DISTRICT

Visitors from Sequim’s sister city of Shiso, Japan — students and chaperones — visit local schools Sept. 25 and Sept. 26.

The visitors attend a Sequim High School Open House on Sept. 25 with host families, and then tour local schools the following day. The touring group from Shiso includes six boys, four girls and three chaperones.

10 Sequim student ambassadors, all ninth-graders, were selected by the Sequim-Shiso Sister City Association to be part of a cultural exchange. They will visit Shiso starting Oct. 9; during the trip, students will live with Japanese families and visit cultural and historic sites.

Student ambassadors include Aleah Chen, Coral Disinski, Erik Holtrop, Braden Koch, Fiona Macpherson, David Melcer, Chloe Morton, Kaleb Needoba, Katherine Tucker and Oscar Walchenbach.

The next school board meeting is at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, in the boardroom of the auditorium building, 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 “Board of Directors” on the district’s website at www.sequim.k12.wa.us.

Save the date: A public forum for school board candidates is planned from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Helen Haller Elementary gymnasium. Childcare and refreshments will be provided. This event is sponsored by the Sequim School District and the Clallam County League of Women Voters.

Now is the time to become an approved volunteer for the 2017-2018 school year! Click on the “Volunteer” link on the district’s webpage at www.sequim.k12.wa.us and complete the online process. A computer kiosk is available at the district office during office hours if needed. Processing can take up to two weeks.

GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

This year, Greywolf received a great gift from the Beta Nu Chapter. Their generous grant of more than $6,000 dollars enabled Greywolf’s physical education program to purchase a heart monitoring system that should be up and running for students in grades 3-5 by mid-September.

Our school recently piloted a heart-monitoring system by Heart-Tech Plus, a company in Port Townsend. The system combines state-of-the-art technology with effective software that work together to measure, track and correlate each student’s health data.

The Heart Tech Plus platform provides arm censors through a watch-like device for all the students in a given physical education class. Data is then transferred to a big screen in a checkerboard pattern, one square for each student with his/her individualized data.

This grant and the monitors will allow PE teacher Doug Hastings to show students how to monitor their activity and be better stewards of their health and fitness. He is able to do this because students see their EKG accurate and color-coded data. When they see their personal data, students are able to mentally attune their mind for more effort.

“Thank you Beta Nu for this amazing grants!” Hastings says. “Our students will benefit greatly from your chapter’s grant!”

Greywolf Family Involvement Night — or, “Welcome New Greywolf Families” — is set for 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, in the Greywolf gymnasium.

“We are excited to come alongside you during their elementary school years to help build a foundation for academic success that will help them achieve the goals that you and your child have for their future,” says teacher Jennifer Lopez.

“One of the ways we are working to team with you is by hosting family involvement events throughout the school year. Some, like Family Math Night, have been a fun Greywolf tradition for years! Others are informational presentations that help families better understand things we do at our school such as curriculum we use or systems and procedures that help Greywolf run smoothly.

“We work to offer meaningful events that give families the information they need to be informed, active participants in their child’s education. Be on the lookout for flyers coming home throughout the year advertising these great events and we will see you there!”

HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Reading specialist Betsy Smith is offering two fall training sessions. Training sessions are from 3:15-4:15 p.m. Sept. 18 and Sept. 25 in the school library. Please commit to attending both sessions. For more information, call Smith at 360-582-3248 or bsmith@sequim.k12.wa.us. Individuals will need to become approved volunteers for the 2017-2018 school year. More information on that topic will be presented at the training sessions.

Individual and classroom group pictures at Helen Haller will be taken on Thursday, Sept. 21.

SEQUIM MIDDLE SCHOOL

Key upcoming dates for Timberwolf students include: Picture Day, Sept. 18; Back to School Night, 6:30 p.m., Sept. 21, and the Honor Roll Dessert evenings, Sept. 27 (last names A-l) and Sept. 28 (last names M-Z).

SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL

Make-ups for school pictures is Wednesday, Sept. 13. Lifetouch school portraits will be returning to take pictures of students who did not get their pictures taken on Wolf Pack Days.

The Sequim High School Band plays at Husky Band day on Saturday, Sept. 16. The Huskies take on Fresno State at 6:30 p.m. The band and cheerleaders will practice with UW musicians and cheer squads prior to the game, then perform at halftime for the Husky crowd.

Senior Parent Night is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, in the high school cafeteria. Parents, get information on what you need to know for your student’s final prep year. Call 582-3600 for more information.

A pep dance following the Sequim High football game is set for Sept. 22 in the SHS cafeteria.

The Sequim High School Career &College Fair is set for noon, Sept. 26, at the SHS gymnasium. Find out about career opportunities and get information from representatives from universities, colleges, trade schools, military branches and more. Contact Mitzi Sanders at 360-582-3631 for more information.

It’s time to sign up for the PSAT test! Students in 11th grade receive priority. Sign up with Mrs. Ulm in the office through the end of September. Sophomores can begin signing up on Monday, Oct. 2. The PSAT test costs $16. Test day is on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 8 a.m. in the middle school cafeteria. Students receive a student guide when they sign up with the test information, test taking advice and tips and an official practice test. Sign up early and prepare for the test!