Foundation's Adopt a Classroom Program

This week, Highline Schools Foundation completes its Adopt-a-Classroom project, in which the Foundation has given $100 to every classroom in Highline Public Schools. The final presentation took place at on November 4 at Southern Heights Elementary School.

The Foundation began the project in 2001. Since then, it has given $97,500-- $100 at a time. Teachers have used the funds to purchase items for their classrooms. Money distributed through this program is raised from community members through the Foundation's fundraising efforts like the Gold Star Awards Luncheon and Oktoberfest Auction.

"Teachers have been very moved by the community's show of support as their classrooms are adopted," said Dawn Elwell, the Foundation's executive director. "Tears have been shed during the adoption ceremonies, and many teachers ask, 'Is this real?' when they discover that there is a $100 bill attached to the back of their certificate."

One Parkside Elementary teacher commented, "I have taught for 27 years and this was a surprise and such a wonderful feeling of appreciation! You really made my year with this gesture."

Gang Awareness Seminar - November 13 - 6:00 p.m.

"If you have kids, you need to be at this seminar," explains Detective Joe Gagliardi. "Gangs are becoming prevalent in our communities, and this information will help you keep your kids out of the growing gang culture."

The seminar is open to the public and will be held at the Washington State Criminal Justice Center (Police Academy) at 19010 - 1st Avenue South in Burien.

The presentation will give an overview of gang activities, gang structure, and active gangs in the South King County area. He will answer questions about community safety and how to address gang activity in your neighborhood.

Reba Gilman Receives Pathfinder Award

Reba Gilman, Principal and CEO of Aviation High School, has received the Museum of Flight's 2008 Pathfinder Award recognizing pioneering achievements in flying, engineering, education, operations, and manufacturing.

The Pathfinder Award honors individuals or teams from the Pacific Northwest for significant contributions to aeronautics and astronautics. Previous recipients include William Boeing, Sr. and former astronaut (and current Museum of Flight CEO and President) Bonnie Dunbar.

Awardees are selected by representatives of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Air Force Association, Civil Air Patrol, Federal Aviation Administration, The Museum of Flight, Ninety-Nines, Navy League, OX-5 Aviation Pioneers, Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Society of Experimental Test Engineers, University of Washington, and the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Gilman is the founding principal of Aviation High School, a small, college-prep high school where teaching and learning is framed in the context of aviation and aerospace. The curriculum emphasizes STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and aims to develop the talents of young people to take leadership roles in a technology-based society. Aviation High was named a Model School this past year by the International Center for Excellence in Education, one of only 23 schools in the U.S. to be chosen. The school is administered by Highline Public Schools but is open to students from across the Puget Sound region.

The award lauds Gilman as a "quintessential and entrepreneurial education leader" for conceiving the concept for Aviation High School and developing it into a school that is a national model for innovative education.

Skills Center Instructor Becomes Certified Executive Chef

Kevin Blaylock, Culinary Arts Instructor at Puget Sound Skills Center, has earned the Certified Executive Chef (CEC) designation from the American Culinary Federation (ACF). The CEC designation is usually earned by chefs who manage large foodservice establishments with a staff of five or more. Few have been earned in this region in the last two years.

To earn the title, Blaylock faced a cooking challenge similar to one that might be seen on the Food Network's "The Iron Chef" or "Top Chef" on Bravo. For this test of practical cooking expertise, Blaylock prepared a complete gourmet meal using a set number of ingredients. The grueling three-hour test required using four different vegetable cuts, four cooking methods, and making vinaigrette and two sauces. Blaylock wrote a three-course menu including a fish appetizer, salad, and main course, and prepared each to be judged by qualified CEC evaluators.

"I finished about 5 minutes before the allotted time was up", Blaylock said.

For the appetizer: Spinach Salmon Roulade with sautéed Lobster Medallions Israeli, Fried Artichoke, and white truffle mixed greens.

For the salad: Bibb lettuce tossed in champagne vinaigrette with julienne yellow pepper, Granny Smith apple brunoise, hazelnuts, and shaved parmesan cheese.

The Entrée: Chicken Supreme with a wild mushroom pan sauce, chive whipped potatoes, braised endive, glazed carrot batonette, and sautéed asparagus.

In addition to the practical cooking test taken at Renton Technical College, Blaylock also had to pass a written test covering more than 20 topics on culinary preparation and kitchen procedures.

Blaylock and Tony Poplin, culinary arts co-instructor, oversee the ACF-certified culinary arts program at Puget Sound Skills Center, which includes the Class Act Restaurant. The restaurant is open to the public for breakfast, lunch, and banquet services Tuesday through Friday. It is located on the skills center campus.

Blaylock attended the Puget Sound Skills Center and was the Washington Association of Vocational Educators (WAVE) Award Scholarship recipient in 1997. Chef Blaylock is currently in his second year of teaching at the skills center.

Submitted by Todd Moorhead, assistant director
Puget Sound Skills Center

School Board Recognizes Outstanding Efforts

A committee of math teachers was honored by the school board last night for their work to create math tools for teachers across the district. One group of these teachers developed curriculum guides to help teachers transition to the new math standards adopted by the state. Another group worked on making algebra consistent throughout the schools in the district. Their expertise is a true asset as the district strives to improve math teaching and learning.

A team of teachers, principals, central office administrators, HEA President Stacie Hawkins, and School Board Vice President Bernie Dorsey were recognized at last night's board meeting for their work on Highline's accountability system. As part of this work, small teams from the Academy of Citizenship and Empowerment (ACE); Cascade and Pacific middle schools; and Beverly Park, White Center Heights, and Des Moines elementary schools worked on setting student learning goals, developing strategies to meet them, and measuring their results. This has formed the backbone of the district-wide accountability system.

The district team received assistance from the Panasonic Foundation, a national education foundation that works with ten urban school districts across the nation to eliminate the achievement gap between white and non-white students.

Former Highline Superintendent Joe McGeehan received a standing ovation at Wednesday's school board meeting as he was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence. Tom Russell, Foundation Trustee Emeritus, praised Dr. McGeehan for upholding a standard of excellence for all students in Highline and for developing capable leaders to carry forward the work educating students.

Dr. McGeehan retired from Highline in June 2005 after serving as superintendent for a decade. Dr. McGeehan initiated the district's focus on literacy, which has led to major gains in student achievement in reading and writing. During his tenure, the district passed its first construction bond in 16 years, resulting in a construction program that resulted in the construction of 10 new schools.

New Drug Fad Can Have Deadly Results

Police are warning parents about a new drug fad among teens that is leading to overdose and even death. The drug is in a prescription painkiller known as "The Patch."

Please follow this link to King 5 News for the full report: http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_110208ORB_patchdrug_teens_SW.1736ee412.html

Global Connections Hosts Community Service Fair

Global Connections High School hosted a Service to the Community Fair, which showcased various organizations with information and community service opportunities for students. The purpose was to help students find topics for their junior activism and senior culminating project and make connections with organizations needing volunteer work, which is required for the student projects.

The day started with a motivational kick-off assembly featuring student speakers who have been involved in service to the community, including helping build schools in Guatemala, educating Latino parents about the WASL and college entrance requirements, and working on the Obama for President campaign.

The event was organized by the Global Connections chapter of the National Honor Society. "We want to help all students gain a better understanding of the different topic ideas, organizations, and volunteer opportunities in our area," according to a statement from the Global Connections Honor Society. "We want them to physically be in contact with these organizations so they can get a feeling first-hand about these organizations. Thinking about a potential topic is one thing, but to be there and talk to a representative is an experience that will help students greatly."

Some of the many organizations that volunteered their time to be a part of the fair were Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Cancer Society, Earth Corps, Fund for Excellence, World Vision, International Rescue Committee, Planned Parenthood, and Health Point.

Former Sylvester Student Excels at Culver Academy

Andrea Lin has been awarded the Roberts Leadership Scholarship at Culver Academies, beginning this fall. Andrea completed 8th grade at Sylvester Middle School as one of two athletes of the year and one of the two outstanding scholars last school year. She is one of 795 students from 41 states and 22 countries attending Culver Academies this year. Culver is a boarding school located in Indiana, offering a college-preparatory curriculum for boys and girls in grades nine through 12. Founded in 1894, Culver's mission is to educate its students for leadership and responsible citizenship by developing and nurturing the whole individual through integrated programs that emphasize the cultivation of character. In accepting the scholarship and coming to Culver, Andrea stated, "Getting the Roberts Scholarship means I have achieved something in my life, and coming to Culver means I am out to achieve things greater."

Teaching About Thanksgiving

How do you teach about Thanksgiving? That's a key question to ask yourself as a classroom teacher.

Do you know the facts and history behind it? Are your teachings, activities and messages to the next generation based on myth, generalities or misinformation? What were you taught? What are you teaching? Where does it come from?

Each year schools across the nation celebrate Thanksgiving with students. Often this entails reenactments of the original Thanksgiving feast with children dressed in pilgrim and Indian costumes, complete with inaccurate stereotypes of both the Puritan pilgrims and the Wampanoag of the northeast coast of North America.

Most of the materials readily available to teachers on the mass market are not accurate. However, as long as schools continue to use those materials, they will continue to be produced and marketed as authentically historical. And as long as the myths and stereotypes continue being taught in our schools, our future teachers will keep passing it on as fact. It's a cycle that needs to be broken.

So what can educators do to stop the cycle and teach a better understanding of our nation's history? First, you can begin with an OSPI publication called "Teaching About Thanksgiving." It was first published in 1978 and reprinted in 2003. It's a compilation of historical information, activities and resources for teachers. It's a good place to start.

Another excellent resource is a beautiful book published by Scholastic is called ""1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving," by Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac. This book is a part of the Plimoth Plantation Museum's effort to reinterpret the 1621 harvest feast. It is educator friendly and has application to K-12 teaching. "1621" is available online through Scholastic.

There are many things we can each be thankful for and as educators these two resources should be on that list. Happy Thanksgiving!

Submitted by: Sally Brownfield, CISL Facilitator, OSPI
sally.brownfield@k12.wa.us.

Note: Sally recommends resources for teachers available through the National Museum of the American Indian. She also shares ideas for parents.

Highline to Host McKinney-Vento Summit

The Homeless Student Family Service team will host a multi-district summit for staff engaged in care for unaccompanied youth, families going through homelessness, and children in temporary foster care under the McKinney-Vento (MV) Act. In addition to expert guest speakers, the summit will include a panel of current and former MV students and parents.

The summit will include representatives from Shoreline, Seattle, Tukwila, Renton, Kent, Federal Way, Bellevue, and Auburn school districts along with social service agencies such as Seattle King County Committee to End Homelessness, Seattle Human Services Department, First Place School, and Treehouse for Kids.

Laura Bermes, Highline's homeless student family service worker said, "We hope that this collaborative effort will help bridge the gap between our two systems, leaving us wiser so that we can better advocate for and address the needs of McKinney-Vento eligible students and their families."

For more information, check out the flyer, or contact Laura Bermes at 206-277-5924.

New Title 1 Regulations

In a release dated October 30, Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson told administrators about new regulations issued under Title 1 which in her words "will make the federal "No Child Left Behind" law will make even more difficult to implement here in Washington and throughout the country."

The entire letter from Dr. Bergeson is available here.

The new rules are contained in 440 pages of regulations issued last week.

Students Around the District Exercise Their Civic Duties

This year's national election set the stage for many classrooms around the district to get an in-depth look at the election process. Students have spent the last few weeks learning how to put citizenship in action with campaigns, mock elections, and the electoral college.

Ellyn Roe of Sylvester Middle School	Zack Crotty from Sylvester displaying one of the campaign signs the class made.
Rachel Lowrie from Sylvester displaying one of the campaign signs the class made.	Benjamin Kaea from Sylvester displaying one of the campaign signs the class made.
Campaign signs on display around Sylvester Pacific Middle School aligned their student body elections with the national election. A bulletin board in the lunchroom displays the voter's pamphlet for the school elections.	Pacific Middle School campaign posters
Pacific Middle School campaign posters	Displays in PSSC's VITAL classroom portray balanced view of the issues

Seattle P.I. reporter Jessica Blanchard visited several Highline schools just days before the election. Following is an exerpt of the article she published in the November 1 edition of the P.I.

Heated political debates. Dramatic anti-WASL videos. Disputes over prime poster placement in the gym.

Campaign season is in full swing at Burien's Sylvester Middle School -- and it's intense.

Each student in Ellyn Roe's social studies/language arts class was assigned to campaign on campus for a candidate for president, governor or state school superintendent. The eighth-graders threw themselves into the project with fervor, and ballots in the school's mock election already have started to trickle in.

The Washington Assessment of Student Learning is a hot topic, particularly in the race for state school superintendent, Roe said.

Students campaigning for incumbent Terry Bergeson have played up her plans to shorten the test, while Randy Dorn's crew has been running an in-house TV ad with the tag line "A vote for Randy Dorn is a vote against the WASL."

"That one definitely hits close to home," Roe said. "There's been a good, healthy debate."

They are among the thousands of Washington students who can't legally vote, but are expressing their views by campaigning for candidates in school or participating in national or state mock elections.

While students' political views often are shaped by their parents, many secondary school teachers have used the election to encourage students to form their own political identities.

At the Puget Sound Skills Center in Burien, social studies specialist Michael McSweeney spent weeks discussing the election with his students. He has urged them to compare the presidential candidates' stances on various issues and helped eligible students register to vote -- all without giving away his own political views. It has had a profound effect on Mount Rainier High School student Michael Anderson, who said he grew up in a Democratic-leaning family and had supported Obama. But in McSweeney's class, he studied both candidates and finds himself drawn to John McCain because of his views on abortion and gay marriage. "I'm still kind of confused, in the middle," he said. "But I'm realizing you really have to look at both sides."

At Pacific Middle School in Des Moines, teachers challenged students to rethink their political views by reading articles written by Obama or McCain, with the candidates' names removed. The teens shared what they liked about each piece and what inspired them -- without knowing who wrote what. Some students were surprised to find out they liked "the other guy," said Jennifer Christenson, who teaches social studies and leadership.

"A lot of them hear things at home and that's their primary source of information," she said. "This helps them see the bigger picture."

The school will hold a mock presidential election early next week, followed by another election Thursday to choose student-body officers. Student candidates submitted brief biographies and photos, which were compiled into a voters' pamphlet. Top finishers in the school's primary last week were allowed to hang one campaign poster in the cafeteria and will deliver a speech to classmates Thursday morning.

The timing is perfect, Christenson said: "We can mirror what's going on in the real world."

In addition to these activities, Courtney Morrell, a student at Big Picture High School, created an in-house electoral college simulation. Electoral votes were allocated based on the number of students in Advisory classes. Courtney shared, "We took real ballots and made copies so students and teachers could vote. We had a big map and colored-in red states and blue states as the delegates voted."

Teacher Bonnie Lathram said, "This project is primarily a math project. By attempting to recreate the electoral college with proportional representation, Courtney had to determine the number of delegates based on the size of the group voting and then determine how that impacts the outcome of the election."

Courtney worked on the project with Big Picture's math/quantitative reasoning specialist Jeff Blount.

To read the full Seattle P.I. article referenced above, visit Jessica Blanchard's blog at:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/386022_kidselect01.html.

November Students of the Month

Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce has announced two Highline students as Students of the Month for November. They are Devon Powell (left) of Mount Rainier High School and Dylan Harwood (right) of Highline High School. Both students will be honored at the Chamber's luncheon on November 14. Students selected for this honor are eligible to apply for scholarships offered by the Chamber's SUCCESS Foundation.

In his recommendation for Devon, teacher Omar Crowder said, "Devon Powell has been an excellent member of our educational community here at Mount Rainier High School. He has excelled academically and is a diploma candidate in the International Baccalaureate Program where he also earned high regards in Business Management. Devon has successfully balanced rigorous coursework with part-time employment, athletic participation, and volunteer work. Devon participated in the 2008 State DECA Competition and he scored in the top 25th percentile in the National Financial Literacy Challenge."

He went on to say, "Devon has demonstrated a strong sense of personal honor that is fueled by honesty and integrity, a positive disposition, and a strong sense of camaraderie. Devon understands the need to be a good citizen, both in school and in his community. He is an effective communicator, and he possesses strong interpersonal skills; he is liked and respected by his teachers and peers."

Dylan Harwood is a senior at Highline High School and was recommended by teacher Dave Craig. Dylan is actively involved in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter at Highline and has served as Parliamentarian for two years. He has competed twice at the FBLA national level in technology events.

In his spare time, Dylan and a partner run a small computer business, and he has written two novels and two screenplays, one of which he is attempting to publish.

Dylan plans to attend college at either University of Washington or Western to study business administration.

Student Panelists Show Seattle Teachers A Bigger Picture

Big Picture High School students brought a bold message to a seminar on October 21 designed for new teachers in Seattle: If we are in your classroom, we are here to learn.

To help new teachers get off to a better start, Seattle Public Schools offers novices a structured mentoring program, Staff Training Assistance and Review, or STAR. Instituted more than a decade ago, the program incorporates mentoring research with concerns of new teachers and in this case, acclimation to a richly diverse student and community population.

Big Picture assistant principal Loren Demeroutis attended the seminar. He said, "Usually (at the new year STAR seminar) an outside presenter will discuss "best practices" and give the new teachers tips about classroom management and instruction. One of the STAR Mentor Program directors was an audience member at a focus panel I facilitated with several Big Picture students last year at UW's Leadership for Learning Ed.D. program. The program director was so impressed with our students and the impact they had on her own education practices that she invited our students to work with her new teachers."

This year's workshop began with student participants sharing their views about education and what "school" has meant to them thus far, then responding to questions fielded by a facilitator. Later, students sat with teachers in small groups guided by teacher questions such as, "What does a compliment look like to you?", "How can I encourage students to ask more meaningful questions and actively participate?", "How can I make sure students can relate their own experience or ideas to the lesson?", "How can I effectively integrate required curriculum with topics that students are interested in?", "How can I provide choices for students in learning topics and styles?", "What are some examples of culturally appropriate language?", "What were/are some of the best ways teachers related their lessons to your own experiences or ideas?"

In response, tenth-grade student Keith Vaughn offered an idea connecting statistics and sports. Andres Cole-Rubio, a ninth grader, reminded participants how important it is to connect students' culture and language with instruction, and Genesis Hernandez, who is in the eleventh grade, was asked after her presentation during the seminar, to speak to classrooms of middle school students in Seattle.

But perhaps the most striking question was, "How can I engage students who don't have future goals/don't care to be participants in the classroom?" Through this pointed question, a bigger picture was shed when the students responded consistently, encouraging teachers to ask questions of their students and families. "The students encouraged the teachers not to assume anything about the students based on what they look like, where their family is from, or what street they lived on. A couple of students reported feeling that teachers made assumptions about what type of a person they were and what their interests should be based on what they were wearing or what part of the city they were from," Demeroutis said.

The impact of the day showed through teacher and students shedding of tears, and Seattle novice teachers promising to reach out to students and their families upon returning to the classroom.

American Education Week Celebrated

Originally borne out of a desire for national focus on the importance of education, the National Education Association (NEA) continues to sponsor the annual event.

This year, American Education Week will be celebrated November 16 - 22. Superintendent Welch read the proclamation into the minutes of the November 5 board meeting.

For more history on this event, visit the NEA website at:
http://www.nea.org/aew/history.html

Family Night at Valley View Early Learning Center

It was a joyous 'three ring circus' at Valley View ECEAP on October 23. Family Night brought 264 family members to share literacy, health, and family crafts.

A visitor walking through the gym doors would have seen a Nubian family contentedly settled in the middle of teacher Irene's numbers project. Mom Ikram, expecting her third daughter next week, was happily and calmly sitting amidst chattering children. She watched her two daughters snapping together UNIX cubes to make the numbers from one to ten. Nearby, Abrham, dressed in his best suit, sat with teacher Aaron showing his beautiful three-year-old Ethiopian sister how to make macaroni necklaces for when she gets to ECEAP next year. Dad Ephreme struggled to hide his grin. In another area, the Inzunza family of nine siblings was busy with their Family Support Specialist, proudly talking in English and Spanish, sharing which child was the smartest at school, who was the best reader, and how much their brother talked about one of the ECEAP staff!

The "best reader" was clutching a copy of Runaway Bunny, which she had just been given at the Peer Literacy table where Kim, a former ECEAP parent, was talking in front of her display about the power of reading with your children. Next to her at the Peer Health table was the imposing sight Sergeant Carlos Feliciano from McChord Air Force base. Splendid in his uniform, Carlos drew huge groups to listen to him speaking in Spanish and English about the Healthwise Program. Not many will forget this former ECEAP parent as they leave, clutching the kit and book Carlos presented to each family.

Weaving in and out of the groups were the Family Support Specialists, talking to their families, admiring new babies, signing up parents for winter Family Visits, and getting the last of the missing signatures needed for the myriad of documents keeping track of all these families. Seven interpreters speaking Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese were walking around providing communication support for all.

Three hours later, all that was left was some trampled-on macaroni necklaces; some very tired ECEAP staff, and the great and warm feeling that this was an almost magical night of truly connecting families with their school and community. A lot of big happy smiles walked out of that gym door before it finally closed at 8:00 p.m.

Submitted by: Priscilla Parr, family support specialist, Valley View

Camp Waskowitz a Veritable Art Gallery

Waskowitz now could be considered an art gallery!

Jeff Simpson and Richard Rock representing The PEMCO Foundation (Alliance of Pemco Insurance, School Employees Credit Union, and the Evergreen Bank) delivered to Waskowitz Outdoor School on October 21 stunning photography that is representative of the uniqueness of Washington State.

These pictures were hung in a ceremony during the lunch meal with students from North Hill, Marvista, Shorewood, and Des Moines in residence. The students were awed by the unique perspectives and beauty of each the pictures.

Director McFarland was very appreciative of the continued partnership and support from PEMCO. Pemco has been a partner of support for Waskowitz since the beginning. The students ended the ceremony with a song of appreciation for the "deep roots" describing the friendship between Waskowitz and PEMCO.

Submitted by: Director Roberta McFarland, Waskowitz Outdoor School Programs

Relevant Job Experience Through Job Shadow

I recently had the pleasure of having Big Picture student Christian Bird shadow me at Highline High School. Christian was with me from 10:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. He worked right alongside our security team.

Our School Resource Officer Deputy Kalvin Smith provided Christian with a bullet-proof vest so he could experience what it was like to wear one during a typical shift. Christian observed Campus Security Officer Luis Rosales' interview skills as he questioned some students involved in a school violation.

Our day together was quite busy. We responded to a classromm that had a disruptive student, we questioned a non-student who was on campus, and Christian rode in my patrol car during lunch to check the perimeter of the school for truant students.

Christian saw how I use a variety of forms in my job as a security officer. Because of Christian's observation, he was able to assist me with one of my investigations. At dismissal time, Christan was in the front of the school with me monitoring the students as they left campus.

Submitted by: Officer Dennis Decoteau

Students Learn Science Skills in After School Program

The Environmental Science Center is piloting an Out of School program emphasizing getting kids outdoors at Bow Lake Elementary and Madrona Elementary. Funded by a No Child Left Behind grant, in cooperation with Washington Parks and Recreation, the program targets students in grades four through six. In addition to the hour and a half sessions, two days per week, the students take one field trip per month, usually on early release or waiver days, and learn how to use the scientific method as part of the Science Naturalist program.

The Environmental Science Center plans to offer a science camp during mid-winter and spring breaks.

Scholarships for both programs are available through the Highline Schools Foundation.

For more information, contact Samantha Brower at sammjam@gmail.com

Pictured in first photo:
LFront Omar Aldaco Silva
LRear Daniel Hernandez-Velasco
RRear Jose Tamayo-Gallegos
RFront Alex Mullin

Pictured in second photo:
Left Alex Mullin
Center Alexis Chavez
Right Catalina Marron

ACE Provides Active Example for Oregon's E3 Small Schools Initiative

Over two years ago, when Superintendent John Welch and Alan Spicciati, then executive director for secondary schools, met with representatives from Oregon's Employers for Educational Excellence (E3), mutual goals were affirmed as educational leaders in the Pacific Northwest move toward smaller, more intentional learning environments for high school students.

Since that first meeting, the leadership team from E3 has visited the Tyee Educational Complex several times, bringing with them numerous school coaches. This year E3, a non-profit organization that sponsors the $25 million Oregon Small Schools Initiative, entered a year-long partnership with the University of Washington's Center for Educational Leadership (CEL). Recognized as a CEL "lab site," the Academy of Citizenship & Empowerment at the Tyee Educational Complex, provides an example of "the long-term effects of the interrelationship between teachers, coaches, and a principal, as they collectively work on instructional improvement," says Dr. Anneke Markholt, CEL Project Director.

The goal of the E3 and ACE partnership centers on three essential questions: How will our evolving role as coaches and staff for E3 impact how we work with schools? What are some habits of instructional leadership we can model for our schools? And how do we explicitly link and integrate quality instruction with equitable student learning?

Joanna Michelson, a HPS coach, addressed the first question in a presentation this summer. Through Michelson's presentation ,which included coaching videos and transcripts, participants began to "grasp the power of instructional coaching and their role in that as leaders in the school," Markholt said.

This year, E3 partners will look at ACE as one model of instructional leadership through presentations like Michelson's, visits to classrooms, and conversations within schools. Through this lens, outcomes sought include a clearer vision around coaching as an instructional model, a greater understanding of the interrelationship between teachers, instructional coaches, and the principal on instructional improvement, and consideration of the implications for individual roles as coaches in each participant's school.

Conversions in high school structure as evidenced in ACE provide a powerful example of success in small high school settings and the partnership with E3 enhances reflection and teaching for coaches like Michelson.

For more information about E3 visit: http://www.e3oregon.org/about.html

Latino Youth Summit

Students from Pacific, Chinook, and Mount Rainier recently attended the 5th annual Latino Youth Summit. Held at the Tacoma Convention Center, the theme this year was college readiness.

Keynote speaker Joey Ray Lucero from Homeboy Industries shared his life story with the students and encouraged them to stay in school, stay away from gangs, and be prepared for college.

Lucero is a third generation gang member from California who spent 13 years in the prison system. He has a 10-year old son and wanting a better life for him, he cut off all communication with his former associates, including his own father who is still an active gang member. He started Homeboy Industries using the motto "Nothing stops a bullet like a job." The business is focused on "jobs not jails" and assists at-risk and formerly gang-involved youth to become contributing members of society through education, training, and jobs. Lucero told the students they were lucky to be where they are - with people who care about them - and that staying in school is key to doing something positive with their lives.

There were break-out sessions at the summit to inform students about college readiness and financial aid opportunities, including options for undocumented students.

Organizer Melody Rodriguez opened the day by telling the students they would be treated like kings and queens for the day as they represent the future of the Latino community and their focus should be on education. The students really believed the king and queen reference when they experienced a full-service luncheon. One of the students was curious about the variety of utensils and glasses - which became a teaching moment for Pacific staff member Leo Castenada. He commented, "If you like this environment, stay in school, follow your dreams, and some day you could be paid to attend a lunch like this!"

	Students at Latino Youth Summit accompanied by Pacific staff member Leo Castaneda

King County Library System Rewards Teens in Reading Contest

Reading, writing, and video-editing lead Pacific Middle School student Clara McMichael and Sylvester Middle School student Gina O'Kelly to participate in the King County Library System Foundation's Read•Flip•Win contest. The two teens won a new Flip video camera, grand prize in the competition.

More than three dozen teams submitted entries using YouTube within a one-month contest. Participation pleased and surprised judges showing, "an incredible range of talent," according to KCLS Teens Services Librarian Jennifer Wooten.

Clara and Gina learned another valuable lesson with their submission when they chose to take their disagreement about the merits of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight, to video. Their submission has been viewed over 1290 times on YouTube. It has earned them not only grand prize in the foundation contest, but also "a commission from the South King County Culture Coalition for their (SKCCC's) production company, Randumb Films (www.randumbfilms.com) to do promotional videos," according to KCLS website.

Lora Bolding, Mount Rainier High School PTSA president, said, "As a board member of the Friends of the Des Moines Library (FODL) volunteer organization, it is especially rewarding to know that the fund-raising efforts by the FODL to support reading programs such as this have a direct effect on our local community in a very positive way with our young people."

Honorable mention for the contest went to Mount Rainier 12th graders Shayla Ellis and Cynthia Wilson for their movie trailer of Alice, I Think.

To see the winning videos, visit www.kcls.org/teens/rfw/index.cfm#watch or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZnzmqkrkSQ/

Celebrate Native American History Month

The Renton History Museum is hosting storytellers on November 8 and 11 who will share mythic stories of the Puget Salish tribes. And the exhibit, SQ3Tsya'yay: Weaver's Spirit Power (Coast Salish fiber weaving), continues at the White River Valley Museum.

Many of the historical Proverbs and Wisdom from Native American tribes are as true today as when they were first spoken. Here are a few from this month's Heritage Month Feature page on Fact Monster.

All plants are our brothers and sisters. They talk to us and if we listen, we can hear them. - Arapaho

Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand. - Tribe Unknown.

When we show our respect for other living things, they respond with respect for us. - Arapaho

Themes for this year's Native American Heritage Month are "Guiding Our Destiny with Heritage and Traditions" and "A Native Prescription: Balancing Mind, Body & Spirit."

The Library of Congress hosts The Learning Page with great resources for teachers: http://memory.loc.gov/learn/community/cc_nativeamerican.php

Fact Monster provides activities at: http://www.factmonster.com/spot/aihm1.html

Global Connections DECA "Leads" off the Year

Students from Global Connections Marketing/DECA participated in four key activities in the month of October to develop their leadership skills and learn about the world outside the classroom.

On October 9 the Introduction to Marketing students took a field trip to Cascade People's Center and Islandwood on Bainbridge Island. The purpose for this trip was for students to learn about possibilities for ways to live "green."

October 13 - 17 was National DECA Week. A series of activities and events were held to promote awareness of DECA. Among other things, there was a highway clean-up day, and the flag at the White House was flown in honor of Global Connections DECA. This was sponsored by U.S. Congressman Adam Smith, a Tyee alumnus. The flag will be auctioned off in our spring dinner and auction on April 8.

October 18 - 20 was our Camp Cispus Leadership Retreat. Students traveled to Randall, Washington, and took part in low and high ropes course activities.

Finally, on October 26 - 28 a delegation of Global Connections DECA students participated in the Washington DECA Fall Leadership Conference. This event provided workshops and activities to help develop students' leadership skills, career exploration, and prepare students for the upcoming DECA competition events.

Environmentally Friendly Grounds Maintenance

The Facilities Department is testing a new method of vegetation control at Mount Rainer High School - goats!

Guy Manza explains, "New construction projects in our region are now required to monitor surface water collection and movement to Puget Sound to reduce negative effects on the environment." This effort is accomplished by a number of different methods depending on the site involved, including water retention ponds and bio-filtration systems.

The up-side of this effort is that water leaving the school sites in our district is cleaner and better suited to enter the Sound. However, these areas are in need of regular vegetation control and are difficult to manage. Thus, the decision to try a more "green" approach to the maintenance of these areas with the use of goats and sheep to control the weeds and grasses.

Some of the anticipated advantages include a reduction in manual labor as well as noise and exhaust gases from power equipment. The livestock are known to be very capable of removing most of the unwanted growth, but their diet can be somewhat selective. A minor amount of labor may be required to follow after the goat team. This will be monitored as we move forward through the district.

Guy concluded, "I always see big smiles and hear the same jokes about this being "not a baaaad idea!" After all, these little critters do three important things for us. They eat the weeds, fertilize, and entertain everyone!"