A Web-based newsletter for the staff of Everett Public Schools
March 10, 2011 (NewsLinks articles are now archived on Docushare)
IN THIS ISSUE
� Budget survey reminder � share your opinions by Friday at 4 p.m.
� New budget information online � see how district spending compares to other districts and what has been cut in this district over the last 8 years
� Time change reminder � set the clocks ahead on Saturday night
� Telephone system upgrades � coming your way soon
� Your school board at work � Classified Employees Week, learning from SOSRs, Olympia lessons, student perspectives
� Wellness information � whooping cough and eating healthy breakfasts
� News around the district � good work happening everywhere
� Opportunities � for students and staff
� Key dates you won�t want to miss
� Policies and procedure updates
2011-12 DISTRICT BUDGET SURVEY NOW ONLINE
Thanks to all who have taken time to share opinions in the district budget survey. The survey remains online through Friday, March 11 at 4 p.m.
BUDGET INFO ONLINE � See how Everett uses public funds to support learning and how the district has cut spending in the last 8 years
See how Everett spends funds on teaching and teaching support, administration, maintenance and other categories as compared to 19 other similarly sized districts in the state.
Learn what cuts have been made over the last 8 years and why we feel more and more the pain of continual reduction of state and federal funds.
See what the superintendent is presenting to start community budget discussions in public budget forums this week.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS THIS WEEKEND � one hour goes �poof�
Set your clocks ahead one hour before going to bed Saturday night � one good excuse for sleeping in on Sunday?
LOOKING FOR RETIREMENT INFORMATION? It�s easy to find online.
From the blue �staff� tab on the district homepage, click on �Retirement information� for a peek into possibilities for your future.
AGING PHONE SYSTEMS � improvements scheduled. A message from our information systems department
Our telephone system is beginning to show its age. To ensure reliable operations information systems will perform several repairs to the telephone system infrastructure Friday afternoon, March 11 through Sunday evening, March 13.
Jefferson, Silver Lake, and Garfield elementary schools will receive phone system repairs. These sites will have telephone system outages starting Friday at 3 p.m. and ending sometime on Saturday.
There will also be non-disruptive work at Longfellow, Heatherwood, Cascade, and the Colby offices.
Good news! The voicemail system will operate during the entire weekend, so callers can leave messages even when an elementary school phone system is not available.
Fred Aldridge will be working with our contractors to perform this work. Give Fred a big �thank you� at x4221 or email him with your appreciation for his weekend work or if you have questions about this project.
YOUR SCHOOL BOARD AT WORK � acknowledging Classified Employees week and SOSR presentations districtwide
Classified staff honored with special week
Superintendent Cohn called the board�s attention to Gov. Gregoire�s acknowledgement of Classified Employees Week starting March 14, � � our district and our community�s annual opportunity to reflect upon and recognize the wide range of support services performed every day in and around our schools. In every aspect of education, all school staff work together to provide services for students in safe, nurturing learning environments.�
Across the state, there are more than 50,000 classified staff in K-12 and higher education. Who are these dedicated classified staff members in our district?
1. 381 are paraeducators � working closely with students and in classroom support roles.
2. 66 are custodians, ensuring that our schools and support locations are clean and healthy for learning.
3. 21 work in the maintenance department, keeping HVAC systems in order, ensuring that all of the district�s plumbing is working, painting, restoring � all of the maintenance work resulting from almost 19,000 guests coming into and going out of our school houses every single day.
4. 56 are general secretaries who have responsibilities in our schools and our support centers � those who dot the I�s and cross the T�s and make priceless first impressions on students, parents and community who enter our doorways.
5. 49 are office managers and assistants supporting the work of school principals and program directors.
6. 10 are nurses who divide their time and expertise among 26 different schools and those 19,000 students.
7. 8 are instructional technology technicians � those responding to the Help Desk requests and those shuttling among our 26 schools and support centers caring for more than 10,000 computers and peripheral equipment and the human errors that go with such technology.
8. 85 work in our food services department � planning, preparing, serving 2,500 healthy breakfasts and 10,000 nutritious lunches to students each day.
9. 53 are known as �Prof Techs� who have specific professional technical skills for the educational departments they serve.
10. 27 drive district vans � these are the smiling faces special services students see each day aboard the specially equipped vans. They also help transport homeless students to and from schools where they find stability and consistency in their lives.
11. 11 are district and school campus security staff � helping to safeguard the students and adults in our facilities each day and protect the millions of dollars of public investments our schools, offices and fields represent.
�These 800 plus dedicated, committed individuals each fill a specialized niche that solidifies our school foundation and adds strength to our ability to help each student learn to high standards and to graduate on time. As a board, we say �thank you� 800 times to each of you,� said Board President Ed Petersen.
Gateway and Lowell highlight their school improvement work
On Tuesday, the board was immersed in the key work of two schools whose staff presented mini versions of their SOSR presentations for the entire board and audience.
Gateway staff emphasized their goals of closing the economic achievement gap and engaging every student. Gateway�s successful achievement of these goals is supported by a strong school culture exemplified by 100 percent staff agreement with the statement, �This school is orderly and supports learning.�
Lowell staff relayed their school improvement journey, including their decision to focus and simplify their improvement plan for this school year with fidelity to the curriculum, accountability for the results and support to make the work possible.
Each school emphasized the value of the professional learning communities, time to collaborate and having access to data about each student�s learning progress.
Board member Jeff Russell spoke of �draw dropping� information and work he�s seen in the 11 SOSRs he�s attended so far. �Our school staff are moving in the same forward direction, and they are using the same language and vocabulary to close achievement gaps and help each student learn. The idea of pre-AP work at middle schools is powerful. For example, Gateway�s elimination of the achievement gap in writing is nothing short of astounding.�
President Petersen agreed and noted the enthusiasm the Lowell staff expressed about the new LMS system which will enhance and speed up their access to data and their ability to use it in their work of mapping out individual student learning needs and monitoring the progress of their instruction.
Last month board members and Superintendent Cohn went to Olympia with student leaders from our four high schools.
Board members thanked Dr. Cohn for arranging for students not only to meet with individual legislators, but to have almost an hour with Jim Justin, the governor�s legislative director, and a face-to-face with Supreme Court Justice Susan Owens.
�Taking students with us to Olympia each year is a living extension of the civics lessons I see happening in our classrooms,� said Petersen.
Student representatives to join board
Board member Russell has been researching how other school districts have successfully incorporated student perspective at the school board level. At a future board meeting student board representatives from other districts will present to our board in preparation for this district to include student representatives at its own board table.
WHOOPING COUGH ON THE RISE � adult vaccination is key preventer
Local public health officials report an uptick in the number of cases of pertussis, also called �whooping cough.� According to the Snohomish County Health District, 16 cases of pertussis were reported in January and an additional 27 cases had been reported as of February 24.
In comparison, the Health District reported a total of 25 confirmed cases for all of 2010. The initial symptoms of pertussis appear as an ordinary cold, with runny nose, sneezing and a mild cough. It progresses within two weeks to include severe coughing in fits or spasms followed by a whooping sound and vomiting. Small children and infants are especially at risk of the illness. The DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis) vaccine is typically administered at 2, 4 and 6 months of age, again at 12 to 18 months of age, and after age 4, for a total of five doses before a child enters kindergarten. Children also are required to get a DTaP booster shot before entering the 6th grade.
Adults aged 19 and older also should be vaccinated with DTaP to supplement immunity that wanes over the years and to cover those not vaccinated when a child.
MARCH IS NUTRITION MONTH � join in by changing just ONE habit
Eat a healthy breakfast! You get up in the morning, rush to get to work and often find yourself walking out the door without a breakfast. Perhaps on your way to work, you grab a bagel and cream cheese, a muffin, a scone or a pastry. Unfortunately, when it comes to being healthy, none of these options is a great way to start your day, give you energy or help you maintain a healthy weight.
Here are a couple of tips to start your day off right � nutritionally.
� Don�t delay your breakfast: Eat within the first hour that you wake up. This jump starts your metabolism and helps to get your blood sugar where it needs to be for maximum morning energy.
� Eat a power breakfast: Breakfast should include a protein, a healthy fat and a whole grain. Avoid scones, muffins, doughnuts, and sugary cereals as these spike your blood sugar (you�ll crash in an hour) and have very little nutritional value.
� Try these healthy options:
o Whole grain toast and almond butter
o Scrambled egg on a whole grain bagel with a tsp of olive oil spread on the bagel or over the eggs
o Whole grain cereal (no sugar added) with some walnuts sprinkled on top
o Cottage cheese with a tsp of flax oil and � a baked pear � YUM!
NEWS AROUND THE DISTRICT
� District seeks public opinion online through 4 p.m. on March 11
� Sequoia High leadership class starts recycling program
� Elizabeth Nunes named assistant principal of the year
Just breaking news you will be hearing more about: CHS video production and computer programming instructor, Scott Shafer, just announced that two of his students have films showing in the National Film Festival for Talented Youth in New York City. Scott indicates this is one of the largest (if not the largest) festival for youth in the country. Travis Thieme and Cody Hendrickson�s films will be shown along with others from as far away as Kazakhstan!
OPPORTUNITIES � for students and staff
1. Life in a Fishbowl rescheduled to March 26, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Shawn O�Donnell�s. This WAEOP workshop was blown away by earlier bad weather. But good stuff does prevail, and so does the energy and enthusiasm for this workshop about �getting hooked� on our jobs.
Full details and registration form online. Pre-register by March 24 for a free breakfast buffet.
2. Silver Firs free recycling event, Sunday, March 27. No charge for appliances, computers, old BBQ (but no tanks, please), and more. Details online. Cash donations welcome � to help with school playground.
OPPORTUNITES IN BRIEF � quick reminders from past issues
1. �Dare to Dream� Students of Color Career Conference � scholarships available! Middle and high school students of color are invited to attend EvCC's annual Students of Color Career Conference (SOCCC) on Thursday, March 24, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Encourage students of color to complete the SOCCC scholarship � it just may that extra help for students to achieve their educational and/or career goals! Contact Esther Moss at 425-388-9306 for more information.
2. PUD art contest for K-12 students. Guess My Renewable Resource poster contest. Entries due March 18. Details and entry forms online.
3. WSU 4H Experiential Education workshop, April 1, 2 and 9, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at Adopt a Stream, McCollum Park. Full details about this three-day intensive workshop designed to increase your knowledge about facilitating team building and leadership development.
4. Camp Invention to be held again this June at Cedar Wood Elementary. Elementary students will be taking home copies of the flier now online. Think about students in your class who might benefit by this summer enrichment.
5. GET enrollment deadline March 31. Visit the website at www.get.wa.gov to enroll.
6. The Washington State Board of Education announces the second-annual student video contest. More information about the contest, including the winning videos from last year, is available on the website and YouTube.
7. Yes, Virginia, there IS a ProCert requirement � Northwest University in Kirkland is prepared to help. Contact the lead faculty member, Ron Jacobson, at 425-899-5304 or ron.jacobson@northwestu.edu. Information is also available at the state�s new ProTeach website.
8. Teachers needed to help students plan a mission to Mars! Join a team of students during a six-day summer residency at The Museum of Flight in Seattle. Applications for the teaching positions are due by March 25. More details available online.
9. Snohomish County Youth Challenge Awards 2011 � Download a nomination brochure or complete the online nomination form. Nomination deadline is March 31, 2011. The Youth Challenge Awards are presented by the Lynnwood Rotary Club.
10. Culturally Responsive Classroom Practice: Teaching and Learning in Our Changing World with Ilsa Govan of Cross Cultural Connections, LLC
A series of three FREE workshops for teachers and paraeducators provides new information and strategies that can be immediately applied to working in culturally diverse classrooms.
Sign up on the course registration system. Questions? Contact Gayle Watts, ext. 4101.
KEY DATES � important dates and celebrations you won�t want to miss planning for now!
POLICY & PROCEDURE INFO � links to all policies and procedures are online
Everett Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. Designated to handle inquiries about nondiscrimination policies are: 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. (Email address for each is FirstInitialLastName@everettsd.org.)
Diane Bradford
Communications Dept.
Everett Public Schools
425-385-4040