December 15, 2006   

Highline Public Schools Receives Boeing Grant for Science

Under the leadership of Susan Wood-Megrey, in a partnership between Highline Public Schools, The Boeing Company, and the Center for Inquiry Science, a project will soon get underway to restructure the district’s science curriculum. This project will develop and implement a model for aligning and delivering a cohesive K-12 curriculum in the earth and physical sciences using a strategy called Science Curriculum Topic Study (SCTS). SCTS is a methodical study process and a set of tools and strategies designed to help educators improve the teaching and learning of science. This process, first developed through the efforts of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance and funded by the National Science Foundation, will provide students, teachers, and parents with a clear understanding of topics and concepts covered at each grade level and the skills to teach and learn those concepts. The process will also identify relevant connections between concepts and skills – and real-world applications. “One of the concerns we hear raised from parents centers around gaps and redundancy in the science curriculum,” said Wood-Megrey. “This process will identify those areas and enable us to build a cohesive curriculum from beginning to end.” The Boeing Company, through their Early Learning & K-12 Education department, is funding the project. The district recently received a check for $42,477 for this purpose.   Back to eHighlights

Aviation High to Participate in FIRST Robotics Competition

"To create a world where science and technology are celebrated... where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes." With that as a mission, Dean Kamen founded FIRST, a non-profit organization that designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills. Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, FIRST sponsors an annual Robotics Competition for students. And, this year, thanks to generous sponsors like Aerospace Futures Alliance, a team from Aviation High School will participate in the competition. Teacher/advisor Robert Steele describes the games as “a unique varsity sport of the mind” designed to help high-school-aged young people discover how interesting and rewarding the life of engineers and researchers can be. The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges teams of young people and their mentors to solve a common problem in a six-week timeframe using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. Teams build robots from the parts and enter them in a series of competitions designed by Dean Kamen, Dr. Woodie Flowers, and a committee of engineers and other professionals. FIRST redefines winning for these students. Teams are rewarded for excellence in design, demonstrated team spirit, gracious professionalism and maturity, and ability to overcome obstacles. Scoring the most points is a secondary goal. Winning means building partnerships that last. Part of FIRST’s vision is to positively transform culture by inspiring young people, their schools, and communities to appreciate and celebrate science and technology. The stories of our students, mentors, sponsors, teachers, parents, and alumni clearly demonstrate that FIRST is about more than robots. It is a life-changing experience – and a lot of fun! Aviation High School has named its team “The Skunk Works.” This term has special meaning for many aerospace engineers and test pilots as it is also the name of the Lockheed Martin ultra secret development center, which produced the Stealth series of aircraft and many other innovations in air and space flight. The Skunk Works is actively searching for additional mentors and sponsors for our upcoming Rookie season. Please contact Mr. Steele at steelerc@hsd401.org if you want to find out how to participate.   Back to eHighlights

Midway Elementary November Academic Camps

By: Jennifer Hefford-Anderson, math intervention specialist   Midway Elementary was lucky enough to host two camps for students to attend during the November conference days (November 20-22, 2006). These camps focused on math (5th grade) and reading (2nd and 3rd grade). Our goal was to provide additional academic exposure for students while also making it a fun environment to practice their skills. At math camp, fifth-grade students worked on the relationships between fractions, decimals, and percents. They practiced these concepts with real life examples and everyday situations. This group of fifth graders also planned out school-wide math activities for our school from December until June. Students were able to play games that helped reinforce these skills and also took home additional practice games to play with their family. The fifth-grade participants included: Odette Camacho, Galitte Camacho, Clara Jack, Jamal Riddalls, Kyle Fransen, Ryan Soung, Robbie Batchelor, and Trevor Springer. At reading camp, second- and third-grade students explored themes from the animal world. Fiction and non-fiction books on frogs and birds were used to promote strengthening vocabulary, phonics work, and fluency. Students selected stories from a variety of books and with group and individual practice, worked to improve their reading skills and investigate information about these two groups of animals. The Reading Camp participants included: Tristan Randal, Tavell Cox, Darion Mallard, Chris Cruz, Tenise White, Cera Hensley, Sony Mam, Dimitrius Vaivao, Marco Vega, Casey Bauer, Travis Kennedy, Patrick Merriel, Luis Castro, and Joshua Wiley. In addition to learning very important math skills, each student was given a November Camp T-shirt to commemorate their commitment to learning. These T-shirts were very generously donated by Pacific Sportswear.   Back to eHighlights

Science and Math Clubs “Take Off” at Des Moines Elementary

Fun with static electricity Liz Meisner has a passion for science and math – and is sharing that passion with students through the Des Moines Science Clubs. The 29 fourth-grade students currently enrolled are studying astronomy – “a good blend of math and science,” according to Meisner.   Two other clubs, serving 5th and 6th grade students, are studying measurement – based on gems - and energy. These two clubs operate under the guidance of sixth-grade teacher Jim Simpson along with a team of volunteers from Boeing. The Boeing partnership is the result of a grant through the Alliance for Better Schools. Principal Karin Jones noted, “The work, instruction, and activities are phenomenal! This is a wonderful curriculum enrichment opportunity for our students. It extends the learning day – in a fun and relevant way.” This is the second year for these successful, after-school clubs. Last year there were 53 students, grades 4-6, participating in the clubs. Through a partnership with The Museum of Flight, the students were able to experience a flight simulation – from plotting a course to “flying” it in the simulator. The group also enjoyed a “science night” with over 50 community members sharing their telescopes and love of astronomy with the students and their parents. Liz, a Boeing space educator who has attended Space Camp in both Alabama and Florida, is inspiring young minds through exposure to her passion for the subject!   Back to eHighlights

Sylvester Students Participate in Education Summit

(l-r) Taylor White, Fernanda Hernandez, Governor Gregoire, Tyler Sanford, Isaiah Bell By Tyler Sanford “It is time to make some real changes to Washington’s education system.” With that statement, Governor Christine Gregoire opened the Education Summit at Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle. Four Sylvester Middle School students from Ms. Moore’s honors class, Tyler Sanford, Isaiah Bell, Taylor White, and Fernanda Hernandez, were selected to participate in the summit after their class entered an essay contest entitled: “Why Education is Important to Me.” The purpose of the summit was to share the results of the Washington Learns Report, the culmination of an 18-month study of Washington’s education system. Governor Gregoire went on to say, “This is a bold plan to redesign and reinvest in education over the next decade. It offers a new way of thinking about the purpose and function of public education.” She was joined on the stage by Bill Gates who also shared his comments on the education system and what steps he thinks Washington needs to take to improve the system. “We need to ensure that all our kids are ready for school, ready for college, and ready for work,” said Gates. He continued, “That should be our vision. To achieve it, we need to be honest about where we are, ambitious about where we want to go, and determined to embrace new approaches and track our progress.” The report was based on the idea that Washington’s economic success in the future depends heavily on a world-class education system, that at the moment, we do not have. The primary vision of the report is to educate more people at higher levels in order to compete in the global challenge. The governor closed the session calling the report “a new vision for preparing our kids for the global, competitive, rapidly-changing work environment they face today. A new vision for developing a workforce that will be a magnet for employers so we can put our kids to work here at home. And a new vision that will help keep kids in jobs, not in trouble and in the unemployment and social services lines.” The students came away with a new-found understanding of the bigger picture of education – and a renewed commitment to get the best education they possibly can!   Back to eHighlights

Mount View Elementary Earns Praise as a Ready School

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) recently recognized several schools for their work in what are known as Ready Schools. Highline’s Mount View Elementary received kudos for their progress with parent involvement in the School Readiness Project. This project was designed to create and facilitate a learning community of cross-agency, state and locals teams focused on maximizing efforts to promote school readiness in low-income communities. Their work centers around supporting the transition of children into kindergarten, making sure there is continuity between early care and education programs and elementary school. They have also focused on the impact of meaningful parent and community involvement in a child’s education. There are clear benefits of strong parent involvement. However, schools needed specific strategies for involving low-income and culturally diverse families during the early grades. And, that’s where Mount View’s Principal Dave Darling and teacher Charlene Grob come in – with a passion for building formal and informal welcoming and trust-building strategies into their school processes. The Mount View staff lists responsiveness to parent ideas as a one of the primary components of their success. They involve parents starting with Kindergarten Round Up, an annual summer activity where incoming kindergarten students and their families attend a day at the school. Families can learn about immunizing their children, school activities, the district calendar, PTA and other community information. The children participate in activities in the kindergarten classroom to orient them to a typical school day. Parents also receive the school year’s first edition of the school’s newsletter – available in several languages. Mount View continues to keep the parent needs front and center. Common language meetings are held for the most frequently spoken languages – in addition to grade-level open-house events. Bilingual parent liaisons enable parent communication with the school. Mount View also makes the most of community partnerships that organize after-school activities including tae kwon do, homework help, and dance. Other community organizations work with the school to provide translation service and English language classes. Principal Dave Darling sums it up with, “The best schools are open and safe places, where parents can share their happy or angry concerns, especially if they believe they do not fit in. The parent’s perceptions of school personnel and their attitudes and behavior frame the nature of the engagement.” Congratulations to the Mount View staff for getting these students and their families off to a great start!   Back to eHighlights

Big Picture High School Hosts WSU Extension Office

Darcy Batura of the WSU extension office recently conducted a class at Big Picture High School on Household Hazardous Waste and Water Quality. In a series of workshops, students learned about how to make safer choices regarding household hazardous waste and how to protect their health and the environment. Class participants also went on a field trip to test water quality (turbidity, pH, presence of toxins, etc.) at Flaming Geyser Park and met with an environmental coalition in south Seattle to learn about the Duwamish River clean-up project. They learned concepts such as bioaccumulation and how various toxins affect water quality. The class culminated with the Big Picture students presenting to Misha Sakura’s fifth-grade class at Madrona Elementary. Big Picture videographer Marcel McCants filmed the presentation.   Back to eHighlights

Library "CLAM-O-RAMA" Underway at Des Moines Area Schools, Businesses

At Midway Elementary, librarian Ms. Karen Bianchi wears her Clam Hat to congratulate prize-winning students in the Clam-O-Rama for the month of October: (l.-r.) Naomy Harry, Thavry Phim, and Nikki Chapman.   Six Des Moines-area public schools are participating this year in the Des Moines Library's Book/Clam-O-Rama. The school/business initiative is designed to raise funds for a sculpture on the grounds of the Des Moines Library. For every book students read and record at Des Moines, Madrona, Midway, North Hill, and Parkside Elementary Schools, as well as Pacific Middle School, local businesses are pledging financial support toward the Library Sculpture Project. The Book/Clam-O-Rama runs through March 15, 2007. In addition to the Book/Clam-O-Rama campaign, a Waterland Reading Invitational is planned for next April 28. For the gala event, readers are invited to form teams and answer questions, "Jeopardy"-style, about maritime-themed books ranging from Swimmy and Treasure Island to Jaws and Moby Dick. Organizers hope to raise $20,000 for the Library's Sculpture Project by next June. For more information, visit the Des Moines Library or contact dmlibrarysculpture@nwlink.com    Back to eHighlights

Student and Faculty Artwork Featured

Normandy Park Senior Living is hosting Highline Public Schools Faculty Art Show from now through December 20. You are invited to stop by at 16625 ~ 1st Avenue South in Normandy Park between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to take a look. Phone 206-241-0821 for more information. District staff members involved are Lisa Bade, Patrick Hill, Joan Kohl, James Lilly, Amanda Schmidt, Bill Morrison, Judy Nelson, Robin Rice, and Carol Skvorak. Evergreen High School’s Carol Skvorak is participating in the 2nd Annual Downtown Seattle Association’s Nutcracker March. Click here for more…Artist designed nutcrackers are on display throughout Seattle during the holiday season and will be auctioned off on eBay to raise money for Northwest Center. Carol’s nutcrackers are on display at Macy’s and at the carousel in Westlake Center. You can see the nutcrackers at www.nutcrackermarch.org . Carol’s designs are Morning Glories and All That Glitters. Remember the Pike Place Market Foundation’s Pigs on Parade? Well, they’re doing it again this year! And, the Evergreen High School art students are submitting design concepts for consideration. The Foundation will be hiring 100 artists to design a pig for display downtown during the summer of 2007. Good luck to the Evergreen students! We hope you are successful in landing a commission!   Back to eHighlights

Cvitanich Finds New Challenges – and Adventure - in Idaho!

After 31 years in the Washington education system, Dick Cvitanich, former Area Administrator for Secondary Schools at Highline, has been named Superintendent of the Lake Pend Oreille School District.   Headquartered in the mountain town of Sand Point, Idaho, the district has just under 4,000 students and covers a very large, geographically diverse area. Dick was intrigued by the unique challenges of the district. While Sand Point is rapidly expanding, largely with wealthy out-of-staters buying second homes, the school families don’t reflect that wealth – the district runs at about 50% free and reduced lunch. The class sizes are still small – which Cvitanich sees as a huge asset – but the state does not support schools as robustly as Washington does. So, there are different challenges looming in North Idaho. With his boys now off to college, Dick and his wife were up for the challenge … and the adventure of starting anew. Congratulations, Dick! And, best wishes from your friends at Highline.   Back to eHighlights

Former Highline Administrator Named Superintendent of the Year

Larry Nyland, superintendent of the Marysville School District, was named Washington State’s 2007 Superintendent of the Year by the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA). Dr. Nyland will represent Washington State in the National Superintendent of the Year Award. Dr. Nyland is recognized for his role in improving relationships among the stakeholders following a lengthy strike in 2003 as well as bringing focus to student learning with his well-defined, intensified curriculum and instructional vision. Prior to his move to Marysville, Dr. Nyland was the academic officer and human resources director for Highline Public Schools. For details, visit the WASA website: http://www.wasa-oly.org/news/07-suptyr.htm   Back to eHighlights

Nutrition Services Director Elected to Regional Position

The School Nutrition Association held elections last month for national and regional positions and Highline’s Chris Neal was elected to the position of Northwest Representative for the Nominating Committee. This committee is charged with the responsibility of interviewing and selecting candidates to run for executive board positions. Chris will serve a two-year term in this role. The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, nonprofit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country. Recognized as the authority on school nutrition, the SNA has been advancing the availability, quality, and acceptance of school nutrition programs as an integral part of education since 1946.   Back to eHighlights

OSC Principal/Director Sue Shields Leads Workshop on Math Success

At the National Tech Prep Network Annual Conference, Sue Shields and Raz Mason, former instructor at OSC, were co-presenters for a workshop entitled Pulling Out All the Stops for CTE Math Success: What's Best for Students. Sue and Raz shared their passion for making things better for students. The focus of the workshop was creating a CTE math program to enrich math curricula and empower students in math. Attendees received a blueprint for deep integration of mathematics into multi-program CTE contexts.    Back to eHighlights

Scholastic Book Fairs Have Grown Up!

The book fairs we all remember from elementary schools are now shifting their aim to include the high school level. And, last week, the Evergreen High School Library and Key Club sponsored one of the first high school fairs in the state. Held in conjunction with the EHS Band Craft Fair, the Scholastic Book Fair offered staff and students the chance to do some serious Christmas shopping - while helping Key Club raise money for their annual conference.     Back to eHighlights

Board Minutes

Click the date to read the minutes from the November 8, 2006 board meeting.    Back to eHighlights