The 411 Your information source August 16, 2012 From the Superintendent On Going for Gold... If you read the last few issues of The 411, you know what I have been up to this summer and why I am so thrilled to finally be back to work. While I was stuck in the limbo between surgery and recovery (or at least that ability to escape the house for a few hours) I discovered that daytime TV is the stuff of which nightmares are made. Smart-mouthed judges, show after show of expert panels who are experts on very little, game shows, and mind-numbing reality shows are available in abundance. Just when I was ready to lose my mind—and still awaiting the all-important doctor’s note releasing me for work—the Olympics began and just in the nick of time. I love the Olympics and I always have. Winter or summer, makes no difference to me, I love every minute from beginning to end. I remember seeing Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci in their groundbreaking performances. I saw Bruce Jenner (in his original face) take his victory lap and Carl Lewis win his umpteenth race. I even had the honor of attending the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. I had the privilege of seeing Apolo Ohno win his first gold and Michelle Kwan be disappointed—again. As my “fans” noted in the last 411, I am not one to blubber during sappy holiday movies, but I can’t stop the tears from forming when I hear those Olympic stories. I love the real-life tales of these athletes who have made sacrifices and worked to achieve their goals. Many of these young athletes are still in high school, some as young as 15! They have left their homes, families, and for some even their countries for this one moment to shine. As I watched the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team I could not help but think about the strength of teamwork. With the exception of Aly Raisman, the girls struggled in their individual events in spite of their precise preparation. But as a team, the Fab Five was invincible and all of their tal- ents combined added up to gold. But when one fell, or failed, the rest of the team gave them a hug and encouragement and validation. And, as Gabby Douglas became the first African American woman ever to win the gold in the Women’s All-Around, her teammates were there congratulat- ing her, even if they were still smarting over their own losses. As NBC cut to her ecstatic and sob- bing mother, I sat there with my eyes brimming. This is an example of the stories about which I get so sappy. These young women reminded me of all the great colleagues we have here in the Pasco School Dis- trict. Individually we may feel overwhelmed at times and as though the odds are insurmountable. But together as a team there is nothing we can’t accomplish working together. And like Gabby, some people reach great heights for which they receive awards and accolades, but they know, too, they couldn’t do it without their team around them. I am so ready to be back. I am ready for another exciting year with the best team a person could hope for. And although it is 104 degrees in the shade, we are just a few short days away from launching the 2012-013 school year. I hope this finds you just as excited to start another winning season. Come to the Rally on Mon- Putting Putting students firstmake to learninglast lifetime.a Celebrating academics, diversity, andinnovation. day, August 27 at PHS to greet your PSD teammates. Have some breakfast, visit the benefits pro- viders. We’ll have some laughs and honor some team members. You won’t want to miss it. Ready to go for team gold! Pasco School District Employee Newsletter District Employee Pasco School 1 Around the District District Welcomes Returning and New PEAK! Partners for 2012-13 The Pasco School District’s 2012-13 PEAK! activities make a positive impact in students’ lives Partners in Educating All Kids!, or and the school community as a whole. Please help us wel- PEAK! program, got off to a strong start come and support our new and returning PEAK! Aug. 15 as principals met with Partners this year, and help spread the word representatives from their -12 about PEAK!. If you know of a business or schools’ PEAK! Partners organization that may be interested in during a planning Look for the 2011 this innovative program, contact Commu- luncheon at the Booth Building. PEAK! Awards to nity Relations Manager Gracie Valle- be announced at Chimal at (509) 543-6743. This school year begins the fourth year of the Welcome Back the PEAK! Program, which offers local busi- Rally on Aug. 27! nesses and organizations the opportunity to become involved partners in Pasco Schools. Each has two PEAK! Partners. Each year, PEAK! Partners enter into a contract with the District. Businesses pay $500 which goes directly to their partner school. This money can be used for rewards, awards, parties, prizes for math and science nights, and other activities that cannot be paid for with State funds. More importantly the business also agrees to partici- pate in three activities with their partner school dur- ing the school year. These activities range from read- ing to students during Read Across America Week to large scale organized events including contests, themed math and science nights, and even field trips Twain Principal Valerie Aragon, left, and Assistant Principal Carli McGarrah to local businesses. (right) discuss PEAK! Partner activities with Magaly Esparza of Fiesta Mexi- can Restaurant (center) during the PEAK! kick-off luncheon Aug. 15. Pasco Educators Get a Jump on New National Common Core Standards Pasco School District is ahead of the curve when it comes to the transi- tion to Common Core Standards, according to Lisa Carter, consultant and author of ” Total Instructional Alignment: From Standards to Stu- dent Success.” Carter was in Pasco August 6-8 working with K-12 teams to develop curriculum docu- ments based on the new national standards which will be imple- mented in 2013-14. “The teachers have done a tremen- dous job,” said Carter. “They hit the ground running and surpassed all expectations. They have been very thoughtful and have enjoyed collab- orating. It is obvious that the teach- Pictured, from left to right, are: Patty Chavez (Chess), Jaime Silva (Longfellow), Neddy Martinez (Emerson), Amy Brown (Angelou), Rosatina Lee (TOSA), Audrey Howard (Markham), and Cathe- ers of the Pasco School District are rine Laws (Chess). focused on students and their achievement.” 2 Around the District Leadership Academy 2012-13: Prepping for TPEP District administrators geared up for the year ahead at the annual Leadership Academy training Aug. 1-3. Instructional administrators gathered in the board room where trainers from the Dan- ielson Group covered an intro- duction to the Danielson Framework for Teaching and provided collaborative and hands-on experiences to sup- port a deeper understanding of the framework’s components. This year, special attention was given to the new TPEP, or Teacher Principal Evaluation Project, which under Legisla- tion E2SSB 6696 and ESSB 5895 requires all districts to adopt and implement new evaluation systems for teachers and principals starting with a phase in approach in 2013-14 with full implementation by 2015-16. The intensive three days provided instructional administrators a firm foundational understanding of the new teaching frame- work and a true awareness that the work is really just begin- ning. Non-instructional administrators also took part in a day of training on Aug. 2 covering topics such as budget, benefits, growth and a bond, and school boundaries. Clockwise from top: Administrators put their heads together during a learning exercise; John Wallwork and Bar- bara Pierce strike a pose; Valerie Ara- gon has her think- ing cap on; and the Pasco High admin team has a laugh together. 3 411 Highlights Hernandez Honored with Leadership Tri-Cities Alumni Award Pasco School District Student award, but doesn’t feel he’s Achievement Coordinator José Her- done anything other than what nandez was presented the 2012 Exem- he’s supposed to do. “It’s sur- plary Leadership Award at the Leader- prises me that I’m being recog- ship Tri-Cities Alumni Associations nized from something we all annual meeting held July 19. should be doing,” he says. “It’s being responsible. The true es- This award was presented for his ex- sence of leadership is develop- ceptional leadership role in establish- ing in others the ability to lead, ing a cohesive community for the resi- to act, and to do.” dents of the Lakewood Mobile Estates. Hernandez collaborated with Rotary The award recognizes his work clubs here and from Mexico to refur- to establish leadership roles for José Hernandez accepts the LTC Alumni Award from bish the Lakeview community center. the community, specifically the LTC Alumni Association President Janelle Harvey. weeklong day camp which Lak- Hernandez says he is humbled by the to develop a lesson plan and curricu- eview leadership students lum for the camp, which served Lake- hosted in July. Hernandez, view’s K-5 age children. along with several Pasco School District student The camp featured a variety of learning achievement specialists, activities and special guests including trained high school students firefighters from Franklin County Fire District, representatives from the Mid- Columbia Reading Foundation, and Tri-Cities Fever football players. Far left: Lakeview camp participants follow a leadership student into the community center.