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This is the final Highline eHighlights of the
2006-07 school year.
Have a great summer, and we look forward to welcoming
you all back in September. Our first issue will be
September 14.
Signing off for the summer,
The
Communication Office
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Save the Date |
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Mount Rainier High School Grand Opening Celebration will
be held Monday, September 10, from 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. Don't
miss this chance to see the new school!
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U.S. Undersecretary of Education Visits Highline |
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 The nation’s third ranking education official met with
Highline students and parents Wednesday night to talk
about the importance of going to college and how to pay
for it.
U.S. Undersecretary of Education Sarah Martinez-Tucker
held a town hall meeting at the Tyee Educational Complex.
Her message: college is essential for everyone today.
"You’ll earn a half-million to a million dollars more over
your lifetime if you have a college degree," said
Martinez-Tucker. "If you only have a high school diploma,
your earnings will not keep up with inflation as you grow
older."
Read on..>>
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Sylvester Event |
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Contributed by Sylvester students
May 21-25 was Tomcat Pride Philanthropy Week at Sylvester
Middle School. On Friday afternoon, May 21, we held
a kick-off ceremony and Fun Walk. At the kick-off ceremony
we honored ten adults who have helped make our community a
better place. Our first two honorees were
Superintendent John Welch and his assistant Ms. Jan
May.
Get the
details...>>
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Amazing Seniors |
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Highline Public Schools’ mission as an urban, culturally
diverse district is to educate every student and expect
excellence – preparing all students for success in
college, career, and citizenship. To do that, the district
has established small learning communities where students
are known well by caring adults, have personalized
learning experiences, and are challenged by rigorous
academics – including literacy, math, and science so
critical to success in this global economy.
We are extremely proud of all of our graduating seniors –
and want to share a sampling of the success stories.
Read their stories...>>
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Twenty District Seniors Graduate from Highline Community
College |
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Simultaneously graduating from high school and community
college is quite an accomplishment! And, twenty district
Running Start seniors will be doing just that this month!
Get the details...>>
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Big Picture Team Wins National Fantasy Baseball Tournament |
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(l-r) Mandolin
Hooper and James Holmes, World Series Champions at
the Fantasy Baseball tournament. Both are ninth
graders at Big Picture.
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Event Held at Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown
by Mandolin Hooper, Highline Big Picture School student
Eight students from Highline Big Picture School recently
competed in the National Fantasy Baseball Tournament held
at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Only
four schools were selected nationwide to participate, all
expenses paid, in this final round of competition.
There's more...>>
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Local Rotary Clubs Fund Purchase of Multicultural Books |
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There’s nothing like a new book and a rocking chair! |
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The Rotary clubs of Des Moines, Southcenter, and SeaTac,
in partnership with the Highline Schools Foundation for
Excellence, recently gave $5,000 to Highline Public
Schools for the purchase of multicultural books. This
generous gift was matched by Rotary District 5030 for a
combined total of $10,000, which was used to purchase over
500 books.
Read on..>>
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Bragging Rights |
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We are
very pleased to share good news about the educational
accomplishments of staff members and their families.
Get the details...>>
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McMicken Heights Competes in Math |
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Team 1 from McMicken
Heights, Hector Dominguez-Maceda, Isaak Wiebe, and
Jaceleen Vailoa work together cooperatively during
the probability and statistics portion of the team
test. Team 1 finished the test with confidence and
told their coach at the end that probability was the
easiest portion of the test. |
Eight fourth graders from
McMicken Heights Elementary recently competed in the first
annual All City Math Bonanza in Federal Way. The students
competed, individually and as teams, against 5th and 6th
graders from around King County. Competitions categories
included mental math, algebra, geometry, and probability.
Fourth-grade teachers Sarah Jensen and Bethany
McGinn served as coaches for the teams. Sarah
observed, "The students learned a great deal about math
and they are looking forward to preparing for next year’s
competition." She went on to say, "Even though our school
did not come home with trophies, everyone had a good
attitude and worked well together!"
There's more...>>
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ACE Student Takes Her Voice to the Mayor |
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Bria Hall is concerned about world hunger –
especially as it affects children – and especially when it
occurs right in her own backyard. And, she’s doing
something about it! Bria, a junior in the Integrated
Learning Center at the Academy of Citizenship and
Empowerment (ACE-ILC) has taken on the issue for her
Social Justice Project. Bria garnered an appointment with
the Mayor of the City of SeaTac and made her presentation
for him on June 5. The presentation focuses on what one
person can do to make a difference and asks the City of
SeaTac to help increase awareness of the hunger problem in
the area.
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Big Picture Internship Works Two Ways |
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"It is very exciting to see all of the ways in which
Andrea Luke has blossomed in my classroom. I never
expected a high school student to be so professional,
engaged and helpful. It is my hope that Andrea continues
to develop and refine her work with children, as it is
apparent to me that she is naturally a great leader and
role model for young children." That’s how Lindsey
Durant, Madrona kindergarten teacher describes her
student intern from Highline Big Picture.
Read on..>>
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District Policy on Lice to be Reviewed |
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A committee is being formed to research the scientific
data, medical recommendations, and other districts’
practices around exclusion of students with lice and nits.
The committee will have broad representation from the
community, staff, unions, parents, and students. If you
have an interest in being involved, please contact Aimée
Denver at
denverat@hsd401.org Meetings are expected to
begin in the fall.
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PSSC Logo |
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Puget Sound Skills Center, formerly Sea-Tac Occupational
Skills Center or OSC, proudly boasts this new logo and
slogan, preparing students for college and career.
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Elementary Choral Festival |
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Contributed by Cassi McDougall, music specialist White
Center Heights & Gregory Heights
On Thursday, May 10, the Highline Performing Arts Center
was graced with the presence of hundreds of young voices
gathered for the Highline School District Elementary
Choral Festival. Children from Seahurst, White Center
Heights, Southern Heights, Shorewood, and Beverly Park
Elementaries sang for each other and special guest
clinician, Dr. Gary Ballou of Central Washington
University.
Get the whole story...>>
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Book Quest |
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Gregory Heights
team: front— Emma Murray (with white head band),
Melissa Will (with trophy), 2nd row- Raveena Rabadia,
Disney Vorng, Aubrey Berendt, and Brita Whisler. 3rd
row—Mrs. Kathy Wessel (Gregory Heights librarian)
and children’s author, Peg Kehret. |
Contributed by Kathy Wessel, librarian Gregory Heights
Elementary School
This year Book Quest was held at Mount View Elementary
School on May 16. Thirteen elementary schools participated
with School Board member, Tom Slattery, emceeing the
event. Well-known children’s author, Peg Kehret, also
attended. She awarded the winning team members $25.00 gift
certificates donated by Barnes and Noble.
Get the details...>>
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Student Advisory Council Honored at Board Meeting |
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Accepting
certificates of appreciation from Superintendent
Welch were: Sebastian Hill, Ross Locher, Lilia
Lopez, and Amber Ohl.
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Superintendent Welch and the School Board honored
members of the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council
at the May 23 Board meeting. The students were selected
from applications last spring and met quarterly through
the school year. Members of the committee are:
• Sebastian Hill, a sophomore at Aviation High
School.
• Isaura Jimenez, a senior at Odyssey - The
Essential School.
• Bryan Le, a senior at Evergreen High School.
• Ross Locher, a senior at Highline High School.
• Lilia Lopez, a senior at the Academy of
Citizenship and Empowerment
• Amber Ohl, a senior at Global Connections High
School
• Vanessa Potts, a senior from Puget Sound Skills
Center
• Andrew Reusch, a senior at Mount Rainier High
School
Applications for next year's council are now available.
Read on...>>
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Cascade Middle School Students Take to the Airwaves |
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KBCS recently hosted a three-part radio series featuring
students from Cascade Middle School presenting music from
their homes cultures.
In the first segment, Manmeet Singh and Dong Kim
led the way by performing music from India and Cambodia,
respectively. They were followed by Ruth Assefa
with music from Ethiopia and Antonio Perez
presenting music from Mexico. The last performance
featured Duc Le with music from Vietnam and
Joann Kanery from Micronesia.
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Shirley Van Horn Recognized as "Angel" |
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Truancy Manager Veronique Chevallier-Gruschow and
"Angel" Shirley Van Horn |
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The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office recently
honored Indian Education Tutor Shirley Van Horn with an
"Angel Award" at their Annual Academic Awareness event at
the county council meeting. The award recognizes the
efforts of individuals who touch the lives of a student in
helping them get back in school.
There's more...>>
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Highline Transportation Puts Safety First |
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by Tim McShane, vehicle maintenance shop manager
The recap of the annual and surprise inspection shows the
district bus garage puts safety first and continues the
tradition of excellent inspections. An out-of-service rate
of 10% or less is thought to be both reasonable and
achievable. Highline averaged less than 1% for 2007. The
last two years of inspections have been outstanding. The
O.S.P.I. criteria for recognizing outstanding performance
is not to average over 5% out of service for two previous
years. Highline has exceeded those expectations and will
be recognized once again. The transportation department is
committed to making safe transportation for our children a
top priority.
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Strategies for Literacy Expand to Math |
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Bridging the Achievement Gap |
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One school in Kent is finding ways to overcome the
challenges that come with low-income, busy, working
families who speak little or no English. They’re tackling
literacy, health/fitness, and student safety with
innovative approaches.
Read what our colleagues are doing.
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Jael Hanson has been selected as Mrs. Des Moines |
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 Jael Hanson, a teacher at Parkside Elementary, has
been selected as Mrs. Des Moines 2007. She will compete
with 30 other married women throughout Washington State
for the title of Mrs. Washington to be held in Moses Lake
in July. The winner will go on to compete for the title of
Mrs. America in Tucson, Arizona in September.
Jael and her husband, Eric, have one child. She volunteers
her time with Kiwanis, the Autism Society of America, and
the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Greater Washington. She
enjoys acting, singing, hiking, camping, and spending
quality time with her family.
Congratulations, Jael!
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Preparing for Kindergarten |
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Do you know children who will be entering kindergarten
this fall? Get them "READY FOR K".
Get the details...>>
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WASL and Graduation Requirements Translated |
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The Washington State High School Graduation Requirements
are available in nine languages on the Center for the
Improvement of Student Learning’s Website,
www.yourlearningcenter.org. The documents are in PDF
form, making them easy to print.
Click here to visit CISL’s graduation requirements
page. Pass along this resource to educators and families
in Washington.
There's more..>>
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King County Library System (KCLS) Summer Reading Program! |
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Coming June 15!
Starting June 15, children can sign up for this year's
free Summer Reading Program, "Get a Clue @ Your Library."
Enjoy puppet shows, wildlife programs, storytellers, and
more for all ages during this year's summer-long event.
Pick up your Summer Reading Program booklet, filled with
exciting book lists, fun activities and a reading log at
any KCLS library!
Start Reading and Earn Cool Prizes!
Read 500 minutes to collect your halfway prize; read 1,000
minutes and collect your finisher prize, the KCLS Reader
Casebook! If you read a total of 1,000 minutes by August
31, you can also enter a drawing to win a new laptop
computer! Prizes will be awarded beginning July 16.
Check out
www.kcls.org/srp for updated information.
Good luck and have fun reading!
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Skunkworks |
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The Aviation High School
Robotics team, named Skunkworks after Lockheed Martin’s
aerospace think-tank, demonstrated their robot at the June
13 Board meeting. This first-year team won regionals in
Las Vegas and competed at the world championships in
Atlanta.
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Superintendent Receives Big Picture Recognition |
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(l-r) Highline Big
Picture School Principal Jeff Petty, Superintendent
John Welch, Board President Matt Pina. |
At the June 13 school board meeting, Superintendent Welch
received an award from the Big Picture Company, a network
of 40 innovative, personalized schools modeled on The Met
school in Rhode Island. The award recognized
Superintendent Welch’s work in supporting Highline Big
Picture School and sited his "ongoing leadership creating
an education system that prepares all students and
families for a successful future."
The award was initiated by Big Picture Company’s founder,
Elliot Washor, who stated that Superintendent Welch’s kind
of leadership and shared vision toward outcomes for
students is rare among the school districts around the
country where Big Picture schools operate.
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Board Minutes |
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Click the date to read the minutes from the
May
23, 2007 board meeting.
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 Upcoming Events |
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Look Who's Retiring! |
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Attending the Retiree
Reception at the Board meeting on June 13 were:
(l-r back row) Marsha
Spreier, Judy Heiland, Paul Richter, Judy Grondin, Kent
Horton, Paula Craig
(l-r front row) Hilva
Novota, Karen Bianchi, Judy Todd, Robin Armstrong
Get the full list of those retiring..>>
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eHighlights Archives
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