Walla Walla Public Schools
Week in Review - February 27, 2009

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School board meeting Tuesday, March 3
Tuesday, March 3
7:30 p.m.
District Office Board Room (364 S. Park St.)
Open to public

Parent conferences scheduled next week
Parent and teacher conferences are scheduled throughout the district next week. Contact your child’s school for a complete schedule. Students will attend school Thursday, March 5 as a snow make-up day. There is no school for students Friday, March 6 as this day is a full conference day.


Grant-Herriot pledges to remain a strong voice for education
Walla Walla Public Schools fifth grade teacher Laura Grant-Herriot was recently named by the Columbia, Walla Walla, Benton and Franklin County Commissioners to take her father’s seat as representative of the 16th Legislative District. Bill Grant was serving in his 10th term when he passed away in January from complications with lung cancer.

“I’m humbled and honored to be given the opportunity to carry on the values and traditions of my father,” Grant-Herriot said. “I will take this appointment very seriously and work to stabilize our state’s budget woes in these trying economic times. I will keep our legislative district in the forefront as we go through this difficult process.”

Grant-Herriot has been employed by Walla Walla Public Schools for 17 years and is currently teaching at Berney Elementary. She is the mother of three daughters: Samantha, 16; Hope, 14; and Maggie, 11.
She is a class of 1980 graduate of Walla Walla High School and received her Associates of Arts degree from Walla Walla Community College. Grant-Herriot received her undergraduate teaching degree in elementary education from Eastern Washington University and her master’s degree from Northwest Nazarene University in Napa, ID.

She received certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2007 and has served on numerous district-level committees. Grant-Herriot’s father Bill Grant was always a strong supporter of education and voice for public schools in Olympia. Representative Grant operated a 4th generation family wheat farm after earning his Bachelor of Arts in physical education from Whitman College in 1959.

“A teacher’s strength is in building relationships and I plan to use this skill in my new position,” Grant-Herriot said. “There will be many issues I will need to get more familiar with during this process, but my passion for education and respect for people will continue to influence my decision making.

Grant-Herriot is taking a leave of absence from her teaching position for the duration of the 2009 legislative session.


National Geographic giant traveling map coming to Sharpstein March 6-8, 2009
What better way to teach young people the power of maps and the limitless depth of geography than a gym-sized map on which they can explore, travel from place to place, hop around, compete, collaborate and have lots of fun?

That’s exactly how local students will get to explore North America, courtesy of National Geographic, when a giant 26 by 26 foot map makes a stop at Sharpstein Elementary School next week.

The map will be located in the Sharpstein Elementary School Gym and is open without charge to the public on Friday, March 6, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., then on Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, from noon to 5 p.m. Everyone is invited. Just remember that socks are required for walking on the map.

The huge map, designed for grades K-8, tours with a trunk full of accessories, including interactive games, geography adventures, atlases and books that teach students about the physical characteristics of North America as well as its rich history and varied cultures. Some of the activities included are “A Tale of Twenty Cities,” in which students explore the physical and economic reasons behind the locations of North American cities, and “Grocery Store Geography,” in which bean-bag-tossing skills are called upon to test students’ knowledge of where foods are produced in the continent.

National Geographic Traveling Maps are produced by National Geographic Live! – the live events division of the National Geographic Society. “Experiencing a map of this size can really awaken a student to the power of maps and the limitless depth of geography, “ says Dan Beaupré, National Geographic’s director of education partnerships. “The result is an experience that is a cross between geography and a gym class.”

To learn more about the Giant Traveling Map project, visit www.ngsednet.org/giantmaps.

For more information, contact Mary Cortinas at Sharpstein Elementary School, 527-3098.


Wa-Hi girls and boys basketball teams continue regional action tonight
Regional Basketball Tournament Information

Friday, Feb 27: Wa-Hi Girls Basketball vs. Pasco @ Toyota Center - Kennewick - 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 27: Wa-Hi Boys Basketball vs. Lewis & Clark @ Toyota Center - Kennewick - 9 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 28:
Wa-Hi Girls Basketball (Possibility #1 - if they win Friday’s game)
Regional Championship game - 3 p.m.
Toyota Center - Kennewick

Wa-Hi Girls Basketball (Possibility #2 - if they lose Friday’s game)
Regional game - 11 a.m.
Toyota Center - Kennewick
(If the girls win the 11 a.m. game, they will play again later that Saturday at 7 p.m. @ Toyota Center)

Wa-Hi Boys Basketball (Possibility #1 - if they win Friday’s game)
Regional Championship game - 5 p.m.
Toyota Center - Kennewick

Wa-Hi Boys Basketball (Possibility #2 - if they lose Friday’s game)
Regional game - 1 p.m.
Toyota Center - Kennewick
(If the boys win the 1 p.m. game, they will play again later that Saturday at 7 p.m. @ Toyota Center)



Mehn named girls basketball Coach of the Year as Big Nine All Conference selections announced
Congratulations to Walla Walla High School Girls basketball coach Jack Mehn for being named the Big Nine Coach of the Year for the Cascade Division. The Lady Blue Devils are 21-4 under Mehn’s leadership and in the winner’s bracket of the Regional Tournament.

Big Nine All Conference recipients include:

CASCADE DIVISION BOYS
Player of the Year, Taylor Elmo, Ike

1st Team, Gary Winston, WallaWalla
1st Team, James Lopez, Ike
1st Team, Michael Weisner, WallaWalla
1st Team, Matt Borton, West Valley
1st Team, Calvin Douglas, Richland

2nd Team, Jeremy Rojas, Kamiakin
2nd Team, Alix Hernandez, West Valley
2nd Team, Jordan Gaut, Ike
2nd Team, Case Rada, Kamiakin
2nd Team, Robert Bonser, Ike

Honorable Mention, Brady Parsons, Eastmont
Honorable Mention, Spencer Hessler, WallaWalla
Honorable Mention, Brett Jacobs, Richland
Honorable Mention, Pete Zachara, Hanford
Honorable Mention, Clint Smith, Richland
Honorable Mention, Rowe, Jamison, Richland
Honorable Mention, Kyle Wagar, Hanford
Honorable Mention, Darren Spaeth, Eastmont
Honorable Mention, Garret Anderson, Kamiakin
Honorable Mention, Malachi Roberts, Eastmont

Defensive Player of the Year, Gary Winston, WallaWalla
All Defense Team, Jamison Rowe, Richland
All Defense Team, Jordan Gaut, Ike
All Defense Team, Case Rada, Kamiakin
All Defense Team, Colton Arias, Walla Walla
All Defense Team, Calvin Douglas, Richland
All Defense Team, James Lopez, Ike
All Defense Team, Shane DeLaney, Eastmont
All Defense Team, Brett Jacobs, Richland
COACH OF THE YEAR – PAT FITTERER, EISENHOWER

COLUMBIA DIVISION BOYS
Player of the Year, Austin Bryan, Wenatchee
1st Team, Robert Montano, Pasco
1st Team, Andrew Mendenhall, Southridge
1st Team, Josh Loera, Moses Lake
1st Team, Anthony Scales, Pasco
1st Team, Connor Smith, Wenatchee
1st Team, Alfredo DeLabarrera, Sunnyside


2nd Team, David Trimble, Davis
2nd Team, Les Henderson, Davis
2nd Team, Andre Griffin, Pasco
2nd Team, Ryan Reese, Wenatchee

2nd Team, Isac Bergeson, Moses Lake

Honorable Mention, Jeramie Streicher, Pasco
Honorable Mention, Clayton Homme, Southridge
Honorable Mention, Kor Ter, Kennewick
Honorable Mention, Isreal Manzo, Sunnyside
Honorable Mention, Ismael Uvay, Pasco
  
Defensive Player of theYear, Austin Bryan, Wenatchee
All Defense Team, Connor Smith, Wenatchee
All Defense Team, Anthony Scales, Pasco
All Defense Team, Noel Lopez, Davis
All Defense Team, Andre Griffin, Pasco
All Defense Team, Jordan Esqueda, Sunnyside
Coach of the Year, Brett McGinnis, Wenatchee

CASCADE DIVISION GIRLS
Player of the Year, Tina Miller, Kamiakin
1st Team, Mikaela Rivard, Walla Walla
1st Team, Jamie Weisner, Walla Walla
1st Team, Haley Curtis, West Valley
1st Team, Brooke Randall, Eastmont
1st Team, Katelin Sillery, West Valley

2nd Team, Haley Tank, Hanford
2nd Team, Laura Hughes, Hanford
2nd Team, Jaylyn von Oelhoffen, Richland
2nd Team, Hope Klicker, Walla Walla
2nd Team, Jessica Bush, Eisenhower

Honorable Mention, Jorie Freeman, Hanford
Honorable Mention, Karinne Tuttle, Eastmont
Honorable Mention, Erin Richardson, West Valley
Honorable Mention, Megan Sax, Richland
Honorable Mention, Jacqie McDonald, Richland
Honorable Mention, Brittany Gaut, Eisenhower

Defensive Player of theYear, Haley Curtis, West Valley
All Defense Team, Tina Miller, Kamiakin
All Defense Team, Alicia Baker, Walla Walla
All Defense Team, Megan Sax, Richland
All Defense Team, Laura Hughes, Hanford
All Defense Team, Erin Richardson, West Valley

Coach of the Year : Jack Mehn, Walla Walla

COLUMBIA DIVISON GIRLS
Player of the Year, Carly Noyes, Moses Lake
1st Team, Hayley Hodgins, Pasco
1st Team, Danielle Walter, Pasco
1st Team, Jordan Loera, Moses Lake
1st Team, Dani Hallberg, Wen
1st Team, Heather Worley, SR

2nd Team, Jamie Lyons, SR
2nd Team, Morgan Sullivan, Pasco
2nd Team, Lisa Middleton, Pasco
2nd Team, Amanda Hall, Kenn
2nd Team, Daria Winckler, Davis

Honorable Mention, Erica Colter, Southridge
Honorable Mention, Reina Malito, Kennewick
Honorable Mention, Kelly Sutherland, Moses Lake
Honorable Mention, Katie Wutzke, Sunnyside
Honorable Mention, Courtney Perez, Kenn
Honorable Mention, Michaela George, Wenatchee
Honorable Mention, Sadie Sparks, Pasco
 
Defensive Player of theYear, Carly Noyes, Moses Lake
All Defense Team, Lisa Middleton, Pasco
All Defense Team, Jordan Loera, Moses Lake
All Defense Team, Yesenia Ortiz, Pasco
All Defense Team, LaQuila Upton, Southridge
All Defense Team, Haylee Douglass, Wenatchee

Coach of the Year : Steve Davis, Pasco

Wrestling All Conference Selections
2nd team
David Marquez
Trey Haines

3rd Team
Eric Eastman
Ryan Harmon



Missoula Children’s Theatre performances at Blue Ridge and Green Park today
Today students at Blue Ridge Elementary School are participating in the Missoula Children’s Theatre production. There were auditions Monday and 60 Blue Ridge students have been practicing every afternoon and evening to prepare for the shows. Blue Ridge students will perform today at 9 a.m. and again during a public performance tonight at 7 p.m. The PTA is also sponsoring a spaghetti dinner theatre at 5:30 p.m. The cost is $10 per family. Donations will be accepted to help defray costs.

ELL specialist and event coordinator, Brenda Kirk explained, “Literacy in reading and writing is based on oral language development which stems from a rich background of experiences in a variety of areas. Most Blue Ridge students have little exposure to the performing arts and the Missoula Children’s Theatre addresses this need.”

Green Park students are performing today at 9 a.m.
“I have been amazed at the incredible amount of work that has gone into this,” 5th grade teacher Michelle Carpenter said. “What a fabulous experience and true dedication from our students who are participating. These girls from Missoula have created a week of adventure that these children won’t soon forget!”


Garrison Night School wraps up another successful year by Bilingual Coordinator Diana Erickson
Thursday night students participating in the Garrison Night School celebrated another successful year. Garrison Night School classes were held November 3 through February 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. under the supervision of Esteban Florian, Dean of Students at Garrison Middle School. In conjunction with Walla Walla Community College, classes in English as a Second Language, Spanish and GED were offered. Approximately 200 adults were enrolled in the classes. Many of them have children attending Walla Walla Public Schools. In addition to the classes named above, there were two nights when guest speakers came in and spoke to the adults about L & I and Immigration and Naturalization processes.

One very popular feature of the class was the language exchange. Each evening from 7 to 8 p.m., the English classes joined the Spanish class for interactive activities. One half hour is spent practicing English and the other half hour Spanish. This gives the adults the opportunity to practice the language they are learning with a native speaker and for relationships to develop between the Spanish and English speaking people in our community.

Another popular feature is a computer assisted instruction program for learning English. The English as a Second Language students went to the computer lab once or twice a week to practice their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

Free childcare is provided and offers a variety of activities. Under the direction of Virginia Rios, childcare workers provided arts and crafts projects. Tuesday is movie night. On Wednesday, there are 4-H activities for school age children offered by Debra Evans and Jeanie Fulton from Washington State University’s Extension Office. On Thursdays Bill Erickson leads the school age children in various activities including personal safety and the making of pinewood derby cars through the Learning for Life program. They raced the cars on a large track and earned trophies for their participation. Each night the children also played in the gym.

A new component this year, possible through a Literacy Grant from the Walla Walla County United Way, was an early literacy program called Estrellita for the preschool age children. Latino Club students from Walla Walla High School worked with the preschoolers on Wednesdays and Thurdays using the phonics program.

People of all ages throughout our community benefit from the instruction and activities that Garrison Night School offers. The parents serve as role models of lifelong learners for their students and they learn valuable skills that will serve them well in their jobs and with their families.


Whitman mentor program is two-way street -- By Whitman College Communications Department
A Walla Walla girl, a kindergartner, would have none of it – wouldn’t sit down anywhere near, wouldn’t get close to the Whitman College student who was to be her weekly mentor. But gradually she started opening up. And then came that moment her mentor, Hanna Ory ’11, will always remember.

“We were walking hand-in-hand to recess and she said to me, ‘I really like you… Don’t ever go away,” Ory related. Ory isn’t the only Whitman College student to have experiences like that. About 175 Whitman students leave campus once a week to be mentors at Walla Walla’s seven elementary schools and Pioneer Middle School. They are paired up with students that school officials think would benefit from the experience.

The mentoring program, run by college students, started 15 years ago as a senior thesis with 20 matched pairs, and has grown to about 175 pairs and includes all of the city’s elementary schools now, with the addition this year of Blue Ridge. Whitman students spend an hour a week, usually at lunchtime. The mentor sessions are non-academic in nature; mentors spend the time eating with their mentee, chatting, playing games or doing outdoor recess activities.

But once a year, the children do the traveling, coming to Whitman College campus for the Mentees to Campus Day to participate at a Reid Campus Carnival. The event gives the pairs time to have fun together, bond more and give the children a chance to be on a college campus, many of whom had never experienced that. More than 150 children and mentors participated in the 2009 edition, held Feb. 20.

A couple of school counselors told organizers the carnival was the highlight of the children’s school year. Jacque Richerzhagen, an intervention specialist at Edison Elementary School, said the Whitman student mentors are extremely important.

“It’s a bonding the students need to have,” she said. Richerzhagen said many of the students come from difficult situations and they look forward to being with their mentor every week. “It’s a wonderful connection.”

David Tegtmeier, a school counselor at Pioneer Middle School, related the initial frustration a Whitman student mentor had because she couldn’t connect with her mentee. The mentee would walk away from her, wouldn’t engage. But Tegtmeier encouraged the mentor to hang in there, gave suggestions, and the mentor eventually was able to break through the barriers and have a positive relationship. Tegtmeier said the mentee’s behavior has improved considerably and Tegtmeier attributes at least some of that to the relationship with her mentor.

Tegtmeier said having the Whitman students as a resource means Pioneer Middle School has another way to introduce kids to the importance of post-high-school education – by actually having college students to talk to about how they got into college and how they planned for college and life. And there’s the important aspect of just giving them the company of a caring adult.

“Research shows consistently that for kids to go on and have success in education they need to have a strong connection with a caring adult,” he said.

Brian Mooers’ mentee said at the carnival that Mooers has taught him responsibility and ways to solve problems. Mooers ’10 can add up the benefits for himself, too. He said being a mentor gives him a break from the stress of college work and life on campus. And it’s great to know there is “someone always looking forward to being with you,” he said.

Story by the Whitman College Communications Department: http://www.whitman.edu/content/news/mentorprogram


Art Regier Outstanding Volunteers of the Years Award nominations accepted
Nominations are being accepted through Friday, March 27 for the Art Regier Outstanding Volunteers of the Year Award. Recipients will be recognized at the April 21 school board meeting. Nomination forms are available at all Walla Walla Public Schools and the district office.

Criteria for Selection:
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
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING NOMINATIONS IS - FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2009

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

 


Graduates of Distinction nominations now accepted
Nominations are open for the 2009 Graduates of Distinction Program. All nominations and recommendation forms must be received in the district Curriculum Department by April 15, 2009.

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.


Great Explorations event offers girls opportunities to learn more about math, science and technology
“Great Explorations”...a math/science/technology conference for girls in grades 5-8

DATE: Saturday, March 21
TIME: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
PLACE: Whitman College Campus, Boyer and Park Streets
FEE: $5 per person; scholarships available. Contact Carol at 525-3531 or pcmorgan@charter.net.
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Registration forms have been distributed to schools. Additional forms can be downloaded and printed at www.aauw-wallawalla.org or picked up in person at the YWCA. Completed registration forms must be returned by Monday, March 21 to allow time for workshop scheduling.

• Twenty-one diverse, hands-on, fun-filled WORKSHOPS are presented by area women who work in math, science and technology-related fields. Girls indicate preferences on their registration form; three workshops are assigned on a first registered, first served basis.

• A PARENT/EDUCATOR PANEL DISCUSSION on The Economics of Education will run concurrently with the girls’ workshops. Interested parents and educators must also submit a registration form to attend.

• KEYNOTE SPEAKER, Erika Marin-Spiotta, an environmental scientist, will speak on “People, Cows, and Climate.” She has traveled the world to study tropical forests and the soils below them. Hear about some of her adventures feeding ants and dodging seed-throwing monkeys. She will also talk about the doors opened in her career by math, science and technology courses that she took in school.

• Healthy SNACKS are provided mid-morning, between the second and third workshops.

• CO-SPONSORS include the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Walla Walla Public Schools, Whitman College, and the YWCA.

• QUESTIONS? Contact Jeanne Beirne at 525-7401, jbeirne@my180.net or Carol at 525-3531, pcmorgan@charter.net.


2009 Kindergarten and Open Enrollment registration dates set
Walla Walla Public Schools Kindergarten and Open Enrollment period is Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 27, 2009. Kindergarten registration will be conducted at the student’s attendance area elementary school. New elementary and middle school boundaries take affect in the fall of 2009.

Parents/guardians who wish to open enroll their child to a school outside of their attendance area may pick up an open enrollment application form at their attendance area school during normal business hours beginning March 9; however, the form will not be accepted in the receiving school until Monday, March 16.

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

Open Enrollment and Kindergarten Registration Hours:
Monday, March 16
7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

March 17 — March 27
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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 (Revised).


Classroom Close-Up features Walla Walla High School English teacher
This week Walla Walla High School English teacher Matt Shaw is featured as part of the district’s Classroom Close-Up series. A fun, information filled newsletter will be posted on the district website next week — (www.wwps.org).

A radio spot featuring Shaw is now playing on regional stations.


Walla Walla Kids Read program website highlights upcoming events
The Walla Walla Kids Read website for 2009 events is live -- www.wallawallakidsread.com. There are many great activities scheduled to promote literacy, including the city-wide Battle of the Books event which includes all district 4th and 5th grade students.

District Library Media Specialists Joanne Savage (jsavage@wwps.org) and Linda Seibold (lseibold@wwps.org) are great contacts for the Battle of the Books program. Walla Walla Kids Read program pays for all expenses, including bussing, author fees, and facility use fees.