DISTRICT

There is no school on Friday, Feb. 12, and Monday, Feb. 15. The district office will be open on Feb. 12, but closed on Feb. 15 for the Presidents Day holiday.

A School Bond Walking Tour is offered at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. The tour begins in the boardroom at 503 N. Sequim Ave., and includes campus sites that would be affected by the bond passage around Sequim High School, the district’s base kitchen and Helen Haller Elementary. For more information, contact Patsene Dashiell at 582-3264.

The next school board meeting is Feb. 1, with a workshop at 5:15 p.m. and the regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the boardroom. An agenda is available on the district website under Board of Directors. The public is encouraged to attend and time is set aside during each regular meeting for public comment.

For more information, contact Marilyn Walsh at mwalsh@sequim.k12.wa.us or 582-3262.

An All District Family Reading Night is planned from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, at Sequim Middle School. All Sequim School District students and their families are invited to join the district’s teacher-librarians for an evening of literacy-focused fun and games. The evening begins in the gymnasium with a brief introduction at 5:30 p.m. Students and families then will be invited to participate in three 20-minute, literacy-focused activity sessions. Sessions will be offered for every age, from pre-K children through teens. Attending students will receive a free book at the end of the evening and light refreshments will be provided. A grand prize drawing will be held for gift cards.

GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Kim Knudson’s second-graders take part in math games using worksheets, whiteboards and now on a new Promethean board. Students work together to help each other learn new math concepts while they also learn how to access the tools, including a digital number cube, on the board. Knudson can save and print their work and send it home to show parents what they have learned.

Her second-graders also have learned how to use Student Response Systems, by which students can enter answers to problems and/or questions (either multiple choice, true or false, numbers or words), and she can collect the data to evaluate how well the students learn a new concept.

The Student Response Systems are anonymous, so no one but the student and Knudson knows if the answers are correct are not. Her students have embraced this new technology across all subject areas.

HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Kaylee Kinsey’s second-grade students produced some clever writing about Martin Luther King Jr.

Here is a sampling:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words “Love is the key to the problems of the world” is my favorite quote because love fixes problems. You cannot get into fights with people when you love, and that’s how you get married. Ryan Spelker, age 8

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words “Love is the key to the problems of the world” is my favorite quote because it makes me feel warm inside. It brings a smile to my face and makes the world a better place when we love one another. Ashton Reichner, age 7

SEQUIM MIDDLE SCHOOL

Caleb Gentry’s video game design class provides eighth-grade students the opportunity to work individually and in teams to create their own video games, using a variety of software, including Microsoft Kodu Game Lab, RPG Maker VX, Multimedia Fusion 2, Portal 2, Project Spark, the Unreal Tournament Editor and The Hammer Editor.

In developing their own action adventure games, they follow a design process that includes identifying the problem, brainstorming, designing and building. Through the practice of playing the game, they test, evaluate and redesign. Next, they play each other’s games and share solutions.

For more information about the “design process” go to www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/adptech12.sci.engin.design.idsprocess/the-design-process/.

The student must create a story line for his or her game that includes characters (protagonist, antagonist and supporting characters and creatures). The setting must be developed, including terrain, lighting and structures. Each must determine what the player will need to overcome to reach checkpoints in the game. What are the major action sequences or battle in the game? What weapons or items are important to the game? What is the climax of the plot? Finally, how will the problem be solved?

“Right now, we only have eighth-graders in the class since it is first semester and the digital media class is a prerequisite. There are seventh-graders enrolled for second semester,” Gentry said.

Students take a balanced approach to learning the game design process with each unit focusing on different aspects of design including Level Layout, Programming/Coding, Story Development, AI (Artificial Intelligence), Sprite Development, Audio Editing and Publishing.

To help celebrate our school directors during January, School Board Appreciation Month, several students were on hand to make presentations at the Jan. 19 board meeting. Tom Saffold’s drama class performed a scene from Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” in full costume with Shakespearean English intact. Assistant superintendent Dr. Ann Renker said, “The leading lady was so convincing a crier in the opening scene that I almost left my seat to comfort her! No cue cards, prompts or supports needed — the students had all their lines committed to memory. Our district is lucky to have a thriving fine arts program and super-congrats go to Mr. Saffold and his students!”

SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL

There’s love and laughter in the air, as seniors rehearse the senior class play, “What Is Love?” — a two-hour variety show filled with songs, sketches, comedy and laughter centering on the ups and downs of love. Music and scenes are from “Beauty and the Beast,” “Spamalot,” “Into the Woods,” Mad TV, “Hairspray” and more. Performances are at 7 p.m. Jan. 28-30 and Feb. 5; and at 2 p.m. Feb. 6 in the Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are available in the high school office and at the door for $8/adults and $6/senior citizens and students with an ASB card.

It’s time for the cooking classes’ Semester Cook-Off! Warning: Do not read this if you are hungry! Carol Wagner’s students cooked up special menus and invited staff members to sample and critique.

On Thursday, Jan. 21, during second period, they prepared and served breakfast items that included Hawaiian ham and Swiss sliders, tator tot casserole, sausage and gravy pastry, banana bread bars with brown butter frosting, spinach and tomato frittata, cinnamon rolls, eggs Benedict, sausage and egg boats, french toast rolls ups and chapurrado.

During sixth period, students prepared and served chimichangas, chili relleno casserole, pork tamale pie, nachos supreme, burrito grande, Mexican rice, steak fajitas, baked cream cheese chicken taquitos, sweet and tangy chicken quesadillas, (American) tacos with homemade tortillas and crisp caramelized puff campechanas.

On Friday, Jan. 22, during first period, students prepared and served a breakfast menu including sausage gravy with angel biscuits, apple breakfast bars, deluxe egg scrambles, tator tot waffles, strawberry crepes, cranberry brunch punch, cinnamon roll french toast and cinnamon bananas.

The third-period cooking class students created an Asian theme with chicken stir-fry and shrimp egg rolls, pad thai and Chinese pot stickers, Chinese almond chicken and fried rice, General Tao’s chicken and sticky white rice, beef chow mein and California rolls, sweet and sour chicken, and baked cream cheese wontons.

The fifth period class created an Italian theme with shrimp caprese, ricotta cheese cookies, sausage and cheese manicotti, chicken parmigiana, chicken fettuccini and Italian sopapilla, cheesecake lasagna and fried polenta.

Steve Mahitka, agricultural sciences teacher, FFA advisor and CTE director, advises that the advanced agriculture classes have raised hogs at the school farm that will be for sale. They will be selling quarters, halves and whole hogs that will have been cut and wrapped. The hogs are between 230-300 pounds and prices are based upon hanging weight. They have them cut up in standard cuts. They have sausage made but do not do hams or bacon. The cuts will be to order to smoke on one’s own or have done at a local shop.

For prices or more information, call Mahitka at 582-3666.

Senior parent ads for the yearbook are due by Jan. 29. Cost is $50 and may be paid in the school’s main office.