your evergreen schools - february 2013

February 2013

Vol 36 No 2

13501 NE 28th St., P.O. Box 8910, Vancouver, WA 98668 | P 360.604.4088 | F 360.892.5307 | www.evergreenps.org

YourEvErgrEEn

SchoolS

Evergreen School District #11413501 nE 28th St.P.O. Box 8910vancouver, WA 98668-8910

ECrWSSrESIDEnTIAL CUSTOMEr

Evergreen Public Schools is committed to using resources wisely – including the dollars allocated to communicate with the public. Periodically we solicit new bids and this year we found a new printer that will print this publication at a cost lower than what we were previously paying. One way we are able to keep the costs down is by printing this job on a press that prints in full color, thus the color photos.

new look for Your Evergreen Schools

I n anticipation of the opening of Evergreen Public Schools’ new Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience

High School next fall, the school district is partnering with the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, Evergreen School District Foundation and other organizations on a community-wide reading of the book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot.

Free copies of the book will be available, beginning March 1, at the Cascade Park Community Library, the Vancouver Community Library (downtown) and the following schools, in the main office: Evergreen,

Heritage, Mountain View and Union High Schools, and Cascade, Covington, Frontier, Pacific, Shahala and Wy’east Middle Schools. The books are being purchased and provided by the Evergreen School District Foundation and private donations.

The first community discussion of the book will take place Wednesday, March 20 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room at Cascade Park Community Library. Other events are in the planning stage and will occur throughout the spring and early summer.

“It is our hope that after reading the book and participating in one of the discussions or events, local

residents will understand why the Evergreen Public Schools’ Board of Directors chose to name the new school after an unknown African American woman who died more than 60 years ago on the other side of the country,” said Carol Fenstermacher, Evergreen Public Schools’ Director of Community Relations.

“While the cells, known as HeLa cells, named for Lacks have been unknown to the general public, Henrietta Lacks’ contribution to science has touched almost every human being on this planet,” said Fenstermacher.

C o m m u n i t y C o n n e C t i o n s

Community-wide read brings Henrietta Lacks’ story to life

continued on page 6


Elementary students PAL-ing around with local policeMembers of the Police Activities League (PAL) bring books and more to local elementary schools

V ancouver Police officers, lead by Officer Brian Shaffer, are creating

a buzz with elementary school students. Each month, officers volunteer their own time as part of the Police Activity League (PAL) to visit second grade students, donating books for students to keep and giving tours of police vehicles.

Shaffer, who serves as the Student Resource Officer at Mountain View High School, said the program focuses on second grade students because they know how to read and are becoming enthusiastic about it.

“We’re encouraging kids to read by letting them pick a new book that they

can take home,” said Shaffer. “The kids all love to crawl through the police and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) vehicles, though.”

Generally, between six and eight law enforcement volunteers visit a school, dividing the second graders into two groups. Shaffer said he starts the visit by telling the students why he and the other officers have stopped by and explains the equipment police officers are required to carry with them.

“The kids really like the detailed explanation of our job. They always have a lot of great questions,” said Shaffer.

The students, though, aren’t the only enthusiastic ones when it comes to the PAL reading visits. Staff members think the visits are a great way to get students excited about reading.

“It’s like having a celebrity at the school that day,” said Mill Plain Elementary School Principal Karen Fox. “The kids get to see that adults in every avenue of life, not just a school setting, value reading and want them to be

lifelong readers.”Fox added that the visits were also

a great way for students to have a positive and personal interaction with the police, helping them feel like the police are available to help them.

Story time: Police Activities League volunteers read to second grade students and donate books for the students to take home with them. The visits are an effort to encourage students to read more.

PAL-ing around: Officers from the Police Activities League give second grade students a chance to get an up-close view of police vehicles during visits.

YOur evergreen SchOOlS

2 | February 2013 | Evergreen Public Schools

T ony Miles was only at Mountain View High School (MVHS) for a little more than a year

before being deployed to Afghanistan. Miles is a Lieutenant – and will be promoted to Lieutenant Commander in June – in the United States Naval Reserve.

MVHS Principal Mike Meloy said that, in his short time at the school, Miles had endeared himself to the students and staff. “We like to think that Mountain View has a family feel and Tony was definitely part of that family.”

Miles left for Afghanistan just before Veteran’s Day. He left a special treat behind for the students of MVHS. Despite being half a world away, Miles made an appearance as the keynote speaker at the school’s annual Veteran’s Day Assembly.

“Tony wasn’t sure where he’d be when the assembly happened, so he left the video behind for us to play,” said Meloy. “It was great that he was able

to call in over the phone after that and answer a couple of questions from the students.”

Miles told students what he’d be doing over the course of the next year and encouraged them to find a veteran and thank them for their service.

Since the assembly, Meloy said Miles has been anything but quiet from his home in Kabul, Afghanistan. Miles sends frequent emails outlining his daily duties, commenting on current events and even giving staff members a special holiday greeting.

“Tony likes to sing,” said Meloy. “He’s also extremely witty and he put both those traits on display with a really funny song about Afghanistan set to the tune of a popular Christmas song.”

Miles will return to Vancouver in October and

start working again in November, but it’s unclear at which school he’ll be placed. Meloy said there was no guarantee he’d be back at MVHS, but hopes that’s what happens.

“We’re just looking forward to having Tony back in the district. We’d love to have him come back to Mountain View, but any school in the district will benefit from having him as an administrator.”

F or the fourth consecutive year Dick Hannah Dealerships are giving local high school

students the chance to win a brand new car or $15,000.

The STRiVe 2 DRiVE Academic Initiative is open to any student who elevates their grade point average (GPA) by .5 between their first and second semester or attains a minimum GPA of 3.5 throughout the 2012-2013 school year is eligible to win.

“We want to provide an incentive for high school students to pay more attention in class,” said Paul

Dicker, Employee Corporate Benefits Program, Dick Hannah Dealerships and an Evergreen School District Foundation Board Member. “Our goal is to help create a better-educated workforce for the area, which increases the odds that businesses will locate or expand where an educated workforce is available.”

Beginning this month, students may register on line at www.dickhannah.com/Strive2Drive.

The drawing for all qualified entrants will be held Thursday, July 11, 2013, 6:30 p.m. at Washington State University Vancouver. The winner must be

present to win.

A m e s s A g e f r o m t h e s u p e r i n t e n d e n t

Safety of students is everyone’s job

John DeederSuperintendent

T he tragic shooting at Sandy Hook

Elementary School in Connecticut last December has caused almost every school across the country to evaluate their safety policies and procedures and to ask ‘could this happen at our school?’ Here in Evergreen Public Schools, safety is our top priority.

Throughout my 40 years of working in public education, I have found that most of the threats that are called into the school, written on a wall, or more recently posted on social media are not valid or credible. However, any time a threat is made, we do take it seriously and work closely with local law enforcement and the fire department. If we find that the person making the threat is a student, we will discipline that student, including filing criminal charges when warranted.

Staff throughout the district continually review

policies and work to improve preparations and responses to anything that might threaten student or staff safety. Safety measures include: monthly drills; requiring all visitors at schools to check in at the office; and instructing all security and building personnel to stop anyone they do not know, or suspended/expelled students, and escort them to the office. In addition, the district has a strict policy regarding weapons on school property. Possession of firearms of any kind will result in an automatic expulsion.

No safety system can completely prevent violent incidents, but in addition to the above-mentioned safety precautions, Evergreen Public Schools employs numerous strategies to reduce the potential for violence in our schools. Additional information on what the district is doing is available on our website at www.evergreenps.org

No matter how many things we put in place to protect our students and staff, we cannot do it alone. We need parents and community members to partner with us.

Parents can collaborate with school staff to help create safe schools by:

Learning about the programs available regarding • proper school behavior, getting along with others, positive ways of expression and understanding racial and cultural differences.

Consulting with the school about district and • community resources for at-risk youths and family dispute resolution, intervention, and counseling.

Reviewing bulletins from your child’s school • that give directions on what you should do if an emergency occurs at school.

Familiarizing yourself with your child’s school • lockdown and parent reunification procedures.

Community members who don’t currently have children in our schools can also help by being observant. If you are around one of our schools and something or someone looks suspicious, contact the school district, the Vancouver Police Department or the Clark County Sheriff.

Working together, we can provide a safe environment for all our students to learn the skills necessary to be world-competitive upon graduation.

Q u A l i t y e d u C A t i o n

Mountain view administrator on tour of dutyAssociate Principal Tony Miles is currently serving

in Afghanistan, but is staying in touch with the students and staff at Mountain View High School

Miles apart: Mountain view High School Associate Principal Tony Miles is currently deployed in Afghanistan with the United States naval reserve.


STrivE 2 DrivE initiative encourages high school students to succeed academically


Evergreen Public Schools | February 2013 | 3

S tarting with the 2010-2011 school year, the College, Career and Technical Education

(CCTE) department of Evergreen Public Schools began offering a unique course at Evergreen High School (EHS) and Mountain View High School (MVHS). The Math in Construction program gave students the opportunity to learn practical math skills and then apply that knowledge to help build a house.

The program, now in its third year, has evolved again and finally reached the point that CCTE Assistant Director Anita Jinks always hoped it would.

“We conceived the idea for the Math in Construction course as a way to get students involved in the community,” said Jinks. “Having students build a home that someone would live in

E vergreen Public Schools’ Board of Directors

has elected Todd Yuzuriha as president, and Michael Parsons, vice president and board representative to the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) Legislative Committee. Board officers are elected each November.

Yuzuriha was appointed to the school board in

June 2008, elected in 2009, and re-elected in 2011 to

serve District IV. He retired in 2006 as Vice President of Engineering for Logitech, where he led product development of the company’s audio and video game products. Prior to Logitech, Yuzuriha was Senior Vice President of Engineering for Labtec in Vancouver, Director and Senior Director at Sharp Microelectronics in Camas, and Engineer and Engineering Manager at Tektronix.

He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering from

Stanford, a master’s degree in engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and an M.B.A. from the University of Portland. Yuzuriha is also on the Board of Trustees for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District and co-hosts a weekly podcast for Junior Achievement Radio.

Parsons was elected to the school board in 2009. He retired from the United States Army in 2000 after 27 years of service. During his career he was an instructor trainer, instructional program manager, course writer/developer and Noncommissioned Officers Academy Commandant. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University, the US Marshals Academy and has taken courses at the US Army Sergeants Major Academy. He has volunteered extensively in the district, including the Ellsworth Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), Wy’east Parent Network, Evergreen School District Foundation, and two terms on the district’s Instructional Media Committee. Parsons was also a facilitator for the district-run Study Circles.

Also serving on the school board are District I Representative Julie Bocanegra, District III Representative Victoria Bradford, and Joan Skelton, representing District II.

Todd YuzurihaSchool Board

President


Evergreen Public Schools’ Board of Directors name Todd Yuzuriha President


raise the roof: Students at Mountain view and Evergreen High Schools are building a home for Habitat for Humanity through the Math in Construction program.

“We conceived the idea for the Math in Construction

course as a way to get students involved in

the community.”

Math students help build the communityDistrict’s Math in Construction

program continues to evolve and partners with Habitat for Humanity

“It’s been great having math students building this house. They are constantly checking

their numbers to make sure that when they’re done, the two pieces

of the house will fit together.”

E vergreen Public Schools recently joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s

(EPA) list of ENERGY STAR Leaders. By making that list, the district has joined an elite group of organizations dedicated to improving energy efficiency.

“This distinction shows that we’re continuing to find new ways to be energy efficient,” said Evergreen Public Schools’ Energy Conservation Manager Dave Cone. “The more efficient we are, the more money we save our taxpayers.”

ENERGY STAR Leaders must meet one of two energy efficiency improvement milestones. The first requires a 10 percent improvement in energy performance across their entire building portfolio. The second requires an organization’s buildings to perform in the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide.

More information is available online at www.evergreenps.org/energystar.

District receives new EnErgY STAr distinction

was very appealing, it just took a couple of years to get the right partnership worked out.”

It was a perfect fit for Evergreen Habitat for Humanity, opening up new fundraising opportunities to help people who needed homes.

“Until our partnership with

Evergreen Public Schools, most of

our funding had been based on homelessness and housing,” said Habitat Executive Director Josh Townsley. “This project was funded through the Nike Employee Grant Foundation that funds projects designed to increase physical activity and

give students access to unique curriculum.”That grant was worth $20,000.During the first two years of the Math in

Construction program, students at each school built free-standing structures. This year’s project is different because the projects at EHS and MVHS will be linked upon completion to form an 1,100 square foot home in the Lincoln neighborhood of Vancouver.

“It’s been great having math students building this house,” said Townsley. “They are constantly checking their numbers to make sure that when they’re done, the two pieces of the house will fit together.”

A family has already been identified to take ownership of the home once it’s completed, helping the Math in Construction program succeed in its mission to give back to the community.

Numbers were also recently released showing that the program has been successful at helping students master math concepts. Of the students in the Math in Construction program, 72 percent are currently meeting course standards for math, compared to just 51 percent of students not in the program.

So far, the Math in Construction program has been a win for everyone involved.



La Semilla: Planting the seed for successQ u A l i t y e d u C A t i o n

“Who am I?” “What do I want?”“Where do I go from here?”

T hose questions were posed to more than 60 Cascade Middle

School students at the La Semilla (the seed) workshop, in December led by Jair Juarez. Juarez is committed to helping Latino youth see themselves move on to college after high school. Through various games, exercises and presentations the La Semilla workshops help students aspire to envision the future.

“My goal for the La Semilla workshop at Cascade Middle School was to motivate Latina/Latino students to consider the importance of academic achievement, school involvement, and community

involvement,” said Juarez. Juarez founded the program as

part of an internship at Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV) in his last semester of college and

debuted it at Covington Middle School last spring. The workshop was sponsored by Washington Student Leadership, a program of the

Association of Washington School Principals. More than 10 WSUV students also participated, sharing their stories on how they made it to college.

“The program had such a big impact on everyone involved on that day, that it motivated me to continue working on this program after graduation,” said Juarez. Juarez was recently invited to present his workshop to La Casa Norte, a center for youth and families in transition in Chicago, IL.

Cascade Middle School Prevention/Intervention Specialist Rene Corbin invited seventh and eighth grade Latina/Latino students to attend the three-hour workshop to get information on how to finance their education after high school, navigate the challenges of being an ‘undocumented’ American and making the most of the

resources available to them.“La Semilla is a leadership and

academic success program that aims to increase graduation rates and college readiness among Latina/Latino youth,” explained Corbin.

Juarez shared his own personal experience with students who could identify with his struggles and were encouraged by his optimism and can-do attitude. “Knowing that my program made a difference for these students feels very rewarding because I am the first person in my family to go to college. La Semilla is important because it provides Latina/Latino youth with motivation to dream big, take action, and never give up.”

Cascade Middle School counselor

Frank Stockett shared ways to apply for financial aid and a state identification card and encouraged students to seek assistance as they prepared for high school and beyond. The message was clear: college is within reach even for students who thought they could not afford it.

Students shared their goals and dreams for the future - including eighth grade student Ariana Dominguez “I wanted to attend the workshop to find out how to get financial aid for college. I want to become an interpreter and a teacher that works with teen parents.”

“I am interested in working in the health care field after high school. I know I will need to go to college so I am here to find out how I can do it!” said eighth grade student Chris Bahena.

Juarez grinned and nodded his head as the students went around the circle sharing their goals, answering the questions and sometimes passing on the opportunity to speak aloud.

One thing is certain - when the session was over the seed was planted and students were thinking about their future.

Dream big: Cascade Middle School students participate in icebreaker activities during a La Semilla workshop with fellow classmates - challenging them to work with new people, step outside their comfort zone and share their goals and dreams for the future.

“La Semilla is important because it provides Latina/Latino youth with

motivation to dream big, take action, and

never give up.”

“La Semilla is a leadership and

academic success program that aims to increase graduation

rates and college readiness among

Latina/Latino youth.”

r e s p o n s i b l e u s e o f r e s o u r C e s

grant provides funding for development of model pharmacyAt HeLa High, Evergreen Public Schools

will develop a model pharmacy that schools across the state will replicate

L ast year, the state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public

Instruction (OSPI) announced a grant aimed at programs related to high demand occupations. Recipients will develop a new curriculum and program for use throughout the state.

For the College, Career and Technical Education (CCTE) department of Evergreen Public Schools, it was easy to identify a potential program that would fit perfectly with the opening of Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School (HeLa High).

“The health care industry has a variety of high-demand occupations,” said CCTE Director Susan Dixon. “Right now, though, there aren’t any

programs dedicated to Pharmacy and Biomedical Engineering.”

With the $50,000 grant from OSPI, a group of administrators and community partners will develop a curriculum and model pharmacy for use at HeLa High.

“We’re getting started now,” said Dixon. “Our staff is reaching out to community partners and looking for people interested in helping develop the program.”

Dixon said the CCTE department is looking for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, managers, sales representatives, pharmaceutical manufacturers and alternative medicine practitioners to take part in the development process. Interested parties are encouraged to call 360-604-4068.

Model students: A $50,000 grant will allow the College, Career and Technical Education (CCTE) department to design a model pharmacy program at HeLa High. The program, once completed, will be replicated across the state.



T he spirit of giving is alive and well in Evergreen Public Schools

(EPS) with many students sharing their time, talents, coats, mittens, food and toys with those less fortunate. Students in Evergreen are a shining example of youth making a difference in their community.

From holiday choir performances by elementary and high school students for residents of the Bedford Retirement Center – to students from Union High School singing carols in French to The Quarry Retirement

Center folks, as well as Heritage High School’s (HHS) choir performance at the Vancouver VA Hospital on Veteran’s Day - EPS students have been busy giving back.

Bringing smiles and heartfelt help to community members, classmates and families in need and sharing their time - students learn to think of others and not just themselves. They can see the impact they can make in someone

else’s life and students learn that by working together they can make a difference.

For example, every year HHS’s girls basketball program completes at least two volunteer service projects during the holiday season. Last December the players participated in the annual Clark County Walk and Knock food collection and for the second year in a row the girls served dinner at Lord’s Gym in Vancouver. They also helped with bagging donated groceries and handing them out to families and individuals in need.

“These opportunities also serve as a bonding activity amongst the three teams in the program, providing the players a real-life perspective - giving them the opportunity to be positive, contributing members of their community,” said coach Karrin Wilson. Another example of athletes giving back is Union High School’s girls varsity basketball team. The players prepared and served meals to more than 50 homeless men last month at Transition Projects in Portland, OR.

Many schools in the district conducted food and toy drives throughout the holiday season including Fisher’s Landing Elementary School. The food drive, coordinated by Associate Student Body (ASB)

students last month, collected close to 3,000 canned/nonperishable food items. Students voted to donate three-fourths of the food to the Salvation Army and the rest to Evergreen Public

Schools’ Pantry Project. The Pantry Project provides food at all four high schools in the district for students who need it. “By doing this food drive, it shows our school and community that we care and can help make a difference so families don’t have to worry about food and can enjoy their holidays,” said Fisher’s Landing

Elementary ASB President Ethan Adams.

Students at Cascade Middle School participated in the annual KGW Great Toy Drive - collecting more than 250 toys and a school-wide food drive garnering close to 4,000 food items for Mandy’s Pantry at Mountain View High School.

These students example of good citizenship serve as a reminder that we can all help make a difference.

For more photos and examples of students in EPS ‘giving back’ visit www.evergreenps.org


Making a differenceStudents in Evergreen Public Schools

give back to the community

Helping others: Cascade Middle School students collected and donated more than 250 toys to the KgW great Toy Drive.

Kids care: Fisher’s Landing Elementary School leadership students, sort, organize and mark boxes of food. More than 3,000 items were collected for the Salvation Army and Evergreen Public Schools’ Pantry Project.

“By doing this food drive, it shows our school and

community that we care and can help

make a difference.”


Perfect ScoreAced it: Mountain view High School (MvHS) junior Waverly He recently received a perfect score - 2400 on the SAT. This is the second year in a row a MvHS student has received a perfect score. Last year junior rohith nagari was recognized for his perfect score.

See for yourself!


The district is offering a tour for Spanish speaking community members on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 that will visit Evergreen high School, Frontier Middle School and Pioneer Elementary School. Participants will tour classrooms and have the opportunity to hear from staff and students at each location. The tour runs from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. with lunch at the clark county Skills center, prepared by students in the culinary arts program. There is no cost for this event and all community members are welcome. If interested please register online at www.evergreenps.org or contact community relations at 604-4088. The clark county Skills center is located at: 12200 NE 28th St., Vancouver.

“Bringing smiles and heartfelt help to community members

- students learn to think of others and

not just themselves.”

Community served: Union High School’s girls varsity basketball team members spent an evening sharing smiles and serving dinner to more than 50 homeless men at Transition Projects.



Evergreen Public Schools begins implementing new evaluation procedures


Teachers, principals held to a higher standard

D uring the 2010 Washington state legislative session, a bill was passed that would change

the way teachers and principals are evaluated. That legislation created new criteria for evaluations and brought together educators from all levels to develop the Teacher/Principal Evaluation Pilot now known

as Teacher/Principal Evaluation Project (TPEP).

“The state offered three models for districts to choose from for the new evaluations,” said Evergreen Public Schools’ Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning Marilyn Colliflower. “One of those models was the one our district had been working with for the last eight years.”

Familiarity with the evaluation model made it easier for the district to integrate the eight new criteria into clear and concise evaluations. The state’s desire for more objective evaluations for teachers and principals predicated the move to TPEP, Colliflower said.

“The state wants to have an evaluation process

that shows evidence of a teacher or a principal demonstrating growth. With the new evaluation models, teachers know exactly what they need to do.”

To that same end, the evaluations are very specific when it comes to what the district expects of its principals. It’s all about finding evidence of student learning.

As expected, an expanded evaluation process takes more time for both the principal and the teacher. That means that not every teacher will go through the full evaluation process each year.

“Schools will have 25 percent of their teachers receiving a focused evaluation each year on a rotating basis,” said Colliflower. “The rest will still have regular meetings and be held accountable by choosing areas they want to work on each year.”

The TPEP process is in the final stages of development. Statewide implementation of the new system begins with the start of the 2013-2014 school year.

Face time: new evaluation methods allow principals and teachers to have more in-depth analysis of their performance as it relates to student achievement.


Mythbusters: Charter Schools are not the only answerPundits across the country believe charter schools

can save education in the United States, but studies show that’s not necessarily true

D uring the November election, residents of Washington state

were asked to vote on many things. One of the issues came in the form of Initiative 1240, which was eventually approved by voters and allows for the creation of up to 40 charter schools across the state.

Voters rejected similar measures in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

Charter schools are independent public schools that operate outside the domain of local school districts. Like other public schools, they receive their funding from state and local tax dollars and are held to state standards but are free to create their own curriculum and programs.

Supporters have long argued that

the charter school’s ability to tailor its curriculum to fit the needs of individual students makes it a better choice for education in America. A new study, however, shows that’s just not the case.

According to a new study by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), 900 of the 1,300 privately run, publicly financed schools across the country should close. The recommendation is not a subjective one, the report claims the performance of those schools places them in the bottom 15 percent of public schools in their states as measured by test scores.

That’s not the kind of performance you would expect from the kind

of school that’s been touted as the answer to education in our country.

In Washington state, Initiative 1240 has built-in safeguards against that kind of performance by a charter school. Because each of the schools are under state supervision, any school found to be in the bottom 20 percent for performance will be closed. It will be the job of a newly formed charter commission to monitor the schools.

There are certainly success stories for charter schools. The same NACSA study showed that charter schools in large urban areas have helped students with math scores. It’s outside of those urban areas that charters falter and come up short when compared to the scores being posted by students in traditional public schools.

As important to science as the medical and research of her cells are, the human drama that surrounds the cells is also vital to

students that will be attending this

high school. Human tissue rights, medical ethics and morality, and the level of literacy across this nation are also spoken to by the chronicle of the HeLa cells in the book.

Who owns the cell tissue collected during a medical procedure? To what purpose can the tissues be put after collection? Who can profit from the use or sale of the cells and how long can they profit? These are just a few of the questions relevant to the study

of modern health science. Evergreen Public Schools

believes that students need to learn holistically. Moral and ethical questions apropos to citizenship and community, the family and the individual are a part of the values that are necessary for students to become educated citizens. Reflection on these sorts of questions provides a valuable exercise in critical thinking and moral belief.

“Once someone is finished reading the book, we hope that they will pass it on to someone else to read or return it to the library,” said Fenstermacher. All returned books will be given to the Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School for students to use.

For more information on the community-wide read, visit Evergreen Public Schools’ web site at www.evergreenps.org.

Community readcontinued from page 1



A s we enter

2013, your Evergreen Public Schools face several significant new challenges and a few persistent ones.

First, the new Teacher, Principal Evaluation Program, (TPEP), is reaching the implementation stage. It has been a six year journey for the district, made easier by the contributions of teachers, principals and union leadership. The passage last year of legislation requiring an evaluation program validated our belief in a strong accountability and assessment program to assist our educators in continuing growth and improved teaching practices. A large body of research implies that great teachers are the leading precursor to student achievement. We look forward to this program providing the input for superior professional development which assures every student the best teachers and administrators possible.

February 2013, vol. 36, no. 2Evergreen Public Schools

Steve GetsingerADA coordinatorEvergreen Public Schools13501 NE 28th StreetP.O. Box 8910Vancouver, WA 98668T 360.604.4010F 360.604.4109TDD Voice relay 800.833.6384

non Discrimination StatementEvergreen Public Schools complies with all state and federal rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, including


m e s s A g e f r o m t h e s C h o o l b o A r d

gender expression or identity, honorably discharged veteran or military status, marital status, disability, or designated youth groups. This holds true for all students who are interested in participating in educational programs including career and Technical Education Programs and/or extracurricular school activities. Inquiries regarding compliance procedures may be directed to the school district’s Title IX/rcW 28A.640 officer and/or Section 504 coordinator.

uSPS (004 726) is published four times a year by the community relations office, Evergreen School District #114, P.o. Box 8910, Vancouver, WA 98668-8910. Periodicals postage is paid at Vancouver, WA.PoSTMASTEr: Send address changes to:Your Evergreen Schools, P.o. Box 8910, Vancouver, WA 98668-8910.

Board of DirectorsJulie BocanegraVictoria BradfordMichael ParsonsJoan SkeltonTodd Yuzurihae-mail: [email protected]

SuperintendentJohn Deeder

Community relations DepartmentDirector, carol Fenstermacher, APrKathryn Garcia-StackpoleKris Fay360.604.4088

Evergreen Public Schools is an Equal opportunity Employer.www.evergreenps.org

Michael ParsonsSchool Board

Member

new Year brings new challenges to Evergreen Public Schools

Second, Common Core State Standards, (CCSS), embraced by the Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn, continues to move toward implementation for Washington and 44 other states. The new Common Core Standards ensure subject mastery and a common data base from which to measure student growth, progress

“A large body of research implies that great teachers are the leading precursor to

student achievement.”

“The tests are designed to provide accurate

scores for all students across the full range

of achievement.”

and achievement. CCSS presents a number of challenges to our district including aligned curriculum materials, teacher preparation, and assessment. These issues are difficult and will require immense effort from all of us over the next few years as the parts come together.

Along with CCSS come the Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium, (SBAC), and a state-led consortium working to develop next-generation assessments that accurately measure student progress toward college- and career-readiness. Smarter Balance is one of two multi state consortia awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Education in 2010 to develop an assessment system aligned to the Common Core State Standards by the 2014-15 school year. Assessments will be computer adaptive allowing students to demonstrate all levels of subject area mastery. The tests are designed to provide accurate scores for all students across the full range of achievement.

An important part of the SBAC process is a summative assessment administered during the last 12 weeks of the school year. Consisting of two parts: computer adaptive and performance, both delivered electronically, the summative assessment will accurately describe both student achievement and growth for each child, class, school, district and state accountability requirements. These assessments also allow

“These assessments also allow districts to efficiently gauge

progress toward and attainment of

career- and college-ready skills and

knowledge.”

districts to efficiently gauge progress toward and attainment of career- and college-ready skills and knowledge.

Optional interim assessments are to be used locally to provide teachers and administrators information about formative student progress during the year. These assessments will also be computer administered. An additional goal is to use the data for teacher professional development.

SBAC presents important challenges for our district. Most important is the ability to provide sufficient computing technology for 27,000 students. Our first steps were taken last summer when we added central server capabilities and wireless access to every classroom in the district. It is hoped that the system will be fully functional by the 2013-2014 school year. Your board is also working on an interim policy for ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD), which we believe will allow our schools to take advantage of the technology hardware already in use by students. This policy could provide important cost savings to our community while still providing our students with access to a myriad of new educational opportunities.

A topic related to assessment, but separate, are the education reforms initiated by the legislature and the State Board of Education. What will be done about End of Course Exams? Will the SBAC exam replace the current Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) and High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE?) As things stand, our high school students will need to take up to seven exams to graduate by 2016! Some believe that under current

legislative mandates students will have different graduation requirements for the next eight years. These are legislative issues that your board and administration will be watching closely during the current session. We will be working with other districts and advocacy groups to eliminate unanticipated difficulties which might impair our students.

Last, but certainly not least, are actions of the state legislature. It is still unclear how the legislature will deal with the McCleary decision and the current law requiring the legislature to fund basic education. Our state still faces significant revenue shortfalls and probably will

continue to do so for several more years. It remains unclear how the legislature will deal with its funding dilemma.

Despite the challenges the New Year brings - Teacher Principal Evaluation, Common Core State Standards, Smarter Balance assessments, changing graduation requirements, and funding uncertainties - all of us at Evergreen Public Schools continue to focus on our students. Their growth, progress and achievement are our overriding consideration. Resolution of each challenge brings us another step nearer our vision of a world- competitive education for each and every one of our students when they graduate.



r e s p o n s i b l e u s e o f r e s o u r C e s

Evergreen Public Schools keeps close eye on performance indicators throughout school year


Bon Appetite: Culinary students from the Clark County Skills Center (CCSC) prepared hors d’oeuvres for the governor’s inaugural ball. The CCSC was one of two high school culinary programs invited to participate in this year’s event.

Special treat

School visits encourage students to try new fruits and veggiesQ u A l i t y e d u C A t i o n

Food service officials are taking fruits and vegetables on tour to encourage elementary students to try new things

E arly last month, students at Burton Elementary School found three special

guests waiting to have lunch with them. The guests were students from Evergreen High School’s Family and Consumer Science class who were dressed as fruits and vegetables.

The visit was Chartwells Dining Services’ first attempt to promote its new Farm to School program.

According to Chef Terry Smith, more fresh, local produce is being used in school lunches and it’s been a challenge to get students to accept that. “The biggest challenge is to get the kids to try something

new that they have never had before. Sometimes, it’s something they’ve never even seen or heard of before.”

To that end, the high school students are visiting different elementary schools each month wearing carrot, strawberry and pear costumes. They spend time talking to the younger students, giving them stickers and encouraging them to try the fruits and vegetables that come with their lunch.

The addition of more fruits and vegetables is part of new United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition guidelines implemented nationwide this year.

Fit and fruity: Evergreen High School students dressed as fruits and vegetables to have lunch with students at Burton Elementary School.

P eriodically throughout the year, Evergreen Public Schools’ staff report to the School Board on key

performance indicators (KPI) as identified by the Superintendent, School Board, and administrative staff. There are a wide range of items reviewed, including student performance, student discipline, student attendance, employee retention, and how does the district spend its money.

The KPI reported to the Board around district expenditures looks at which expenditure activities the district is spending its dollars on annually, over a period dating back to the 2004-05 school year. The Superintendent and School Board believe it is important to review, and report how dollars are spent to the community. It is even more important to review how the district spends its funds related to the Superintendent and School Board’s stated beliefs to protect the classroom, professional development of staff, safety of students, and maintaining facilities. Over the past four school years more than $26 million in budget reductions have been required due to revenue shortfalls at the state level.

Recently, results from the 2011-12 school year were presented to the School Board. The complete report can be found at www.evergreenps.org. A major highlight of the report is that Evergreen

has increased its percentage of dollars spent on teaching in the classroom by 3.45 percent over the past seven years. This equates to an approximately $8.1 million increase in the dollars spent in the classroom. Another way to look at it is an increase of approximately 100 teachers in this time frame. A major initiative taken by Superintendent John Deeder and the School Board during this time frame is the addition of full-day, every day kindergarten for all students free of charge. During this same time frame, central office administration expenditures have been reduced by approximately 2.34 percent, which equates to a reduction of approximately $5.5 million in annual administrative expenses.

The report outlines expenditures in total dollar amounts, and percentages. It breaks expenditures down in the categories of teaching, teaching support (libraries, counselors, safety and other areas), maintenance, building administration, central

office administration, transportation, food services, utilities and insurance, extracurricular (athletics, activities), and other support programs (print center, warehouse, district-wide technology). As state-wide information becomes available, Evergreen Public Schools will compare its results in these activity areas to like-sized districts in the state. This information will be posted on the district’s website as well.

Central Office Administration

$11,060,684

$12,022,579

$11,655,519

$11,956,098$11,970,831

$9,722,170

$10,018,981

$9,414,070

$13,000,000

$12,000,000

$11,000,000

$10,000,000

$9,000,000

$8,000,0002004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12

your evergreen schools - february 2013

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bioscience high school

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