DISTRICT

The next school board meeting is 6 p.m. Monday, April 16, in the district boardroom, 503 N. Sequim Ave. The public is invited to attend, and time is set aside for public comment. To view the agenda and minutes of past meetings, click on “Board of Directors” and “2017-2018 agendas” on the district’s website at www.sequimschools.org.

April 2-6 is Spring Break. Classes resume Monday, April 9.

GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Greywolf fourth-graders participated in NOLS Battle of the Books. The program is facilitated by Sequim librarian Patti Swingle. Students attended a monthly lunchtime book club and read and discussed a total of five books since the beginning of the school year. They then competed in groups to “battle it out” in order to determine who will represent Greywolf in the final Battle of the Books competition held at the Port Angeles branch on March 16. The winning team, “The Pickles” consists of Jessie Bainbridge, Raimey Brewer, Kaesha Larsen, Cayden Robinson and Devyn Dearinger. Two alternates who were randomly chosen are Connor Croft and Ava Gartley.

— Maribeth Stewart, teacher

HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

It is hard to believe, but testing season is rapidly approaching, so in Susan Caron’s fourth-grade class, test preparedness has begun. Students worked together to create a test-taking strategy poster using the acronym “R.E.L.A.X.” R = Read all the instructions and the entire question prompt. E = Examine every answer choice before selecting the best answer. L = Label your answer. A = Always check your work. X = X out answers that could not possibly be correct.

Students are also building their resilience. One way they are doing this is by focusing on developing a growth mindset by replacing self-defeating talk such as “This is too hard” with positive self-talk such as “This may take some time.” Or, replacing “I give up” with “I’ll use a different strategy.” Students also reflected on affirmations such as: “Struggling makes me stronger,” “Mistakes are proof you are trying,” and the class favorite, “If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”

When asked to reflect on a time when he did not succeed and had to try again, Liam Nielson responded, “I was learning an algorithm but I messed up, so I learned by paying more attention and I succeeded.” He also reflected on the importance of keeping a good attitude. “Sometimes when I mess up I get mad and I don’t want help and so nobody helps me, but when I’m calm and I’m willing to learn, people can help me.”

Not all reflections were school-related. Aden Skaarer connected persistence with basketball, noting, “When I was young, it was hard for me to do a layup with a big basketball, but I practiced and I got stronger, and now I’m good at it.”

Hannah Colwill also reflected on a basketball memory and described in detail how she took two weeks to perfect a leg motion that helped her be successful shooting baskets.

Join the kindergarten teachers and the principal from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, in the school library. They will present information about curriculum, first day expectations, what you as a parent can do to prepare your child, busing, immunization requirements, the importance of attendance, and answer any questions you may have regarding entering your child into kindergarten.

Kindergarten registration is 4-6:30 p.m. Monday, May 7, in the Haller library.

SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL

The Sequim High School Talent Show will be Friday, March 23, and Saturday, March 24; both shows will begin at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Tickets can be purchased at the door — $5 for students with ASB, $10 general admission and $20 for a family.

The SHS Choir will present their spring concert on March 28 at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium and, the SHS Band will present their talents the following night at 7 p.m. on March 29, also in the auditorium.

Seniors and their families should be on the lookout for the Senior Newsletter that will be emailed at the end of this month. The newsletter includes information about graduation and many dates the students need to be aware of.