Webucator is a weekly publication produced by the Tacoma Public Schools Public
Information Office for district staff members. To submit story ideas or inquire about a
published story, contact Pam Thompson at pthomps@tacoma.k12.wa.us or call the
Public Information Office at 253-571-1015.
Dates to remember
May 6-7: Stewart M.S. “Alice in Wonderland” play, 7 p.m.
May 7: Junior Achievement bowling at Narrows Plaza Bowl
May 7: Middle school math Olympiad, Truman M.S.
May 7: Foss cheerleader carwash, 11 a.m., Rite Aid, 1912 N. Pearl St.
May 10: Park Avenue math night, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
May 11: National School Nurse Day
May 11: Lister E.S. Celebration of Learning BBQ, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
May 12: Northeast Tacoma E.S. community night, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
May 17: All Puget Sound Junior ROTC Sunset Pass-in-Review, 7 p.m., Stadium
H.S. Bowl
May 18: New Paradigm recognition ceremony, 6 p.m., Foss H.S.
May 19: Jason Lee M.S. Sustainability Fair,
May 20-21: Stewart M.S. “The Hysterical History of the Trojan War” play, 6 p.m.
May 24: Indian Education graduation, Mount Tahoma H.S., 5 p.m.
May 31: Stadium H.S. 89th Memorial Day assembly, 1 p.m.
June 1: Tacoma Council PTA banquet, 6 p.m., Foss H.S.
June 2: District retirement celebration, CAB auditorium, 4 to 5:30 p.m.
June 4: Clean Sweep, 9 to noon, clean up around East Side schools
June 4: Mount Tahoma Boosters golf tournament, Meadow Park golf course, 7 a.m.
June 4: Stafford E.S. Art Opens the Door to the World, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
May 6, 2011
Browns Point student
Principal for the Day
Superintendent Art Jarvis shakes
hands with Principal for a Day
Olivia Parker from Browns Point
E.S. Her Assistant Principal for a
Day Kendall Dawson waits her
turn to be introduced. The
second-grade girls toured CAB
and met many staff members.
Classy Glass sells new
products
Upcoming events
Foss cheerleaders to wash cars May 7
Show your mother that you love her: bring her car to the Foss High School
cheerleader’s carwash May 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rite Aid, 1912 N. Pearl
St. For more information, contact Erica Green, cheer advisor, at 253-571-7339.
(Please note Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8.)
Truman to host math Olympiad May 7
Students from around the South Sound area will compete in the annual Washington
State Middle School Math Olympiad at Truman Middle School on Saturday, May 7.
The Washington State Math Council sponsors the Olympiad – a statewide
competition for teams of three or four students in grades five through eight.
Plant stakes, one of the newest
glass products the Classy Glass
kids at Stafford E.S. make and
sell, fill planter displays. From
left, Erykah Bymers, Genalyn
Asuncion, Lindsey Nguyen and
Kaylin Pham await customers at
the Bryant garden fair.
Global Youth Service Day
Teams receive recognition for superior, excellent, very good or good achievement
in each a long-session problem and five short-session problems in the content
areas number sense, probability and statistics, measurement, geometric sense and
algebraic sense.
Truman Middle School has hosted the competition for South Sound area
participating schools since 2003. The Truman competition will feature more than 75
teams. More South Sound schools have participated every year, and this year the
district has teams from Meeker and Truman middle schools and Wainwright and
Washington-Hoyt elementary schools.
For additional information on the Olympiad, visit the Web site or contact Dr. Elly
Claus-McGahan, the state coordinator and Truman site organizer, at 253-219-9129.
First Creek staff, students and
community members scooped up
samples of First Creek water to
test during the Global Youth
Service Day.
Stadium Bike Club celebrates Bike Month
“In coordination with City of Tacoma and Stadium High School, the student Bike
Club will celebrate May Bike Month,” said Stadium Counselor Joseph Dyczkowski.
“Our student-directed group is making a major effort to increase sustainable
transportation. The main objective is to encourage bicycling to and from school.
Although we are not organizing bike rides, we want to encourage biking.”
The Bike Club kicked off activities April 29 at an all-school assembly with a
presentation of information and a “slow bike race.” The City of Tacoma is
sponsoring activities and major events throughout May.
The Stadium Bike to School Week will run May 16-20, with raffle prizes given out
every day. During both lunches Wednesday, May 18, the Bike Club will sponsor a
bike maintenance clinic. One day Stadium Bike Club members greeted students
who arrived to school on time via bicycle with snacks and a drink.
First Creek M.S. student David
Brown-Anderson and his mother
Rebekah Brown test water
samples and record the data.
For more information about the Bike Club and their activities, contact Dyczkowski at
253-571-3144.
Stanford Native recruiter to visit May 20
Holly Miowak Stebing, Inupiaq, admissions officer and undergraduate Native
recruiter for Stanford University in California, will give presentations at Tacoma
Public Schools high school career centers Friday, May 20. Her presentation will
cover information about the Native community at Stanford, resources for Native
students on the Stanford campus, financial aid and completing college applications.
Lincoln H.S. students test water
samples from First Creek on
Global Youth Service Day.
Stanford has more than 350 Native undergraduate and graduate students on
campus. For more information on times and places of Stebing’s presentations, click
here or contact David Syth, Indian Education coordinator, at 253-571-1846.
News and updates
Honor favorite teachers on Facebook page
Check the district’s Facebook page for responses to the May 2 entry asking: Who’s
your favorite teacher and what makes her or him so special? You’ll see very warm
compliments to district teachers in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week May 1-8.
2011 summer school application deadline May 18
Current certificated and classified district employees can apply for Summer
Program assignment online; all applicants use the same form. Be sure to enter your
employee ID number correctly; this can be found on your check stub or by
contacting Human Resources. Submit your electronic application by May 18.
A young girl and her mother help
plant trees and shrubs in the First
Creek watershed on Global Youth
Service Day.
Positions/employment for summer assignment depend on student enrollment. If the
district cancels a class due to low enrollment, the teacher assigned to teach that
class will lose his/her summer school assignment but will receive pay for time in
that assignment up until the date the class is canceled.
Summer assignment hiring
Submit your electronic application by May 18. If the district hires you for a summer
assignment, it will notify you by June 3. Refer to the collective bargaining
agreement for an explanation of complete hiring criteria.
The district will consider satisfactory evaluations for the past three years, to include
the 2010/2011 school year, when making staffing decisions for summer school. An
individual accepting a summer school assignment commits to the full assignment.
The district will approve no planned absences during the summer school
assignment, except for the specific days of the NEA convention plus reasonable
travel days and when the employee has identified a substitute who has the
approval of the program supervisor to work for the entire absence.
Community members and
students clean up the First Creek
watershed April 16 and plant
trees to restore the area after
invasive plants like ivy and
blackberries are removed.
Grant performs at museum
Compensation for all summer assignments
Teachers will receive the certificated extra work rate of pay; classified staff
members will receive their regular hourly wages. All summer pay is subject to
deductions for FICA, Medicare, industrial insurance, retirement and federal
withholding.
For more information, click here. You must login to apply.
Find applications for certificated and classified summer school employment here. If
you have questions regarding employment, contact the following people for the
specific program that interests you:
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Credit retrieval summer school: Sharon Olson, 253-571-5198
ELL: Minh-Anh Hodge, 253-571-1415
Title/LAP: Ben Guyan, 253-571-1111
ESY: Jennifer Trauffler, 253-571-1096
Students from Grant Center for
the Expressive Arts perform at
the Norman Rockwell exhibit at
the Tacoma Art Museum May 1.
The Troubadours sang American
heritage songs.
Washington-Hoyt E.S. wins Sustainable Schools Award
The Washington-Hoyt Elementary School green schools program won a Terry
Husseman Sustainable Schools Award, sponsored by the Washington State
Department of Ecology. Only 15 other schools throughout the state received this
award.
These awards recognize efforts to maintain and expand programs that focus on
waste reduction, recycling and sustainability. The Department of Ecology wants to
recognize schools as role models in environmental stewardship for students and
community members.
The Grant Black Belt recorder
ensemble played at the Tacoma
Art Museum’s Norman Rockwell
exhibit.
McKinley students ride train
Washington-Hoyt's programs include classroom recycling, waste-free events, milk
carton recycling and a new program to compost all waste food from the third-,
fourth- and fifth-grade lunch periods. To date, the school has separated more than
a ton of waste food from lunch garbage and sent it for composting.
Washington-Hoyt will use the $1,000 award to purchase environmental education
materials for classrooms.
Global Youth Service Day bring out community
First Creek Middle School students Breanna Hamilton and Emoni Hubbard
welcomed nearly 150 participants to Global Youth Service Day April 16 at First
Creek by sharing with the audience the ideas important to service learning. Global
Youth Service Day, celebrated in more than 100 countries, involved community
members working with youth during a semester-long learning project.
Students in Debra Sanford and Donna Chang’s classes started their service
learning journey in January with a similar day of service on Martin Luther King Jr.
Day. Service learning brings out student voice, heart and hands to apply classroom
learning to real community issues. The morning’s activities April 16 included
weeding and grubbing blackberries and ivy, planting shrubs and trees, and learning
how to collect water samples and perform water quality testing in the First Creek
Watershed. Read more about the Global Youth Service Day.
A group of McKinley E.S.
students, selected for their
behavior and responsibility, rode
the train to Portland, thanks to
funding from the Montgomery
KOSS Foundation and Amtrak.
Key Club helps community
Wilson H.S. Key Club members
make sandwiches for distribution
at the Rescue Mission.
Giaudrone feeds its ‘rock stars’ to celebrate
Giaudrone Middle School teachers and staff members thanked their top students
with a “rock star” breakfast April 27 in the school library. Students who achieved at
least a 3.2 grade-point average in the last grading period and those chosen as
Students of the Month for February and March were treated to pancakes, sausage
and fresh fruit. Giaudrone staff donated, prepared and served the food to the 108
students who earned their way to the event.
Teachers said the “feed” promotes a Giaudrone culture that supports and rewards
students who do well in school. Giaudrone has nearly completed the first year of a
Wilson Key Club students assist
with activities at the Pierce
County Children’s Water Festival.
three-year turnaround plan aimed at dramatically improving student achievement.
“Rock star” diners appreciated the gesture.
“It’s awesome,” said seventh grader Tauvia Eggebroten. “I love being smart!”
McKinley students ride train to Portland
Fifth graders in the county
participate in the environmental
fair, sponsored by the Tacoma
Pierce County Health Department
and local water companies.
Elks Lodge presents Wilson
scholarships
A group of McKinley Elementary School students rode an Amtrak train to Portland,
Ore., recently. The selected students had demonstrated outstanding behavior and
responsibility. Montgomery K.O.S.S. (Keep Our Schools Safe) Foundation
sponsored the field trip.
The students participated in activities such as:
 Tour of the train by the conductor
 Presentation about train safety (on and off the train)
 Tour of Portland train station
 A walk to Portland’s Riverfront Park for lunch
“It was a fun day for students, teachers and chaperones alike,” said Pam Leach,
office coordinator.
Eight Wilson students received
$1,000 scholarships from the
Tacoma Elks Lodge.
Windemere gives check
Applause
Windemere donates check for community night event
Ron Sower of Windermere presented a $200 check to Northeast Tacoma
Elementary School for its Community Night Thursday, May 12, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
The school will use the check to buy dinner for all the families that attend the event.
Paul Schultz praises two McCarver students
Ron Sower with Windermere
donates a $200 check to N.E.
Tacoma E.S. for its community
night dinner for families.
Paul Schultz, artistic director and founder of the Northwest Repertory Singer, wrote
the following letter to McCarver Elementary School Principal Scott Rich after
attending a workshop attended by two McCarver students and their counselor:
Quick Links
I attended the Tacoma Arts Commission workshop on writing grants for 2011
projects. I have attended in the past and wasn't especially looking forward to
hearing many of the same things I've heard previously. However, I was
privileged to sit next to one of your staff members and two of the finest fifthgrade girls I have ever met.
Carol Ramm-Gramenz provided an extraordinary learning experience for
these girls. Keyariee Cooks-Nixon and Kehinde Wuraola represented your
school in a way that is difficult to describe. They were polite (both girls
introduced themselves to me), engaged in the presentation, took notes, asked
great questions and made it clear to everyone in the room how important the
Zina Linnik Park Project was to them. Keyariee even shared that she was
running for president and that fundraising for this project was one of her
strongest goals.
I retired in 2006 after 44 years as a music educator and know how important it
is to teachers and administrators that their students are well mannered, civil,
intelligent representatives of their school when in the public eye; whether it be
in an athletic or arts activity, a presentation, or simply walking to and from
school.
I don't think you could ever find two better role models than Keyariee and
Kehinde. I kept wishing that their parents and family members could have
been watching. I was thinking how proud I would be were I their grandfather.
I think I may lobby to become a surrogate grandfather! My guess is that these
girls present themselves like this all the time.
I am a better person today simply because I met Keyariee, Kehinde and
Carol.
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Webucator
Olivia Parker wins Principal for a Day
Olivia Parker, a second grader in Jana Callender's class at Browns Point
Elementary School, won "Principal for a Day" by raising the most money through a
school-wide fundraiser headed by the Browns Point PTA. Olivia chose Kendall
Dawson, also a second-grade student in Callender’s class, as her Assistant
Principal for a Day.
Principal Pat Thomas said, “In past years, the Principal for a Day has been a fifth
grader who seems usually pretty comfortable without a pal, but I thought it might
work better to have an age-appropriate friend rather than just two adults with Olivia
– and it did.”
Baker student’s art published in magazine
Baker Middle School sixth grader Mikhayela Kahrya, age 12, had her artwork
published in the April 2011 edition of KidzEra magazine, which includes pictures
from students around the world.
Businesses help Hearts for Kids celebrate teachers
During Teacher Appreciation Week May 1-8, Hearts for Kids collaborated with its
community business members to sponsor breakfast May 3 for staff members at
Franklin, Mann, McCarver and Stafford elementary schools.
Craig Tuttle, broker and owner of Turn Key Real Estate Inc., and Mr. and Mrs.
(Lisa) Almonte, owners of Spuds Pizza Parlor, sponsored the Stafford breakfast. A
parent, Cora Pinedo, donated candies for the candy leis for the staff. Another
parent, Bihn Ta, who owns Danny’s Nail Salon, donated a raffle prize – a gift
certificate for free a pedicure and manicure.
“It was awesome,” said Ala Talo, site coordinator for Hearts for Kids at Stafford.
“Tuttle thanked our staff and also served them coffee, muffins and bagels. Our
gracious owner of Spuds also donated a gift certificate for one of our staff.”
The Safeway on 38th Street, Safeway on 11th Street, Save a Lot on Hilltop, Marsha
Silverspoon, Krispy Kreme Dougnuts, Top Foods on Union Avenue, Le Donuts,
Starbucks on Sixth Avenue and Forza Coffee all come together to honor staff at
three of the Hearts for Kids locations: Franklin, Mann and McCarver elementary
schools.
“It was such an amazing collaboration,” Talo said. “We are so thankful for our staff
and teachers at our Hearts for Kids sites. Thank you all for your hard work and
Happy Teachers Appreciation week.”
Jason Lee girls to attend Microsoft STEM Academy
Several Jason Lee Middle School girls will attend Microsoft's summer STEM
Academy, designed exclusively for high school girls. The one-week training takes
place Aug. 8-12. The selected students are: Leah Brooks, Shiraz Shahukar,
Savannah Brewer, Taya Brooks, Jade Hicks, Alliyah Peoples, Isabel Lindsey and
Naomi Brooks.
Microsoft will provide transportation each day from Tacoma to Redmond, meals,
mentors and opportunities for the girls to connect to innovative technologies and
educational training.
“Hats off to Jason Lee scholars,” said Luversa R. Sullivan, Clever Program
specialist.
Whitman sponsors fifth annual mini-Relay for Life
Whitman Elementary School sponsored its fifth annual Mini-Relay For Life event all
day Thursday, April 28, to raise funds for cancer research and the American
Cancer Society. Whitman named its team Pat's Wildcats after teacher Patricia
Corey, who passed away after a long battle with cancer a couple years ago. The
Relay for Life event brought in $1,178.50.
“The kids and staff were awesome, and the donations were far more than I had
expected,” said Nancy Johnson, volunteer coordinator. “I love our group here at
Whitman.”
Lyon students bring home Special Olympics medals
Athletes from Lyon Elementary School competed at the Southwest Regional
Special Olympics conducted April 30 at Mount Tahoma High School. Elisha
Wedum, Kase Brinkman, Will Conroy, Jason Starr, Malik Trotter and Junior Thai
participated in track and field events, taking home many medals and ribbons for
their hard work. Family members, school staff and coaches Amy Thatcher and
Merle Thayne enjoyed watching their students compete. Students will advance to
the state level competition in June at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Tech tip
Using ESS to monitor your PD balance and training history
Did you know that you can check your training history and professional
development balance through Employee Self Service (ESS)? It’s easy:
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Go to the district Web page and click on Lawson ESS under the “For Staff”
tab.
Log in to ESS using your Novel logon ID.
Select “Employee Self Service” from the drop-down menu on the left side of
the screen.
Choose “Training” to check your training history or your scheduled training.
Scheduled training is a list of district classes you have registered to attend. Your
training history is a record of training you have completed.
To check your in-service hours balance, under Employee Self Service choose
‘Personal Information” and then select “leave balances.” Select the appropriate tabs
to view balances.
Keep in mind that recent activity may not be reflected in your leave balances or
training history.
Atomic Learning popular with employees
District employees have avidly used Atomic Learning watching more than 50,000
videos and tech integration projects so far this year. If you still have some questions
about using this training tool, watch this series of videos. From home, you will need
a username and password available from the teacher-librarian at your school.
Community opportunities
Job Carr Cabin Museum poster contest deadline May 29
Students can show what they learned about pioneers, including Job Carr, who
came across the Oregon Trail in a poster contest sponsored by the Job Carr Cabin
Museum.
All third-grade students and students in other grades whose teachers have used
the museum’s educational trunks can enter. The poster should represent Carr and
Old Town (Tacoma) between 1865 and 1899 and include a picture of the Job Carr
cabin. Make your entry no larger than 11 inches by 14 inches. Use ink, crayon,
colored pencil, markers or photography. Do not use glitter or computer art.
The Board of Directors for the Job Carr Museum will select the poster contest
winner and notify the student after June 6. The museum will use the poster to
advertise the July 16 pioneer festival and walking tour and will display the poster on
the museum Web site and throughout the city.
For details of the contest and entry form, click here. Submit your poster design by
May 29.
Tacoma School District No. 10 complies with all federal and state laws and regulations and does
not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation,
national origin, or ancestry, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or use of a
trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, age, familial or marital status,
honorably discharged veteran or military status. This applies to all educational programs and
extra-curricular activities. Inquiries regarding the application of the above should be directed to
Laurie Taylor, assistant superintendent, Human Resources, telephone 253-571-1252. Inquiries regarding the application of Title IX should
be directed to Jennifer Kubista, director of Student Life, telephone 253-571-1123. Inquiries regarding the application of Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act (concerning students with disabilities who are not eligible for special education) should be directed to Jennifer Traufler,
executive director, Student Services, telephone 253-571-1224. Inquiries regarding accommodations for disabled employees and the public
should be directed to Leslie Nohr, Disability Accommodations Office, telephone 253-571-1021. These individuals may be contacted by mail
at P.O. Box 1357, Tacoma, WA 98401-1357.