DISTRICT
The next school board meeting is March 21 with a workshop at 5:30 p.m., followed by a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the boardroom. The boardroom is located within the auditorium building. An agenda is available on the district website under Board of Directors. The public is encouraged to attend and time is set aside at each meeting for public comment. For more information, contact Marilyn Walsh at mwalsh@sequim.k12.wa.us or 582-3262.
GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Family Math Night, held on Feb. 25, was led by Monique Brasher and Teresa Iversen and facilitated by the teaching staff. Each teacher hosted a game in the gym and there were more than 100 families in attendance.
Something new this year was BLOCKFest, a hands-on, interactive math exhibit in the library, and Brain Power Club hosted some games. Our PTA group provided a chili and hot dog dinner by donation. We would like to thank everyone whose help makes this night possible. Many hands made for a great night of fun!
Maribeth Stewart’s fourth-grade class recently studied poetry. Students analyzed Walt Whitman’s poem “I Hear America Singing.”
To assist in generating ideas for student-written poems entitled “I Hear My School Singing,” the class took an observational silent walk around their building to observe how their school metaphorically sings.
Here are some examples of their work:
“I Hear My School Singing” by James Ashbaugh
I hear my school singing
Most of the sounds I hear
The teachers talking to one another
The teachers and students breathing
And I hear silence also
I hear humming
And some drumming
In Music class
I hear thumping feet
I hear my teacher whispering to her class
I hear kids loudly talking to each other
The secretaries typing and making calls
People opening and closing doors
“I Hear My School Singing” by Finn Bauguess
I hear my school singing
Toilets flushing
Scraping pencils
Slamming doors
Feet tapping across the hallway
Students yelling
Keyboards clicking
If you stop and listen
Loud sounds
Quiet sounds
Every school is full of sounds
Sinks running
Fingers tapping
Chairs squeaking
This is how school sounds
“I Hear My School Singing” by Tennyson Manuel
Teachers singing
Their song to their class
Pencils singing
And down the page
To sing everything it writes
Teachers singing
As they type in the office
Waiting to soon stop typing
And go home
The librarian singing her song
As she reads to the kids
How joyful and peaceful
“I Hear My School” by Olivia Ostlund
Paper crinkling
Shadows music
Teachers’ keys rattle
Fish tank waves
Kids working
“I Hear My School Singing” by River Jensen
Kids chatting as they hustle and bustle
Teachers typing
Tip tap tip tap
Janitors mopping
Flop flop flop
Kids writing
Screech scratch
Little kids noisy as frogs
Teachers busy as bees
Little kids singing a, b, c
Kids counting 1, 2, 3
Kids yelling yeah
For the end of the day
HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
On March 2, more than 500 high school students walked across the district campus to pair up and read with elementary students as part of Read across America, a national event to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday and to exercise the joys of reading.
In Celine Aston-Smith’s third-grade class, all of the students enjoyed working with the high schoolers.
When asked what they loved most about reading with their high school “buddies,” some of the third-graders gave these responses:
He likes to read graphic novels like me, so we read the same kind of books. He was very kind and nice and hopes that I do well in reading. Lisa Williams
She was really nice and fun to read with. When I messed up, she would help me! Keira Morey
We both read back and forth. She read a page and I read a page, and she was really nice. When we go to the end, we talked about what we like about the book. Brenna Crowley
He had a clear and nice voice, and he asked me questions. Adaire Ruffin
SEQUIM MIDDLE SCHOOL
Sequim Middle School students Olivia Preston, left, and Abigail Schroeder — both seventh-graders — help pick up litter on the Helen Haller Elementary School playground on March 2.
About 400 students took part in a campus clean-up effort over much of the district’s central 62-acre campus on March 2 during the first period of the day.
Students, wearing disposable gloves and carrying garbage bags, and monitored by teaching staff, grouped together in threes to cover playgrounds, playing fields and other outdoor school areas.
Principal Vince Riccobene explained that a need to create a community service project as part of the school’s Wolf Pack advisory program is what sparked the effort.
The Wolf Pack advisory program incorporates school culture, teacher expectations and a host of other topics.
When instructing guidelines before the collection sweep, teacher Rick Miko said, “If it doesn’t grow, it has to go!”
SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL
Sequim High School trumpet players Kenneth Carr (senior), Oscar Herrera (senior), Seth Mitchell (junior), Olivia Barrett (sophomore) and Calvin Wade (junior) get in a last early morning rehearsal in the band room before departing for Moscow, Idaho, for the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. Photo by Patsene Dashiell
Twenty-six members of the jazz band made the trip to Moscow, Idaho, in late February to take part in the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. This has been an annual tradition since 2003, missing only one year because of snow.
Band instructor Vern Fosket shared that this year our jazz band was nominated by adjudicators as one of the outstanding bands of the day and the Sequim group was invited to play on the big stage at the University of Idaho, which is considered quite an honor.
Congratulations to these young musicians!
Jennifer Van De Wege, teacher, Leadership advisor and organizer of the Read Across America activity, said more than 500 high school students and their teachers walked over to Haller on March 2 during first period.
There were nearly enough high schoolers to pair one-on-one with the elementary students this year. Leadership students helped with directions and smooth transitions into classrooms. Every classroom has slightly different needs, so high school teachers partnered up with the elementary teachers to determine how to make the experience the most beneficial for everyone.
The big kids came with bookmarks that had handwritten notes for the younger kids they read with. This facilitates an ongoing communication process, especially as the younger kids have enjoyed writing thank you notes in the past to their teenaged reading partners.
This was a great opportunity for our younger and older students to share the love for reading. There also was opportunity for further conversation about how reading can help them get ready for what they plan to do in their futures.
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
Junior Andrew Juntilla’s report: Spring is upon us! Although we may be facing strong winds and harsh rain while also undergoing the last stressful home stretch of the school year, spring is right around the corner, and this means boys baseball, girls fast pitch, track and field, tennis, and golf have begun! Sequim athletes always look with high hopes to scorch a trail all the way to state tournaments and bring home a title!
Recently, proving our student body isn’t based in self-interest, our Be the Change club members have spearheaded a fundraiser known as “Dollar for Change Drive.” It involves raising a collection of coins, then donating toward building and reconstructing a school’s infrastructure in the Dominican Republic. A round of applause for those students helping others!
Senior Cailey Stipe was recognized as Sequim Sunrise Rotary’s February student of the month. Stipe was nominated by her teacher Michelle Mahitka who teaches Stipe’s floral and personal finance class. Mahitka told the Rotary Club what a positive influence Stipe is to the other students in the class.
She always is ready to learn and enjoys helping other students in class.
Stipe’s future plans are to move to California and live with her grandparents and study to be a radiologist and X-ray technician.
A Sequim High School Senior Party Planning meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 14. The meeting is at the school library, 601 N. Sequim Ave. Call 460-6385 for more information.
A Sequim High School Choir Booster meeting is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, at the school district boardroom, 501 N. Sequim Ave. Call 582-3260 for more information.
