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Box 370 TEK SERVICES I ECRWSS Puyallup, WA 98371 School name process begins .....5 Levy election February 7 .............6 Register to vote ............................7 Puyallup Family Co-op ................9 Student racer wins contest .......10 CONNECTIONS Ninth graders can take WASL ... 11 Volume 11:3 Published for Puyallup School District's Community Partners for a Quality Future December 2005 Student mathematicians know more than the right answer A new elementary math curriculum in parents this fall to math information nights classrooms this fall erases the myth that to share about the new curriculum, which math is dull and unimaginative. meets state standards for what students should be learning at each grade level. “It is such a joy to see kids discussing, laughing, and even arguing about math on At Firgrove Elementary, students worked a daily basis,” said Karshner Elementary side-by-side on math lessons with their teacher Mike Stone. parents, using manipulatives such as counting cubes and colored disks. Nearly “Growing With Mathematics” in kinder- every classroom was full as educators shared garten through grade five, and “Connected about the math program in English and Mathematics” in grade six, encourage Spanish. In addition to a discussion book, reasoning, problem-solving, teamwork, workbook, and math journal, the curriculum and hands-on activities. Those add up to features multicultural books in which success, educators say, because students students learn about math in other cultures. go beyond knowing the right answer to apply their learning to real life. Growing With Mathematics “spirals” — or builds on the same math concept — Classrooms today are far different from several times each year. This helps with what many adults remember in their retention, as well as aids students who are childhood. Gone are the days when math absent during a lesson or don’t understand learning took place in a hushed classroom it the first time it is presented. with students sitting at desks lined in rows answering as many problems correctly on The use of visuals and hands-on materials a ditto as quickly as possible. Hunt Elementary students (from left) Marissa Robertson and to reinforce concepts is especially helpful Sheldon Cooper use colored disks to learn about fractions in to students in special education. These Walk into any elementary classroom in Carrie Brummer’s fifth-grade class. students also enjoy participating with their Puyallup and it is a busy place with unfamiliar problems and think of a number problem and to be patient while children peers in small group work in regular children interacting in small groups, of possible strategies to solve them. work out the answer. They also are education classrooms, said Educational relying on each other for math ideas. encouraged to ask students to explain how Specialist Linda Westpfahl. Teachers and building learning specialists On a recent day at Hunt Elementary, Alec they reached the answer — a process also introduce lessons, ask questions to Jones and Brittany Rose proved they know used on the annual Washington Assess- “For students who struggle with learning, encourage thinking and discussion, then more about fractions than what lies on ment of Student Learning (WASL). it takes them longer to translate ideas walk around the room to offer help. paper. The fifth graders and several beyond what they can touch, see, or feel. teammates in their group built a birdhouse “It’s so much quicker and easier to give The visual manipulatives make the “We are teaching them to think and reason from paper strips that they had to measure them the right answer, but asking them lots abstract concrete and they feel more mathematically,” said Colleen Shields, and cut to size on all sides using lengths of questions to help them figure it out successful.” executive director of elementary student listed in fractions. really works. They get it,” said Leona learning. Students are very skilled at using DeVous, who has a kindergartner and fifth Ideas of how parents can help children with computers and calculators to do rote Teachers are trained and parents are being grader at Hunt. math at home are available on the school calculations, she added, however employ- encouraged to make students aware there district Web site at www.puyallup.k12.wa.us/ ers today want graduates who can face are different ways to solve the same Hunt and other elementary schools invited ourcommunity/parentresources/. 2 December 2005 http://www.puyallup.k12.wa.us All Students Learning and Achieving PUYALLUP SCHOOL DISTRICT Board of Directors Superintendent's Message Bruce F. Dammeier President Good financial management pays off (253) 370-7198 Holiday Greetings to All! It is a significant challenge to monitor Diana Seeley an education budget in a school district Vice President Those of you who have regularly followed with 21,000 students and 2,350 staff, and (253) 848-4028 my “Connections” articles will notice that I Tony Apostle provide a multitude of services to 31 schools Greg Heath am departing from my regular and person- and nine school support departments. There Legislative Representative ally passionate messages regarding the Superintendent are always many more things the district (253) 770-8797 improvement of student achievement. would like to do than it can afford. We have Instead, I want to take time in this issue to reduced class size and kept the reductions in Kathy Afflerbaugh (253) 840-1185 focus on the school district’s sound financial place; but it would be great to make them management — the backbone of sustaining smaller yet. Lloyd Freudenstein our current student learning programs and (253) 841-1599 staffing levels. The bond rating agencies cited several Good financial management is more than Dr. Tony Apostle reasons for their decisions to upgrade the just “knowing your limits.” The district is Superintendent I am pleased to share the news that property district’s bonds. Most important were spending taxpayer dollars and has a duty (253) 841-8769 owners in the Puyallup School District will actions taken in recent years to improve to make sure they are spent as intended. save approximately $35 million in bond student enrollment forecasts and imple- Every penny must be tracked and ac- District Mission District Mission interest over 20 years thanks to recent ment and seek out savings programs to counted for, whether it comes from the Supported by families and our diverse com- munity, the Puyallup School District challenges upgrades of district construction bonds by further increase the district’s financial federal or state treasury, vending ma- students to achieve their academic, creative, the nation’s two biggest bond rating firms, flexibility. Other factors cited by the credit chines, Sparks Stadium ticket sales, or the and physical potential. Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s. Like rating agencies were the district’s growing school lunch program. Citizens have a good personal financial credit scores, better population, the sound local economy, and right to know where their money goes. Connections Editorial Policy bond ratings, combined with positive bond strong voter support for schools. Connections is published periodically by the market conditions and the timing of the bond Many people deserve credit for the Puyallup School District as part of a communi- cations link between the district and the com- sale, result in lower overall borrowing costs. As you may recall, four years ago the budgeting and financial management munity. Its intent and purpose is to provide the district’s financial condition did not look as practices that have resulted in improved board and district staff a venue to inform com- Puyallup is now among the top 10 school good as it does today. Faulty enrollment bond ratings and perfect audits. Board munity members about programs, goals, and districts in the state credited with having forecasts led to an operating deficit, and our policy setting and oversight was a critical activities of public education in the Puyallup the best bond ratings. reserves fell below acceptable levels. With factor. Restoring fiscal balance and School District. Please direct questions or com- the help of hundreds of community mem- building an adequate reserve were top ments to Karen Hansen, director of communi- The good news about bond ratings followed bers, virtually every budget item was cations and executive services, PO Box 370, school board priorities for the past three Puyallup WA 98371; telephone (253) 841-8703; closely on the heels of our third consecutive reviewed and priorities set for fiscal years. Nearly 300 people from the or e-mail [email protected]. Re- perfect audit report from the state auditor. recovery. Within a year, reserves were community helped by participating in sponses, as appropriate, will be provided di- The audit found that our accounting and restored to acceptable levels, new and more budget priority review meetings to rectly to those who contact this office. financial practices complied with all state precise enrollment forecasting methods were provide advice to our fiscal staff. Special laws and regulations. “This audit report is adopted, and savings were achieved by recognition is deserved and must be Coordinator: Karen Hansen Editor: Susan Gifford significant and commendable,” in the words reducing spending in some areas while acknowledged to a strong fiscal staff who Technical Assistance: Dale Carrington of State Auditor Brian Sonntag. protecting instructional programs. provide indispensable leadership within Contributing Writers: Brynn Blanchard, the district family. Shanon Burke, Susan Gifford, Teresa Stover, and Chanel Studebaker. Science community night set January 10 Credit for our strong financial condition Puyallup School District No. 3 complies is also due to our building adminis- with all federal rules and regulations and Parents and students throughout the district be available to further explore the testable trators, and certificated instructional and does not discriminate or permit harassment are invited to attend a community night question.