Gold Star Award Nominations Due April 1

Here's your chance to recognize that person you work with who consistently amazes you with what they do or how they do it.

The Highline Schools Foundation is accepting nominations for this year's Gold Star Awards. Nomination forms are available here and must be postmarked by April 1, 2008.

The Gold Star Awards honor outstanding employees and volunteers in the Highline Public Schools and all members of the school community are invited to nominate their peers. Winners receive a $1,000 award and will be honored at the Foundation's Gold Star Luncheon on May 30.

New this year, the Gold Star Teacher of the Year will also be eligible to represent the district in the region's Teacher of the Year contest. An Outstanding Administrator of the Year award has also been added.

Click for nomination form.

Late Start Option for High School Students During WASL Testing

High school classes will start at 10:00 a.m. April 15-18 for students not taking the WASL. This will provide for an appropriate test-taking environment, since the majority of high school students will be in testing that week. Ninth graders who are not testing and students who have already passed the WASL have the option of coming to school at 10:00.

Buses will run on regular schedule. Students who ride the bus but are not testing will have supervised activities available to them. Options may include opportunities to work on senior projects and portfolios, online college research, and study time in the library.

Pacific Girls Attend Expanding Your Horizons

A group of 25 Pacific Middle School students recently participated in the Expanding Your Horizons event at Highline Community College. Expanding Your Horizons is a day of career exploration in math, science, and technology through hands-on workshops for 7th and 8th grade girls. The workshop is sponsored by the American Association of University Women and Highline Community College. This conference provides role models in math, science, and technology careers. Participants may pick from a menu of 21 workshops ranging from biology, chemistry, coaching, computers and technology, and ecology/environmental science, to engineering and physics, fire services, math and finance, medical technology and health sciences, and zoology.

Marshay Cooper, Rachael Champion, Tina Bierig, and MJ Atwood participated in a workshop on aeronautical engineering. "We learned about some concepts in aeronautical engineering, like force and lift, stuff like that", said MJ. "We blew on pieces of paper and the air created force underneath the paper causing it to lift up."

"In one experiment we used a candle and either a box or a can. We found out that you can't blow out a candle that is behind a box just by blowing on the box, but you can blow out a candle positioned behind a can, because air travels around the can. That is why airplanes are designed in a cylinder shape," said Tina.

"We both predicted that when we blew on two ping pong balls the force of the air would separate the balls. But, it worked the opposite. The force of air travelling around the ping pong balls pushed them together," said Marshay and Rachael.

In the end, the girls put wooden airplanes together and went outside to test fly them.

Students were accompanied by teacher Theresa Lucrisia-Bradley.

Des Moines Rotary Donates Dozens of Dictionaries

Des Moines Rotarians visited Parkside Elementary this month to deliver children's dictionaries to third-graders. The Rotary Club provides a new children's dictionary to every third grade student in the city of Des Moines each year.

"Research shows that third grade is the prime time for a child to receive a good dictionary," said Club President Jane Ipsen.

The dictionaries are for the students to keep, so they take them home after school dismisses for the summer.

Odyssey Hosts Unity through Diversity Day

Odyssey students participated in a school-wide Unity through Diversity Day that celebrated the many cultures represented at the school. Many students taught workshops on their own cultural traditions and heritage for their classmates and staff. The day ended with cultural performances by students.

Victoria Dang	Blessing Ajuogu	(l-r) Sofia Fagirzada, Hussain Rizvi, and Wajiha (Gina) Rizvi

Parkside Students Winners in State Literature Contest

Two Parkside sixth-graders were semi-finalists in the Letters about Literature Contest sponsored by the Secretary of State's office and the State library. The contest asked students to write a letter to an author explaining how the book made a difference in their lives. State wide, 2,500 students entered the contest.

(photo caption): Heather Young (left) and Kelin Doner (right) were semi-finalists in a state-wide literature contest.

Aviation High School's Science Olympians Perform Well

Three teams from Aviation High School recently participated in the 2008 NW Regional Science Olympiad held at Everett Community College. Two dozen teams of up to 15 students from schools around the region competed in 23 different events, ranging from stars to rocks to remote sensing, from ecology to food science to cells, from electric vehicles to rubber-band powered planes to homemade instruments.

The Science Olympians performed well with the veteran team (Smashing Black Cupcakes) placing fourth (the highest finish ever at Regionals, just behind experienced powerhouses Bothell, Stanwood, and Lakeside). The second team (Red) placed eighth, and the newest team (Yellow) placed 14th, a strong showing on their first try out.

Science Instructor Scott McComb commented, "In addition to their fine work in the event standings, our Science Olympians displayed remarkable sportsmanship, integrity, and patience. Both the Red and Black teams earned berths to State competition on April 4-5. We salute all of our Olympians' perseverance and dedication!"

Global Connections DECA Wins at State Competition

On March 6 - 8, a 15-student delegation from Global Connections (GC) DECA joined the 2,000 DECA students from around the state in Bellevue for the Washington DECA State Career Development and Competition.

GC DECA was awarded one of two "Steven Anthony Rhone Jr." state scholarships, which are awarded to chapters based on their program of work and their financial need. GC DECA was the only chapter in the state to have two of the 12 finalists for Washington DECA Member of the Year: Mack Bell and Lou Vargas. Even better, GC DECA's own Lou Vargas won Washington DECA Member of the Year.

GC DECA's Learn and Earn Project on the Holiday Bazaar coordinated by Ravyn Guy, Cortney Hines, and Sara Flores won 2nd place, but actually tied for 1st with 99 out of 100 points. GC DECA's Chapter Awards Project, compiled by Lou Vargas, ToVan Nguyen, and Crystal Rivera, earned "Gold Level" certification. This project documents the many activities a DECA Chapter conducts in the last year. The Chapter Awards Project and Learn and Earn Project will advance on to the DECA International Career Development and Competition (ICDC), where they will compete against DECA students from all over the globe. This competition will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, April 25 - 30.

An Italian Dinner and Auction will be held on April 2, 5:00 - 7:30 p.m. in the Tyee cafeteria to help raise money for travel expenses to ICDC. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for students, and $3 for children three and under. The lead auction item is a seven-day cruise on Holland America Cruise Line.

Highline Produces Several Top Spellers

Highline Homeschool sixth grader Garth Ball, Parkside sixth grader Shilo Reasch, Pacific Middle School seventh grader Zach Ford, and Sylvester Middle School seventh grader Kyra Sutherland are finalists in the 2008 Regional Spelling Bee for King and Snohomish counties. On Sunday, March 30, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 8th and Seneca in Seattle, the finalists will compete for the right to represent our area at the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Meet the rest of the finalists and their alternates...>

Your United Way Donations at Work

New Futures has many energetic and successful programs that are supported by the funds raised through United Way.

One of these is Leamos, a family literacy program offered at the Vintage Park site. This is an English-based program for Spanish-speaking preschool-aged children and their families, with children learning skills that will prepare them for school while giving their parents a chance to improve their own English skills and build relationships with other families in the community.

New Futures also has a vibrant after-school program in all three of their sites. These programs target children experiencing school failure and inspires them to learn, through social-skill-building exercises as well as oral and silent reading practice. Through field trips, technology, and talent shows, the after-school program gives students the confidence they need to successfully perform in school.

New Futures also inspires the community as a whole through community events. These events connect residents to others in the community, provide opportunities for cross-cultural interactions, engage families in New Futures programs, and provide residents with the opportunity to actively participate and plan activities. Through these activities, residents are able to come together as a community and share their passion for their children's success.

Sarah Schieron, development director for New Futures, writes, "New Futures receives 7.3% of our funding from the United Way, and we are always thrilled to see our community supporting United Way's great work. Please let the Highline Schools' community know how grateful we are for their support."

Thank you Highline staff for your generous support of United Way and New Futures!

Beverly Park Teams with African American Cultural Center

Beverly Park Elementary School and the African American Cultural Center recently hosted a potluck family dinner night for the school's African American families. AACC and Beverly Park have formed a connection to work with students during the school day on academic and social needs.

Tamara Reason is Beverly Park's liaison to the center and has been working at the school for the past month. Principal Kathy Anderson welcomed Tamara saying, "Her outreach to the community will aide us as we continue to encourage all families to participate in their child's education."

		(l-r in photo to the left) District Community Engagement Specialist Fa'izah Bradford, daughter Taylor Bradford, and Principal Kathy Anderson

Global Connections DECA Hosts Dinner Auction to Fund International Competition

Who wants to go on a cruise? How about a seven-day cruise on Holland America Cruise Line? Does not cooking for an evening appeal to you? We can help you there too. Please join us for our annual DECA Italian Dinner and Auction on April 2, 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Tyee Complex cafeteria.

Enjoy a scrumptious Italian dinner of fresh pasta with marinara sauce, meatballs, garlic bread, salad, beverages, and dessert. Peruse and bid on hundreds of items in our silent auction and live auction. Our lead auction item is a seven-day cruise on Holland America Cruise Line. All proceeds benefit Global Connections DECA trip to International DECA Competition.

Tickets can be purchased in advance, or at the door. Ticket Prices: Adults-$8, Students-$5, Children-$3.

Contact: Alana Vinther at 206.433.2128 or vintheam@hsd401.

ERAC personnel can purchase tickets from Joy Milstid in Applied Learning and Career Development before the event, or at the door the night of the event.

Foster Parenting and Foster Children

Right now, the largest number of children placed in Foster Care in King County comes from within Highline Public Schools' boundaries. There is a shortage of foster homes within district boundaries available to care for these children - forcing foster children to switch schools, often multiple times, throughout their education. Often siblings are torn apart; a sister moved to Olympia, a brother moved to north Seattle, and their education is put at risk. Statistics show a significant achievement gap for highly mobile children. By volunteering to foster children in your home, you support not only their ability to retain a relationship with siblings; you offer them opportunities to gain academically. By becoming a foster parent, you can change a life.

Fostering Together is an organization dedicated to recruiting and retaining foster families. Visit their website at http://www.fosteringtogether.org/

Both current and past foster children and foster parents can find support through Treehouse for Kids, an organization dedicated to supporting foster youth, from camp and clothing expenditures to educational advocacy and scholarships. Visit Treehouse's website at http://www.treehouseforkids.org/index.htm to learn more.

New Math Standards Close to Final

Revised state math standards are now in the hands of the state Board of Education for review and approval. The new standards are expected to be final late this spring. "Once our new math standards are implemented, our students will be able to compete with the best students in the nation and in the world," said Washington State Superintendent Terry Bergeson.

The standards:

• Focus on a few key priorities.
• Balance computation skills, conceptual understanding, and problem solving.
• Teach fundamental skills at or before benchmark grade levels. For example, students will learn to add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers, fractions, and decimals by the end of grade six.

"The balance between computational skills and conceptual thinking is critical," said Highline Deputy Superintendent Carla Jackson. "Students need to have both to succeed in math."

An independent evaluation of the revisions calls the draft "very close to excellent" for kindergarten through eighth grade and says the high school standards, while they still need more work, are much improved.

"These standards ... compare favorably with the best in the nation and the world," wrote Linda Plattner of Strategic Teaching, an independent consultant hired by the State Board of Education (SBE) to review the draft standards. They are "superior to the standards of other states considered exemplar(y) in their organization of the content by grade level priority..."

"It is terrific to have this third-party endorsement of the math standards, which were developed by a team of skilled mathematics teachers, mathematicians, math faculty members, and business and community leaders from school districts and universities across the state," said State Superintendent Terry Bergeson.

Highline Alumni Featured at City Track Championships

Ever wonder what happened to the Highline area track stars of years past? Well, on May 2 you'll have an opportunity to see some of those alumni athletes in action. This will be the second year that the Highline City Track Championships will present an alumni 400x400 relay. Race Director, Jerry Bamburg, expects alumni teams from Mount Rainier, Evergreen, Highline, Tyee, and yes even Glacier High School. Actually, last year Glacier High School, which closed in 1984, surprisingly won the event.

Ray Prentice, who presented Jerry with the idea to host the event last year, thought it would be a great way to connect Alumni tracksters with their current schools, get them more involved in supporting their current-day teams, and increase attendance at the track meet. One alumni runner brought over nine family members to cheer last year.

Ray stated, "It was really amusing watching the dynamics between the high school athletes and the "well cured" alumni runners. Initially, the kids were curious and somewhat skeptical. But as the event waged on, they really got into it and were cheering the teams. Last year's teams included former state track champions, members of the 1978 Glacier State 2nd place Cross Country team, and former high school and collegiate school record holders.

This year's Highline City Championships will be on May 2 at Highline Stadium. The event will include great competition from our areas finest track and field athletes. The race schedule is not out yet; however, the meet will begin after school. The Alumni 400 x 400 relay will be scheduled between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. For those former Glacier grads, it's a chance to see your school back in competition.

New Student Information System Up and Running at Seahurst

Our new student information system, eSIS, was successfully launched at Seahurst Elementary this week. Seahurst is piloting the new system, which replaces our current student database, SASI.

Seahurst staff was trained on eSIS earlier this month and all student information was converted from SASI to eSIS. The transition has been a smooth one.

In the fall, other elementary schools will be converted to eSIS. The target date for conversion for secondary schools is February 2009. All schools should be operating on eSIS by September 2009.

Latina Health Fair Scheduled for May 17

The sixth annual Latina Health Fair will be held on May 17, 2008, at North Seattle Community College. "We expect over 500 Latinas and their families will receive free medical exams and preventive screenings, individualized health report cards, and referrals for care," said Director Giselle Zapata-Garcia of the Washington Health Foundation.

The Latina Health Fair is a highly successful community outreach program of the Washington Health Foundation's Community Health Access Program (CHAP), and an integral part of the Campaign to make Washington the Healthiest State in the Nation. The primary purpose of the Latina Health Fair is to make progress toward the elimination of health disparities.

The Latina Health Fair is a ten-month project, involving hundreds of volunteers and over fifty organizations in the Puget Sound region. Volunteers and other support is welcomed. Contact Zapata-Garcia at 206-284-5291 or by email at GiselleZ@whf.org.

Service Learning Project Opportunity

The local Better Business Bureau (BBB) is taking steps to launch fundraising efforts for its Minutes for the Military (M4M) program in local schools across western Washington. Being home to several military bases, western Washington communities have many loved ones serving overseas. The cost of calling internationally is very expensive, and the M4M program was created to help with these costs by raising funds to purchase calling cards for deployed soldiers.

After a successful fundraiser last July, the BBB is taking preliminary steps to introduce the program in Washington schools next fall. Not only will students be fundraising for calling cards, but will also be gathering items for care packages. All funds and donations will go directly toward supporting our troops serving overseas.

"We are so proud of our troops and are so excited to launch a program that will enable them to keep in better touch with their families," said Robert Andrew, President and CEO of the BBB serving Alaska, Oregon, and Western Washington.

"BBB is excited to launch a program that gets students involved and excited about supporting their communities," said Shannon Barney, event manager. Through this program your BBB hopes to create a lasting relationship with local students, teachers, and administration. If you would like to take part in or want more information about the M4M program for your local schools or to make a tax-deductible donation, please contact your BBB(206)431-2222 or (253)830-2924 or visit www.bbb.org.

Highline High Senior Signs National Letter of Intent

Evan Richter, a senior at Highline High School, has signed a letter of intent with the Cal Poly men's soccer squad. Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive, four-year university with an excellent academic reputation.

The Mustangs' coaching staff remarked, "Last year it was Kyle Montgomery who came down from the Evergreen State to make a huge impact for Cal Poly. This year it could be Evan Richter. The four-year letter winner for Highline High School is a polished prep who has the potential to be an immediate threat for the Mustangs. The four-time, first-team, all-league selection is one of the top-10 all-time career assist leaders for Highline. As a junior, Richter led his team in assists and was named by the Seattle Times as a Player to Watch. Richter helped lead his squad to state title games in 2005 and 2007. On the club level, Richter was an eight-year member of the HPFC/Heat 89 coached by David Hoggan. Richter made the Washington State Olympic Development Program team in 2005 and 2006. His squads reached the Region IV ODP Championships. Also on the club level, Richter played for the WSYSA/ODP 1988 National Select All Star squad in 2007. Also in 2007, Richter was a Super Group Finalist at the Surf College Cup in San Diego, Calif. He also played in the Dallas Cup in 2007 and 2008 and has international experience in tournaments in Germany, Sweden, and Ireland."

Coach Holocher continued, "Evan is a young man that we feel will grow into a very strong midfield player here at Cal Poly. What we all liked about Evan was his creativity on the dribble, his passing, and his overall confidence on the ball. He has natural ability to change the tempo of the game, combine quickly, or play direct. He also has the mentality to get forward from the midfield and score and create goals. He is also a tough kid that is willing to defend with intensity. As Evan adds strength to those skills, he will be able to compete for any of the midfield positions, either inside or outside. We are very excited about Evan joining us here at Cal Poly."

Sprint Ahead for Education Grant Program

Through the Sprint Ahead for Education grant program, the Sprint Foundation will award grants to school districts and individual schools to fund the purchase of resource materials, supplies, equipment, and software that facilitates and encourages character education among K-12 students. With a national reach, the program is open to all U.S. public schools (K-12) and U.S. public school districts.

The Sprint Ahead for Education Grant program will accept applications for Character Education programs that promote youth leadership, youth volunteerism, school pride, and a positive school culture. Examples of programs that the Sprint Foundation will fund include:

Costs associated with hosting a youth leadership conferences.
Character education curriculum and character education teacher training.
Direct project related costs for community service/service learning programs.
School improvement projects that serve to enhance and build school pride.

District-level grants are available for programs ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.
School-level grants are available for programs ranging from $500-$5,000.

2008 Funding and Grant Application Period:
The Sprint Ahead for Education initiative will award individual school grants up $5,000 and school district grants up to $25,000. In 2008 the Sprint Foundation plans to award up to $600,000 in combined grants to schools and school districts. The grant application period will run from March 3 - April 15, 2008. Applications for funding must be submitted online at www.sprint.com/citizenship/education/sprintahead.