DISTRICT
There is no school for students on Monday, March 6. Teachers will be engaged in training and the district office will be open.
The next school board meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, in the boardroom.
GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Count on a good time at Family Math Night on Thursday, March 2, in the school gym. A free chili and hot dog dinner sponsored by the Parent-Teacher Association will be offered to school families from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Greywolf students will be the experts and teach parents, friends and families math games that correspond with math curriculum from 6-7 p.m.
Golf pro Bill Shea from The Cedars at Dungeness is coordinating a series of golf instructional activities with teacher Doug Hastings to provide all students with a golfing experience. Golf pro peers Chad Wagner and Garrett Smithson are assisting. Activities during P.E. class included aiming for Golfzilla’s mouth, chipping into red containers and practicing putting.
HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Bettina Hoesel’s first-grade class is learning how to write a descriptive paragraph with a beginning, middle and end. We also are learning about the different parts of speech. For this assignment, students learned about adjectives and used adjectives in their paragraphs.
Here are some samples of student work:
“Apples” by Luna Manley
I am going to teach you about apples. Apples are red skinned. The inside is yummy with seeds. The outside is skinny. Apples are very hard and can make your tooth loose. Try an apple, they are very yummy.
“Oranges” by Jackson Wright
Today I will teach you about oranges. Oranges are orange. You cannot eat the skin of an orange. Oranges are very juicy. They are kind of sweet and are like balls because they are round and can roll. You can eat the juicy part or the inside of an orange. You should try one!
“Grapes” by Domingo Pacheco
Today I will teach you about grapes. Grapes are different colors like green and purple. They are shaped like a ball and grapes are smooth and sweet. When you crunch on a grape you might hear a pop. Grapes have no smell. I like grapes!
“Grapes” by Gabriel Francis
Today I will teach you about grapes. Grapes taste sweet like candy. They look like bouncy balls because they’re round. I like to eat grapes!
SEQUIM MIDDLE SCHOOL
March 16 and 17 are the new dates for Sequim Middle School’s production of “Disney’s The Lion King, Jr.” Choir teacher John Lorentzen says, “It will be a great production — we have a talented cast of all middle school students (except for the part of Mufasa, which will be played by a high school student) who are working hard to make this happen.”
Performances are at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
Sequim High School counselor Melee Vander Velde invites parents to attend Eighth Grade Parents Night at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 7. This informational meeting will be held in the high school cafeteria and hosted by Sequim High School principal Shawn Langston. The evening will provide an overview of registration and cover important information on the transition from middle school to high school. Students are welcome to attend.
SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL
Kathryn Tulloch tells me the UW math trip was a firm success. Her students were using the opportunity to vision forward and think about their respective individual futures. Here are some of the reactions students provided:
Math teachers Kathryn Tulloch and Joe VanDeWeghe took 30 students on a field trip to Seattle recently. The group rode a school bus and took the ferry to the University of Washington, where they toured the campus, attended a Math 120 class and ate lunch at the HUB (Husky Union Building).
The mission of the field trip was to connect kids with a vision for their own positive future. Tulloch said the students were interested, cooperative and enjoyed the time.
Here is some student feedback on the field trip:
“What is one takeaway concept from this field trip?”
• I now have a better understanding of UW life.
• It’s a huge transition from high school to college.
• Classes are very self-dependent; you have to take the time to learn stuff on your own.
• College is doable.
• Taking notes in class is the most important thing.
“What surprised you about college?”
• College is very independent.
• College is going to be awesome; I love the lecture design of classes.
• Students are there to learn.
• I was surprised how many different things the students have access to.
“What impressed you about the class?”
• I actually understood what was going on.
• How attentive everyone was.
• The questions asked were very thoughtful and it was really quiet.
• I thought the class would be intimidating and confusing but I understood it.
“Do you think this trip should occur for next year’s UW Math 120 class?”
• It was well-worth the trip and could help students decide what’s right for them.
• I think this trip should happen again because it also makes students think about their future and college tours.
• Yes, absolutely. It was a fun trip that others should experience.
• It was a good opportunity to see not just the class but the campus.
The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Club is a group focused on creating a safe space for LGBT youth and its allies. Our weekly meetings focus on combining education and fun. We’ve had activities like Secret Santa, Trivia and Movie Nights at the Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church, as well as informational presentations, guest speakers and open forum discussions. Our first meeting this year was attended by 40 people.
We work on standing up against discrimination seen on campus and creating a safer place for minorities. The GSA is a very closely knit community and for many students a place where they can finally feel accepted. In a way, for me, it’s like a second family. We all look out for each other. This year we succeeded in starting a weekly GSA at the middle school during lunch.
We also invite the eighth-graders to our meetings. It’s really great to see them at the meetings and know the future of the GSA is alive and growing. Thank you.
— Gabby Dingman, GSA public relations officer
These band students earned superior ratings at the Solo &Ensemble Festival in Port Angeles and will advance to state competition: Carmen Wilwert (alto saxophone), Thomas Arnesen (alto saxophone), Astrid Martin (tenor saxophone) and Jordan Hurdlow (baritone saxophone)/ saxophone quartet; Kjirsten Foresman, Abe Mitchell, Adam DeFilippo, Hayden Webb, Emily Kline, Jonathan Heintz, Blake Wiker, Tommy Hall, Tim Porter, Flora Walchenbach and Brendan Koenig/percussion ensemble and Corinne Klinger/alto saxophone solo.
Erin Dwyer, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) vice president, would like to call attention to some important upcoming events at Sequim High School:
The Junior Class is putting on its annual prom at 8-11 p.m. Saturday, March 18, in the cafeteria, which will be tons of fun. The Junior Class has been working really hard to get Junior Prom together and organized. Their theme is the Olympic Peninsula and is inspired by the mountains and trees that surround our town. Junior Prom is a way for the juniors to express themselves through dance and take part in a school activity. It is also a reward for all the hard work they have committed to school every day for the past three years.
On Feb. 21, the entire student body had a pleasant surprise that morning! Leadership class provided free pancakes. There were chocolate chip or blueberry Oak Table-style pancakes. With the pressure of grades and extracurricular activities, this event helped promote a lighter mood on campus. A shout-out to Grant Pierson, Sydni Sluder, Madeline Patterson, Hunter Clemons and Kyle Klopfenstein for organizing the event.
Seniors once again challenged staff to a game of basketball! The seniors vs. staff basketball game will be played at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, in the gym. The game is a ton of fun and a great experience for all. This annual event helps strengthen the relationship between staff and students. It provides a more relaxed time for students and teachers to interact outside of the classroom and have fun. It helps strengthen the bond between staff and soon-to-be-graduating seniors.
