Editor’s note: Sequim High School’s Rachael DeAngelo, who teaches Spanish and English, gave her students an assignment to write and submit a Letter to the Editor to the Sequim Gazette on a topic that is important to them. We are happy to publish some of the students’ letters in this issue.

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SHS deserves equal funding

At all Washington State high schools, a CTE class is required to graduate.

CTE (Career Technical Education) is a program, provided and funded by the state, designed to prepare students for life after High School, especially for those who aren’t planning on attending college or university.

However, this funding does not cover any of the “normal” classes provided at Sequim High (and other high schools). Specifically in science classes this is a major issue. Current funding for “normal” classes is less than $10 per student and hasn’t been changed in two decades.

One teacher summarized the situation, saying, “I appreciate that the state sees the need for career preparation and that not all students are headed for college… Of course, it would be amazing for basic education classes to be funded at the same rate, since it benefits us all to live in a more broadly educated community.”

This amount further becomes a problem when you consider that some non-CTE class curriculums haven’t been updated for over two decades. An extreme example of this is the chemistry curriculum, which was adopted in 2013 and still uses CDs.

Another Sequim High School teacher explained, “Adhering to a two-decade old curriculum necessitates that I devote significant time to modernizing lessons to meet today’s education standards.”

While CTE class funding is an amazing resource and provides Sequim High School students with better learning, the community needs to step in and provide the needed funding to bring our other science classes up to par.

D. Nathanel Updike

Bigger skatepark needed

The skatepark is amazing and always has been.

Tons of people, adults, teenagers, and young children all love to come and ride all around. The skatepark in Sequim is loved by so many people, but the size is small. I do acknowledge it’s still quite a bit of room to ride around in, but with lots of people coming most days, it can be quite difficult to manage space and make way. I think the skatepark absolutely needs an extension.

I’ve been going to the skatepark constantly my whole life, almost 17 years now. I have encountered this issue a lot.

A few years ago, the bike trail next to the skatepark was taken down. It provided lots more space for riders to go to. But unfortunately, with its removal, people now all must ride inside the skatepark, conjoined into one.

With an extension that has been talked about for a very long time, it would be beneficial and so many people agree.

There is a large field right next to the skatepark that is completely unoccupied by anything and could use something there.

If anything is to be put there, a skatepark extension should be put. So many people want it so badly and I agree.

Colby Verdu

Visual learners

Has a teacher or someone in a teacher’s position ever said something once and you had to write something or answer a question about what you heard? How should people be expected to only hear something once and write something or answer a question about what they heard?

Learners need a visual representation along with the verbal questions or instructions. As a visual learner it’s very difficult to answer anything when I don’t even remember what I heard. I’m not giving names, but they would say the question once and then say the answers once and I would forget what they said so I would just guess, and guessing is only 30% accurate so it’s almost a guaranteed fail even if I was trying my best. It would be better if it was at least visual to read at least three or four times instead of just hearing it once.

Luckily most teachers don’t do this, but I have had to deal with only hearing things once. When teachers give students a written form, they are far more likely to recall the same topic a week later. In conclusion, it should be required to give a written form for all the work that is given.

Colby Waters