A Web-based newsletter for the staff of Everett Public Schools
Jan. 19, 2010 Special Edition (NewsLinks articles are now archived on Docushare)
IN THIS ISSUE – Message from the Superintendent
Hello all, and welcome back from the long Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. I hope that you had a chance to enjoy some of the balmy weather and found the extended break to be energizing.
As the weekend progressed, so did the news about Haiti's utter devastation and the need for worldwide help there. I know that you have returned to classrooms and schools with students and parents talking about ways we can all help. Relief effort professionals tell us that schools and students are always among the first to launch relief efforts during large crisis situations.
We support school-based efforts in support of relief work; this is exactly the kind of selflessness we all want our students to show in times of crisis. It will be important for us to guide them toward efforts that will truly make a difference and that will leave them feeling affirmed and proud of what they have done.
Relief response experts tell us that the most significant help comes in the form of cash. It is money that immediately buys the supplies and goods targeted specifically to meet crisis needs. It is money that ensures those supplies are shipped efficiently and go to where they are needed. Clothing and food drives can help, but the logistics, including sorting, disinfecting, and shipping, the experts tell us, use up volunteer time and other resources. Not all clothing gathered for crisis relief is appropriate for that situation, and food quantities and varieties that have not been matched to actual needs sometimes are wasted.
We contacted United Way of Snohomish County and the Snohomish Red Cross, as the agencies that came to mind most immediately as first responders to crisis. United Way suggests going to their Web site for information about how to donate to the Haitian relief efforts, and Snohomish Red Cross suggests the same. Red Cross staff also suggested that rather than donating “things” to be shipped to Haiti, that donors consider selling the items at rummage sales and forwarding the proceeds to reliable charities, including the Red Cross.
I trust that each of you will laud any of your students who want to help and that you will do your best to guide them to ways of helping that will make the most difference.
As always, please keep your principals and supervisors in the loop about relief projects, and be sure to let the communications department know about your good work.
While the news in Haiti gripped the nation over the weekend, educators in Washington state have also been watching the news coming out of Olympia. As the legislative session kicked off last week, the state's budget deficit was front and center.
To help you follow that news, we have created a “legislative reports” area in Docushare and will be adding information to those sites on a daily and weekly basis. Among the information you will find there:
· A daily legislative update provided by the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA), summarizing the happenings of that day related to education
· A weekly legislative summary also provided by WSSDA
· Frequent publication of news clippings from around the state -- stories about how the legislative session is impacting schools in Washington, as reported in newspapers from around the state and nation
The link to this Docushare area of legislative reports will be included in each upcoming issue of NewsLinks during the legislative session.
Again, welcome back from an inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. I look forward to seeing many of you on Wednesday night at the Student Learning and Technology Celebration at Cascade High School. It begins at 6 p.m., and we expect the community will be very impressed by the way you are using technology every day to help students learn to high standards.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gary Cohn
Everett Public Schools complies with all federal and state rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or disability. This holds true for all students who are interested in participating in educational programs and/or extracurricular school activities. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the school district's Affirmative Action Officer, Title IX Officer, ADA District Coordinator, or Section 504 Coordinator. Affirmative Action Officer, Carol Stolz, 3715 Oakes Ave., Everett WA 98201, 425-385-4106, Title IX Officer, Randi Seaberg, 3715 Oakes Ave., Everett WA 98201, 425-385-4104, ADA Coordinator, Kristine McDowell, 202 Alder St., Everett WA 98203, 425-385-5250, Section 504 Coordinator, Becky Ballbach, 4730 Colby Ave., Everett WA 98203, 425-385-4086.
Diane Lindenstein
Communications Dept.
Everett Public Schools
425-385-4040
From www.everett.k12.wa.us, sign up for InTouch e-mail messages; choose the school information you want most.
Diane Lindenstein
Communications Dept.
Everett Public Schools
425-385-4040
From www.everett.k12.wa.us, sign up for InTouch e-mail messages; choose the school information you want most.