Highline Public Schools participated for the first time in College Goal Sunday Washington. All four high school campuses opened their doors from 2:00-5:00 on Sunday, January 25. The career centers and libraries at each campus were filled with volunteers ready to help students and families navigate the complex, and often confusing, process of applying for financial aid for college.

Dan Johnson, president of the Des Moines Rotary Club, helps a Midway Elementary student look up a word in his new dictionary. Each year, the Des Moines Rotary Club gives a children's dictionary to every third grader in the city.

Highline has recently been featured in several publications highlighting the work being done to prepare all students for college, career, and citizenship. Because students come to school from so many different "places" in life, the district has learned the power of individualizing each student's education.

Our schools and teachers want and need to have time to receive training and work together to improve their teaching skills. That is why students have partial or full days off from school while teachers are working (early release and waiver days). On those days, teachers receive training in math and literacy, review data on student progress, and develop school improvement plans for the year.

Gregory Heights students told the school board how they are building skills that will help them be scholars in elementary school and beyond. They are receiving intensive training through AVID, a program also in many Highline middle schools and high schools, which prepares students for college. The program emphasizes study and organizational skills.

Celebrated in February each year, Black History Month is an opportunity to recognize important African American people and events in the history of our country. Research shows the designation was actually made in 1926 by historian Carter Woodson. He chose the month of February "because it marked the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social conditions of African Americans: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist Frederick Douglass."

Superintendent Welch recognized the Highline School Board for their work and dedication at Wednesday night's Board meeting. Governor Gregoire has proclaimed January School Board Appreciation Month. Each board member received a certificate from the superintendent.

From January 13 - April 15, United Way of King County will provide free tax preparation and access to the Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax credits to help working families increase their incomes and create savings. Tax services will be available at 15 sites across King County. Free tax preparation allows low-income people to keep more of their hard-earned money and avoid paying unnecessary fees for commercial tax preparation and "rapid refund" loans. Being financially stable reduces the risk of becoming homeless

In year two of small schools on the Evergreen campus, there is growing excitement about the partnerships, projects, and direction of the Technology, Engineering & Communications School known as Evergreen High TEC. On its way to becoming known as the premier engineering program in the area, the staff at TEC has established strong partnerships with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Technology, including an advisory board made up of volunteers from The Boeing Company and NASA.

On January 12, 2009, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) announced the opening of the scholarship window for 2009-10 candidates. In the 2009-10 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) candidate cycle, there are two official scholarship rounds, the first of which has an application deadline of February 13, 2009.

Students from the Puget Sound Skills Center Fire Services program recently put their training to good use. On January 8, 2009, in response to the heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding, students were asked to assist the area's emergency teams. Cadets Jesse Marco and Ryan Snyder along with Instructor Mark Voigt, used the Skills Center's Aid Unit to transfer sandbags from Redmond to Duvall.

Tylor Curry, a sophomore at Big Picture, just received a $500 grant from the Washington Foundation for the Environment to implement an internship project involving teaching elementary students about forest restoration. Tylor's internship is at the Nature Consortium.

District officials have been working with Highline Education Association on a plan for making up time lost due to weather closures last month. Work was done in an effort to attain a fair and equitable decision and to recognize the difficult circumstances that staff had to deal with in their travels to work.

The school board has voted to postpone the start of construction of the new McMicken Heights Elementary School in order to take advantage of enhanced state matching funds. The district learned last Friday afternoon that the rate of state match for Highline would increase next fall. By postponing construction until then, the district could collect approximately $2 million in additional capital funds from the state.