided a welcome opportunity for families to gather and share their experiences.

Speaker Elsy Vasquez, mother of three deaf and hard of hearing children and one hearing child, shared her story of learning to accept her children's deafness and learn sign language - while also learning English and holding a job. She stressed the importance of learning sign language to better communicate with the children. Parents engaged in a lively question-and-answer session with Elsy and one another following the presentation.

Parents also learned about opportunities and resources available - including ongoing Monday evening sign language classes for Spanish-speaking families and Tuesday ASL classes, monthly Family Social Hour gatherings, the Shared Reading Project, as well as online resources and available sign language DVDs.

The next Family Night for DHH program participants is scheduled for April 22 and will feature former students presenting their perspectives.

Educare Early Learning Center, a partner of the White Center Early Learning Initiative (WCELI), invites the community to celebrate their grand opening.

WHO: The entire White Center community and supporters of the Educare Center, including children and families, caregivers, funders, partners, educators, builders, and state and local leaders.

WHERE: 625 SW 100th St., Seattle, WA 98146

Get the flyer...>

Highline students continue to raise funds for children impacted by the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

The student council (ASB) at Seahurst Elementary School, led by advisors/teachers Emily Hathaway and Kerry Jo Clark, (shown in photo to left) held a coin drive for Haiti in February. The ASB made posters and flyers in English and Spanish. The collection jar in the office filled quickly with $333.70 in coins. The money is being donated to the American Red Cross to help children in Haiti.

Students at other Highline schools continue similar fund-raising efforts. Registrar and Bookkeeper Bonnie Lefevre of Aviation High School shared that Aviation High’s ASB collected coins from the students and raised $1,355.98 for the American Red Cross Haitian Relief fund also. Bonnie observed, "The generosity of the students in our district is truly amazing."

Two Highline middle schools, Cascade and Chinook, have been preliminarily identified by the state for a school improvement process that would bring significant changes to both schools. They are two of 40-some schools across the state identified for the process, which could trigger an influx of federal dollars aimed at improving student achievement.

The program was prompted by a change in federal school accountability regulations. The state has outlined four possible options for school restructuring.

1. Closure: Close the school and send students to other schools in the district. The school board ruled out this option for Chinook and Cascade because other middle schools do not have room to accommodate all students.
2. Restart: Open the school under a third party education management organization. This option was also rejected since charter schools are not allowed in Washington and the state has not issued a list of approved third parties.
3. Turnaround: replace principal and at least 50% of staff. This option was eliminated as too disruptive.
4. Transformation: Replace the principal, reform the instructional model, develop teacher evaluations with student growth as a factor, increase community engagement, and extend learning time.

The school board selected the transformation model for both schools. In the four weeks since the school district was notified by the state, district staff, parents, teachers, and students have provided input on restructuring plans for both schools.

Schools that commit to implementing the restructuring by next fall and submit plans by March 5 are in line to gain a significant amount of federal money to implement their plans. The district anticipates the award could be about $500,000 per year for each school over three years. The money could start flowing to the schools as early as April.

Though the state is giving school districts the option to hold off on restructuring until 2011, the state schools superintendent predicts that the resources available for implementation would be substantially limited.

Superintendent John Welch applauded the efforts of teachers and staff at Chinook and Cascade to boost student achievement. He also acknowledged the need for additional funds to meet the needs of students. "This is an unprecedented amount of money for our schools," Welch said. "It's an opportunity to gain the resources to do things we have not had funding to do in the past."

Mahlet Assefa, a senior at Health Sciences and Human Services High School, has been selected as an alternate representative for the State of Washington at this year’s National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) in Charleston, West Virginia, this summer.

Prastuti Singh of Pullman High School and Yasaman Azodi of Kentwood High School were named the primary representatives.

Established in 1963 as a part of West Virginia’s Centennial Celebration, the National Youth Science Camp is an annual summer forum in which two delegates from each state exchange ideas with leading scientists and other professionals from academic and corporate worlds. Lectures and hands-on research projects are presented by scientists from across the United States who work on some of the most provocative topics in science today – topics such as fractal geometry, the human genome project, global climate change, the history of the universe, the fate of our rain forests, and robotics. Delegates to the NYSC are challenged to explore new areas in the biological and physical sciences, art, and music with resident staff members. Delegates also present seminars covering their own areas of research and interest.

The National Youth Science Camp’s diverse academic program is complemented by an outdoor recreation program, which leverages the Science Camp’s location in the Monongahela National Forest. The Science Camp’s outdoor program offers backpacking, caving, rock climbing, mountain biking, and kayaking.

The camp is operated by the National Youth Science Foundation. Based in Charleston, West Virginia, the foundation’s mission, according to its Web site, “is to honor, sustain, and encourage youth interest and excellence in science.” The foundation is covering all the students’ expenses, including travel.

Information is available online at www.nysf.com and www.nysc.org.

Britni Geraghty and Duy Hunh, two Highline High School seniors, have been selected to receive an Outstanding Achievement Award in the 2010 Regional High School Art Show sponsored by Puget Sound Educational Service District. Please check out the photo gallery at www.psesd.org to admire their work and check out all the other talented high school artists from our region. There will also be a reception and awards ceremony on Sunday, March 14 starting at 2:00 p.m. at PSESD.

At the February 24 School Board meeting, Superintendent John Welch called upon the citizens of Highline Public Schools to assure that every child is in a safe place reading together with a caring adult on the evening of March 2. The proclamation supports the National Education Association's Read Across America, celebrating Dr. Seuss' 106th birthday.

Read the proclamation...>