On November 19, the Board of Directors will hold their first meeting in the District’s newly remodeled Administration Center

News Release

News Release

Everett Public Schools

May 27, 2009

For more information:

Mary Waggoner, 425-385-4049

State school administrators honor Everett Public Schools’ staff and local Rotary clubs

Each year in May the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) gives regional recognition to people and organizations that support public education. This year’s Student Achievement awards were granted to staff members Linda Holtorf and Newel Rice who were also recognized earlier this month as among the state’s Classified Employees of the Year . The Community Leadership award was presented to the Mill Creek Rotary and the Rotary Club of Everett.

When he spoke of the Student Achievement award given to staff members, Interim Superintendent Karst Brandsma emphasized that technology staff are not usually seen as directly supporting student achievement, and this is what makes this year’s award so special:

“Newel Rice is the district’s Information Systems and Technology Operations and Development Manager. As such, he manages the operation of the student and financial database as well as the systems administration functions for the district.

Linda Holtorf is the district’s Student Data Coordinator and coordinates the student data processes, applications, reporting tools and design to facilitate effective and efficient operation of the district’s student and related data systems.

Nowhere in those titles or job descriptions do you find “transformation” listed among Newel’s and Linda’s tasks. But what they do is truly transformational – they transform raw data into meaningful information. They put names and faces on the numbers, so that the district mission of supporting the learning needs of “each” student is an operational reality. You will not find “building relationships” or “making connections” listed among their job responsibilities either, but Linda and Newel tenaciously reach out to mold technology’s capability to meet human educational needs. In so doing, they have touched upon and improved student learning opportunities, parental involvement, classroom teacher success, administrator educational leadership, classified staff support effectiveness, district fiscal accountability and public confidence.

In Linda’s and Newel’s hands, technology, is a catalyst for systemic change – a tool to empower individuals and groups to continually improve what we are doing to support each student’s learning. In their hands, technology is a tool that ignites discussions, fuels dialogue and sparks continual change improvements.”

In his comments about the Community Leadership Award, Brandsma noted:

“Rotary Clubs are synonymous with youth support, and the Everett School District is fortunate to have the Mill Creek Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Everett within its boundaries.

Both clubs provide scholarships for students at all four of the district high schools, Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center, Everett Community College and Archbishop Murphy High School. The Everett Rotary Club’s history of scholarships spans more than 20 years and gives students more than $250,000 each year. As the younger club has grown, Mill Creek Rotary has expanded its generous scholarship giving each year.

Each club honors students of the month and their families during a recognition lunch. Each picks up the tab for various projects, including playground and high school sports’ equipment and dictionaries for elementary students.

They step forward to meet current district needs. For example, Challenge Day for high schools is largely possible because of Rotary Club sponsorship. Rotary Club of Everett was early to organize a Career Fair for students, and their continued willingness to organize that for students will be even more valuable when districts are forced to cut budgets.

From programs designed to help students become leaders of tomorrow, to sending students overseas to get a global perspective, our local Rotary Clubs are helping Everett Public Schools achieve its mission of educating each student to high standards.”

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