DISTRICT
All schools and the district office are closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11, in honor of Veterans Day. We thank the men and women in the service of their country for their dedication to our nation’s freedom.
A reception is planned for Monday, Nov. 16, at 5:30 p.m. in the boardroom before the regular board meeting begins at 6 p.m. We wish to pay tribute to board directors Walter Johnson, John Bridge and Heather Jeffers, who are coming off the board, for their service to our district. Please join us for light refreshments. We wish to extend a special invitation to all past Sequim School District board members to come and be recognized.
The Sequim School District is conducting a Comprehensive Needs Assessment to gather parent and community feedback about district operations and initiatives. The survey responses are anonymous and inform our planning efforts as well as help us meet state and federal compliance requirements.
You may go online to www.surveymonkey.com/r/CNANewsNov15 to complete the survey or paper copies are available at each of the Sequim schools, the district office and the Sequim Library. Complete only one survey per household.
The window to submit your Comprehensive Needs Assessment is Nov. 2-20. If you have questions, contact Assistant Superintendent Ann Renker at arenker@sequim.k12.wa.us, or call 582-3268.
GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
As part of Operation Gratitude, students, along with the PTA, collected wrapped candy and hand-made missives during the week of Nov. 2-6. These will be packaged up and sent to troops overseas for the holidays. A special thanks goes to FedEx for covering shipping costs on this project! For more information about this project, contact PTA President Dede Bessey at greywolfpta@gmail.com.
A reading tutor training session is offered for Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Room 142. Our WA Reading Corps members Lauren Best and Kim Dodson will provide this initial training.
Come learn about the 3 P’s of tutoring and how to successfully help our readers grow! Call 582-3300 and ask to speak with one of our WA Reading Corps members for more information.
Check out our annual book fair during the week of Nov. 16-22. This event is the biggest fundraiser for our library and provides an excellent shopping opportunity for upcoming holidays! Hours of operation are 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday during the Holiday Bazaar.
HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Soroptimist International of Sequim is supporting our school’s reading program through a book club with fourth-grade girls and with a generous financial contribution to the school’s literacy program. On Nov. 2, Elaine Churchhill, book club leader for the Soroptimist organization, presented a check for $500 to Sheri Kruckeberg, school librarian.
The money will be used to purchase books written for fourth- and fifth-grade girls.
Betsy Smith, the school’s literacy specialist, organized the book club. She says she always appreciates community support for our young readers, whether financial donations or volunteer time. She especially appreciates the efforts of Soroptimists to keep young girls engaged in learning!
OLYMPIC PENINSULA ACADEMY
Students in Brian Berg’s science classes are participating in a citizen science initiative called the Olympic Mountain Experiment (OLYMPEX), a ground validation field campaign designed to verify and validate satellite measurement of precipitation from the constellation of satellites known as the Global Precipitation Measurement. Students will make daily rain gauge measurements and enter data on the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (www.cocorahs.org).
The intensive observing period will be from November 2015 through February 2016.
Read more about it at olympex.atmos.washington.edu/.
SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL
Winter sports practices begin Nov. 16. Winter sports include boys basketball, girls basketball, bowling, boys swim/dive and wrestling.
There will be a Turkey Shoot sponsored by the Future Farmers of America on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Port Angeles Gun Club at 10 a.m. for registration and shoot. Cost is $25 for two lines and three games or $5 for each line and each game. Lunch will be available for $4. RSVP to Ag Science instructor and FFA advisor Steve Mahitka at smahitka@sequim.k12.kwa.us, or Tony Cibene at tcibene2000@gmail.com.
Congratulations to the following students for being accepted into the Washington All-State Choir this year: Abby Norman (Alto 2), Victoria Hall (Alto 1), Nicholas Fazio (Tenor 2), Colleen Carpenter (Soprano 1), Hayden James (Tenor 2), Eric Hermosada (Tenor 1), Joey Oliver (Tenor 1), Ryan Macedo (Bass 2), Tomi Wilson (Alto 2), Waverly Shreffler (Alto 2), Ian Houghton (Bass 2) and Wendall Lorenzen (Bass 1).
The choir program is led by John Lorentzen.
