School and Community Partnerships
|
|
|
|
|
The Port Angeles School District depends on the valuable partnerships and resources right here in our community to support the learning and teaching that happens each day in our classrooms.
Port Angeles Businesses Donate Computers to Families
Capacity Provisioning Inc. and CPI Computers LLC (CPI & CPIC), along with Frontier Bank in Port Angeles, donated twenty used computers in February 2008 to families who live within the Port Angeles School District who do not currently have a computer in the home.
“We’ve relied on the best judgment of school district personnel to select the homes to which these computers should go,” Craig Johnson, Managing Partner of CPI & CPIC said. “We requested the used computers and new printers go to families with children in first through sixth grades.”
Johnson and his partners, Bill Roberds and Bob Jensen, have been gathering computers and spare parts for several years in anticipation of the donation to students and their families.
“The computers were thoroughly refurbished by our expert engineers and we believe each of them will have several years left in them,” Johnson explained. They were loaded with a word processor and other free software and were be ‘ready to go.’ While the computers will not run or attach to the latest software or hardware, they are good computers for basic learning, homework and surfing the Internet.”
CPI & CPIC donated new keyboards and mice, and Werner Beier, Vice President and Manager of Frontier Bank in Port Angeles, arranged for the donation of new color printers by the bank.
“We are very thankful for this contribution CPI & CPIC and Frontier Bank have made to our needier families,” Superintendent of Port Angeles Schools Gary Cohn said. “Not only have they donated the computers, printers and supplies, but they and their employees have donated a lot of time and energy to see that 20 families now have home access to technology. We applaud their tremendous effort on behalf of our students.”
To learn more about CPI & CPIC, visit www.cpifiber.com/; or visit www.frontierbank.com/ for Frontier Bank.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Everyone knows our children need good role models. AmeriCorps workers set that example by helping students succeed in our classrooms!
Jacques Livingston, Program Director for Clallam AmeriCorps, explains further, “Port Angeles serves as the host site for 17 members, ten who work in Port Angeles schools and six who work in and around the schools, plus one member located at the Dream Center.”
AmeriCorps members provide a positive mentorship to students needing extra attention. This relationship is vital to helping students engage at school, and helping them become aware of their behavior. Livingston comments that “these components often translate into a stronger willingness from students to receive tutoring, and eventually fosters classroom self-confidence. This is our goal!”
AmeriCorps members Kaylie Rinehart and Chelsea Braun know the benefits first hand for students. They assisted in third through fifth grade classrooms, and gave extra support to a select group of 35 students during the school day. After school, Rinehart and Braun worked in Fairview Elementary ’s Remediation and Tutoring Program, providing students a place to work on school assignments and projects.
Clallam AmeriCorps has three major components to its’ local mission: to support at-risk youth through the schools program, to support the larger community through service projects and volunteer recruitment, and to provide a program dedicated towards growth of our AmeriCorps participants.
So far this program year, service projects have included Paint the Town, Boys & Girls Club’s Halloween Party, Waterfront Cleanup, Garden Project and the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebrate the Dream Celebration.
Anyone over 18 years of age and a high school diploma (or GED) may apply to become an AmeriCorps volunteer. Recruitment starts in June of each year, and service is from September to August.
For more information, visit the AmeriCorps website: www.americorps.org, or call Clallam AmeriCorps at (360) 457-2111. Fairview Elementary closed in June 2007.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Education Foundation Supports Students & Staff
“Quite simply, the mission of the Port Angeles Education Foundation (PAEF) is to support the students and teachers of the Port Angeles School District,” said Karen Meyer, foundation board president. “We accomplish this through several avenues: scholarships, special needs grants, medical and dental care, mental health counseling, plus school and teacher grants.”
During the 2007-08 school year the foundation entered into two new partnerships. The foundation is sponsoring a Clallam AmeriCorps member, Amelia Robertson, at Port Angeles High School who is assigned to the after school tutoring program. Robertson will also focus attention on the Pollanz Promise Scholars to assure that they’re on track for graduation and college entrance.
The PAEF has also agreed to serve as fiscal agent for a grant to support the Youth Entrepreneur Challenge as part of PAHS teacher Dave Uranich’s Contemporary Issues classes. This event is the culmination of students’ work to create a business and marketing plan, followed by an adjudicated demonstration where student teams are judged according to published guidelines.
The foundation perhaps is most known for providing funding for special needs and health as needed by students. Funding for this program comes from very generous Albert Haller Foundation grants. “
During the 20067-07 school year alone,” says Meyer, “the foundation helped approximately 90 students with school supplies, PE uniforms, clothing, shop fees, medical care and music lessons.”
As a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the PAEF offers financial stewardship of donated funds and designated contributions. Private and public partnerships are fostered between individuals, businesses, corporations and community groups looking for a tax-deductible way to help our local schools. Donations are accepted throughout the year, and donors can specify how they want their dollars used, whether it’s for scholarships, students’ needs or teacher grants.
Contact a PAEF representative by calling the school district office at (360) 457-8575.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Live Science at the Elwha with Olympic Park Institute
Roosevelt Middle School eighth graders took a closer look at the future removal of the Elwha dams in 2006. Thirty-six students traveled to the Elwha River watershed in the fall to test the conditions of the river, study the history and learn more about the causes of conflict with the building and future removal of the dams.
The Olympic Park Institute (OPI) coordinated the cooperative project with a grant funded by the Russell Family Foundation.
“The purpose was to get kids to do real scientific investigations and to educate the community on the conditions and history of the Elwha River,” said Holly Clark, science teacher, now at Stevens Middle School. “The Elwha project allowed, and continues to allow at Stevens now, students an opportunity to become immersed in inquiry and ecological concepts as well as become a part of the nation's attempt to design solutions to save our salmon and preserve the watershed for future recreation.”
As the district continues to respond to federal No Child Left Behind requirements and the rigorous science expectations of Washington State and local entities for our students, our science teachers and leaders have made significant progress in the alignment and implementation of our science curriculum and instruction across all of our schools.
It is important to note that the class of 2010 will be the first class required to pass the science WASL for graduation.
For more information on WASL and science, visit the OSPI website: www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/Science/.
To learn more about Olympic Park Institute, visit www.yni.org/opi/.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Soroptimists Jet Set Brings Back the Bee to Port Angeles Schools
With a goal to support a very special project within the Port Angeles School District, the Soroptimist International of Port Angeles-Jet Set (SIA-Jet Set) membership earmarked funds to support a district-wide spelling curriculum for grades 1-8, culminating in a yearly city-wide spelling bee with winners qualifying for regional or state competition.
Initial funds from the group and school district supported purchase of the series, Rebecca Sitton’s Sourcebook Series for Teaching Spelling and Word Skills, assisted with curriculum development, and served as seed money for organizing and initiating the bee.
The spelling program has become an integral part of the school district’s literacy plan. Besides improving writing and reading skills, teachers and Soroptimists hope that the addition of the spelling bee event will add some excitement and additional learning opportunities for students, families, and community members.
Franklin Elementary School teacher Terri Longin reported that the Sitton program “definitely helps to improve WASL (Washington Assessment for Student Learning) writing scores in the conventions area. The ‘word work’ part of the program includes word forms, homonyms, antonyms, prefixes and suffixes.”
In May 2006 Soroptimists hosted a "mini-bee" in Longin’s classroom and then expanded the bee to all fourth graders at Franklin Elementary School. “This allowed us to ‘work out the bugs’ for a much larger bee," Jean Fairchild, SIA-Jet Set member explained, "and now we'll be including all fourth graders at all of the district elementary schools this year."
To learn more about Soroptimist International of Port Angeles-Jet Set, visit www.sijetset.com.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Partnering...An Opportunity for First-Generation College-Bound Students at Peninsula College
Port Angeles and Lincoln High Schools are among five Peninsula schools which are participating in the Peninsula College Upward Bound program. Students from Forks High School, Forks Alternative High School and the Quileute Tribal High School will also be considered for the federally funded college preparatory program.
“We have been working hard to get the program up and running,” Upward Bound Academic Specialist Tammy Napiontek said in December 2007. “Our focus has been to be in schools recruiting students. We’ve had a great response from the community so far. Aaron Nygaard, our program director, and I can’t wait to begin supporting students and offering them the benefits of this program.”
Upward Bound is a federally funded college preparatory program that offers assistance to low income and first-generation, college-bound high school students. The focus is to develop skills needed for post-secondary education and to help high school graduates enter and stay in college working towards a four-year degree. The program offers advisory services designed to assist students in getting the most out of their high school experience while preparing them to be successful in college.
Plans for the Peninsula College program include a six-week summer program, one week at Olympic Park Institute and five weeks of academic courses in language arts, math and science, technology, and foreign language, designed with the opportunity to earn high-school credit. Year-round tutoring, career exploration, specialized workshops, and field trips are some of the support services that will be offered by Peninsula College Upward Bound staff.
There are eligibility requirements for application to Upward Bound. Students must:
- Live in a low-income (150% of poverty level) and/or first-generation, college-bound household (neither parent/guardian has a four-year bachelors degree).
- Be currently enrolled in 9th or 10th grades
- Have academic promise
- Be interested in attending college after high school graduation
- Be willing to participate in a six-week summer academic program
- Be willing to actively participate in all aspects of the Upward Bound program
Students can contact the following Peninsula College representatives for more information: Aaron Nygaard, Program Director, (360) 417-5693; Tammy Napiontek, Academic Specialist, (360) 417-5694; or Lauren Puff, Office Assistant, (360) 417-7971.
To learn more about Upward Bound, visit www.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Partnering With the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts
“An old proverb from a West African writer, Malidome Some, author of Water and Spirit, speaks very clearly as to how the arts, poetry, music and art can touch students in a way to compliment their core subjects,” says Anna Manildi, Executive Director of the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts (JFFA). ‘There is knowledge that cannot be eaten with the head.’ This amazing anthology points out the importance of absorbing our studies, not only with the intellect, but with the heart and soul.”
JFFA began a conversation with Port Angeles School District Superintendent Gary Cohn to establish how it could enhance the curriculum by bringing performing and visual artists into the schools. “By creating an integration of the arts, rather than relying solely on music programs of visiting artists, JFFA works directly with core teachers and school administrators to create a vital, rich art program for students,” Manildi explains.
With increased pressure on academic performance and testing, less time is available for the arts. “I’m sure the No Child Left Behind Act did not intend to negatively impact arts education in the United States, nor did the focus on preparing students for the WASL,” says Manildi. “A large percent of school districts in the United States have narrowed elementary school curricula to core subjects while the arts have repeatedly been deemed expendable.”
Enter the Juan de Fuca Festival’s Education Enhancement Program and newly hired Kristi Knowles. She works with local schools, principals, PTOs and PTAs, to enhance curriculum needs by providing performing artist groups who complement classroom studies with relevant topics and artistic and cultural opportunities.
Recently Knowles coordinated a visit to local schools by Seattle’s Book-It Theater, which performed Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, and in January 2008, Port Angeles High School’s orchestra performed with the Jeni Fleming Trio, a popular JFFA returning artist.
Manildi and Knowles hope to “grow” this partnership, and continue to research different funding sources. “We do all of this through grants, donations and contributions, and programs are provided at no cost to the schools.”
View the JFFA website for more information on upcoming programs: www.jffa.org.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Clallam County Family YMCA...Providing After School Care for Children
The Clallam County Family YMCA is commited to providing a safe and caring place after school for elementary aged children from each of the Port Angeles School District elementary schools:
Dry Creek Elementary School
25 Rife Road, Port Angeles, WA 98363
Franklin Elementary School (Rt. 7 bus takes students to Jefferson)
2505 South Washington Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362
Hamilton Elementary School
1822 West Seveth Street, Port Angeles, WA 98363
Jefferson Elementary School
218 East Twelfth Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362
Roosevelt Elementary School
106 Monroe Road, Port Angeles, WA 98362
View the Clallam County Family YMCA website for more information on after school child care and upcoming Y activities and day camp programs: www.ccfymca.org.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Thinking and Creativity Through ArtPaths at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center
On a mid-November afternoon, teacher Maria Kays and her Franklin fourth grade class walked across the street to the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center (PAFAC) for a gallery tour and art study session with Education Director Barbara Slavik. Students sprawled out on the floors and window sills amongst the art of The Seed, an “artists then and artists now” themed show at the center.
“Be very careful when backing up,” Slavik demonstrated, “This piece here is valued at $5,000.” After she peppered the group with questions about art vocabulary, “What is realism? abstraction?…and expression?” students were free to roam the center in search of their favorite piece of art and their favorite artist. Students remained amazingly quiet as they sat in front of their chosen piece, sketching and answering question in their Seed workbook.
“For this exhibition we asked artists to revisit a time when the seeds of creativity were sprouting and to submit a pair of artworks: one representative of their mature style and another that they had made at an early age, before any extensive formal training or self-study,” Executive Director Jake Seniuk explained. “The creations of these children, who were later to become full-fledged artists, have much in common with the arts and crafts work of children…”
A visit to the center includes one hour learning about the current exhibition, and usually is followed-up with a related project in the classroom with an education docent. The program is underwritten by the Hastings Foundation of San Diego and enables the center to subsidize school's transportation costs. duirng the 2006-07 school year, Slavik and her cadre of Education Docents worked with over 4,000 Peninsula youth.
For more information about the Port Angeles Fine Art Center and its upcoming programs, please visit: www.pafac.org/ or call 360.457.3532 to arrange a visit.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Tribe and School District Commitment to Partnership
The Port Angeles School District board of directors, leadership team, staff and student leadership continue efforts to place a high importance on equity in education, and support the notion that all students will have the opportunity to learn and achieve, inside and outside of the classroom. The district works closely with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe in this commitment to ensure communication, outreach, and educational opportunities for all students.
The spirit of honoring staff also continues with the annual Potlatch hosted by the Tribal Council each year in honor of school district employees and in celebration of our students’ success. Students also create an opportunity to give back. At elementary schools and the middle school level, students host an annual Elder’s Lunch, bringing together generations and honoring the wisdom and history of their own families. Additionally, students focus on improving school climate through understanding of our differences. Port Angeles High School’s Multi-Cultural Club organizes and hosts the school’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly in honor of the slain leader and in celebration of his message of freedom.
First People’s Language instruction is presently a two-year language program at the high school. Twenty-five students were enrolled in 2004-05, and 119 students have completed two years over the past five years. Completion of the language courses also satisfies the two year alternate language requirement at the college and/or university level.
Language and culture instruction has been expanded at the elementary and middle school levels, and although the Native American history component is already part of our curriculum, study of the Klallam language provides local relevance, celebrates our diversity, and honors our indigenous cultural heritage.
View "Success for Native Students Through Cooperative Tribal and School District Commitment," a PowerPoint® presented at the 2008 Northwest Conference Celebrating Educational Opportunities on April 25-27, 2008 in Portland Oregon. Presenters: Cindy Kelly, Port Angeles School District School Board President; Gary Cohn, Superintendent of Port Angeles School District; Jamie Valadez, Klallam Language Teacher; Brenda Lovik, Academic Support Educator; Jason Wheeler, Johnson O'Malley Tutor.
Visit the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe website for additional educational and cultural information: www.elwha.org/.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
The Incubator@Lincoln Center Challenges Youth Entrepreneurs
The 1st Annual Entrepreneur Youth Challenge in Febraury 2008 concluded with the presentation of two $1,500 awards, the first to Revolution Paintball Fields with a team of David Wood and Nick Warren and the second to Heaven on Earth and the team of Katelyn Lewis and Laura Brakus.
Revolution Paintball Fields aims to reach outgoing people between the ages 12-24 years, has a target location on the North Olympic Peninsula where competition is presently nonexistant, and would be comprised of three regulation paintball fields.
Heaven on Earth is a bakery business plan with a theme of “such a heavenly taste right here on earth.”
The $3,000 award, $1,500 per team, was sponsored by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and will be awarded through an agreement with the Incubator Guided Access Program (GAP) Board. The GAP Board of the Incubator supports and evaluates progress of companies within the Incubator and assists in the development and oversight of the Entrepreneur Challenge business plan competitions. The judging panel consisted of twelve business executives from the Port Angeles and Sequim area.
The Youth Entrepreneur Challenge is a program of the Incubator@Lincoln Center. It is designed to raise entrepreneurship awareness and business education at the region's high schools. The program requires the students to write a business plan from a standard outline used by investors and bankers. Student must research what is need to start and operate a business, including product or service description, management system, sales and marketing strategy, operations and financial forecasts. In addition, the project includes the development of displays, “elevator pitches” and formal presentations.
View information about the entrepreneur program and other services on The Incubator@Lincoln Center website: www.theincubatoratlincolncenter.com.
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Vrooom! Youth Auto Education Program Takes Off
“The Automotive Youth Education System (AYES) was started by General Motors, but now every manufacturer is involved,” says Ruddell Auto Mall owner Howie Ruddell. “In 2001 when Mac and I attended a dealer convention, we were introduced to AYES.”
On their return, Ruddell and his father launched the program locally, along with their dealer association, the school district and former Port Angeles School District instructor Bill Ellis. AYES is a program based on the European mentor-apprentice model.
“It was slow going at first – only a few students, but approximately half a dozen out of the nearly 20 automotive students this year interviewed for this paid internship with mentor training and coaching. The students have the opportunity to participate in the program throughout the summer and school year," Ruddell explains. “It’s great to have other local dealerships involved now – Wilder Toyota, Wilder Auto Center and Port Angeles Ford. A number of independent shops have helped and had interest as well.
“Peg Buell at the Ford store has been very supportive and helpful,” Ruddell says, “as has been Dan Wilder, Jr., with the Wilder dealerships. The program would not be where it is today without them.”
“It’s the environment that’s most valuable to me,” says Port Angeles High School student Barron Dietrich, an AYES program participant.
Dietrich says his training on the job may have even greater value to him than his classroom work. “It’s the real ‘work world’ business environment that I like best. It’s helped me understand the ins and outs of the business. Until I worked here, I never understood why you have to do things in the order they come, and you have to have the right work ethic – do a quality job and fix them right! It’s something you just can’t get in a classroom.”
Ruddell agrees the ‘real work world’ approach is of great value. “It gives the student and the business an opportunity to ‘try each other out’ without a lengthy commitment. Too many young people don’t get to try out what they think is their ideal job. They go to college or a tech school and go to work and then discover that it’s not what they wanted. It is an unfortunate waste of time and money for all involved and is very disheartening for that young person. They go back to square one.”
According to Pete McCue, Port Angeles High School instructor in the Auto Technology Program, the program offers other benefits as well. “Students get into a paying job with $2,500 worth of tools that they can keep if they stay in the field for two years. They get a chance to go into the ‘real world’ and they have a mentor technician they follow around, and eventually are able to do some of the work. They can do part time work for the dealership or shop during senior year and then can go to post-secondary school at a technical college.
“In addition, the students get an opportunity to ‘job shadow’ at six different shops to see how each shop works, and they experience the interview process as they apply for internships.”
The program, McCue says, is increasingly popular with female students. “We will have three or four female students next year. Studies show that females have a more 'analytical focus'," he explains. "Men are often too quick to jump to a hypothesis and want to just ‘fix the car’ rather than focusing. There’s a huge market for women in the field. Companies want that diversity."
Ruddell agrees that this is a program that will only continue to grow. “Most automotive service facilities we know of are constantly looking for good, up and coming technicians. Nationwide, there are thousands of vacant technician’s jobs in the auto industry. If you watch the classified ads in any paper, 'auto technician' is one position and career that nearly always has openings for the right person. This program ensures that today’s students will start out on the path to be that ‘right’ kind of person.”
“We think it’s one of the benchmark programs for businesses and school districts working together,” Ruddell adds. “The result is a young person who is more technically proficient than they would be otherwise – and with a greater understanding of the career they are contemplating. They receive the benefit of experiencing specific, hands-on training and work. The school district sees its students return as working, contributing members of society. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved.”
Return to School and Community Partnerships Menu.
Clallam County Foundations Make a “Promise” to Local High School Students
On June 5, 2008, Peninsula College President Tom Keegan and Albert Haller Foundation President Gary R. Smith announced the creation of the Clallam Promise Scholarship, a project of the Haller Foundation in collaboration with the Gossett, Walkling and Offret Foundations.
“We’re very excited to be able to offer even more opportunities for students to further their education. We are very grateful to the Haller Foundation, and the Gossett, Walkling and Offret Foundations for their willingness to support our community in this way,” said Keegan.
“We are pleased to be able to offer financial assistance to local students so that they are able to attend Peninsula College,” Smith added. “We are especially excited about the collaboration of financial resources in our community to be able to offer this support.”
The Clallam Promise Scholarship is designed to be an ongoing program which encourages students to work toward a degree or certificate program after high school. Peninsula College will now accept applications from graduating seniors from the class of 2008.
The Haller Foundation has committed an initial contribution of $70,000 and anticipates an annual contribution of $150,000 to the scholarship fund. The Gossett and Walkling Foundations anticipate annual contributions of $5,000 each, and the Offret Foundation an annual contribution of $4,000.
Beginning with the 2008-09 academic year, the Clallam Promise Scholarship will provide scholarships for graduates of high schools in Cape Flattery, Crescent, Port Angeles, Quillayute Valley and Sequim School Districts. Eligible graduates must have attended a high school in one of these school districts for at least the last two years of high school and demonstrate financial need by qualifying for the school districts’ free and reduced lunch program. The student must also be eligible for federal and/or state financial aid as determined by the Peninsula College Financial Aid Office. A minimum grade point average is not required for application.
Continued eligibility for the scholarship requires recipients to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0, and to complete a minimum of 12 credits each quarter. Students must show financial need each additional academic year, and may receive funding for up to the required amount of credits to complete an associate’s degree or 8 quarters of attendance, whichever comes first. A student may remain eligible for the program for one year after the date of his or graduation from high school, and for up to three years after matriculation.
“This is an amazing opportunity for our students to receive an outstanding education locally, who might not otherwise attend college due to costs or eligibility,” Superintendent of Port Angeles Schools Gary Cohn said. “The ultimate objective of the Clallam Promise Scholarship is for every child in Clallam County to be able to earn a college degree, regardless of family means. We invite more foundations and individuals to join us in this effort.”
- Clallam Promise Scholarship Questions and Answers
- Clallam Promise Scholarship Application for 2008-09 School Year
For information about the Clallam Promise Scholarship, call the Peninsula College Financial Aid office at 360. 417.6390.