NASA Astronaut keynote speaker at Great Explorations science adventure for girls
On Saturday, March 26, the Walla Walla branch of the American Association of University Women will present Great Explorations, a math, science, engineering and technology adventure for 5th through 8th grade girls, at Whitman College, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The highlight of this year’s event will be the appearance of NASA astronaut Dorothy “Dottie” Metcalf-Lindenburger who will be the keynote speaker at noon in Cordiner Hall. The public is invited to attend her presentation and there is no charge for admission. Metcalf-Lindenburger graduated with honors and cum laude from Whitman College in 1997 with a B.A. in geology. She was a science teacher in Vancouver, Washington, when she was selected as a NASA Educator Mission Specialist in 2004. In February 2006 she completed Astronaut Candidate Training that included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.  Completion of this initial training qualified her for technical assignments within the Astronaut Office and future flight assignment.  Dottie served as the Astronaut Office Station Branch lead for systems and crew interfaces.  In 2010 she was a mission specialist on the crew of STS-131 and has logged over 362 hours in space.

Before Dottie’s presentation, girls will have the opportunity to attend three workshops offering informal, hands-on experience with careers that utilize math, science, engineering and technology. These workshops will give the girls an opportunity to meet and form personal contacts with women in these exciting careers. There will be over twenty workshops to chose from, with intriguing titles such as Eco-Divas; What’s Shakin’?; Mission Possible; Live Cell Cinemas; Jumbled Genetics; and Clink,Crash, Boink! Topics include environmental science, geology, engineering, neurobiology, genetics, architecture and many more. Registration is required for Great Explorations and girls may request to be in the same workshops as their friends. Workshops are assigned in the order the registrations are received, so it is an advantage to register early. The fee to attend is $5 and scholarships are available. For more information on registration, scholarships or questions on any of the events, please contact Carol Morgan, pcmorgan@charter.net, 525-3531, or visit the AAUW website at www.aauw-wallawalla.org.

While the girls are attending the workshops, parents/educators are invited to attend a two-part panel presentation. The first segment will discuss how to motivate girls to continue to be interested in math, science, engineering and technology into high school and beyond. The panelists will be Dorothy “Dottie” Metcalf-Lindenburger and three other women, who all attended Great Explorations as girls and who all have degrees in math, science, engineering or technology. The second part of the program will be on the economics of education. Representatives from Walla Walla Community College, Walla Walla High School and Whitman College will present scholarship and college financial aid information and there will be time for questions.

In addition to AAUW, Great Explorations is sponsored by Whitman College, Walla Walla Public Schools and the YWCA. Great Explorations also receives financial support from a number of local trusts: Yancey Winans Trust, George Welch Trust, Kenneth Wells Trust, Stubblefield and Braden Trusts, Blue Mountain Community Foundation and the Bald/Easary Trusts. 

Music Booster Citrus Sale supports school music program
The Music Booster Citrus Sale continues through February 22. Middle and High School music students are taking orders for oranges, grapefruit, and tangelos. They are available in 20lb and 40lb boxes, and the fruit is fantastic. Elementary staff can contact their building’s music teacher to place an order.
Fruit will be delivered March 23 and 24. Proceeds are used to support Walla Walla students and the district’s music program.

For more information contact:
Roger Garcia, District Music Coordinator
509-301-7598
rgarcia@wwps.org

Walla Walla Kids Read 2011 Program features beloved children’s author
Walla Walla Kids Read 2011 will play host to Jon Scieszka, one of America’s most beloved children’s authors. Scieszka will entertain and educate thousands of local students at Cordiner Hall on the Whitman College campus. Dates for the event, designed for schools and open to the public, are March 21and 22.

Walla Walla Kids Read is designed to inspire every k-5 child in the Walla Walla valley by bringing students to a world class facility to hear a well known author. All costs, including busing of students to and from the event, are paid for by Walla Walla Kids Read (this applies to the six Walla Walla based elementary schools. Schools outside of Walla Walla are invited to attend at no cost, but will be required to cover the cost of transportation).

Details about times, events, books, authors, and classroom activities are available at www.wallawallakidsread.com

About this year’s author
JON SCIESZKA – All Grades
In 2008, Mr. Scieszka was appointed by the Library of Congress to be the first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Scieszka is the author of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, the Truck Town series, Stinky Cheese Man, Math Curse, Science Verse, Robot Zot, Knucklehead, and the Time Warp Trio series among many others. He has won numerous national awards including the Texas Blue Bonnett, the ALA notable book, and Publishers Weekly best book of the year.
Mr. Scieszka is a popular humorist and speaker who loves to make kids laugh and learn. He will speak to groups of K-2 and 3-5 for this year’s event.

Walla Walla Kids Read will include large scale events at Cordiner Hall on the Whitman College campus, along with a community event on the evening of the 22nd. Please see www.wallawallakidsread.com for scheduling.Walla Walla Kids Read is dedicated to nurturing and encouraging young readers and supporting our local educators in creating life long readers. Their primary goal is to provide a nationally known author presentation to every K-5th grade student in the Walla Walla valley every year. A author selections are designed to inspire, educate, and encourage students to pursue reading and writing. Events are developed for local elementary schools and open to the public. Every elementary school child in Walla Walla, regardless of income, benefits from Walla Walla Kids Read. All costs are funded by WWKR including school busing, author fees, and facility use.

Contact the Walla Walla Kids Read Team
Chair: Patrick Carman
School Liaison, Educational Resources: Michelle Shaul - Green Park Elementary Librarian - mshaul@wwps.org
Events coordinators / community Liaisons:
Elizabeth George - Walla Walla Public Library - egeorge@ci.walla-walla.wa.us
Melissa Gardner - melissagardner@charter.net
School Principal Liaison: Mike Lambert - Principal, Green Park Elementary - mlambert@wwps.org
Author Liaison: Squire Broel - Artist - broelsa@my180.net

Garrison Dance Team performs at Walla Walla Community College
Garrison Middle School dance Team performed February 2 at Walla Walla Community College during halftime of the Warrior Men’s game against Columbia Basin College. The dance team had three new performances this season, including Borleske Stadium and Walla Walla High School.

Garrison Dance Team members include;Kaylee Naumann, Natalie Jackson, Brenda Fernandez, Angel Harris-Hunt, Nancy Marquez, Kylee Fullen, Nicole Hinze, and newcomer to GMS, Katie Dahlin. Garrison’s Dance Team will begin their 2011-2012 season next fall.

Walla Walla High School Sports Playoff Overview

Boys Basketball vs. Moses Lake (District Tournament first round -- loser out)
Friday, Feb. 11
7 p.m. (gates open at 6 p.m.)
Wa-Hi Main gym
$6 for adults and $4 students (no passes)
If boys win, they travel to Davis Saturday for a 7 p.m. game at Davis HS in Yakima

Girls Basketball vs. Wenatchee (District Tournament first round -- loser out)
Friday, Feb. 11
6 p.m.
Wenatchee High School
$6 for adults and $4 students (no passes)
If girls win, they travel to Chiawana HS to play at 5 p.m. Saturday night

Wrestling Regional Match in Spokane
Ferris High School
Friday, Feb. 11 - 4 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 12 - 10 a.m.
Four Wa-Hi wrestlers are competing: Nason Babbitt, Ryan Evans, Logan Reardon, Gerald Maib
(Wrestlers have to finish in the top three to advance to state in Tacoma)

Swimming
Wa-Hi swimmers will compete at the state swim meet next weekend in Federal Way. Six swimmers have qualified for state: Austin Garrett, Max Troin, Josh Bumgarner, Jonathon Klem, Patrick Giedeman, Zach Staudenmaier

Dance Team Open Competition State Qualifier
Saturday, Feb. 12
Kamiakin HS in Kennewick
This is an all day event (Wa-Hi is scheduled to perform after lunch)
The Wa-Hi Dance Team needs one qualifying score to advance to districts

Art Regier Outstanding Volunteers of the Years Award nominations accepted
Nominations are being accepted through Friday, March 25 for the Art Regier Outstanding Volunteers of the Year Award. Recipients will be recognized at the April 19 school board meeting. Nomination forms are available at all Walla Walla Public Schools and the district office.

Criteria for selection may include the following:
1. Exceptional service or contributions to the children of Walla Walla Public Schools
2. Unusual dedication
3. Demonstration of care, compassion and empathy

Recipients of the Art Regier Outstanding Volunteer Award will be honored with a plaque to display at their home or place of business, and their name will be permanently affixed to a memorial plaque in the school district’s board room at 364 South Park Street. For more information, please call Communications Director Mark Higgins 526-6716.

Walla Walla High School winter athletic teams score high in the classroom
Congratulations to Walla Walla High School’s Winter Athletic teams for success in the classroom. Twelve of the 14 Walla Walla High School winter sports teams earned Washington Interscholastic Activities Association awards for their academic accomplishments.

The WIAA awards are based on the teams combined Grade Point Average for first semester of this year. WIAA gives two academic awards—WIAA Outstanding Academic Award for teams with a combined GPA of 3.5 and up and WIAA Distinguished Academic Award for teams with a combined GPA of 3.00 to 3.499.

“Thanks to the coaches for their hard work and their emphasis on the academic success of our players and to all the teachers and support staff who help these student-athletes each day,” Don Wilkins, District Athletic Director. “Our two teams who did not receive a WIAA award were very close, 2.988 and 2.926 gpa’s.”

The following are the teams receiving awards and their coaches:

Outstanding Team Award (3.5 +)
Boys Frosh “B” Basketball (Coaches: Steve Gwinn and Doug Venerri)
Girls Varsity Basketball (Coaches: Jill Meliah and Anne Bickelhaupt)
JV Girls Basketball (Coaches: Conor Fish)
Frosh Girls Basketball (Coaches: Marnie Johnson)

Distinguished Team Award (3.0 – 3.499)
JV Boys Basketball (Coach: Gary Peasley)
Sophomore Boys Basketball (Coach: Keith Michels)
Frosh “A” Boys Basketball (Coach: Rich Gwinn)
Girls ”C” Basketball (Coach: Elaina Renius)
Varsity Wrestling (Coaches: Clayton Hudiburg and John Butenhoff)
Boys Swimming (Coaches: Brad Daly and April Brown)
Cheer (Coach: Cathy Rasley)
Dance (Coach: Abby Muro)

State Advanced Placement scores, participation rate continues increase
OLYMPIA – The trend of Washington students taking and passing more Advanced Placement exams continued in 2010. During the past five years, scores have increased even as the number of exams taken has risen, according to a national report released today.

The College Board’s sixth annual “AP Report to the Nation” shows that 18,296 Washington students (or 28.0 percent) in the class of 2010 took at least one AP exam, an increase of nearly 1,061 from the previous year and 4,982 from five years ago. Consequently, Washington’s percentage of 12th graders scoring three or greater, a score that generally qualifies for college credit, increased to 17.1 percent in 2010 from 12.9 five years ago. That 4.2 percent increase placed Washington at 10th in the nation. The national average was 3 percent for the same time period.

“Advanced Placement is such a valuable program as we continue with our goal of helping all students be career and college ready,” State Superintendent Randy Dorn said.

The trends of increased participation and college-ready scores also held true for all subgroups, including black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander, white and low-income students.
Read full press release at: http://www.k12.wa.us/Communications/PressReleases2011/APScores.aspx

Green Park parents reading activity a huge success
This week Green Park Elementary held a school-wide “Bring your Parents to Reading Class” Day. The goal is have the parents and guardians attend a reading class so they understand the classroom routines and expectations. It’s also an excellent opportunity for them to observe teacher and student interactions. Parents are invited to a free lunch or breakfast with their child. The Green Park PTA supports the activity by helping sign parents in and accept evaluation forms.

In January, Green Park held a “Bring your Parents to Math Class” Day. More than 160 parents attended in support of their children and school. Special thanks to Green Park Title One Teachers Georgi Delgadillo and Brenda Sims for helping organize the events.

Lincoln High School plays host for Walla Walla Debate
Last Saturday more than 100 students from Yakima, Pasco, Moses Lake, Leavenworth, Wenatchee and Walla Walla participated in the Walla Walla Debate at Lincoln High School.

“Lincoln English teacher and Debate advisor Riki Wauchek did an incredible job arranging a welcoming environment at Lincoln,” District Debate Coach Jean Tobin said. “There was food available for students and video games and karaoke. It was the most enjoyable tournament I’ve been to and the kids really appreciated all the extras that Riki arranged. The Lincoln staff was very supportive and allowed us to use their rooms and many of them showed up to support the students.”

Walla Walla High School students and parents helped by providing food for the judges. They also helped judge rounds.

“The Wa-Hi teachers and administration have been consistently supportive of the debate team and have really made the students and program feel valued,” Tobin said. “I’d just like to say thank you so much to the Lincoln Principal Jim Sporleder and Wa-Hi Principal Pete Peterson for their support of the program and to Riki Wauchek for starting it up at Lincoln.”

Tobin said the program has been a great success in Walla Walla. “I had one parent come up in tears afterwards saying that before debate her daughter was too nervous to comfortably talk on the phone with her grandmother - and now she is winning trophies consistently and feeling so much more confident,” Tobin said. “It means a lot to some students to have this chance to learn and compete and socialize.”

Explorer nomination period now open
Nomination materials are now available in all district elementary and middle schools for the 2011-12 Explorer (Gifted Education) Program. Parents with students in grades 2 through 7 may contact their child’s teacher or school learning specialist/middle school counselor for more information. Walla Walla School District’s Explorer Program provides students of high academic and intellectual ability with designated time to explore concepts in greater depth. Classes are currently offered for students in grade three through eight.

The goal of the Explorer Program is to encourage the development of higher level thinking skills. Students learn to become responsible for their own learning, to develop their creative thinking and critical reasoning power and to strive to reach their potential. The Explorer curriculum for third through fifth grades focuses primarily on mathematics, science, oral and written communication and critical thinking skills. Elementary students are bussed to Sharpstein Elementary School for two half-days per week. At each middle school, curriculum is drawn from the areas of language arts and social studies and offers advanced, but parallel, learning opportunities.

The nomination deadline this year is March 16, 2011. All nominated students will take a norm-referenced standardized test at their school and those who qualify for further testing will participate in cognitive abilities testing in a central location. In all cases, parents will be notified of the results of the process, and a child not selected one year may be re-nominated in following years.

For more information, please contact the Walla Walla School District Curriculum and Instruction office: 509-526-6735.

Walla Walla High School students excel at Bonneville Power Administration Science Bowl
Eight Walla Walla High School students recently traveled to Portland to participate in the 20th Annual Bonneville Power Administration Regional Science Bowl.

The team members are members of Exploring Post #311 and the Walla Walla High School Latino Club who are interested in math and science. They are: Teresa Olivos, Paola Flores, Anthony Olivos, Yesica Olivos, Gesner Rangel, José Beleche, Sergio Galván, and Mariela Bahena. They have been preparing for the competition Sunday afternoons since before Thanksgiving.

Science Bowl is a quiz-style question and answer science and math competition that is held yearly on the University of Portland campus. This year, 63 teams from Washington and Oregon competed in the Saturday, February 5th event. The event is the largest Department of Energy Regional Science Bowl competition in the United States.

The students also had the opportunity to meet NASA Astronaut Dr. Stanley Love who was a guest speaker at the event. Dr. Love described how his interest in science led to his current career as a Mission Specialist with the space agency. As a member of shuttle crew, STS-122 Atlantis on February 7-20, 2008, Dr. Love performed two spacewalks to help prepare the European Space Agency’s Columbus Laboratory module for the Space Station and install it there permanently. A native of Oregon, he told the students that “Science is not just good for the world; it’s also good for the country and good for you.” He also expressed the importance of studying and doing what you like to do when choosing a career. This is the sixth year that Walla Walla students have participated in the BPA event.

“Although each year the students answer more questions, the competition seems to get more challenging” said Diana Erickson, Walla Walla School District Bilingual coordinator.

She and her husband Bill, a BPA employee, are coaches for the teams. The two teams are organized and sponsored by Explorer Post 311, a Learning for Life Program which operates as a subsidiary of the Boy Scouts of America. The Post also supports the Walla Walla High School Latino Club. The trip was made possible by funding support from the College Place First Presbyterian Church, which sponsors the Explorer Post, and Pacific Power.

Community Center for Youth provides positive activities for teenagers - Johnny Johnson, CCY Program Manager
The Community Center for Youth (CCY) Gang Prevention Night November 19 was a complete success! Forty-four middle school kids from around the school district participated in the hour and a half program. Also in attendance were several adults from the community including the Walla Walla Chief of Police Chuck Fulton, Sheriff John Turner, Deputy Sheriff Luke Watson, and CCY Executive Director Gary Lunden. WWPD Gang Task Force detectives Saul Reyna and Kevin Bain let a very interactive presentation which relied upon youth involvement.

CCY Middle School Dance and Fund Raiser reached a bench mark attendance of 140 kids! The dance was complete with a live DJ, awesome sound system and incredible lighting and strobe effects. A truly “safe” and well organized event with no negative incidences. It was well chaperoned. The supervision comprised of 15 staff and volunteers as well as Walla Walla Police Officer Mike Moses.

The CCY hang out and recreation room was a constant flurry of activity with kids playing foosball, ping pong, and shooting pool. Four parents and one grandpa attended to observe the activity. The event ended with CCY staff serving the kids twenty pizzas as they exited the dance.

Graduates of Distinction nominations now accepted
Nominations are open for the 2011 Graduates of Distinction Program. All nominations and recommendation forms must be received in the district Curriculum Department by April 15, 2011.

The purpose of the Walla Walla Public Schools’ Graduates of Distinction program is to provide an avenue for recognizing high school graduates of Walla Walla Public Schools who have distinguished themselves in their communities, professions, or careers; and to honor the Walla Walla Public Schools’ staff members who were the most inspirational in the lives of those individuals.

In order to be eligible for nomination, an individual must have graduated from high school in the Walla Walla Public Schools at least 10 years prior to nomination.

The recognition is intended to honor Walla Walla high school graduates for outstanding achievement. The honor will be given to mature adults who are exemplary citizens and have distinguished themselves in their communities, their professions, or their careers. Nominations will be held for five years, and will automatically be included in the selection process during that time.

Nomination forms are available at the district office, 364 South Park Street, or on the district website: http://www.wwps.org/news/grad_distinction.htm. Please call Kay Schisler, 526-6735, for more information.

Kindergarten and Open Enrollment Registration dates set for 2011-12 School Year
Walla Walla Public Schools Kindergarten and Fall Registration period is Monday, March 21 to Friday, April 1, 2011. Kindergarten registration will be conducted at the student’s attendance area elementary school. Parents wishing to pick up the kindergarten registration information may do so at their child’s school beginning March 14. However, the completed registration forms will not be accepted until March 21.

New Student Registration Hours:
Monday, March 21 - 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
March 22 - April 1 - 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Parents/guardians who wish to open enroll their child to a school outside of their attendance area may pick up Open Enrollment application forms at their attendance area school during normal school hours beginning Monday, March 14; however, forms will not be accepted in the receiving school until Monday, March 21.

If there is space available to accommodate open enrollment requests, then the priorities outlined in School Board Policy No. 3130 will be used to determine movement of a student. School Board Policy manuals are available for public viewing at all Walla Walla Public Schools and the Administration Office. School Board policies are also online at http://www.wwps.org/leadership/board.htm#11

Please contact your attendance area school for more information. District boundary maps are available at all schools, the Administration Office at 364 South Park Street, and online at www.wwps.org . Click on the District A to Z link and then click on Boundary Map.