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IN THIS EDITION:Franklin Pierce School
District Residents
NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDTacoma, WA
Permit No. 538
viewsFranklin Pierce Schools315 129th St SouthTacoma, WA 98444
S N I P P E T S
NEWS FROM AROUND THE DISTRICT
Read about what’s happening in our schools.
Page 3
D U A L C R E D I T
Students earn college credit from high school courses
Over $98,000 in college credit earned by students last year.
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Winter 2010
F P S 2 0 3 0
Facilities Plan
Help determine the long-range facilities plan of Franklin Pierce Schools. Priorities and funding recommendations will be included in the process.
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IMPORTANT DATES2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR
Mar. 21: 2nd Trimester Elem Report Cards
Mar. 22-25: HS Conferences
Apr. 4-8: No School, Spring Break
Apr. 20: 3rd Quarter ends
May 30: No School, Memorial Day
May 31: Elem/MS Conferences
June 1-3: Elem/MS Conferences
June 13: 3rd Trimester Elem Report Cards
June 22: Last Day of School
For a more detailed calendar, log on to the district website at www.fpschools.org and click on the 2010-2011 calendar under the Students & Parents menu.
F r a n k l i n P i e r c e S c h o o l s
viewsStudent Work Spotlight: Graphic Design
Spring 2011
Artistic expression, employable skills
ASSIGNMENTdesign a magazine cover
ASSIGNMENTdesign a cultural collage
Freshman programs a success at both WHS and FPHS
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
ENG 35% 17% 28% 14% 7% 2%
SCI 31% 22% 27% 8% 6% 5%
ALG 34% 42% 25% 8%
0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%
WHS 1st Semester Failure Rate
75%
61%
49%
23%18%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
FPHS 1st Semester Failure Rate
Total Failing (Composite of Subject Areas)
Research on barriers to on-time graduation nearly all point to the success, or lack thereof, that students experience in their first year of high school. For each course a freshman fails, their likelihood of either not graduating in four years or not at all climbs precipitously.
Having experienced the parallel between freshman students enrolled in Franklin Pierce Schools and the corresponding research prompted staff at both traditional high schools to reduce the freshman failure rate without sacrificing the rigorousness of the curriculum. From one year to the next it can often be dif-ficult to see progress, but after looking back on the past five years, both schools have made marked progress in helping freshman students build a strong foundation for the remainder of their high school career.
Teachers grouped by subject area meet on a regular basis to look at each student’s individ-ual progress, and the group decides which stu-dents need additional support. The additional support comes in many forms. It can range from adjusting the student’s schedule to better match instructional strategy with the student’s preferred mode of learning to additional sup-port outside the classroom.
For instance, students at WHS who are targeted as needing additional support will attend a separate class which focuses on the subject area they are struggling while other non-struggling students are attending their advisory class.
Both schools have modeled their respec-tive programs using some of the components in Failure Is Not An Option, a book by Alan Blankstein.
Both schools have room for continued improvement, but the trend which can be ob-served in the charts is certainly promising.
SUPERINTENDENT’S CORNER: Frankly SpeakingFPS CORE BUSINESS
Engage all students in rigorous, relevant, high quality work.
VISION
Every student graduates from high school prepared to suc-ceed in post-secondary educa-tion.
MISSION
To provide students with an engaging educational envi-ronment, built upon proven academics and high standards, resulting in successful and con-tributing citizens.
BELIEFS
Every student can learn to think, reason, and achieve at high levels.
Every student can learn more every day.
Every student has the potential for educational and economic success beyond high school.
Every teacher is a leader of learning, whose primary job is to engage students in meaning-ful experiences that result in desired learning.
Our ability to build positive re-lationships with students con-tributes to learning.
Every school principal is a leader of leaders.
Every staff member has the re-sponsibility to support the core business.
GOALS
1. Increase the academic achievement of all stu-dents.
2. Prepare students for suc-cess beyond high school.
3. Maintain safe and caring schools.
4. Promote family and com-munity involvement in our schools.
IMPROVEMENT
Goal 1: Increase reading achievement by 10% annually in every sub-group.
Goal 2: Increase mathematics achievement by 10% annually in every sub-group.
Dr. Frank HewinsSuperintendent
Looking for the opportunity in challenges we face
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As Superintendent, I have the opportunity, along with the responsibility, to visit all of our schools and observe the condi-tion of teaching and learning tak-ing place in the classrooms within each of them. Making my rounds to our 14 schools and Headstart program this past month, I visited over 300 classrooms in action. I am pleased to report that the over-all condition of the instruction taking place in all of our schools is strong and getting stronger. We are blessed with a focused and committed teaching and support staff who take the district’s core business of “engaging all students in rigorous, relevant, high quality work” to heart and do their very best to make it happen every day. I can assure you that your children and grandchildren are in good hands and receiving a high qual-
ity public education in Franklin Pierce Schools.
Along with my visits to class-rooms, it is also my responsibility to observe the quality and condi-tion of each of the facilities I en-ter. The Board of Directors and I, as stewards of the public’s funds, must be ever vigilant as we work to ensure the health, safety, and learning conditions of students and staff in our schools. FPS has a proven track record of getting the most out of our facilities and grounds through regularly sched-uled upkeep, periodic mainte-nance, and close attention to detail. But as every homeowner knows, nothing lasts forever as structural upgrades and improvements be-come part of the responsibility if you want your investment to last into the future. The facilities and grounds of our school district are no different, aside from the fact that we have thousands of chil-dren and adults using them on a daily basis. With this in mind, the School Board and I have convened a group of parents, community members, and staff known as the FPS 2030 Task Force (see page 7) to begin addressing the needs of our community and schools both now and 20 years into the future. Schools in FPS have a rich history dating back to the 1880’s and our consolidated school district has successfully existed for over 60 years. We want to make sure we do our best to continue to provide the highest quality educational experiences in the most adequate
and lasting facilities we can afford for our children and community long into the 21st century and be-yond.
In addition to creating a long-range vision and plan for our capi-tal facilities, the FPS 2030 Task Force must make recommenda-tions to the Board of Directors on a method of funding that will both carry out the plan and be ac-ceptable to our tax payers. It is certainly no easy task and there is no doubt that the group will use every bit of the six months allotted to formulate the recommendation.
Every one of us is well aware of the effect the global recession has had on the nation and State’s economy and certainly on our own personal households. For the first time in 30 years, the WA State Legislature imposed a mid-year budget reduction for schools. This means that FPS will be reduced by almost $800,000 in the current 2010-11 school year. The cuts we will face in the 2011-13 biennium will be even more severe. The im-pact on our schools will be signifi-cant over the next two to four years as we face the new “normal” of do-ing more with less. Many difficult choices will have to be made as we do our best to maintain the quality of our instruction. It is likely we will be forced to increase our class sizes, scale back or eliminate some specific programs, find additional efficiencies in our transportation, nutrition, and support services, and still be forced to reduce staff (including teachers, administra-
tors, and classified personnel).While this is a sad state of af-
fairs and it is obvious that the Leg-islature is not living up to its para-mount duty to amply fund K-12 public education clearly stated in the Washington State Constitu-tion, we will not be discouraged nor dissuaded from doing the very best we can to continue to pro-vide the high quality education for which we are known. Public education is a wise investment in the future. It plays a critical role in building and maintaining a strong economy. If you have the chance, please remind each of our legisla-tors of the importance our schools play in building a well-trained workforce, promoting equality, and developing an educated citi-zenry that is critical to our democ-racy.
Regardless of a challenging future, the FPS Team remains steadfast in our mission and vi-sion. Our students continue to make strides academically, artisti-cally, and athletically. It is in times like these that we can sharpen our focus, enhance what is working, and eliminate the things that are not. As Horace Mann said over 100 years ago, “The public school is the greatest discovery made by man.” Join us as we work to overcome the obstacles before us, support our students as they navi-gate through this complex world, visit our schools when you get the chance, and I’ll see you around the district!
Franklin Pierce Foundation has new leader
PLAN GOALS
The Franklin Pierce Founda-tion is all about supporting the stu-
dents of Franklin Pierce Schools and helping them to be successful. In 2010 the foundation gave out nearly $25,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors from the dis-trict’s high schools. The founda-tion has come a long way since it was incorporated in 1973 as the Albert Reihs Memorial Scholar-ship Fund by FPS educators Alan Hokenstad and John Pedroso.
But the foundation board of directors is not satisfied. They recognize that there are so many more deserving students and they want to do something about that. The board of directors has estab-lished a goal to ensure that every graduating senior who receives the honor of “distinguished port-folio” upon graduation will receive a scholarship ranging from $2000
to $4000. That means any gradu-ating student with a dream and the ability to articulate that dream in a portfolio and presentation can re-ceive a scholarship.
To help accomplish this goal, the board has asked retired FPHS teacher, Jim Ross, to become the Foundation Director. He was giv-en no small task. The board ulti-mately wants to raise one million dollars over the next ten years in order to create an endowment to fund these scholarships. Mr. Ross will be reaching out to district staff, alumni, community groups and local businesses for financial support.
To enhance the communi-cation with these groups the foundation now has its own web site. You can visit them at
www.franklinpiercefdn.org. There you will be able to learn about the foundation and its activities, the students the foundation has helped and eventually make con-tributions to the endowment fund. It is also hoped that the site will soon become a meeting place for alumni. A page will be established where they can post contact infor-mation and dates of reunions and other alumni events. A Facebook page is also in the foundation’s fu-ture.
Mr. Ross would love to hear from you. The best way to reach him is by email at [email protected]. You may never know how YOUR contribution will change a life, but be assured, it WILL make a difference.
Mr. Jim RossFoundation Director
Contact your legislator, they want to hear from youSEN. JIM KASTAMA
Democrat, 25th DistrictJAC 235PO Box 40425Olympia, WA [email protected]
Leg. Asst. - Mary Sherman
SEN. STEVE CONWAY
Democrat, 29th DistrictJAC 213PO Box 40429Olympia, WA [email protected]
Leg. Asst. - Kimberlie Lelli
25th
29th
REP. BRUCE DAMMEIER
Republican, 25th DistrictMOD D 205PO Box 40600Olympia, WA [email protected]
Leg. Asst. - Brian Hardtke
REP. HANS ZEIGER
Republican, 25th DistrictMOD D 201PO Box 40600Olympia, WA [email protected]
Leg. Asst. - Sarah Pollock
REP. CONNIE LADENBURG
Democrat, 29th DistrictMOD B 204PO Box 40600Olympia, WA [email protected]
Leg. Asst. - Annette Swillie
REP. STEVE KIRBY
Democrat, 29th DistrictLEG 437BPO Box 40600Olympia, WA [email protected]
Leg. Asst. - Christel Mason-Gillespie
WHO has done something that YOU want to RECOGNIZE?
Snippets . . . News from around the district
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DIRECTORY
FPS
On Saturday, February 12, students from Franklin Pierce High School performed well at the regional solo/ensemble contest. A handful of stu-dents received great honors and awards.
• Emerson Matson: placed first - piano (Emerson will be going to the state competition in April at CWU)
• Erika Yeomans: 1st alternate to state - flute• Mathias Palmer: 2nd alternate to state - french horn• FP Flute Quintet (Rachel Elliott, Hannah Blaisdel, Arrianna You-
kum, Karli Floyd, Hannah Morrison): 1st alternate to state.
Junior Special Olympics compete at state
The district’s Junior Special Olympics team took 4th place at the state tournament in Wenatchee over the weekend of March 4-6. The juniors team earned their way into the state tournament by finishing 1st in the Southwest Regional Tournament in February. Congratulations to junior team members Alex Swanson, Terri Swanson, Brandon Wise, Shaun Ar-not, Brandon Hordyk, Tyler Kolodzik, and Nicole Wood for working to-gether as a team, modeling good sportsmanship, and representing Frank-lin Pierce Schools at the Special Olympics Winter Games.
Got Snippets?Submit your own snippets for the next edition of the Views by emailing Willie Painter at [email protected].
FPHS students perform well at regional solo and ensemble contest
On February 12, the district’s Air Force JROTC cadets competed in their second drill meet of the year.
Franklin Pierce High’s results:• Unarmed Drill Team - 1st Place• Armed Drill Team - 4th Place• Marksmanship Team - 2nd Place• Color Guard #2 - 3rd Place• Unarmed Drill Team Commander (Josh Stage) - 1st Place• Armed Drill Team Commander (Jesse Tuivaiave) - 2nd Place• Individual Unarmed Drill Down (Josh Ryker) - 1st Place• Individual Unarmed Drill Down (Alexandra Svendsen) - 6th
Place• Individual Armed Drill Down ( Brenda Mungiua) - 3rd PlaceWashington High’s results:• Unarmed drill team – 1st• Unarmed drill team commander (Josh Stage) – 1st • Marksmanship team #1 – 1st• Marksmanship team #2 – 4th• Individual marksmanship – Jonathan Fagin – 1st, Kushaiah
Pritchard – 2nd, Kurtis Howard – 4th (there were over 50 par-ticipants)
• Color guard #1 (commanded by Jesse Tuivaiave) – 3rd • Color guard #2 (commanded by Jasmine Kim) – 2nd • Dual armed exhibition drill (Cody Barnett/Kurtis Howard) – 3rd• Individual armed exhibition drill (Kurtis Howard) – 4th • Unarmed drill down (Nina Williams) – 6th• Armed drill down (Adrianna Camacho) – 6th
AFJROTC performs well in recent drill meets
In its 5th year, Winter Wishes was the biggest it’s ever been. Last year, WHS Leadership Class students granted 247 wishes to their classmates. This year, they set a goal of granting 500 wishes. With support from stu-dents, staff, community businesses, anonymous donors, and a last minute donation from PLU, they were able to grant 507 wishes!
WHS Winter Wishes better than ever
On January 5, Franklin Pierce High School held a blood drive in which there were 116 participants - 60 of whom donated blood for the first time. Donations from blood drives like this help to furnish over 50% of our community’s supply. Thanks to teacher Bryan Zagar for coordinat-ing the drive!
FPHS holds successful blood drive
With over thirty years experience in public education and having played a key role in the development of Navigation 101, a program which was first implemented in Franklin Pierce Schools and has since become a national model, Mr. Dan Barrett was honored as one of two 2010 Out-standing Guidance Professionals by the Association for Career and Tech-nical Education at their conference held in Las Vegas, Nevada the week of November 28.
Retired Guidance Counselor Dan Barrett awarded “2010 Outstanding Guidance Professional” by Association for Career and Technical Education
Lakewood Barnes and Noble hosted a book fair for the district’s sec-ondary schools on the weekend of December 4. Secondary schools coor-dinated performances by each school’s respective band and choir to entice folks to visit Barnes and Noble. District supporters spent over $11,000 at the store during the book fair, which yielded $2,893.37 in funds raised for the district’s secondary libraries! Thanks go to Jodi Walker for coor-dinating the fair, and music teachers Cory Beahm, Matt Pelandini, Becca Peters, and Lisa Sutter for directing the band/choir performances.
Money raised for secondary libraries
Boys• Aaron Baker (WHS)• Nick Corey (FPHS)Girls• Sarah Kimble (WHS)• Ashea Hester (WHS)• Megan Lee (WHS)• Jasmine Jones (WHS) - took 8th in state for her weight class
Wrestling: 5 from WHS, 1 from FPHS qualify for state
On February 15, Washington High School held a blood drive in which there were 111 participants. 79 units of blood were collected, yielding a total of 237 products for local hospitals. This blood drive expe-rienced the most number of first-time blood donors at WHS.
WHS holds successful blood drive
Washington High School students competed at the Knowledge Bowl regional competition on March 5 and won a seat in the state competition in Richland, Washington on March 26. Michelle Collison, Robert Wrig-ley, Adam Roberts, Katherine Lee, Jose Martinez-Ayuso and Mike Overby will advance to state in Richland on the 26th because of their outstanding performance during the regional competition.
WHS Knowledge Bowl heads to state championship
L to R: (back row) Mike Overby, Jose Martinez-Ayuso, Adam Rob-erts, Robert Wrigley, (front row) Michele Collison, Katherine Lee.
Bryce Davies had a strong swimming season, ultimately qualifying for the state 2A tournament in Federal Way.
Swimmer Bryce Davies qualifies for state tournament
FPHS boys basketball made the final 16 this year. They played at state as the #4 seed. The team beat Cedarcrest 76-73 on the first game, but lost to Kingston the following day on February 26.
FPHS boys basketball #4 seed at state tournament
FMS girls basketball finish season undefeatedThe Ford Middle School varsity girls basketball team finished their
season with a perfect, undefeated, 10 – 0 record! This is an accomplish-ment that few people can claim in their lifetime. Team members included Mary Dimond, JoDee Disney, Kristi Floyd, Stephanie Franco, Meraisha Larsen, Caitrin McKenna, Majestic Moler, Molly Mortensen, Mary Patter-son, Samantha Raynor, Sarah Smith, Destiny Vaiola, and Ly Vuthy. Man-agers were LaLa Meach, Vanessa Navarro, and Lauren Lozano. The Lady T-Birds were coached by Darcy Claus. In addition to getting it done on the court, the Lady T-Birds also took care of business in the classroom, finish-ing the season with an overall grade point average of 3.64! Congratula-tions on an amazing season! You exemplify what it means to be a T-Bird!
Brookdale Elementary Principal: Barb Mondloch253-298-3100 Central Avenue Elementary Principal: Deb Knesal253-298-3200 Christensen Elementary Principal: Tim Enfield253-298-3300 Collins Elementary Principal: Carrie Adrian253-298-3400 Elmhurst Elementary Principal: Shaun Carey253-298-3500 Harvard Elementary Principal: Paul Elery253-298-4100 James Sales Elementary Principal: Kristen Schroeder253-298-4200
Midland Elementary Principal: Tim McKamey253-298-4500
Ford Middle SchoolPrincipal: Heather Renner253-298-3600
Keithley Middle SchoolPrincipal: Joyce Knowles253-298-4300
Franklin Pierce High SchoolPrincipal: Jennifer Shaw253-298-3800
Washington High SchoolPrincipal: James Hester253-298-4700
GATES High SchoolDirector of Alternative Education: Val Jones253-298-4000
New Pathways/iSchoolDirector of Alternative Education: Val Jones253-298-4080
Head StartCoordinator: Sandy Dickson253-298-4675
Transportation Office253-298-3865
FPS District Office253-298-3000
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2010 Schools of Distinction 2010 School Board of DistinctionCongratulations, staff and students of Midland, Harvard and Central Avenue Elemen-
tary schools! Each school was recognized as being in the top 5% highest improving schools in Washington State in 2010!
Ninety-three Washington schools earned status as Schools of Distinction for dramatic increases in reading and math in 2010. To earn School of Distinction status, schools must be performing at least at the state average performance in fourth, seventh, and tenth grade reading and math assessments, as measured on the Spring 2010 Measures of Student Prog-ress and High School Proficiency Exam. Schools meeting this requirement were then evalu-ated on combined reading and math improvement over the last five years. The top five per-cent of the elementary schools, middle/junior high schools, and high schools are designated as a School of Distinction.
Franklin Pierce Schools’ Board of Directors Cole Roberts (Chair), John Harstad (Vice Chair), Reva Palmer (Legislative Representative), Mary Sherman and Mark Baumgarten were recognized as a 2010 Washington State School Board of Distinction at the Washington State School Board Directors conference in Spokane.
WSSDA’s Boards of Distinction awards program honors school boards that demonstrate effective use of the Washington School Board Standards. The standards, developed and ad-opted by WSSDA in 2009, promote researched-based governance practices that lead to high levels of student and district performance.
Award applicants are required to submit an essay and supporting evidence to demon-strate how they are putting the new standards into practice. This year, applicants were asked to address the following benchmarks (one from each of the five standards):
• Conducting board and district business in a fair, respectful and responsible manner.• Articulating the conviction that all students can learn and the belief that student
learning can improve regardless of existing circumstances or resources.• Providing for the safety and security of all students and staff.• Committing to continuous improvement in student achievement at each school and
throughout the district.• Collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse inter-
ests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.Applications are evaluated by an independent review panel, and awards are given to
those who receive at least 70 points out of a possible 100.
2010 NBCT teachersThe district is fortunate to have an additional nine teachers become National Board
certified: Cynthia Johnston (Headstart), Elizabeth Helt (Brookdale), Michelle Wagner (Brookdale), Robin McCarver (Keithley), Dietrich Baker (Ford), Julieann Detweiler (Ford), Kimberly Jackson (FPHS), Sharon Jerzyk (WHS), and Laura Kraig (WHS). Franklin Pierce Schools now has 43 National Board Certified staff.
National Board Certification is an advanced teaching credential. It complements, but does not replace, a state’s teacher license. It is valid for 10 years, and renewal candidates must begin the renewal process during their eighth or ninth years as NBCTs. National Board Certification is achieved upon successful completion of a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize effective and accomplished teachers who meet high standards.
L to R: (back row) Dr. Frank Hewins, Mark Baumgarten, (front row) Reva Palmer, Cole Roberts, Mary Sherman.
Central Avenue Elementary
Harvard Elementary
Midland Elementary
Act Six announces new scholars
The Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Initiative recently announced this year’s scholar-ship awardees. The district is proud to announce that out of 48 awardees from throughout the state, three were students from Franklin Pierce Schools.
• Owen Hunt (WHS), attending Pacific Lutheran University• Megan Lee (WHS), attending Northwest University• Chare’ Gilliam (FPHS), attending Gonzaga UniversityThe Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Initiative provides scholarship winners full-
tuition, full-need scholarships to the student’s choice of Whitworth University, Pacific Lu-theran University, Northwest University, Trinity Lutheran College, Gonzaga University or Heritage University. Collectively, the 48 awards issued this year will provide nearly $6.5 million in financial aid over four years.
Launched in 2002 by the Northwest Leadership Foundation (NLF) in Tacoma, Act Six seeks to develop urban and community leaders to be agents of transformation on campus and in their home communities. Since the program’s inception, 21 cadres of ethnically di-verse and mostly first-generation, low-income Act Six scholars from urban Tacoma, Seattle, Portland and Spokane have enrolled at seven Northwest colleges and universities. This year, Act Six will send its first cadre of scholars from the Yakima Valley and Yakima Nation to Heritage University.
Act Six develops leaders through a simple, but powerful, four-step strategy:• Recruit and select diverse, multicultural cadres of the Northwest’s most promising
emerging urban and community leaders.• Train and prepare these groups of students in the year prior to college, equipping
them to support each other, succeed academically, and grow as service-minded lead-ers and agents of transformation.
• Send and fund the teams together to select private, liberal arts colleges in the North-west on four year, full-tuition, full-need scholarships.
• Support and inspire by providing strong campus support and ongoing leadership development to nurture these young people as they find their vocation and grow into the next generation of community leaders.
To date, 90 percent of the 190 scholars originally selected for the program have graduated or are still enrolled – reflecting graduation and retention rates that far exceed national aver-ages. Two Act Six scholars have been elected as student body president at their college and scholars have been involved in numerous other leadership roles on campus and in the com-munity. Nearly 70 percent of Act Six alumni have returned to work and serve in their home communities, and more than 25 percent are pursuing or have earned graduate degrees.
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WHS Cross Country excels Students receive dual creditThis year’s Washington High School Cross Country team continued with the program’s
tradition of excellence. For the 5th consecutive year, the team earned the Distinguished Academic Award from the WIAA for having team average GPA of 3.1. They matched last year’s team and program high of having 52 participants. Over the course of the season, the girls’ team beat 59 other teams and the boys’ team beat 55 other teams. For league honors, the boys’ team was given the team sportsmanship award and Coach Culp was given the boys’ team coach of the year award. Most notably for the girls’ team is the fact that they officially became the fastest girl’s team in the history of the school, beating out the last state meet qualifying team from 1992. At leagues, the girls’ team placed 3rd out of 8 and the boys’ team placed 3rd out of 8. Honorable mention goes to Megan Lee, Phi-Ho Phan, and Elijah Fuller who were recognized for 1st Team All-League, as well as Katy White and Ittay Sanchez who were recognized for 2nd Team All-League. At the sub-district meet, the girls’ team placed 6th out of 14 and the boys’ team placed 6th out of 14. For the 5th consecutive year, both teams qualified for the district meet, where the girls’ team placed 9th and the boys’ team placed 10th. And for the 4th consecutive year, they had someone qualify for the state meet.
For the 3rd consecutive year, Phi-Ho Phan qualified for the state meet. He had a season best time of 16:41. For the 3rd time, Megan Lee qualified for the state meet. Her season best time was 20:15, which set a new Senior Girls’ Team Record. Over the past 4 years of her Cross Country career, Megan set many records and currently holds records for Freshman Girls’ Time (19:46), Junior Girls’ Time (20:10), Career Varsity Letter Points (110), Season Varsity Letter Points (32 in 2008), Career Varsity Races (39), and Season Varsity Races (11 in 2008). Over the past 4 years of his Cross Country career, Phi-Ho also set many records and currently holds records for Sophomore Boys’ Time (17:24), Career Varsity Letter Points (104), Season Varsity Letter Points (32 in 2009), Career Varsity Races (38), Season Varsity Races (10 in 2008 and 2009), and Season Attendance Points (17 in 2009). Although these two Senior leaders have been critical to the program’s success over the past 4 years, the team looks to continue in its ways as a few freshmen (Elijah Fuller – set a new Freshman Boys’ Team Record with a time of 17:06, Tia Foxx – had a season best time of 21:02, and Katie White – had a season best time of 21:56) and others take lead of the running Pats!
This year’s team leaders include: Points – Phi-Ho Phan with 29; Personal Records – Tia Foxx and Brettney Hase with 5; Mile Pace Decrease – Lance Pickett with 1:21; Girls’ Mile Pace – Megan Lee with 6:30; and, Boys’ Mile Pace – Phi-Ho Phan with 5:21.
This year’s team awards include: 2011 Captains – Emilee Bedker, Katy White, Matt Krick, and JP Petrella; Coach’s – Marijo Manaois and Josh Quichocho; Athlete of the Year – Megan Lee and Phi-Ho Phan; Rookie of the Year – Katy White and Elijah Fuller; Most Inspirational – Kaitlynn Irish and Enoch Kim; Most Improved – Brettney Hase and Kegan Mulholland; and, Perfect Attendance – Megan Lee, Katy White, Matt Krick, Spring Nguyen, JP Petrella, Phi-Ho Phan, Janavie Pheng, Josh Ramirez, Josh Quichocho, and Ittay Sanchez.
Athletes earning a Varsity Letter include: Iana Mae Abinales, Kegan Mulholland, Kai-tlynn Irish, Brettney Hase, Josh Ramirez, Esther Kim, Amethyst James, Elijah Fuller, Katy White, Josh Quichocho, Tia Foxx, Anthony Romero, Emilee Bedker, Spring Nguyen, Janavie Pheng, Ittay Sanchez, Matt Krick, Tom Bell, JP Petrella, Yazzii Crisostomo, Megan Lee, and Phi-Ho Phan.
2010 WHS Cross Country Team
Phi-Ho Phan, Team Athlete of the Year Megan Lee (front), Team Athlete of the Year
Students in the district work hard every day to earn an added edge as they proceed to-ward their post-graduation plans. There are a multitude of ways students can accomplish this including, but not limited to, Running Start and enrollment at the Pierce County Skills Center. But there is also a little known way that students receive a boost: dual credit. Dual credit is where a high school teacher works with surrounding community colleges to get all or part of their high school course recognized by that college such that, at a student’s satis-factory completion of the course, they receive high school and college credit simultaneously. The best part is that the students do not have to pay the tuition prices to receive the college credit. Each year, Pierce County Careers Connection provides the district with data about dual credit. Although less than the 08-09 school year, 09-10 students can still be proud of the fact that 266 students throughout the district earned college credit. Of which, a total of 1,261 college credits were awarded. A total of $98,358 in tuition fees were averted by students receiving dual credit.
Sly Boskovich, CTE Coordinator for the district, thinks the program is outstanding and wants to position it for growth in the district. “Our students have an opportunity to receive twice the reward for work they would otherwise still be required to do.” Boskovich is also looking into why 09-10 numbers were less than the previous year. “We’re mounting an effort to increase our dual credit numbers, so that we can show a clearly positive trend line over the next five years, but there are also limitations of which courses qualify for dual credit and student interest in enrolling in dual credit courses which are outside of our control. We’re optimistic about the future,” said Boskovich.
Active Schools: Franklin Pierce High School, GATES High School, Washington High School.
Participating Instructors: Franklin Pierce – Jack DeGuiseppi, Tiffany Disney, Kimberly Ketchum, Marci Sabin, Marsha Lynn Stephan, Diane Williams; GATES - Leslie Steinkraus; Washington – John Carr, Judith Durkin, Jerry Fong, John Pardo, Marnie Patton, and Angela Robinson.
# of Students that Earned College Credit in 2009-2010:Franklin Pierce HS GATES HS Washington HS District Total 118 1 147 266
Total Credit Awarded in 2009-2010:Franklin Pierce HS GATES HS Washington HS District Total 577 2 682 1,261
Tuition Savings for 2009-2010 calculated at $78 per Credit: $98,358
6 viewsFPHS student Karli Floyd honored as student “spark” by GTCF
Christensen Elementary ecstatic with Mileage Club
As an eighth grader, Karli took the lead on a class project and or-ganized a Relay for Life team to help raise money for the Ameri-can Cancer Society (ACS). Karli is passionate about supporting cancer research because two of her best friends are survivors. Karli continues to lead teams and her
enthusiasm for service has caught the imagination of her peers at Franklin Pierce. Currently, there are 15 team members and each year they raise more money and it continues to grow in size. Her fundraising efforts reach further than the Relay for Life team; Karli and her sister each make a lap quilt
to auction off with the proceeds (as much as $1,400) going toward cancer research through the ACS.
Although Karli is only 15, she has already thought about long-term aspirations. She has consid-ered attending Pacific Lutheran University to become a librarian, rooting from her love of reading
Freshman students from Washington High School had an opportunity to share their work to members of the community dur-ing a gallery walk held on Febru-ary 18.
Several freshman classes ro-tated their work over the course of the day. Students were charged with the task of researching writ-ten work around a chosen theme. Some students also opted to au-thor their own written work.
The project was focused around instructional work the teachers have been implementing called Working On the Work (WOW). The WOW framework, authored by Phillip Schlecty begins with the assumption that there is a di-rect link between the caliber of schoolwork students are provided and the willingness of students to engage in schoolwork. When stu-dents engage in and persist with their work, they are much more
likely to learn that which schools, parents, and the community deem important. In a school district that functions as a learning organiza-tion, the core business is to ensure that every student, every day, is provided challenging, interesting, and satisfying work. Such is the focus of Franklin Pierce Schools.
Teachers spend much time in grade level and content level groups known as Professional Learning Communities to both identify individual students who need additional support, but also to develop lessons that are inher-ently engaging by way of the les-son design. Projects like the fresh-man gallery walk at WHS occur throughout the district at all thir-teen schools, all grade levels and content areas, to get students to take ownership and pride as they proceed on their learning journey. After all, people tend to excel in that which they are passionate.
and appreciation for literature. When Karli is not out raising money and quilting for the cause, she enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, actively participating in Girl Scouts and taking advan-tage of the Scandinavian heritage activities at Pacific Lutheran Uni-versity.
If there was one thing that Kar-li could change right now, it would be a healthcare plan that offers af-fordable coverage for everyone.
“Cancer treatment is expen-sive and the bills add-up quickly, it’s not right to deny someone cov-erage or treatment.” --Karli Floyd
GTCF provides 700 tickets for students to see Desmond TutuThe district recently learned
that the Greater Tacoma Commu-nity Foundation has given 700 free tickets to students to attend a talk by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu on May 13. The event is part of a broader community initiative being called “Be The Spark.”
Be the Spark is a movement started by the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation to inspire each other to take action and make
our community a more positive, caring place to live. The premise is that people have the power to take action and build a community that they are proud to be a part of when they work together.
Be the Spark means: identi-fying what cause matters to you and doing something about that; knowing that your actions, as an individual, impact the larger com-munity; helping create an environ-
ment that allows each of us to live safe, healthy, productive lives; and, recognizing that it will take all of us to spark change in our commu-nity.
Be the Spark is designed to challenge people to do their part in creating a better community. That part is something different to each person. Ask yourself: What’s my spark? What can I do to make my community a better place?
As a rallying point for the movement, the Community Foun-dation and its partners are bring-ing Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu to the Tacoma Dome on May 13 for his last U.S. public appearance. Desmond Tutu stands as an example of how one person’s actions have a dramatic influence on the entire community and is intended to spark each per-son to take action toward build-
ing a safe, healthy and productive future for their community and youth. Also participating in this historic event are: Craig Kielburg-er, Canadian activist and Founder of Free the Children; Pete Carroll, Seahawks football coach, and co-founder of the anti-gang initiative, A Better LA; and, William Gates, Sr., philanthropist, author, and honorary co-chair of the World Justice Project.
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu addressing the United Nations
WHS freshman gallery walk, success of Working on the Work
S’mantha Fleming, freshman (WHS)
Cheyenne Thompson, freshman (WHS)
The all new Mileage Club start-ed on January 12 and has proven to be a great activity for Chris-tensen students. Earlier this year, students brainstormed ideas to make Mileage Club new and excit-ing for them. They came up with some great ideas and now they are off and running, literally! They have made Mileage Club a success and at the same time are discover-ing many successes of their own. These successes are immediately visible with both mileage cards
and colorful mileage recording charts in the classrooms. Mileage Club is not only helping students to improve the fitness of their heart, lungs and legs, it’s a great goal setting activity and kids are applying math skills in everyday life! Here’s how it works: students can choose to walk or jog the track at each lunch recess. They keep track of their mileage by carry-ing a mileage card and after com-pleting a lap, a Mileage Coach punches the student’s card. Each
completed card is worth five miles. Finished cards are collected every Friday evening to determine the mileage goals met for each stu-dent. The following week, in P.E., students receive their mileage goal prizes and experience the feeling of success! During assemblies, students’ faces fill with smiles of accomplishment and they cheer eachother on! Christensen staff and students are committed to having healthy bodies and minds. So much so, every Wednesday at
Christensen is now appropriately named, “Workout Wednesday.” Kids and staff alike wear workout clothes on Wednesdays and par-ticipate in Mileage Club together. If you want to join the fun with Christensen students, check in at the office on Wednesdays and then hit the track with the students and staff! Participants love sharing their accomplishments and goals, so I hope you can find the time to visit our track and experience all the chatter and excitement. Prizes
include: 5 miles = a certificate; 10 miles = a button, good for a free bag of popcorn on the 1st Friday of the month; 20 miles = a smen-cil; 30 miles = 5 mileage tokens on a neck chain; 40 miles = an invi-tation to a Subway sandwich par-ty; and, 50 miles = a gold medal, plus the opportunity to attend the Franklin Pierce Fun Run on May 21. It is great to see students hav-ing fun while building a healthy heart, because a healthy heart is a happy heart!
By: Linda Otto
7viewsFPS 2030 progress continues, community input sought
What will our schools look like 20 years from now? Did you know that the kindergartners of today will graduate in the year 2023? In-deed 20 years is not far off.
Since the beginning of the school year, a group of citizens, parents, community group repre-sentatives, school employees and school board members have been meeting regularly to talk about the next 20 years and beyond for our schools.
Their work continues, and now is a perfect time for other folks in the community (like YOU!) to
provide feedback.During the January meeting,
the FPS 2030 committee discussed what they would want the com-munity to look and feel like 20 years from now. At the February meeting, the group began dis-cussing the criteria and/or char-acteristics that will determine the specific improvements that the community group will ultimately propose within seven categories (mechanical systems, technology, core academic spaces, performing arts, athletics, outside-of-school enrichment/intervention, and
community spaces). All mem-bers of the community will have a chance to have their voice heard very soon, as district administra-tion is in the final stages of launch-ing a survey to gather additional feedback.
The proceeding meetings will continue discussing criteria/char-acteristics, but will soon transi-tion into talking about the specific school improvements that FPS 2030 identifies, and the funding packages which will ultimately be brought before a vote of the peo-ple.
Spring Into SummerBy: Michelle Nicholson
Do you want to spend time with your family outdoors and support a great cause? Come join Franklin Pierce Youth First! for the 3rd annual Fun Run at Spanaway Lake Park on Saturday, May 21 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The main event is made up of a 5K and a 1 mile family fun run/walk for all ages around Spanaway Lake Park and fun field game activities.
There will also be a Community Discovery Fair with community pre-vention resources, summer activity guides, and lots of community orga-nizations.
The cost for the fun run, including a t-shirt, is $10 for students and $15 for adults and all proceeds will go to Franklin Pierce Youth First! The organization supports families in Franklin Pierce with a mission to pro-vide an environment in which youth grow up physically and emotionally healthy, safe, and alcohol & drug free.
For more information, contact Michelle Nicholson at 253-298-4056 or [email protected].
To register, visit our website at www.fpyouthfirst.com. You can also watch for flyers coming from your child’s school.
Truly there is no better time for members of the community (just like YOU!) to become in-volved in developing a plan that is responsible---responsible to the educational needs of our commu-nity’s students and responsible to the hard-earned taxpayer dollars that will help pay for needed im-provements.
Please visit the FPS 2030 web page, www.fpschools.org, to read and review all information and content from the FPS 2030 meet-ings held so far.
The meeting schedule through the end of the year:
• Monday, March 21 @ FPHS Corrigan Room -- 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday, April 14 @ FPHS Corrigan Room -- 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Monday, May 9 @ WHS Ridgeway Room -- 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Presentation to School Board on Tuesday, May 24 @ Jo Anne Matson Ad-min. Center -- 6:00 p.m.
F.A.C.E. host families D.O.G.S.The Foundation for Academic Cultural Exchange (FACE) is looking
for families in the district who may be interested in hosting an exchange student for the 2011-2012 school year. Exchange students have attended schools in the district through the FACE program for the past several years.
FACE is a non-profit organization whose goal is to promote cultural understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. FACE, headquartered in Gainesville, Florida, was incor-porated in 1986, and is a certified exchange program by the United States Department of State.
FACE offers the Academic Year Program (AYP) to foreign students who wish to experience the American lifestyle by giving them the oppor-tunity to live with a host family and attend an American high school.
FACE programs are designed to foster goodwill and international un-derstanding through positive homestay experiences.
Anyone interested in learning more should contact FACE directly.
www.faceexchange.org1-800-527-2664
Area Coordinator: Phillip Mann253-459-2208
Harvard Watch D.O.G.S. is ea-ger to continue building their con-tact list of male adults who wish to volunteer at least one day at the school.
Qualifying adults can be fa-thers, grandfathers, or any male adult who would like to have a positive impact in a school setting.
A short application and a rou-tine background check must occur prior to volunteering.
Anyone interested in partici-pating should contact:
Charity [email protected]
or
Harvard Elementary 253-298-4100
The Franklin Pierce School Dis-trict complies with all federal and state rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation including gen-der expression or identity, creed,
We Want Your Feedback!We want to hear your ideas
or items of interest for upcom-ing editions of the Views. Please email your feedback and ideas to Willie Painter at [email protected].
Franklin Pierce Schools
Spring 2011www.fpschools.org
religion, age, veteran or military status, marital status, disability and/or use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. This applies to all dis-trict educational programs and/or extracurricular school activities.
Willie PainterPublic Information Officer
C O M M U N I T Y C O N N E C T I O N S8 views
Employment Opportunities
Franklin Pierce Schools is looking for positive people who are interested in supporting our students by working in schools or district departments.
To find out more information about substitute or regular em-ployment opportunities, please refer to the Franklin Pierce web-site at www.fpschools.org and click on “employment.”
You may also call the Human Resources office at 253-298-3085 for more information.
We look forward to working with you!
Child Find Screening
Free screening for children ages 3 to 5 is provided for chil-dren living in the Franklin Pierce School District through the Child Find program.
The purpose of the screen-ing is to determine if your child is in need of special education services. Please call Pam Cooley at 253-298-3051 for more in-formation or to schedule an ap-pointment.
‘Doing more with less’ - What does that mean?
Inquiries regarding compliance procedures may be directed to Wendy Malich, Title IX Officer, Bill Rasplica, 504 Coordinator, or Gary Benson, ADA Coordinator at 315 129th Street South, Tacoma, WA 98444-5099, 253-298-3000.
Since 2006, during the past five years of tough economic con-ditions which have hit everyone’s pocket book, many business and government leaders have thrown around a phrase that I think needs more examination before people casually use it to describe the budget challenges they face. The phrase: doing more with less.
I often hear leaders throughout Pierce County saying that bud-get reductions do not change the growing needs for the goods and services their respective organiza-tion provides, or that which cur-rent law mandates them to provide irrespective of budget. Therefore, they say, their organization will be forced to do more with less.
Is it possible to do more with less? Sure it is, if and only if the status quo is operating less than efficiently. In a presentation to school board members from throughout Washington, the state’s chief economist, Dr. Arun Raha, provided data which showed that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is back to pre-2008 levels even though the employment rate in the state is not, hovering around 10% unemployment. OK, so the private sector has achieved doing more (increased output) with less (decreased input). All that says to me is that they were not operating efficiently before, and have since found innovative ways to maintain production levels.
In the same way, public entities like Franklin Pierce Schools have had to face declining revenue, pri-marily from reductions passed by the Washington State Legislature. And like the private sector, the dis-trict has had to make reductions in spending. However, unlike the private sector, it is rather difficult to analyze if the district has been able to maintain the same or bet-ter quality of education (increased output) despite less staff and other resources (decreased input). In part, this is due to the lag time as-sociated with test scores.
Budget: recent reductions and spending comparisons
We do have a few methods that help to provide an indication of how student achievement may have been impacted due to re-duced spending.
First, we look at the criteria the district used when reductions were made in the last several years. In order of priority, the district has made reductions based on the following criteria: maintain pro-grams that directly support Frank-lin Pierce Schools’ vision, mis-sion, beliefs and goals; maintain programs that directly support improving student achievement; maintain a safe learning and work-ing environment for students and staff; maintain a level of support services that appropriately reflect the needs associated with criteria 1-3; and, maintain financial in-tegrity as a district. In short, the district’s strategy has been to make reductions in areas furthest away from the classroom.
Second, the district looks at how our spending in the category of administration compares with other nearby school districts. As you can see from the charts below, our district maintains very com-petitive spending practices relative to neighboring districts. It is our belief that these types of indicators suggest that we strive to keep ev-
ery available dollar going straight into the classroom in the form of school building improvements, teacher compensation, additional classroom support staff, instruc-tional support, and curriculum. Some administration will always be necessary to manage an organi-zation of 7,600 students and nearly 1,000 staff.
I argue that the district has been able to maintain or exceed academic achievement given less revenue. And I believe that test scores will support this claim over the proceeding months. Does that mean we’re doing more with less? Likely.
Becoming more efficient is not a bad thing. In fact, that may very well be the greatest blessing of this recession.
Doing more with less is a con-cept the community should spend time grappling. I leave two ques-tions for your further consider-ation:
1) What is the long term value of becoming more efficient?
2) At what point does forced efficiency due to reduced spend-ing reach a breaking point where doing more with less is no longer possible?
Position/Program Quantity Cost Savings
Athletics (capital, travel, etc) - $62,000
District Travel - $100,000
Summer School (I-728 reduction) - $100,000
Central Office Clerical 6 $305,000
District Athletic Director .5 $50,000
District Assistant Director (Val) 1 $118,000
Transportation (combined secondary routes no mid-day) - $140,000
1% cut to each department and school - $705,000
Executive Directors 2 $280,000
District Director of CTE 1 $110,000
Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) 4.6 $460,000
Family Support 2 $60,000
Nurses 3 $150,000
Transition Specialist 1 $60,000
School Resource Officer (P.C. Deputy) 1 $80,000
District Mail .4 $20,000
Counselor .4 $25,000
Secondary Staffing 6.5 $400,000
Secondary Librarians 3 $180,000
ParaeducatorTime (100 hours) $175,000
Deans .6 $45,000
Other Administration Cuts $500,000
Reductions: 2004-2010
