DISTRICT

There is no school on Monday, Jan. 18, in honor of Martin Luther King Day. The district office will be closed as well.

The next school board meeting is at 6 p.m. Jan. 19, in the boardroom. Normally, board meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of each month, but because of the MLK Day holiday on Jan. 18, the board scheduled its second January meeting on Jan. 19. An agenda is available on the district website under Board of Directors. The public is encouraged to attend and time is set aside at each meeting for public comment. For more information, contact Marilyn Walsh at mwalsh@sequim.k12.wa.us or 582-3262.

Sequim High School cheerleaders will host a 2016 Youth Cheer Leadership Camp from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 23, in the Helen Haller Elementary School cafeteria, 350 W. Fir St. Children from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade are welcome. Cost is $20 per participant and payment will be accepted at the door. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Participants should bring a water bottle and a small snack and should wear comfortable clothing and athletic shoes. The camp also includes an optional performance date on Tuesday, Jan. 26, during half-time of the Sequim High School girls’ varsity basketball game, starting at 7 p.m. at the high school gym. The cost of the camp includes entry into the basketball game for the participant only.

Admission for friends and family on game day is $6 for adults/students without an ASB card, $4 for senior citizens/students with an ASB card or $16 for a one-time family pass. Tickets will be on sale at the game. For more information, contact SHS head cheer coach Julie Romberg at jromberg@sequim.k12.wa.us.

HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Kaylee Kinsey’s second-graders wrote New Year’s resolutions and goals in class this week. Here are samplings of their writings:

My New Year’s Resolution is to do more art in the classroom! Kaylee Kinsey, teacher

I will turn in my homework every day. I want to be a better soccer player so I can be a professional soccer player. That is my New Year’s Resolution. Ryan Spelker, age 7

I want to get better at being good with my little sister. Ashton Reichner, age 7

My New Year’s Resolution is to save money so that I can buy a new house. Jaydan Simmons, age 8

My goal is to save money so that we can get stuff for my parents. Katelynn Sharpe, age 8

I will read every day and night before I go to bed. I will do my homework every night before I go to bed. Oh, and I want to be a better student in class. Hailey Buckla, age 8

My goal in 2016 is to do my homework every night and read. Abraham Herrera, age 8

To get better at reading. I chose it because I want to get better and I love to read! Also turn in my homework! Keylee Disinski, age 7

My New Year’s Resolution is to save money. Get better at soccer so I can play for the Sounders. Cooper Sharpe, age 8

SEQUIM MIDDLE SCHOOL

In anticipation of the upcoming holiday honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., there will be an assembly devoted to Teaching Tolerance at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 15, in the gymnasium. The public is invited to attend. Visitors, please stop in at the main office and sign in before proceeding down the hall to the gymnasium.

Students in Debra Beckett’s Science and Engineering Class spent December collecting data to answer their Independent Science Project Questions or complete their Engineering Design Projects. There has been a flurry of activity to set up over 24 projects! The topics vary from determining if vitamin B affects the regeneration growth of flatworm Planarians (Paola Villegas) to how the pH of a substance affect its surface tension (Oscar Walchenbach).

Several projects focus on the topics of solar energy output (Gavin Conway, Alex Allen) and elastic potential under different conditions (Brenton Barnes, Jakob King, Dustan Koch). Some students have completed over 40 trials in order to arrive at valid results.

As the students finish up the analysis of their results, they will prepare a presentation for a round robin display in Ms. Beckett’s room during sixth period at 2 p.m. Jan. 20. All parents are invited and encouraged to attend!

SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL

It’s that time of the year again! As the end of the semester approaches, classroom-based assessments, more “affectionately” called CBAs, are on the rise in many classes at Sequim High School. Jack Webber’s fourth-period Honors World Studies class has just recently begun their CBA projects. Each student’s task is to write an informational essay and create an engaging presentation about a modern-day worldwide human or environmental issue (such as wildlife conservation, nuclear waste, air pollution, etc.) and brainstorm to find a possible solution for their issue.

Heidi Schmitt chose to do her CBA on the topic of invasive plants because “I see a lot of them, especially scotch broom, which is common around here. I’m actually allergic to it, and I know how dangerous it can be to the environment and people, including myself.”

Damon Little says, “I chose climate change because it affects America and its peoples, along with many other cultures.”

Arlene Law chose the topic of light pollution “because it’s a growing issue,” and Connor Martin chose population growth because he has “strong opinions about our population on Earth.”

Though students are definitely excited about their topics, there are mixed feelings on the actual work that must be put into the CBAs to make them successful.

When asked what they thought about CBAs, Matthew Hurn opined, “Well, they stink!” and Alyssa Lowe–Little said, “I would prefer to not do CBAs ever,” while Bailey Cauffman said, “They’re generally pretty easy.”

Mr. Webber states he enjoys CBAs because “they’re performance-based rather than just factual-based. They allow students to show a broad range of skills instead of taking a quick test. I like the fact that they’re working on the skills to research, organize and present. Plus, it’s fun.”

So although CBAs are a lot of work, it pays off in the end, and, who knows? Maybe one of us will be the next great mind who finds a solution to ozone depletion or even poverty.

— Report by Kaitlyn Viada, ninth grade