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Please click to view the district's
2012 Levy Information Page |
Multi Track Year Round School Update
Pasco School District staff continues to move forward with the planning for the possible implementation of Multi Track Year Round School in order to adequately house burgeoning school enrollments without the addition of new schools. Staff is reviewing school calendar options that meet the minimum requirements. Once options are identified, the final choice will be determined through negotiations with the Pasco Association of Educators. Schools operating with a Multi Track Year Round schedule will assign each student into one of four possible tracks. One track of students would be on vacation while three tracks are in school at any given time. Schools that hit enrollment triggers as of their October 1 student counts each year would prepare to move into Multi Track Year Round the following school year. The earliest school year this might occur would be 2013-14.
The district is also preparing for the transition of keeping sixth grade students at the elementary level when schools go to Multi Track Year Round.
The district plans to install twenty additional portable classrooms and a portable addition to the Twain Elementary cafeteria during summer 2012 to accommodate anticipated student enrollment growth.
The district continues to provide Multi Track Year Round information on the Pasco School District web page under the facilities options tab located at www.psd1.org. |
School Spotlight: PHS Members of the Pasco High School Key Club gathered more than $500 in donations from community members to purchase Christmas gifts for life skills students at Twain, Frost, and Emerson Elementary. The students did the fundraising, shopping, and wrapping then delivered the gifts on Dec. 16.
School Spotlight: NHHS 
Christmas came early for teen parents and their children at New Horizons High School on Dec. 15. Santa made a stop by Brighter Horizons Daycare to bring gifts thanks to Boys and Girls Club and Olive Garden. The local restaurant lent their support by adopting the teen families for the holiday season. |
Photo Galleries  | |
Please click on the image to view a slide show of the All Pasco Guitar Ensemble. |
 | | Please click on the image to view a photo gallery of Captain Gray Early Learning Center's Snuggle Up and Read event. |
 | | Please click the image to view a photo gallery of holiday activities within the school district. |
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January's first PEAK! of the Week went to Mark Twain Elementary PEAK! Partner Advanced Pediatric Denistry for sending the Tooth Fairy to read to students and educate them on good dental hygiene. She also delivered goodie bags filled with tooth brushes, tooth paste, and dental floss. 
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January Events Jan. 26, 2012 End of 1st Semester 6th - 12th Grade Jan. 27, 2012 No School K-12 Feb. 1, 2012 Student Shadow @ PHS 8:00 a.m. PHS Library Feb. 9, 2012 Open House @ PHS 6 - 7 p.m. Feb. 10, 2012 Battle of the Bands PHS @ 6:00 p.m.
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PASCO SCHOOL DISTRICT
Putting students first to make learning last a lifetime. Celebrating academics, diversity, and innovation. |
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Strategic Planning Summit Garners Valuable Input from Community
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Livingston fourth grade teacher Kristen Wren and McLoughlin Counselor Tim Haugen engage with their group on the evening of Nov. 15. |
The Pasco School District Strategic Planning Summit took place over two days, November 15 and 16, with over 150 parents, school staff, community members, and students giving their valuable feedback for the development of the District's next Strategic Plan.
The Strategic Plan is part of the comprehensive process to determine where an organization is going over the next three years or more, how it is going to get there, and how it will know if it got there or not.
This long-range planning is a required part of the district improvement process and is supported by state and federal grant funds. Strategic planning at this time is a natural part of the improvement process, allowing the District to work with the district community to incorporate data from the numerous initiatives currently underway and set the direction for focusing its recources for the next three years. The new plan will go to the board for approval in spring 2012.
A copy of the the school district's current Strategic Plan can be viewed by clicking here. |
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Students Knit Cheer for the Holidays
 | | Ochoa knitters pictured with their hats, which were donated to area schools and community organizations. |
For several weeks in December a motivated and generous group of Ochoa Middle School took up round looms and yarn and knit over 100 colorful winter hats for their families and the community this holiday season. The afterschool activity was lead by Ochoa parent Maria Montalvo.
The group donated the hats to students at Whittier and Robinson elementary schools, to teens at My Friends Place overnight shelter in Kennewick, and to infants at Tri-City Pregnancy Network. They also kept hats for themselves and as gifts for their families.
Montalvo, who, together with her husband knits hats at home, felt the craft would be a great opportunity to extend to students, she says. The idea was well received by students and parents alike. Sixth grade student Ramiro Salas says he wanted to join something rather than going home after school and "doing nothing." |
Enterprise Week for Pasco Seniors |
| | I-Print CEO and Pasco High senior Jade Covington shows off her company's I-Print prototype during the tradeshow portion of Enterprise Week. Click on the photograph to view a slideshow of the event. |
Over 700 seniors from Pasco, Chiawana, and New Horizons high schools participated in Enterprise the week of Nov. 28- Dec. 2. This was the twelfth year the District has held the popular business simulation program for students. Students were intermixed to form 48 companies with 55 community members volunteering their time as company advisors. The advisors offered guidance to their teams, however it was up to the student-led companies to make decisions concerning their businesses. "It is a great week of discovery, learning about free enterprise, team work, and having fun," says longtime volunteer Jan Francis of SafeGuard Business Systems in Pasco. Over 250 volunteers acted as judges on the final days, and an exceptional team of 29 high school teachers and support staff also made the week a success, says Chris Martinson, director of Career and Technical Education and head organizer of the event. Nutrition Services, Transportation, Maintenance and the Technology Departments also lent an incredible amount of support. For more information about Pasco School District's Career and Technical Education program or to volunteer for Enterprise Week next year, please contact Chris Martinson at cmartinson@psd1.org or by calling 509-543-6727.
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Welcoming Board Member Ryan Brault  | |
Ryan Brault |
Ryan Brault was elected to the Pasco School Board on Nov. 8 and sworn in at the board meeting on Dec. 13. Brault grew up in the Tri-Cities, and after earning a degree in Business Administration from Seattle Pacific University, he and wife Jamie made their home in Pasco. He is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones. Over the last several years Brault has been actively engaged with the Pasco School District and the Pasco community, volunteering in various capacities. He is Past-President of the Pasco Chamber, a Leadership Tri-Cities graduate, and was honored with the Community Leadership Award from South Eastern Washington Association of School Administrators and the Pasco Pride Award from the District. He is also a returning PEAK! Partner, or Partners in Education All Kids, with Robinson Elementary, his neighborhood school. As a college student, Brault lived in Mexico and Central America; he is a fluent Spanish speaker. While he and his wife do not yet have children of their own, he says it feels like the children of their East Pasco community, Tierra Vida, many of whom attend Robinson Elementary, are their children. He is thrilled to contribute to making Pasco Schools a better place for future generations. |
Board Member John Hergert Bids Farewell
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Longtime board member John Hergert makes a farewell speech to community members on Nov. 22. |
A tireless advocate for children in our community, John Hergert was elected to the Pasco School District Board in 1998. Since then Hergert has served as President and Vice President of the board in addition to his position as pastor of First Lutheran Church of Pasco.
Hergert announced his resignation in June and members of the community were given the opportunity to honor his 13 years of service at the Booth Building on Nov. 22. |
New Horizons and Delta Designated Innovative Schools by State Superintendent
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NHHS Principal Christy Rasmussen, flanked by English teacher Larry Clark and paraeducator Ce'Kedra Cole, introduces school employees to guest and media who attended the event. |
New Horizons High School and Delta High School were designated Washington State Innovative Schools by Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn at the Washington State School Directors' Association conference on Nov. 18.
Forty-two schools applied for the designation and 22 were accepted. The designation is valid for three years. A re-certification process will take place in fall 2014.
New Horizons chose to celebrate this honor by hosting a breakfast on Nov. 23. Partners in Educating All Kids!, or PEAK! Partners Fat Boys Fleet Service and U.S. Cellular supported the effort with groceries and staff members prepared breakfast for students and guests. Representatives from Eastern Washington Univeristy were also on hand giving out prizes and information to students. |
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