October 11, 2007   

Mount Rainier Recognized for Improvement

MRHS Principal Toni Pace speaks on behalf of all the award-winning principals as State Superintendent Terry Bergeson looks on.         Toni Pace accepts the award from State Superintendent Terry Bergeson. State School Superintendent Terry Bergeson applauds Mount Rainier as one of 86 "amazing" schools in Washington State. Mount Rainier High School has been named one of 86 "Schools of Distinction" by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for dramatic improvements in student reading and mathematics over the past several years. On Wednesday, Highline Superintendent John Welch and Mount Rainier High School Principal Toni Pace joined the state superintendent of public instruction, Dr. Terry Bergeson, to accept the award at a statewide press event in held at Mount Rainier High School. OSPI’s Schools of Distinction represent the top 5 percent of elementary, middle and high schools whose students have shown outstanding growth in both reading and mathematics skills during a six-year period. This year’s winning schools include 51 elementary schools, 20 middle schools and 15 high schools – out of nearly 2,500 schools in the state. "There is no one magic wand, or cookie cutter approach that led to our success," said Mount Rainier Principal Toni Pace. "First and foremost, it’s great teaching by exceptionally well-trained, dedicated, and highly motivated teachers. It is the teachers who are doing the heavy lifting." To be considered for the award, each school had to meet the current year’s state learning targets on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning for students in both reading and mathematics. Schools that met the reading and mathematics targets were then evaluated for six-year gains on the state’s "Learning Improvement Index." Because the award is based on improvement across a six-year period, only results from grades four, seven and 10 were used, as those are the only grade levels with six years of trend data. Independent research and analysis to establish criteria for the awards and to identify the schools with the greatest improvement was conducted by Greg Lobdell of the Center for Educational Effectiveness in Redmond. School leaders from each of the winning schools were presented with awards and a large banner reading "School of Distinction – 2007 State Superintendent’s Learning Improvement Award." Additional information on the award program, and a list of all Schools of Distinction, can be found on the OSPI Web site at www.k12.wa.us . To learn more about Mount Rainier High School visit www.hsd401.org.

ERAC Co-workers Reach Out to Area Babies

(l-r) Marilyn Elliott, Susan Laigo, Dianne Welsh, Autumn Pratt, Kelsey Dungan, Ann Benedict, Hiede DelRosario.   Several staff members from Federal Programs, Accountability, Nutrition Services, and Business Services at ERAC have donated time, materials, and funds for a Community Project they call BabyLove! In the beginning, their goal was to make and donate a few quilts for children at Childhaven. But, the project has grown beyond their expectations! So far, they have completed 65 blankets and quilts and need donations of material to reach their goal of 200 total. "ERAC has been very generous," says Susan Laigo, one of the participants. In addition to supplies and funds, blankets and quilts are now coming in from families and friends - from as far away as Canada. If anyone is interested in joining in, the group will have a work party on October 27. Contact Susan by email. She commented, "Just think, soon 200 tiny babies and girls and boys up to five years old will enjoy their very own cozy blanket made with love! A gift of love for our community."

Camp Waskowitz Receives Award

The Association for Experiential Education, Northwest Region, recently named Waskowitz Outdoor School as the member of the year! The camp, and its programs, were featured in the organization's fall newsletter, Alliances. The article appears below. Executive Director Steve Grubb congratulated Roberta McFarland, camp director, saying, "This is a wonderful honor and speaks well of you, the staff, and the district’s vision of expecting excellence." reprinted from Alliances   Waskowitz Outdoor School 2007 Organizational Member of the Year   Located near the town of North Bend in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, Camp Waskowitz was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Over the years, the facility has been used by a number of groups, including the Highline School District, which began sending students there in 1947. Several programs are currently offered by The Waskowitz Outdoor School. The Environmental Education Program for elementary students serves more than 4,000 students a year. Campers stay for a week at a time and undergo training in forest wildlife, native plants and tree identification, watershed awareness, and other environmental topics. Students also have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the nature trails and river that dominate the 372-acre site. In addition, a low challenge course is available for team-building activities. The elementary teachers are active participants in the process, receiving training prior to camp to enable them to become completely immersed in the camp experience alongside with their students. The High School Leadership Program is another key component of Waskowitz Outdoor School. Students enrolled in this semester-long program receive job training, participate in challenge activities, engage in service learning, and complete academic studies taught through experiential methods. The students then act as camp counselors for week-long sessions with the elementary environmental education program. Another adventure education program, called Teen Building, is designed to help "students develop the skills and attitudes they'll need to succeed in school and life." Through the use of challenge course initiatives and other activities, students work together during an intensive two- day experience to develop self-confidence and group collaboration skills. As an organizational member of our region, the Waskowitz Outdoor School has contributed to AEE for many years. We are proud to honor them. For more information on Waskowitz Outdoor School, contact Director Roberta McFarland at (425) 277-7196 The mission of the Association for Experiential Education is to develop and promote experiential education in all settings. The association is committed to supporting professional development, theoretical advancement and evaluation in the field of experiential education worldwide.

Highline Students Attend Summer Residency Program

Drew Collins Ao Ding Andrew Ely Stanley Ong Reo Tsuchiya Zachery Wydick   Aviation High School students Drew Collins, Ao Ding, Andrew Ely, Stanley Ong, Reo Tsuchiya, and Zachery Wydick participated in the inaugural year of the Washington Aerospace Scholars Program. They are among ninety-five students from across the State of Washington who qualified for the Summer Residency program. To qualify for the residency program the students spent six months studying a NASA-designed, distance-learning curriculum via the Internet. They were selected to attend one of two residencies hosted by The Museum of Flight this summer. During the residency experience, they collaborated with the other student participants on the design of a human mission to Mars. During this process, students were guided by professional engineers, scientists, university students and certified educators. In addition to the design of the human mission to Mars, they and the other students also participated in a number of hands-on engineering challenges. These challenges included: model rocket design, construction and launch; lander design, construction and deployment; rover design, construction and obstacle course competition, and payload lofting. Students also received briefings from experts in the field of engineering and space exploration, as well as behind-the-scenes tours of the Boeing assembly plant in Everett and several laboratories at the University of Washington. Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS) is an educational program for high school juniors from across Washington State. The WAS program emphasizes science, technology, engineering and math, and encourages students to consider careers in these fields. All expenses (including travel, meals and lodging) are provided to students by the Washington Aerospace Scholars Foundation through generous grants from The Boeing Company, Aldarra Foundation, Battelle and Microsoft. Additional partners include NASA for curriculum development, the Washington State Governor’s Office, Washington State Legislators, and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Washington Aerospace Scholars will begin recruiting its next class of students in the early fall. For more information, please contact Washington Aerospace Scholars at 206-764-5866 or waaerospacescholars@museumofflight.org.

Joe Weiss Named Outdoor Formal Environmental Educator of the Year

The Environmental Educators Association of Washington (EEAW) named Joe Weiss, instructor of the Puget Sound Skill Center’s Environmental and Marine Program, their Educator of the Year. The award recognizes Joe’s contribution to environmental education over the past several years. The award will be presented at the annual conference on November 10. Starting his 15th year at PSSC, Joe received his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz. He later pursued graduate studies including Education at Humboldt State University and Marine Affairs at the University of Washington. Prior to entering the teaching profession, Joe was a commercial salmon fisherman in southeast Alaska for 20 years. In that role, he was involved in increasing the understanding of environmentally responsible fishing. He commented, "I am proud to point out that the S.E. Alaska Purse Seine Salmon Fishery was one of the first sustainable fisheries to be recognized as such by the Marine Stewardship Council." The Environmental & Marine Science Program serves students from four school districts. Many students come from underserved social and economic populations. The goals of the PSSC program are twofold; to instill the importance of scientific research, and encourage mentoring and partnerships with environmental professionals from public agencies, colleges, and industry. For example, some students will be serving as field technicians alongside National Marine Fisheries scientists. This approach allows students to build upon their passion for the natural environment by gaining quantitative and qualitative skills they can apply in real-world situations. The location of Highline’s program on Puget Sound provides opportunities to emphasize the connection between land development and the effects on the marine environment. Students continue to expand the monitoring of stream and beach conditions in the area through programs such as Citizen Science and forage fish spawning analysis. Joe’s vision for the program is to empower students to become scientists and policy makers. Often students enter the program with strong feelings toward the natural environment but lack the skills or knowledge to direct public policy. "I encourage the idea of scientists as policy makers. By using accepted scientific protocols in their own monitoring and student research, their results can then be shared with the scientific community and the general public. For example, the monitoring of the physical and biological changes surrounding the Seahurst seawall removal & beach restoration project will be shared with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Burien." This year, the program has added an Advanced Placement Environmental Science curriculum. He closes with, "My hope is that the students will embrace a sense of activism throughout their lives, whether they become natural sciences professionals or involved citizens."

Teachers Surprised with Gifts

Josie Hodge (with certificate) and Principal Tom Symons (far right) with representatives from OfficeMax   On Tuesday, October 2, Carolyn Koziol, 2nd grade teacher at Hilltop Elementary, and Josi Hodge, Intermediate ELL teacher at McMicken Heights, were each surprised by four representatives from Office Max.   They came bearing gifts of classroom resources and supplies including a chair, digital camera, printer, and various other supplies. These teachers were selected by Adopt a Classroom and Office Max for an event called "A Day Made Better." Congratulations, Carolyn and Josi! "A Day Made Better" is a company-wide community initiative sponsored by OfficeMax, in partnership with the nonprofit organization Adopt-A-Classroom. It is in response to the fact that teachers often spend their own money on classroom supplies.

Highline Teachers Travel to China

Nancy Little on the Great Wall. Nancy Little, teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Chinook Middle School and Dana Ketcham, teacher-librarian at Pacific Middle School, were two of eighteen teachers honored and selected by the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia to travel to China in June and July. The trip, paid for by the Freeman Foundation and organized by the East Asia Resource Center at the University of Washington, was designed to help teachers further their education of Asian history and culture so they may better educate their students. The group visited historical sights, homes, schools, and museums in four Chinese cities and then flew to Lhasa, Tibet to visit a Tibetan hospital and various monasteries, including the Potala Palace, home of the exiled Dalai Lama. Both Nancy and Dana have already started to share their experiences with district teachers, librarians, and students, and Dana will be presenting at the Washington State Library Media conference on October 12.     Dana Ketchum in front of the Potala Palace, China.   Opportunities for professional development come in a variety of ways. Congratulations to Nancy and Dana for being selected for this trip - and for sharing their new-found knowledge about China and its culture - with their colleagues and students.

Principal Rebekah Kim - Cultural Competency

Marvista Principal Rebekah Kim was featured in the recent International Examiner for her work with cultural competency and equity in education. A part of the district's Cultural Competency Committee, Kim and others are working to raise cultural awareness among the district's 2,200 employees.   Read the article...>

Black Achievers Program 2007 - 2008

The YMCA of Greater Seattle Black Achievers Program will kick off this Saturday, October 13. The program, based at the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA , offers high school youth opportunities to explore career options, develop leadership skills, prepare for college, and participate in service learning and social activities. Through caring relationships with local business professionals and high quality programming, Youth Achievers learn to set educational goals, understand professional standards, and strengthen developmental assets. The program will serve students from grades 9-12 and will be a great resource for those who are working towards achieving their future goals. An agenda for the remainder of the Saturday sessions will be provided at this initial gathering (most Saturday sessions are weekly from 9:00 a.m. - Noon throughout the school year, except holidays and school breaks). This Saturday, from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., we would like to invite all students, parents, volunteers, community members, and sponsors to participate in the introduction and overview of the program and expectations for the remainder of the school year. The Saturday sessions are not specific to only the four schools that Black Achievers represents (Garfield, Franklin, Cleveland, and Rainier Beach High Schools); therefore it will be rather competitive to participate. Attached is a copy of the Black Achievers Program Application. Students may print out this application, along with the parent permission form, and submit it during the first session this Saturday, October 13th. Please RSVP via email by Thursday, October 11, 2007 so we may have an accurate account of those who will participate this Saturday. A light brunch will be served so come early. Group Mentoring / Life Skills Group mentoring/life skills is designed to encourage youth to develop healthy relationships with adults. Participants will learn specific skills needed for self efficiency as well as employment. This component will provide structured and informal opportunities for youth to spend time with positive role models and engage in activities that will prepare them for independent living. Resume writing, interviewing, budgeting, and credit management are just a few of the life skills that will be introduced. College Preparation Preparing for College will assist youth and their parents in understanding and navigating the college application process. Participants will practice test taking strategies for college entrance exams while exploring additional resources available to assist in satisfying the student’s potential. There will be numerous opportunities to engage in college campus visits which may entail not only campus tours, but also admissions and financial aid workshops. Participating seniors are eligible to apply for scholarships through the YMCA of Greater Seattle endowment funds. Service Learning Service learning provides experiences that engage students in meaningful community service activities. The value of this component is to allow students to assist surrounding neighborhood residents and organizations, and develop amongst themselves, a sense of purpose. With this opportunity students may begin working towards the sixty mandatory community service hours required by Seattle Public School District, for graduation. Business Tours / Trips By participating in tours to local corporations and businesses, youth are allowed to explore a company and its work environment on a first hand bases. In this, they will develop adult relationships and inspire a stronger relationship between the community and the business sector. Social Development Through program activities and experiences, our participants will learn to set high expectations for themselves, strengthen their cultural competence and self-esteem, improve their skills in planning and decision making, and acquire an optimistic view of their personal futures. Program staff and volunteers will integrate/model these values during program delivery. Contact Information Shomari Jones, Sr. Director Black Achievers Program Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA 1700 23RD AVE Seattle, WA 98122 206-322-6969 X104 206-351-2520 cell Fax: 206-322-6868 sjones@seattleymca.org

9th Annual Martin Luther King Essay Contest

The King County Civil Rights Commission is sponsoring its Ninth Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Essay Contest open to all eighth grade students attending public and private schools in King County . The purpose of the essay contest is to encourage middle and junior high school students to think critically about Dr. King’s legacy of peace and justice. Please help us get the word out about this important educational opportunity and encourage 8th grade students to participate. Please share this message with youth, parents, teachers, advisors, coaches, and others who work with 8th grade students. The essay theme is: "The Beloved Community." Rules: The essay must be between 750 and 1,000 words and must be typed and doubled spaced on white 8.5" by 11" paper. Contestants must submit one typed original and one typed copy of the essay, by mail. The name, address, home phone number, e-mail address, school, grade and age of student author must be submitted on a cover page, accompanying the essay. Do not place your name on any other page. All essays must be in English and include a bibliography, utilizing at least one book source, but no more than one web site source. All essays will be judged on the author’s: knowledge of Dr. King and his work in the Civil Rights Movement, originality of ideas, development of point of view, insight into the essay theme, clarity of expression, organization, and grammar. All essays submitted become the property of the Commission and may be displayed on County web pages , in County publications, in local publications, and in the King County Tunnel. Submitted essays will not be returned. Prizes: First Prize: $100.00, Second Prize: $75.00, Third Prize: $50.00. Deadline: All essays must be postmarked by Friday, November 30, 2007, and mailed to: King County Civil Rights Commission , 400 Yesler Way , Room 260, Seattle , WA 98104 . Essays postmarked after that date will not considered, nor returned. Notification of Winners: Winners will be notified by mail. Awards will be presented to the winners at the Annual King County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration on January 10, 2008 in downtown Seattle .

BECU Offers School Grants

BECU, a not-for-profit financial cooperative will once again be offering school grants in our area. In the past two years, they have given over $160,000 to schools and organizations that promote academic growth and achievement, based on their belief that children are one of the best investments we can make. This year's funding will be in two cycles. The first one got under way on September 15 and will run through November 15 with grants awarded in the first week of January. The second cycle will be from January 15 - March 15 with grants to be awarded the first week of May. Priority will be given to schools on the percentage of their free and reduced school lunches. According to Sarah Lyons of BECU in White Center, the guidelines for this year have changed a bit. "We try to help as many schools as possible, so this year we will not be awarding a specific school or program multiple large grants within the same year. To find out if your school has already received funding for this school year, or if your request exceeds $3500 you will want to contact our Community Relations Education department. The BECU website has information regarding giving guidelines, funding cycles, and examples of past grants. There is also contact information and a link to our Request for Support form. Other questions may be addressed directly to Sarah via email or call her at 206-214-1487.

FAA Ambassador Reminds Kids that Dreams Do Come True

Jamail Larkins, a 23-year-old air show pilot, FAA Ambassador, and recent Embry Riddle Aeronautical University graduate with a 3.9 GPA, spoke to students at Aviation High School last week, educating them on career opportunities available in the aerospace industry. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently joined forces with Larkins, employing him as the first official Ambassador for Aviation and Aerospace Education. For the past four years, the 23-year-old pilot and entrepreneur has traveled the country encouraging children to stay in school, pursue their chosen careers and achieve their dreams. Larkins started flying at the age of 12 and became one of the youngest certified pilots in the country when he soloed a powered aircraft in Canada at 14-years-old. At age 15, he established Larkins Enterprises, Inc., where he is president and chief operating officer. Larkins completed his U.S. solo shortly after his sixteenth birthday in a Cirrus SR20. In 2003, he was honored with the opportunity to fly with the Navy’s Blue Angels. Larkins graduated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL on a full scholarship as an aviation business student. He has been featured at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and is part of a permanent aviation exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia alongside famous fliers like Chuck Yeager, Amelia Earhart and the Wright Brothers. Since he began his career in aviation, Larkins has piloted 36 different types of aircrafts. He currently flies a high-performance Christen Eagle II aerobatic aircraft on the air show circuit.

Board Minutes

Click the date to read the minutes from the September 12, 2007 and September 19, 2007 board meetings.