January 26, 2007   

	Click here for a printer-friendly version.
Calendar Revision
Superintendent Welch and his team are working with employee associations to come up with a revised calendar that addresses our weather-related school closures. We hope to have the calendar by early next week.

District-wide High School Fair  -  February 12

Help Spread the Word…Middle school students and parents have a chance to learn about all the small learning communities, 9th and 10th grade academies, and high school reform at Highline. There will be a district-wide high school fair on Monday, February 12 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Evergreen High School. Eighth-graders will soon be making their high school selection so this is a great opportunity to compare the options – all in one place. Here’s a printable, English/Spanish flyer to share.

Replacement Levy on the March 13 Ballot

Highline Public Schools has a rich history of positive stewardship with levy and bond funds - and the Highline community has demonstrated strong support of the district's efforts to improve learning. There will be a replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy on the March 13 ballot. Public education is not fully funded by the state. Over 18% of the Highline district's funding comes from the levy. Levy funds support teacher and staff pay and benefits, bus transportation, special education, and instructional materials including text books and computers. Approximately 160 teachers and support staff are funded through the levy. Bonds are for building - Levies are for learning The construction bond passed in 2006 is funding new schools and capital improvements. By law, bond dollars cannot be used for education expenses. The levy pays for the costs of educating students - teachers, support staff, books, busing, and other essentials. For more details, please review the attached Fact Sheet and Flyer. Questions? Please contact the district Communication Office at 206.433.2331.

School Board Recognition

Board members Phyllis Byers, Susan Goding, Vice President Julie Burr Spani, Board member Tom Slattery, President Matt Pina. School Board Members were honored last night at the regularly scheduled board meeting. Superintendent John Welch read from Governor Gregoire's proclamation, "School directors serve as a vital link between the community and the classroom, making policy, setting budgets, and exerting leadership to prepare our children for the opportunities of the future." Our School Board members contribute hundreds of volunteer hours each year making decisions aimed at promoting student achievement. They have a multitude of responsibilities, including vision- and goal-setting, establishing standards for what students should learn, and working as a team with administrators, teachers, parents, students and the community to foster a safe and productive learning environment.

Three Highline Schools to Receive Boeing “Flight to the Future” Grants

Eric DeJulio holding the check for the Boeing Flight to the Future grant for Odyssey High School.   Introduced in September, 2001, The Boeing Company committed $2.5 million over four years to improve access to quality early learning opportunities and to offer world-class science education programs. In August 2006, they announced a decision to continue offering these Flight to the Future grants, based on the positive results the investments made in local communities.   Read on..>>

Qwest Technology Grants

Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson announced that Qwest is providing a $100,000 technology grant to Washington teachers. Application information is available online at the OSPI website at http://www.k12.wa.us/EdTech/. There's more..>>

Aviation High School to Relocate for 2007-2008

Highline Public Schools will move its Aviation High School to the Olympic site beginning next fall. This move is seen as an interim step while the district continues to seek a permanent location for the school of choice specializing in aviation-related college and career preparation. The Olympic site, located at 615 South 200th Street in Des Moines, has been used for several schools during remodels or construction.

Evergreen Students Were Banquet Guests

(l-r) Marlys Lewis, Jackie Lewis assistant principal Evergreen High School, Vincente Cordova, Ron Sims King County Executive, Charles Webster, Nebiat Gebreziabher, and Kirt Terry-Spring.   Evergreen High School had the honor of being the only high school invited to attend the recent Region X Blacks In Government 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Banquet. As guests of the state DSHS and Francis Carr, the staff and students heard Muhammad Nassardeen, CEO of Recycling Black Dollars as the keynote speaker. The theme for the evening's dinner and gala was Assuming Responsibility in a Struggling Nation. Jackie Lewis, assistant principal, commented, "It was a great experience for the students to begin to see themselves as successful business people."

Global Connections Students Excel at DECA Competition

On Tuesday, January 9, sixty students from Global Connections High School attended and competed at the 2007 Area IV DECA Competition at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Each student participated in marketing role-play presentations to a business person who then evaluated their performance. Story Continued..>>

Gates Foundation Salutes Tom Vander Ark

Vander Ark with students Josh Dobson, David Sandoval, and Stacy Rost   Executive director for the foundation’s education initiatives, Tom Vander Ark has been influential in Highline’s high school reform. When Vander Ark announced he was leaving the foundation, a special going away event was planned – and students from the Academy of Citizenship and Empowerment (ACE) were anxious to be heard about the impact of small schools in their lives. Read on..>>

Highline High School Graduate Named to Academic All-American Women’s College Soccer Team

Senior forward Heather OReilly of North Carolina and senior midfielder Katrina Morgan of Embry-Riddle University (Florida) head the 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women’s Soccer Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. There's more..>>

Intersession is Underway at Odyssey!

Tim Chang’s grandmother teaching Chinese watercolor painting.   In one room, Tim Chang’s grandmother, an accomplished watercolor artist, is teaching her Chinese Watercolor Painting class. In another, Renee Gallagher, who has solicited donations from all over Seattle for materials is teaching Mosaic Madness class. Amy Vattuone is teaching photojournalism, Karen Ikegami and Eric DeJulio are team-teaching 60 students in pinhole photography, Karen Kupferman is singing with students in choir class, Karen Herschleb is coaching students in Dance from Around the World, and guitar class and comedy class and the list goes on. The teachers are excited about the chance to teach this unique and focused curriculum. It’s hard work but well worth it as the students seem positive and engaged. Odyssey students and staff will be hosting an Intersession Performance and Exhibition Day on January 26. Learn more about Intersession..>>

Profile on Big Picture High School

Imagine a classroom with students all working independently on different projects; one making phone calls, another creating a movie using a specialized computer program, and another working with an adult advisor to create a children’s classroom game. Continue..>>

Evergreen Art on Display at ERAC

ERAC staff and visitors thank the Evergreen art students and instructor Carol Skvorak for the fine display in ERAC's lobby this month.   View another photo..>>

Board Minutes

Click the date to read the minutes from the December 13, 2006 and January 10, 2007 board meetings.

	Quick Links...   Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence   Building for the Future: Construction Update Wall of Fame In Memoriam Submit a Story Subscribe to eHighlights

eHighlights Archives