DISTRICT

The next school board meeting is 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, 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.sequimschools.org.

There is no school on Friday, Nov. 1, for staff professional development.

GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Each Friday morning, students at Greywolf Elementary gather for a Friday Focus Assembly. This month students are learning about kindness, ways to show it and how it makes themselves and other feel.

Students in Caryn Little’s fourth-grade ELA classes wrote about their experiences with kindness!

Following are some of their thoughts:

I’ve shown kindness by saying good morning to every classroom teacher. It is important because it makes the world a better place. — Dania Kesilis

Kindness doesn’t have big things. Kindness can be as simple as giving someone a compliment or just smiling at them. — Chloe Dunn

I have shown kindness by opening the door for students and some staff. Kindness is important because if someone is sad treating them with kindness would make them happy again. — Hunter Lozano

I try to be nice and understanding. I have seen a lot of kindness this month like sharing and being helpful. — Brooke Tennell

I’ve shown kindness by holding the door open for my sister because she’s in middle school and she has a really big backpack and she has a trumpet. So another way I’ve shown kindness is by helping a friend on her homework because she missed school. — Maia Brewer

HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

On Oct. 17, the entire school participated in the Great Washington Shake Out earthquake drill. In preparation for the drill, Helen Haller assistant principal Shelley Jefferson set up simulated barriers. Teachers reviewed drill procedures and discussed possible scenarios with their students.

“We can’t be prepared for all circumstances, but any and all preparation is good,” librarian-teacher Sheri Kruckeberg told fourth-graders in the library. “Drills help us in the event of a real earthquake.”

At the commencement of the drill, students took cover under tables and desks for one minute, then lined up and practiced evacuating the building. Everyone followed a safe route to the designated meeting place via a safe route and lined up to be accounted for.

In debriefing with her fourth-grade class after the drill, teacher Jaysa Hill gathered the following student feedback:

Why do you think it is important to have drills during school?

• Then we know what to do if a real one happens.

• So we can prepare.

• We won’t freak out if one happens at school, so we’ll know what to do.

• Not all earthquakes happen at home. If one happens at school, we know how to respond.

• We have a better chance of surviving the earthquake.

— Kellan Smithson, Grace Folstrom, Finley Rapelje, Luna Manley and Franklin Critchlow

When an earthquake occurs, where will you be? Do you know what to do?

• Stay calm, use Zero Voices and Listening Ears to hear directions.

• We would cover our bodies, especially our heads.

• We would hide under tables or chairs, if possible, and hold onto the table legs.

• We would walk out safely after the quake was over, but we wait for a few minutes first to make sure there is no additional earthquakes.

• We take a safe exit route to avoid different hazards that could fall or break , like lights, ceiling tiles, pipes, etc.

• If we cannot get out, we stay put, but if there is another way to exit safely, we would take it.

— Edgar Cisneros, Russell Thomas, Brent Fiorini, Bradley Fuhrer and Khloee Taylor

Has your family discussed an emergency plan?

• We took an informal poll and found that six out of 19 students in our class have discussed emergency plans at home and have family plans in place.

• We might have to go under desks instead of beds; it depends on the furniture at home.

— Ben Bower, Grace Folstrom, Finley Rapelje and Luna Manley

In music class, first graders are learning how to hold rhythm sticks and tap out different patterns through a series of exercises led by teacher Laura Lorentzen.

OLYMPIC PENINSULA ACADEMY

Olympic Peninsula Academy middle school students recently had their first Ocean Guardian Field Trip. They went to Port Williams and Dungeness Landing to conduct a beach clean up. Students removed a total of 27 pounds of waste from the beaches.

They also measured ocean pH and salinity, which they will be keeping a record of through the school year.

OPA will be continuing these field trips throughout the year.

“Our students and their families are so excited about this opportunity to collect real data and get our students involved in authentic scientific practices,” teacher Nessa Goldman said.

SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL

The first choir concert of the year will be Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

Girls’ bowling starts Monday, Nov. 4. Make sure to have your white and yellow cards completed for coach Randy Perry.

Seniors: Mark your calendar for Monday, Nov. 4, for a scholarship notebook workshop in the high school library at 7:45 a.m. Attending is mandatory if you are planning to submit a scholarship notebook. See Mitzi Sanders in the Career Center for more information.

All senior photos are due to teacher Jim Heintz by Thursday, Oct. 31, for the yearbook.

Helen Haller music teacher Laura Lorentzen leads first graders in a series of spirited exercises as they master holding rhythm sticks. Students include, from left, Sage Trejo, Shanty Gallegos-Figueroa and Mason Lopez Farrell, all students from Gwen Rudzinski’s class. Photo by Patsene Dashiell

Fourth-graders at Halen Haller Elementary School take cover under library tables as Great Washington Shake Out earthquake drill begins. Photo by Patsene Dashiell

Olympic Peninsula Academy middle school students learn about ocean pH and salinity while doing a bit of clean up duty at local beaches — including Port Williams, pictured here — earlier this month. Photo courtesy of Nessa Goldman