the 411 issue 170_april 2013.pdf

7/28/2019 The 411 Issue 170_April 2013.pdf

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Your informaon source

The 411April 12, 2013

PascoSch

oolDistrict

EmployeeN

ewsletter

Pungstuden

tsfirsttomakelearninglastalifem

e.

Celebrangacademics,

diversity,

andinnovaon.

From the Superintendent

I have spent a year in Florida this week. Before you jump to conclusions, I am not on an extended

vacation. Late last week we received word that my husbands younger brother, Jack, was just days,

and maybe hours, from passing away. The brothers live in Everglades City, aka Nowhere, Florid

at the end of the world literally in the Everglades. We caught a flight and got to Hospice at mid-

night Sunday night. He knew us and we were able to soothe him somewhat. He died the next day.

Death is a fact of life and something we all have to deal with at some point. But even when you

know it is imminent, death is never easy. Have we said everything that is in our hearts? This one

has been particularly difficult for our family. Jack was one of the smartest people I know and like

many smart people he was creative and very funny. His one-liners and imaginative stories are leg-

endary in the family and in this part of Florida. You were never quite sure which parts were true

and which were made up, but you always laughed and shook your head. My brother-in-law alsostruggled all of his life with addiction.

Its a mixed bag of emotions losing someone who made decisions that hastened his own death. I am

angry at him for putting his family through this. I am so sad for his son and his siblings who are lef

behind to deal with the messes he created. I am perplexed by this life so unfulfilled yet so valued.

Jack wanted a party for his friends and family after he was gone, probably an apt send-off for him.

The day started at 89 degrees with a tropical downpour. The huge tent we put up outside started tocollapse from the rain before the party started. Not a good omen. The sun finally came out, but it

stayed very hot, humid and bug infested the whole day. But people came from far and wide and

talked about Jack, his quirkiness, his humor, his addictions with love and respect. We all laughed

and cried together about a valued life, valued even though he would never have been named citizen

-of-the-year.

They call my husband Bill the white sheep of the family and it is not a compliment. Dysfunction

is the norm here and living with integrity is looked down upon. My struggle is honoring the family

from which he came in spite of not understanding it. Bill might have written the same life story for

himself. He was raised in the same environment. While Bill became a noted scientist his brother

slipped into quite a different world. What sent two brothers on such divergent paths?

Some time back I shared with you that my husband had written a letter to a teacher who had in-

spired him and he received a reply. Although in her advanced years, she had remembered Bill. I

wonder if she was the one, or if it was a series of teachers just like her who helped open Bills eyes

to his possibilities and potential.

Then I think about our students. I wonder how many are living with someone whose addiction neg-

atively impacts their lifeor how many might be experimenting with substances that will ultimate

ly lead them down a path of destruction. It breaks my heart.

We cant control the choices of others, but we can constantly point out the path to success. I know

that so many of you are that inspiring adult to our students. You will be the one that makes a posi-

tive and lasting change. And perhaps your care, your attention, your encouragement will be the dif-

ference that helps a young person become a scientist, an engineer, a doctor, or just a functioning

member of society who made a choice to live a fulfilling life.

I cant wait to get home to Pasco.

On Loss and Divergent Paths...

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Around the District

Things are about to get greener in Pasco.Not only because its spring, but becausePasco School District is ex-panding recycling, with thehelp of Basin Disposal Inc.(BDI).

New co-mingled recyclingcontainers have been placedat Chiawana and Pasco highschools, Stevens MiddleSchool, Whittier and Robin-

son elementary schools and at the C.L.Booth Building. Co-mingled recyclingallows all kinds of recyclable materials,with the exception of glass, to bethrown in one container. The contentsof the containers are compacted intobales and then shipped to Tacoma orPortland for automated sorting saysDirector of Support Services RandyNunamaker.

Initially the program will have little ef-fect on the bottom line. All the items

that are being co-mingled wont go intothe current refuse bins, so that will re-

duce the amount of garbagebeing picked up (by BDI), saysNunamaker. It could poten-tially be a positive gain finan-cially, but we will have to mon-itor it over time to see.

The District also continues toprovide community recyclingbins, thanks to a partnership

with the City of Pasco, at McLoughlin,Ochoa and Stevens middle schools, atRobinson and Angelou elementaryschools, at Edgar Brown Stadium, andon District property at Road 48 andCourt Street.

Students will learn from and participatein the recycling process. Basin Disposalhas had kids out for field trips, saysNunamaker. We are teaching our stu-dents to be environmentally consciousand modeling that behavior through this

program. It also ties nicely into our pestmanagement program.

Pasco was the first school district inEastern Washington to earn an Inte-grated Pest Management (IPM) StarDesignation from the IPM Institute ofNorth America, which stresses the useof active, non-chemical control of pestswhen possible. The lengthy certificationprocess began in 2008 under the guid-ance of Supervisor of Maintenance and

Custodial Roy McCoskey, who hassince gone on to share his expertise atthe recent IMP Institute of North Amer-ica regional conference. McCoskey hassince been invited to share the Pascostory at the state conference.

The District practices good steward-ship with taxpayer dollars and works asefficiently as possible, says Nunamaker.In recent years we have made severalefforts to be good partners in keepingour environment healthy.

Expanded District Recycling Program Teaches Environmental Lessons By Example

Cal Bacon Awarded Hispanic Chambers Lifetime Achievement Recognition

The Pasco School District is proudto announce Assistant Superinten-dent Cal Bacon has been awardedthe 2013 Tri-Cities HispanicChamber of Commerce Lifetime

Achievement Recognition for herleadership and dedication to Lati-no students and families.

Each year the Tri-Cities HispanicChamber of Commerce hosts aGala and Awards Ceremony. Thisevent serves as an opportunity torecognize and publically thankthose who work to make our com-munity a better place to live. Ba-con will be formally recognized atthe gala on April 20.

Secretary Adela Zamora, who hasworked beside Bacon for the last18 years, recalls a quote by Confu-cius: Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. That isCals life, says Zamora. She gives her heart for all children,she leads by example; there is no selfishness.

Bacon has been with the Pasco School District since 1983and immediately established herself as a teacher-leader.She taught at Edwin Markham Elementary before movingto Mark Twain Elementary in 1990, where she served as a

teacher and assistant principal before be-coming principal in 1997. As Twain princi-pal she led her school to a $10,000 StateHispanic achievement award.

Bacon moved into the District office in

2003 as the Director of Teaching andLearning. Today she serves as AssistantSuperintendent of Teaching and Learning,supervising 12 elementary schools, elemen-tary principals, special education, K-12nurses, K-12 counselors, Visual and Per-forming Arts, as well as school improve-ment for elementary schools.

In every area, with every task and everyturn Bacon has provided extraordinaryleadership. All 12 Pasco elementary schoolsmade significant gains in one or more areasof the Measurement of Student Progressand ALL are up in math with help from heroutstanding leadership.

After a stellar 30 year career as a teacher, principal and ad-ministrator in the Pasco School District, Bacon will be re-tiring in June. It is fitting that our community recognizesher for everything she has done for the children and fami-lies of Pasco.

Congratulations Cal!

Assistant Superintendent Cal Bacon receivesnews of her award during a special gathering

with colleagues in the board room Thursday.

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Employee Feature

Cougars! Mice! Horses! Spiders!Polar bears! Students in AngelaJohnsons fourth grade class at An-gelou Elementary cant wait to tellabout the animals theyve chosen to

research and teach their peersabout.

Choice is the most importantthing, says Johnson. They reallyget involved when they read andwrite about things that matter tothem.

Throughout the year, Johnson hasempowered her students to choosetheir own topics of interest in orderto create student-led lessons whichengage and motivate. The project is thebasis for her masters thesis, which shepresented successfully at WSU Tri-Cities on April 9.

By empowering one student at a timeto be the leader of the classroom forthat lesson or day, teachers encouragestudents to express their ideas and tapinto their background knowledge,says Johnson. While studies havebeen conducted on the difference be-

tween motivation and engagement inclassroom activities, my aim was tolook at how both are affected by stu-dent involvement strategies based onhaving the students design their ownlessons.

Her project provides specific ways totap into ELL students backgroundexperiences and involve those experi-ences in the overall teaching process.Johnson, whose native language is Por-

tuguese, says about one third of herstudents are English LanguageLearners who need different formsof support for learning than theirEnglish speaking peers.

She chose to visit the homes of twoELL students, Naomi and Ceasar, inorder to learn more about theirfunds of knowledge, or theknowledge kids gain from theirfamily and personal backgrounds.

She discovered, for example, thatCeasar lived on a farm, whichhelped explain his love of animals.By observing his home environ-ment, meeting his family, and dis-

cussing with them his home literacypractices, Johnson could better bridgehis funds of knowledge in the class-room.

Ceasar created a reading and writinglesson for the class on cars, another ofhis favorite things, while Naomi de-signed a science lesson on animals forsecond graders.

Cheetahs! Pandas! Lions! Naomisclassmates broke up into groups of

Drawing On Student Funds of Knowledge Makes for Rich Classroom Experience

Angela Johnson is pictured with her students Naomi

and Ceasar, who each created lessons for their peers

in their fourth grade class at Angelou Elementary.

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Angela Johnson and her students show off learning materials from the projects theyve taught to, or learned from, fellow classmates this year.


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411 Highlightsthree or four and decided which ani-mal they wanted to focus on. They re-searched the animals eating habits,physical make-up, and habitat, thenused graphic organizers, index cardsand photos to create visual presenta-tions for their younger peers in AprilMarones second grade class.

My students were really engrossed inthe presentations, says Marone. Mrs.Johnsons students really knew theirtopics well. It really motivated my stu-dents and helped them see what theupper grades are learning about andwhat to expect.

Johnson was very purposeful aboutconnecting the student projects to theGrade Level Expectations (GLEs) for

language arts, social studies, and sci-ence. She encouraged all of her stu-dents to turn their ideas into class-wide lessons. Students had to submitan official proposal with the name ofthe topic and activity, a detailed de-scription of the procedures involved,classroom management rules, and adiagram of how they would organizethe student groups.

One student, Morgan, designed a les-

son on trees. Her idea was inspired byhaving a cousin named Aspen, shesays, as well her familys recent tripthrough Californias impressive red-wood forests. I was amazed at howtrees could live so long, she says.

Other student proposals included thetopics of sports, cross cultural holidaycelebrations, dogs, poetry, and friend-

ship. One student, Kobe, presented alesson on professional basketball.

It really shows students taking re-sponsibility for their own learning,says Angelou Principal LeAnnNunamaker, who has been very sup-portive of the project.

Morgan shows off materials from her lesson on trees.

Photo FeatureTwain Elementary School employees and students

wrapped up their annualArts and More program on

March 27. This year, for an hour each Wednesday, stu-

dents enjoyed enhancement activities such as clown-

ing, rocket building, mural painting, square dancing,

and hip-hop dancing.

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411 Highlights

Teams Sought for Robinson Scholarship Golf TournamentSince 2006, the Virgie Robinson MemorialScholarship committee has awarded scholar-ships to Pascos graduating seniors. In an ef-fort to continue Virgie Robinsons legacy as abeloved volunteer, wife, mother, and profes-sional who was passionate about education,the Robinson family is hosting the Virgie Rob-inson Charity Golf Tournament on April 20 atSun Willows golf course in Pasco. Registra-

tion starts at noon and tee off is at 1 p.m. Pro-ceeds support the scholarship fund.

The cost is $100 per player for a team of four.A variety of tournament sponsorship opportu-nities are also available. Go towww.vmrscholarships.orgto learn more, or stopby Public Affairs for a copy of the registrationform.

Pictured, from left to right, are:

Pasco High School Staff, Students Run Away From Drugs

Pasco High School employees joined students for the schools inau-gural Run Away From Drugs 5k Run/Walk event on March 23.

The event was organized by members of Pasco High SchoolS.T.A.N.D. (Students Taking Action Not Drugs) Club with the helpof club advisor Perla Fletes, a PHS prevention and intervention spe-cialist. The club hopes to raise awareness and start a school-wide

conversation about the effects of drug abuse.

The event took place at the Tri- Cities International Cross CountryCourse. Although there was frost on our cars, spirits were high. Wehad more than 50 participants and a number of volunteers whomade this event possible, says Fletes.

Special thanks goes to event sponsors American West Bank andBroetje Orchards, as well as community volunteers Dale Fuller, JesseLane, Katelynn Lane and PHS staff members Maria Betancourt, JanaNuez, and Heidi Berry for their help in making the event a success.

Pasco High School counselor Wade Barrow, right, was among the top ten finishers.

Pasco High School teacher and coach Dustin Lamb and

Student Achievement Specialist Maria Betancourt were the

first and second place one-mile runners.

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411 HighlightsIn the Heights Resonates with Pasco High School Performers

Pasco High School is proud to present In theHeights April 25-27 and May 2-3 at 7 p.m. in thePasco High School Auditorium.

The play features an ensemble cast that chroniclesthree days in the tight-knit and largely Dominican-

American community of Washington Heights, NY. Bode-ga owner Usnavi longs to returnto the Dominican Republic, theplace he was born but cannotremember.

We chose this play largely be-cause of the subject matter, saysProducer Robert Dennis, PascoHigh School teacher and directorof the 10th Avenue Singers. Theneighborhood where the play isset is populated by first, secondand third generation Americanswho have strong ties to a placethat is far away and that theyhave never seen. This is the storyof bridging cultures; this is thestory of many of our students.

Dennis explains that while the themes may be somewhatheavy, they are wrapped in a lighthearted show full ofgreat music and dancing. The music is modern enoughthat the students really enjoy it, says Dennis. As a teach-er it is so neat to see the kids get it with any literature or

art; to see them get beyond the words to the emotion ofthe piece is so rewarding.

Pasco High will also be one of the first schools in thecounrty to perform the play. Amateur rights to the playjust became available on January 1, says Dennis. It willalso mark the first time in many years that Pasco HighSchool has produced a full-length musical.

The production features Franklin Castellanos (Usnavi),Carrie Nolan (Vanessa), Omar Spindola (Sonny), NaShonHill (Graffiti Pete), Bianca Navarete (Nina), Daniel Haug(Benny), Joanna Barajas (Daniela), Meagan Rocha (Carla),Oziel Lopez (Piragua Guy), among others, and the play is

directed by Tiffany Buissink, a long-term substitute inPHS English Department.

All of these characters are facinglife-altering situations and we getto watch them triumph and fail,succeed and stumble, and yet weare constantly rooting for theirevery move, says Buissink.

In the Heights was nominatedfor thirteen Tony Awards in 2008,winning four: Best Musical, BestOriginal Score, Best Choreogra-phy and Best Orchestrations. Itwas also nominated for the 2009Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Pre-sale tickets can be purchasedfrom student cast members orthrough the Pasco High School

choir office by calling 543-6770 ex 3702 or online atwww.PHSInTheHeights.com. Tickets are $8 in advanceor $10 at the door. Reserved seating is also available for$12 in advance or $15 at the door.

The play is recommended for middle school audiences and

older. The themes are a little deep to hold the interest oflittle ones, explains Dennis.

Join the students of PHS, In the Heightswhere the cof-fee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the win-dows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythmof three generations of music.

Robinson Xylophone Students, Program Featured in National Music Education Magazin

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Congratulations Robin-son Elementary music

program! Robinson stu-dents were featured inthe May/June 2013 issueof Music K-8, a nationallydistributed resource forelementary and middleschool music teachers.Robinson music teacherMarlene Meyer submitted a photo of her students playing xylo-phones decorated in jungle patterns as they played The Lion SleepsTonight as a creative idea readers could emulate. Meyers submissionwas the only one published from the West Coast, she says.


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Around the District

U P C OM I N G E VE N T S

Board Notes04-09-13

The flag salute waspresented by OchoaMiddle School studentsaccompanied byPrincipal JackieRamirez.

Ms. Sarah Thorntongive first readingPolicy 7260: Gifts.

Ms. Kathy Haydengave a report on

Literacy Initiative.

Ms. Cal Bacon and

Ms. Glenda Cloudgave a report onSummer School Plan.

Ms. Sarah Thorntongave a CharterSchools Law PlanUpdate.

The consent agenda wasapproved with thefollowing: Personnel;Warrant Report;

Second Reading Policy3610, Child Custody;

EducationalSpecifications for DeltaHigh School; 2013-2016E-Rate TechnologyPlan; Acceptance of E-Rate Funds for NetworkUpgrades; andOvernight StudentTravelChiawana HighSchool Band to Tacomaand Mercer Island, WA.

April 14-20: EnvironmentalEducation Week

Register to participate atwww.eeweek.org/

April 17: Delta High SchoolPrincipal Candidate Meet andGreet, 4-5:30 p.m. at Delta HighSchool.

April 18:Chiawana HighSchoolInternationalNight, 6-8 p.m.

April 20: Grand Opening of Mid-Columbia Libraries West PascoBranch, 10 a.m.-noon, 7525Wrigley Drive

April 22: Earth Day

April 23: Board of DirectorsMeeting, 6:30 p.m. at BoothBuilding.

April 27: Dia de los Nios/ Dia

de los Libros, ChildrensDay/Book Day, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.at Pasco Memorial Park.

Proud Sponsor of The 411 Prize

Read the 411 and win! Look for the prize question in your

mailbox soon and be eligible to win.Support Pasco students!

The annual HAAP Awards

ceremony takes places

Sunday, May 5 at 6 p.m. atthe TRAC in Pasco.

The annual AAASScholarship Awards takeplace Sunday, May 19 from

2:00-5:00 p.m. at the Pasco

High School student mall.

SAVE THE DATE

Congratulations to Chess 1st grade teacher CarmenRivas for correctly answering the 411 Prize Question:Paul Fraser and Chip Elfering of Ochoa Middle School wereawarded the 2013 Mid-Columbia STEM Educator Award. Car-menwon a cake and piata courtesy of Fiesta Foods.

Read the 411 and watch your email to qualify for thenext prize, five general admission tickets to Shrine Circus.

The 411 Prize GiveawayRead The 411 and Win!April is Earth Month


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the 411 issue 170_april 2013.pdf

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