The 411

April 12, 2013

Your informaon source

From the Superintendent

I have spent a year in Florida this week. Before you jump to conclusions, I am not on an extended vacation. Late last week we received word that my husbands younger brother, Jack, was just days, and maybe hours, from passing away. The brothers live in Everglades City, aka Nowhere, Florida at the end of the world literally in the Everglades. We caught a flight and got to Hospice at midnight Sunday night. He knew us and we were able to soothe him somewhat. He died the next day.
Pung students rst to make learning last a lifeme. Celebrang academics, diversity, and innovaon.

On Loss and Divergent Paths...

Pasco School District Employee Newsletter

Death is a fact of life and something we all have to deal with at some point. But even when you know it is imminent, death is never easy. Have we said everything that is in our hearts? This one has been particularly difficult for our family. Jack was one of the smartest people I know and like many smart people he was creative and very funny. His one-liners and imaginative stories are legendary in the family and in this part of Florida. You were never quite sure which parts were true and which were made up, but you always laughed and shook your head. My brother-in-law also struggled all of his life with addiction. Its a mixed bag of emotions losing someone who made decisions that hastened his own death. I am angry at him for putting his family through this. I am so sad for his son and his siblings who are left behind to deal with the messes he created. I am perplexed by this life so unfulfilled yet so valued. Jack wanted a party for his friends and family after he was gone, probably an apt send-off for him. The day started at 89 degrees with a tropical downpour. The huge tent we put up outside started to collapse from the rain before the party started. Not a good omen. The sun finally came out, but it stayed very hot, humid and bug infested the whole day. But people came from far and wide and talked about Jack, his quirkiness, his humor, his addictions with love and respect. We all laughed and cried together about a valued life, valued even though he would never have been named citizen -of-the-year. They call my husband Bill the white sheep of the family and it is not a compliment. Dysfunction is the norm here and living with integrity is looked down upon. My struggle is honoring the family from which he came in spite of not understanding it. Bill might have written the same life story for himself. He was raised in the same environment. While Bill became a noted scientist his brother slipped into quite a different world. What sent two brothers on such divergent paths? Some time back I shared with you that my husband had written a letter to a teacher who had inspired him and he received a reply. Although in her advanced years, she had remembered Bill. I wonder if she was the one, or if it was a series of teachers just like her who helped open Bills eyes to his possibilities and potential. Then I think about our students. I wonder how many are living with someone whose addiction negatively impacts their lifeor how many might be experimenting with substances that will ultimately lead them down a path of destruction. It breaks my heart. We cant control the choices of others, but we can constantly point out the path to success. I know that so many of you are that inspiring adult to our students. You will be the one that makes a positive and lasting change. And perhaps your care, your attention, your encouragement will be the difference that helps a young person become a scientist, an engineer, a doctor, or just a functioning member of society who made a choice to live a fulfilling life. I cant wait to get home to Pasco.

Around the District

Cal Bacon Awarded Hispanic Chambers Lifetime Achievement Recognition
The Pasco School District is proud to announce Assistant Superintendent Cal Bacon has been awarded the 2013 Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Recognition for her leadership and dedication to Latino students and families. Each year the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosts a Gala and Awards Ceremony. This event serves as an opportunity to recognize and publically thank those who work to make our community a better place to live. Bacon will be formally recognized at the gala on April 20. teacher and assistant principal before becoming principal in 1997. As Twain principal she led her school to a $10,000 State Hispanic achievement award. Bacon moved into the District office in 2003 as the Director of Teaching and Learning. Today she serves as Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, supervising 12 elementary schools, elementary principals, special education, K-12 nurses, K-12 counselors, Visual and Performing Arts, as well as school improvement for elementary schools. In every area, with every task and every turn Bacon has provided extraordinary leadership. All 12 Pasco elementary schools made significant gains in one or more areas of the Measurement of Student Progress and ALL are up in math with help from her outstanding leadership.

Secretary Adela Zamora, who has Assistant Superintendent Cal Bacon receives news of her award during a special gathering worked beside Bacon for the last with colleagues in the board room Thursday. 18 years, recalls a quote by Confucius: Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. That is After a stellar 30 year career as a teacher, principal and adCals life, says Zamora. She gives her heart for all children, ministrator in the Pasco School District, Bacon will be reshe leads by example; there is no selfishness. tiring in June. It is fitting that our community recognizes Bacon has been with the Pasco School District since 1983 her for everything she has done for the children and famiand immediately established herself as a teacher-leader. lies of Pasco. She taught at Edwin Markham Elementary before moving Congratulations Cal! to Mark Twain Elementary in 1990, where she served as a

Expanded District Recycling Program Teaches Environmental Lessons By Example

Things are about to get greener in Pasco. that are being co-mingled wont go into Not only because its spring, but because the current refuse bins, so that will reduce the amount of garbage Pasco School District is exbeing picked up (by BDI), says panding recycling, with the Nunamaker. It could potenhelp of Basin Disposal Inc. tially be a positive gain finan(BDI). cially, but we will have to monNew co-mingled recycling itor it over time to see. containers have been placed at Chiawana and Pasco high schools, Stevens Middle School, Whittier and Robinson elementary schools and at the C.L. Booth Building. Co-mingled recycling allows all kinds of recyclable materials, with the exception of glass, to be thrown in one container. The contents of the containers are compacted into bales and then shipped to Tacoma or Portland for automated sorting says Director of Support Services Randy Nunamaker. Initially the program will have little effect on the bottom line. All the items The District also continues to provide community recycling bins, thanks to a partnership with the City of Pasco, at McLoughlin, Ochoa and Stevens middle schools, at Robinson and Angelou elementary schools, at Edgar Brown Stadium, and on District property at Road 48 and Court Street. program. It also ties nicely into our pest management program. Pasco was the first school district in Eastern Washington to earn an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Star Designation from the IPM Institute of North America, which stresses the use of active, non-chemical control of pests when possible. The lengthy certification process began in 2008 under the guidance of Supervisor of Maintenance and Custodial Roy McCoskey, who has since gone on to share his expertise at the recent IMP Institute of North America regional conference. McCoskey has since been invited to share the Pasco story at the state conference. The District practices good stewardship with taxpayer dollars and works as efficiently as possible, says Nunamaker. In recent years we have made several efforts to be good partners in keeping our environment healthy.

Students will learn from and participate in the recycling process. Basin Disposal has had kids out for field trips, says Nunamaker. We are teaching our students to be environmentally conscious and modeling that behavior through this
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Employee Feature
Drawing On Student Funds of Knowledge Makes for Rich Classroom Experience
Cougars! Mice! Horses! Spiders! Polar bears! Students in Angela Johnsons fourth grade class at Angelou Elementary cant wait to tell about the animals theyve chosen to research and teach their peers about. Choice is the most important thing, says Johnson. They really get involved when they read and write about things that matter to them. tuguese, says about one third of her students are English Language Learners who need different forms of support for learning than their English speaking peers. She chose to visit the homes of two ELL students, Naomi and Ceasar, in order to learn more about their funds of knowledge, or the knowledge kids gain from their family and personal backgrounds.

She discovered, for example, that Throughout the year, Johnson has Ceasar lived on a farm, which Angela Johnson is pictured with her students Naomi empowered her students to choose and Ceasar, who each created lessons for their peers helped explain his love of animals. their own topics of interest in order in their fourth grade class at Angelou Elementary. By observing his home environto create student-led lessons which ment, meeting his family, and disengage and motivate. The project is the tween motivation and engagement in cussing with them his home literacy basis for her masters thesis, which she classroom activities, my aim was to practices, Johnson could better bridge presented successfully at WSU Trihis funds of knowledge in the classlook at how both are affected by stuCities on April 9. dent involvement strategies based on room. By empowering one student at a time having the students design their own Ceasar created a reading and writing lessons. to be the leader of the classroom for lesson for the class on cars, another of that lesson or day, teachers encourage students to express their ideas and tap into their background knowledge, says Johnson. While studies have been conducted on the difference beHer project provides specific ways to tap into ELL students background experiences and involve those experiences in the overall teaching process. Johnson, whose native language is Porhis favorite things, while Naomi designed a science lesson on animals for second graders. Cheetahs! Pandas! Lions! Naomis classmates broke up into groups of

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

411 Highlights
three or four and decided which animal they wanted to focus on. They researched the animals eating habits, physical make-up, and habitat, then used graphic organizers, index cards and photos to create visual presentations for their younger peers in April Marones second grade class. My students were really engrossed in the presentations, says Marone. Mrs. Johnsons students really knew their topics well. It really motivated my students and helped them see what the upper grades are learning about and what to expect. Johnson was very purposeful about connecting the student projects to the Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) for language arts, social studies, and science. She encouraged all of her students to turn their ideas into classwide lessons. Students had to submit an official proposal with the name of the topic and activity, a detailed description of the procedures involved, classroom management rules, and a diagram of how they would organize the student groups. One student, Morgan, designed a les-

Morgan shows off materials from her lesson on trees.

son on trees. Her idea was inspired by having a cousin named Aspen, she says, as well her familys recent trip through Californias impressive redwood forests. I was amazed at how trees could live so long, she says. Other student proposals included the topics of sports, cross cultural holiday celebrations, dogs, poetry, and friend-

ship. One student, Kobe, presented a lesson on professional basketball. It really shows students taking responsibility for their own learning, says Angelou Principal LeAnn Nunamaker, who has been very supportive of the project.

Photo Feature
Twain Elementary School employees and students wrapped up their annual Arts and More program on March 27. This year, for an hour each Wednesday, students enjoyed enhancement activities such as clowning, rocket building, mural painting, square dancing, and hip-hop dancing.

411 Highlights
Pasco High School Staff, Students Run Away From Drugs

Pictured, from left to right, are:

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

Pasco High School employees joined students for the schools inaugural Run Away From Drugs 5k Run/Walk event on March 23. The event was organized by members of Pasco High School S.T.A.N.D. (Students Taking Action Not Drugs) Club with the help of club advisor Perla Fletes, a PHS prevention and intervention specialist. The club hopes to raise awareness and start a school-wide conversation about the effects of drug abuse. The event took place at the Tri- Cities International Cross Country Course. Although there was frost on our cars, spirits were high. We had more than 50 participants and a number of volunteers who made this event possible, says Fletes. Special thanks goes to event sponsors American West Bank and Broetje Orchards, as well as community volunteers Dale Fuller, Jesse Lane, Katelynn Lane and PHS staff members Maria Betancourt, Jana Nuez, and Heidi Berry for their help in making the event a success.
Pasco High School teacher and coach Dustin Lamb and Student Achievement Specialist Maria Betancourt were the first and second place one-mile runners.

Teams Sought for Robinson Scholarship Golf Tournament

Since 2006, the Virgie Robinson Memorial Scholarship committee has awarded scholarships to Pascos graduating seniors. In an effort to continue Virgie Robinsons legacy as a beloved volunteer, wife, mother, and professional who was passionate about education, the Robinson family is hosting the Virgie Robinson Charity Golf Tournament on April 20 at Sun Willows golf course in Pasco. Registra5

tion starts at noon and tee off is at 1 p.m. Proceeds support the scholarship fund. The cost is $100 per player for a team of four. A variety of tournament sponsorship opportunities are also available. Go to www.vmrscholarships.org to learn more, or stop by Public Affairs for a copy of the registration form.

411 Highlights
In the Heights Resonates with Pasco High School Performers
The production features Franklin Castellanos (Usnavi), Carrie Nolan (Vanessa), Omar Spindola (Sonny), NaShon Hill (Graffiti Pete), Bianca Navarete (Nina), Daniel Haug (Benny), Joanna Barajas (Daniela), Meagan Rocha (Carla), The play features an ensemble cast that chronicles Oziel Lopez (Piragua Guy), among others, and the play is three days in the tight-knit and largely Dominicandirected by Tiffany Buissink, a long-term substitute in American community of Washington Heights, NY. BodePHS English Department. ga owner Usnavi longs to return to the Dominican Republic, the All of these characters are facing place he was born but cannot life-altering situations and we get remember. to watch them triumph and fail, succeed and stumble, and yet we We chose this play largely beare constantly rooting for their cause of the subject matter, says every move, says Buissink. Producer Robert Dennis, Pasco High School teacher and director In the Heights was nominated of the 10th Avenue Singers. The for thirteen Tony Awards in 2008, neighborhood where the play is winning four: Best Musical, Best set is populated by first, second Original Score, Best Choreograand third generation Americans phy and Best Orchestrations. It who have strong ties to a place was also nominated for the 2009 that is far away and that they Pulitzer Prize for Drama. have never seen. This is the story Pre-sale tickets can be purchased of bridging cultures; this is the from student cast members or story of many of our students. through the Pasco High School Dennis explains that while the themes may be somewhat choir office by calling 543-6770 ex 3702 or online at heavy, they are wrapped in a lighthearted show full of www.PHSInTheHeights.com. Tickets are $8 in advance great music and dancing. The music is modern enough or $10 at the door. Reserved seating is also available for that the students really enjoy it, says Dennis. As a teach- $12 in advance or $15 at the door. er it is so neat to see the kids get it with any literature or The play is recommended for middle school audiences and art; to see them get beyond the words to the emotion of older. The themes are a little deep to hold the interest of the piece is so rewarding. little ones, explains Dennis. Pasco High will also be one of the first schools in the Join the students of PHS, In the Heightswhere the cofcounrty to perform the play. Amateur rights to the play fee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the winjust became available on January 1, says Dennis. It will dows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm also mark the first time in many years that Pasco High of three generations of music. School has produced a full-length musical.

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

Robinson Xylophone Students, Program Featured in National Music Education Magazine

Congratulations Robinson Elementary music program! Robinson students were featured in the May/June 2013 issue of Music K-8, a nationally distributed resource for elementary and middle school music teachers. Robinson music teacher Marlene Meyer submitted a photo of her students playing xylophones decorated in jungle patterns as they played The Lion Sleeps Tonight as a creative idea readers could emulate. Meyers submission was the only one published from the West Coast, she says.
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Around the District

UPCOMING EVENTS
April is Earth Month
April 14-20: Environmental Education Week
Register to participate at www.eeweek.org/

The 411 Prize Giveaway

Read The 411 and Win!
Congratulations to Chess 1st grade teacher Carmen Rivas for correctly answering the 411 Prize Question: Paul Fraser and Chip Elfering of Ochoa Middle School were awarded the 2013 Mid-Columbia STEM Educator Award. Carmen won a cake and piata courtesy of Fiesta Foods. Read the 411 and watch your email to qualify for the next prize, five general admission tickets to Shrine Circus.

April 17: Delta High School Principal Candidate Meet and Greet, 4-5:30 p.m. at Delta High School. April 18: Chiawana High School International Night, 6-8 p.m. April 20: Grand Opening of MidColumbia Libraries West Pasco Branch, 10 a.m.-noon, 7525 Wrigley Drive April 22: Earth Day April 23: Board of Directors Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Booth Building. April 27: Dia de los Nios/ Dia de los Libros, Childrens Day/Book Day, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pasco Memorial Park.

Proud Sponsor of The 411 Prize

SAVE THE DATE

Support Pasco students!
The annual HAAP Awards ceremony takes places Sunday, May 5 at 6 p.m. at the TRAC in Pasco. The annual AAAS Scholarship Awards take place Sunday, May 19 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at the Pasco High School student mall.
Read the 411 and win! Look for the prize question in your mailbox soon and be eligible to win.
Second Reading Policy 3610, Child Custody; Ms. Cal Bacon and Educational Ms. Glenda Cloud The flag salute was Specifications for Delta gave a report on presented by Ochoa High School; 2013-2016 Summer School Plan. Middle School students E-Rate Technology accompanied by Ms. Sarah Thornton Plan; Acceptance of EPrincipal Jackie Rate Funds for Network gave a Charter Ramirez. Upgrades; and Schools Law Plan Overnight Student Update. Ms. Sarah Thornton TravelChiawana High give first reading The consent agenda was School Band to Tacoma Policy 7260: Gifts. approved with the and Mercer Island, WA. following: Personnel; Ms. Kathy Hayden Warrant Report; gave a report on

Board Notes 04-09-13

Literacy Initiative.