Webucator is a weekly publication produced by the Tacoma Public Schools 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.
March 27, 2009
Images of the week
Dates to remember
March 30–April 3: Spring Break
April 1–31: Keep America Beautiful Month
April 1–31: Mathematics Awareness Month
April 7: World Health Day
April 9: School board meeting, 6 p.m., CAB auditorium
April 12–18: National Library Week
April 17: Gault/McIlvaigh choir auction, 7 p.m., at Stadium H.S.
April 18: Parks Appreciation Day
April 19–25: Administrative Professionals Week
April 19–25: National Student Leadership Week
April 19–25: Public School Volunteer Week
April 22: Earth Day
April 24: National Arbor Day
April 23: School board meeting, 6 p.m., CAB auditorium
Bryant Montessori celebrated Spirit
Week recently. Bryant’s
paraeducators Betty Lewis, Priscilla
Jeffries and Susan Wright, left to
right, dress as “Super Paras” for
Super Hero’s Day on March 20.
Board news
Board decides not to go out for bond measure again in 2009
The board held a study session on capital facilities prior to the regular board meeting on
Thursday, March 26, and determined it would not go out for a bond measure again in
2009.
Ray Roberts, loss control consultant with the Washington Schools Risk Management
Pool, presented the board a plaque for the district’s perfect score on the recent risk
assessment survey. This is the second year in a row that the district has had a perfect
score and received a discount on its insurance premium contribution.
Manitou Park Elementary School Principal Mary Wilson and Kelli Hoekstra, coordinator
for the School, Family and Community Partnership Program, reported on the grant
Manitou Park and Park Avenue Center received to implement a compassionate school
pilot program and the successes the program has had to date. The purpose of Manitou
Park participating in the pilot was to turn the school into a trauma-sensitive school by
making changes in teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, behavior and actions towards
traumatized children.
Lincoln H.S. Hispanic dancers
performed at the national FFA
conference in Indiana last fall.
Christney Kpodo, lower left, was
selected as Youth of the Year for
the Boys & Girls Clubs for the
South Sound region.
The board recognized Christney Kpodo, a senior at Lincoln High School, for her
selection as Youth of the Year by the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound and
Lincoln students Lupita Solorio and Daniella Zuniga for their outstanding dance
performance at the 2008 national FFA conference which was televised on RFD TV.
The board approved:
 Policy 4140, “Community Partnerships and Commercial Activities.”
 The write-off of the assets identified as missing from the old Gray M.S.
 The Tacoma Coaches and Extracurricular Leaders Association contract for the
period of 2008–11.
The board adopted Resolution No. 1837 which permits the assignment of teachers to
classes other than those in their area(s) of endorsement for the school year 2008–09,
and had the first reading of the “Strategic Planning” policy.
McKinley E.S. has a new parent
group that has worked very hard to
organize special events including
Popcorn Fridays, family movie
nights and a fundraiser.
The board proclaimed May 2009 as Arts Education Month in the Tacoma Public Schools
and April 18, 2009, as Parks Appreciation Day.
The next study session will be on the budget and finance on Thursday, April 9, at 5 p.m.
in the fourth-floor auditorium at CAB. The regular board meeting will follow at 6 p.m.
News and updates
High school graduation dates listed
The following are the correct dates and times for high school graduations. Please note:
The dates listed in the 2008-09 district calendar are incorrect.
SOTA - June 1, 6 p.m., Pantages
Foss - June 9, 4:30 p.m., Tacoma Dome
Stadium - June 9, 8 p.m., Tacoma Dome
Franklin E.S. recently held a
“Doughnuts with Dads” event that
was well received. Jon Hedman and
daughter Laura, a kindergartner,
share the doughnut time.
Lincoln - June 10, 2:30 p.m., Tacoma Dome
Wilson - June 10, 5:30 p.m., Tacoma Dome
Mt. Tahoma - June 10, 8:30 p.m., Tacoma Dome
Ticket prices for graduations are: $6 for pre-sale tickets and $7 for tickets the day of
graduation.
Parking fee at the Tacoma Dome will be $8.
The last day for seniors will be determined soon.
Last day of school to be June 18
The Young Ambassadors of Physical
Education put on a demonstration
for Franklin E.S. students, teaching
them about team work as well as
fun physical activities.
The last day of school for the 2008-09 school year will be June 18 due to two snow
make-up days that were added to the end of the school year. June 18 will be an early
release day.
Highly Capable program review to be extended
Superintendent Art Jarvis announced that the district will continue the highly capable
program review into next year. The goal is for the review committee to send him
recommendations for any program changes by the spring of 2010 for implementation in
the 2010–11 school year. A letter is being sent to district elementary and middle school
families detailing more information. A pdf of this letter is available by clicking here.
Please contact the Public Information Office at 253.571.1015 for more information.
Three schools to get new phone numbers
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Bryant Montessori’s main number is now 253.571.2800 and the fax is
253.571.2801. These numbers started on March 25.
Whitman Elementary School will start its new numbers on April 23. The main
number will be 253.571. 7272 and the fax will be 253.571.7273.
Delong Elementary School will start its new main number, 253.571.5800, on
May 14. The new fax number will be 253.571.5799.
Foss Leadership Lock-in a huge success
What is leadership? What does it mean to be a great leader? These questions and more
were discussed by 100 Foss High School students at the school’s first leadership lock-in
on March 20.
“You are all here for a reason. You were nominated because we believe in you and
your leadership potential,” Thu Ament, Foss High School principal, told students. “Your
purpose is to build on that leadership. You can help spread what you learn from the lockin to other students throughout the school.”
The purpose of the lock-in was to bring together students from all over Foss and
provide them with training to develop their leadership skills so they can help cultivate
More than 30 Giaudrone M.S.
students help clean up the campus
and surrounding neighborhood in
spite of the morning being very
foggy.
community spirit at Foss.
Student leaders planned the event with the help of administrators. Each teacher, club
advisor and coach nominated a person who they thought had leadership potential or
would benefit from the leadership lock-in. It was an opportunity to bring students
together who do not normally hang out. “Students thought it was pretty cool that they
were nominated,” said teacher Carlene Herd.
Ilona Trofimovich, a junior, had a leadership role in coordinating the event. “It gives
students an opportunity to get acquainted with each other and know better who are
there for them,” Trofimovich said. “The goal of the event was to develop stronger
leadership and morale.”
Continued
Young Ambassadors teach Franklin about teamwork
Franklin Elementary School students watched with excitement on Thursday, March 19,
when they were visited by the Tacoma Young Ambassadors of Physical Education. After
the hour-long assembly, students went back to class and discussed how the team
displayed teamwork, perseverance and great attitudes. Even if the team made a
mistake, the members continued on and were great supports for each other. What a
great example for our students!—Christi Dabney, office coordinator, Franklin E.S.
Franklin’s Doughnuts with Dads a hit with families
Franklin Elementary School enjoyed "Doughnuts with Dads" on Friday, March 20. Dads,
uncles, brothers and grandfathers enjoyed coffee, doughnuts and some great
conversation. It was an opportunity to create a stronger community within our school and
visit with staff members. We look forward to our next event, "Goodies with Grandma.” —
Christi Dabney, office coordinator, Franklin E.S.
Giaudrone students clean up campus
On Saturday, March 21, more than 30 Giaudrone Middle School students volunteered to
clean up the school’s campus and the surrounding neighborhood. The day started off
extremely foggy but the students arrived ready to clean. Under the supervision of the
Tacoma Police Department, Tacoma Cares Program and Giaudrone staff, students
canvassed the neighborhood helping to make it a cleaner place to live. The Gang
Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program staff coordinated the clean-up.
According to the G.R.E.A.T. officers, Giaudrone had the best turn out this school year!
Lincoln students participate in legislative policy seminar
Tacoma students participated in the Legislative Policy Seminar held at the state's capital
on March 17. The Tacoma delegation consisted of students and advisors representing
Career and Technical Education student organizations at Lincoln High School. Students
met with their legislators during pre-scheduled meetings to discuss leadership and
legislation impacting Career and Technical Education.
Of particular interest to the Lincoln students are Senate Bill 5676 (Funding for Career
and Technical Education in Middle Schools) and Senate Bill 5593 (Funding for Career
and Technical Student Organizations). These students represented FFA, an agricultural
student leadership club; Future Business Leaders of America club (FBLA); Distributive
Education Clubs of America (DECA),a marketing education leadership club; Family,
Community and Career Leaders of America (FCCLA); and SkillsUSA, a technical skills
leadership club.
Students attending the policy seminar were Scottie Barnes, Logan Flores, Annie Tran,
Phoung Vong and Samantha Isler-Seth. Stephanie Pike (DECA Advisor), Rebecca
Wilson (FCCLA Advisor) and Venetia Willis (career counselor) supervised the student
event.
Eastside holds joint waiver day activities
Lincoln High School and Gault, McIlvaigh and Stewart middle schools staff and
administration extend their heartfelt appreciation to Patrick Paris, John Leitzinger, Ginni
Fay, Adrienne Dale, Lynn Eisenhauer, Gina Franchini, Anita Jinks, Roselee Sauser,
About 20 Stadium H.S. students
participated in the Wayzgoose
event sponsored by King’s Books in
honor of Small Press Month. The 3’
x 3’ linocut was printed using a
steamroller.
Rachel Smith-Mosel, Wes Burmark and Libby Wagner who graciously facilitated breakout groups by content area at the March10 Eastside joint waiver day.
The Eastside joint waiver day on March 10 began with a catered breakfast provided by
the Lincoln High School FCCLA program taught by Becky Wilson and Lisa Egeness.
The morning moved quickly into a warm welcome by Lincoln Co-Principal Patrick Erwin;
a get-up-and move ice breaker led by Libby Wagner; and an examination of data led by
Pat Cummings titled, “Data Demands and Drives It.” Data-driven decisions and
intentionality framed the instruction led by the Eastside principals. Carolyn Treleven,
executive director of Curriculum and Instruction, led a transparent explanation of the
standards-based instructional roll-out.
Gault Principal Delores Beason led a compare-and-contrast exercise between standards
and learning targets. Stewart Middle School Principal Krestin Bahr headed a discussion
about the importance of kid-friendly learning targets. Lincoln High School Co-Principal
Patrick Erwin and McIlvaigh Middle School Principal Kathrine Boyd distributed a short
read and led a deeper discussion about the role and importance of snapshots. Eastside
educators then broke into content area vertical teams for curriculum conversations.
Boundary invasion training led by Daverne Bell, coordinator of Equity and Diversity, and
Toni Pace, director of Secondary School Support, conducted a frank question-andanswer session that clarified the boundaries which must be respected by all district
personnel.
At the end of the day, the joint waiver day planning team (instructional facilitators Denise
Parrish, Stewart; Mary Joyce O’Brien, McIlvaigh, and Rachel Smith-Mosel, Gault; and
Administrative Intern Ian McFeat, Lincoln, was satisfied. “Several planning meetings,
multiple agenda incarnations, a lot of sweat and coordination produced a joint waiver
day which facilitated crucial conversations and supported principals as instructional
leaders,” said Smith-Mosel.
Upcoming events
LGBTQA educators group to meet April 10
You are invited to join a safe, supportive, affirming professional community of LGBTQA
educators on April 10 at 3:45 p.m. at Shakabrah Java, 2618 6th Ave., Tacoma.
This group is working to:
 enhance efforts to honor and respect all forms of diversity in schools
 be a voice for marginalized students, staff and parents to create an intentional and
inclusive positive school environment where all students can learn, all teachers
can teach and every member of the school community is welcomed and respected
 empower all school personnel to react appropriately and accordingly to school
policy when harassment, intimidation or bullying is reported or experienced by a
colleague or student
Come hang out, get to know each other and share your stories.
Contact Teri Wood, Equity and Diversity programs, at 253.571.1370.
Superintendent’s Scholars Awards 2009 to be April 15
The Superintendent’s Scholars Awards 2009 will be held on Wednesday, April 15, at 6
p.m. at the Mt. Tahoma H.S. Theater, 4634 S. 74th St. This is a special annual
recognition ceremony to honor high school seniors who have achieved a 3.8 or better
cumulative grade point average for their entire four-year high school careers.
Refreshments will be served in the commons, adjacent to the theater following the
awards ceremony.
Contact Barbara Marshall at 253.571.1032 or Phyllis Mjorud at 253.571.1036 for more
information.
Foss H.S. students held a
leadership lock-in at the school on
Friday, March 20. The night was
filled with leadership and team
building activities. Principal Thu
Ament became the pirate Jack
Sparrow for the event.
Meeker to hold fifth-grade open house May 13
Meeker Middle School will hold a fifth-grade open house on Wednesday, May 13, from
6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Meeker gymnasium. Fifth-grade students and their parents are
invited for an early preview of curriculum and activities that will be available to them as
sixth graders during the 2009-10 school year.
Click here for more details or go to the Meeker Web site at www.meekerwolverines.org.
Applause
Parents organize events at McKinley
McKinley Elementary School has an up and coming parent group—not a PTA yet but
they are working on it. These parents have worked very hard to organize Popcorn
Fridays, family movie nights, informative parent meetings and even McKinley’s first
fundraiser in years! These ladies deserve some recognition. A big thank-you goes to
Myra Robideaux, Ailda Soltero, DeAnn Baldwin and Angela Perry. —Pam Leach, office
coordinator at McKinley E.S.
Students cluster under a balloon
arch for the start of the 25th
Running of the Green. Neighbors
and parents line the streets along
the 1.5-mile route near Stewart
M.S. Two boys make a push to
cross the finish line. A TPS
volunteer Teri Wood checks the
results for a young runner.
Stadium linocut printed with steamroller
Laurie Brown, commercial printmaking instructor at Stadium High School, said, “This
was our second year in participating in the Wayzgoose event sponsored by King's
Books. It was a great achievement for my students.” In honor of Small Press Month,
King’s Books has a one-day event which was Sunday, March 1.
Small Press artists and Brown’s students participated in the second annual steamroller
printing (check out Kings Books Web site at www.kingsbookstore.com). About 20
students carved a 3' x 3' linocut, and it was printed using a steamroller. There were
about five or six other Tacoma artists who also participated. These prints are now
hanging in the Woolworth windows through the middle of June.
Giaudrone M.S. sixth grader Alanna
Solomon, left, won a first prize at
the South Sound Regional Science
Fair on March 21. Angela Watkins,
also a sixth grader, earned a
Specialist Award.
Wilson helps Truman go live with Grades Online
Truman Middle School went “live” with Grades Online on March 17, due greatly to the
cooperation of both Truman staff and Wilson High School staff working together to meet
our students’ and parents’ needs. Truman Principal Brenda McBrayer said, “I can’t tell
you how cool it was to observe teachers helping teachers, including staff members from
Wilson who provide one-on-one assistance to get us up and running.” Kudos to Truman
staff for their dedicated work and many long hours and to those from Wilson who
volunteered and gave of their time and expertise! Kudos and thank you, too, to Pat
Cummings and Lance Cadena for your wisdom, guidance and patience!—Jan Farwell,
Truman office coordinator
Running of the Green winners named
Top winners of the 25th Running of the Green at Stewart Middle School on March 20
were:
 Top overall boy: Jesus Soto, seventh grade, Stewart M.S.
 Top overall girl: Megan Chambers, sixth grade, Mason M.S.
District gets perfect score on risk assessment survey
Special thanks for this year’s successful risk assessment survey goes to Sam Bell,
executive director, General Support Services; Pete Wall, director, Planning and
Construction; Ken Wilson, manager, Safety and Environment Health; Anita Jinks,
director, Career and Technical Education; and Sue Race, director, Transportation. —Jeff
Pence, district claims manager
Browns Point hold second annual spelling bee
Browns Point Elementary School held its second annual spelling bee on Feb. 19 and 20.
All students had the opportunity to learn new words and enjoy some friendly competition.
The spelling bee started last year as a cooperative effort between PTA members from
Browns Point and Northeast Tacoma elementary schools. The PTA members wanted to
expand the academic opportunities at their schools and explored the possibility of
Marty Splinter, a science teacher at
Truman M.S., likes to think his 30pound catch in Commencement
Bay was one of the fish his
students raised from the egg stage.
initiating new programs and activities. They realized that children have so many
opportunities to be recognized in athletics; a spelling bee would provide a chance for
students to be recognized for excellence in academics. The PTA was able to begin
spelling bees at each school with the support of the PTA boards, the principals, teachers
and students.
The Browns Point PTA spelling bee was structured in a written format, not a traditional
verbal format. It was designed so that all students had the opportunity to participate and
experience some level of success, as well as recognition for their academic efforts. Each
student was given a grade-level spelling list to study. Then, they had the opportunity to
take the grade-level qualifying pre-test administered by PTA committee volunteers.
Each classroom sent the two representatives with the highest qualifying scores to
participate in the grade-level spelling bee final. Students competed by correctly spelling
words at an appropriate grade level using the document camera for their written
response with their peers and their parents in the audience.
This year, 381 students participated in the qualifying tests; from these students 40
finalists were selected to compete in their grade-level spelling bee final. Ultimately, this
resulted in the declaration of six winners—one from each grade level from kindergarten
to fifth grade.
“Thanks to all who worked so hard to support the spelling bee,” said Principal Pat
Thomas. “Due to the support of the Browns Point community, we were able to provide
this enriching experience for all the talented students!”
A special thanks goes to Beth Gruhot, a parent and PTA member, who enthusiastically
took on the leadership role of organizing the Browns Point spelling bee.
Mt. Tahoma student selected as 2009 Aerospace Scholar
Mount Tahoma High School student Oliver Rozon has been selected as a Washington
Aerospace Scholar for 2009. He is the only Aerospace Scholar from the district and is
among 260 talented juniors from across the state accepted into the first phase of
Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS).
These 260 students are currently participating in Phase One of WAS: distance learning
with a NASA-designed curriculum covering the history of space exploration, the Space
Shuttle, the International Space Station, the Moon and Mars. From January through
May, the Scholars will complete 10 lessons, submitting quizzes, math solutions, essays
and graphics concerning these topics every other week. Scholars will independently
select a topic of interest for a final project combining an essay with a graphic. Scholars
are also competing for a space in one of our four summer residency sessions.
Phase Two of WAS is a six-day summer residency experience for 160 students.
Selection is competitive and centers around performance in Phase One of WAS. In each
residency session, 40 Scholars are selected to work cooperatively to plan a human
mission to Mars with support from professional engineers/scientists, university students
and certificated educators.
Each session also includes briefings from aerospace professionals, tours of engineering
facilities, and hands-on engineering challenges involving model rocketry, robotics,
landing devices and payload lofting. The daily schedule is quite full, and the students
lodge in double rooms at a local hotel under the supervision of certificated teachers.
Travel, lodging and meal expenses are provided to participating students and teachers
thanks to the WAS Foundation and many generous donors.
Contact Melissa Edwards, WAS administrator, Museum of Flight, at 206.764.5866 for
more information or check the Web site at
www.museumofflight.org/washingtonaerospacescholars.
Truman hosts successful events with community outreach
Truman Middle School has hosted some awesome events in the past few weeks that
have been huge successes with community outreach. The annual “Honor Night”,
commending all students who have maintained a 3.0 accumulative GPA at Truman,
Browns Point E.S. held its second
annual spelling bee to provide a
chance for students to be
recognized for excellence in
academics.
welcomed a “standing-room-only” audience on Tuesday evening, Feb. 24. It was an
evening where students were recognized for their excellence and hard work, when
parents could proudly boast of their child’s achievement and pat them on the back for a
job well done!
On Thursday evening, March 19, Truman also hosted a spaghetti dinner for
September’s incoming sixth-grade students and their parents. A combination of hard
work from Truman’s staff, PTSA and head-cook Donna Linville, provided a mostimportant informational evening for all, coupled with fun, a delicious meal and
entertainment by the awesome Truman Jazz Band, under the direction of David Cripe.
Truman staff and PTSA rock! –Jan Farwell, Truman office coordinator
Science teacher catches large fish in bay
Marty Splinter, science teacher at Truman Middle School, is positive that the 30-pound
fish he caught in Commencement Bay must be one of the many he and his science
classes have been hatching and releasing into Puget Sound streams over the past few
years. Splinter receives hundreds of eggs from the Washington State Fisheries
Department every winter for his students to care for and nurture until they can be
released into local streams.
Lincoln H.S. students and advisors
went to Olympia on March 17 so
the students could participate in
the Legislative Policy Seminar held
at the state's capital. Students met
with their legislators during prescheduled meetings to discuss
leadership and legislation impacting
Career and Technical Education.
These students represented FFA,
FBLA, DECA, FCCLA and SkillsUSA.
Giaudrone students receive science fair awards
Giaudrone Middle School had three students who received awards at the South Sound
Regional Science Fair on March 21 at Pacific Lutheran University. In the sixth-grade
division, Alanna Solomon received first place for her project titled “Dirty Work.” Stephen
Johnson’s project titled “Let There Be Light” received third place in the seventh-grade
division. Sixth grader Angelina Watkins received a Specialist Award for her project titled
“Zapped Solar Cells.” We are very proud of all of our students that participated in this
event. —Michael Robinson, principal, Giaudrone M.S.
Ron Hack mentors Tacoma Business Academy student
Wilson H.S. staff helped Truman
M.S. staff learn the online grade
program and make it go “live.”
It is all about building relationships. Community In Schools (CIS) students need to know
there is a caring adult in their lives who is willing to invest time and effort to help them
deal with problems and stay in school. That holds true at any grade level.
Tacoma Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Ron Hack spends part of his Wednesday
afternoons engaged in one-on-one coaching sessions with Erick Than, a junior at the
Tacoma Business Academy at Bates Technical College.
After just a few meetings, Than and Hack have established a strong relationship sharing
personal stories and laughs as they talk about Than’s academic and career goals, wrote
Tom Layson in the CIS newsletter.
“This is a way to give back a little to the community and the students. It’s worked out well
and I enjoy it,” said Hack.
Than likes the program, too. “We have mentors like Ron keeping me motivated to come
to school every day and get things done.”
Professional development
Instructional facilitators and others
work together with East Side
school staffs on a waiver day.
Scholarship announcement date changed
The date for the Tacoma National Board (TNBP) scholarship announcement has been
changed. Please note that the announcement of the TNBP scholarships will be made
the week of April 13. Professional Development will contact all of the candidates that
applied. Contact Kelly Raymond, director, Professional Development, at 253.571.1061 if
you have any questions.
Educator Career Fair to be April 16 at Tacoma Dome
Come visit the Tacoma Public Schools recruiters at the Washington Educator Career
Fair at the Tacoma Dome on Thursday, April 16. Doors will open at 9 a.m. To preregister, click on the link below and register as "Applicant & Teacher," or go to
Quick Links
Event Calendar
Job openings
News & Information
Photo Gallery
Policies & Procedures
Professional Development
Staff classifieds
www.wspa.net for more information.
Lesley University offers degrees for paraeductors
Bachelor’s degree/teacher preparation programs are open to Tacoma-area schools
paraeducators. Lesley University is currently accepting applications for two bachelor’s
degrees designed for those interested in becoming a teacher. Click on this link for more
information and a list of upcoming information sessions.
Free training on addressing the achievement gap
Free video conference training on “Addressing the Academic Achievement Gap: From
Research to Action” will be held from 4–5 p.m. on April 28, May 5 and May 12. You can
attend these trainings at the Professional Development Center in Room 6. The training
is offered by the Center for the Improvement of Student Learning, Office of the
Superintendent of Public Instruction. For a registration form or more information, e-mail
cisl@k12.wa.us or call 360.725.6165. Check the Web site at
www.yourlearningcenter.org.
Sign up for new PEP class
Foundations of Teamwork is a new 10-hour PEP class by Bruce Brummond on
developing a CANDO Foundation of TEAMWORK. The sessions will be held from 4:45–
6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays, April 21 and 28, and May 12, 19 and 26. The cost will be $25 for
the required books. Go to the Web site at www.characterconstructioncompany.com to
learn more about Brummond’s methodology. To register for the class, go to the TPS
Professional Development calendar.
Tech tip
Using Atomic Learning’s lesson accelerators
Find out more about Atomic Learning and lesson accelerators by clicking here. For
information about lesson accelerators as a staff development tool, click this link.
Health tips
The theme for March 2009 is “Eat Right”
National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created
annually in March by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign focuses attention
on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and
physical activity habits.
Celebrate National Nutrition Month in your workplace. Check out the following link for
some fun, free resources and ideas on How to Celebrate National Nutrition Month in the
workplace: www.eatright.org/nnm.
Below are some ideas provided by the American Dietetic Association on how you can
promote National Nutrition Month (NNM) in the work place.
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Organize a "healthy recipe" contest among employees. Have the judges be
VIPs from your workplace. Award National Nutrition Month (NNM) t-shirts, mugs
or other items as prizes.
Distribute coupons for discounts on a healthy meal featured in your cafeteria.
Decorate the cafeteria or snack bar with NNM materials. Have the cashier ask
every 10th customer to tell them the NNM theme. Give those customers a
discount on their meal, a NNM pencil, pen or button.
Create a "take one" box with a nutrition brochure, NNM bookmarks, nutrition fact
sheets or MyPyramid handout.
Sponsor a canned food drive and deliver the food to a homeless shelter or food
depository.
Hire a dietitian to come out and teach a healthy nutrition class at your
workplace.
This Week in Pictures
Welcome to the LA Fitness Corporate Wellness program
The Sound Partnership and LA Fitness have begun a corporate membership program
that will begin on Monday, March 30. As part of the program, The Sound Partnership will
e-mail you an electronic e-voucher that will be sent directly to your employee e-mail
address.
By issuing these e-vouchers, The Sound Partnership is verifying that you are an
employee or a family member of an employee. These e-vouchers are to be printed and
redeemed at any club in the state of employment, excluding Signature Clubs. In doing
this, you will receive the discounted rate offered to Tacoma Public Schools employees
and their respective family members. Each voucher is redeemable for only one
membership sign-up. If you wish to add family members to your account, an additional
voucher for each family member will be needed.
If you are interested in the LA Fitness corporate membership offer, please send Will
Saultes an e-mail indicating your interest and informing him of the number of vouchers
you will need sent.
For more information, click here.
Community opportunities
Metro Parks to offer April family activities
Metro Parks Tacoma will offer a wide variety of family activities for April. Click here to
see some of the April offerings.
Student motivation workshop set for July 20
A student motivation workshop, “Keys to Student Motivation,” will be held on Monday,
July 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn 1801 E. Valley Rd., in
Seattle/Renton.
“Keys to Student Motivation” tackles one of the primary teaching challenges: how to
motivate students, including the problematic ones. Keys to Student Motivation links
motivation and positive behavior support (PBS) to effect motivation. Behavioralcontingency analysis provides teachers with specific techniques to effect difficult
classroom behaviors. Motivation research identifies classroom practices and teacher
behaviors that support motivation. Brain-based motivation explains how motivation is
created and processed in the brain. Teaching strategies and lesson plans provide
teachers classroom-ready tools to improve student motivation and academic
engagement.
“Keys to Student Motivation” is presented by The Instructor Workshop. The Instructor
Workshop is cofacilitated by Dr. Ron Girmus and Applied Behavioral Analysts. Dr.
Girmus’ specialty is neurophysiology and brain-based motivation. Applied behavioral
analysts provide on-the-spot consulting for your most difficult behavioral and
motivational issues.
Cost: $179. Credit: 7 clock hours. To register: For a workshop agenda and registration
form or to register online, go to the Web site at www.instructorworkshop.com. You can
also view and download student motivation strategies and lesson plans from this site.
Tacoma School District 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 Dr. Da Verne S. Bell, coordinator, equity and diversity, telephone 253.571.1292. Inquiries regarding
the application of Title IX should be directed to Dr. Da Verne S. Bell, coordinator, equity and diversity, telephone
253.571.1292. 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 Chris Backman, coordinator of
guidance and counseling, telephone 253.571.1182. Inquiries regarding accommodations for disabled employees
and the public should be directed to Leslie Nohr, disability accommodation officer, telephone, 253.571.1021.
These individuals may be contacted by mail at P.O. Box 1357, Tacoma, WA 98401-1357.