Your Sequim Schools

As we recently completed the final weeks of school, I was reminded of all of the work ac-complished this year by our community.

Last February, the Citizens for Sequim Schools (CFSS) group came to the District’s assistance by mes-saging our need for the Educational Pro-grams & Operations (EP&O) Levy and the Capital Projects Levy. Through the group’s efforts we will be able to continue enrichment

services for our students and basic maintenance operations that currently are not included in the State’s Basic Education Funding model.

In addition, our District ran for the first time in current history, a Capital Projects Levy, which was also endorsed and advertised by CFSS. The CFSS slogan of “You spoke, and we listened!” was based on information re-ceived during our listening sessions from com-munity members that wanted to know if there was another way of taking on infrastructure problems besides running Construction Bonds. The answer to that question was YES, and a Capital Project Levy was run with nearly 68% approval! The outcome of that levy will com-mence with work to deconstruct the decommis-sioned 1949 portion of the Community School and renovation of the Central Kitchen (more to follow on those projects this summer!).

Another activity that has drawn huge com-munity and business participation has been an outpour of involvement with our 6-Year Strategic Planning sessions. It has been over

Sequim School District No. 323

Your Sequim SchoolsInspire and Achieve!

Transitions/Ann Renker .......................................2Retiring Staff ........................................................2Graduation 2017 ..................................................3School Safety/Marilyn Walsh ...............................4Important Dates ...................................................4Budgets & Projects/Heidi Hietpas ........................5Hope Academy/Rhonda Kromm ..........................5STEAM Powered Saturday ..................................6Volunteering .........................................................6Senior Recognition ..............................................6Scholarship Notebooks ........................................7SHS Grads: Where Are They Now? ....................7Your Sequim School Board/Robin Henrikson ......8

Inside This Issue

Summer 2017

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT: Sequim School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Title IX Coordinators, Civil Rights Compliance Coordinators: Randy Hill, 601 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim, WA 98382, (360)582-3609, [email protected] or Paul Wieneke, 503 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim, WA 98382, (360)582-3261, [email protected] and for Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Matt Duchow, 503 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim, WA 98382, (360)582-3401, [email protected].

503 North Sequim Avenue Sequim, WA 98382

Phone: (360) 582-3260 Fax: (360) 683-6303

For school information, dates, events, forms and photos, check out our website at

www.sequim.k12.wa.us

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

JUNE 2017 2,790

(HEADCOUNT)

On behalf of the Sequim Community,

the School District shall inspire and achieve

excellence in the academic, creative, and physical

potential of each student.

OUR MISSION:

"Like" our Sequim School District Facebook page to receive our

latest updates on your Facebook page. Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDOlympic Mailing

Services

SEQUIM SCHOOL DISTRICT CITIZENS

Sequim School District No. 323503 North Sequim Avenue, Sequim,WA 98382Board of DirectorsRobin HenriksonMichael HoweBrian KuhHeather Short, PresidentJames StofferSuperintendentGary NealStudent RepresentativesKaylee GummTea' Gauthun

ECRWSS

Dear Community Member,

Seniors lined up at Sequim High School’s June 9 graduation. Mercedes Woods comes forward to receive her diploma as her name is announced. Photo by Patsene Dashiell

neal

By Building (Headcount):Greywolf Elementary 548

Helen Haller Elementary 618Sequim Middle School 635Sequim High School 818

Olympic Peninsula Academy 89Sequim Options School 13

Running Start 69

a decade since our District has designed and implemented a Strategic Plan, so to have such involvement has been nothing less than inspir-ing! Led by Dr. David Engle, retired superin-tendent of Port Townsend, we completed seven sessions. Our goal for this year was to develop a Vision, Mission and Belief Statements. The input from these sessions will certainly cata-pult our efforts well into the 21st Century and ultimately provide wonderful opportunities for each child in Sequim School District.

Certainly the wisdom and commitment from all of our Partners in Education, in-cluding Jamestown S’Kallam Tribe, City of Sequim, United Way of Clallam County, Sequim Education Foundation, Sequim-Dungeness Val-ley Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Dungeness River Audu-bon Center, Boys & Girls Club of the Olympic Peninsula, Albert Haller Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County, Olympic Medical Center, YMCA of Sequim, Peninsula College, North Olympic Library System, Citizens for

Superintendent Gary Neal handed out $8,000 each scholarships from the Albert Haller Foundation to (from left) Mercedes Woods, Sydney Lestage and Jett Gagnon during Scholarship Awards Night on May 31. The annual event, held in the Sequim High School auditorium, put $4,037,770 into the hands of graduating seniors towards their continued education. Over $350,000 came from local organizations. Photo by Patsene Dashiell

Sequim High School Valedictorians for the Class of 2017 were (from left) Morgan Bingham, Cathy Dao, Grant Pierson, and Anika van Dyken, all with a 4.0 GPA and having taken part in the most rigorous courses the school has to offer.

Sequim Schools and Clallam County League of Women Voters, and countless others, greatly en-rich our district, and ultimately, our community! I am proud to serve as your superintendent.

All the best, Gary

Sequim School District2

By Ann Renker, PhDAssistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning

Transitions Have Significant Impact

on Students

Dr. Renker addressed 238 graduates and their families during Commencement in the early evening of Friday, June 9, 2017. Weather for the outdoor ceremony remained sunny, with an occasional light rainfall. Photo by Patsene Dashiell

What a grand time of year this is! High school graduates move onto their individual pathway for life after high school, and families plan for new Kindergarteners to enter the school system. The enormity of these transitions is clear to almost everyone, but there are many other transitions affecting students which do not draw the same attention. Research tells us that several of these

transitions have enormous impact on students, and it is the way we manage these transitions that propel a student toward suc-cess or contribute to outcomes we don’t want.

Two of these internal transitions are a focus of the work of the Teaching and Learning Department. The first, the transition from elementary to middle school, is currently a priority for a number of reasons. Cognitive science tells us that children can’t concentrate on academic content or self-regulation when their working memories are full of questions about an unexpected situation. To help mitigate this situation, Sequim Middle School hosted students from Greywolf and Helen Haller, and provided tours of the middle school led by middle school students. The almost-sixth graders had the opportunity to ask questions and see what middle school operations look like on a regular school day. I enjoyed talking to a number of students on these tours, and I was as impressed by the questions of the incoming students as I was with the answers from the middle school tour guides!

The second transition of major importance is the one from eighth grade to ninth grade. This shift has been the focus of research for quite some time, primarily because high school programs previously assumed that incoming freshman knew and understood how to be a successful high school student. Nothing is further from the truth, and we now know that fresh-

men who fail a class in ninth grade are at great risk of not graduating. As a matter of fact, failing a class freshman year is the single biggest predictor of dropping out of school or not graduating. Our state sees this transition as important as well, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Data Analytic page houses a ninth grade failure analytic so each high school

“By thinking about

transitions, us-ing research and

data to make decisions, and by communicating

and collaborating with families, we will ensure that graduation will

be an event every child and family can celebrate.”

~ A. Renker

and district can use this data when planning to ease the eighth to ninth transition. (OSPI’s website is http://www.k12.wa.us/.)

How do we stack up? While our freshman failure rate went down three percentage points from the 2014-15 school year to the 2016-17 school year, we are 3.5 percentage points above the state average. In addition, our students with disabilities fail ninth grade classes at twice the rate of their non-disabled peers.

What can we do? Well, a number of opportunities exist to help us decrease freshman failure, but the most prominent among these is ending social promotion in the middle school. Last year’s freshmen told us that we would help middle school students by having clear consequences and strategies for students who fail classes at the middle level. (I find it interesting that our students channeled the best practices research without even knowing it.) This year, the staff at Sequim Middle School have worked very hard to ensure that parents are informed if a student is at a D or F level, and that there are intervention mechanisms in place to help students who struggle. Thanks to the staff, there has been a 66% reduction in F grades, and there is mandatory summer school for students who do receive an F grade. Students with an F who do not attend summer school will take a remediation class instead of an elective in the fall.

By thinking about transitions, using research and data to make decisions, and by communicat-ing and collaborating with families, we will ensure that graduation will be an event every child and family can celebrate.

Dr. Renker can be reached at [email protected].

Retiring Staff Members

Sequim School District held a reception to recognize the service of 2016-17 retiring staff members in the high school library on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Administrators presented each retiring staff member with a certificate and the traditional purple polo shirt. Each year, past retired staffers attend as well. Retiring staffers for 2016-17 are (front row, from left) Donna McSherry, Breva Funston, Patty Sullivan, Judy Flynn, Susan Cook, Carol Wagner, (back row, from left) Charlene Danforth, Debbie Buchillo, Marilyn Walsh, Donna Bruneau, and Jack Webber. Not pictured: Steven Boots, Isabella Morrison, Karen Sande, Tami Wall, Joan Trindle, Susan Cook, Anna Lee. Collectively, the careers of these staff members represent over three hundred years’ service to the district.

Olympic Peninsula Academy drama students (from left) Kailah Blake, Greta Bridge, Olive Bridge, Chloe Kay-Sanders, and Surayah Dennis, in forest animal costume and make-up, are ready to hit the stage in OPA’s spring dramatic performance of And the Dish Ran Away with The Spoon. OPA instructors Dee Dee Nielsen and Michele Canepa directed 67 children in two productions. Photo by Patsene Dashiell

Olympic Peninsula Academy choir and guitar students performed four songs at a reception for Marilyn Walsh. Walsh, administrative assistant to the superintendent, retired at the end of June 2017. The reception took place outside the board room just before the June 5 regular board meeting. From left are Aiyana Dennis, Emily Nielsen, Jill Adolphsen, Rebekah Parker, Melanie Byrne, Emma Shogren, Elena Carrizosa, Mirek Skov and Dee Dee Nielsen, guitar instructor. (not shown: Jeanny Holtkamp, OPA choir instructor). Photo by Patsene Dashiell

3 Sequim School District

SHSGraduation

2017The Senior Choir sang a stirring medley of songs including “For Good”, “Unwritten”, and “Best Day of My Life”. Joy is evident in the faces of singers (from left) Elizabeth Rosales, Colleen Carpenter, Eve Jensen and Allison Cobb.

First grade Haller Elementary first graders (from left) Hailey Galvan, Grace Folstrom, Madison Wilkinson, Zoey Fleming and Maci Evans help line the track to exchange “high fives” with seniors finishing morning graduation rehearsal on Friday, June 9, 2017. The district’s second Grad Walk, orchestrated by Sequim High School teacher Sean O’Mera and Leadership students, was attended by students and staff from Haller, Greywolf Elementary and Sequim Middle School.

Morgan Bingham and freshman Meguire Vander Velde exchange "high fives" at the Grad Walk.

The grad walk provided an opportunity for quick but meaningful connections. Here, in a visibly poignant moment, senior Sydney Lestage “high fives” her younger sister, Kaia Lestage, a fifth grader from Greywolf Elementary.

At the conclusion of graduation rehearsal and the grad walk, Justin Hermosada and Andrew Juntilla, graduates from the Class of 2017, hold signs made and presented to them by first graders from the Class of 2028. Juntilla was the class elected speaker at graduation.

Graduates Hannah Patterson, Dylan Perreira and Stephanie Grow are lined up and wait expectantly to walk on, as class president Danica Miller calls their name. The Class of 2017 had 238 walk for their diplomas, a record number for Sequim High School.

Congratulations! Photos by Patsene Dashiell


walsh

As parents, you have entrusted your children to us for the better part of each working day. It is important for you, as well as your children, to know what to do when the school is in a crisis. By working together and following proper procedures, we have a much greater chance to keep everyone safe. Advance preparation is vital in maintaining a safe environment.

Emergency and crisis situations can happen at any time, so it is very important for you to keep your family contact information current. Notify your child’s school every time there is a change. Included in this informa-tion should be an up-to-date list of which friends and family members are authorized to pick-up your child, with their current contact information. In an emergency evacuation, students will be released only to individuals on the authorized pick-up list.

PREPARATION IS KEY TO SAFETYThe District promotes taking appropriate measures to ensure

the safety of all our students and staff members.■ The District and each building has crisis and safety plans.■ The Critical Incident Response plans are designed by

the collaborative efforts of school staff, local law enforcement, emergency management and public health officials.■ The plans, which are regularly reviewed and updated, include procedures to respond to a variety of crisis incidents.School district personnel and students will practice several

types of drills associated with some of these specific emergen-cies on a regular basis during the school year. These drills will include:

■ Evacuation (fire)■ Earthquake■ Intruder■ Shelter-in-place■ Complete site evacuation■ Inclement WeatherDrills are important to build confidence and trust, build in

automatic responses, and to practice and learn. Talk with your child about the importance of drills and teach your child of the importance of listening to teachers in emergency situations.

By Marilyn Walsh, Administrative Assistant

School Safety Involves YouDURING A SCHOOL EMERGENCY

In order for our emergency response plans to be effec-tive, we must depend on the cooperation and assistance of many people, such as the police and fire departments. We also depend upon the parents of our students to support our disaster response efforts. Your cooperation is vital to helping us protect the safety and welfare of all children and school employees. We ask parents to observe the following procedures during a crisis situation:

■ Do not telephone the school. We understand and respect your concern for your child, but it is essential that the telephone system be available for emergency

communications.■ Check the district website for emergency announcements

and status reports. You will also receive instructions on where you should go and how/when you may be able to pick up your child. You will also receive a recorded call notifying you of this information.

■ Do not come to the school or evacuation location until you are instructed to do so. It may be necessary to keep the streets and parking lot clear for emergency vehicles. If a building is in a lockdown situation you will not be allowed to enter. Many times, the safest place for

students during an emergency is to stay inside the school or "shelter-in-place”.

■ If evacuation is required, students may be transported to a location away from the school. You will be notified of this through the district website and recorded telephone calls.

An adult will always stay with your child until he/she can be picked up or be safely transported home.

■ The media may want to interview you or your child. Depending on the situation, this may make the situation worse. If in doubt, decline to participate. The school has

a specific person assigned to communicate with the media.■ Staff have specific assignments and training to respond to situations. Volunteers should report to the Incident Command Center for assignment, rather than jumping in to assist on their own. Good intentions may sometimes complicate the problem.■ The school reader board or school doors or other signage may direct you to the reunification site once you arrive at campus.■ The school district has a plan to assist with emotional recovery after an event.■ Emergency information should include any special needs or medications your child requires.■ It is a good idea to include out of state, or out of the

area, emergency phone contacts. In some emergencies, long distance service is all that is available.

■ Please know that if your child is injured in any situation during the school day, you, or someone on your

emergency contact list, will receive a call directly from a school official.

DEVELOP A FAMILY PLAN■ Each member of the family should know basic contact

information from memory.■ Each member of the family should have detailed written contact information easily accessible.■ Establish a meeting place for the family to reunite.■ Have an emergency supply of food, water, and first aid.■ Develop and keep handy an emergency backpack or grab and go-kit.■ Practice your plan.

Blake Wiker, a Sequim High School sophomore, was named Olympic League MVP this spring and, along with teammates Andrew Vanderberg, Paul Jacobsen and Josiah Carter, earned a berth in the class 2A state tournament. Wiker and Vanderberg tied for 26th. Photos by Michael Dashiell/Sequim Gazette

Alex McMenamin watches her opening drive on the second hole at The Cedars at Dungeness golf course this spring. McMenamin, a senior at Sequim High School, earned her fourth consecutive Olympic League MVP and placed sixth at the class 2A state golf meet in May. She'll attend George Fox University in Newberg, OR this fall.

The fifth annual Back to School Fair, offering resources for families with children from birth to 18, is planned for Saturday, August 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club at 400 W. Fir St. in Sequim. Back packs and school supplies will be available to families in need. Services include immunizations, haircuts, car seat checks and vision screenings for children. There will be fun activities for kids, and lots of free books, free food and other giveaways.

Information on Sequim schools, riding the school bus and school bus routes, free/reduced school lunch program applications, local preschools and other early learning programs, immunizations, how to obtain a library card, dental hygiene for kids and more will be available.

For more information about the Back to School Fair, contact Patsene Dashiell, Director of Communications, at [email protected] or (360)582-3264.

2017 Back to School Fair

IMPORTANT DATES JULY-AUGUST 2017

July 3, 4 District Office closed for Independence Day HolidayJuly 17 School Board meeting @ 6 p.m. in board room (located within auditorium bldg.)August 7 School Board meeting @ 6 p.m. in board room August 9 SHS office reopens 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. August 11 Stuff The Bus With School Supplies Drive 2 – 6 p.m. at Sequim Walmart parking lotAugust 15 SHS Fall sports paperwork due at SHS office, SHS new student orientationAugust 16 SHS Football first day of practice, HHE office reopens 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.August 17 SHS Wolfpack Days Juniors & Seniors 8 – 11 a.m., Sophomores 12 noon – 3 p.m.August 18 SHS Wolfpack Days Freshmen (A – K) 8 – 11 a.m., Freshmen (L – Z) 12 noon – 3 p.m.August 21 SHS first day of fall sports, SHS Band practice at 9 a.m. – 12 noon (freshmen come at 8:30 a.m., School Board meeting at 6 p.m. in board room August 22 GWE office reopens 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., SMS Timberwolf Days (A-K) 2:30 – 6:30 p.m., SHS Band practice at 9 a.m. – 12 noonAugust 23 OPA office reopens, SMS Timberwolf Days (L-Z) 2:30 – 6:30 p.m., SMS New Family Orientation 6 p.m.August 26 Back to School Fair 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Sequim Boys & Girls ClubAugust 29 SHS Link/Freshman Orientation 9 - 11 a.m., GWE, HHE Open House 4 – 6 p.m.August 30 - GWE, HHE Kindergarten ConferencesSept. 1 August 30 First day of SchoolAugust 31 OPA Otter Day/Picture DaySept. 5 GWE, HHE Kindergarten first day


Here’s hoping that by the time you’re reading this we’ll have a budget from the state. In the meantime we’re continuing with budget work at our local level and plan-

ning for summer projects. For the 2017-18 budget we’re estimating an increase of

18 student full time equivalent (FTE) from last year’s bud-get which puts the District at a total budgeted FTE of 2,684. When budgeting enrollment we look at kindergarten reg-istration, birth rates, historical trends, a weighted five year average and the basic cohort rollover method. The cohort rollover method I think is the strongest predictor and it’s a simple method; we take all of the first graders and roll them into second grade, second graders roll into third grade and so on. Challenges can arise when we either under or over

project enrollment. If we under project enrollment, we can up being under staffed when school starts and buildings have to scramble to meet the needs of our students. If we over project enrollment, we can end up being over staffed and need to reduce program budgets or fund balance. In summary, student FTE is the most significant driver for our state funding so it’s important that we analyze it carefully and plan accordingly.

In addition to completing the budget for the 2017-18 school year over the sum-mer, we will begin the intensive capital project planning work for the central kitchen remodel and the deconstruction of the community school. We are in the process of contracting with Vanir Construction Management to assist us with this project. Prior to selecting Vanir we interviewed two other construction management companies. We were impressed by the caliber of the candidates and it was tough to choose, however Vanir’s experience in school construction, innovative ideas regarding our specific project, solid references and local construction management staff sold us. Vanir will be a crucial part of the District team in helping ensure we comply with all Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Washington Administrative Code (WAC), prevailing wage law and other compliance requirements. Vanir will assist us with the cash flow projections, proj-ect design, hazmat abatement, general construction oversight and locally source as much of the work as possible. We are excited about this partnership!

While work gets underway with Vanir, our own facility and maintenance crew works through the summer on projects at each of our buildings to prepare them for the upcoming school year. These projects include assisting with classroom reloca-tion, painting, carpet cleaning, floor polishing, annual inspection compliance work, minor repairs and construction. Also in July, the Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) building at Greywolf Elementary will be ready for move in by classroom teachers!

July and August are stacking up to be busy around here. We’ll be around all summer so stop on by. From July 10 through August 4 the District Office will be open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed on Fridays); otherwise we’ll be operating on our normal Monday through Friday schedule. As always, if you have any questions, please contact me at 360-582-3266 or [email protected].

Budgets and Summer Projects

hietpas

By Heidi Hietpas Executive Director of Finance and Operations

Construction of four new classrooms of cross-laminated timber (CLT) continues at Greywolf Elementary. The classrooms will be ready for use in the 2017-18 school year. Photo by Patsene Dashiell

All children are capable of success, no exceptions. All children. Difficult to believe at times? You bet. Absolute truth? You bet. The task for us lies in

helping those children who challenge us the most to discover their path to success. The task lies in getting them to believe in themselves and their future. These are the chil-dren who struggle to sit in a desk all day, the children who don’t quite fit in, the children who have faced challenges most adults cannot fathom. They are our children – the ones who need a bit more of our time, energy, and love than others might.

Two years ago, Sequim Middle School Principal Vince Riccobene surfaced a vi-sion of a school within a school specifically to meet the needs of these children – those whose strengths, talents, and gifts, for a myriad of reasons, weren’t evolving in a tra-ditional classroom. He believed these children needed a space in our system where not only would they access academics at their own pace, but they would also spend their

day in a place where they could see their future, return to the present, and prepare for the journey. They needed a safe haven where students would find consistency in adults who care about them, love them for who they are, and who have hopes for their futures.

Fast forward two years: Hope Academy is alive, well, and thriving at Sequim Middle School. Students are succeeding and believing in themselves and in the possibility of a real future. This school year began with seventeen students from grades seven and eight coming together in a room with two caring teachers. It would be an understatement to say the year got off to a rocky start. Seventeen students who struggled with academics, trust, emotions, and one another all brought together in one space---it was rocky, to say the least. The students refused to even touch one another in a trust circle where they were asked to hold hands. Students didn’t want to sit near one another. Students didn’t trust their teachers. More than once the question arose, “Was this really go-ing to work?”

Now those same students not only trust one another and their teachers, they have each other’s backs. They work together, support one another, complete challenge courses together.

What has happened this year? C. received sixteen discipline referrals last school

year. This year he has not received a single one, and he is nearly fully integrated back into regular classrooms for his school day.

B. would barely speak to anyone last year and spent much of her time hiding in a corner, completed a full day of job shadowing with a local veterinarian and helped deliver a litter of puppies. She now moves about the class and the building with a new confidence.

M. was unsure of a future and was unsure of himself. He now knows he wants a future in law enforcement and has connected with local officers to discover what their day is really like.

Most of the students hadn’t cooked before, and many hadn’t sat at a table for a traditional family meal. Now they prepare weekly meals and sit together as a family to eat.

All have completed that trust circle – actually squishing themselves into a dogpile to fit all of their bodies into the smallest possible space.

All have completed a Ropes Challenge Course – all students ensuring that the others had the support needed to conquer each of the obstacles.

All are happy, loved individuals with a home within their school, sure that they belong and that they are loved. All of them believe, or are beginning to believe, that they, too, are capable of success. No exceptions.

Hope Academy and Sequim Middle School would like to thank Sequim Community Church for helping to fund Hope Academy this year. Thanks also to the Sequim School District for their continued support and for believing that Hope Academy is essential for the continued success and growth of students in our district.

By Rhonda Kromm, Sequim Middle School Assistant Principal

Hope Academy at Sequim Middle School

kromm

Sequim Middle School students (at top, from left) Jaylynn Sierra, Ty Coone and Michael Prendergast assist classmate Eli Worley gain the wall in a challenge course. The Hope Academy field trip to the Gibbs Lake Challenge Course in Jefferson County was a team building exercise. Matt Duchow (visible at bottom right) served as certified facilitator. Other staff members present were Hope Academy teachers Hillary Horner and Paul Pinza, as well as Samantha Troxler, the District’s McKinney-Vento Liaison and intern. Submitted photo


Sequim High School’s spring 2017 operetta, directed by Robin Hall, with musical direction by John Lorentzen , was a spirited production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Lorentzen gave special recognition to cast principals Silas Baird and Victoria Hall, both seniors, for their commitment to the Choral Music program. Cast members included (front row, from left) Silas Baird (Adam Pontipee), Christopher Heintz (Benjamin Pontipee), Joe Benjamin (Caleb Pontipee), Seth Mitchell (Daniel Pontipee), Thomas Hughes (Ephraim Pontipee), Tommy Hall (Frank Pontipee) and Joey Oliver (Gideon Pontipee), (back row, from left) Victoria Hall (Milly Bradon), Abby Norman (Dorcas), Colleen Carpenter (Ruth), Melissa Mooney (Liza), Erin Gordon (Martha), Alison Cobb (Sarah) and Makenna O'Dell (Alice). Photo by Matt Nash/Sequim Gazette

The following speech was given by John Lorentzen, Choir Instructor at Sequim High School, during a senior recognition assembly. Teachers pre-sented awards of special merit to seniors they felt has gone above and beyond in their efforts and achievements.

Every teacher lives for those profoundly impactful moments that occur with students when you are help-ing them discover who they are. By the time you’ve spent month---even years---together (in a department like ours) singing, rehearsing, performing, creating, traveling, competing, laughing, crying, learning, grow-ing, exploring, and making life-long connections, it’s more than a little bit difficult to reach the end and have to say good-bye. But, that’s what happens when these amazing students become seniors and are about to graduate. It’s what’s supposed to happen. It’s even

more difficult to choose from such a talented group of seniors only one (or two) that represent both your idea and your other students’ ideas of what and who an outstanding senior in your department really is. It’s a combination of skill, leadership, vision and trailblazing. This year I am honored to present the senior recognition award in Choral Music to two seniors who have risen to great heights musically, have been unbelievably committed, who are in-credibly talented, who have unwavering support and respect from their peers, and who have certainly earned my admiration and respect: Silas Baird and Victoria Hall.

Senior Recognition

lorentzen

Due to the McDonald Creek Bridge removal and construction, some west side bus routes may be altered. Please be sure to contact the Transportation Department in the last weeks of August for updates. Also, consult our Kids Today Back to School Guide coming out in late August for complete bus route information.

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM JEFF GOSSAGE,

DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION:

Greywolf fourth grader Anthony McCrorie, with mom Julie McCrorie, constructs a RoBoWheel in Carla Morton’s science classroom during STEAM Powered Saturday, held at Greywolf Elementary. The event offered hands-on science projects facilitated by elementary school teachers and was sponsored by Sequim Education Foundation. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Photos by Patsene Dashiell

Helen Haller Elementary fourth grader Katie Burks, with a little help from mom, constructs a paper table using newspaper during STEAM Powered Saturday held at Greywolf Elementary on June 3.

Greywolf first grader Alayna Marazon constructs a paper table during STEAM Powered Saturday. Haller teacher Eric Danielson facilitated this activity.

Sequim School District recognizes the valuable con-tribution made to the total school program through the volunteer assistance of parents and community members. Thanks to the nearly 900 individuals who registered to volunteer in our schools last year!

To be a volunteer in the Sequim School District, you must first complete the volunteer clearance process and background check. Volunteers must be cleared each school year. The Volunteer Registration online applica-tion has been updated for the 2017-18 school year, and is now available on the district website at http://www. sequim.k12.wa.us. Click on the link that says ‘Volunteer’. Our application process is done entirely online for maxi-mum efficiency.

The online application process requires an e-mail ad-dress and provides step-by-step assistance. You will need to scan and submit a copy of your current Washington State driver's license or state ID card to the district of-

fice. Allow for at least two weeks processing time before the date you wish to begin volunteering. After you have completed the online application and submitted your driv-er’s license, you will receive notification by e-mail when clearance has been completed.

Volunteer Renewal: For those who created an online application during the 2016-17 school year, simply update your application with any new information. In the case of an expired driver’s license, upload the new driver’s li-cense to your online application.

The beginning of the new school year is an excellent time to begin the application process so you can be ready to volunteer in the schools or chaperone a field trip.

Visit the computer kiosk in the district office during office hours or, for your convenience, complete the ap-plication process from your home computer.

If you have questions about volunteering, please call Patsene Dashiell at 360-582-3264. Thank you!

Haller second grader Seth Larson gets an opportunity to “fill a cavity” with a model set of teeth at the Jamestown Family Dental Clinic station, monitored by pediatric dentist Dr. Bri Butler, during STEAM Powered Saturday held at Greywolf on June 3.

Haller Elementary fifth grader Evan Anderson uses a special lighted instrument to harden filling substance on a model set of teeth, as dad, Jeff Anderson, and Dr. Kirsti Turella, DMD look on. The activity station was sponsored by the Jamestown Family Dental Clinic at Greywolf’s STEAM event.

STEAM Powered Saturday

Volunteering in the Sequim School District


cilities coordinator and receptionist for the Sequim School District office.

Allison Tjemsland, Class of 2007

From majoring in history and in-ternational studies at Yale University, to a Peace Corps volunteer stint in Mozambique, and back to Yale Law School, Class of 2007 graduate Allison Tjemsland has already seen much of the world.

At Sequim High School, Tjems-land played soccer and participated in Honor Society, International Club and the Link Leaders program.

She fondly recalls teachers from her formative school years who helped foster a love for learning — particular-ly teaching duo Bill and Nancy Shaw.

“Mrs. Shaw was my accelerated math teacher at Helen Haller Elemen-tary and Mr. Shaw was my math teach-er at Sequim Middle School,” Tjems-land says. “They both inspired my love of learning, travel, and of community involvement. I have been lucky enough to stay in contact with the Shaws over the years and they are just as support-ive now as they were when I was in their classes.”

Sequim High School seniors earned more than $4 million in scholarships this year, a record amount. More than $350,000

of that came from local organizations. Mitzi Sanders, Career and College Di-rector, said, “In Sequim, we are very fortunate to have many businesses, or-ganizations, clubs and foundations that support Sequim High School graduates by providing scholarships. Most of these local scholarships are obtained by sub-mitting a scholarship notebook.”

A scholarship notebook is a way to showcase what students do besides go-

ing to class, Sanders explains. Scholarship notebooks con-tain letters of recommendation from teachers and community members, a personal statement, certificates of merit, awards, photographs, work experience, extra-curricular involvement,

Sequim High School Scholarship Notebooks

sanders

Michael Smith, executive director from Shipley Center, hands out awards ---$1,000 each--- and a supply of bubble wrap---guaranteed to reduce stress---to Sequim High School seniors (from left) Emily Straling, Cortney Gosset, Shaun Jones and Jett Gagnon during the May 31 Scholarship Awards Night. More than $350,000 scholarship awards came from local coffers. Photo by Patsene Dashiell

community service, and an outline of a plan for their future. On average, Sanders says, approximately 100 notebooks are submitted each year.

Jeremy Karapostoles, Class of 2005

No stranger to life in a small town, Class of 2005 graduate Jeremy Karapos-toles made the jump from Stehekin to Sequim and now lives in Lake Stevens, working as a firefighter with Snohom-ish Fire District 7.

Born in Stehekin — a small com-munity with about 75 permanent residents at the northwest end of Lake Chelan — Jeremy moved with siblings Chris and Melissa and parents Caity and Burton Karapostoles to Sequim in 1999.

Moving to Sequim brought big changes for the family.

“It was incredibly difficult for our kids,” Caity recounts. “They went from a one-room school where they had al-ways been together in the same class-room to a district where each of them was in a different building.”

To help with the transition, the headmaster from the Stehekin School came to Sequim and met with teachers to explain to them what the children’s education had been like up to that point and to create some continuity for them.

Gina Hietpas, then a Sequim Middle School teacher who has since retired, remembers Jeremy as a quiet,

After notebooks are turned in, Sanders goes through and reads each book. She builds a database containing information organizations typically look for. She checks the notebooks for missing information. She schedules dates for organizations to check out and review the notebooks. “Each year we’re adding new individuals and organizations looking to provide scholar-ships. Currently we work with around 50 – 60 organizations.”

Awards are distributed during the Scholarship Awards cer-emony in the high school auditorium and, in many cases, are presented by a representative from the organization. “The cer-emony is an event meant to celebrate our graduates’ hard work and a way to give them a positive send-off into the world,” Sanders Recounts. “We are fortunate to live in a caring and generous community that strongly supports our students.”

Seniors many times come into the library and the Career Cen-ter to work on their notebooks and consult with Sanders. A schol-arship notebook workshop, put on by Sanders, is offered each fall.

continued page 8

SHS GRADS: Where Are They Now?

Jeremy Karapostoles, Sequim High School Class of 2005, (center, carrying the Washington State Flag) is a fire fighter assigned to Snohomish Fire District 7. Also a member of the Snohomish County Honor Guard, they took part in the 2014 Clallam County Fire Department #3 Centennial Celebration Parade in Sequim. Submitted photo

respectful, interesting young man. “He was new to the district, and that

is not always an easy adjustment when many students know each other since first grade,” Hietpas says. “I would no-tice him outside the lunchroom when I went to lunch. I suspected he was not eating any lunch because he was over-whelmed by the crowds of students and learning the system. I called home and learned he had just moved into the area from a one-room school in Stehekin! No wonder he was overwhelmed!

“I matched him up with specific stu-dents so he could learn how the lunch-room and recess systems worked.”

Hietpas remembers Karapostoles as a student who gave from his heart.

“He was kind, attentive and eager to learn,” she says. “His calmness and kindness made him unique in the free-for-all that can happen in angst and energy of middle school students. He always seemed to have a calmness and insight beyond his years.”

While attending Sequim High School, Karapostoles was involved in Associated Student Body and the Run-ning Start program at Peninsula Col-lege, where he earned an Associate of Arts degree.

“Jeremy was a ‘B’ average student throughout high school, doing enough to graduate with his high school and AA diplomas but not really inspired to excel until he became a volunteer with Clallam County Fire District 3,” Caity recalls. “It was then that he found his direction and passion and he has led the pack ever since.”

Post-graduation, Karapostoles went to work for the Washington Depart-ment of Natural Resources as a sum-mer wildland firefighter.

After that he entered into a structur-al firefighter job shadow program and completed Fire Academy.

While in the job shadow program he completed a Fire Science degree.

“Once hired full time, I went through Fire Academy again, and with the amazing support of my orga-nization, have been able to become a Rescue Swimmer, Swift Water Tech and continue my passion for wildland through the state mobilization plan,” Karapostoles says.

Karapostoles credits his parents and local firefighters for fueling his drive to become a firefighter.

“Of course my biggest influences for being able to pursue my dream of a career firefighter are my dad and mom,” says Karapostoles. “Beyond

that, hands down it would have to be the members of Clallam County Fire District 3, specifically, Steve Chinn —my wrestling coach at Sequim High School — and Derrell Sharp, who more than once went above and beyond to ensure I was successful. I feel extreme-ly fortunate to have the guidance they all provided as I traveled the long road of becoming a career firefighter.”

“Jeremy has always been a directed and driven individual,” says Chinn, Fire District 3 volunteer coordinator and a retired Sequim Middle School teacher.

Chinn was Karapostoles’ middle school and high school wrestling coach.

“He was the kind of student and athlete that worked extra hard on goals but always had a great way of getting along with others at the same time,” Chinn says. “I was fortunate to also be his officer when he became a volunteer firefighter with Clallam County Fire District 3. Jeremy served as a resident firefighter for a year during which time he took every training opportunity to hone his skills. He serves as a great ex-ample of creating a long range career plan and adapting those plans on a road to a career.”

Karapostoles lives in Lake Stevens with wife Katie, daughters Henley (3) and Taylin (4 months), and is assigned to Snohomish Fire District 7. “My fu-ture plans are to prepare for promotion, and hopefully be able to promote to company officer someday,” says Kara-postoles.

His parents are Burton, now re-tired, worked on maintenance and was a wildland firefighter for the National Park Service, and Caity, fa-


community and district members. This is also evident through our regular use of board self-assessment data to continually up-date our school board goals. We have also utilized a draft annual calendar that outlines expectations for regular student learning reports and updates across all content and grade levels through-out the year to ensure we stay knowledgeable on all student learning expectations, successes and goals.

Personally, I am very proud of how much progress we as a board have made towards setting high expectations for our dis-trict in ensuring we have programs that support all of our stu-dents. We have seen the results of these expectations throughout our district in a variety of ways, including who we hire to teach our students, measuring an increase in student learning across content areas, and increasing program options and opportunities that meet the diverse needs of all our stu-dents. We have a school board “summit” set aside late June to work on board tasks as well as self-assess again and develop new goals for this upcoming year that will also align with and support the goals of our district.

I also believe in distributing leader-ship responsibilities amongst members of our team and each of us has really em-braced and owned the responsibilities of serving on our board. As such, this will be my last newsletter as president as I am stepping down, but feel completely confident that our new president, Heather Short, will continue to lead our school board effectively and hold high expectations of our stu-dents, staff and fellow school board directors. As always, it is a

As you may recall from our Spring 2017 publication, I covered roles and responsi-bilities of school board directors using the structure of the School Board Standards as developed by WSSDA (Washington State School Directors’ Association). I touched on Standard 1 in the last news-letter, which is to “provide responsible school district governance.” The second standard is: “Set and communicate high expectations for student learning with

clear goals and plans for meeting those expectations.” First and foremost from this standard comes the belief that all students can learn and that we must hold high expectations of student learn-ing regardless of students’ circumstances or access to resources. With this comes several implications that we as school board directors must be held accountable for. We need to articulate and lead a shared vision of learning that is shared with the community and our schools. An adopted district plan focused on learning and

achievement for all students ought to be an artifact of this standard and one we have spent quite a bit of time focusing on as evident through our strategic plan-ning sessions that have included both

HENRIKSON

Your Sequim School BoardBy Past President Robin Henrikson, PhD

SHORT

New Board President Heather Short presented diplomas at the June 9, 2017 Sequim High School graduation ceremony, along with Directors Jim Stoffer and Brian Kuh. Here, Dillon Liebert receives his diploma and congratulations from President Short. Henrikson stepped down as president, but remains on the board as Director of District #1. Photo by Mike Dashiell/Sequim Gazette

pleasure and an honor to serve our Sequim School District staff and community.

Finally, the Board wishes to express its thanks to student rep-resentatives Kaylee Gumm and Tea’ Gauthun for their service. We are proud of senior representative Kaylee, who graduated with the Class of 2017 and will be attending Middlebury Col-lege in Vermont. Tea’ returns to the Board for her second year of service as senior representative for the 2017-18 school year.

Robin Henrikson can be reached at [email protected], and Heather Short can be reached at hshort@ sequim.k12.wa.us. Board meetings are held in the board room, located within the Auditorium Building, 601 N. Sequim Ave.

SHS GRADS: Where Are They Now?Now retired, Nancy Shaw says

Tjemsland was a remarkable student.“Allison is one of the most memo-

rable of many outstanding students I have had the privilege to teach. She possessed intelligence with humil-ity, and was always kind and respect-ful of everyone. Likewise, she was looked up to by her teachers and peers. Allison was comfortable, confi-dent and curious when presented with challenges. I never saw her falter in her tenacious ‘I can do this’ attitude.”

Bill Shaw, also now retired from teaching, concurs.

“I have many memories of wonder-ful students in my 33 years of teach-ing; memories of Allison are at the top of my list,” he says. “She was an out-standing example of how to be diligent, hard-working and conscientious while maintaining a sense of humor and fun interaction with fellow students and teachers. She was always kind and thoughtful, but never a pushover. If she disagreed with you she would let you know in a respectful way.”

After high school graduation, Tjemsland attended Yale University, majoring in history and international studies.

With her undergraduate degree completed, Tjemsland served as a

Peace Corps volunteer in Mozambique (southeastern Africa) where she taught eighth-grade chemistry and tenth grade English for two years.

“I was supposed to go to South America, but my assignment was switched at the last minute,” Tjemsland recalls. “I didn’t expect to be teaching, but surprisingly enjoyed that. Howev-er, I hadn’t taken chemistry since Mr. Rapelje’s class at Sequim High.”

Allison’s mother Ann, who works

at the high school, and Isaac Rapelje sent Tjemsland some curriculum so she could begin to piece together her own.

“Allison was an amazing student,” Rapelje remembers. “Years later I still have some of her assignments to show as exemplars. Her atomic model is still hanging in my room.

“At one point I remember saying something about chemistry in college being difficult and I vaguely remember her saying something like “I won’t be taking chemistry in college”, so we laughed together when she contacted me to say she was going to be teaching chemistry in Mozambique.”

Teaching in Portuguese, Tjemsland had to translate everything for herself.

“It was quite the process,” she notes. “It was very difficult at times, there was a huge language barrier for at least the first year, and cultural dif-ferences made it not easy all the time, but I loved getting a cultural viewpoint into the village”.

When she returned stateside, Tjemsland turned her focus to a law de-gree. She earned her degree this May from Yale Law School.

Tjemsland describes her life as be-ing fairly law school-focused over the last three years, but she was able to

work as a White House intern on the Domestic Policy Council – Native American Affairs team in 2015.

For her graduation from law school, she chose to wear a traditional, hand-made tribal cedar hat that she had worn for her undergrad graduation as well.

“My mom, my aunt and I made the hat over winter break,” Tjemsland says. “My mom and my aunt made a button blanket for me to wear as well. The blanket is used for significant events, and I wanted to wear some-thing that was personally significant. On the back of the blanket is a raven with the sun, a design by a Jamestown Tribal elder.”

Tjemsland had to obtain permission from Yale officials to wear the hat and blanket for the ceremony.

“The university was skeptical, but we were able to work it out. I had to ex-plain that it wasn’t a protest, but rather a recognition of my own culture,” she says. “Because it was grad school, I had a bit more argument there. The law school was supportive of representa-tions of diversity.”

As far as future plans, Tjemsland will work for a Justice on the Washing-ton State Supreme Court for a year and then work for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit the fol-

lowing year. In the meantime, she is very busy studying for the bar exam, which she plans to take in late July.

“I'm looking forward to being in the Pacfic Northwest again. I enjoyed the east coast, loved my time at Yale. It was great to be in a place with so many students from so many areas and to hear a wide variety of viewpoints and backgrounds.”

Says Nancy Shaw, “Now Allison has a law degree, she is eager and more than capable of going out into a world in great need of people possessing compassion and a keen mind as well as a delightful sense of humor. She has re-tained the same optimistic and positive outlook she always had. She will make the world a better place.”

Tjemsland is the daughter of Pete, who works as Utilities Manager for the City of Sequim, and Ann, a secretary to the principal at Sequim High School. The Tjemslands have two other daugh-ters, Amanda and Andrea.

Family has always had a significant influence on Allison’s life.

“My parents have always been my biggest supporters - they’ve encour-aged me at every point in my life, driven me to SeaTac too many times to count, and taught me the importance of community.”

Allison Tjemsland, from Sequim High School Class of 2007, recently graduated from Yale Law School. Tjemsland is shown wearing a hand-made traditional native blanket and cedar hat at graduation. Submitted photo

Your Sequim Schools

Documents

Transcript of Your Sequim Schools