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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."
Martinez-Tucker answered questions about financial aid,
and said her goal is to simplify the financial aid process
for families. Another top priority, she said, is to
provide more help for middle-aged Americans to go to
college.
Martinez-Tucker said "culture shock" is one of many
reasons that so many young people who start college never
finish their degrees. She said many college freshmen are
intimidated when they find themselves in class with others
from cultures different from theirs. "You are fortunate,"
she said of Highline students. Because of our students’
exposure to cultural diversity, "you have a leg up."
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Tomcat Pride Philanthropy Week |
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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.
First was Superintendent Welch – "When we were collecting
information for our philanthropy unit, I had the privilege
of interviewing Superintendent Welch. It was obvious when
I met with him that he cares about students and what is
happening in our schools. Instead of just answering the
interview questions like a lot of adults did, he asked
about our leadership class and our project, and then asked
about my other classes and Sylvester.
Superintendent Welch believes all students can be
successful, and can continue their education and training
after high school. The Washington School Administrators
Association recently chose Superintendent Welch as the
Most Effective Administrator for large school districts.
Among the reasons principals and vice principals selected
Superintendent Welch is the fact that he demonstrates
effective leadership as he creates a learning culture
throughout the district. Superintendent Welch has also
developed a high level of community involvement. We’re
glad we have someone in charge of our schools who believes
in all of us.
Congratulations, Superintendent Welch."
Next was Ms. Jan May, executive assistant to the
superintendent. "Ms. May helps us coordinate invitations
and letters to Superintendent Welch. We also found out
that she works with the School Board and helps lots of
people at the district office. We contacted the Director
for Communication and Community Relations to get a few
facts about Ms. May. Ms. Carbone Rogers said, "Jan
May is welcoming to all who come to her desk or call on
the phone. She is the ultimate example of customer service
and community spirit. She has an infectious smile and is a
wonderful team player. When she’s not assisting the
Superintendent and the School Board, she loves to play
with her six grandchildren. Ms. May also sings in a trio,
Friends, that performs at various community venues."
Thanks Ms. May for all you do for our schools and our
community.
Other community members who were honored: Ms. Ferro of
Solid Ground; Mr. Werle of the Highline Area Food Bank;
Ms. Kramer of Steps to Health; Ms. Perry, Sylvester
teacher and coordinator for the district walking
challenge; Mr. Ivy, Sylvester teacher and
coordinator of the St. Jude Math-a-thon; Ms. Oestreich,
Sylvester ASB advisor and top walker in the walking
challenge.
The week included fun Spirit Week attire, a canned food, a
change drive for the Highline Area Food Bank, and a check
presentation to the Youth Health Center from the students
of Sylvester from pennies raised in our fall Penny
Harvest.
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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!
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Highline High School |
Evergreen High School |
Mount Rainier High School |
Tyee Complex Schools |
Danielle Bassen
Joshua Birkebak
Kristen Decker
Rachael Fox
Ramsey Goodner –
HCC Honors Scholar
Jennifer Graybill –
HCC Honors Scholar |
Corry Damey
Megan Mohr
Tobias Togi |
Taylor Hall
Andrew Jones
Stephen McBeth
Alecia Pitt
Maria Rice
Meagan Wilson
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Jonathan Erestain
Lois Guatam
Amanda Grove
Sarah Thiele |
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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.
The format of Fantasy Baseball, created by Tim Scheidt,
revolves around mathematics. Each team – consisting of two
participants – creates enough player cards to form a
lineup and then plays a twenty-five minute round of
Fantasy Baseball against another team, while recording the
outcome of the game on baseball score-sheets. The
tournament is comprised of five two-game series and then a
final game to determine the winner (played by the two
teams with the best records). Creating a player card
requires the knowledge of several mathematical
computations such as calculating a ratio, a decimal
equivalent, and a degree. In addition, playing a round of
Fantasy Baseball requires personal skills including
organization and time management. The winning team, made
up of James Holmes and Mandolin Hooper from
Big Picture, had a final record of 10-2-0.
Winning the tournament proved satisfying, but we realized
that Fantasy Baseball was only a part of the importance of
the trip. I know I will more fondly remember the
conversations with all the new people I met and the great
opportunity travel to another part of the country and
engage in many new experiences.
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Local Rotary Clubs Fund Purchase of Multicultural Books |
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Marcia Kauzlarich reads one of the new books to
first graders. |
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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.
Rotary Club members joined Foundation and school staff at
Madrona Elementary as librarian, Marcia Kauzlarich,
introduced some of the multicultural books to first-grade
readers. "We have so much diversity here and many of the
students are not able to get to the library because of
transportation issues," said Kathy Allen, Family
Support Liaison at Madrona Elementary. "It’s great that
the students and their families can relate to some of
these books."
Highline Public Schools places learning to read as one of
its top priorities. With over 70 languages spoken at home,
teachers can face challenges in finding reading materials
that are culturally appropriate. The addition of these new
multicultural books will help create a sense of inclusion
for students of all cultures and contribute to better
success for all students.
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2006-07 Retirees |
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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
It is an honor and a privilege to recognize an outstanding
group of educators and support staff as they retire from
Highline Public
Schools. Each of them has made a significant contribution
to our mission to Educate Every Student and Expect
Excellence. Each has made a difference in the lives of
children. And in so doing, each has helped to build
a stronger foundation for the society in which we live.
As teachers and others who have worked to support the
education of students, you truly
are the pillars of our civilization. To you who have
devoted many years of your lives
to nurturing the next generation – our future leaders – we
say thank you.
John P. Welch
Superintendent
ARMSTRONG, ROBIN ~ Midway
Robin will be retiring on June 27. She has been with the
district for 30 years. She started as a special education
teacher at Woodside and has also taught at
Sylvester, Beverly Park, North Hill, and is the reading
specialist at Midway.
BIANCHI, KAREN ~ Midway
Karen has worked as an elementary librarian at Des Moines
and Midway Elementary Schools. She will be retiring with
19 years of service in the Highline on June 27.
BOERE, JACK ~ Transportation
Jack will retire on June 27 after 20 years with the
district as a bus driver.
COLGAN, DAN ~ Operations
Dan retired on April 30 as the head custodian at Mount
Rainier. He worked in a number of schools after starting
with the district in 1974.
COWAN, BARBARA ~ Hazel Valley
Barbara is retiring after being with the district for over
16 years. She has worked at Marvista, Hazel Valley,
Midway, and Sunnydale.
CRAIG, PAULA ~ Mount Rainier
Paula began teaching in 1964 at Glendale Junior High as a
home economics teacher. Her current assignments at Mount
Rainier include department chairperson, Family and
Consumer Science teacher, Teaching Academy instructor, and
AVID teacher. Her retirement is effective June 27.
DENNING, JAMES ~ Facilities Services
Jim has worked for the district for 34 years and retired
on March 31, 2007. He held various positions over those
years including carpenter, locksmith, grounds and site
worker, and custodian.
DUNN, PATRICIA ~ Highline
Pat will be retiring on June 30 after 28 years with the
district. She started at Mount Rainier as a special
education teacher and also taught at Olympic, Chinook, and
Tyee. Later she served as an assistant principal at Mount
Rainier and Highline before assuming the principal
position at Highline in 2001.
GORANSON, STEWART ~ Transportation
Stu will be retiring on June 27 after 14 years as a bus
driver in the district.
GRONDIN, JUDY ~ Midway
Judy has been with the district for 24 years and will be
leaving on June 30. She worked in various positions at
Mount Rainier, and has been the office manager at Midway
since August 1997.
HEILAND, JUDY ~ Facilities Services
Judy retired December 31, 2006, as a facilities secretary.
She started with the district in 1982 as a clerk steno II
in the Operations Department.
HORTON, KENT ~ McMicken Heights
Kent will be retiring on June 30. He started at Parkside
in 1979 and has also taught at Southern Heights, McMicken
Heights, Mount View, and Cascade. In addition, Kent served
as principal at Cedarhurst and interim director at Camp
Waskowitz.
HULL, GRETCHEN ~ Seahurst
Gretchen has been a resource room teacher at Seahurst
Elementary for the past five years and will be retiring on
June 27.
KEARNS, KATHLEEN ~ Maywood
Kathy has been with the district for 40 years and will be
retiring on July 31 as manager of the Science Resource
Center. She worked exclusively with the science kit
program during her time in Highline. The program was
originally housed at ERAC and moved to various locations
over the years as the program expanded.
LITTLE, THERESA ~ Transportation
Terri began working in the district as a bus driver in
January 1989. She retired on May 18, 2007.
LOWRIE, RUTH ~ White Center Heights
Ruth has been with the district for six years counting her
substituting time and at White Center Heights for the past
three years as a music teacher. She will be retiring on
June 27.
METCALF, JEANNETTE ~ Tyee
Jan worked in the district for 25 years before retiring on
June 22, 2006. She worked at Marvista for a few years as
an aide and then worked at ERAC and Tyee in the vocational
department and as a work-based learning coordinator.
MOONEY, CAROL ~ White Center Heights
Carol retired on June 22, 2006, and had been a teacher in
the district for 28 years. She started at Evergreen as an
ESL teacher and moved to White Center Heights where she
remained throughout her career teaching first and second
grades.
NIELSEN, JUDY ~ Transportation
Judy has been with the district for 27 years and retired
May 31, 2007. She worked as a cook and lunchroom aide
before becoming a bus driver.
NOVOTA, HILVA ~ Seahurst
Hilva will retire on June 27 as a library technician. She
has been with the district for 14 years working the entire
time at Seahurst.
OWEN, PAULA ~ Marvista
Paula retired in August 2006. She was a physical education
teacher and started in the district in 1996.
PATTON, EILEEN ~ McMicken Heights
Eileen retired on January 10, 2007, as a library
technician after 20 years with the district working the
entire time at McMicken Heights.
PETERSON, CANDACE ~ ERAC
Candy retired December 31, 2006. She started as a
lunchroom aide at McMicken Heights in 1982. She became a
personnel word processing specialist in the Human
Resources Department in 1991 and at the time of her
retirement she was a compliance specialist.
PIERSON, DIANE ~ Beverly Park
Since beginning with the district in 1986, Diane has
taught at Shorewood, Hilltop, and Beverly Park Elementary
Schools. She will be retiring June 27.
POLHAMUS, VICKY ~ Chinook
Vicky retired as the office manager at Chinook on August
31, 2006. She started as the attendance secretary at
Highline in 1988 and moved to Chinook in 2002.
PRITCHOW, JEANNETTE ~ ERAC
At the time of her retirement on August 31, 2006,
Jeannette was a paraprofessional with the Indian Education
Program. She had also worked at Des Moines and Gregory
Heights as a lunchroom aide, student monitor, and special
education paraprofessional.
RICHTER, PAUL ~ OSC
After 30 years in the Culinary Arts program at OSC, Paul
will be retiring at the end of the 2006-07 school year.
SCHWARTZ, VINNIE ~ Hilltop
Vinnie retired on June 22, 2006. She started at Hilltop in
November 1996, working as a student monitor and classroom
aide. She was recognized as the classified employee of the
year for 2004-05.
SPREIER, MARSHA ~ ERAC
Marsha has worked in Highline in a variety of areas – 13
years as a teacher, 4 years as a Language Arts
specialist/coordinator, 14 years as a principal, and 5
years as a director/executive director in the curriculum
department. She retired during the 2001-02 school year and
then returned in the fall of 2002. Marsha’s last day will
be June 30.
TODD, JUDY ~ Highline
Judy was hired in September 1974 and has taught at
Pacific, Cascade, Mount Rainier, and is leaving on June 29
as a physical education/personal fitness teacher at
Highline.
TOTH, PATRICIA ~ A.C.E.
Patricia has been with the district for 30 years and will
be leaving on June 30. She has been a teacher of hearing
impaired children at Valley View, Bow Lake, Tyee, and
A.C.E.
WOMAC, JO ~ Facilities Services
Jo retired on May 1, 2007. She worked as a
sweeper/custodian.
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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:
Gia Fusaro, daughter
of Carol Fusaro of Marvista Elementary School,
graduated from the University of Washington with a double
major in political science and sociology and a minor in
society and justice. Gia also received her masters in
educational school counseling from Seattle University.
Melissa Duran Foster will be graduating from the
University of Washington (Tacoma) with a master of social
work degree. Melissa is Mount Rainier High School graduate
from the class of 2000. She is the daughter of Janet
Duran, Mount Rainier High School.
Krista Welsh, daughter of Dianne Welsh,
ERAC’s business services, will be graduating from Bellevue
Community College in June with her associate’s degree in
science. She will continue her education at Washington
State University in the fall. Krista has worked as a
graduate student helper in Geri Fain’s office for the past
two years.
Edward Etherington, MIT instructor at PSSC, is
proud to announce the educational accomplishments of both
his wife, Celeste, and daughter, Cassandra. Celeste
Marie Etherington will be graduating from the
University of Phoenix with double masters in health care
management and nursing. Cassandra Rose Etherington
will graduate from Highline CC with an AA degree in
business.
Beverly Loeffler of Bow Lake Elementary is also
double proud. Son Adam Loeffler graduated May 20
with the final class of Whitworth College with a BA in
applied physics and a minor in math. Son and National
Merit Scholar Charles Loeffler will graduate from
Evergreen High School on June 20 and will attend Whitworth
University in the fall.
Kevin Moorehead is graduating from Central
Washington University with a degree in geography with an
emphasis in land use planning. Kevin is the son of Tami
Moorehead, Highline High School, and Jim Moorehead,
Transportation..
Aaron Boisjolie, son
of Colleen Boisjolie, Highline Public Schools
Health Services Licensed Practical Nurse, graduated on
June 10, 2007, with high honors from Central Washington
University with a double major in elementary education and
early childhood education. He is a 2001 graduate of
Evergreen High School.
Jonathan Hergert, son
of Kathy Hergert, Hazel Valley, graduated from
Pacific Lutheran University in December 2006. He majored
in exercise science. On June 28, 2007, he will graduate
from South Pierce County Fire Academy as a fireman.
Jonathan graduated from Evergreen High School in 2002.
After serving 5 ½ years in the United States Navy,
Matthew Hergert, also the son of Kathy Hergert,
Hazel Valley, attended community college in San Diego,
majoring in business. He transferred to Bellevue Community
College and will graduate on June 15. He will then
transfer to Eastern University to complete his major in
business. Matthew graduated from Evergreen High School in
1998.
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McMicken Heights Competes in Math |
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Fourth graders, (l-r)
Jaceleen Vailoa, Almedina Dacic, Isaak Wiebe, Hector
Dominguez-Maceda, Nizama Djuderija,Taylor Blatter,
and Leyla Sufi all stand in front of trophies and
plaques in hopes to receive one at the end of the
day's competition. Because this was a competition
against fifth and sixth graders, the students walked
away with encouragement and hope for next year's
competition. These were the only two teams that
represented Highline Public Schools at the
competition.
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Team 1
from McMicken Heights, Nizama Djuderija, Hector
Dominguez-Maceda, 4th grade teacher/coach Sarah
Jensen, Isaak Wiebe, and Jaceleen Vailoa are all
smiles before setting out to compete in the
independent mental math portion of the test. |
Team 2
from McMicken Heights, Leyla Sufi, Taylor Blatter,
Almedina Dacic and 4th grade teacher/coach Bethany
McGinn prepare early Saturday morning with muffins
and juice before the individual tests begin. On the
way to the competition students practiced any sort
of math they could think of that they might be
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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!"
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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.
Andrea Luke, a student at Highline Big Picture, has spent
the last three months helping in Lindsey’s classroom as
one of her internships – a mainstay of the Big Picture
program. When she first started at Madrona, she vigilantly
observed the classroom activities, student interaction,
and her mentor’s teaching strategies. Then, she began to
model these same strategies on her own. Her duties have
expanded to include leading small groups in academic
tasks, managing student behavior using positive verbal
reinforcement and logical consequences, and engaging
students during independent work time.
"I didn’t used to like going to school," says Andrea. "It
was boring and too easy. But my grades didn’t show that
because I never did the work. I have always known I wanted
to work with kids. I like my internship, and I’m glad I
came to Big Picture because it gave me the opportunity to
work with kids to make sure that’s what I want to do. My
next steps are to finish school and then go to college to
become a teacher. After a few years of teaching I would
like to explore becoming an event planner for things like
weddings and parties."
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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. (click here for more)
The festival began with Dr. Ballou leading the children
through some vocal warm-ups to get everyone ready and
excited. After each school performed their selections, he
came up to the stage to share with them the wonderful
things they were doing, and give them a little advice on
how they could improve.
Songs from around the globe were sung in English and a
variety of other languages. There were classical songs,
silly songs, uplifting songs, songs with choreography,
guitar, maracas, piano, and xylophones! Dr. Ballou
complimented Southern Heights Choir saying, "You have a
choir of 21 and they sound like 70!" He also encouraged
students to remember, "Everyone is watching you when you
are onstage—don’t embarrass yourself." And Karen Luchi,
a 6th grader from White Center Heights, blushed as Dr.
Ballou told her how much she had wowed him with her solo.
Following the last school, all the groups gathered onstage
once more to sing as a mass choir. They celebrated their
love for music in the song "Music Brings Us Together," and
dreamed of peace around the world in "Peace Round." All
the students and teachers did a fabulous job and learned a
great deal.
Many thanks to Margie Paynton of Shorewood
Elementary for organizing the festival and to Dr. Ballou
for all his fantastic compliments and insights. Thanks
also to the teachers who brought their students to
participate in this great event: Theresa Fornalski
(Seahurst Elementary), Ruth Lowrie & Cassi
McDougall (White Center Heights Elementary), Stefan
Nelson (Southern Heights Elementary), Margie
Paynton (Shorewood Elementary), and Geoff Wilke
(Beverly Park Elementary).
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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. (click here for
more)
Throughout the school year, teams read 12 books selected
by a group of our librarians and studied these books
thoroughly. At the competition, teams composed of four
members; attempt to answer questions correctly about all
12 books. It was wonderful to see the excitement and
knowledge of so many of our young students. Trina
Samson, librarian at Mount View Elementary School,
organizes this event every year and deserves credit for
creating such a worthy event.
Gregory Heights Elementary School won this year with the
following four team members: Disney Vorng, Aubrey
Berendt, Raveena Rabadia, and Brita Whisler.
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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
Superintendent Welch commented, "I believe it is very
important to be closely connected with our students and to
have student voice inform our work - it's very important
in the district's decision-making process."
Some of the topics discussed with the Advisory Council
include school safety, the transition to small schools and
small learning communities, what schools can do to prepare
students for college, and other aspects of their high
school experience.
Applications for next year's council are now available.
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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.
In the nomination documents submitted by Veronique
Chevallier-Gruschow says, "Shirley understands that a
child needs to be well in order to be successful in
school. Shirley bridges the gap between her kids and the
services they need: Clothes, food, shelter and counseling.
But Shirley does not stop there. She is on the beat seven
days a week, working with kids she feels are most at
risk."
Veronique goes on to cite unimaginable hurdles – all
through which Shirley is there for the kids. She says, "A
very private person, Shirley becomes fearless when her
kids are concerned. Do you need school supplies? Just ask.
Do you need furniture because your family is starting over
again? No problems. Bedding, cooking utensils? Bring it
on. Shirley celebrates her students’ accomplishments,
listens to them in complete respect, offers a shoulder to
cry on, smoothes things over with parents, schools, and
courts."
Congratulations, Shirley! The students – and Highline –
are fortunate to have you as an advocate!
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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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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.
Also, visit CISL’s new Website at
www.yourlearningcenter.org, which is a clearinghouse
for education research, promising practices and success
stories from around the state. Vote in our monthly poll,
contribute to the talking circle and let us know what you
think of the Website.
CONTACT US
For questions, comments or suggestions, please contact
CISL at (360) 725-6165 or
cisl@k12.wa.us.
ABOUT CISL
For information about the Center for the Improvement of
Student Learning Center,
click here.
REGISTER
To sign up for CISL’s monthly e-newsletter, please
click
here.
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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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email:
communication@hsd401.org
voice: 206-433-2331
web:
http://www.hsd401.org
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