@SequimSchools — March 20, 2019
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 20, 2019
DISTRICT
There is no school the week of April 1-5 (spring break).
The next school board meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, 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 “School Board,” “Regular Communication” and “Agendas” on the district’s website at www.sequim schools.org.
GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Registration for the 2019-2020 school year will begin soon. Join Greywolf staff at the Kindergarten Readiness Meeting from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, in the Greywolf gymnasium, 171 Carlsborg Road. Kindergarten registration will be 4-5:30 p.m. Monday, May 6, in the Greywolf gym. For more information on both events, see gwe.sequim schools.org.
Students in Sheri Burke’s and Shannon Green’s third-grade classes at Greywolf Elementary became Roman citizens for a day. Students studied about how Rome began as a small town along the Tiber River and grew into an empire that included gods, goddesses, emperors, kings and queens, patricians and plebeians. They discussed how aspects of Rome (buildings, government, etc.) carried over to the United States. They explored how a great city could rise and fall and why it happened.
To end their unit, students feasted and participated in Roman activities among which included dice games with dice they made from clay, Roman tic-tac-toe and Roman bingo.
Family Math Night — along with a free dinner — is set for 5-7 p.m. Monday, March 25, at Greywolf Elementary. Dinner is from 5-6 p.m. and games in the gymnasium are 6-7 p.m.
HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Registration for the 2019-2020 school year will begin soon. Join Helen Haller staff at the Kindergarten Readiness Meeting from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, in the Helen Haller library, 350 W. Fir St. Kindergarten registration will be 4-6:30 p.m. Monday, May 6, in the Haller library. For more information on both events, see hhe.sequimschools.org.
Helen Haller Elementary students in Robin Forrest’s third-grade math classes have been experiencing algebra through a “hands on” approach. Thanks to a generous donation from a community member, the students have access to a program called “Hands on Equations.” Students are able to manipulate game-like pieces to solve and understand linear equations. The concrete and pictorial representations help make algebra fun and engaging.
Edgar Cisneros says, “I like it because it has challenges and I like hard stuff. Also it’s fun to learn.”
Ianson Klinger says, “I like ‘Hands on Equations’ because that kind of math will probably be hard, so if I do it now, it will be easier when I get to higher grades.”
Nathanael Updike says, “I like Hands on Equations because they review what I learned last time and they show new work in each lesson.”
Nolan Bacchus says, “I like ‘Hands on Equations’ because it’s something extra that I can do when I’m finished with my work.”
Chaos Mulet says, “Some math is easy but it’s always worth working hard for.”
SEQUIM MIDDLE SCHOOL
Vision and hearing screening tests for seventh-graders is set for March 25-29. More information is available on the Sequim School District web page (www.sequimschools.org) under “Departments/Heath Services.”
SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL
Fifty FFA chapters across the nation have received Microsoft FarmBeats Student Kits as part of a collaboration between the National FFA Organization and Microsoft Corp. — including Sequim High School’s FFA program.
For the FFA Blue 365 Challenge, chapters were asked to apply for the FarmBeats Kits by sharing how they would utilize the kits.
The kits are part of a collaboration announced last year between National FFA and Microsoft to bring innovative technology, science, research and entrepreneurship to the classrooms of the more than 650,000 FFA student members nationwide.
The FarmBeats Kit includes pre-configured Microsoft Azure cloud services and a Raspberry Pi with soil moisture, light, ambient temperature and humidity sensors to collect data. The data is then visualized in an online dashboard that provides insights to help students.
In addition to the kits, FFA and Microsoft are working together to create activity guides and resources to help chapters get started with using the technology.
“The FFA Blue 365 Challenge and the use of the Microsoft FarmBeats Student Kits are key components to transform learning and help with the development of essential digital skills,” said Christine White, director leadership, education, assessment and development at the National FFA Organization.
Three other chapters in Washington received Microsoft FarmBeats Student Kits: Chiawana, Pasco 49ers and Wapato FFA chapters.
Four students from Sequim HOSA (for Future Health Professionals) attended the Washington State HOSA conference in Spokane, March 7-9. Brianna Cowan, Erin Dwyer and Vita Olson placed fifth in Biomedical Debate, where the topic was opioids and pain management. They qualified for the International HOSA conference this summer. A huge thank you goes to those from the community that have supported the organization this year.
On Wednesday, March 27, the high school choir will present its spring concert at 7 p.m. in the auditorium, under the direction of John Lorentzen.
The high school band will present its spring concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 28, in the SHS auditorium, under the direction of Vern Fosket.
