Superintendent and School Board President to discuss bond on radio
Superintendent Rich Carter and School Board President Mary Jo Geidl will be special guests on the Grapevine local morning radio show Thursday, Jan. 12 from 7 to 8 a.m. on 1490 KTEL AM. Carter and Geidl will discuss the district’s proposed bond issue slated for May 16.

The May 16 bond issue represents the first of four phases to improve the district’s current facilities over a 25 year period.

This bond addresses the district’s most urgent needs first:
• Replacing Edison Elementary (current site)
• Replacing Paine Alternative Campus (current site)
• Moving Support Services operations to the current Wa-Hi Career and Technical Education building
• Replacing and renovating Walla Walla High School
• Additional dollars at all schools for yearly facility improvements, technology and security upgrades.

District begins bond information community presentations

- Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce board - Tuesday, Jan. 17 - 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Port of Walla Walla Economic Development Committee - Tuesday, Jan. 24 - 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

If you or someone you know would like more information on the May 16 bond issue, please contact Communications Director Mark Higgins to schedule a presentation (526-6716 or e-mail: mhiggins@wwps.org)

Bond information available online
This district has posted information on the May 16 issue on its website at www.wwps.org. The web-based information includes conceptual designs of the proposed schools slated for improvements.

Informational fact sheets will also be available soon. Contact Communications Director Mark Higgins for more information on the May 16 bond issue.

Staff attend Special Education conferences to better support district students
Assistant Superintendent Linda Boggs and Special Education Supervisor Laura Droke are in Olympia today to attend a meeting in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction on “Examining Standards Criteria For Special Ed Monitoring.”

Berney Resource Room staff member Justine Taylor and Prospect Point Resource Room teacher Lance Longmire will be attending a Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) conference in Seattle, January 19-21.

Berney’s Laura Grant-Herriot - January Staff Spotlight employee

Job Title: 4th Grade Teacher

Years in District: This is her14th year working for Walla Walla Public Schools. She taught one year in Southern California and 3 years in the Prescott School District.

Birth place: Walla Walla

High School & College: Wa-Hi - Class of 1980, Undergraduate degree - Eastern Washington University, Masters Degree - Northwest Nazarene

Favorite food: Unfortunately, anything high in carbohydrates!

Favorite movie: Disney’s Pocahontas - “I love strong girl characters who stand up for what they believe in.”

Favorite band (or music): Songs from Broadway musicals

Favorite book: I love catching up on new young adult literature! My current favorite is “The City of Ember” by Jeanne DuPrau.

What do you love most about your job: “I love the enthusiasm of kids this age! It seems to dawn on them that there is a whole world outside of their own. I love the clear expectations at this grade level, working with colleagues who have a positive attitude, and the professional challenge in getting kids to meet the standards while making it exciting and meaningful.”

Hobbies: Scrapbooking family photos

Most memorable life experience: Other than the birth of my 3 beautiful daughters Samantha 13, Hope 11 and Maggie 8, probably the time my girls and I spent in the WWCC Summer Musical, “Annie” a couple of years ago.

Tell us something about yourself that nobody else would know: I was an AFS exchange student and spent my senior year in Australia.

Wa-Hi students publish essays to raise funds for hurricane victims
Walla Walla High School Juniors in Casey Monahan’s Advanced Placement Language and Composition class have compiled a selection of their essays to help raise money for our nation’s hurricane victims.

The anthology, titled “Writing for Relief,” is a collection of essays written as a class assignment. The essays vary in topic and tone. The assignment called for students to define an abstract word. The students were encouraged to write from personal experience, although not all chose to do so.

“Of the 48 students in the class, 22 decided to publish their work in the anthology,” Monahan said. “After a series of meetings by a board of student editors and a greatly anticipated wait, the books are now available.”

Each book is $15. They may be purchased from any of the students who published in the anthology, by calling Monahan (527-3020 ext. 4640) or at Earthlight Books on Main Street.

All proceeds will go towards disaster relief for communities impacted by hurricanes last fall.

Walla Walla Gang Task Force to talk at WA-HI PTSA meeting
Monday, January 9
7 p.m. - Wa-Hi Library

The Walla Walla Gang Task Force will present information about gang activiity in our schools and community. There will be time for questions and discussion. Please let others know about this opportunity to talk with the task force and school adminstrators.

You do not need to be a PTSA member to attend the meeting, all are welcome. For more information, contact Wa-Hi PTSA President Vicky McClellan at 509.529.7198.

Wa-Hi students place first in Virtual Business Challenge
Congratulations to a team of three WA-HI students for placing first in the state recently in the first event of the 2005-2006 Knowledge Matters, Inc.’s Virtual Business Challenge. The students were: Kehnin Dyer, Thomas Suckow, and Bradley Vance. Thomas and Bradley also placed first in the same competition last year. They are planning on entering the second event starting January 9.

“We’re all hoping for another 1st place finish,” Wa-Hi Business and Occupational Education teacher Karen Dazell said. “This is quite an honor to have placed 1st.”

Virtual Business is an on-line competition where students control pricing, promotion, merchandising, market research for a software-based convenience store. There are more than 100 schools of all sizes participating in the Virtual Business Challenge.

Quality Schools Impact Business Recruitment
• The quality of schools plays a key role in the decision by businesses to locate or remain in your community. According to a National Alliance of Business report, the second most often cited reason for a business selecting a particular location is the quality of schools.
Source: School Planning & Management Magazine