pride 10-03 final - Bethel School District

INSIDE
What you’ll find
in this edition
F O O D
REINVENTING
SCHOOL LUNCH
Lower-fat french fries, a
new computer system,
and cooks who care put
the punch back in school
lunch. 9
bethelpride
W W W . B E T H E L S D . O R G
O C T O B E R
Hard work pays off
A C A D E M I C S
2 0 0 3
Board agrees
to rebuilding
Thompson
They call themselves Tigers,
but when students at Thompson
Elementary pass through the
hallways, they sound like a herd
of elephants. At least that’s what
Principal Suzanne Gayda thinks.
“It’s not because they’re behaving badly,” she said. “It’s because the floors are so soft that
you can hear the echo of their
footsteps.”
The 1969 building was once
the pride of the district. Its openconcept model was a showplace.
Designed like many California
schools, it features outdoor walkways, courtyards, moveable walls
and classrooms without doors.
At the time, the building was
quite a bargain.
“People were proud that it was
constructed so cheaply per
square foot,” Gayda said.
TIPS FOR
PARENTS
How to make the most of
your parent-teacher
conference. 5
S P O R T S
Complete rebuild
KILLER SERVE
Netters gain statewide
recognition with stellar
play. 11
N E W S
NOV. 4
ELECTION
School board candidates
explain their positions. 12
Nearly 1,000 district students met standard on all four sections of the WASL this year. The group of
Bethel High students that passed all four (pictured), celebrated their success at a school assembly.
FALL BACK
Remember to set your
clocks back one hour
before you go to bed on
Oct. 26.
See WASL, page 2
Most schools saw a jump in 2003
WASL scores. Several schools
saw double-digit increases.
For a list of scores, go to page 7.
See how the updated
Elementary and Secondary
Education Act, also known as “No
Child Left Behind,” affects local
schools.
Q&A on page 6.
Principals share their thoughts
on how they were able to
improve student achievement at
their schools.
Principal comments, page 7.
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More WASL inside
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C A L E N D A R
grade math as an example.
“In 1997, just 21 percent of our
students met standard in math,”
she said. “This year, 55 percent
met standard. That’s real
progress.”
Ann Varkados, executive director of curriculum, said she was
particularly impressed with
Spanaway Elementary and
Thompson Elementary.
“These two schools have students who face many challenges,” she said. “But because of
a great effort by students, staff
and community, they realized
huge gains in reading and math.
This proves that all students can
learn, no matter what the circumstances.”
Elk Plain School of Choice is
another success story. The school
witnessed a 10-point jump in
student scores on all four sections of the WASL. Principal
bethelpride
Bethel School District No. 403
516 E. 176th St., Spanaway, WA 98387-8399
(253) 683-6000; www.bethelsd.org
New building will help learning
That comes in spite of a building that’s simply run down.
Not only do the floors creak,
but sound travels freely down the
hallways because one-third of
the classrooms have no doors.
Another problem is the heating system. It was designed for an
open concept, so it’s less effective
now that the rooms are closed in.
The 1969 building also has
small classrooms that limit active learning. Besides that, it’s not
wired for the demands of new
technology.
“I have only four plug-ins,”
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New orchestra teacher
inspires students with the
sound of strings. 4
The latest WASL scores
brought good news to the district.
Math scores went up at every
grade level. Tenth grade reading
and writing scores rose sharply.
Both fourth grade reading and
10th grade listening marks soared
above the state average.
Individual schools also saw
major gains. Spanaway Elementary reading scores jumped an
eye-popping 38 points. Thompson Elementary saw big doubledigit gains in reading and math.
And Bethel High reading scores
increased 18 points.
Assessment Director Linda
Dugger said the results are encouraging.
“The scores this year are further evidence that we’re headed
in the right direction,” she said.
“We still have a long way to go,
but we’ve made tremendous
progress in the last six years.”
Dugger pointed to fourth
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VIOLIN
VIRTUOSO
Innovative teaching, student committment
lead to higher scores on 2003 WASL
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A R T S
But nearly 35 years later, the
building sags and squeaks. The
time has come to either remodel
or rebuild.
In February 2001, voters approved the funds to remodel.
Last month, however, the school
board approved a complete rebuild. That decision was based
on a favorable bidding climate
and money saved from other
well-managed projects.
At its Sept. 23 meeting, the
board accepted the initial plan
for the $13 million rebuild. The
architectural firm of EricksonMcGovern was chosen to work
on the plans. In November, the
preliminary design will be ready.
Construction bids go out next
summer, with actual construction set to begin a year from now.
By January 2006, the Tigers
should have a new school.
“Thompson was first in line to
be replaced,” construction director Jim Hansen said. “You can
imagine what your house would
be like if you had 400 kids running through it 180 days a year
for 35 years.”
Gayda, the school’s principal
since 1993, takes pride in the accomplishments of her staff and
students. Her school’s improvement on the WASL was among
the best in the district this year.
Bethel School District Resident
See Thompson, page 2
Non-profit org.
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Spanaway, WA, 98387
bethelnews
OCTOBER 2003
BETHEL PRIDE • WWW.BETHELSD.ORG
A N
Printing wizards
A BIG shout out to Diane
Karl and her print shop team!
They did a great job on the
Spanaway Learning Center
Adult Program Guide.
SUE EINERT
Director, Spanaway Learning Center
Cheer for volunteer
I would like to recognize
Donna Johnson. She has
volunteered in my secondgrade classroom at Camas
Prairie Elementary two years
in a row. Mrs. Johnson
faithfully comes to our
classroom every Tuesday and
Thursday to work with the
children. I would like to
commend her for her dedication to the students of Camas
Prairie. Thank you, Mrs.
Johnson! We appreciate you
very much.
MELODEE ONEY
Teacher, Camas Prairie
be upstairs; younger ones, downstairs.
The gym and cafeteria will be
separate. A preschool will be incorporated into the school’s layout. Details will be worked out by
a team of staff members and the
district’s construction department. The whole process is expected to take about 14 months.
Although construction will be
on-going throughout the 20042005 school year, district officials
expect little disruption to school
life.
“Kids will stay in the old
Thompson until moving day,”
Hansen said. “We won’t have to
double shift.”
Hansen expects the project to
be on time, on budget and complete by late 2005.
“The Thompson community
deserves a new school,” he said.
“It will be a really nice Christmas
present.”
Thompson
Continued from page 1
said technology grant winner
and first-grade teacher Robin
Blomberg. “But I have 10 computers!”
Safety is another concern.
“In 1969 we weren’t worried
about dangerous strangers,” said
Gayda, referring to the school’s
open design.
Because of site constraints, the
new Thompson will be the
district’s first two-story elementary school. Older students will
bethelpride
Bethel Pride is produced by the
Bethel School District. It is mailed to
all addresses in the district during
the school year to promote
community/school relations. Please
let us know if you have an item of
interest for publication.
Mark Wenzel: Communications
director, Bethel Pride editor and
photographer; 253-683-6051;
[email protected]
Bethel Pride staff: Tom
Fitzpatrick, Irene Hicks, Dodie
Raden, and Erica Smith
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Here’s a shout out to Lori
Honig and Jill Palmer of the
Bethel Jr. High Math Lap
program for making it an easy
transition time until Cougar
Mountain Jr. High opens.
Thank you so much for sharing
your room with us.
RACHAEL BARGER AND BRENDA
SHERRELL
CMJH teachers
I want to express my
appreciation for the rapid
response time and positive
attitude of the district technology team. They’ve come
out to Elk Plain at least three
times this year, and they’re
always very professional. They
deserve recognition.
LEITA EARL
Teacher, Elk Plain
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Transitioning time
Tech is tops
Machelle Beilke credited school
volunteers with making a big difference.
“We logged more than 11,000
hours of volunteer time last
year,” Beilke said. “When parents
see what’s going on in school,
they become supporters. At the
same time, when students see
their parents at school, it reinforces the concept that school is
important.”
More than 4,000 fourth, seventh and 10th-graders in the district took the WASL last April. The
test is a key component of the
state education reform movement. Unlike previous assessments, it requires students to
show critical thinking skills by
applying knowledge to solve
problems.
The test is based on “Essential
Academic Learning Requirements,” also known as EALR’s. In
the mid-1990s, educators, parents, business and community
leaders developed this list of specific academic skills. EALR’s
cover reading, writing, commu-
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We’d like to send a shout out
to our son, Centennial Elementary kindergarten teacher
Timothy Bayliss. Timothy
married Nicole Irons, a fifthgrade teacher in the Fife School
District Aug. 9. May God bless
and keep them forever.
TOM AND SONG BAYLISS
A big thank you to Rocky
Ridge teacher Fred Fitch for
all the help with phone calls to
our Spanish-speaking families.
Roy Elementary staff
Frontier Principal Tom
Mitchell believes the education
reform movement and the WASL
have had a positive impact on
student learning. He said the
new education system is moving
away from delivering information towards teaching students
to think creatively.
“The Essential Academic
Learning Requirements and the
WASL have really changed the
way we do business,” he said.
“Our teachers now focus on
learning activities that require
students to take a real-world approach. Instead of just reproducing numbers and facts, kids have
to apply skills. That makes learning relevant and gives students a
much stronger foundation for
the future.”
Superintendent Tom Seigel
agrees.
“The bottom line is that the
higher standards are here to
stay,” he said. “It’s our job to
make sure students meet those
standards. We’re working extra
hard to make sure that happens.”
Continued from page 1
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Teachers marry
Phone helper
nication, math, science, social
studies, arts, and health & fitness.
The WASL assesses student
skills in math, reading, writing
and listening. A science WASL
will be given to fifth, eighth and
10th-graders next spring.
WASL scores took on greater
importance this year because of
federal legislation that uses the
scores to determine if schools are
making “adequate yearly
progress.” Schools that receive
federal Title I funds must improve every year or face a series
of corrective measures (see p. 7).
New state requirements go
into effect in 2008. Students will
have to meet standard on all four
sections to earn a high school
diploma. The class of 2008 – this
year’s eighth-graders – will take
the test in 2006. Those who don’t
meet standard on the WASL will
have opportunities for retakes.
Those who meet standard in all
four subjects will earn a “certificate of mastery.” The certificate
will be required to graduate.
WASL
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I would like to shout out
about the great job my assistant
principal, Christine Moloney, is
doing at Cougar Mountain Jr.
High. Christine led the Washington State Arts Commission
committee, directed the School
Leadership Team, organized the
staff handbook and helped
coordinate the transition with
Bethel Jr. High. Also, Christine
and her husband, Dave, are
expecting their first child in
April. Thank you, Christine!
CLIFF ANDERSON
Principal, CMJH
A big thank you to Centennial Elementary principal
Tamie Wright, her staff, and
Steve Brown for their great
help getting Centennial
students to Shining Mountain
Elementary for the Boys &
Girls Clubs After-School
Learning Center program. We’d
also like to thank Centennial,
Evergreen, Shining Mountain,
Spanaway, and Thompson for
giving us the opportunity to
offer life-enhancing programs
to their students. We are
delighted to serve Bethel
families.
CARRIE CHING
Program director, Boys & Girls Clubs
Editor
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Cougar Mountain thanks
Serving with pride
Mark
Wenzel
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We here at Evergreen would
like to thank district staff for all
their hard work to get our
building ready for the new
school year. Mike Taplin helped
get our construction completed
and grounds back to normal;
Dan Zurfluh and his team
made sure the building was
prepared for opening day; and
Jim Hansen worked overtime to
get our portables in place. It’s
wonderful to work with such a
professional team.
SUZANNE DOBB
Principal, Evergreen Elementary
Thank you to Capri Spotts,
our building secretary. She
cheerfully helps our entire
staff, student body and
parents. We appreciate her.
She is an essential member of
the Naches Trail staff!
CONSTANCE MARTINSON
Teacher, Naches Trail
Classmates remember her as
someone they could go to in a
time of need. At the Bethel High
memorial service for her on
Sept. 24, one student spoke of
how Kassie helped him during a
particularly rough time in his
life.
“I was suicidal last year,” he
said. “I was depressed and
didn’t feel like living. Kassie told
me that I shouldn’t commit
suicide. She said if I died,
thousands of people would
miss me. She didn’t even know
me that well, but she cared
enough to help.”
The night after Kassie’s death,
more than 100 students and
adults met at a candlelight vigil
in a park near her home. They
shared stories, listened to
music and comforted each
other. They went to her house
to pay their respects to her
family.
“It was so amazing to get that
kind of support,” said her
father, Bill Strain. “Kids told us
all the things she had done for
them. We didn’t realize how
many lives she had touched.”
In our schools, we teach core
values. We want students to
become positive members of
society. We teach empathy,
honesty, diligence, kindness
and respect. Kassie lived those
values.
Perhaps part of her legacy
will be the positive energy she
brought to others every day.
She loved her friends and stood
by them in times of need. She
respected her teachers and
made them feel proud of their
profession.
Most of all, she never
hesitated to share her joy for
life with a bright smile.
At the crash site at 243rd and
Mountain Highway, family,
friends and community
members have left flowers and
notes to honor Kassie’s life. One
message is touching in its
simplicity.
It reads: “We love you, we
miss you, we will never forget
that smile.”
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Evergreen opening
Super secretary
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I’d like to thank Tacoma artist
Bonnie Burns for her contribution of glass hearts to Kassie
Strain’s Bethel High memorial
service. We wanted students,
teachers, friends and family to
have a lasting token of Kassie’s
life. Bonnie’s glass hearts were
perfect. Bonnie donated $400
from sale of the hearts to Mary
Bridge Children’s Hospital in
Kassie’ s name for children who
require physical therapy.
Bonnie doesn’t live in our
community, but wanted to help
us get through this tragic time.
Many people attending the
memorial wore Bonnie’s hearts.
I continue to see them as I walk
the halls of BHS.
GLENN WILSON
Teacher, BHS
Hooray for Dennis Denny,
Frontier Jr. High’s ACT Rep
and all-around tech sleuth.
Thanks for the innumerable
hours you logged in the last
three weeks getting our
network up and running.
You’re tops.
MARGARET KERR
Teacher, FJH
K
assie Strain had a big
smile. That’s the first
thing people mention
when they talk about her. She
loved acting and dancing. She
wanted to help people in need.
She always had a positive
outlook on life.
Her death, in a car accident
on Mountain Highway Sept. 17,
hit people hard.
The outpouring of emotion is
a testament to how she touched
others.
As students and teachers
express their grief, it is striking
how they use the same words to
describe her. Everyone mentions her “light-up-a-room”
smile; they speak of her deep
concern for others; they
describe her joy for life.
Math teacher Ed Petersen
called Kassie “the spirit of
Bethel High School.” He said
she was the one person he
could count on to be in a good
mood.
“I never saw her sad,” he said.
“She was always so positive.
She was just a joy to be around.
She was never afraid to ask
questions in class. She went out
on a limb because she wanted
to learn. I’m really going to miss
her.”
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Hearts for Kassie
Frontier’s network
Kassie’s life touched many others
○
Bethel Pride accepts shout outs
from students, staff and community
members. Deadline for the next
issue is Dec. 1. Submit entries to
Mark Wenzel at mwenzel@
bethelsd.org or call 683-6051.
○
How to shout out
John Robak has been a
teacher and head football
coach at SLHS for 10 years. His
tireless commitment to kids is
best exemplified by his continuing community-wide
efforts to support Logan Seeley
and his family. John is respected by students, staff and
the community. Thanks, John,
for being a great role model to
everyone.
GREG EISNAUGLE
Principal, SLHS
L O O K
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Supporting Logan
I N S I D E
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O U T S
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S H O U T
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2
Bethel School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer
and complies with all federal rules and regulations
including Title IX/RCW 28A.640 and Sec. 504. Bethel does
not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex or handicap including student participation
in educational programs and extrcurricular activities.
Contact Laurie Barckley at (253) 683-6021 about Title IX
or Ben Runyun at (253) 683-6925 about Section 504
compliance procedures.
bethelnews
I N
B R I E F
5 students among
PSAT’s top 5 percent
Five district students were
recognized as “commended
scholars” in the 2004 National
Merit Scholarship Program.
The students placed among
the top 5 percent of more
than 1 million students
nationwide who took the
Preliminary Scholastic
Aptitude Test (PSAT).
They are Bethel High
seniors Katherine Brown,
Joshua Drake, John Eagle,
Cristy Watson and Spanaway
Lake High senior Daniel Lim.
Equity director
sets up office at ESC
Equity and Achievement
Director Carl Peterson has set
up an office at the Education
Service
Building. He
looks
forward to
continued
meetings
with parents,
students and
community
Carl Peterson
members
about
diversity and equity issues at
school.
He can be reached at 6837085.
Spanaway Elementary
harvests family fun
It was a delicious time at
Spanaway Elementary’s Oct.
2 Family Fun Night.
Students and staff used
fresh vegetables from the
school garden to make
zucchini pizzas, zucchini
bread with lemon honey
butter, garlic roasted potatoes, salsa, vegetable soup,
and salad with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes.
11 students win
$350 scholarships
Eleven students were each
awarded a $350 Elizabeth
Wesley scholarship by the
Tacoma Urban League.
Winners are Bethel High:
Marcella Thompson;
Spanaway Lake High:
Kathryn Dykens, Keithea
Jackson, Dagmara Monfort,
Brandy Smith, Lacey Allen,
Jessica Bloodsaw, Diandra
Chretain, Dudley Monfort,
Jalen Pendon and Leamona
Woodley.
Awards were based on
grade point average, attendance, and good citizenship.
Teachers to use
$1,000 grant for books
Amie Godinez
Anna Ayers
Teachers
Amie Godinez
of Evergreen
Elementary
and Anna
Ayers of
Camas Prairie
Elementary
were awarded
$1,000 literacy
grants from
the University
of Washington
and Starbucks.
The two will
use the grant
money to buy
books and
promote
reading at
their schools.
OCTOBER 2003
WWW.BETHELSD.ORG • BETHEL PRIDE
3
Monfort wins scholarship
Haitian family moved here to build better future
When Spanaway Lake High senior Dudley Monfort left Haiti
four years ago, his goal was to become an engineer. Now, thanks to
a $10,000 cultural diversity scholarship from Nordstrom, he’s well
on his way.
Monfort earned the scholarship by focusing on his activities
in the Math, Engineering, Science
Achievement (MESA) club. The
award was one of four given to
high school students in the Puget
Sound area.
In 1999, Monfort’s parents left
Haiti to find a better future for their
children. They sacrificed good jobs
– his father was a math teacher and
his mother a civil engineer – to
emigrate to the United States. Now
his father is a substitute teacher; his
mother works at Safeway.
“There were a lot of problems
with the government in Haiti,”
said Monfort. “Sometimes protests led to school closings. It hurt
our education. My parents decided to move here to help us
with our studies.”
After a short stay in Florida, the
family moved to Spanaway to join
an aunt who lives here.
He adjusted quickly to life at
SLHS.
“Everyone is really friendly here,”
he said. “I’ve been able to do clubs
and sports, so it’s been fun.”
Monfort has also excelled academically. He’s worked his way
through a string of high-level
courses including physics, honors biology, chemistry and AP
Calculus.
Science teacher and MESA adviser Matt Turner says Monfort is
a special student.
“He always offers good ideas
for discussion,” Turner said. “He’s
also exceptional at labs. He knows
how to work the equipment, follow directions and team with others. He has an incredibly bright
future.”
Monfort appreciates the opportunities MESA has provided in
the three years he’s been a member. He credits the organization
with helping him develop a better understanding of math and
science through workshops and
competition.
As for the future, Monfort sees
himself following his mother’s
training in engineering.
“I want to be a mechanical engineer or an electrical engineer,”
he said. “I’ll take classes in college
to see which one is better for me.”
Monfort plans to use the scholarship to attend the University of
Involvement in
Math,
Engineering,
Science
Achievement
(MESA) club led
to SLHS senior
Dudley
Monfort’s
$10,000
scholarship. The
Bethel School
Board recently
approved
funding to
support MESA.
Washington, Washington State
University, Western, UCLA or
Florida State University. His top
choice is the UW because he
spent the summer of 2002 there
doing scientific research.
Although serious about his
studies, Monfort’s reaction to the
news about the scholarship was
light-hearted.
“I was so happy. I was dancing
all afternoon,” he said.
Growth: It’s a sign of the times
Bethel School District
ranks among state’s
fastest growing
Driving down a country road
here isn’t what it used to be.
New houses pop up in pastures.
Cows and horses roam somewhere
else. Getting from place to place
takes longer than ever.
Growth.
It’s a sign of the times, and it’s
changing the face of the Bethel
community.
Only 10 years ago, the school district served fewer than 13,000 students. This year enrollment hovers
around 17,000. Bethel is one of the
fastest-growing school districts in
the state. And it doesn’t show signs
of slowing down.
While district officials struggle
to cope with the influx, they say
that dealing with growth is easier
than having to put up with a decrease in enrollment.
With additional revenue based
on more students, the state cuts
weren’t as damaging here as they
were in districts with stable or
declining enrollment.
Superintendent Tom Seigel
said the district lost $2.9 million
in state support this year and
$2 million the year before. The cut
was severe, but not as bad as it
could have been.
“The saving grace was student
growth,” Seigel said. “The more
kids you have, the more money
you get.”
Planning for growth is essential
for a school district. It takes a lot of
thought to anticipate where growth
will occur and then make the correct decisions about staffing,
boundaries and transportation.
For example, this year the district purchased nine portable
buildings that provide 18 classrooms.
“They’re all full,” Seigel said.
“We guessed right.”
One reason for the population
explosion in southeast Pierce
County is the availability of affordable land.
Another reason is the country’s
growth management plan draws
KARIE HAMILTON
More houses mean more kids. Getting through the crowded hallways at SLHS isn’t easy. The school, built for
1,300, currently houses 1,765 students.
a line roughly along 208th Street.
North of that, homes may be built
on lots as small as 4,000-5,000
square feet as long as utility services are in place.
“Thousands and thousands of
lots are approved or are about to be
approved along the 176th Street
corridor,” said Jim Hansen, the
district’s director of construction.
In the south end of the district,
however, the law requires two,
five and even 10-acre parcels unless the land was platted prior to
the county plan.
“It basically divides the district
into a rural-urban split,” said
Hansen.
Many schools are already
packed.
“North-end elementaries are
maxed out,” said Seigel. “They
have lots and lots of kids.”
All the growth translates into a
need for additional schools.
Couple that with the maintenance needs of older buildings,
and it will soon be time to consider a bond issue.
One or two elementary schools
and another junior high will be
needed in the near future, said
Seigel. Both large high schools
will need major overhauls – roofs,
plumbing and electrical, as well
as the heating, air conditioning
and ventilation systems.
The decision to run an election
to fund school construction is up
to the school board. Seigel says
the district is determined to earn
the community’s trust.
“We’ve demonstrated competency and good stewardship,” he
said. “We’ve delivered on every
promise we made when we
passed the 2001 bond.”
Yet keeping up with growth
continues to be an uphill battle.
“We’re still playing catch-up
ball,” Seigel said.
In the past, the district had
such limited funds that it was
forced to take the cheapest route.
Preventive maintenance took a
back seat. Crews fixed only what
was absolutely necessary.
“It’s kind of like ‘change your oil
now, or change your engine
later’,” Seigel said.
Growth is likely to be a constant.
“Bethel has a great opportunity,” said Paul Ellis, Director for
Metropolitan Development of the
Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber
of Commerce. “The Fredrickson
area is the prime employment
center for the entire Puget Sound
region.”
Ellis said that development of
the 2,800-acre site will allow
people to live and work in the
same community while providing
the schools with a stable tax base.
With that level of development,
the planning for growth becomes
even more complicated.
“Get things right the first time,”
Ellis advises. “Then the community will grow the right way.”
4
bethelpeople
OCTOBER 2003
BETHEL PRIDE • WWW.BETHELSD.ORG
Students make music
Talented orchestra
teacher likes to work
with beginners
A 12-year-old Graham boy will
remember Oct. 4 as a very special
day in his life.
On that date, more than 200
people rallied to raise money for
Matthew Metcalf ’s battle with
cancer. The event – “Make
Matthew’s Day” – featured a pancake breakfast, rummage sale and
bake sale at Centennial Elementary. Supporters raised $6,500.
Matthew was diagnosed with
leukemia at age 3. He was treated
with chemotherapy, but that led
to partial blindness. A stroke in
1998 left him partially paralyzed.
Matthew’s cancer went into remission when he was 7 after a
successful bone marrow transplant from his brother. But his
health was recently compromised when doctors discovered a
brain tumor. Mounting medical
bills have left his family struggling. His father now stays on the
road almost year-round as a longhaul trucker. His mother recently
cashed in her retirement savings
to pay for her son’s care.
Matthew’s younger brother,
Stephen, attends Centennial.
When the school’s secretary, Jo
Choral director
wins arts award
The Pierce County Arts
Commission selected
Frontier Jr. High choral
director Andrea Klouse to
receive the 2003 Margaret
Williams Arts Award for
Excellence in the Arts.
Klouse will be recognized
at a reception at 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 6 at the Washington
State History Museum.
Spanaway Jr. High ninthgrader Nicholas Swann
placed first in his age group
for oratory at the Jack & Jill
Far West Region Teen Conference last summer at Loyola
Marymount University in Los
Angeles.
Swann represented
Washington and Alaska at the
conference. He spoke on the
theme, “Generation Xpress
Yourself: Who am I?”
Jack & Jill is an organization, established in 1938,
dedicated to improving the
quality of life of AfricanAmerican children.
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About the orchestra
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dren are just beginning.
“I love to see kids get excited
when they play their first song,”
she said. “It’s great to watch them
learn about teamwork.”
Stout’s brothers and sisters all
maintain active musical lives. In
fact, the four youngest siblings
have played together in a string
quartet for several years.
“Music has brought us closer
together,” she said. “It’s wonderful to be able to share a love of
music with your family.”
Stout’s advice to parents of
budding musicians is to practice
patience. She guarantees that
someday the music will sound
better.
And her advice to parents who
are considering musical training
for their children:
“Go for it,” she said. “My sister
went on to become an accomplished violinist, and it all started
with fifth-grade orchestra.”
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demonstration on the violin,
viola and cello. Her musical ability impressed Camas Prairie
fourth grader Erika Marsden, who
decided to try the cello.
“Mrs. Stout is a great musician,
and I really liked the sound of the
cello,” she said. “I think it’s fun to
play music.”
At the elementary level, Stout
begins by teaching notes and finger placement. In the high school
program, she focuses on technique, interpretation and performance.
She hopes to expand the program as more students join.
“Music builds confidence,” she
said. “It helps students to create
and explore. In the world today,
there are so many degrading
things. It’s nice to teach something good and beautiful that students can be a part of.”
Stout says some of her best
teaching moments are when chil-
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Learning to play the violin is challenging for most young musicians, including Austen McCarthy of Evergreen
Elementary. Orchestra teacher Emily Stout gives him a hand.
Students: More than 300 students
are enrolled. Numbers are growing.
Schools: All schools have programs.
Cost: District provides some
instruments to students who don’t
have their own; others rent
instruments. Rental fees begin at
$20 per month, depending on
quality and size of instrument.
Age: Orchestra students begin in
4th grade; band begins in 6th.
Practice time: Students are
required to practice 30 minutes per
day.
How to start: Talk with the
orchestra or music teacher at child’s
school.
Information: Contact Michael
Sandner, Director of Arts Education
& Curriculum Integration at 6836957 or by e-mail at
[email protected]
Community rallies around Matthew
More than 200 come
out to help pay
medical bills
B R I E F
9th-grader takes first
in oratory contest
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Orchestra teacher Emily Stout
grew up in a house ringing with
music.
In a family with six children,
most of them took up an instrument. One brother and one sister
played the violin, another brother
played the cello, and the future
teacher played the viola. Her
mother accompanied them on
the piano.
“As far back as I can remember,
there was always music,” said the
Auburn native. “We all taught private music lessons through high
school, so between our own rehearsing and our teaching, music
filled our lives.”
It all began when Stout’s older
sister was in the fifth-grade. She
pulled their grandmother’s violin
out of the closet one day and declared she wanted to learn to play.
“At that time, there was a new
orchestra teacher, Dave Stafford,
in the district,” Stout said. “He
was nice and very good with kids.
My sister picked up the violin
quickly. After that, we all started
playing.”
Stout turned her attention to
the viola. From age 10 to 18, she
played with the Tacoma Youth
Symphony. Playing with “the
cream of the crop” locally made
her want to pursue music more
seriously. She headed to Brigham
Young University where she completed a music education degree
last April. She landed the Bethel
job this summer.
Now Stout wants to be that
“special teacher” to students
here. She teaches orchestra at
Spanaway Lake High, Cedarcrest
Jr. High, Camas Prairie and Elk
Plain. The class at Camas Prairie
draws students from Evergreen
and Spanaway Elementary. The
district has two other orchestra
teachers, Kristina Conway and
Shari Leavens, who teach at other
Bethel schools.
To recruit students for the elementary program, Stout went
into classrooms to give a short
I N
How to help
The Matthew Metcalf Donation
Account has been established at Wells
Fargo Bank. Donations may be made at
any branch office.
Costco, and Starbucks all donated
food and beverages.
A highlight of the day was a special fire truck ride for Matthew.
Graham firefighters helped the
boy into the front seat and took
him for a spin around the school’s
parking lot. Matthew took full
advantage of the opportunity as
Community members raised $6,500 to support 12-year-old Matthew
he sounded the horn and worked
Metcalf in his fight against cancer. A highlight of the Oct. 4 event was a
the siren.
ride-a-long with firefighters from Graham Fire and Rescue.
Matthew’s mother, Sue, said
Caseman, heard about the boy’s new bicycle. People baked cook- she was overwhelmed by the
community’s outreach.
illness and the family’s struggles, ies and cakes for the bake sale.
The event brought a huge
“This has just been awesome,”
she wanted to help.
“It was clear to me that this group of community supporters. she said. “We’re incredibly
“Everyone
was
so blessed to have such a caring
family was in dire need,” she said.
Centennial community. This will allow us to
“I thought maybe we could do generous,”said
something as a community to teacher Tasha Hill. “It was a real provide Matthew with the care he
team effort to help Matthew. We needs to get better.”
support them.”
Principal Tamie Wright said that
That “something” turned out to all worked together.”
Bethel High junior varsity efforts to help the Metcalf family
be an intensive effort by school
staff and community to raise cheerleaders and Miss Teen had created a surge of school spirit.
“The whole thing really
money for the family. Students, Washington Jasmine Jorgensen
staff and local residents brought raised $400 at the homecoming brought school staff and local
more than 1,000 items for the game. Zach’s Supermarket at 70th families together for a good
rummage sale. Boxes overflowed and Mathias Road dropped off a cause,” she said. “It makes us feel
with clothes, toys, books, games, check for $500. Krispy Kreme, proud that we were able to help
household items – even a brand- Safeway, Coke, Stewarts Meats, in such a meaningful way.”
BHS senior becomes
Eagle Scout
Bethel High senior Justin
Menard recently became an
Eagle Scout by completing 21
required merit badges and a
service project at American
Lake Veterans Hospital.
Menard has a 3.9 grade
point average, plays saxophone in the BHS band and is
a member of the varsity
football squad.
He is a member of Boy
Scout Troop 51 in Lakewood.
Roy girl, her horse rate
high at Lacamas Fair
Roy
Elementary
third-grader
Samantha
Plumlee and
her horse,
Moonlight,
won three
grand
championSamantha
ships and
Plumlee
several other
awards at
the Lacamas Fair in late
summer.
The championships were
in keyhole, pole bending and
barrel. She also won the
trophy for high point gaming.
Plumlee is a member of the
Lacamas Lopers, a 4-H club
led by Linda Benson.
2nd-grader gets
her story published
Naches
Trail
secondgrader
Brittney
Timmerman
is a published
author at
Brittney
age 7.
Timmerman
The
children’s
magazine, “Highlights,”
published a short entry about
her pet. She wrote: “I have a
bird named Alex. He is still a
baby. He likes to fly onto my
dad’s head and peck at his
forehead.”
bethelpeople
OCTOBER 2003
WWW.BETHELSD.ORG • BETHEL PRIDE
Conferences close gap
between home, school
Elementary schools
plan early dismissal
the week of Oct. 20
Teamwork between school and
home can be the key to improving a child’s success in school, say
educators. Parent conferences
play a critical role in helping to
establish that connection.
During the week of Oct. 20-24
elementary schools will dismiss
early so parents can visit their
children’s classrooms and meet
the teachers. Attending the conference and following up on goals
is important.
“Parents are more concerned
than ever about their student’s
progress today,” said Ann
Varkados, executive director of
curriculum and instruction. She
cites recent legislation that raises
expectations.
“Current eighth-graders who
don’t pass the WASL in their 10thgrade year will have to retake the
test,” Varkados said.
Even high school graduation
might be in jeopardy.
“That alone will raise a parent’s
concern earlier,” she said. “The
sooner parents are aware of the
implications, the better.”
Parents seem to agree. Last fall,
95 percent of all parents attended
conferences with teachers. More
than 8,100 half-hour conferences
Make the most of parent-teacher conferences! That’s the advice of Ann
Varkados, who heads the district’s curriculum and instruction
department. Ninety-five percent of all parents attended last year.
were held in grades K-6.
While educators stress the
importance of the family connection, Varkados says parents
s h o u l d n’t b e w o r r i e d o r
stressed.
“We need to focus on improving academic performance. We
can’t do that unless we work together,” she said.
Sometimes that 30-minute talk
can lead to big changes.
“It’s magical,” said Suzanne
Gayda, principal at Thompson Elementary. “Parents can make
such a difference in a child’s attitude and progress. Conferences
are worth every minute that the
kids aren’t in school.”
The teamwork approach pays
off.
“When the adults figure out
how to help the child and the
child figures out how to help himself, then the conference is successful,” said Ellen Eddy, principal at Rocky Ridge.
“When everyone leaves knowing what they can do, and then
does it, then everyone wins.”
10 tips for conferences
I N
1. WRITE NOTES to yourself before
conference time. Think about what you
want to know about your child’s
progress. List questions you might have
about school policies or curriculum.
2. ASK YOUR CHILD what she would
like you to discuss. Ask her to tell you
where she does well and what is more
challenging.
3. FIND CHILD CARE for younger
children. Give your undivided attention
to the star of the show – the student.
Younger children can be distractions for
the parent, the child or the teacher.
4. BE PROMPT. Realize that you may
have to wait, but be ready when it’s
your turn. If you have to cancel or
reschedule, call ahead so someone else
can fill your time slot.
5. ASK IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
You might run out of time, so make
sure you find out what you want to
know early in the conference.
6. CLEAR UP TERMS you don’t
understand. Education-talk can be
complex and confusing for parents.
Don’t be afraid to ask for an explanation.
7. MAKE IT A DIALOG. Be willing to
listen and understand. Get specifics on
behavior and performance. Share family
matters that might affect a child’s
progress. The child’s success hinges on
teamwork between school and home.
8. FOCUS ON GOALS. Zero in on what
all of you – parent, teacher and child –
can do together to help your child
learn. Develop a plan of action.
9. FOLLOW UP. At home discuss the
conference with your child. Assure him
that you and the teacher care about
what happens. Begin work on your
plan immediately.
10. KEEP IN CONTACT. Attend school
events. If you can, volunteer in the
classroom. Write notes or email. Your
involvement sends a strong message:
you care.
SLHS class celebrates
20th reunion
Officers work to keep schools safe
Pierce County Sheriff’s
Deputy Ken Board loves kids.
That’s why he’s so at home in
his role as school resource
officer (SRO) at Spanaway
Lake High, Spanaway Jr. High,
Cedarcrest Jr. High and several
elementary schools.
Bethel has two SROs,
Board and Dep. Jesse Hotz,
who covers schools in the
south part of the district. The
two work closely with
administrators to make sure
schools stay safe. They work to
build positive relationships
with students. But the job also
requires taking a tough stance
when students get into
trouble.
Hotz, who just began his
second year in district
schools, says Board provides
strong leadership.
“During my first year as a
school resource officer, Dep.
Board taught me how to build
a strong rapport with staff and
students. He shows genuine
care for the kids. He’s just
outstanding.”
SROs began walking the
halls of local schools in 1993.
The district contracts with
Pierce County for their
services. Each officer serves a
three-year term.
Board, who spent eight
years in the Navy after high
school, became a deputy in
1982. This is his third year in
schools. He considers the
position the highlight of his
career.
“This is the best job I’ve
ever had,” he said. “I love the
energy that kids have when
they interact. It’s great to talk
to students in the lunchroom
or the hall. It gives them the
opportunity to see that cops
are human.”
While Board occasionally
must make an arrest for
criminal activity, he remains
convinced that most students
5
B R I E F
Spanaway Lake High Class
of 1983 celebrated its 20th
reunion in August with events
in Tacoma and at Spanaway
Park.
About 70 classmates and
several spouses participated
in the festivities.
They were joined by Dr.
Roger Woehl (the first SLHS
principal), his wife, Jeannie
(the first school secretary) and
other administrators and
teachers.
The highlight of the
weekend was the opening of a
1983 time capsule with photos
and poems. Julie EtteldorfCollins and Angela Johnson
Garner helped organize the
event.
Alumni can get more
information on the class at
www.geocities.com/slhs83.
Challenger musicians
perform in Seattle
Challenger students
Anthony D’Amico, Jessie
Borja and teacher Max
Mitchell all performed Oct. 10
at a music conference on
blues at the Experience Music
Project in Seattle.
D’Amico wrote and performed the song, “I Woke Up
This Morning.” Borja performed the song “Pacific
Island Blues.” Mitchell played
drums and sang vocals in the
Corey Wild Blues Band.
The students are enrolled in
Mitchell’s “History Through
Music” class.
Congress has designated
2003 to be the year of the
blues.
Norway educators
visit local schools
Eight principals and two
teachers from Norway visited
Camas Prairie Elementary,
Spanaway Jr. High and Bethel
High on Oct. 9 as part of a
leadership training course
through Pacific Lutheran
University.
The Norwegian educators
visited classes, consulted with
principals and discussed
school life with student
leaders.
Diversity task force
announces schedule
The diversity task force
meets Oct. 14, Nov. 18. Jan. 27,
March 23, and May 25 at 4
p.m. in the ESC boardroom to
focus on two issues: hiring/
retaining more teachers of
color and eliminating the
achievement gap. The public
is welcome to attend.
Make no bones about it, Dep. Ken Board knows how to connect with kids. Halloween partner, Mr. Skeleton,
takes a spin with the school resource officer.
are on the right track.
“Ninety-nine percent of
the kids do really good things
in school,” he said. “It’s just
that 1 percent that give other
kids a bad name. We always
hear about the bad things that
happen in school, but they’re
actually few and far between.”
Board says he sees his role
as making a positive
impression on students, not
trying to catch them doing
something wrong.
Spanaway Jr. High
principal John Mishra
appreciates Board’s approach
to his work.
“I like how he spends time
talking to students,” Mishra
said. “He’s able to diffuse
situations that way. As a
principal, it’s nice to know
that when I see a police
vehicle in front of the
building, it doesn’t necessarily
mean that something is
wrong.”
Board also dedicates his
talents to schools in other
ways. He started an astronomy
club at both SJH and SLHS; he
takes Spanaway Elementary
students to a law-enforcement
youth camp each summer;
and he helps organize a
Christmas party for at-risk
children every year.
Although Board’s threeyear commitment ends in
June, he plans to reapply for
another term.
“I feel like I have a
positive influence on kids,” he
said. “I enjoy making a
difference in their lives.”
SLHS principal Greg
Eisnaugle hopes Board stays
on with the district.
“He’s just an outstanding
person,” said Eisnaugle.”“He
talks respectfully to the kids,
he relates well to staff and he
knows how schools work.”
WSU invites minority
students to campus
Several students from
Spanaway Lake High and
Bethel High attended two
promotional events at
Washington State University.
The events, “Future Teachers
of Color” and “Future Cougars
of Color,” aim to attract
minority students to the
Pullman campus.
SLHS organizer Harold
Wright said he was pleased
with the high participation
rate of district students. “They
have a limited number of
slots, and we always fill a lot
of them,” he said. “This is a
great opportunity for our
kids.”
bethelpride
OCTOBER 2003
WWW.BETHELSD.ORG • BETHEL PRIDE
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Listening
2002 2003
64.9
64.3
50.5
52.7
67.9
63.8
69.5
82.1
57.1
58.4
64.1
69.4
77.8
68.9
74.3
65.3
68.0
65.1
67.8
75.9
54.5
63.5
76.0
52.7
71.6
56.8
51.1
51.0
67.2
73.9
65.4 64.3
66.6 65.8
Passed
all 4
27.7
14.0
16.2
51.8
26.7
26.1
34.4
37.9
20.5
39.7
26.0
20.0
26.3
21.2
29.0
27.5
34
Met federal
requirements
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Free/reduced
lunch (percent)
39
36
33
22
55
21
28
26
31
20
32
38
39
51
45
31
36
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS
Passed
all 4
16.0
10.6
13.8
15.2
13.9
27
Met federal
requirements
No
No
No
No
No
No
Free/reduced
lunch (percent)
33
27
23
34
31
36
Listening
2002 2003
74.3
82.3
82.1
76.4
63.6
56.1
77.3 78.1
81.8 75.8
Passed
all 4
26.0
27.3
5.7
25.2
34
Met federal
requirements
No
No
No
No
No
Free/reduced
lunch (percent)
20
23
N/A
31
36
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Listening
2002 2003
84.5
87.9
79.4
80.2
83.3
84.7
88.3
88.1
83.9 85.2
83.6 86.9
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Writing
2002 2003
53.1
47.0
52.8
34.8
47.5
39.3
50.5
49.8
51.1
42.7
53.0
54.6
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No, it’s much more complex. Besides a school’s overall progress,
several subgroups also must make
adequate yearly progress. These
groups are based on race, poverty
level, disability and lack of English
language ability. Each group must
have at least 30 students to qualify
as a subgroup. If any one of them
doesn’t make AYP on any section of
the WASL, the entire school doesn’t
make it.
Reading
2002 2003
42.0
42.7
43.3
33.3
36.4
42.7
41.3
36.0
40.7
38.9
44.5
47.9
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Percent of students meeting standard
School
Math
2002 2003
Bethel
21.5
23.4
Cedarcrest
17.7
22.5
Frontier
18.6
25.4
Spanaway
17.6
23.4
District
18.8
23.5
State
30.4
36.8
Is that all there is to AYP?
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How do I read the charts?
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• Both 2002 and 2003 scores are listed for comparison. District and state
averages provide a benchmark for individual school progress.
• The “federal requirements” category indicates whether schools made
“adequate yearly progress” (see Q&A on page 6).
• Free/reduced lunch percentage is listed because studies show a high
correllation between socio-economic status and success on achievement tests.
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dents. Educators have voiced concerns that many schools won’t
make AYP because students with
severe learning disabilities will not
be able to meet the test standards.
The federal government responds
that the intent of the law is to have
high expectations for all students.
JAMES HAMMOND,
Bethel High
We had a very
serious discussion
about what we
could do to turn
Bethel High into a
school of academic
achievers. Students
told us they needed
to see real-world
consequences of
doing well on the test. Staff said there
needed to be greater coordination in
instruction.
We created a “sophomore house” – a
smaller learning community within the
school. A core group of 12 instructors
teamed together to teach tenth-graders
communication arts, social studies, math
and science. Teachers met weekly to
collaborate.
Another large part of the WASL
success was attitude. Students took the
test more seriously this year.
I took a bar graph to classes showing
our test scores in comparison with other
SPSL schools. I asked students, ‘If we can be
the best in athletics, music and other
activities, why can’t we be the best
academically?’ I made it a point of pride for
them as individuals and for us as a school.
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No. The new law affects only
quires special education students
to be tested. Last spring, most special education students took the
WASL. The law permits alternate
assessments for only 1 percent of
special education students. Fourteen percent of Bethel students are
classified as special education stu-
Writing
2002 2003
43.8
59.3
58.1
61.5
22.1
22.0
49.2
57.9
54.3
60.4
SUZANNE GAYDA,
Thompson
Elementary
I believe there are
four factors that
played a critical role
in helping us reach
our goals. They were
our reading coach,
lower class sizes, a
commitment to the school improvement
plan and the Spanaway Learning Center.
Our reading coach, Nancy Braxton,
coordinated a schoolwide reading effort.
She worked with teachers to implement a
wide range of reading strategies. She also
helped devise individual reading
programs for students.
Lower class size made a big difference.
Our class sizes were small enough to
allow teachers and specialists to spend
significant time with individual students.
The school improvement plan called
for longer math periods, coordinating
efforts to help kids attain basic
knowledge, and focusing on real
learning – not just covering material.
Staff made a tremendous effort to make
the improvement plan a reality.
Finally, the Spanaway Learning Center
is a great asset. It provides our students
with after-school help in core subjects.
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Do all schools in the district
face these consequences?
those schools that receive federal However, the district is commitTitle I money. The district uses Title ted to the intent of the law – that
I funds to improve learning oppor- every student can and will learn.
tunities for elementary students
who come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. Other What about special education
schools face no federal conse- students?
“No Child Left Behind” requences for failing to make AYP.
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ing, replace staff, change curriculum or offer students the opportunity to transfer to a neighboring
district.
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Spanaway Elementary principal Kim Hanson (back, far left) celebrates WASL success with fourth-grade teachers Camilla Fredrickson,
Kara Kadow and last year’s fourth-graders who passed all four sections of the WASL.
Reading
2002 2003
47.4
63.6
57.0
58.8
20.9
33.7
50.3
59.6
59.2
59.9
○
○
○
○
○
Percent of students meeting standard
School
Math
2002 2003
Bethel
19.7
29.6
Spanaway Lake
29.0
31.1
Challenger
4.6
7.2
District
23.2
28.9
State
37.3
39.4
○
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS
And if a school doesn’t make it?
The school faces a series of corrective measures. The first year, it’s
put on alert. The second year, it’s
labeled “in need of improvement,”
and sanctions apply. Parents may
transfer their child to another district school that is meeting the
goals. The district must transport
the student to the new school. If a
school continues to miss the AYP
mark, the district must offer tutor-
Writing
2002 2003
38.5
42.0
38.0
35.9
41.6
25.7
52.5
66.1
53.3
46.5
36.2
36.9
54.0
60.7
57.4
65.3
48.0
32.5
58.3
56.9
57.9
44.8
42.0
30.9
47.7
43.5
36.6
45.8
40.3
46.4
47.1
44.7
49.5
53.6
○
○
○
○
○
The starting point is each
school’s percentage of students
who passed the WASL in 2002. On
a graph, a line is drawn from that
point to a 100 percent passing rate
in the year 2014. Each year more
students must pass until the school
reaches a perfect score.
○
○
○
○
How is adequate yearly
progress determined?
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
The state of Washington will use
the math and reading sections of
the WASL to measure student performance. Later, science will be included. Each school must make
“adequate yearly progress” (AYP) to
avoid consequences.
○
○
○
○
How does the accountability
piece work?
Reading
2002 2003
48.6
64.0
38.6
43.5
54.1
61.9
67.8
85.7
60.3
67.3
60.9
64.0
82.5
85.2
75.2
73.7
58.6
62.7
66.4
79.3
67.0
59.4
68.0
57.4
65.1
69.6
30.0
68.8
59.7
75.4
60.8
67.2
65.6
66.7
○
○
○
Percent of students meeting standard
School
Math
2002 2003
Camas Prairie
37.3
47.3
Centennial
37.8
31.2
Clover Creek
33.8
32.7
Elk Plain
57.6
71.4
Evergreen
53.9
45.9
Graham
50.0
45.1
Kapowsin
57.1
72.1
Naches Trail
67.3
63.2
North Star
45.0
44.6
Pioneer Valley
50.4
62.9
Rocky Ridge
51.6
47.9
Roy
50.0
49.1
Shining Mountain
56.0
48.7
Spanaway
26.2
45.1
Thompson
37.3
60.9
District
48.2
50.1
State
51.8
55.2
○
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
KIM HANSON,
Spanaway
Elementary
It’s extremely
important to give
kids an early start in
reading. We evaluate
students constantly
to address specific
needs. Teamwork is critical.
Volunteers are indispensable. We have
senior citizens, PLU students, parents and
others who dedicate several hours a
week to help our students master basic
skills. We couldn’t do it without them.
Our reading specialist, Summer Green,
has played a key role in our WASL
success. She first spends time in a fourth
grade class to determine the areas in
which students need more help. Then
she goes to the third grade classes to
help those teachers fill in the gaps. This
coordinated approach has resulted in
higher achievement for all students.
Finally, our after-school program has
helped greatly. Fourth graders last year
had the opportunity (through a grant) to
have an extended day to focus on
reading and writing skills. It was great
watching the kids have fun and learn at
the same time.
○
This federal program, passed by
Congress last year, holds schools
accountable for student achievement. Students in grades 3-8 will be
tested in reading and math. The
higher standards must be met by
2014.
BRAD GRAHAM,
Kapowsin
Elementary
We took time to
review all the testrelated programs
and activities to see
what worked. The
entire staff came
together to identify things that we
should continue and things that we
could do better.
We have a very strong focus on reading
at Kapowsin. Last year, we gave each
student a reading placement test before
school started. Our reading specialist and
librarian established reading goals and
worked closely with parents and teachers
to ensure student success.
We used the Accelerated Reading
Program to encourage students to read as
much as possible. We also organized a fun
competition to see which classes and
which students could read the most. We
put dinosaur eggs in baskets in the library
to award points. The results were off the
charts as students read more than ever.
Our PTA supported us by linking their
reading incentive program to the school
program. Their support made a big
difference.
○
2003 WASL SCORES
What is ‘No Child Left Behind’?
7
I M P R O V E M E N T
○
Higher standards mean focusing on learning goals
S C H O O L
○
OCTOBER 2003
BETHEL PRIDE • WWW.BETHELSD.ORG
○
6
4 T H - G R A D E R S : Met standard on four sections
CAMAS PRAIRIE: Victoria Ake, Amanda
Amundson, Rachel Antkowiak, Tiffany
Barker, Tiana Bennett, Matthew
Blackburn, Sydney Buttolph, Marquee
Cavanaugh, Jeramie Corey, Larisa
Dashkel, Sarah Dobyns, Lindsay Esch,
Manuel Estacio, Nikkia Flint, Alexis
Havener, Dongmin Kim, Mauricio
Maureira, Matthew Palase, Casey Patrick,
Jacob Pinkos, Jennifer Poore, Arianna
Pulliam, Makaila Punzalan, Jaden Roseth,
Jonathan Schulz, Danielle Tabb, Roxynne
Taviuni, Shawn Theuerkauf, Dominiqu
Vansleet, Robyn Wake
CENTENNIAL: Jeremy Barker, Kristofer
Calapp, Stevin Dow, Michael Gant,
Nicholas Glick, Nicole Keene-Kelly,
Nicholas Kirby, Dean Mcelveen, Jullian
Merritt, Evan Michelsen, Blake Nelson,
Braden Waddell, Jacob Wiffler
CLOVER CREEK: Janell Baure, Brianna
Carroll, Alexander Cook, Miranda Gibson,
Jessica Huff, Timarie Kelly, Brian
Lockbaum, Debra Matic, Jacky
Pagpaguitan, Sydney Patrick, Vanessa
Perez, Alla Rukodaynaya, Joshua Smith,
Amanda Spackman, Amanda Stephens,
Sarah Wiley, Steffani Yount
ELK PLAIN: Shalee Abraham, Racheal
Albrecht, Andrew Blount, Ginger Brickey,
Amanda Dyachkin, Ugonma Ejiawoko,
Christopher Emery, Britny Gonzales,
Celina Graciano, Daniel Higgins,
Christopher Hildenbrand, Nathan Johns,
Kevin Mason, Caleb Medeiros, Carly
Mondoy, Geoffrey Nestegard, Maria Niki,
Bryce Park, Niall Patten, Nicole Phillips,
Brittany Portugue, Nicholas Roberts, Carl
Ross, John Scacciotti, Amber Sferrazzo,
Alyssa Stewart, Brandie Storey, Esther
Thompson, Nicole Wirth
EVERGREEN: John Allee Jr., Tracy
Backhaus, Christopher Barber, Leyca
Besarra, Roman Carlsen, Zachary
Denmark, Rachelle Gronau, Sydni Hause,
Jasmine Khim, Breanna Lazaro, Emma
Livernash, Alex Smith Lynch, Jennifer
Marlin, John Mays, Deven Mckinney,
Ashley Mcknight, Cole Meyers, Haley
Miller, Chelsea Morris, John Graham Olek,
Krista Schaefer, Tremaine Snead, Nicholas
Solheim, Jenna Tisler-Carlin, Michael
Vailencour, Bailie Warnke, Jazmine Wright
GRAHAM: Breanna Basich, Cole Blume,
Sarah Charles, Samantha Dauzenroth,
Katie Duman, Toren Flom, Anna Fox,
Alexander Francis, Kellie Giang, Brittany
Gibbs, Emma Gudith, Staci Helland,
Catrina Hill, Morgan Kalmbach, Garrett
Kingsbury, Alexandra Lanthorn, Sarah
Lenhart, Milena McLaren, Rachelle
Moore, Mitchell Motley, Joseph Phenisee,
Jordan Riedel, Zachary Riley, David Risovi
Jr., Sarah Robinson, Ross Rowinski, Korin
Ruddell, Zach Turk, Lindsay Wilhelm
KAPOWSIN: Taylor Ankley, Carsten
Armstrong, Joshua Basher, Stephen
Boisso, Zakary Cadena, Erika Campbell,
Eric Carpenter, Sean Condon, Matthew
Crosby, Bailey Fox, Jonathan Gorash,
Stephanie Lantz, Tessa Lavergne, Jesse
Mcmahill, Amanda Mower, Erik
Nothstein, Austin Richards, Phillip Shaw,
Andrew Sneen, Kelly Tousley, Carl
Vonsicard
NACHES TRAIL: Adam Barrett, Margaret
Barnstien, Elizabeth Borgatti, Tylor
Borgeson, English Bryant, Andrew Buttz,
Justine Camacho, Morgan Canty,
Christopher Coffey, Jordan Crandall,
Lucas Davis, Joseph Dennis, Lillian
Diverty, Alyssa Fortin, Dakota Gordon,
7 T H - G R A D E R S : Met standard on all four sections 1 0 T H - G R A D E R S : Met standard on all four sections
Nolan Hansen, Keanna Harai, Dallas
Hatfield, Justin Hoover, Katie Howson,
Angela Jones, Johnny Jones, Maraina
Judd, Noel Mackey, Joel Miller, Stephanie
Peterson, Steven Porter, Moriah
Randolph, Christian Robinson, Kevin
Stimac, Vanessa Thomas, Kimberly
Thompson, Simone Triche, Wesley
Vonner, Andrew Wagner, Stuart
Weaverling
NORTH STAR: Kristen Baumes, Chrystal
Camacho, Krystina Dean, Tiffany
Frownfelter, Ashley Haugen, Bradley
Hunt, Jessica Lawson, Timothy Martin,
Nickole Mock, Riley Moores, Zachary
Moran, Elizabeth Postolnikov, Shelby
Pressel, Brianna Sargent, Elle Tanner,
Dominic Tulare, Torri Woodruff
PIONEER VALLEY: Jordan Arnold, Karlee
Betzina, Kyra Braedt, Haley Brown,
Katelyn Braxton, Kris Diaz, Tyler Donlin,
Matthew Edholm, Kylee Fahnstrom,
Kaitlyn Foster, Courtney Garinger, Nolan
Glenn, Janet Gonzalez, Whitney Groven,
Audrey Halversen, Edward Herrera,
Jessica Jerzyk, Marisa Kendo, Hannah
Kinne, Bailey Leighton, Nicolle Long,
Ashley Loucks, Jay Manansala, Alexis
Manzanares, Daniel Mock, Brooke Molloy,
Kaitlyn Molloy, Dominic Morlino, Kirsten
Mundell, Andy Nguyen, Koki Oizumi,
Alana Oyama, Brittany Reynolds, Molly
Romano, Marie Serrano, Savana Smith,
Mitchell Stilson, Ryan Styers, Chance
Taylor, Jerek Toves, Hughie Travis, Riley
Underwood, Sharae Vance, Shontai
Vance, Ashlee Wetherbee, Jordan
Whitemarsh
ROCKY RIDGE: Azyree Caraballo, Haley
Cardis, Jessica Caughell, Ian Clemens,
Alicia Daniels, Julie Dunlap, Sarah
Dworak, Nolan Ewell, Christine
Fautenberry, Trevor Fetbrandt, Riane
Fitzgerald, Michael Henry, Dylan Heyne,
Brandon Isgrig, Kyle Kingkeo, Shayla
Meyer, Patrick Monaghan, Shawn Ohm,
Kaili Pecheos, Jordan Pedersen, Michael
Rynders, Michael Safley, Ashley Sauer,
Jacob Schuster, Desiree Shearer
ROY: Crystal Gonzales, Kaitlyn Gulley,
Erin Johnson, Ryan Johnston, Timothy
Mack, Breanna Parsons, Jessica Renwick,
Serena Scrivner, Jonel Simmons, Ayla
Swanson, Jonathan Troxell
SHINING MOUNTAIN: Mariah Aebi,
Grant Aragon, Dillon Arnold, Christopher
Axtell, Christian Booth, Ryan Clabaugh,
Necia Davis, Olivia Fualii, Theresa Fuller,
Lauren Gelinas, Courtney Hayden, Patrick
Hinshaw, Malcolm Hunt, Michele
Johnson, Chelisa Lofton, Katie Meyer,
Brien Mcnamara, Eain Moritz, Sara Netter,
Robert Ohlson, Gabriela Orta, Ryan
Reese, Brianne Rogers, Paul Sanders Jr.,
April Shearer, Aurora Stewart, Brianna
Sykes, Ryan Szenk, Shay Vandevander,
Christine Vannote, Caitlin Weiss
SPANAWAY: Keith Broadwell, Keirsten
Darby, Danica Delosreyes, Theresa Eckels,
Austin Henderson, Amanda Hess,
Christopher Lindsey, Suzanne Mitchell,
Matthew Rohr, Kayla Taylor, Jacqueline
Zarate
THOMPSON: Vincent Abbott, Tyler Bekken,
Serina Delicino, Stephen Dobyns, Cierra
Driscoll, Gregory Gonsalves, Anthony
Grady, Ashley Gunby, Amber Hanson, Kevin
Jorgensen, Christa Mercado, Nicholas
Morrison, Brandon Mullins, William Pruett,
Zachary Robinson, Daniel Scheffer, Sarafina
Sea, Kimberly Wagner, Paige Wright, Janae’
Yarborough
BETHEL JR. HIGH: Kimberly Adsitt, Michael
Ake, Nadia Alexander, Karyssa Allbritton,
Christin Allen, Charly Angle, Evy Arpin,
Caitlin Baker, Joshua Baker, Jennifer
Barthule, Kent Brady, Zachary Brasili, Janet
Casey, Caitlin Celmer, Lisa Chase, Zackary
Christensen, James Clements, Monica
Clements, Carlo Creek, Brittany Cuda, Ryan
Daigneault, Makenzie Demmert, Darren
Dix, Skyler Drennan, Zachary Engelhart,
Bobby Freitas, Airiel Geller, April
Gochnauer, Dionicia Graham, Cierra
Hailestock, Tiffaney Hall, Kayla Hanson,
David Hatch, Oliver Henry, Samantha
Hodges, Randi Hominda, Skylar Huggins,
Elizabeth Ketter, Jeffrey Kiesz, Britney
Lavoie, Kyler Leingang, John Leslie, Dana
Mcelveen, Cassandra Migota, Jack Miller,
Kayleigh Miller, Alicia Netter, Brandon Ochs,
Kendra Phillips, Logan Pierce, Porscha
Rivera, Dallas Ross, Jane Ryan, Jeffery
Serdenia, Kristoph Shaw, Wahleah Sheldon,
Cindi Stowell, Andrew Szenk, Nichole Taini,
Lance Tomiczek, Tricia Torgeson, Brianna
Underwood, Monica Wainwright, Leslie
Williams, Patrick Williams, Jocelyn
Wojtaszczyk, Zachary Wolle
CEDARCREST JR. HIGH: David Anderson,
Jessica Annis, Robert Applebaum, Kimberly
Applonie, Donovan Ayers, Colin Barney,
Cory Bassi, Gloria Bleakley, Tiffany Byers,
William Caballero, Nicole Cochran,
Elizabeth Coonley, Kylene Daschofsky, Eric
Doubet, Janayn Evans, Preston Glenn,
Austin Gunsauley, Ashley Herth, Ryan
Johnson, Ryan Kimber, Andrew Llanos,
Christine Love, Jeni Manansala, Kristin May,
Angelica Mendez, Lance Miller, Michael
Parks, April Schoffer, John Schrier, Mary
Scrimpsher, Curtis Smith, Paul Spietz, Ryan
Travis, Charles Vogel, Allen Whitemarsh,
Cassandra Whitfield
FRONTIER JR. HIGH: Lucas Bentz, Ryan
Brower, Kimberly Cabusao, Brandon Caple,
Kayla Child, Jennifer Cogburn, Lauren
Collier, Kimberly Conley, Amanda Cowan,
Samuel Eagle, Shelby Fisher, Ashley Francis,
David Frye, Latoya Fryer, Jordan Garcia,
Audrey Gemar, Mayra Gotay, Alicia
Greenaway, Adam Hausmann, Erika
Hernandez, Nickey Horgan, Randy Kendall,
Kellie Kimball, Kevin Kistenmache, Dane
Kosel, Aaron Lenk, William Lowe, Nichole
Lund, Brendan Maestas, Jeffrey Mccarthy,
Kelli Mckeown, Bryce Meyer, Jessica
Moores, Mia Nelson, Noah Nequette,
Amanda Parker, Sarah Phenisee, Sarah
Pierce, Blake Rowinski, Lauren Stephens,
Morgan Swick, Ashley Swindahl, Taylor
Thetford, Zachary Tiegs, Leslie Treber, A.J.
Venegas, Samuel Wahl, Bryan Watson,
Michael Welsh
SPANAWAY JR. HIGH: Nicolett Bohaker,
Kyle Brown, Sean Brown, Scott Brunner,
Spencer Bull, Stephani Byers, Hana Byun,
Kristina Chang, Brooke Colquhoun, Chaz
Curtis, James Davis, Kevin Dimond, Paige
Dinsmore, Roberta Edwards, Jaimee
Everman, Breeanna George, Brandon Giles,
Liliya Gnatyuk, Leaann Gregg, Trista Hagen,
Lainy Hanson, Christina Haworth, Nicole
Houston, Keith Huebner, Ariana Kepner,
Jennifer Kercher, Ashley Kiel, Junko Kondo,
Nathan Kowalski, Jung Lee, Kaelynn Lemke,
Alyssa Lopez, Gabriela Maureira, Christian
Mearns, Sora Moon, Oksana Natkha, Ryan
Nixon, Christin O, Jazmyn Pratt, Francis
Reding, Joshua Retter, Kathryn Rhodes,
Alexandr Ricardo, Lindsi Shafer, Robert
Simmons, Alisa Smith, Jasmine Smith,
Joshua Stegner, Kelli Thompson, Alex
Tobosa, Kathryn Wheeler
BETHEL HIGH: Arlene Agbulos, Ryan
Akers, Nicole Allbritton, Laura Allen, Amy
Arpin, Jennifer Ball, Chelsea Banks, Christop
Bautista, Gabriel Beahler, Michia Birgen,
Cassandra Blakesley, Katie Blankenship,
Derek Brady, Joshua Brand, Matthew Brill,
Patricia Brodie, Joshua Brown, Rashad
Brown, Haley Bury, Jessica Carroll, David
Cate, Andrew Cawley, Katie Cohee,
Christopher Conley, Braden Cowan,
Michael Crook, Tara Cummings, Terrence
Curran, Aaron Cysensky, Dalana Dailey,
Matthew Dufalo, Amanda Durocher,
Joshua Efterfield, Craig Ehnat, Kimberly
Ellis, Breanna Ennis, Christopher Estrada,
James Ewings III, Devon Folden, Julie Ford,
Justine Frijas, Lacey Fritz, Renee Fullerton,
Edward Geisler, Jillian Greenaway, Justen
Greidanus, Brittany Hader, Windmera
Haight, Trevor Hairston, Ashley Hanson,
Ryan Hanson, Megan Harris, Melissa Hatch,
Rachael Hendrickson, Krystle Hetrick,
Michael Hickok, Jason Holquist, Heather
Hopkins, Kathleen Hulsey, Layne Inman,
Elizabeth Jennings, Elizabeth Jensen,
Chantal Jones, Adrick Kaasa, Daniel Kelley,
Nicole Kent, Bryan Koorstad, Monique
Kostka, Katie Knudtson, Chad Krumins,
Justin Land, Christopher Langley,
Alexander Laumb, Ashley Lavota, Tyler
Lawrence, Alyssa Lima, Alisha Lininger,
Tyler Linsten, Kerri Lipp, Aaron Lonborg,
Stephanie Loomis, Melanie Lord, Michael
Lorenz, Callie Macleod, Andrea Martinson,
Scott Mason, Jessica Mccain, Marrissa
Mcclain, Zachary Mcclendon, Westley
Mcdaniel, Kevin Mcdowell, Matthew
Mcmullin, Nicholas Merry, Elspeth Moleno,
Brandon Moore, Jeanette Moore, Amanda
Morse, Kalen Mower, Jennifer Nelson,
Amanda Noworyta, Shelista Ochse,
Nicholas Oglesbee, Jeryd Oliver, Jose
Padilla Jr., James Parker II, Rebecca Pawul,
Calvin Pearce, Joseph Pena, Rory Peterson,
Emily Phillips, Tara Pittsley, Tabatha Politis,
Sean Prater, Brian Raygor, Ashley
Redington, Andrew Richards, Paul Riggs,
Andrew Robenalt, Sean Robenalt, Tonya
Roberts, Stephani Rochefort, Brittany
Rogers, James Ryan, Tessa Salcedo,
Amanda Sand, Sarah Sappington, Brandy
Schmidt, Brandon Schneider, James
Schofield, Bryant Schwartz, David Serr,
Jordan Shadle, Lauren Shadle, Stephanie
Shaw, Joseph Sienkiewich, Lanora
Siggelkow, Daniel Slick, Heather Songer,
Stephen Steinlein, Kassandra Strain,
Aubrey Tapia, Alex Tiefenthaler, Emily Tisch,
Alysa Treber, Aaron Tumale, Mark
Upchurch, Laura Vance, Christopher Vez,
Davin Walker, Chastin Warner, Aaron
Westbrooke, Lindsey Whetstine, Ebony
White, Stephanie Whitton, Forrest
Williamson, Ethan Wilson, David Wimmer,
Katheryn Womack, Codie Wright, Sarah
Wright, Derek Wyant, Blake York, Eliza York,
Donna Zasimowich, Logan Zehner, Helena
Zielke
CHALLENGER SECONDARY: Erin
Compton, Michelle Eltrich, Nicole
Gesner, Stephani King, Sasha Koebel
SPANAWAY LAKE HIGH: Christa Absten,
Celynann Albino, Lacey Allen, Melinda
Andrews, Cammi Bailey, Jacob Barrett, Troy
Bass, Jason Berg, Brandon Birgen, Amy
Birka, Amanda Blair, Jessica Bloodsaw,
Bryan Bradlyn, Tara Bruizeman, Marco
Buckingham, Chester Budinger, Virginia
Burgess, Tae Byun, Tara Cain, Jordan
Caldwell, Michael Canaday, Jessica Carlson,
Daphne Carter, John Carter, Heather
Catron, Diandra Chretain, Bethany Clapp,
Cassandra Clay, Ryan Colquhoun, Amy
Constantineau, Jasmin Cooper, Kassandra
Cremeans, William Crompton, Stephanie
Cross, Rovaira Dasig, Emily Degman, Harry
Denton, Patricia Dixon, Steven Easterly,
Derek Eliason, Donovan Esser, Calmerin
Ereth, Joshua Everman, Jon Fabeck, Chris
Fernandez, Ashly Fletcher, Fae Garcia,
Virgilio Garcia, Richard Garl, Benjamin
Garwood, Justin Glass, Alla Gorash, Angel
Gorman, Robert Graham, Corbin Grunwald,
Amy Gunderson, Chris Halbrook, Kyle
Haney, Robert Hartley, Leon Haskins, Mariel
Heinemann, Wade Hetland, Sean Heupel,
Erin Holyoke, Stephanie Howe, Ashley
Hoyt, Andrea Hudson, Ethan Humphries,
Andrew Huyck, Devon Jameson, Monique
Jones, Diana Jorda, Dustin Junkert, Monica
Keo, Bernadette Kho, Kristopher King,
Hoshihit Kondo, Brett Lacher, Desteny
Laney, Giena Laroza Alle, Anna Laudenglos,
John Laura, James Lewis, Matthew Lewis,
Jenna Lindquist, Stephanie Lindquist, Eli
Livernash, Michael Long, John Luiz, Francis
Malimban, Nicholas Manning, David
Marshall, Melanie Marshall, Andrew Martin,
Malina Martinez, Michael May, Caitlin
Mckinley, Galen Mcrae, Carin Merritt,
Jessyca Milles, Johnathan Moore, Bogdan
Natkha, Matthew Nelson, Sharita Nelson,
Minh Nguyen, Craig Nobles, Rebecca Nolte,
Heather Olson, Jennifer Oney, Irene
Pagpaguitan, Jessica Pendon, Kristine
Petersen, William Phister, Adam Post,
Megan Rabe, Angela Reding, Kimiko Riley,
Jacquelyne Roach, Kristen Rohr, Christina
Roll, Raeshawn Sager, Michael Savageau.
Haley Schwarz, Jonathan Score, Spencer
Seabourne, Katherine Selby, Karn Sevig,
Shantel Shepard, Crystal Simpson, Megan
Slater, Cherrie Smith, Russel Solsten, Casey
WASL bump
The following schools saw the most
dramatic improvement on the 2003
WASL. Numbers represent the increase in
percentage of students who met or
exceeded standard.
BETHEL HIGH
Math
+10
Reading
+17
Writing
+15
CAMAS PRAIRIE ELEMENTARY
Math
+10
Reading
+16
ELK PLAIN SCHOOL OF CHOICE
Math
+13
Reading
+18
Writing
+13
Listening
+12
KAPOWSIN ELEMENTARY
Math
+15
PIONEER VALLEY ELEMENTARY
Math
+13
Reading
+13
SPANAWAY ELEMENTARY
Math
+19
Reading
+39
THOMPSON ELEMENTARY
Math
+24
Reading
+15
Stevenson, Debbie Stillwell, April
Stinchfield, Jeremy Stokke, Amber Strivens,
Jesse Sylstad, Sean Tarasuk, Nicole Taylor,
Aaron Tea, Sarah Tibbitts, Peter Tijerina,
Kathryn Tobosa, Nicholas Tomanelli, Nyla
Torres, James Vanderhoff, Jeffrey Webb,
Lena Whitehead, Matt Wickens, Blake
Wiegmann, Seth Willis, Jared Wilshire, Kellie
Wilson, Lindsay Wood Sedra Zlock
8
bethelpride
OCTOBER 2003
BETHEL PRIDE • WWW.BETHELSD.ORG
Court says
Bible clubs
may meet
Religious clubs have the same
rights as any other school club.
That’s the final word from the
U.S. Supreme Court.
In a case that made national
headlines, the Supreme Court
announced last week that it
would not hear the Bethel School
District Bible club case of Jacoby
v. Prince. The district sought a
clarification as to just what clubs
schools can and cannot support
with public funds.
The ruling upholds the San
Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals ruling that religious clubs may function just like
any other Associated Student
Body (ASB) club.
First Amendment rights
The case dates back to 1997
when Tausha Prince, then a
sophomore at Spanaway Lake
High, asked that a Bible club,
World Changes, be recognized as
an official club. Her request was
denied. Prince argued the school
district violated her First Amendment rights of speech and religion. Her attorneys also cited the
Equal Access Act. This 1984 law
says that public schools that receive federal money many not
exclude religious or political extracurricular clubs if they allow
other clubs.
The district contended that the
use of public funds and public
school time to support a Bible
club violated First Amendment
separation of church and state.
In 1999, the U.S. District Court
dismissed the Prince complaint,
but the Appeals Court upheld it
in a 2-1 decision last year.
District attorney Bill Coates
said he was disappointed.
“It was never an issue of access
for the club,” he said. “They were
free to meet before or after
school. The question we wanted
clarified by the Supreme Court is
the extent to which we are required to subsidize religious
clubs with public funds. We also
wanted to clarify what rights they
have to meet during school
hours.”
C O M M U N I T Y
G I V I N G
United Way donations near $50,000
Last year alone, Bethel
School District employees
contributed more than
$48,000 – its highest total ever
– to Pierce County United
Way. This year local organizers hope to surpass $50,000 in
its October campaign.
More than 15,000 local residents – including children –
benefited from United Way
contributions last year.
Cedarcrest
counselor
Leanne Kennedy volunteers
for BRIDGES, a program run
out of Mary Bridge Children’s
Hospital in Tacoma. It supports children who have had
to deal with the death of a parent or sibling. United Way
helps fund BRIDGES.
“Right now, I can name six
students who benefit from
their services, and I am just
one counselor in one school,”
Kennedy said. “It’s the most
comprehensive program of its
kind in the state, and it relies
on the United Way for a significant amount of funding.”
Giving to United Way is just
one way that district employees
show their support for the families they serve.
“It’s been a tough year for everyone. People give to lots of
causes,” said Mark Wenzel, communications director and chairperson for the district’s campaign. “This is just one more way
to show that we care as a community.”
Marcia Parker, senior account
executive for United Way, and
also a Spanaway resident, praises
the employee contributions.
“It makes a big difference in
the community,” she said, noting
the increase in support.
Parker said that in the year
2000, district employees gave
$30,316 with 19 percent employee participation. In 2002,
donations totaled $48,772 with
28 percent employee participation.
Pierce County United Way
funds 108 community programs.
They include homeless shelters,
food banks, after-school
mentoring programs (Boys &
Girls Clubs), literacy programs,
centers for victims of sexual assault, organizations to help
people find work, cancer research, American Red Cross, Diabetes Association and programs
that help senior citizens.
People may designate a particular organization to receive
their donation. Some give to
BEST, the district’s scholarship
program, or to the Bethel School
District Foundation to support
arts, academics or athletics.
Starbucks, Quizno’s and Ace
Hardware in Spanaway supported the campaign this year.
Each district site has its own
building coordinator.
Elementary: John Stella (Camas Prairie), Tim Bayliss (Centennial), Mary Norton (Clover
Creek), Bonnie Stickle (Elk
Plain), Amie Godinez (Evergreen), Joe Barrett (Graham),
Kyle Atkinson and Rosemary
Smith (Kapowsin), Jackie Nelson
(Naches Trail), Kris Kreis (North
Star), Ken Santora (Pioneer Valley), Kyle Rundenfelder (Rocky
Ridge), Pat Ward (Roy), Karen
Robbins and Ellen McCracken
‘I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG ...’
Establishment clause
The case hinged on what is
commonly referred to as the “establishment clause” of the First
Amendment. It reads: “Congress
shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof.”
Many interpret the clause as a
requirement for the separation
of church and state, but Prince’s
attorneys argued that not granting ASB status to the Bible club
was equivalent to prohibiting the
free exercise of religion.
Prince was represented by the
American Center for Law and
Justice, a nonprofit, Virginiabased organization that provides
free legal services to Christian
organizations.
While World Changers has disbanded, students at Spanaway Jr.
High, Cedarcrest Jr. High and
SLHS have submitted formal requests to form Christian clubs.
Superintendent Tom Seigel
said the district changed its
policy earlier this year to conform with the 9th Circuit ruling.
“We now permit religious
clubs full ASB status,” he said.
“This was never a case against
students who have particular religious beliefs. It was just an attempt to be crystal clear about
the exact nature of the Constitutional rights of all students.”
Veterans Day takes on special meaning to many district students whose parents are on
active duty. Camas Prairie first-grader Luke Rumfelt is learning the Pledge of Allegiance
in school while his dad, Jeffrey, is deployed with the 542nd Maintenance Company in
Iraq. District schools will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 11 to honor the nation’s veterans.
Other ways to help
Bethel Family Center, 683-6850
Community Care, 360-832-2360
First Place for Children, 531-2009
Salvation Army, 841-1491
Stand Up for Kids, 539-0567
The Crossing, 537-2001
Graham Food Bank, 831-5688
Lakes Food Bank, 383-1812
Parkland-Spanaway Food Bank, 383-1815
Roy Food Bank, 383-1976
(Shining Mt.), Karen Marchesini
(Spanaway Elementary), and
Amber Barker (Thompson).
Secondary: Joel Stutheit
(BJHS),
Lynda
Parker
(Cedarcrest), Susan Mayne (Cougar Mt.), Aimee Gower (Frontier),
Joel Ramsey (SJHS), Brian Loffer
(BHS), Marilyn Moorhead (Challenger), and Greg Eisnaugle
(SLHS).
Support services: Linda Burke
(Child Nutrition), Stephanie
Ealy(Special Services) and Mark
Wenzel (ESC).
Community
donates
sacks of
supplies
Lots of little learners are more
prepared for school, thanks to
the generosity of local businesses, organizations and private citizens who have donated
sacks of school supplies to district schools.
Many families simply lack the
resources to buy required school
items.
“It’s just one more hurt when
you’re poor and you can’t buy
your child’s school supplies,”
said Ellen Tesoro-Gil, counselor
at Evergreen Elementary. “It’s
such a little thing,” she continued, “but it’s such a big thing.”
People gave backpacks, paper,
pencils, markers, rulers, folders,
erasers, glue sticks, binders and
construction paper – all the essential classroom supplies.
Organizers of the August backto-school carnival at Spanaway
Elementary got kids excited
about learning by handing out
supplies. The event, coordinated
by Pastor Daryl Kallberg of the
Clover Creek Bible Fellowship,
represented combined giving
from many local churches.
At Wells Fargo Bank, customers and employees filled up
enough boxes to provide 15 bags
of supplies.
At Fred Meyer Marketplace at
Bethel Station, people filled up
shopping carts with school supplies.
Other donors included Central
Pierce and Graham fire departments and Pierce County Professional Firefighters IAFF, Local
#2175.
More supplies came in from
Kelley’s Kafe and Kelley’s
Kruizers Car Club, Crescent Realty, Mervyn’s, Altrusa, Hot Shots
Gourmet Expresso Bar and many
others.
More supplies are always welcome. Currently there is a need
for materials for junior high students. People who would like to
contribute may contact Ann
Waybright at 683-5300 or call a
neighborhood school.
bethelpride
OCTOBER 2003
WWW.BETHELSD.ORG • BETHEL PRIDE
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$550,000
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a la carte sales
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8 tons
of hamburger
8,000 lbs.
of tortilla chips
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6,000 lbs.
of apple slices
38,640 lbs.
of ketchup
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1/2-pints of milk sold
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90
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school meals.
In terms of convenience, nutrition and economy, school
lunches may be the better choice.
“I don’t think you could pack a
lunch for the same price as what
we provide,” said Pierce.
Even children with special dietary needs can be accommodated.
gest the following calorie count
for lunches at each grade level:
• Preschool: 517 calories
• Grades K-6: 664 calories
• Grades 7-12: 825 calories
No more than 30 percent of total calories should come from fat.
Schools use USDA-approved
computer software to make a nutritional analysis of foods used in
Parents who choose to pack often use convenience items.
“Before you know it, you end
up with a high-calorie, high-fat
lunch,” said Mary Nowak, assistant director of Child Nutrition.
Parents should study labels and
take into account calorie count
and fat content.
Government guidelines sug-
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1.6 million
Child Nutrition employees
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Kids’ favorite entrees:
1. Pizza
2. Chicken nuggets
3. Hamburgers
4. Macho nachos
5. Grilled cheese sandwich
ON THE
MEN U
Monday, Oct. 27
Breakfast
Breakfast cereal
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5
Lunch
Pepperoni pizza
Tossed green salad
Fruit shape-up
Mixed fruit
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Nutrition
Protein: 23.8 grams
Calories: 556
Carbs: 88.2 grams
Fat: 12.4 grams
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Information
Get your school’s menu in the
school newsletter or online at
www.bethelsd.org.
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a variety of items.
As awareness of good nutrition
grows, many students are grateful for the changes.
“Many kids appreciate it because at home they eat right,”
said Nowak. “Even those who
were resistant at first are gradually adjusting.”
Elementary schools
Breakfast
$1
Lunch
$1.65
Junior and senior high schools
Breakfast
$1.25
Lunch
$2-$2.25
Reduced prices
Breakfast
30 cents
Lunch
40 cents
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Pierce says it’s possible that
lunchrooms may be moving to a
“fruit and vegetable bar.” That
means even elementary students
could make their own choices
from what used to be called a
salad bar. Instead of having their
green beans plopped on a plastic
tray, children could choose from
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Breakfast, lunch prices
T O P
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Many children from families
with lower incomes may
qualify for a free or reducedprice breakfast and lunch at
school. Applications for the
meals are available in schools
and on the district’s Web site,
www.bethelsd.org.
To qualify, a family of four
must earn less than $34,000 in
gross annual income.
About one-third of the children in the district qualify for
free or reduced price meals.
The two-page application
form takes only minutes to
complete.
For more information, visit
the district Web site or call 6836912.
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Reduced cost,
free meals
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To make school lunches healthier, district cafeterias have switched from
frying fries and tater tots to a baked version and decreasing the serving
size. Baking the potatoes cuts down on calories from fat.
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Getting kids to eat right is challenging – to say the least –
whether it’s at home or school.
But through time, a youngster
who knows how to combine
physical exercise with healthy
eating will continue those patterns throughout life. The battle
is worth the effort.
Changing to baked fries at the
secondary schools wasn’t a popular move.
“The skinny fries get 45 percent
of their calories from fat,” said
Mary Nowak, assistant director of
child nutrition. “The baked fries
get only about 25 percent of their
calories from fat.”
Serving size was also a point of
contention. Nowak says the fastfood portions run 6 ounces; school
servings of fries run 3-4 ounces.
Yet despite the outcry, the
number of children participating
in the school meals program has
increased. The district does what
it can to entice the young customers to buy nutritious food.
“Instead of giving them half an
orange, we serve orange smiles,”
said Lincoln Pierce, director of
child nutrition. The kids like the
smiles, so they eat the orange.
They’ve also found that apple
slices go better than whole apples.
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Better nutrition: Winning the age-old battle
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breakfasts served
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To pack or not to pack?
School district meals – if a child
takes and eats it all – are probably
healthier than lunches most parents would pack, said Lincoln
Pierce, director of child nutrition.
“Most parents want to please
their kids,” he said. “They’ll include a snack item. Kids will eat
the junk food in the lunchbox
first.”
372,771
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lunches served
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1,193,272
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by check or with cash.
For students who run out of
money, the system allows two
charges at the elementary schools
and one at the junior highs. High
school students cannot charge.
The system is not only faster, it’s
more confidential.
“It’s a truly anonymous system,”
said Lincoln Pierce, director of
child nutrition. “No one can tell
who gets a free or reduced price
meal and who doesn’t.”
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school
lunch
(and breakfast)
A look at Bethel school district’s
2002-03 nutrition statistics.
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in
N U T R I T I O N
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PUNCH
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Paying for school lunches became much easier this year,
thanks to a keypad system that
speeds up lines, gives parents a
better handle on their money,
and improves efficiency.
Students punch in their sixdigit district ID number, the same
number used to log onto school
computers. It follows the student
from school to school.
No money is exchanged, no forgetting cash and no long waits.
Plus, students learn how to use a
keypad terminal – a must in today’s
high-tech society.
Parents will soon be able to access the “parental account management system,” where they can
check the balance. Parents will be
able to go online and pre-pay
meals by credit card. The company
that offers the service charges an
extra 5 percent. Parents can still pay
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Putting
Keypad system speeds service
9
Studies show that
when children eat well,
they do better.
Rocky Ridge’s lunch lady serves up love
Welcome to Jackie Lilly’s kitchen
“It’s like going to Jackie’s place
when we go to lunch,” said Ellen
Eddy, principal at Rocky Ridge Elementary. “She takes so much
ownership in what she does.”
Eddy is just one of the many
people who rave about Jackie
Lilly, kitchen manager there since
the school opened in 1985.
“She knows most of the kids by
name,” said Lincoln Pierce, district director of child nutrition.
“She knows their quirks.”
Her record – like her kitchen –
is spotless.
“The only time she was absent
was when her horse stepped on
her stomach,” said Eddy. “She
had her spleen removed and
couldn’t lift the trays.”
While she was out, it took three
people to replace her.
She’s certainly irreplaceable in
the hearts of the kids, even
though she can be tough.
“I try to be fair, but firm. Most respect me for that,” she said. “I teach
them to be respectful. If they don’t
want something, they can say, ‘No
thank you,’” Lilly explains.
If kids are hungry, Lilly sees to
it that they eat, even if she has to
pay for it herself.
“My husband’s family was poor.
He’ll never forget that the lunch
lady once bought him lunch,”
Lilly said. “I figure it’s my money.
If I want to pay for a child’s lunch,
I can.”
Each spring Lilly puts on a
schoolwide barbecue in conjunction with Field Day.
Last year, however, she faced a
crisis. The district had decided to
replace the traditional large
cookie with a smaller, pre-packaged version.
“She called the district,” Eddy
said. “She told them that the big
cookie was the tradition.”
Needless to say, Jackie – and the
big cookies – came out on top.
Co-worker Ron Hare, the
building’s head custodian,
praises Lilly’s attitude and sense
of teamwork.
“If I get in a bind, she helps
me,” he said. “If she gets in a bind,
I help her. It’s been a real pleasure
to work with her.”
Eddy knows she has a gem.
“People like Jackie are the heart
of the district,” she said. “They
touch the lives of every person in
the school every day. We’re really Rocky Ridge’s Jackie Lilly “loves the kids and loves what she does,” says
her principal, Ellen Eddy.
lucky to have her.”
10
bethelbuildings
OCTOBER 2003
BETHE PRIDE • WWW.BETHELSD.ORG
Junior high
opens doors
on Nov. 12
N E W
K A P O W S I N
E L E M E N T A R Y
Cougar Mountain Jr. High
modeled after Sumner school
Take something good and
make it better.
That was the philosophy the
district took in planning its fifth
junior high school. And it’s just a
matter of days until staff and students find out just how much better.
Cougar Mountain Jr. High
opens Nov. 12.
Its 585 students and 46 staff
members are ready – more than
ready – to move in. They’ve spent
this school year double-shifting
at Bethel Jr. High.
“I’m going to get in as quick as
I can,” said veteran math teacher
Bud Russell. “I can’t wait!”
The new junior high is based on
Mountain View Middle School in
Sumner. Principal Cliff Anderson
and other district officials chose
Mountain View as a model because it was user friendly and cost
effective.
Anderson, his staff, and others
made several trips to the Sumner
school to see if any improvements could be made.
“The feedback our teachers received from their counterparts
was phenomenal,” said Anderson. “We came back with ideas
about how to improve the library,
band room, gym, technology,
lockers and more. It gave us a
huge advantage.”
A look inside
Front reception area: When
people enter the school they’ll
find it warm and inviting, Anderson said. The horseshoe-shaped
counter provides space for more
than one person to work. People
waiting to see an administrator
are directed to the left; those
wanting to visit with a counselor
stay to the right.
Technology: Making use of 10
different hubs, students can
make computer contact throughout the building. The wireless
school doesn’t require cords to
plug in equipment. Even the
reader board can be changed
from inside.
Library: Cougar Mountain’s library will hold more than 100
people. Since it’s up front, it lends
itself to community use. It has a
built-in multi-purpose room and
a conference room. It houses 32
computers and a wireless lab that
can be transported to any classroom.
Cafeteria: The cafeteria seats up
to 1,000 people because it can be
expanded into the small gym.
Lots of natural light makes it an
inviting area.
ASB president Courtney Moore
said the large cafeteria will help
unite the students. She said she
looks forward to using the space for
student assemblies and activities.
Colors: Each grade level hallway
is color-coded. Cabinetry in each
wing is complementary in color.
Hallways: The Sumner school
had no lockers. Anderson decided to install them so that students wouldn’t have to carry their
books all day. Since each grade
level is mostly confined to one
hallway, students have easy access to their lockers.
What’s next
Nov. 12: Cougar Mountain Jr. High
opens, and Bethel Jr. High students
reclaim their school. The students have
been double-shifting since the school
year started.
“We talked about
cabinetry, placement
of whiteboards, TV
monitors and maps.
We were able to find
ways to maximize
their use.”
Bill O’Malley
Cougar Mountain Jr. High
seventh-grade teacher
The hallways are wide – seven
adults can walk shoulder to
shoulder. Anderson said this
makes hallways safer.
Security cameras are hidden in
bubbles like in shopping malls.
Teacher work areas: Teacher
workrooms were downsized to
create smaller, specialist work areas. Each wing has a copy machine for teacher use.
Classrooms: The classrooms are
set up to allow for team teaching.
Rooms can be opened up to form
larger instructional areas. Each
wing has two science classrooms,
complete with lab facilities.
Teachers had a great deal of input in classroom design.
“We talked about cabinetry,
placement of whiteboards, TV
monitors and maps,” said seventh-grade teacher Bill O’Malley.
“We were able to find ways to
maximize their use.”
Stage: The multipurpose stage
can be used for musical performances as well as theater. It was extended an additional four feet and
the square corners rounded off.
Gym: The gym seats 1,000
people. The wall at the Sumner
school was thought to be too
close to the basketball hoops. It
was moved back several feet. The
PE storage area was too small. It
was extended to make the storage
area five times larger. The weight
room was extended an additional
10 feet.
The gym is set apart from the
rest of the school so the community can use it without going into
the rest of the building.
Bus loop and parking: Buses
will use the area in the back of the
building; passenger cars will load
in the front to decrease congestion and improve safety.
Anderson had high praise for
the staff at Mountain View.
“They were so open and helpful,” he said. “They just put visitor
passes on us and turned us loose.”
He expects his staff and students to return the favor to others who want to visit a wellplanned school.
“I’m positive others will come
look. I’ve already told my staff to
prepare themselves for it,” Anderson said. “Cougar Mountain is a
beautiful school.”
The new Kapowsin Elementary opened its doors to students last month. One of the highlights was the
addition of tiles in the entryway hall. Students, staff and parents painted the tiles last spring, and
community volunteers set them in the new building. Second-graders Bryce Tuntland (background),
Stephanie Craudall and Brandon Lorenz find their favorite designs.
Foundation work starts
on 3rd high school
Seattle company wins
bid on $27 million
construction project
Construction begins soon on
the district’s third comprehensive high school. The school, just
north of Frontier Jr. High on
216th Street in Graham, will be
built by Wick Construction of
Seattle. Wick was the low bidder
in a competitive bidding process at the district office Sept. 9
that included seven bidders.
The $27 million bid was $1.5
million lower than district estimates.
This summer, crews cleared
the ground for the main building and an adjacent parking lot.
Construction Director Jim
Hansen said foundation work
on the main building will begin
in mid-October.
The 175,000 square foot facility was designed by Northwest
Architectural Co., the same architecture firm that built Emerald Ridge High School in
Puyallup. Construction funds
come from the 2001 voter-approved bond and state matching
funds.
The new high school is scheduled to open in September 2005.
District pesticide policy
promotes safety
To help keep parents and
community members informed of pesticide use,
schools will have a notification
system in place at least 48
hours before a pesticide is applied. There will be a sign
posted “Notice: Pesticide Application” in the school or
building office with details
containing:
• Name of pesticide
• Date and time of scheduled application
• Specific location of application
• Name of pest to be controlled
• Name and number of contact person for more information
There will also be signs
posted in the physical areas of
application for a minimum of
24 hours after the application.
If you have questions regarding this policy, call 6836041.
District pesticide policy
The superintendent is directed to
develop procedures to assure that the
district complies with the requirements
of law regarding pesticide notification,
posting and record keeping. This
includes procedures for the annual
notification of staff and parents of the
district’s pest control policies and
methods; pre-notification of staff and
parents of pesticide applications;
posting of sites of pesticide applications;
and record keeping, including an annual
summary report of pesticide usage.
bethelpride
OCTOBER 2003
WWW.BETHELSD.ORG • BETHEL PRIDE
Smashing success
I N
11
B R I E F
Media star
Challenger student Chase
Schultz, a member of the
Bethel High varsity golf team,
was featured in the Tacoma
News Tribune Oct. 9. When he
was 8 years old, Schulz contracted a rare viral infection
that severely damaged his
kidneys. He underwent a
kidney transplant (with his
mother as a donor) in April
2001, but he still requires
regular hospital visits. Last year
he was the lone BHS golfer to
make it to the second day of the
class 4A West Central District
tournament.
Take it to the mat
BHS senior Cristy Watson
placed 7th in the Junior National
Wrestling Tournament this
summer, earning high school
All-American honors. Watson,
who competes at 119 lbs., was
the only girl on the Braves team
last year. Sports associations
estimate that 3,000 girls
nationwide wrestle on high
school teams.
Girls soccer
BHS players Stela Reitzug,
Amanda DuRocher and Joie
Hysong have led the Braves this
season to wins over Spanaway
Lake and Puyallup. Nicole Kelly
has stood out for the Sentinels.
Boys tennis
Spanaway Lake High junior Jennifer Oney goes for the kill against Emerald Ridge in a non-league game
Oct. 11. The Sentinels remain undefeated in division play.
Teamwork, talent take volleyball to top
Anyone looking for some of
the best setters, hitters and
blockers in the state need go no
further than the gym at
Spanaway Lake High. This year’s
SLHS volleyball team is undefeated at 9-0. And they’ve set
their sights on a strong finish at
next month’s state tournament.
Coach Shirley Baker knows she
has something special.
“I’ve been coaching 14 years, and
this is the best team I’ve ever had,”
she said. “I’d call them a dream
team. They’re great athletes as well
as great volleyball players.”
Ranked #3 in the state by the
TNT, the Sentinels proved they
deserved the recognition by
beating #1 Puyallup Oct. 8. Baker
said the match, which went five
games, showed her team’s new
maturity.
“Last year we might have lost
a close match like that,” she said.
“But this year the girls don’t get
nervous. They power through.”
Senior Carling Misely, co-captain with Lindsey Rice, says that
friendship, as well as ability, has
pushed the team forward.
“We’re all friends both on and
off the court,” she said. “We have
high expectations of each other.
We’re very motivated to do well.”
Baker works the team hard to
make sure the conditioning is
first-rate. During practice, team
members do “count-downs,” intensive drills that feature pushups, blocks, spike approaches
and dives.
Junior Jalen Pendon, a TNT
athlete of the week in September,
says the work-outs are intense
but necessary.
“We want to work hard and get
better,” she said. “Our goal is to finish in the top five at state.”
A potential obstacle awaits
the Sentinels in the form of the
Bethel Braves. The Braves boast
a 9-2 record this season.
“It’s definitely a rivalry,” said
BHS coach John Reopelle.
“If we beat them on Oct. 28,
we could have a three-way tie
for first place in the league.”
Reopelle credits four
juniors – Tricia Mowatt, Haley
Bury, Savannah Reed and
Elisha Wise – with leading the
team to a strong record. He
calls them–“young but
experienced.”
BHS players believe they
have the goods to go far in
post-season play.
“We’re playing well as a
team,” said Mowatt. “Our
momentum is up. I’m positive
we’ll go to state.”
Tough football squads gear up for post-season
If their 35-6 win over Decatur
Oct. 9 represents a sign of things
to come, the Bethel Braves may
do some damage in the playoffs
this year.
Zack Fletcher rushed for 105
yards on 31 carries. Teammate
Fiti Peko added 71 yards and two
touchdowns. The Braves defense
held Decatur to only 65 total
yards.
The previous week Bethel shut
out Federal Way 41-0 in a homecoming victory. Fletcher ran for
138 yards, and quarterback
James Wright threw for 148 yards
and three scores.
The back-to-back wins kept
the Braves (5-0) in first place in
the SPSL South Division with
three regular-season games left.
They finish the regular season
against Puyallup (Oct. 18), Curtis
(Oct. 24) and Spanaway Lake
(Oct. 31).
“We started out slow this year,
but we’ve improved the last three
weeks,” said head coach Eric
Kurle. “The kids are showing better knowledge on defense – they
know where they need to be to
execute. We’re also showing more
focus as a team.”
The Braves inspired play has
attracted state rankings. Both the
TNT and the Seattle P.I. rank
Bethel #2 in the state (behind
Issaquah and Kentwood, respectively).
That ranking will be tested as
the Braves take on the undefeated Puyallup Vikings. “It’s a big
game for us,” said Kurle.
Puyallup defeated Rogers 57-6
last week to set up the showdown. The Vikings boast an offensive spark in quarterback
Johnny Spevak and wingback
Makai Borden.
BHS safetyB.J. McKenzie says
the Braves are working hard.
“We’re building momentum as
a team, especially on defense” he
said. “Hopefully that will carry us
through to state.”
Kurle says once the playoffs
begin next month, the regularseason slate will be wiped clean.
“When you get to the playoffs,
the season starts over,” he said.
BHS singles player James
Thomlinson and doubles team
Ryan Paul and Andrew Horton
have won several matches this
season. Singles specialist Travis
McMahon leads the Sentinels.
Boys cross country
SLHS runners Alex Pitsch
and Dan Lim led their team to
wins over Rogers, Decatur and
Beamer. BHS runners Mike
Wells and Jimmy Schofield led
the Braves to victory against
Beamer and Federal Way.
Girls cross country
BHS senior Brittany Branch
led the Braves to wins over
Federal Way, Rogers and
Beamer. SLHS runners Kristen
Edholm and Jessica Pendon led
the Sentinels to wins over
Rogers, Decatur and Beamer.
Girls golf
SLHS senior Stephanie
Edmunds and teammate
Andrea Hodges took top honors
in defeating Bethel, Rogers and
Emerald Ridge. Tasha Seaberg
led the Braves to a 42-40 win
over Puyallup.
Boys golf
BHS senior Brett
Cunningham shared metalist
honors with a school record
round of 33 in a loss to
Puyallup. Cunningham, Sean
Bachmann and Chase Schultz
led the Braves to a victory over
Rogers. SLHS junior Matt
Sturgill was the medalist
winner in a match against
Bethel earlier this season with a
round of 35. Jon Score took
medalist honors with a round
of 37 in a loss to Curtis.
Brave and bold: (back row l to r) Aaron Klovas, Adam McAllister,
(front row l to r) Cameron Bullard and Zack Fletcher.
Spanaway Lake aims for playoffs
The Sentinels are 3-2 in league
play after a 33-0 win over Emerald Ridge last week. Maurice
Jones once again led the way
with 104 yards on 15 carries.
Jones has an opponent-crushing
491 yards in his last three games.
Coach John Robak says the
team is shooting for the playoffs,
but must overcome tough opposition in Jefferson (Oct. 18) and
Rogers (Oct. 24) before the
regular-season finale against
BHS.
Robak says his players have
shown an “amazing attitude”
this year. He points to their
great work ethic.
“We’ve conditioned them
harder than ever before,”
Robak said. “But they still
keep coming back for more.”
Girls swimming
SLHS swimmers Kristine
Petersen, Rashaun Renggli,
Malorie Junkert, Candice
Dutcher and Ashley Comitale
have all won individual events
for the Sentinels this year. Also
posting victories was the relay
team of Peterson, Junkert,
Comitale and Megan Rabe.
BHS sophmore Lindsay Gelinas
has stood out for the Braves this
year with several victories in
100-breast, 50-free, 100-free,
500-free, 100-fly and 200-IM.
12
bethelleaders
OCTOBER 2003
BETHEL PRIDE • WWW.BETHELSD.ORG
C A L E N D A R
F R O M
October
No compromise on diversity
Oct. 19-25: National School Bus
Safety Week
Oct. 20-24: Elementary parent/
teacher conference week;
elementary students will be
dismissed early; no school for halfday kindergarten students
Oct. 21: HIV/AIDS junior high and
high school parent preview night,
Cedarcrest Jr. High, 7 p.m. to 8:30
p.m.
Oct. 23: Fall Band Concert, Bethel
High, 7 p.m.
Oct. 28: School board meeting,
7 p.m. at Centennial Elementary
Oct. 29: Cedarcrest Jr. High and
Spanaway Lake High Fall Choral
Concert, 7 p.m. at SLHS Theater
Oct. 30: Spanaway Jr. High and
Spanaway Lake High Fall Choral
Concert, 7 p.m. at SLHS Theater
November
Nov. 4: Election Day
Nov. 4: Spanaway Lake High School
Daffodil Pageant, 7 p.m. at the
school, with SLHS Jazz Band and
Music Company performing
Nov. 6: Secondary students will be
dismissed early for first quarter
report card preparation
Nov. 8-9: Spanaway Lake High’s
Annual Craft Fair, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
$3 admission (children under 6 free)
Nov. 11: Veterans Day; no school
Nov. 12-15: Spanaway Lake High fall
play, “The Outsiders,” 7 p.m. at SLHS
(2 p.m. matinee, Nov. 15)
Nov. 13: All junior high/high school
orchestra concert, 7 p.m. at BJH
Nov. 14: Bethel High Daffodil
Pageant, 7 p.m. at the school
Nov. 16-22: American Education
Week
Nov. 18: School board meeting,
7 p.m. at Thompson Elementary
Nov. 20: Elk Plain School of Choice
fifth-grade students perform
“Freedom Bound” at 12:35 p.m. and
7 p.m.
Nov. 20: Afro-American Pageant, 7
p.m. at SLHS
Nov. 20-22: Bethel High fall play,
“Ten Little Indians,” 7 p.m. at BHS
Nov. 27-28: Thanksgiving break; no
school
December
Dec. 3-18: School holiday concerts
(see Web site for details)
Dec. 5: Elementary students will be
dismissed early; no morning
kindergarten classes; afternoon
kindergarten classes attend
morning-time session
Dec. 9: School board meeting, 7 p.m.
at North Star Elementary
Dec. 22-Jan.2: Winter Break
T H E
T O P
W
e’re on the right track.
Administrators,
teachers, support
personnel – and students
themselves – are making great
strides in confronting any and
all forms of prejudice. Even
government officials affirm our
progress.
Earlier this month, the
Department of Education’s
Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
ruled that Bethel administrators
handled racial concerns
appropriately at Bethel Jr. High
last year. Responding to a
parental complaint, the OCR
said administrators quickly
removed racist graffiti when it
appeared in a student restroom.
Also, it found insufficient
evidence that security guards
treated minority students
differently than white students
in school hallways.
Yet we refuse to be complacent.
Even though we were reas-
N O V .
4
Tom
Seigel
Superindentent
sured by the OCR ruling, we
have doubled our efforts to
make sure our schools provide
safe, secure and comfortable
environments for each and every
one of our 17,000 students.
Here are a few examples:
• Equity and Achievement
Director Carl Peterson meets
with parents, students and
community members to address
particular concerns at schools.
• At Bethel High, Principal
James Hammond leads an effort
this year to bring students of
diverse backgrounds/interests
together for discussions on how
to build student unity.
• At Spanaway Lake High,
Principal Greg Eisnaugle began
a multi-cultural literacy class to
help struggling students
succeed. He’s also recruited
more minority students to
enroll in honors classes.
• At Bethel Jr. High, Principal
Jennifer Bethman has organized
three staff trainings on diversity.
A student forum on diversity is
also in the works.
• Twenty employees participated in a training session Oct.
10 with recognized educator
Thelma Jackson to come up
with strategies to address the
achievement gap between white
and minority students.
•We recently requested OCR
officials meet us to discuss
further ways to promote
diversity.
Each year, our district
becomes more diverse. Last
year, our minority student
population was 27 percent. This
year, it’s 30 percent.
E L E C T I O N
P R I M A R Y
5 candidates vie for school board seats
Three of the five school board seats will be on the November ballot; Joy Cook is unopposed.
District 4
Joy Cook
As a school district, our
mission is to make sure that all
children learn. We teach strong
learning skills as well as good
citizenship skills.
Since the OCR complaint was
first filed, I’ve heard from a lot
of staff members who are
surprised to hear that there’s a
perception of racial concerns at
Bethel schools. Out there on the
front lines, they see students of
different backgrounds getting
along, learning and working
together every day.
I’m confident that the
majority of our staff and
students feel comfortable in
their school setting.
But this confidence is coupled
with commitment: We value and
respect the collective strength
that comes from diversity. We
will continue do all we can to
make sure that each child can
and will succeed in our schools.
There is no room for compromise on this issue of fairness.
District 5
Brenda Rogers
Joe Fulda
Dennis Townsend
Linda Evans Miller
Alice Dunn
Write-in
R E S U LT S
4,377 votes
1,646 votes
2,650 votes
167 votes
49.51%
18.62%
29.98%
1.89%
District 2
Dennis Townsend
Alice Dunn
First is the continuing goal
of higher academic
achievement for our
students. This will require
coordinated work between
teachers, staff, community
and parents. Next is
overcrowding. Thankfully,
voters have passed the bond
to build new buildings, and
relief will be here when the
high school and junior high
are on line.
Budget for such a growing
district and diversity.
Programs such as ROTC,
engine repair, nursing,
firefighting training, sports
equipment repair (funded by
Bates) enable us to reach
more students. These
opportunities will also help
with diversity as classes are
equal opportunity. Problems
– more growth means more
schools and better roads.
I’ve been on the board for 12
years and have worked on
many community issues. I’ve
seen levy and bond issues
and the evolution of the
education reform effort
since 1991. I have worked
with different board
members, superintendents,
staff and many community
members. I draw upon their
strengths to become a
better public trustee.
I know the people, area, and
schools after working here
almost 25 years, with four
years on the board. People
trust me and bring concerns
to me, and I take them to the
proper persons. I’m political
– I know politicians. I’m
active in schools, community
groups and district
committees. I’m accessible to
all.
What is the most pressing challenge facing the district?
Schools today must stretch
limited dollars to give
teachers sufficient resources
and support to help all
students reach state and
federal standards. Progress
has been steady. Our most
pressing challenge, however,
is to make certain that 100
percent of students meet
the standards by 2014, as
required by law.
Rapid growth is both
challenge and opportunity.
Bethel must continue to
improve opportunities for
each and every child;
academically, in the arts,
sports and other arenas,
while dealing responsibly
with fluctuating sources of
income. Collaboration of
staff, parents, students and
community will let us
celebrate success.
I believe that the most
pressing issue facing the
district is the balancing of
growth and budget
management while
continuing to meet the
needs of the students. To
accomplish this, I feel that
responsible planning, goal
setting, and the
establishment of clear
policies is essential.
How would your skills/experience benefit the school board?
With eight years on the
board, I understand how far
we’ve come in focusing
instruction so all students
can succeed. That journey
must be celebrated. As we
move forward, the board
must encourage staff to take
risks with new approaches to
help more students reach
standards. I can help set
policies to support positive
results.
As the mother of two Bethel
students, with a decade of
volunteer leadership, I
maintain close ties with the
parent community. This
perspective should be
maintained on our school
board. My professional
qualifications include strong
financial and administrative
management experience in
the private sector.
My background in successful
business management,
military dependent
education procurement, and
community service will
strengthen the Board. My 20
years of military service is a
sign of loyalty and
commitment to duty. And,
my life experiences will
enable me to meet diverse
and complex issues (even
under extreme conditions)
with mature reason and
dignity.
If the district received a one-time $5 million grant with no strings attached, how would you advocate spending the money?
I would use it to supplement
our bond. We continue to be
a growing district. In
addition to the new high
school and junior high
school we are building, we
need a new elementary
school. Research shows that
school size has a major
impact on student success.
Smaller schools are proven
to be more effective.
Our schools contain great
teams of educators, parents
and community members.
They have identified needs
and designed programs to
meet their unique situations.
I would allocate the
“windfall” to individual
schools and let these school
improvement teams manage
the funds to meet the
educational goals set by
each school community.
I would suggest that the
board and administration
establish fiscal priorities and
create a “needs” list, keeping
in mind the good sense of
rainy-day conservation. The
possibility of partial
investment in solid, interestbearing options could give
future annual budgets a
sense of security.
With the board’s teamwork,
I would first advocate
school-based efforts toward
enabling our children (and
their families) to READ. If
you can read, you can
accomplish everything else
in learning. Next would be to
make efficient use of the
money to address pressing
custodial and maintenance
items to make our
classrooms comfortable
learning environments.
Put some in an interestbearing fund for teachers to
use for supplies. Bring
salaries of all employees up
to comparable wages. Keep
schools open evenings and
weekends and provide
transportation for outlaying
areas. Add vocational
programs so students are
job ready, fully qualified
when they graduate. Put
money in a trust to cover
emergency repairs that the
bond does not cover.