SEQUIM SCHOOL DISTRICT
_ The district mailed its Feb. 9 school levy fact sheet home on Jan. 15. If you did not receive one at your residence, call 582-3264 or you may view it online at www.sequim.k12.wa.us. Click on the Levy Info button in the left margin, then click on School Levy Fact Sheet.
_ Special programs: Jada Jack, the occupational therapist at Greywolf, Sequim Middle School and Sequim High School, has an article published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapist. The article in the January/February 2010 issue is entitled, “Documenting Progress: Hand Therapy Treatment Shift from Biomechanical to Occupational Adaptation.” This is quite an honor for her and we are very proud of her accomplishment.
– Shelley Langston, special education director
GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Greywolf Mathletes will begin practice for Math Olympiad in February in the school library. The Washington State Math Olympiad for grades five-eight is a statewide team-based competition where each team competes against itself to gain as many points as possible.
Teams are recognized for having achieved at the levels superior, excellent, very good or good in each of six components – a long session problem and five short session problems – in the content areas of number sense, probability and statistics, measurement, geometric sense and algebraic sense. A record of each team’s achievement is recorded on a Math Olympiad certificate.
Teams take home with them contest memorabilia, their team certificate, their work for later review and results for the site where they competed. For more information, call coach Sue Park at 582-3351.
– Sue Park, teacher
HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
_ Helen Haller Elementary students are selling Douglas-fir seedlings (donated by Weyerhaeuser Company) to raise funds to help out the children of Haiti. Seedlings will be available at Haller’s annual family fun festival to be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6. A suggested donation of $5 per 10 seedlings is requested. Thanks for helping us help our kids learn to give to others in need.
– Diana Young, PTO member
_ The family fun festival is 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. Helen Haller Elementary will be buzzing with activity, including games, crafts, activities, food, bounce house, raffle and a silent auction. We hope you will be able to join us for this fun-filled day.
– Debbie Buchillo, secretary
HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Here are more Diamonte poems from students in Claire Hallinan’s third-grade class. The form looks like a diamond. Students studied nouns, synonyms, adjectives, -ing ending words to express a winter theme.
Ice
Frozen, cold
Skating, slipping, gliding
Covering water on lakes
Melting, shining, delighting
Hard, crusty
Crystals
– Arlene Law
Snow
Big, white
Snowboarding, falling, fighting
Flakes, hockey, blizzard, freeze
Playing, skiing, licking
Small, cold
Ice.
– Hunter Perdue
Snow
Frozen, white
Sparkling, falling, drifting
Snowballs, ice, snowman, snow cone
Skating, sliding, sticking
Beautiful, cold
Snowflake.
– Saige Turner
Snow
Slushy, frosty
Sledding, snowboarding, sparkling
Falling from the sky
Sliding, gliding, skating
Crusty, slippery
Ice
– Chris Haman
Snow
Cold, soft
Sledding, snowboarding, skiing
Falling from the sky
Skating, bobsledding, tubing
Shining, sparkling
Crystals
– Kyle Morton
Day
Light, sunny
Playing, yelling, eating
Sun appears, moon’s up
Reading, sleeping, resting
Dark, quiet
Night.
– Johnnie Young
Snowman
Handsome, cold
Playing, laughing, skipping
Happily smiling at me
Running, walking, dancing
Large, loved
Friend.
– Allison Van de Wege
Rain
Wet, cold
Hailing, falling, splashing
Dirty puddles, white avalanches
Sledding, snowboarding, skating
Freezing, soft
Snow.
– Caiton Smith
Olympics
Winter fun
Snowboarding, ice skating, skiing
An Ancient Greek festival
Sliding, snow surfing, jumping
Awesome, serious
Sports.
– Robby Streett
Snowflakes
White, cold
Falling,
Whirling, crunching
Ice on the pond
Melting, piling, freezing
Sparkling, sinking
Snow
– Brook Meyer
Crystals
Pretty, Sparkly
Shining, chanting, lighting
Falling from the sky
Holding floating, moving
White, different
Snowflake
– Madison Nute
Snow
White, Cold
Falling, freezing, melting
Balls, forts, water, shiny
Throwing, building, fighting
Clear, hard
Ice
– Elijah Welch
Ice
Cold, hard
Sliding, skating, slipping
Smash, crack, break, puddle
Delighting, skiing, sledding
White, cold
Crystal
– Keeshawn Whitney
SEQUIM MIDDLE SCHOOL
_ For the past three school weeks, the students in Joe Landoni’s seventh-grade science classes have been intensively investigating earthquakes as part of their study of catastrophic events. An unfortunate coincidence occurred when, just as the students were using Slinkys to model the P and S wave motion released during an earthquake, real P and S waves were devastating Haiti.
During a discussion the next day of the haunting images seen on TV coverage from the night before, students wondered what they could do to help. How about a food drive? What about a blanket collection? It ultimately was decided to take up a collection of money to donate to a Haitian relief fund.
Over the course of four days, coins, bills and a check poured into a 1-liter graduated cylinder. All totaled, the seventh-graders ended up raising more than $120 to send to the humanitarian relief agency World Vision. Spontaneous generosity, benevolence and care for fellow humans in crisis are indeed alive and well among the youths of Sequim
– Joe Landoni, teacher
_ Sequim Middle School’s technology classes are using Lego Robotics and Snap Circuits. In addition to the existing curriculum that includes projects such as digital photography, video game design, 2-D animation, and 3-D modeling, we have added Lego Robotics and Snap Circuits Electronics. The Lego Robotics kits allow students to explore the field of robotics and programming.
The robots are programmed through software called Robolab and can perform tasks such as finding their way around the perimeter of a room or searching for the brightest area of a room. The main brain of the robot is called the “RCX Brick” and communicates to the computer through an infrared tower.
The newly acquired Snap Circuit kits allow students to build a variety of electronic experiments ranging from creating a Morse code generator, building the RC Rover Car, and even alternative energy projects that can harness solar, wind and hand-crank energy.
Students are excited at these new opportunities to experience projects that are fun, interactive and relate to the world of today as well as the future.
– Caleb Gentry, teacher
SEQUIM COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Here’s what’s going on at First Teacher:
Monday, Feb. 1 – Reading Time with Sequim School District Superintendent Bill Bentley at 10:30 a.m. Each child attending Reading Time receives a free book. Don’t forget to fill out entry slips every time you read to your children and drop the slips into the Bookworm Reading Contest drawing box in the First Teacher room. Drawings for books and prizes will be Feb. 8. The Clallam County Literacy Council sponsors this event.
Tuesday, Feb. 2 – Women, Infants and Children is set up in the First Teacher room from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information about the WIC program, contact Pam Walker at 417-2275.
Wednesday, Feb. 3 – Kids Craft at 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, Feb. 4 – Parent Connection with Nicole Brewer at 10 a.m. Come meet other parents and talk about parenting topics while your children play together. For more information about Parent Connection, contact Brewer at 461-9992.
Friday, Feb. 5 – Kindermusik demonstration by Carry Madison from Aspire Academy at 10:30 a.m.. Parents and children have fun with this musical, interactive play session.
The First Teacher Room 4W is in Sequim Community School, 220 W. Alder St. Drop-in times are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. There is no charge to visit the room. Parents can check books out of the parenting library and children can enjoy the playroom and playground. Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter with parenting tips and information about local resources for families. For more information on the First Teacher program, call 582-3428 or 681-2250.
– Patsene Dashiell, First Teacher events coordinator
Block Fest is in Sequim on Thursday, March 25. Block Fest is an indoor educational play opportunity for children ages 8 months to 8 years old and their parents, using different sizes and types of building blocks. There are five different stations to experience during the hourlong session. Block Fest will be at Sequim Community School, 220 W. Alder St., either in the gym or the commons. There will be three 50-minute sessions offered: 10:30-11:20 a.m., 2-2:50 p.m. and 3:30-4:20 p.m. This activity is free. A parent must accompany children.
Interested parents should call 582-3428 or 681-2250 to reserve a spot. Block play helps children develop early math, science and literacy skills. Early learning helps prepare children for success in school and life.
If you are interested in participating in the Block Fest event as a facilitator, there will be a training session from 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, at the Sequim Library. Contact Patsene Dashiell at 582-3428 if you are interested in helping at Block Fest. Here’s a link that tells more about the Block Fest concept: http://www.blockfestwa.org/.
SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL
_ Our Athletes of the Month for December are Haleigh Harrison for girls basketball and Dakota Hinton for wrestling. Congratulations!
– Dave Ditlefsen, athletic director
_ The Sequim High School talent show auditions are at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, in the auditorium. A meeting for those wanting to help back stage or to run lights will be at 3:30 p.m. on the same day in the auditorium. It is open to all high school students, their parents and staff. The shows will be at 7 p.m. March 19-20.
– Dave Toman, coordinator
_ The deadline for a senior/parent ad in the 2010 yearbook is Jan. 29. The cost for an ad is $50. Please bring in a picture of your senior student (any age is acceptable) and a short personal message to your student.
– Lora Millet, secretary
_ The Sequim High School Environmental Club sponsored a day of service in the school’s native plant garden. About 20 students and six adults, including school board member Virginia O’Neil, transformed the garden from a weed-infested patch to a beautiful garden and outdoor classroom. The entire garden was weeded, several native plants were planted and the garden was mulched. Thanks to all those who participated and a special thanks to Cascade Bark for its donation of mulch and to Blake Sand and Gravel for its donation of decorative garden rocks.
– Dave Ketter, teacher
_ The high school ceramics class has been involved in a couple of fun events this semester. First, artist Rudi Bauer came to class to demonstrate throwing on the potters wheel. He also discussed his experiences in being a working artist and explained the challenges and joys of making a living creating artwork. Many students took advantage of this experience and had a chance to try throwing on the potters wheel.
Additionally, students from spring and fall ceramics classes worked on producing bowls for a nationwide, charitable effort known as the Empty Bowls Project. Artists nationwide have coordinated events in their local communities to create ceramic bowls and then sell them to raise monies for their local food banks. Sequim High School beginning ceramics students created hand-built bowls to be sold at a local soup feed at the end of this year. However, many of the bowls have been displayed and sold recently during a collaboration with the high school cooking class. At semester end, the cooking class held a luncheon for the high school staff where cooking students made dishes and demonstrated their cooking skills. During the two-day event, the bowls were displayed and were available for donation purchase. Several hundred dollars were raised for the local food bank. The remaining bowls are available through the high school ceramics program and can be purchased throughout the year on Wednesdays after school (during Art Club, 3-5 p.m., Room C-1). The soup feed is scheduled for near the end of the school year.
– Jake Reichner, teacher
