Raisbeck Engineering, James and Sherry Raisbeck, and their foundation have pledged $4 million to Aviation High School. Three million dollars of the donation will go toward construction of a new facility on the campus of The Museum of Flight in Tukwila. The school will be renamed Raisbeck Aviation High School.

Superintendent John Welch has presented the school board with a plan to eliminate 10 administrator and managerial positions and make other reductions in central administration. The move is in response to an anticipated budget shortfall for the 2009-10 school year. The plan will save $1.1 million.

The Arts & Academics Academy, Health Sciences and Human Services High School, and Technology, Engineering, & Communications School will host a second High School Fair for service area middle school students and their parents to learn about the options available for high school. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, April 7 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the Evergreen Campus Library. Refreshments will be served and child care provided. There will also be daytime activities on April 7, held at Cascade Middle School, to introduce students to the high schools.

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Families gathered at Pacific Middle School this week, and students demonstrated for their parents how they are getting ready for college. The students are enrolled in AVID class, a course that teaches study skills, critical thinking, and other college-prep skills to students who will be the first in their families to attend college.

Forty-eight fifth- and sixth-grade students from White Center Heights Elementary visited the UW campus on Wednesday, March 11, to meet international students from around the world through the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS) Pen Pal Program.

Molly Heath, a senior at Aviation High School, has been appointed to the Air Force Academy. Nominated by Representative Jay Inslee, Molly's list of awards and accomplishments is impressive. With a cumulative GPA of 3.94, she is a member National Honor Society, has participated in NASA's Aerospace Scholars program, was named to the American Association of University Women for her achievements in science, and has earned her private pilot's license. "Molly has been a leader at Aviation High School since she arrived," commented Principal Reba Gilman. She has held student office, chaired the Community Service Committee, and represented AHS at the Governor's Aerospace Summit and The Museum of Flight's Women Fly event. Outside of school, Molly is active in her Civil Air Patrol unit.

Teams from TEC High School and Aviation High School will be among the 64 regional teams competing in the FIRST Robotics competition at Key Arena March 26 - 28.

Mount Rainier High School recently hosted 177 sixth-grade students and staff for a "Leap Into Your Future" field trip.

The students from Marvista, Midway, and Des Moines Elementary Schools explored their future school with an emphasis on being prepared for high school and beyond. MRHS Leadership students led groups on a campus tour and then to various information stations including: AVID student panel, Alumnus/careers, Science is Fun, Art is Cool, IB is Tops, CAD/engineering is Wild, Library Arts, and Leadership Rocks. The final stop was for refreshments and to hear closing statements.

Two PSSC students, Sandra Moua and Tim Chambers, recently competed in the International Culinary Schools' Best Teen Chef event. Sandra won first place and Tim won second place. Sandra moves on to the national competition to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, in May.

Here's your chance to shine the spotlight on someone whose work you've admired. Highline Schools Foundation will host the Gold Star Award Luncheon to showcase top performers in the following categories: teacher, administrator, classified/professional support staff, and volunteer. The employees recognized are nominated by their co-workers, students, parents, or community members.

The Fusion Dance Crew, from Arts & Academics Academy, recently performed at the OSPI 2009 Arts Time Conference. The Arts Time Conference is held biannually to support and promote arts education in the State of Washington. Along with performing, students taught teachers during a hip hop workshop for educators from all over the state. One of the highlights of the conference was a meeting with Fusion Dance Crew members and Anne Rene Joseph, the Arts Program supervisor for OSPI. Students presented Ms. Joseph with a Fusion Crew t-shirt, and she expressed interest in visiting the Arts School.

Nancy Paré is the new Executive Director for the Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence. Nancy has been employed in health and human services for over 25 years, with 17 years in the United Way system and 8 years at the Utah Department of Health. She has also been a licensed mental health therapist.

Hilltop Elementary was selected by the Southcenter Barnes and Noble as a recipient of their annual book drive effort. Store manager Ralph Anderson and Community Relations Manager Mandi Holstrom, along with their friend Elmo, surprised the students of Hilltop during a recent assembly. They delivered over 1,600 books including one for every student, a selection for every classroom, and the library.

Earth Day is coming...April 22. Check out the resources available at http://earthday.gov/ and learn ways to get involved at work - and at home.

With all the news about the financial meltdown, the focus is beginning to shift to prevention. Gary Davis of KPLU recently aired a segment, which featured Maryann Yamaguchi of Mount Rainier High School, discussing financial literacy among students. Yamaguchi teaches a course called Independent Living, which raises awareness of family finances, how interest works, student loans, and how to plan for personal financial stability. You can access the podcast from KPLU's website. Select the Listen MP3 icon.

Thanks to a grant from Target, 105 Bow Lake 5th and 6th graders attended a play at Seattle Children’s Theatre set in ancient Egypt. Students in the Bow Lake Explorers program are studying Egypt, and seeing the play brought their studies to life.

Working in public schools where at least half of the students are food stamp recipients, Food $ense CHANGE, a King County Extension program, teaches students how to make healthier food choices, how to grow food, how to prepare healthy snacks and meals, and encourages them to remain physically active. Students also learn where their food comes from and make connections between what they eat, their health, and the environment. The curriculum is currently offered at Madrona and Shorewood Elementary Schools.

On March 11, Book Quest finals were held at ERAC. Book Quest is a competition where 4th, 5th, and 6th graders read the same ten books and answer questions about them. The best team from each participating school goes to district finals. There were 11 teams participating this year. Superintendent John Welch was there to read the students questions, and author David Patneaude, whose book was in the competition, was there to sign autographs, say a few words, and hand out the prizes. The winning team was from Gregory Heights Elementary, with Library Assistant Julie Shields coaching her team to victory! The Gregory Heights team only missed one question in the whole competition. This was the 10th year the district has done Book Quest. It was created and organized by Mount View Librarian Trina Samson.

The Environmental Science Center, located in Seahurst, has released their spring course offerings. In addition, they have posted the 2009 schedule for beach field trips. Interested teachers may contact Nicole Starr Killibrew, school programs coordinator, at 206-274-9524 or via email at kilnic17@aol.com.

ACT has an amazing deal for you.

ACT’s Apple Series offers educators six evenings of spirits, hors d'oeuvres, conversation, and theatre for only $99!

Attached is information about 2009 Summer Music Technology Workshops for educators.

For more info or to register call 800-248-9699 or visit the website at: https://owa2k3.hsd401.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.midiworkshop.com/

ESD 123, in conjunction with Walla Walla and College Place Public Schools, Whitman and Walla Walla Community College, and PocketINet, will host an HD-L3 conference at Whitman College in Walla Walla on Thursday, April 16. The conference begins at 4:00 p.m. with 10 inspiring speakers from K-12, higher education, and business. Dinner will be provided, followed by Ian Jukes speaking on the topic of "Living on the Future Edge".