Inclement Weather
Please read the Pasco School District's Inclement Weather Message and be sure to sign up for School Messenger, a notification service that sends text messages with information on school closures and delays to registered phone numbers. |
Livingston Wows with Coats for Kids Donation
Livingston Elementary School staff and students donated a record breaking 1,013 coats to the annual KNDU TV Coats for Kids drive. This is the fifth year in a row Livingston has won the event; the school received a $500 prize. Livingston staff started collecting coats as far back as this summer, says school counselor Kelly Longsforff. One staff member brought in 81 coats alone, while families donated hundreds more during popular school events like Family Bingo Night in November. The school's PEAK! Partner, Lourdes Health Network, also contributed coats to the cause. |
School Meals Advocate Visits Robinson Elementary
Dayle Hayes, MS, RD made a special visit to the breakfast line at Robinson Elementary on Jan. 24. Nutrition Services supervisor, Mary Nowak, welcomed Hayes as she observed the workings of the school's kitchen, the quality and arrangement of food served, and the eating habits of students.
"I was very impressed," says Hayes. Hayes was in town for a presentation at the Benton Franklin Head Start Program, and took the opportunity to visit several local school cafeterias in the Tri-Cities. She is president of Nutrition for the Future, Inc. in Billings, Montana. Check out her blog. |
Astronaut Visits Stevens Middle School
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Please click to view a slideshow of the visit. |
Astronaut Charlie Duke, the tenth man to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 16 expedition, shared his life story with students at Stevens Middle School on Dec. 5. He shared a video chronicling the flight into space and time spent on the moon. |
Justice Gonzalez Visits High Schools
Justice Steven Gonzalez of the Washington State Supreme Court visited with high school students at Pasco and Chiawana high
schools on Dec. 7.
Gonzalez spoke about his life experiences, including his struggles to pay for college, earning his law degree, and his passion for law.
"Our hope is that students were inspired by all he has accomplished in his life," said Pasco High Assistant Principal Alejandro Vergara. |
McLoughlin Food Drive Hits 6,000
 | | Please click the image to see a bigger picture. |
This year McLoughlin Middle School students have stepped up food drive efforts, collecting more than three times the amount collected in years past.
"I don't know what it is about this year," says Sarah Overturf, a counselor at the school. "Usually we have around 2,000 items donated and this year we are over 6,000. Either way we are proud of the students' hard work."
The food was donated to the Pasco First Christian Church Food Bank. |
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Robinson Donates Food
Congratulations and thank you Robinson Elementary School students and staff for collecting 1,732 cans of food and donating it to the New Horizons High School food pantry. You make us proud! |
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SUPERINTENDENT VISITS CHARTER LOCAL EDITION NORTHWEST
 | | Listen to Superintendent Hill speak about the Pasco School District and the 2013 Bond. |
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Livingston's Susan Sparks Honored with Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award
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Susan Sparks is joined by husband Bobby Sparks during her acceptance of the MLK Spirit Award at CBC on Jan. 21. View photos of the CBC bell ringing ceremony on the Tri-City Herald website, www.tri-cityherald.com, under the "Photos" tab. |
Columbia Basin College presented its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award to Livingston Principal Susan Sparks during a special ceremony Jan. 21.
"Every year my husband and I would take our two young children over to my mother-in-laws' house to pick out one of her special bells to take to the MLK Bell Ringing Ceremony," says Sparks. "We have always thought that it was important for our children to understand the legacy of such a great man, and so to receive the MLK Spirit Award is such a tremendous honor. For me it is like a Dr. King dream!"
The MLK Spirit Award is awarded to a person who has affected positive social change within the community and/or outside of it. Since Dr. King was also an advocate of education, which goes hand-in-hand with social change, the nominee's work in education is important, says CBC Director of Communications Frank Murray.
This fall, Sparks was named Distinguished Elementary School Principal of the Year for the Lake Wallula region by Washington School Principals and Elementary School Principals of Washington.
Livingston has been named a School of Distinction for the last three years. Also this year, Livingston is the only school in the Tri-Cities named as a Reward School, meaning it has been among the top 10 percent of Title I schools in reading and math, combined, for three years.
To learn more about Livingston Elementary and the impact over enrollment has on the school, please watch this video.
 | | Livingston Bond Video |
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Liz Flynn, District Honored for Excellence in Literacy Education
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Liz Flynn,
Executive Director of Student Achievement |
Pasco School District Executive Director of Student Achievement Elizabeth "Liz" Flynn received the 2012 Advocate for Excellence in Literacy Award from Texas Woman's University (TWU) Reading Recovery Center for distinguished educational leadership, vision, and her commitment to ensure that all children become successful learners.
Flynn has played a key role in implementing Reading Recovery /Descrubiendo de la Lectura in the District by acting as site coordinator for more than 15 years as well as allocating funds for Special Programs. Pasco School District celebrates its twentieth year of Reading Recovery and its nineteenth year of Descubriendo la Lectura this school year.
Thanks to Flynn's direction and support, the District has been able to support thousands of struggling readers. Specially trained teachers work individually with students in daily 30-minute lessons lasting 12 to 20 weeks in an effort to reach grade-level standards. The objective is to promote accelerated learning so that students catch up to their peers, close the achievement gap as quickly as possible, and continue to learn independently. |
PROACTIVE PASCO LAUNCHES ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL SAFETY, SECURITY ADVISORY PANEL
The recent tragedy in Connecticut has prompted school districts across the nation to reexamine their safety plans and procedures, and Pasco is no different. Although the District has long held safety as a primary focus and has been recognized for being a leader in this area, District officials are reassessing and reevaluating every aspect of student and employee safety.
Current Safety Measures in Pasco School District:
- Individual, up-to-date crisis plans for each school.
- Fire, evacuation, lock down and lock out drill practice.
- Single access points at elementary schools.
- Video surveillance at every building, many with remote access control.
- Team of 19 school security personnel for secondary schools.
- School Resource Officers (SRO's) present at all secondary schools. All are certified, uniformed, and carry service weapons.
- Motion detectors, door alarms and glass breakage alarms to ensure no hazardous materials can be placed in schools and to protect public property.
"We take safety very seriously," says Superintendent Saundra Hill. "Even though Pasco has been recognized for its current security strategies, Sandy Hook has been a wakeup call to all schools across the nation to review and improve where needed. Pasco will move quickly to take the necessary steps to keep our students and employees safe."
Timeline of District Action:
Dec. 18: Principals gathered to discuss needs specific to their buildings and were asked to seek input from their staff members and parents on their thoughts and concerns regarding safety.
Dec. 19: Lock specialists worked to evaluate and repair, if necessary, all exterior and interior door locks at every building.
Jan. 7: Principals gathered to share all information gathered in preparations for the arrival of outside safety evaluators.
Jan. 8-9: Evaluators assessed each school and provided recommendations to the newly formed Security Advisory Panel, which includes first responders and other school security experts.
Even with all of the technology, one of the best deterrents to a crisis is alert and caring adults. Observation among students, staff, and parents is a safety measure that cannot be overlooked. If you think something is wrong, make a call to school officials or law enforcement. |
Schools of Distinction
 | | McGee Elementary receives recognition as a School of Distinction for the fourth consecutive year. |
Pasco School District is proud to announce that three elementary schools, James McGee Elementary, Ruth Livingston Elementary, and Edwin Markham Elementary, have been recognized for outstanding improvement in student achievement by The Center for Educational Effectiveness with the "2012 School of Distinction" award.
This is the fourth consecutive year McGee has received this award and the third year in a row for Livingston. Principals Robin Hay (McGee), Susan Sparks (Livingston), and Wendy Lechelt-Polster (Markham) and their staffs accepted their award from ESD 123 Superintendent Bruce Hawkins at special ceremonies at their schools in December.
"This award represents the hard work and dedication of staff and students on a daily basis," says Assistant Superintendent Cal Bacon.
The annual award is given by The Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE), the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD), the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), Phi Delta Kappa-Washington Chapter (PDK-WA), Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA), Washington State ASCD and Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA).
This is the sixth annual School of Distinction award recognition in Washington State. The 2012 School of Distinction award winners include 54 elementary schools, 24 middle/ junior high schools, and 19 high schools. Pasco School District is one of four ESD 123 regional winners along the Clarkston, Kennewick and Walla Walla districts and three of the Tri-Cities schools receiving the recognition come from Pasco. |
Emerging Young Leaders in Pasco Schools
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The Emerging Young Leaders Program participants are pictured with Superintendent Hill, center, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority members on Dec. 5 at the Booth Building. |
Congratulations to the 21 girls from all three Pasco middle schools who were selected to take part in the Emerging Young Leaders (EYL) Program through the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority. The EYL Program, which is open to middle school girls, seeks to cultivate high scholastic achievement through educational enrichment, civic engagement, leadership development, and character building with the goal of developing the skills and talents necessary for these young ladies to become leaders within their communities and beyond.
On Nov. 30 the group, led by local EYL Coordinator Kimberly Williams, gathered at the C.L. Booth Education Center to make blankets for Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery. In addition to making blankets, the girls listened to presentations from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority President Carmento Floyd, who is also the wife of Washington State University President Elson Floyd, and from health care professionals regarding dental health and hygiene.
Several AKA sorority members working with the group are Pasco graduates including Elaine King, and Bree Maui, as well as Ce'Kedra Cole who is now a Pasco School District employee and led the effort to bring the EYL Program to the Pasco School District. |
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