Reception Held for Retiring Board Members

Matt Pina, Phyllis Byers, and Tom Slattery
enjoying the kind words from many well-wishers.

Three, long-time Board members were honored at a reception preceding the November 7 board meeting at ERAC. Phyllis Byers, Tom Slattery, and Matt Pina are finishing up their terms and newly elected Board members will be installed at the December 12 meeting.

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"Navajo Code Talker" from World War II to Address PSSC Students

84-year-old American hero, Samuel Holiday, of northern Arizona, will speak to history students at the Puget Sound Skills Center on November 13. The Veterans’ Day program caps off a two-month study of World War II for eighty students in VITAL, the skills center’s high school completion program.

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Teachers and Principals Gather at Math Summit

6th grade teacher Katie Postlewait and
Des Moines Principal Karin Jones analyze
student math data.

Representatives of every Highline school put their heads together recently at a district-wide math summit. The gathering was convened by Deputy Superintendent Carla Jackson to generate feedback and ideas from teachers and principals on Highline’s math initiative.

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Highline Schools Foundation Adopts Six More Schools!

Generous Donation from the McMicken Heights Community Club

Photo: l-r, Kirsti Weaver, PSSC Foundation Treasurer; Marion
Henry and Dick Jordan, McMicken Heights Community Club
(Dick was the President); Dave Estes; and Dr. Sue Shields.

The Puget Sound Skills Center Foundation, along with the Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence and Seattle Christian Schools, received very generous donations ($180,000.00 to PSSC) from the McMicken Heights Community Club, which is closing its doors. The donation was formalized at a lunch event at PSSC. Vice Principal Dave Estes observed, "This was a very emotional event as several of the board members from the McMicken group were involved with the community club since 1949! Kirsti Weaver and Steve Davolt received the award on behalf of the PSSC foundation.

American Education Week - November 12-16, 2006

Superintendent Welch signed the proclamation for American Education Week, November 12-16, 2007.

Learning in the WCH Computer Lab

White Center Heights Computer Lab

Students at White Center Heights are making good use of the computer lab – and working with buddies so everyone learns together. In this assignment, the students were creating flashcards, using clip art, and making word rings. The older students learn quickly and then show the kindergarten students. Teacher Bob Huppe was excited to see that, "With two or three tries, the kindergartners were able to do it independently." He went on to say, "With these skills, they can create flashcards for any subject they wish." Students demonstrated their computer skills for the members of the Senate Education Committee when they visited White Center Heights last month.

United Way Campaign Kicks Off

ERAC upstairs Ambassador Brie Smith displays a United Way
poster to encourage staff that "no gift is too small."

Around the district campaign Ambassadors were sharing the work of United Way and asking employees to get involved. From Mount View, where interim Principal Charlotte Carr is sponsoring a dinner for two and a shopping trip for teaching supplies to White Center Heights where staff will be rewarded for 100% participation by Principal Dave Darling dressing up as a character of the staff's choice...creative employees found fun ways to draw attention to the campaign to change our community.

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Board Approves Selection of Student Information System

At the last Board meeting, the Board voted to approve the selection of Administrative Assistants Ltd. (AAL) to provide the district with a Student Information System and Date Warehouse Enterprise software.

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Southern Heights Teacher Inducted into Hall of Fame

Casey Murphy, teacher at Southern Heights Elementary, will be inducted into the Washington State High School Hall of Fame for Swimming on November 10.

She is a Highline High School graduate and represented Highline in swimming competition throughout high school. Congratulations Casey!

Amgen Science Teacher Award Nominations Open to Teachers

The 17th annual Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence (AASTE) is now open for nominations. This award is designed to recognize and honor extraordinary science teachers at the K-12 level, who significantly impact their students through exemplary science teaching and who achieve demonstrated results in student learning in communities where Amgen operates.

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Safety Week at Cedarhurst

Students at Cedarhurst Elementary participated in their annual Safety Week. During the week, staff and students held classes on safety; kids drew posters, and took part in other activities focusing on Safety. Students were able to display their work throughout the hallways. The week culminated with a rally in the gym. Guest speakers from the community were invited to speak to the children about Safety. Fire Chief LaVielle of the Highline Fire Department spoke on Safety at Home. They also had a presentation about bullying, abduction, and gun safety.

Mount Rainier Parents Receive Good News on Track Project

Headed by Ray Prentice, a committee of parents has been working diligently to fund the Jim Kennet Track Project at Mount Rainier High School. They recently received notification that they have been awarded a $75,000 King County Youth Sports Facilities Grant. The award triggers funds offered by the district and the City of Des Moines. Combined with money already raised, the group calculates they are just $12,000 shy of funding a new track.

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Aviation High School Commended Student

Anna Wheeler

Principal Reba Gilman, of Aviation High School, announced that Anna Wheeler has been named a Commended Student in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program. Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.4 million students who entered the 2008 competition by taking the 2006 PSAT. "The young people named Commended Students in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program are distinguished by their strong academic performance in this rigorous competition," commented a spokesperson for the NMSC. "Our nation’s pursuit of educational excellence can be furthered by publicly honoring these outstanding students and by acknowledging the important role schools play in fostering their development. We hope that this recognition will contribute to their educational opportunities and encourage all students to strive to realize their potential."

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