Chalk Talk Dec. 9, 2015

Published 1:33 pm Wednesday, December 9, 2015

DISTRICT

Schools will be closed for winter break from Dec. 21-Jan. 1. School resumes after winter break on Monday, Jan. 4.

GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

A national campaign launched by Teaching Tolerance over a decade ago, Mix It Up at Lunch Day encourages students to cross social boundaries. Cheryl McAliley, school psychologist and counselor, reports that every Friday will be a “Mix It Up Friday.” Students are encouraged to invite someone new to join them at lunch. It is a great way to help students feel included and make new friends.

Literacy specialist Krista Chatters wrote a grant proposal to promote home reading and develop student motivation to read, and was awarded $1,000 from the Albert Haller Foundation for a Readbox initiative. The Readbox initiative is designed to allow students to make choices about their reading material which the research has found to increase the likelihood that students would engage more in reading.

The initiative provides every student in grades K-4,that is provided supplemental reading instruction in our Wolf Den Reading Room, access to the Readbox each time they pass to a new reading level. The Readbox is filled with engaging high quality trade books from which students can select. These books are for students to take home and keep for their own collections.

This initiative supports home reading, builds the school/home connection and get books into the students’ hands. Readbox is modeled after the Redbox DVDs and video games rental company. New releases and top 10 book choices are highlighted!

First-graders in Monique Brasher’s classroom, along with other classes, created holiday cards and wrote messages in them to be included in care packages for troops in the armed forces who are stationed overseas.

For the young students, the project was an exercise in planning, sorting, selecting, organizing, cutting, pasting, writing and coloring. School counselor Cheryl McAliley coordinates Greywolf’s efforts with a local community organization each year.

The packages are being mailed early in order to allow enough time for them to reach their respective destinations.

HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

School counselor Joan Trindle reports that all students in grades 1-5 have been through the Zone Center. They learned that the Zones represent different ways we feel (physical, emotional and mental states) throughout our day. They learned that each zone has a sound, look and feel to it. We also explored the strategies that can be used to regulate one’s zone (think: self-regulation, self-control). The goal is to be in the expected zone in a given situation.

It is important to note that everyone experiences all of the Zones — the Red and Yellow Zones are not the “bad “or “naughty” Zones. All of the Zones are expected at one time or another. It is what behavior we use that is important. We say, “It’s OK to be mad, it is not OK to be mean.”

How do you regulate your Zones? We will discuss more on this subject over the coming months.

SEQUIM MIDDLE SCHOOL

Parents and community members are heartily invited to attend our upcoming musical concerts. The band concert, directed by David Upton, is at 7 p.m. today, Dec. 9, in the gymnasium. The choir concert, directed by John Lorentzen, is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, in the cafeteria.

SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL

Career counselor Mitzi Sanders took a group of juniors and seniors on an annual trip to the National College Fair at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle on Oct. 16. The trip provided an opportunity for students to interact with admission representatives from a wide range of postsecondary institutions.

The Sequim High Chapter of Future Business Leaders Association (FBLA) has 23 members. Officers are Nicole Anders (president), Tolin Simpson (vice president), Kelly Anders (secretary), Cathy Dao (treasurer), Christian Benson (parliamentarian), Grant Pierson (reporter) and Mikayla Ewing (historian). Their mission is to educate and network next generation entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Mark Knudson, FBLA faculty advisor, explained, “We focus on bridging the gap between business and education through innovative leadership and career development opportunities. This is more than just a club. Students are more like Junior Rotarians who are intrinsically motivated to make a difference in the world in spite of any barriers or challenges which present themselves. We build programs that focus on teaching 21st-century leadership skills for our high school students. We give students the opportunity to participate in competitive events, community service projects and leadership development opportunities that build their skills in very real and practical ways, and allow them to network with some of the best business people and entrepreneurs in our region.”

On Nov. 12, FBLA students, accompanied by teachers Knudson and Stuart Marcy, attended the FBLA Puget Sound Region Fall Conference in Tacoma. The fall conference had more than 300 attendees from the Puget Sound Region. Students went to workshop sessions with prominent business leaders, Rep. Laurie Jinkins (27th District), representatives from several universities, and visited a Dress for Success booth sponsored by Men’s Wearhouse.

Students received full access passes to the LeMay Car Museum as part of the conference. Students had opportunities to network with their peers from other high schools and some took a spin in the NASCAR Speedzone Simulator.

The conference was a great opportunity to be exposed to professionalism, leadership and career development.

For more information about FBLA, visit www.fbla-pbl.org and www.wafbla.org.

Choir members will get an opportunity to participate in a vocal music workshop with members of The Coats, a male a cappella singing group coming to Sequim on Dec. 10. After the workshop, the Vocal Ensemble will open a 7 p.m. performance by The Coats in the Performing Arts Center that is open to the public. Doors open at 6 p.m. and admission is $10 for students with an ASB card and senior citizens, and $15 for adults. Checks and cash only will be accepted methods of payment. A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit the high school’s choir program. The choir program is under the direction of John Lorentzen.

IT Academy Instructors Mark Knudson and Charles Kleinberg are excited that Sequim High School ranks in the Top 5 for pass rate on the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification Exams compared against all Washington high schools, regardless of size. These exams are the culminating projects in our Microsoft IT Academy courses. SHS business students have earned 89 MOS certificates, missing the Top 10 in overall numbers by just 1 certificate.

MOS Certification Exams are managed and proctored by Certiport, a Pearson company. These exams cost the general public approximately $150 each and that doesn’t include the training they would need for preparation. Students leave high school with these professional level certifications in their portfolio and are entered in an international Microsoft Certification database.

Of special note: SHS freshman and Future Business Leaders Association (FBLA) member Morgana Fergusson has received the first-ever Microsoft Office Specialist Master Certification at Sequim High School. This is a cumulative certification earned by Morgana for passing the Word Expert Part A, Word Expert Part B, PowerPoint MOS, Word MOS and Excel MOS exams. Morgana will be competing in the Microsoft Office Specialist events at upcoming FBLA conferences, which could lead to the national competition in Atlanta at the end of the year.

The basic IT Academy exams are PowerPoint MOS and Word MOS. Our courses allow for differentiation of our diverse learners. Morgana is an example of gifted and talented differentiation. The software used for instruction and assessment also has an Accommodations Tool that allows for additional attempts, more time and a reduction of tasks and assignments when necessary. IT Academy instructors work collaboratively to maintain a consistent approach for all students. This includes the use of mastery-based learning allowing students as much time and practice as they need to enhance their skills. Course software is web-based and students are encouraged to access it at home to extend the learning day.

Winter Ball dance request forms are due back to the office by 3 p.m. Dec. 10. Winter Ball is from 8-11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, in the cafeteria.

Seniors on-time graduation orders for cap and gown are due by Dec. 15 to National Achiever Services.

Parents and community members are heartily encouraged and invited to attend upcoming performances featuring students from our music programs. The choir, under the direction of John Lorentzen, will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16, in the auditorium. The band program, under the direction of Vern Fosket, will be featured at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, in the auditorium.

If you didn’t purchase a yearbook at the beginning of the school year, they can be pre-ordered the week of Dec. 14-18. Cost is $55.