Everett Public Schools InTouch
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Students log thousands of summer reads

Everett Public Schools' first Summer Reading Challenge engaged over 4,300 students in reading to wipe out the "summer slide" between school years. Of those who participated, more than 2,400 met their reading goals and received prizes.

"We set out to create a 'reading culture' in our district's neighborhoods," said Joyce Stewart, the district's associate superintendent of teaching and learning.

Everett Public Schools Foundation provided incentives for the program -- including Kindles for top readers. The Daily Herald printed the names of all students who met their reading goals -- and who had parental permission for those names to be printed. (Those names were printed in the newsprint edition, but do not appear online.)

Click on photo for more information and link to Herald article.

Only seven months to go until the Second Annual Summer Reading Challenge! 
In 1947 Memorial Stadium dedicated to veterans

For any of you who have served our country in any branch of the military/armed services or who have sent a loved one off to serve, a deeply heartfelt THANK YOU as we honored our country's veterans on Veterans Day.

Built in 1947, the Everett Elks donated the land for the Everett Memorial Stadium and dedicated it to all the Everett boys who gave their lives during WWII, hence the name "Memorial."

Much has changed in our district since 1947 - the enrollment, for example, which had "skyrocketed" to 7,700 after the war by 1950. However, much is also the same. The stadium is a field of pride for three high schools now - not just one. It is recognized as a premier facility throughout our region and a favorite place for home teams and visitors to compete.

Click on photo for more information. 
Teacher Michelle Ulke is Board Certified Behavior Analyst
 

"This is a very rigorous exam, and the failure rate is quite high," noted Kristen Koehler, Assistant Director, Central Region Special Services.
 
"To my knowledge she is the only one in the district with this certification. It's pretty awesome," said Koehler.

Click on photo for more information.
 
Puget Sound Festival of Bands

This is the 28th year Cascade High School's band and color guard boosters have sponsored this rousing event.
 
Click on photo for two 'Letters to the editor' published in The Daily Herald.
 
Retired composer brings zombie-themed work to Woodside

About 80 fourth- and fifth-graders are part of Tricia Hill's elementary choir. They got a unique opportunity last month to meet the composer of a piece they've been working on.

The song is called "Spook Walk," a Halloween-themed choral arrangement. The composer, Rick Brown, retired to Everett after a career teaching music in schools around the country.

Brown reached out to Woodside, offering to work with the kids in exchange for the opportunity to record the kids singing. "He had heard we had a good choir and he asked if we would like to work on his piece," Hill said.

Click on photo for Herald article.
Henry M. Jackson High School
 
band together


The band program has grown to include nine different types of band classes! The Jackson High School band program has grown over the past 14 years to include four jazz bands, concert band, symphonic band, wind ensemble, honors wind ensemble, wind symphony, percussion ensemble, drum line and special education percussion ensemble.

"Over 250 students were part of Ms. Moffat's instrumental music program every single day last year!" said Band Booster parent Kami Kolakowski.

Click on photo for more information.
  
FREE JAZZ ALL DAY SAT. NOV. 21 -- at Jackson High
Jackson High School's Jazz band hosts the Mill Creek Jazz Festival from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. It's free and open to all jazz lovers. You'll enjoy talented high school jazz musicians from around the region.
  
Cascade High's Brooke Guidice sets sights on career in medicine | Herald's Super Kid
 

Cascade High senior Brooke Guidice wants to study medicine at Johns Hopkins University next year and become a doctor. She also leads the Bruins' cheerleading squad and carries a 4.0 GPA.


 Click on photo for Herald article.

 
Jayden Terry-Olson has plenty to sing about

Maybe you heard Jayden Terry-Olson, 10, sing the national anthem at an AquaSox game or the Washington State Fair. She also sang at her school, Penny Creek Elementary, for the Veterans Day assembly.

Click on photo for Herald article.
Congrats to the Timberwolves!

The soccer team are 4A district champions, and the volleyball team earned second place! 
Winter is here! Are you ready?

How will you know if school is delayed or cancelled during bad weather? All is explained online.

If a family member rides a school bus, do you know your snow routes?

Do you have a family emergency plan?

Stay warm; be safe!

November 17 School Board meeting

The school board will meet in regular session on Tuesday, beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the Community Resource Center at 3900 Broadway in Everett. 

The agenda and other board materials are online in BoardDocs.


November 17 Board meeting topic highlights
TOPICS
DETAILS
24 credit graduation requirement.

Why the increase from 22 credits?

When will it happen?

How many students already earn 24 credits?

What are other districts doing to prepare?

What have we done to get ready and to help students earn more graduation credits?

What more do we need to do?
A year ago, on Nov. 13, 2015, the state legislature approved E2SSB 6552. Among other things, the bill mandates all districts require 24 credits for students to graduate from high school.

High schools have 6 periods per day. There are 4 years of high school. 6X4=24, which does not leave any margin for failure.

The bill said districts should enact that requirement for the class of 2019 (this year's freshmen) or apply for a waiver to delay enactment until the class of 2021 (this year's seventh-graders).

Everett and other districts began planning ways to fit more credit opportunities into the amount of time funded for school by the legislature. Those include offering high school credit for rigorous middle school classes, amping up the number of summer school classes and responding "just in time" to support students whose grades hover in the danger zone.

At their meeting, board members will review work done so far to build a system and method of supports to ensure students have enough opportunities to earn 24 credits. In the last two years, just over 60% of the graduating classes in this district's high schools earned 24 credits -- although 89.3% earned the required 22 credits and graduated in four years and 91.2% earned 22 credits and graduated in five years.

Today about 70 Washington state school districts have requested waivers to delay starting the 24 credit requirement. Those districts serve almost 50% of the students in the state of Washington.

The board will discuss the legislatively-mandated credit requirement, review the system planning and the district's capacity to enact that requirement for 2019. This is in preparation for further conversations in January, including discussions about joining other districts to request a waiver.
 
Capital planning

At its meeting on Oct. 27, the board assembled  "straw horse" concepts for a capital bond and levy. They did this by physically moving projects from "now" to "later lists.

On Tuesday, the board will review October's work in light
of  information staff was requested to provide on Tuesday. 





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Everett Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
 
Designated to handle inquiries about nondiscrimination policies are: Affirmative Action Office - Carol Stolz, cstolz@everettsd.org, 425-385-4106; Title IX Officer - Randi Seaberg, rseaberg@everettsd.org, 425-385-4104; 504 Coordinator - Becky Ballbach, rballbach@everettsd.org, 425-385-4063; ADA Coordinator - Becky Clifford, rclifford@everettsd.org, 425-385-5250; Address: 3900 Broadway, Everett, WA 98201