January 12, 2007   

Family and Community Engagement Grants

Highline Public Schools is soliciting proposals from community-based organizations that are interested in establishing partnerships with Highline focus schools to increase academic achievement and family and community engagement. Community-based organizations will be partnering with schools to provide culture-specific services to the schools, families, and students. These services will directly impact the academic achievement, WASL scores, and family and community involvement at the schools. Highline Focus Schools: Elementary Schools: Beverly Park, Bow Lake, and Midway Middle Schools: Cascade, Chinook High Schools: Academy of Citizenship and Empowerment; Global Connections; and Odyssey, the Essential School. Funding A total of $75,000 is available for family and community engagement. Highline Public Schools expects to fund seven proposals. Grants will average $8,000-$10,000. The duration of the award is from January 2007-August 2007. Eligibility The family and community engagement grants will be distributed through a competitive process to community-based organizations serving: Native American, Chicano/a-Latino/a, African American, Pacific Islander, East African (Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Somali), and South East Asian (Vietnamese, Cambodia, and Laotian) populations. Applicants must be a private, non-profit organization or community-based organization. Applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to administer funds, keep records, and maintain effective accounting procedures. Grant Applications: Please click on the grants listed below to download a printable version (pdf): Native American Family and Community Engagement Grant Latino/a Family and Community Engagement Grant- High School Latino/a Family and Community Engagement Grant- Elementary and Middle School African American Family and Community Engagement Grant Pacific Islander Family and Community Engagement Grant East African Family and Community Engagement Grant Southeast Asian Family and Community Engagement Grant Family Advocate/Academic Coach Grant In partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Highline Public Schools is seeking community-based organizations to provide culture-specific services to the school, families and students at Beverly Park/Midway Elementary. These services will directly impact the academic achievement, WASL scores, and family/community involvement at the schools. These students will consist of Latino/a and African American students who are in fifth grade and who did not score at the proficiency level on the fourth grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) exam given in the spring of 2006. In addition, the family advocate/academic coach will work with third and fourth graders who are at risk of not successful passing the WASL exam. A specific number of students will be identified to be part of this cohort of students who will be working with and receiving services from the family advocate/academic coach. Funding A total of $50,000 is available for two family advocates/academic coaches. The duration of the award is from January 2007-August 2007. Community organizations may propose services to enhance or expand existing programs. Eligibility The family advocate/academic coach grants will be distributed through a competitive process to community based organizations serving: Chicano/a-Latino/a and African American Community. Applicants must be a private, non-profit organization or community based organization. Applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to administer funds, keep records and maintain effective accounting procedures. Grant Applications: Latino/a Family Advocate/Academic Coach (Midway Elementary) application (pdf) African American Family Advocate/Academic Coach (Beverly Park Elementary) application (pdf)   Back to eHighlights

Chinook Middle School Celebrates Cultural Fair

Jazmin Amaro with her home town in Mexico.   Wafting down the hallways of Chinook Middle School are delicious smells of a melting pot of cultural foods. Visitors are greeted by Student Ambassadors who lead the way. The closer you get, the more interesting the sounds – a cacophony of conversations representing languages from around the world. It’s the Chinook Family Cultural Fair and students have prepared presentation boards with background information on their families and the country they come from. Many students are wearing traditional clothing from their home country, and they have made special foods for "visitors" to sample. From Vietnam to Cambodia, from Ethiopia to Somalia, from Mexico to El Salvador to India…around the world we go! Organized by the ELL teachers Andrea Chorney, Lynn Herink, and Chanel Williams, the event attracted about 75-80 people. The Chinook ELL team partnered with Family Support liaison Kim Ustanik and Chinook’s Americorp liaison Breanna Shell to invite the ELL families as well as the general education population. As visitors made the rounds of the presentations, the students shared stories about how they came to America as well as the history, religion, and geography of their home country. The stories were interesting – and revealing. Many of these students have escaped civil war or poverty in search of a better life here. Principal Todd Moorhead observed that the Cultural Fair was a successful way to get families involved with the school. He explained, "We try to do a parent meeting once a month for each ethnic group plus one meeting a month of all the groups combined." The meeting portion of the evening, which attracted representatives from approximately 25 – 30 families, was focused on math and literacy and was presented in both English and Spanish – thanks to the skills of Brendon Dotson, language arts and history teacher at Chinook and Latino Outreach Specialist Maria Santiago. Math Coach Sandi Moyer also shared helpful ways for parents to support their students in math. Brandon Darbro, this month’s Parents of Chinook leader, addressed the parents with a message of support and offer of assistance. Visitors to Chinook can see the energy and excitement generated by the many different ethnic groups sharing their heritage and learning from one another. Next month’s community event at Chinook is Parenting Adolescents. It will be held January 17 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and will cover setting effective limits, parenting and teen social skills. It will be hosted by the Parents of the Pacific group along with the Student Ambassadors. Dinner and childcare will be provided at no cost. More photos..>> Back to eHighlights

Generosity at Highline

"Your charity and kindness are unforgettable to us. Please accept my profound gratitude." From one of the many notes received at the Family Center. The generosity of Highline’s staff and students made a real difference for many families over this holiday. Students at Highline and Mount Rainier High Schools provided the families of ECEAP students located at their schools with an incredible array of food and gifts for the holiday. Their teachers, Laurie Box and Paula Craig encouraged and assisted with an outpouring of generosity that was overwhelming for the recipients. ECEAP Program Coordinator Nancy Adams noted, "These families have incomes at or below the Federal Poverty Level ($20,000 a year for a family of four). Without the assistance of these wonderful students, they would have had great difficulty providing any kind of holiday for their children." The staff at Pacific Middle School provided food, clothing and gifts for 14 of their own families. Kathi Dewey, counseling registrar and coordinator for the collection commented, "Once again, Pacific has brought smiles and tears to the faces of mothers and fathers, boys and girls." This effort was made even more successful with the help of two area businesses, Des Moines Drug Store and South King County Fire and Rescue who made generous donations. This kind of generosity was seen around the district at many schools and work sites. At the district central offices, the Family Center coordinated the third annual collection for needy Highline district families. Teachers, ELL tutors, and counselors at the schools developed a list of families in need. The generosity of district employees and personal friends provided a mountain of toys and clothing. This year, the ELL Department distributed new toys and new clothing to 118 students in 42 families. In addition, they held a clothing drive with gently-used clothing for families to select from. All left over clothing is being donated to the New Futures Clothing Bank. Lita O’Donnell of the Family Center commented, "People have been so grateful and we’re fortunate to be the ones in direct contact with the families – getting to see their responses has been very humbling. It serves to remind us how blessed we are." ERAC employees also "adopted" 25 children, ranging in age from 10 to 17 years old, through the Ruth Dykeman Children Center. The Center staff commented that while they are never surprised at the generosity of the Highline staff, they were especially surprised and pleased this year to receive a like-new Xbox and a new iPod for their kids. Other gifts ranged from gift cards and CDs to a fishing reel and groom supplies, from books and college-prep material to jewelry and clothing, from stuffed animals and household items to a bike. Jean Thurber, student placement manager, who headed up this effort, concluded, "There is so much heart here at Highline!"   Back to eHighlights

Highline Administrators Help Out at Des Moines Food Bank

(l-r) Karin Jones, Chris Neal, Gretchen Baar, and Toni Pace help to distribute food. .   Just before winter break, 35 Highline Public Schools administrators and support staff spent a morning volunteering at the Des Moines food bank. They were joined by administrators from Highline Community College. Together, they divided bulk foods into family-sized portions and prepared holiday food boxes that were distributed to families in our community. The Des Moines food bank distributes over a million pounds of food every year to families in Des Moines, SeaTac, and west Kent.        Back to eHighlights

Highline High School Principal Pat Dunn Announces Her Retirement

Highline High School Principal Pat Dunn announced that she has made the decision to retire at the end of this school year. This June marks Pat’s 30th year in public education—ten years as an administrator and 20 as a teacher. Pat started her career in Highline, completing a practicum at Woodside School, doing her student teaching at Riverton Heights elementary school, and following graduation from Central Washington University, serving as a long-term substitute at Mt. Rainier in a special education classroom. Over the years, Pat has been a special education teacher, at-risk youth program teacher, PE teacher, and an activity coordinator before becoming a principal. In her announcement to staff, Pat talked about her desire to focus on her two teenaged children. “My children have always been my priority and before I face any more regrets, I am embracing my opportunity to make changes in my professional life to support their activities and accomplishments,” she said. “Pat is an extremely hardworking individual, and I want to thank her for her leadership,” said Superintendent John Welch. “She has made a significant contribution to Highline, and I wish her all the best as she shifts her focus from our students to her own two teenagers.” Superintendent Welch plans to identify a new principal for Highline High School by late spring.   Back to eHighlights

Pacific Teacher Shares Lessons from Another Culture

You can hear the excitement in his voice as Jeff Ferry shares his experiences in Peru. Fascinated by the people and their traditions, Jeff and his wife planned a two-week trip to visit three areas of the country – the cities of Lima and Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and the Amazon region.       Peruvian Merchant Each year since the 2004 adventure, Jeff has shared his photos and experiences with students in the Pacific Middle School ELL and history classes. As Jeff explains some of his observations, he poses thought-provoking questions for the students, encouraging them to draw correlations between Peruvian life and their own – either here or in other countries they have lived. Several students are able to add their personal commentary, like Yanina Quintana-Maldonado, a Pacific student who is originally from Peru. Students originally from Samoa describe similarities in the use of dugout canoes for transportation. Jeff describes the city of Lima, population 8-9 million, as being similar in size to New York City and yet over 50% of the people there live in shanty homes. He uses photos to show the students the neighborhoods of Lima and points out the absence of cars, or lawns, or many of the things we might take for granted. The homes, for the most part, do not have running water or indoor facilities and a 20’ x 20’ structure may house 8-10 family members. Mr. Ferry brings artifacts and souvenirs from Peru and shows the students the intricate detail of hand work. Some pieces may take 10 or more hours to produce – and they sell for $3 U.S. Students discuss what that means for income for the Peruvian families. Most items are made from nature, like gourds collected from trees and dyes made from plants. Wool from alpaca and llamas is used to make hats, shawls, and rugs.         Machu Picchu (Manly Peak) The students learn about the Inca history and, with pictures of Machu Picchu, discuss how such a place could have been built in the 15th century without the benefit of mechanized equipment. Students are amazed to learn that before cell phones and email, the Incas used runners to communicate important messages between villages. These runners often traveled 20-30 miles each day to deliver the news, using an intricate system of mountain bridges that remain today. ELL teacher Mike McLeod commented after viewing the presentation, “It was an eye-opener for everyone, adults and students alike, and such a powerful honoring of the cultures and peoples of Latin America.” He continued, “Not only are your slides professional in quality and captions, and the supporting maps very helpful; your delivery, the thought-provoking questions, and comments you streamed at them over two days, the artifacts you brought in, and the way you included Yanina and others as resources made this a very rich time.”   Back to eHighlights

Happy New Year from PSETV!

January on PSETV is just the beginning of a great year of new shows. This month, we bring you "Howe About Science: the Rainforest Module" (yes, there are other modules on the way!). This fantastic, 32-part series is designed for grade school kids with lots of cool experiments they can try at home or in the classroom. Why just talk about weather systems when you can build your own tornado in a box? Short films, guest experts, and the lively and engaging host - David Howe himself - make every 30 minute episode a fun filled journey of discovery. Check it out - Monday through Saturday, at 7:00 a.m., noon, and again at 7:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m. Friday evenings, you can holiday on the continent with "French in Action.” This series uses active participation to increase fluency in French, while introducing French culture. Pierre Capretz's proven language-immersion method is presented within a humorous teleplay with native speakers of all ages and backgrounds. The storyline of an American student and a young Frenchwoman's adventures in Paris and the French countryside is reinforced by Dr. Capretz's on-camera instruction. Bon? Mais oui! Of course, the rest of our schedule is full of great shows as well. Just click on the link to our interactive schedule from our homepage at www.psetv.org. Search by date or show title. Thanks for watching PSETV, and here's to making 2007 our best year yet! Contributed by PSETV   Back to eHighlights

Burien to Support School Readiness Program

The City of Burien has announced that, beginning in 2007, they will support a new initiative to address early childhood education and better prepare children just entering school. The City Council in 2006 reserved $50,000 for a School Readiness Initiative after studies conducted by Seattle-King County Public Health Department and United Way of King County found that many students entering Burien elementary schools had reading deficits that made them less ready to become successful learners. For the past several months, city staff and school district officials have explored different program models that would address this issue and to identify a suitable approach. They favored a program known as “READY! for Kindergarten” that is now being implemented in the Tukwila School District, as well as in several other school districts around the state. READY! for Kindergarten educates, encourages, and supports parents in their critical role as their child’s first and most important teacher. The goal of the READY! for Kindergarten program is to provide information to parents about how their children learn at each age level, along with essential tools and activities that they can do together to make learning easy and fun. “Research shows that early learning makes a huge impact on students’ success in school,” says Highline Schools Superintendent John Welch. “We believe this program will give many Highline students the boost they need to be able to be successful learners throughout their school years.” In cooperation with Highline Public Schools, the School Readiness program will focus on Hazel Valley, Seahurst, and Cedarhurst elementary schools. The city council voted on December 18 to contract with a local nonprofit agency, Para Los Ninos, to implement the new program. Questions regarding the program may be directed to Para Los Ninos at (206) 241-7900.   Back to eHighlights

Big Picture Students and Highline Staff Benefit from Recycling Effort

ReUse Resources opened shop at Highline Big Picture High School this fall. ReUse Resources founder and Director Denise Henrikson began discussions with Highline Public Schools and Big Picture last spring, and the nonprofit is now based at the school. Thanks to the HPS facilities staff for their support of this partnership and helping to make space for it at Big Picture.   ReUse Resources works with a growing network of suppliers to gather useful materials that would otherwise be destined for the landfill. ReUse Resources redirects the materials for use in schools. Many of these supplies are useable as is, such as paper, pens, binders, and other school supplies. Other materials are used for art projects. Thanks to some generous sponsors, teachers in 10 Highline schools are receiving “$100 ReUse dollars” to purchase anything in stock. Two Big Picture students, Angel Kavajecz and Casey Tran, are working as student interns with Ms. Henrikson to help set up the shop and survey teachers in the district about what supplies they want and need most.   Submitted by Denise Henrikson   Back to eHighlights

School Board Considers Change in Math Requirements

At the December 13 meeting of the Highline School Board, board members heard discussion regarding the merits of adding a graduation requirement for a third credit of math. Current graduation requirements include only two math credits. The proposed change, which is recommended by the district’s administrative staff, would take effect beginning with the class of 2011.   Back to eHighlights

School Board Transition

Also at the December 13 meeting of the Highline School Board, Matt Pina was elected president for the coming year. Julie Burr Spani was elected to serve as vice-president. The changes took effect immediately following the vote. Pina has been on the school board since 1999 and Burr Spani was first elected to the board in November of last year. This is the first of several changes to come. Long-time board members and past board presidents, Phyllis Byers and Tom Slattery, have both said they do not intend to run again in November 2007.   Back to eHighlights

Change in WASL Graduation Requirement Proposed

Governor Chris Gregoire and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson have proposed that the legislature consider modifying the requirement that all students pass the math WASL in order to graduate. The option of allowing students to graduate without passing the math WASL would remain in place for three years – for the graduating classes of 2008, 2009, and 2010. In place of passing the math WASL, students would be required to take rigorous math courses until they graduate or until they pass the WASL. Students would still be required to take the WASL or a state-approved alternative every year. Gregoire and Bergeson say this would give schools time to improve math curriculum and instruction, so students will be better prepared to pass the WASL in future years. The legislature is being asked to act on this proposal in the upcoming legislative session, which convened in January.   Back to eHighlights

Mount Rainier Junior Named to All-Star Team

Congratulations to Ryan Prentice who was named to the Seattle PI all area all-star team for cross country! Ryan finished 3rd at the State Cross Country meet, only the second Mount Rainier runner to place in the top three. Ryan won his age group at the Junior Olympics held in Spokane and was the only Highline district athlete recognized by the PI from fall sports. According to the PI, Ryan said he couldn’t have accomplished this much without the support of his parents, coaches, and teammates. He went on to say, “My teammates were awesome this season. Even when they weren’t competing, they continued to support and cheer for me, all the way to state.” Ryan is the son of Ray and Jenny Prentice of Normandy Park.   Back to eHighlights

Winter Recreation Guide now Online

The Winter 2007 edition of the Burien Recreation Guide is now available online at the Burien Parks Department’s website. The guide covers all recreation activities for youth, families, adults and active seniors offered through the Burien Parks & Recreation Department for this coming season through April 2007. The Recreation Guide features a number of new and exciting recreation activities. Learn more about recreation classes and trips for families and seniors, places to go swimming, and the schedule for upcoming special events and programs. Copies of the Guide are distributed locally to those on the Parks Department’s mailing list and at a number of local locations, including City Hall, Burien Library and the Burien Community Center. If you don’t receive a copy, you can go to the City of Burien Parks Dept. website at www.burienparks.net and click the appropriate link. If you do not have online access or are unable to pick up a copy, and you would like to be on a mailing list to receive the Guide, please contact Burien Parks Department at (206) 988-3700.     Back to eHighlights

Board Minutes

Minutes for the December 13, 2006 board meeting will be posted in the next edition of eHighlights.    Back to eHighlights