May 2, 2016 - As the school year begins to wind down, there is still plenty of excitement ... hosted their annual Marketing Trade Show featuring 20 local ... the Olympia School District plans its annual budget for the following school year. One.
Olympia School District Community Connections May 2016 From Superintendent Dick Cvitanich As the school year begins to wind down, there is still plenty of excitement ahead for our school community. Activities, concerts, assessments, athletics and special events energize our schools as that last day in June approaches. Aside from the above and the sprouts in our many school gardens, it is also a time to shine for our talented students and staff; a true opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned. All of this excitement and energy culminates in high school graduations. Students from Avanti, Capital, Olympia, ORLA and the Transition Program will proudly walk across a stage hearing cheers from enthusiastic family and friends. Younger students will move up a grade, and some will nervously consider their transition from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school. As our students contemplate their summer break, the school district remains busy planning for summer school programs and the 2016-17 school year. Not long after the final school bell rings in mid-June, work gets under way to clean schools and support buildings, perform safety inspections, prepare for summer school, complete the budget adoption process, and move forward with projects funded by the capital facilities school bond that voters so generously supported in the February special election. Speaking of summer school, we are proud to offer a “Jump Start” summer school program this year at all elementary schools. Running from August 8 through August 26, the summer program is designed for students who can benefit from extra assistance in becoming better readers. This is the first year we will be able to operate a program at each elementary school — another sign of our effort to respond to the priority reflected in this year’s budget survey results to provide “interventions for struggling students.” In addition, our secondary summer school offerings, focused on high school credit retrieval, will play a role in helping our students stay on track to graduate in four years. Finally, thank you for the positive energy you bring to your homes and our community regarding the importance of education. It truly makes a difference! Please join me in participating in the many events at your schools this spring. They are entertaining and well worth the time. Your children will be grateful for your attendance and support. Sincerely,
Dick Cvitanich, Superintendent
Capital High hosts Marketing Trade Show
On Wednesday, April 20, Capital High School marketing students hosted their annual Marketing Trade Show featuring 20 local businesses. The show is the culmination of a long-term project for first-year marketing classes. Students work in small groups to identify and partner with local businesses they want to showcase at their trade show booth. Students compile historical and organizational information about their business and identify effective marketing strategies. After extensive research, they create a trade show booth that best represents and advertises the company they are showcasing. Attendees at the event sample products, get company information and enter raffles for prizes and gift certificates. Marketing teacher Jennifer Fabritius said the Marketing Trade Show gives students the opportunity to practice their promotion and professionalism skills. The show is also a win for participating businesses as it gives them “visibility within the student community.” Capital High marketing classes are geared toward preparing students for the competitive business world. Students gain understanding of business topics such as sports and entertainment marketing, business ownership, advertising and promotion, and product development. Students work independently and collaboratively on projects that relate to their career goals and develop employability and leadership skills. Nice work Cougs!
Community invited to district budget forums this month
Each spring the Olympia School District plans its annual budget for the following school year. One of the district’s goals in the budget process is to gather as much feedback as possible from staff, students, families and community members. This month, the district has scheduled two community budget forums to gather feedback about Superintendent Dick Cvitanich’s recommended 2016-17 budget. Information gathered as part of the community forums will be considered as Cvitanich and the school board prepare the final budget. Please join us at this month’s community budget forums: Wednesday, May 18, noon-1:30 p.m. Knox Administrative Center, Room 303 1113 Legion Way S.E., Olympia, WA Thursday, May 19, 6:30-8 p.m. Marshall Middle School 3939 20th Ave N.W., Olympia, WA
JMS students take home Washington State Science & Engineering Fair Trophy
On April 2, at Bremerton High School, seventh-and eighth-grade students from Jefferson Middle School participated in the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair. JMS students excelled, bringing home a first place trophy in the category; “Excellence in Science and Engineering Achievement.” In an unbelievable clean-sweep, all Jefferson students who participated took home first place for their individual projects. • Supraja Kadagandla - Masters Award for her project titled “Factors that Affect Coagulation” • Sathvik Nallamalli - Masters Award for his project titled “Comparative Analysis of the Growth Inhibition of Bacterial Pathogens by Different Infusions of Silver Nanoparticles” • Pranav Gundrala - Masters Award for his project “Inhibiting Fungal Growth Using Antifungal Agents” • Kaylee Lam - Masters Award for her project “Don’t you just Adore your Odor?” • Eesha Vasisht - Naval Science Award for her project “’AlzhAssist’ - Alzheimer’s Assistance App” Congratulations to this remarkable group of Jefferson students for this dominating performance at the State Science and Engineering Fair!
L.P. Brown Service Club participates in Maypole festivities
On May 1 L.P. Brown Elementary School’s Service Club, which consists of fifth graders, participated in a Maypole festivity with residents of the Brookdale Olympia West Assisted Living Facility. The first dance involved an intricate weaving of ribbons to create a pattern, and the other was the final plaiting of the Maypole. Students and their families enjoyed visiting with the residents, and all involved found it to be a wonderful opportunity to connect individuals from across generations. L.P. Brown fifth-grade teacher Keitlyn Watson said the event was “a wonderful way for multiple generations to be festive together. It is definitely an activity that we will look forward to in the future!” Brookdale Olympia West is a unique Memory Care community, caring for residents impaired by symptoms of early, middle or late stages of Alzheimer’s or Dementia. They serve seniors and their families from Olympia as well as Lacey, Tumwater, South Bay and other surrounding towns south of Tacoma in Thurston County.
School bond construction projects get under way
Just months after voters overwhelmingly approved a $160.7 million school bond for facility and safety improvements, the school district is moving forward with the first wave of construction projects with the selection of a local architectural firm. The district recently selected MSGS Architects, an architect firm in Olympia, to design 7- to 11-classroom two-story “mini- buildings” at Centennial, Hansen, McLane, Pioneer and Roosevelt elementary schools.
Plans are to hold community meetings in fall 2016 to share the design plans for the five minibuildings and seek public input. The first three of those two-story buildings, which will help accommodate enrollment growth and reduce reliance on portable classrooms, are scheduled to begin construction in January 2017 at Centennial, Hansen and Pioneer elementary schools. Those three classroom buildings are scheduled to be completed in time to welcome students on the first day of school in fall 2017. Roosevelt and McLane elementary schools are projected to have their mini-buildings start construction after the first three are completed. As with all of the proposed bond projects in the 21-year school bond, projected construction project dates are subject to change based on factors such as weather, cost and availability of materials. The free-standing mini-buildings will be equipped with restrooms on each floor, an elevator, administrative office space, student musical instrument storage space, a band/orchestra/choir room and the additional classrooms. Exterior finishes and colors will be designed to coordinate with the main one-story school buildings on the same campus. More information, including a timeline of all bond projects, will be posted on the Olympia School District website at osd.wednet.edu.
Boston Harbor students collaborate with local artist
Fourth and fifth graders in Becky Midles’ class at Boston Harbor Elementary School recently completed a service project with a local artist to create a mural of the Boston Harbor area. Midles moved to Boston Harbor over the summer and was inspired by the rich history of the community. This inspiration led to discussions with her students on how they might share that history and their love for Boston Harbor with others. Midles secured grants from both the Olympia School District Education Foundation (OSDEF) and the Boston Harbor PTA to fund a mural showcasing unique features and history of Boston Harbor. Students researched historic information and identified significant landmarks in Boston Harbor, then collaborated with artist Darrell Midles to design the mural. Midles, a former teacher himself, and also Becky Midles’ brother-in-law, created the colorful, detailed artwork for the mural using household paint. In addition to the beautiful artwork, the mural also includes history on the first families of Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor School, the Dofflemyer Point Lighthouse, the Hillman Hotel and Boston Harbor Marina. Most of the historic information was gathered at both the Washington State History Museum and from a book about Boston Harbor by local author Jack Marshall. The artwork on the mural is based off of information researched on Google Maps. Grant funding for this project made it possible for all of the fourth and fifth graders at Boston Harbor to participate in a field trip to the Washington State History Museum.
The mural, titled “Boston Harbor Historic Sites Map,” is proudly displayed in the hallway leading to Midles’ classroom. According to Roxanne Bogart, administrative professional at Boston Harbor Elementary, students have been “fascinated with it and have been trying to figure out where their homes are on the map.” The map will serve as a historic, visual representation of the Boston Harbor community for many years to come.
ct i r t s i D l o o h Mark lYour Calendar - Upcoming Dates O ympia Sc Teacher Appreciation Week - May 2-6 ES & MS Collaboration (Half Days) - May 4 Board Meeting (Avanti HS) - May 16 at 6:30 p.m. Life Skills Prom (Capital HS) - May 20 Olympia High School Prom (Indian Summer CC) - May 21 Ice Cream Social (Olympia HS) - May 26 at 4 p.m. Memorial Day (No School) - May 30
