Newsletter - Snoqualmie Valley School District

Snoqualmie Valley School District
Newsletter
June/July 2015
Spring/Summer Edition
Congratulations
2015 Graduates
See graduation highlights, photos, and
videos on the district website:
www.svsd410.org.
Snoqualmie Valley
School District
P.O. Box 400
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
Postal Customer
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 8
Snoqualmie, WA
District Leadership
End-of-Year Message from the Superintendent
Dear Families and Friends of the Snoqualmie Valley School District,
Snoqualmie Valley School District
Superintendent
Joel Aune
As the 2014-15 school year came to a close last month, I found myself thinking
about the success and achievements of our staff, our schools, and most importantly
our students. While the past year presented challenges, it was a very productive
one on many fronts. This edition of our school district newsletter highlights a small
sampling of the remarkable work of our staff and the inspiring accomplishments of
our students.
The hard work of our teachers, classified staff members, district office staff members, supervisors, and
administrators is on display throughout the district every day, as they endeavor to support students and
their learning. These dedicated individuals are being challenged as never before—to implement significant
change that will lead to further improvement of our schools. The work is rewarding as we see our students
excel. Nineteen individuals announced their intent to retire at the end of this year. I am humbled when
considering the impact these fine people have had on literally thousands of children and young people
over the years.
Our students continue to amaze us with their talent, character, and accomplishments. We begin each
school year with a sense of anticipation, enthusiasm, and optimism. During the course of a school year, we
work with the students under our care to bring out the best in them. The work can be challenging at times,
as we assume the enormous responsibility of educating young people in order to prepare them for bright
futures. For us, the work is especially rewarding as we see children and young people grow, develop, and
reach their potentials—right before our very eyes.
As a system, we began the school year poised to implement the updated version of our Strategic Plan.
The plan was an ambitious one, with an approach to improving our schools that was both deliberate and
aggressive. I am pleased to report the plan was implemented very successfully this year and that we are
once again poised to pursue further improvement in our schools as we look forward to next year.
And finally, thank you to our parents and community for
your enthusiastic support during the past year. Our schools
documented nearly 40,000 hours of volunteer time, and various
groups raised well over $600,000—all to support and enhance
the educational experience for our students. Last February, the
community stepped forward in support of a bond proposition
that will construct a new elementary school, rebuild Mount Si
High School, and re-invest in the existing facilities infrastructure.
We are appreciative of the community and excited about the
facilities improvements that will be accomplished with these
bond funds.
So thank you for continuing to believe in and support our schools
and the students in them. Our schools are among the finest in the
State of Washington. With your continued support, we will make
them even better in the future.
Best Regards,
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2015 Snoqualmie Valley
Board of Directors:
Marci Busby
Geoff Doy
Tavish MacLean
Dan Popp
Carolyn Simpson
The public is always welcome to School
Board meetings, which are typically held
every other Thursday at 6:30 p.m., at
Snoqualmie City Hall. For information
regarding the School Board, visit the
district website at: www.svsd410.org.
Select District Information, then School
Board, for meeting dates, agendas and
materials; minutes and podcasts of past
meetings; director contact information;
and district policies.
Dreams Really Do Come True!
Mount Si Life Skills and TLC Students Travel to Disneyland
Thanks to all who helped make it possible!
Dreams really do come true...for students in Mount Si High
School’s Life Skills Program and the Snoqualmie Valley School
District Transition Learning Center (TLC). In late April, a group of
58 brightly-clad students, staff, high school mentors, and family
members travelled together to Disneyland in California for five
days of life skills learning and fun memories. Once MSHS Special
Education Teacher Gerard Cline came up with the idea, in just 10
months, fundraising efforts and donations raised the $50,000
needed to make this trip possible for a special group of students.
Thank you to the many volunteers, community supporters,
and organization grants, whose generous donations helped
make this first-time trip possible for many special students.
In addition to the memorable experiences that Disneyland delivers, staff
used the trip to introduce many practical learning opportunities for the
students. Prior to the trip, educational connections included an airport
field trip (where Alaska Airlines allowed the group to practice boarding
a plane); researching Disneyland activities online; using the monorail
and elevators; and accessing a variety of community settings and public
transportation in anticipation of the new experiences they would
encounter. On the trip, learning continued as students worked on
choosing activities, making alternative choices, waiting in lines,
navigating crowds and participating in completely new experiences.
Wearing bright green t-shirts, the group was easy to spot in a crowd.
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Transition Learning Center (TLC)
Celebrates Three Students
On June 11, a special ceremony was
held to honor three students who
have completed the District’s Transition Learning Center (TLC) program,
for special needs students ages 18-21
years. Best wishes to Cody, Adrienne
and Eve!
Terrific Teaching & Learning
Three SVSD Schools Earn Washington Achievement Awards This Year
Three Snoqualmie Valley schools earned 2014
Washington Achievement Awards:
Snoqualmie Valley School District
 Fall City Elementary — Overall Excellence
and Reading Growth
 Snoqualmie Elementary — High Progress
 Twin Falls Middle School — Reading Growth
This award from the State Board of Education
and Office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction (OSPI) recognizes the top
performing schools in Washington State.
Celebrating 19
School Retirees
Nineteen staff members from the
Snoqualmie Valley schools retired
this year. Congratulations to:
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Ginger Anderson, NBE head cook
Dick Casperson, mechanic
Melanie Christian, SES teacher
Bill Dillon, MSHS/FC teacher
Ann Ferner, SES paraeducator
Jan Gifford, CVES teacher
Jerry Hillburn, CKMS teacher
Jill Holen, NBES paraeducator
Carol James, bus driver
Cindy Johnson, District secretary
Gary Moen, CKMS teacher
Sylvia Salais, bus driver
Lyn Seydell, MSHS secretary
Marcia Townsend, Hi-C teacher
Linda Wallace, CKMS head cook
Jack Webber, TRS teacher
Judith West, TFMS teacher
Lynnette Wiegardt, TFMS teacher
Bonnie Wilson, bus driver
Their years of service to
Snoqualmie Valley schools
and students are appreciated.
Wishing them peace, joy,
and new adventures!
Recognizing Award-Winning Teachers
Snoqualmie Elementary 5th grade teacher,
Cindy Hodgins (far right), was named the
2015 Elementary History Teacher of the
Year by The Freedom Trail and the Paul
Revere House historical societies.
Mount Si High School Science
teacher, Mary Alinger (2nd
from left), was named the
2014-15 Outstanding Educator
by the MSHS PTSA.
North Bend Elementary 5th grade teacher,
Meredith VonTrapp (right) was selected as a
2015 King County Earth Hero at School.
Mount Si Anatomy teacher,
Robin Backstrom (left), was named the 2014-15
Sports Medicine Advisor of the Year.
Mount Si High School P.E. teacher, Darren Brown
(right), was named the 2014-15 Coach of the Year
by the KingCo High School Athletics Conference.
This spring, the District and Snoqualmie Valley Education
Association began working together on a different approach
to collective bargaining. Contract negotiations between the
teachers’ association and District are set to begin next year.
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High School Highlights
Congratulations Class of 2015
The community recently celebrated the achievements of 382 students from the Class of 2015 who earned their
high school diploma from the Snoqualmie Valley School District (356 from Mount Si High School and 26 from Two
Rivers School). Below are just some of the highlights shared by Principal John Belcher at Mount Si High School’s
71st graduation ceremony on June 12, 2015. (For the full story, a slide show and video, visit the district website.)
 179 graduates (50% of the class!) earned special stoles or cords to wear at graduation for their academic excellence: gold
stoles signified the top 14% of the class and those who earned a 3.8+ grade point average (GPA); gold cords (3.5 GPA or
above); silver cords (3.2 GPA or above).
 85 seniors received the Washington State Honors Award for placing in the top 10% of seniors across the state.
 19 students in the top 5% of the state’s Senior Class received the Washington State Principal's Scholar Award.
 7 seniors from the Class of 2015 earned National Merit Achievement Scholar awards, one of the highest academic honors
in the United States, based on PSAT scores. Commended Scholars include: Angus Brookes, Callahan Gillard, Benjamin
Gutenberg, Wilhelmina McMichael and Mackenzie Popp; while Jessica Brady is a National Merit Semi-Finalists, and Ryan
Hartman is a National Merit Finalist!
 Three Valedictorians, Gretchen Chase, Kenon Jeffers and Mackenzie Popp, earned a perfect 4.0 GPA; and two Salutatorians,
Benjamin Gutenberg and Nicole Mostofi, earned a 3.99 GPA.
 An unprecedented $15.3 million dollars in scholarship money was awarded this year—$45,000 of which came from local
scholarships! Thanks to our community supporters who help our students pursue college ambitions.
 For the 5th year in a row, Mount Si High School earned the prestigious AP Honor Roll from the College Board—for
increasing both participation in college-level Advanced Placement (AP) courses AND student performance on AP exams.
Snoqualmie Valley was the only school district in Washington State (out of 295) — and one of only six districts in the
nation — to earn this distinction five consecutive years!
 Participation in AP courses continues to rise with 456 students taking at least one AP exam. Of those students, 147 were
seniors, which means roughly 41% of this class accepted the college challenge during high school.
 A record 19 seniors earned their Associate of Arts and Science degrees through the Running Start program at Bellevue
College at the same time they earned their Mount Si diplomas — more than any other high school in King County again
this year. They will enter college as juniors next fall.
 This year’s senior class earned 2,884 college credits, through the Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses, with an estimated potential savings in college tuition of $360,500.
 4 seniors have enlisted into military service with the U.S. Army and Marines.
 Seniors Sara Lamos and Sean Hyland received the Wildcat Senior-of the-Year awards from Mount Si staff for modeling
integrity, pride, leadership, school spirit and service to their school.
 Among the 356 Mount Si graduates, seniors verbally shared with the school that 60% of the class plans to attend a 4-year
institution; 14% will attend a 2-year college; 13 will attend a technical college and 4 will join the military.
 In sports, 34 senior athletes earned a 3.5 GPA or higher. 7 seniors qualified for State in this first year of competing at the
KingCo 4A level. Mark Mulligan placed first at State in wrestling. 2 athletes were named KingCo 4A All-League MVPs.
12 students athletes earned college scholarships. Boys soccer had an undefeated season, and all 3 Cheer Teams won their
State Championships.
 Mount Si Debate teams won 1st and 2nd places at State, and went on to earn national recognition.
 And, for a second year, Mount Si’s Jazz I, was invited to perform at the prestigious Essentially Ellington Jazz Competition in
New York City. They placed 6th out of the top 15 high school jazz bands in the country this year!
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Facility Planning & Construction
Snoqualmie Valley School District
Thank You, Snoqualmie Valley Voters,
for Investing in Your Schools
The Snoqualmie Valley school bond measure passed with a 62.5% YES
vote in the February 2015 election. Funding from this bond will improve
existing schools and help ensure there is ample space to serve the
growing student population. Specifically, this investment will:
 construct a 6th elementary school;
 rebuild, expand and modernize Mount Si High School;
reinstate a third middle school;
 make district-wide facility improvements to existing schools.
Your support is appreciated!
For more information
about progress being
made toward the 2015
bond projects, regular
updates are posted on
the District website at:
www.svsd410.org.
Constructing the New Elementary School
In order to open a new elementary school by the fall of 2016, work
on this project began immediately following passage of the school
bond. The District held a Groundbreaking Ceremony March 16 at
the property designated for Elementary School #6, located at
34412 SE Swenson Drive in Snoqualmie. Clearing and site
preparation work began in April, by Fury Site Works, Inc.
To track the progress, updates have been posted on
the District website regularly, under Facility Planning
and Construction (see icon above). Find status
reports and photos, as well as aerial photography
and videos created by Mount Si students operating a
camera-equipped drone. On the videos webpage, a
time-lapse video of May/June activity captures the
progression of the recent work.
What’s next?
 Building construction is on track to start July/
August; the same contractor that built Cascade View
Elementary School, Babbitt Neuman, had the lowest
responsible bid and was awarded the contract.
Aerial photo taken by drone on May 20, 2015.
 In fall of 2015, a Boundary Review Process will
take place to redefine attendance boundaries and
balance student enrollment at all elementary schools,
as the district grows from five to six primary schools.
 Program Planning will involve several initiatives
during the 2015-16 school year — such as program
decisions, naming of the school, forming a PTSA
committee, and staffing considerations — in order to
be ready to welcome students by September 2016.
Architect’s rendering of the new school design.
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Facility Planning & Construction
Thoughtexchange Community Engagement
Yields Ideas for the New High School Design
District-wide Improvements
Planned for the Summer
This spring, the District initiated a Thoughtexchange engagement
activity to solicit input from parents, staff, high school students and
community members on a new design for Mount Si High School.
Nearly 1,300 people participated, sharing 3,000 thoughts and
assigning more than 87,000 stars to the design ideas they valued most.
The priorities that emerged through this process helped guide NAC
Architecture and the High School Design Team in their design planning.
Key themes included: Safe and secure building design; open layout
with flexibility; a sense of community; minimal disruption to
learning; efficient system for vehicle traffic; sustainable and energy
efficient; maximize natural lighting; modern academic resources;
broad learning opportunities; and art facilities and resources.
This summer, work is taking place at
several schools on the following asset
preservation and improvement projects:
To explore the detailed results of this
engagement, click on the Thoughtexchange image on the district website.
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Designing SES Gym
Roofing: NBES
Boilers: SES
Fire alarms systems: NBES, FCES, SES
Painting/weatherization: SES, FCES,
OES
 Adding portables at: SES, FCES, OES
 Computer lab conversions: TFMS,
MSHS, CKMS
 Life Skills Room Improvements:
TFMS
School Board Approves High School Design Concept Recommendation
On June 25, the School Board approved the Conceptual
Design recommended by the High School Design Team
and NAC Architecture, following six months of design
meetings. This summer, the architects will continue to
further develop the Schematic Design.
Key benefits in this design include:
 Reduced disruption from construction through
reduced phasing.
 Earlier completion for the building.
 Great division/location of various Small Learning
Communities (incl. a separate Freshman Campus).
 Clear access to and separation of community use
areas (gym and performing arts center).
 Great central locations of the two Commons
(cafeteria) spaces with great views.
 Great opportunity for future expansion, if needed.
This design will require less construction time —
about three years, compared to five years of phased
construction needed for other designs.
The High School Design Team gave a “thumbs
up” after narrowing down three options to the
final preferred concept.
Find more details and images
regarding the conceptual design
for the new high school
on the district website.
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Snoqualmie Valley School District
Promoting Positive School Environments
Outstanding State Audit
Twin Falls Students Cha Cha, Waltz and Get Funky!
For 10 consecutive years, the
District has earned a “clean”
audit from the state auditor,
following a thorough annual
review of the District’s financial
accountability and compliance
with district policies and state
and federal laws! Kudos to the
Business Services staff for their
strong financial management
practices.
How did 92
middle school
students wake
up each morning at TFMS?
At 7:40 a.m.,
those taking
a new enrichment class
learned line
dancing plus routines to Thriller, Cha Cha, Waltz and Uptown Funk.
The Buddy Bench Fosters Friendships
Mrs. Samply’s 2nd grade class began at new tradition at
Opstad Elementary School this year —one that fosters
friendships and promotes inclusiveness. They established
and practiced: the Buddy Bench. When a student sits
on this special bench at recess, they send a message to
others that they are looking for someone to play with, to
which other students eagerly respond. This concept
supports Opstad’s initiative to build community and
ensure a positive learning environment for all students.
End-of-Year School Festivities
Celebrate Learning & Growing
In the final days of the 2014-15 school
year, all Snoqualmie Valley schools
hosted special celebrations for their
students, staff and parents. Check the
district website for more fun photos.
WE Day @ Seattle Center
Through community service,
students at Chief Kanim, Twin
Falls, Two Rivers and Mount Si
High School earned admission
to a special event in Seattle
called “WE Day”. They listened
to speakers and musicians that
encouraged youth to make a
positive difference in their
communities and the world.
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Community Connections
Thank you PTSA and School Volunteers
New State Exam Results Coming in September
Washington State schools administered a new state
assessment this spring, called the Smarter Balanced
Assessment (SBA). The new exams align with the more
rigorous Common Core State Standards that have been
adopted across the nation to increase student learning
and better prepare students for college and the 21st
Century job market. The new assessments contain a
wider range of evaluations, beyond traditional multiplechoice tests, allowing students to demonstrate analytical
writing, critical thinking and problem solving. Individual
results for the English Language Arts and Math SBAs will
be available in September and mailed to families.
The District is grateful for the amazing support it
receives from volunteers throughout schools and the
Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs) which
organize events for families, support for class-rooms,
and enrichment opportunities for students. During
2014-15, volunteers logged over 38,000 hours of
volunteer service at Snoqualmie Valley schools. PTSA
groups also raised more than $397,533 in donations
to supplement their school’s activities and resources.
This year, Two Rivers School established its first PTSA
group!
THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!
Special Shout Out to School Volunteers
Parents Kirk Harris and Chris Alef, who led the
Citizens For Schools campaign for the February 2015
bond election, received 2015 Community Leadership
Awards from the Washington Association of School
Administrators for their positive impact on schools.
And, Mount Si High School parent Chantal Leblanc
received a 2015 Washington State PTA Golden Acorn
Award for her outstanding volunteer work.
Schools Foundation Funds District Initiatives for ALL SVSD Schools & Students
In June, the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation presented a check for $81,000 (up from $61K last year) to help
fund district-wide initiatives at all SVSD schools. For the upcoming 2015-16 school year, this donation will:
 Fully fund the AVID College and Career Readiness program (for
grades 6-12) with teacher training and planning in 2015-16 and full
implementation for students in 2016-17;
 Fully fund expanding Science Technology Engineering and Math
(STEM) education to all grades, by piloting a Project Lead the Way
program for elementary grades (K-5);
 Support Math Interventions for middle school students (6-8);
 Fund district-wide Social Media Training/Event in the fall (K-12);
 Support Reading Interventions for elementary students (K-5).
In the fall, the Schools Foundation will raise funds to support classroom
innovation grants for Snoqualmie Valley teachers and students.
Special thanks to all in the community who generously donated
time and money to the Foundation’s fundraising efforts. Your
contributions benefit ALL Snoqualmie Valley students and schools.
Visit www.SVSFoundation.org to learn more.
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On June 8, Snoqualmie Valley Schools
Foundation President Susan KingsburyComeau (center) presented a check for
$81,000 to Superintendent Joel Aune
and Public Information Officer Carolyn
Malcolm.
News from our Schools
Snoqualmie Valley School District
North Bend Team Takes Home
the 2015 Battle of the Books
District Championship Trophy
Photo by Matthias Scaramastra
CVES Science Fair Featured Reptiles!
Team “Champion$” from North Bend Elementary
won this year’s Battle of the Books reading
competition on April 24, 2015. Congratulations
to Samuel Chen, Clavin Cole, Mackenzie Knight,
Nadia Schlicher and Sasha Vraspir. Students who
want to participate next year, can start reading
the books their librarians selected this summer!
At Cascade View Elementary School’s Science Fair
in April, students had a close-up opportunity to
learn about reptiles in a variety of shapes, sizes
and textures.
Back-to-school information will be posted on the
district website in July/August at: svsd410.org.
Find important dates, school supply lists, immunization requirements, physical forms, and more.
Two Rivers Exhibition Nights Featured Student Presentations
New this year, Two Rivers School hosted
two Exhibition Nights where students
presented their work to a public
audience, as part of the Project Based
Learning (PBL) framework that was
introduced this year. PBL is comprised
of eight essential elements: Significant
Content, 21st Century Skills, In-depth
Inquiry, Driving Question, Need to Know,
Voice and Choice, Revision and
Reflection, and Public Audience.
At left, students explained their DNA
model to Superintendent Joel Aune.
Stay Informed About Snoqualmie Valley Schools — Sign-up for E-News
E-News is the primary way Snoqualmie Valley schools communicate with parents. Sign up at:
www.svsd410.org, click on E-News under Quick Links. Select the District and specific Snoqualmie Valley
schools from which you would like to receive email updates, then enter your email address. If your child
is transitioning to another school, be sure to “unsubscribe” from your last school (at the bottom of a
recent message) and sign up for the new school, so you do not miss important notifications.
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Resource for Families this Summer
Summer Programs for Snoqualmie Valley Kids
Assistance with summer meals, school supplies, and activities
Free Summer Kids Meals — June 24 - August 26 (9:30 a.m.—6:30 p.m.)
School-age children enrolled in the SVSD free or reduced meal program can receive breakfast,
lunch and snack items each week. Sign up at the food bank any Wednesday.
Back-to-School Supplies & New School Shoes — July/August
 Sign up at the food bank for new school shoes, backpacks and supplies. — July 8, 15, 22 (9:30 a.m.—6:30 p.m.)
 Pick up new shoes, backpack and supplies at food bank — August 19 and 26 (9:30 a.m.—6:30 p.m.)
Fueling Bodies/Fueling Success — June 24 - August 26
(11:30 a.m.—1 p.m.) Fuel your child’s future through healthy meals, fun
YMCA activities, and new friends. Meet on the grass area at the food bank.
Let’s Read Program — June 24 - August 26 (11:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m.)
Story time, meet with a librarian, sign up for a library card, and join the summer reading program.
Meet on the grass area at the food bank.
For more information: snoqualmievalleyfoodbank.org • 122 East 3rd Street, North Bend, WA 98045 • 425-888-7832
2014-15 Snoqualmie Valley School District Directory
Elementary Schools:
Middle Schools:
Mount Si High School:
Cascade View Elementary
425-831-4100
34816 S.E. Ridge St.
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
Ray Wilson, Principal
Chief Kanim Middle School
425-831-8225
32627 Redmond-Fall City Rd.
P.O. Box 639
Fall City, WA 98024
Kirk Dunckel, Principal
Beth Castle, Assistant Principal
Mount Si Main Campus:
Main office: 425-831-8100
8651 Meadowbrook Way S.E.
Attendance: 425-831-8200
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
Counseling: 425-831-8150
John Belcher, Principal
Greg Hart, Associate Principal
Cindy Wilson, Assistant Principal
Rhonda Schmidt, Assistant Principal
Twin Falls Middle School
425-831-4150
46910 S.E. Middle Fork Road
North Bend, WA 98045
Jeff D’Ambrosio, Principal
Megan Botulinski, Asst. Principal
Mount Si Freshman Campus:
F.C. office: 425-831-8450
9200 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, WA 98065
Vernie Newell, Associate Principal
Fall City Elementary
425-831-4000
33314 S.E. 42nd
Fall City, WA 98024
Monica Phillips, Principal
North Bend Elementary
425-831-8400
400 E. 3rd Street
North Bend, WA 98045
Jim Frazier, Principal
Opstad Elementary
425-831-8300
1345 Stilson Ave. S.E.
North Bend, WA 98045
Amy Wright, Principal
Snoqualmie Elementary
425-831-8050
39801 S.E. Park St.
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
Kerstin Kramer, Principal
Alternative Programs:
Two Rivers School
425-831-4200
330 Ballarat Ave. N.
North Bend, WA 98045
Amy Montanye-Johnson, Principal
Parent Partnership Program
425-831-4200
Alexandra Clark, Program Coord.
Mount Si Online Academy
425-831-4217
Bev Weller, Program Secretary
District Administration Office:
www.svsd410.org
8001 Silva Ave. S.E.
phone: 425-831-8000
P.O. Box 400
fax: 425-831-8040
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
Joel Aune, Superintendent
425-831-8007
Jeff Hogan, Asst. Supt. Teaching and Learning
425-831-8019
Ryan Stokes, Asst. Supt. Finance and Operations 425-831-8011
Nancy Meeks, Exec. Director of Student Services
425-831-8015
Ruth Moen, Dir. of Instr. Support & Secondary Ed. 425-831-8018
Dan Schlotfeldt, Director of Elementary Education 425-831-8018
Beverly Root, Director of Personnel
425-831-8000
Jim Garhart, Director of Transportation
425-831-8020
Bill Davis, Director of Operations
425-831-8005
Tom Soika, Director of Food Services
425-831-8009
Carolyn Malcolm, Public Information Officer
425-831-8423
To learn more about Snoqualmie Valley Schools, visit www.svsd410.org.
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Snoqualmie Valley School District
Mission: to educate all Snoqualmie Valley children to prepare them for college, career, and citizenship.
Vision: to become the best school district in Washington State by any measure.
Wetlands Preservation Project Enhances Outdoor Classroom Space
Mount Si High School science students partnered with Snoqualmie Elementary
students on June 4 to learn about and help preserve a wetlands area, called
Kimball Creek Slough, that is located between the two schools. High school
students in AP Environmental Science and AP Biology led 5th graders through a
series of ecology-focused stations highlighting the
importance of wetlands as a habitat. Topics included
water sampling, soil testing, insects, birds, animals and
their tracks. The students also teamed up to work on
removal of invasive blackberry and ivy from the slough.
“Our goal is to make this an on-going yearly project in which we restore the slough to a
usable outdoor classroom space for both schools to enjoy,” explained Shannon Wenman,
Mount Si Science teacher. This project was supported by a Snoqualmie Valley Schools
Foundation innovation grant which helped purchase gloves and equipment. The City of
Snoqualmie also donated mulch for the restoration project.
Mount Si Jazz Places 6th
at 2015 Essentially Ellington
For a second consecutive year, Mount Si High
School’s Jazz 1 band was invited to perform
in New York City at the Essentially Ellington
High School Jazz Festival and Competition in
May. The Mount Si band, directed by Matt
Wenman, placed 6th among the top 15 high
school jazz bands in the nation, and several
Mount Si musicians won individual awards
for their talents!
2014-15 Spring/Summer District Newsletter
www.svsd410.org
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