Chalk Talk — Sept. 16, 2015

Published 1:19 pm Wednesday, September 16, 2015

DISTRICT

The Back to School Fair, a partnership project among the Sequim School District, Olympic Peninsula Boys & Girls Club and Parenting Matters Foundation, has been able to grow in the amount of services and supplies made available to Sequim families to prepare them for the new school year over the past few years thanks to generous sponsorships by several area businesses and individuals.

A core planning committee met regularly throughout the summer in preparation for the event. About 800 people attended the Back to School Fair held at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club in late August.

More than 450 bags of school supplies and backpacks were distributed. Sixty children received a free haircut. More than 50 volunteers helped set up, sort and gather school supplies, serve free food, hand out information, direct people and more. A huge thank you to all who helped with this event!

Opportunity to Excel (OTE), the school district’s after-school homework club, is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays and began at the high school and middle school on Sept. 15. Limited bus service is offered for OTE students.

Parents, check the district website under “Transportation” to make sure the OTE bus route stops near your home. Teachers will give bus permits to students they have been working with after school. Contact the transportation department with questions about OTE bus routes by calling 582-3274. OTE will begin at the elementary schools at a later date.

The next school board meeting is at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, in the boardroom. To view the agenda for this meeting, go to www.sequim.k12.wa.us and click on Board of Directors. There is time set aside at every board meeting for public comments.

The Washington State Fair once again is providing free tickets for our Sequim students and educators to attend the fair in Puyallup. Tickets may be picked up at your student’s school office. The fair runs from Sept. 11-27.

For information about becoming a registered volunteer, e-mail volunteer coordinator Patsene Dashiell at mdashiell@sequim.k12.wa.us.

GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Our Washington Reading AmeriCorps members will provide a reading tutor training for folks interested in becoming volunteer reading tutors at Greywolf from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Sept. 23, in Room 142. Trainers are Holly Ambro, Lauren Best and Kim Dodson. Call reading specialist teacher Krista Chatters at 582-3300 if you have questions.

Tilly Lundstrom, a fifth-grader, presented Stephanie Clark, music teacher, a check for $406 to benefit the music program. Lundstrom raised the money by running a lavender lemonade stand during the summer at her parents’ farm, Nelson’s Duck Pond and Lavender Farm. Lundstrom has supported the music program since first grade, to the total tune of $1,700! Clark purchases musical instruments and supplies with the funds for all students to enjoy.

HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Teacher and reading specialist Betsy Smith is looking for volunteers to help children practice their reading. Smith will hold two training sessions, with Part 1 on Sept. 22 and Part 2 on Sept. 29, both sessions from 3:15-4:15 p.m. in the school library. Please plan on attending both sessions. If you have questions about the reading tutor program, contact Smith at bsmith@sequim.k12.wa.us.

Ione Marcy’s first-graders are working on schoolwide expectations. After several days of practicing, kids brainstormed the best rules to help them be successful learners for their classroom contract. Below are examples the kids gave and the bulleted rules are Haller’s big three expectations:

• Be Safe.

Don’t run with scissors or you might poke someone.

Don’t run with your hood over your head cause you won’t see where you’re going.

• Be Respectful.

Take turns.

Be kind. Be honest.

Say please and thank you to the lunch ladies.

Don’t talk in line. You have to use a “zero” voice. (No talking)

Don’t scream in the line.

Raise your hand and don’t blurt out.

Don’t talk when teacher is talking.

• Be Responsible.

Be your best.

Do your best.

Do your homework.

SEQUIM MIDDLE SCHOOL

Honor Roll students from last year’s second semester were recognized at a breakfast this week: on Sept. 15 students with a last name beginning with A-K and Sept. 16 for students with a last name beginning with L-Z. Parents are encouraged to attend and celebrate these achievements with their Honor Roll students.

The annual magazine sales drive, our major fundraiser for student activities at the middle school, will kick off with an assembly on Sept. 22. Look for more details to come home with your student. There are online opportunities to participate in renewing or ordering your periodical subscriptions, so consult the website for more information.

SEQUIM OPTIONS SCHOOL

Welcome back, everyone, to a new and exciting school year! We would like to share our program’s rebranding and an addition to our staff. What was once the Sequim Alternative School is now Sequim Options School, or SOS.

Our new history teacher is Ned Floeter; he also teaches at Olympic Peninsula Academy. The rest of the staff includes teachers Michelle Mahitka and Kim Minard, principal Randy Hill and secretary Kayana Harrison. For more information about the program, call the office at 582-3433.

Sequim Options School is located in two classrooms within the old high school building, upstairs from the auditorium, and with the best views on campus.

Our goal is to help students who have fallen behind in credits, those who want to graduate early or someone who is looking for different academic opportunities. It is our mission to help each individual student reach his or her goals and dreams no matter if it is overcoming a half credit or 10 credits. Many of our students thrive in this program because of the distinctive atmosphere and diverse academic opportunities.

We are able to offer smaller class sizes, one-on-one instruction, individualized learning plans, and lots of support and encouragement along the way. We strive to set high expectations for all students because we believe they are capable of high achievement within different parameters. The choices they make are their own, and here at SOS, we gently encourage them to make the right decisions so they can be successful academically.

Some comments from Sequim Options students about why the program has worked for them:

Will Hays: “More one-on-one and smaller classes has helped me get back on track.”

Jesse Gardner has been in the SOS program for two years and said, “It’s easier to pursue the diploma because it is at my own pace and I’m is responsible for my own deadlines.”

Ashton Earley said, “The integration of tech and teacher abilities allows for the integration of a more diverse learning environment”

Hayley Corbett said, “Without Sequim Alternative SOS, I don’t know where I would be right now or what I would be doing. All I know is, if I didn’t have (Sequim Options School), I would most likely have dropped out a long time ago.”

SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL

We are excited to announce the first annual College Fair scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23! The fair runs from 12:45-4 p.m. in the gymnasium. Juniors and seniors attend the fair from 12:45-2:45 p.m. Interested freshmen, sophomores and parents are invited and encouraged to attend from 2:45-4 p.m.

Representatives from four-year and two-year colleges/universities will be on hand, as well as representatives from vocational/technical schools, career training programs and the military. Information on topics such as Job Corps, AmeriCorps and FAFSA also will be available. We hope to provide post-high school options for all students. Stay tuned for updates! For more information, contact Mitzi Sanders at mitzi@sequim.k12.wa.us.

New junior student board representative Kailee Gumm was introduced at the Sept. 8 board meeting. Senior student board representative Ben Hughes was welcomed back by the directors as he begins his second year with the board. Student board members attend all board meeting during the academic year and report on school activities. They also help in planning the annual Student Voice event.

Parents are encouraged to attend senior parent night with their senior student at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, in the cafeteria. The event includes key information for seniors and dates for upcoming senior events.

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

In response to placement of two new portable classroom buildings in the stadium parking lot, a new parking configuration of the bus fleet became necessary. This new concept was designed by Karen Dinius, bus driver, and illustrated for instructing the bus drivers on a map. All buses are staged in the stadium lot in the morning and afternoon to drop off and pick up students.

When two portable classroom buildings were placed in the lot to accommodate growth of the Haller Elementary student population, space available in the stadium lot for buses was cut by a third. Keeping safety and security as the No. 1 priority, Dinius used Google Earth to lay out a new configuration to fit the buses in the resized parking area.

It’s been a great success resulting in better visibility for students and improved maneuverability for bus drivers.