Blue Ribbon: Cascade Receives National Award
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November 2020 School District QualityRelationships, Education Relevance, - A Community Rigor, Results Commitment In This Issue Blue Ribbon: Cascade Thank You from School Board............. 2 District Messages .................................. 3 Receives National Award Students Learn from Home ................. 4 BY KIM BROWNING Jim Schmutzler, CTE Program ............. 4 Meaghan Vibbert, School Board ........5 Matt Charlton Gives Back ................... 6 Russ Waterman, Athletics Update .... 7 Meals Pick Up Program Update ......... 8 Eastmont Smiles Cascade Elementary School faculty and staff pose for a group photo in late October. Cascade is one of four schools in the state of Washington to receive the 2020 National Blue Ribbon School Award. All means All! This is the vision at experiences. We get to create this special Cascade Elementary School and living this and unique school community built on vision is one of the primary reasons we are strong relationships and the belief that all one of four schools in Washington State students will be successful, knowledgeable, to receive a 2020 National Blue Ribbon and resourceful by the time they leave our School Award. Early last spring I received school. a phone call from the Washington Office of Our commitment to building authentic Superintendent of Public Instruction telling relationships that foster trust, caring me that Cascade was nominated for this and belonging provide the foundation award. After doing a little research to make for learning at high levels. We know our sure this was real, our site council met to students need to belong, have the ability discuss the application process, which was to do the work, have power, and have quite extensive. social connections. All classroom teachers Let me tell you a little bit about Cascade greet students at the door each day, utilize Elementary School. We have really daily/weekly Meetups and Buddy UPs to great students — actually they are truly build classroom relationships, host class amazing! And our parents and staff are meetings to develop belonging and social equally amazing! Our students come to us connection, teach about grit and growth from a wide variety of backgrounds and (continued, page 2) NON PROFIT Eastmont School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, U.S. Postage national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of PAID Wenatchee, WA a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. 98801 Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the school district’s coordinators for Title Permit Number 241 IX/RCW 28A.642, Section 504, or the ADA. The District does not tolerate sexual harassment, harassment, intimidation, or ECRWSS bullying. Report this conduct to principals, administrators, or Vicki Trainor. Civil Rights Coordinator, Title IX / 28A.640 RCW Officer and ADA Section 504 Coordinator Postal Customer Coordinator Matt Charlton, Assistant Superintendent/Secondary Education EASTMONT SCHOOL DISTRICT Vicki Trainor Relationships, Relevance, Rigor, Results Executive Director of Human Resources Spencer Taylor, Executive Director of Elementary Education Eastmont School District Eastmont School District Eastmont School District 800 Eastmont Ave. 800 Eastmont Ave. 800 Eastmont Ave. East Wenatchee, WA 98802 East Wenatchee, WA 98802 East Wenatchee, WA 98802 509.884.7169 509.884.7169 Page 2 Focus On: EP&O Levy November 2020 Page 3 Focus On: District Messages November 2020 Cascade Blue Ribbon (continued from page 1) Superintendent’s Message: Safety in a Pandemic mindset, and celebrate mistakes as a different rituals to celebrate success and them so successful. While excellent schools pathway for learning. Teachers incorporate belonging. employ multiple strategies, please describe BY GARN CHRISTENSEN Calm Zones in classrooms where students The application included this statement: the ONE practice that has been the most can take a short break when they are National Blue Ribbon Schools are held up instrumental in the school’s success. My hope when we returned to school in August was the COVID Pandemic would soon be feeling overwhelmed. We instill a sense of as educational models, and as such are This was our response to this question: over and activities would be back to normal by now. Ideally, we would have been finishing up a belonging to something special with many often called upon to explain what makes The one practice critical to success as a successful start of school filled with academics happening on campus, inspiring music and arts, school is wrapped in our culture defined and celebrating a successful season of fall sports. by the relentless pursuit of our vision of Unfortunately, this situation continues with many versions of what works, what doesn’t work, “all means all.” To succeed in developing and adapting to current conditions. The indicators I am watching include the local infection relationships and empowering ALL students rate, regional hospitalizations, and individual community case numbers. We also are sharing to be knowledgeable, resourceful and information at least weekly, and often daily, with the Chelan-Douglas Health District. Our successful, the staff at Cascade are primary goal through this experience is to not become a transmission site within our community committed to teamwork, high expectations and return all students to campus as soon as safely possible. and accountability. This is where PLC’s and In addition to this quarterly newsletter, I also send a weekly ParentSquare COVID Bulletin that the 80/20 rule come into play. Teachers goes out to our employees and parents. This bulletin includes information on weekly counts and work collaboratively as grade level/job related activities. We started using this system for emergency notifications and have adapted it alike teams and their instruction is 80% as a primary communication tool during this experience. To subscribe, please visit the Parents- the same and 20% different. We cultivate Community page of our website and click on the red Emergency Text Messaging System link. and know our “why,” and we share the Messages can be sent via text or email. You can also search ParentSquare. common goal of meeting each child where they are and getting them what they need to be successful humans engaged in our Reconfiguration and school and community. To accomplish this, District updates all decisions are made through the lens of what is best for each individual student Attendance Area Revisions emotionally, socially, and academically. Construction BY GARN CHRISTENSEN Cascade Elementary is featured in a video announcement of the 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools issued by the Monthly grade level data meetings are Construction on six of our campuses Transitioning to K-6 schools and two school. These assignments will be made U.S. Department of Education. Cascade is mentioned at 29:53. View this video online at cutt.ly/blueribbon2020 one example of how we live “all means is on budget, slightly behind schedule, junior high schools continues to be on after the Board takes final action later all.” Data meetings include the principal, schedule for implementation in the 2021- this winter on recommended school and the contracted projects are moving psychologist, counselor, bilingual teacher, 22 school year. The goals of this process attendance areas. All students will intervention teachers, special education forward. Both Eastmont staff and our are as follows: need to reapply as a choice student in Eastmont School Board: and classroom teachers. We examine and contractor are hoping for a light winter, Spring 2021 if they desire to attend a discuss the list of students who are going so that everything is completed and • Maximize use of available K-12 school outside of their assigned area. All to intervention and those teachers share ready for use prior to the start of the classrooms at all levels over the next choice requests will be evaluated based Thank You for Your Support! specific areas they are working on. The 2021-22 school year. 10-20 years. upon space available at the receiving same process is repeated for bilingual and • Maximize State and Federal funding at school. special education. Communication between all schools. For more information on reconfiguration classroom teachers and specialists is • Maximize neighborhood walking including a timeline for implementation, critical. Before the meeting, any teacher schools and bus route efficiencies. please go to our District website at who has a concern enters a student’s name Finances www.eastmont206.org and select and lists their specific concern (academic, Even though we hope to minimize “Reconfiguration and Construction” in All predictors for school funding emotional, social, or attendance). student disruption, approximately the Quick Links section. Please direct are trending poorly. We continue to Collectively, we discuss solutions and make 25% of elementary students will be any questions to Executive Director of action plans. If the concerns are ongoing, plan to stay focused on needs and reassigned to an adjacent school given Elementary Education Spencer Taylor Dear Community, the teacher refers a student to a Guidance maintaining basic services. To date, two additional grades (5th and 6th) at [email protected] or call Team Meeting where we include all relevant