Document 2555547

Issaquah School District
Community Newsletter
ISSAQUAH SCHOOL DISTRICT
continued from front page
565 NW Holly St., Issaquah, WA 98027
Issaquah schools both teach and model Life
Management lessons.
www.issaquah.wednet.edu/news/FOCUS.aspx
Why am I getting this newsletter?
September 2009
|
Vol. 14 No. 4 |
Learning locally, competing globally | www.issaquah.wednet.edu
Focus on life management
Students will live healthy, satisfying, and productive lives
A few of the reasons you have to be proud of your schools
Hooray for the Issaquah Schools Foundation!
Because of the District’s strategic
partnership with ISF, Issaquah
students have many more opportunities to master all learning
goals—including End 6, “Life
Management”—through programs such as VOICE mentoring, After
School Homework Labs/Clubs, Jr. Achievement, Club 7, and PSAT
testing. You can help ISF prepare students for success
in school and life by contributing to Calling for Kids. Go to
www.issaquahschoolsfoundation.org to participate.
Clark teacher earns prestigious honor
Clark Elementary’s Liza Rickey is one of just 100 teachers selected
nationwide to attend the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy in
New Jersey this past summer. Ms. Rickey, a fourth-grade teacher in the
science-technology program, was selected because of her passion for
inspiring young minds and excellent qualifications. The Academy brings
together educators to discover innovative new ways to teach math and
science in order to motivate students to pursue careers in these fields.
Liberty wins video, performing arts awards
Liberty High senior Brian Levine’s video ad, “The Perfect Wave,” won
1st place (and a Flip Video MiniHD Camcorder) in the Washington DECA
Taco del Mar Ad Competition. Students Ty Pestl and David Lowry
assisted Brian in his creative effort.
Liber ty’s Patriot Players competed with 80 other high school
productions in the 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards
and walked away with accolades and recognition for their production
“Kiss Me Quick Before the Lava Reaches the Village.”
Complete stories at: www.issaquah.wednet.edu/news/
If graduates have heads full of facts but neglect their health, how happy and productive will they ultimately
be? If they are prepared to work in high-demand jobs but have no concept of financial management, how
will they care for themselves and their family long term?
The idea is that—in addition to mastering core content knowledge—students must learn to safeguard
their own physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. The Issaquah School District has defined a core
group of such practical skills in End 6 (E-6), “Life Management.” As Focus Community Newsletter explores
each of the District’s five End student learning goals (see “E-4, Technology,” December 2008; “E-2,
Academics and Foundations,” March 2009; and “E-3, Citizenship,” June 2009), this edition spotlights how
students are preparing to lead healthy, satisfying, and productive lives under the guidance of E-6.
E-6 has several essential components: Sound physical, mental, and emotional health; goal setting
and attainment; resiliency even in the face of failure; personal and professional adaptability; financial
management; collaboration with diverse people; and post-high school career and education planning.
“A graduate must be ready to deal positively with the complex—and sometimes overwhelming—nature
of day-to-day life, which includes navigating relationships, making healthy choices, overcoming setbacks,
and finding purpose,” explains Superintendent Steve Rasmussen.
continued on next page
Ends: Academics and Foundations (E-2), Citizenship (E-3),
Technology (E-4), Personal
Awareness and Expression (E-5),
and Life Management (E-6).
In elementary schools, report cards include
metrics for “flexibility,” “perseverance,” and
“cooperation.” This focus continues throughout
high school, where students set goals based
on their interests and passions. Every student
completes a post-graduate project that includes
a skills inventory, hands-on career exploration,
and a financial plan.
Polling indicates that students are successful
in many Life Management areas. In the state’s
bi-annual Healthy Youth Survey, Issaquah
secondary students continually rank above
their state counterparts in healthy habits for
non-drug use, exercise, nutrition, and positive
connections to school. Issaquah graduates
say, in most part, they were well prepared in
human-relations skills. However, they say
they’d like to be better informed consumers—
information the District is using to expand its
financial literacy curricula.
Programs throughout the District that promote
Life Management skills include: marketplace
simulations; peer-support groups; learning
partnerships between English-language learners
and English-proficient students; parent book
Ends: What every
grad needs to know
Mission (E-1): Our students will be
prepared for and eager to accept the
academic, occupational, personal,
and practical challenges of life in a
dynamic global environment.
At all age levels, physical education (P.E.) and
health classes cover proper nutrition, hygiene,
and exercise. Supporting this effort is the
District’s nutrition policy, which calls for a daily
fruit and salad bar in lunchrooms and sets limits
on the number of calories per meal that come
from fat and sugar/sweeteners.
As a resident of the Issaquah School District, you are an important stakeholder in the education of
local children. This newsletter is designed to keep you updated on the work and accomplishments
of the District and its students–which contribute to the quality of our community and our future.
Points of Pride
Focus on life management
clubs studying healthy child development;
student playground mediators; veggie cultivation
and “Salad Celebrations;” and many more!
The School Board’s mission and
five Ends provide a roadmap of the
skills and knowledge every graduate
needs to succeed in today’s global
environment. It is the Board’s primary
responsibility, then, to ensure that
the District makes progress toward
achieving the Ends.
Please flip inside to read the full text of E-6 and
explore how students are learning Life Management.
The Board has embarked on an annual
process to monitor the mission and
Ends by intensely reviewing student
data and evidence of Ends success
at its meetings. This will culminate in
a comprehensive evaluation before
the cycle begins anew. Everyone is
invited to participate in person or to
track the data—and read the full text
of the Ends—at www.issaquah.
wednet.edu/board/.
For more updates on what’s happening in
the Issaquah School District—including
information about the 2010 Levy—please visit
www.issaquah.wednet.edu.
To parallel the Board’s work, Focus
newsletter will spotlight one End per
issue for the school year. This edition
explores E-6, Life Management.
“Life is meant to be enjoyed, and that’s what
E-6 is about,” Rasmussen says. “As much as
I want our graduates to win the next Jeopardy
championship tournament or invent a medical breakthrough, I prefer them to be happy,
healthy, and secure in their endeavors.”
Issaquah School District
Community Newsletter
ISSAQUAH SCHOOL DISTRICT
continued from front page
565 NW Holly St., Issaquah, WA 98027
Issaquah schools both teach and model Life
Management lessons.
www.issaquah.wednet.edu/news/FOCUS.aspx
Why am I getting this newsletter?
September 2009
|
Vol. 14 No. 4 |
Learning locally, competing globally | www.issaquah.wednet.edu
Focus on life management
Students will live healthy, satisfying, and productive lives
A few of the reasons you have to be proud of your schools
Hooray for the Issaquah Schools Foundation!
Because of the District’s strategic
partnership with ISF, Issaquah
students have many more opportunities to master all learning
goals—including End 6, “Life
Management”—through programs such as VOICE mentoring, After
School Homework Labs/Clubs, Jr. Achievement, Club 7, and PSAT
testing. You can help ISF prepare students for success
in school and life by contributing to Calling for Kids. Go to
www.issaquahschoolsfoundation.org to participate.
Clark teacher earns prestigious honor
Clark Elementary’s Liza Rickey is one of just 100 teachers selected
nationwide to attend the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy in
New Jersey this past summer. Ms. Rickey, a fourth-grade teacher in the
science-technology program, was selected because of her passion for
inspiring young minds and excellent qualifications. The Academy brings
together educators to discover innovative new ways to teach math and
science in order to motivate students to pursue careers in these fields.
Liberty wins video, performing arts awards
Liberty High senior Brian Levine’s video ad, “The Perfect Wave,” won
1st place (and a Flip Video MiniHD Camcorder) in the Washington DECA
Taco del Mar Ad Competition. Students Ty Pestl and David Lowry
assisted Brian in his creative effort.
Liber ty’s Patriot Players competed with 80 other high school
productions in the 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards
and walked away with accolades and recognition for their production
“Kiss Me Quick Before the Lava Reaches the Village.”
Complete stories at: www.issaquah.wednet.edu/news/
If graduates have heads full of facts but neglect their health, how happy and productive will they ultimately
be? If they are prepared to work in high-demand jobs but have no concept of financial management, how
will they care for themselves and their family long term?
The idea is that—in addition to mastering core content knowledge—students must learn to safeguard
their own physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. The Issaquah School District has defined a core
group of such practical skills in End 6 (E-6), “Life Management.” As Focus Community Newsletter explores
each of the District’s five End student learning goals (see “E-4, Technology,” December 2008; “E-2,
Academics and Foundations,” March 2009; and “E-3, Citizenship,” June 2009), this edition spotlights how
students are preparing to lead healthy, satisfying, and productive lives under the guidance of E-6.
E-6 has several essential components: Sound physical, mental, and emotional health; goal setting
and attainment; resiliency even in the face of failure; personal and professional adaptability; financial
management; collaboration with diverse people; and post-high school career and education planning.
“A graduate must be ready to deal positively with the complex—and sometimes overwhelming—nature
of day-to-day life, which includes navigating relationships, making healthy choices, overcoming setbacks,
and finding purpose,” explains Superintendent Steve Rasmussen.
continued on next page
Ends: Academics and Foundations (E-2), Citizenship (E-3),
Technology (E-4), Personal
Awareness and Expression (E-5),
and Life Management (E-6).
In elementary schools, report cards include
metrics for “flexibility,” “perseverance,” and
“cooperation.” This focus continues throughout
high school, where students set goals based
on their interests and passions. Every student
completes a post-graduate project that includes
a skills inventory, hands-on career exploration,
and a financial plan.
Polling indicates that students are successful
in many Life Management areas. In the state’s
bi-annual Healthy Youth Survey, Issaquah
secondary students continually rank above
their state counterparts in healthy habits for
non-drug use, exercise, nutrition, and positive
connections to school. Issaquah graduates
say, in most part, they were well prepared in
human-relations skills. However, they say
they’d like to be better informed consumers—
information the District is using to expand its
financial literacy curricula.
Programs throughout the District that promote
Life Management skills include: marketplace
simulations; peer-support groups; learning
partnerships between English-language learners
and English-proficient students; parent book
Ends: What every
grad needs to know
Mission (E-1): Our students will be
prepared for and eager to accept the
academic, occupational, personal,
and practical challenges of life in a
dynamic global environment.
At all age levels, physical education (P.E.) and
health classes cover proper nutrition, hygiene,
and exercise. Supporting this effort is the
District’s nutrition policy, which calls for a daily
fruit and salad bar in lunchrooms and sets limits
on the number of calories per meal that come
from fat and sugar/sweeteners.
As a resident of the Issaquah School District, you are an important stakeholder in the education of
local children. This newsletter is designed to keep you updated on the work and accomplishments
of the District and its students–which contribute to the quality of our community and our future.
Points of Pride
Focus on life management
clubs studying healthy child development;
student playground mediators; veggie cultivation
and “Salad Celebrations;” and many more!
The School Board’s mission and
five Ends provide a roadmap of the
skills and knowledge every graduate
needs to succeed in today’s global
environment. It is the Board’s primary
responsibility, then, to ensure that
the District makes progress toward
achieving the Ends.
Please flip inside to read the full text of E-6 and
explore how students are learning Life Management.
The Board has embarked on an annual
process to monitor the mission and
Ends by intensely reviewing student
data and evidence of Ends success
at its meetings. This will culminate in
a comprehensive evaluation before
the cycle begins anew. Everyone is
invited to participate in person or to
track the data—and read the full text
of the Ends—at www.issaquah.
wednet.edu/board/.
For more updates on what’s happening in
the Issaquah School District—including
information about the 2010 Levy—please visit
www.issaquah.wednet.edu.
To parallel the Board’s work, Focus
newsletter will spotlight one End per
issue for the school year. This edition
explores E-6, Life Management.
“Life is meant to be enjoyed, and that’s what
E-6 is about,” Rasmussen says. “As much as
I want our graduates to win the next Jeopardy
championship tournament or invent a medical breakthrough, I prefer them to be happy,
healthy, and secure in their endeavors.”
Physical education
Teaching
skills
for life
Issaquah programs emphasize health for life
The Issaquah School District physical-education experience is not all fun and
games. Okay, it’s mostly fun and games, but P.E. experts are serious about motivating all
students—whether they are naturally athletic or not—to lead an active lifestyle.
E-6: Life
Management
Students will live healthy, satisfying,
and productive lives. Students will:
(6.1) understand and apply principles
of sound physical, mental and emotional health, nutrition, hygiene, and fitness;
(6.2) identify challenging personal
goals and develop, evaluate and implement plans to achieve them;
(6.3) be resilient, take informed risks,
deal constructively with failure, and be
flexible and adaptable to change;
(6.4) understand the importance of
adapting career, education and life
goals to the demands of a rapidly
changing world;
(6.5) learn and apply principles of
sound financial management in order to
support self and family;
(6.6) cooperate and collaborate within
a diverse group of people in order to
attain desired outcomes;
(6.7) establish post-high school goals
that extend their K-12 learning to attainable next levels of education or training.
“We have come a long way from the days in P.E. where dodge ball and Jack ‘n’ Jill kickball were
common,” says Grand Ridge Elementary P.E. teacher Kris Coleman. “Activities like these allowed
only the skilled and athletic to be successful while others could be humiliated and left with a
negative view of physical activity. Today, students can participate in a variety of challenging
activities where lifetime physical fitness is the goal.”
As in every core subject area, Issaquah P.E. teachers are guided by state learning standards.
Students gain a solid understanding of fitness, nutrition, movement, and goal setting for
physical health. In kindergarten, for example, students learn about their heart rate and the
meaning of exercise. By high school, students understand the difference between anaerobic
and aerobic activity and can create a fitness plan based on their interests and possible
career goals.
Best of all, these lessons are presented via widely appealing and accessible physical activities.
In addition to playing more typical sports, P.E. students across the District are learning to fly
fish, scale climbing walls, swim, maneuver large swivel-powered trikes, bowl, square dance, and
much more. At many schools, entire families are invited to “Get Movin’” nights where parents and
children learn new athletic skills together.
Ultimately, students should discover some form of activity that is enjoyable and meshes with their
unique interests and talents. When combined effectively with technology such as pedometers
and database programs that chart progress, students feel empowered to set and achieve goals
they can objectively track. The result is a fit-for-life mentality. Or, as Cougar Ridge Elementary P.E.
teacher Lisa Patton puts it, she and her colleagues are “preventing couch potatoes while they’re
still small fries.”
Coleman adds: “My goal is to create an environment where every child looks forward to physical
education class. I want my students to understand what physical activity can do for them, and I
want them to be self-motivated to participate in whatever physical activity interests them. If you
visit a Grand Ridge P.E. class, you will hopefully see an environment where the students support
one another regardless of skill level.”
Real financial literacy
Freshman Josh Lazar says his participation in
Junior Achievement’s Finance Park last year
when he was an eighth grader at Issaquah
Middle School permanently changed the way
he thinks about money.
District has rich extracurricular menu
Because students learn some of the most
valuable social and life skills—such as resiliency,
goal-setting, teamwork, and emotional and
physical health—in co- and extracurricular
activities, the Issaquah School District strives
to offer a wide range of opportunities outside
of the classroom. Last year in the state’s
Healthy Youth Survey, 95 percent of secondary
students reported having “lots” of chances
for involvement in school activities. Also, high
schools offered more than 2,500 spots on
athletic teams. Beyond the sports fields, here
is a sample what’s available:
•Choir, orchestra, band
•Leadership clubs and classes
•Chess clubs
•Health/fitness clubs
•Kiwanis K-Kids and Key Club (service)
•World-language clubs and classes
•Art clubs
•Environmental clubs
•Math clubs and Math Olympiad
•Technology clubs
•Writing and reading clubs
•Amnesty International
•Robotics clubs
•Knitting clubs
•Pottery clubs
•Scrapbooks clubs
•Philosophy clubs
•National Honor Society
•Anime clubs
•Drill and dance teams
•Fashion club
* Equal rights clubs
•Yearbook
•Drama
•Journalism
After some serious preparation in Mrs.
Swiftney’s Social Studies class, Josh and other
students took a day-long field trip to Finance
Park in Auburn. There, they were given an
adult “identity” and challenged to handle the
finances they might expect to encounter when
they grow up. In Josh’s case, his persona was
a single-parent human-resources administrator.
“We had to pay taxes, we had to provide for
everyone in our family, we had to get a car, to
get a home—pretty much everything you’d
have to do to manage your real life,” Josh says.
“I learned that managing money is very
stressful. There’s a lot of work to do. There’s
more to provide for than I thought. Right now,
I’m saving up to buy a road bike next summer.
I think the experience has taught me to manage
my own money. I learned so much from the
experience. It’s not that hard to comprehend—
but it’s something you really have to put
some thought into.”
Issaquah’s Academy for
Community Transition
focuses on self-reliance
It’s all about independence.
Issaquah School District’s Academy for
Community Transition (ACT) is designed to
help young adults with severe developmental
disabilities move toward the most independent
lifestyle possible.
Each year, ACT serves as the next step after
high school for these 18- to 21-year-olds by
providing them community-based employment
experience with a focus on social skills and
development of real-world vocational skills.
Through interactive activities such as field
trips and internships, ACT students learn
money skills, meal and nutrition planning,
METRO-use training, social skills, fitness
training, and basic computer skills.
“There is a very wide range of functioning
abilities in our group, and the state has an
expectation that all adults with disabilities
should work,” ACT teacher and District Transition Specialist Diana Gay says. “We spend a
lot of time outside of the classroom, and it’s
part of the school culture now—to help
these students move into employment and
independent living in the community.”
The proof is in the outcome: ACT alumni work
in a wide range of jobs, including food- and
customer-service positions that have them
busing, dishwashing, doing basic prep,
bringing in carts, and bagging groceries at
local stores. Many also are office assistants
doing jobs like filing, recycling, and document
shredding. Other students whose disabilities
are too severe for paid work often hold
volunteer positions.
“The entire focus for our students is their
post-secondary outcomes,” explains
Secondary Supervisor of Special Services
Susan Wolever. “We’re proud of the level of
success students have achieved during the
program and after they leave.”
The key is developing and matching an
individual student’s distinctive skills and
personality with the right employment
oppor tunity, according to Gay.
“One young man was not having any success in his high-school setting. He basically
could not do any activity for more than 10
minutes. We noticed he was very good at
activities using his hands and manipulatives,
so his program involved having him work for
longer and longer periods of time on these
concentrated tasks. Today, he has taken
those skills to a job in a local grocery store,
returning misplaced items to the shelves. He’s
had that job for over a year now. For him and
his family, it was a big step.”
This ACT student’s experience is one of many
success stories.
“Every parent has told us that their students
have been prepared for life as a young
adult in our community,” Wolever says.
“That’s the goal.”
Physical education
Teaching
skills
for life
Issaquah programs emphasize health for life
The Issaquah School District physical-education experience is not all fun and
games. Okay, it’s mostly fun and games, but P.E. experts are serious about motivating all
students—whether they are naturally athletic or not—to lead an active lifestyle.
E-6: Life
Management
Students will live healthy, satisfying,
and productive lives. Students will:
(6.1) understand and apply principles
of sound physical, mental and emotional health, nutrition, hygiene, and fitness;
(6.2) identify challenging personal
goals and develop, evaluate and implement plans to achieve them;
(6.3) be resilient, take informed risks,
deal constructively with failure, and be
flexible and adaptable to change;
(6.4) understand the importance of
adapting career, education and life
goals to the demands of a rapidly
changing world;
(6.5) learn and apply principles of
sound financial management in order to
support self and family;
(6.6) cooperate and collaborate within
a diverse group of people in order to
attain desired outcomes;
(6.7) establish post-high school goals
that extend their K-12 learning to attainable next levels of education or training.
“We have come a long way from the days in P.E. where dodge ball and Jack ‘n’ Jill kickball were
common,” says Grand Ridge Elementary P.E. teacher Kris Coleman. “Activities like these allowed
only the skilled and athletic to be successful while others could be humiliated and left with a
negative view of physical activity. Today, students can participate in a variety of challenging
activities where lifetime physical fitness is the goal.”
As in every core subject area, Issaquah P.E. teachers are guided by state learning standards.
Students gain a solid understanding of fitness, nutrition, movement, and goal setting for
physical health. In kindergarten, for example, students learn about their heart rate and the
meaning of exercise. By high school, students understand the difference between anaerobic
and aerobic activity and can create a fitness plan based on their interests and possible
career goals.
Best of all, these lessons are presented via widely appealing and accessible physical activities.
In addition to playing more typical sports, P.E. students across the District are learning to fly
fish, scale climbing walls, swim, maneuver large swivel-powered trikes, bowl, square dance, and
much more. At many schools, entire families are invited to “Get Movin’” nights where parents and
children learn new athletic skills together.
Ultimately, students should discover some form of activity that is enjoyable and meshes with their
unique interests and talents. When combined effectively with technology such as pedometers
and database programs that chart progress, students feel empowered to set and achieve goals
they can objectively track. The result is a fit-for-life mentality. Or, as Cougar Ridge Elementary P.E.
teacher Lisa Patton puts it, she and her colleagues are “preventing couch potatoes while they’re
still small fries.”
Coleman adds: “My goal is to create an environment where every child looks forward to physical
education class. I want my students to understand what physical activity can do for them, and I
want them to be self-motivated to participate in whatever physical activity interests them. If you
visit a Grand Ridge P.E. class, you will hopefully see an environment where the students support
one another regardless of skill level.”
Real financial literacy
Freshman Josh Lazar says his participation in
Junior Achievement’s Finance Park last year
when he was an eighth grader at Issaquah
Middle School permanently changed the way
he thinks about money.
District has rich extracurricular menu
Because students learn some of the most
valuable social and life skills—such as resiliency,
goal-setting, teamwork, and emotional and
physical health—in co- and extracurricular
activities, the Issaquah School District strives
to offer a wide range of opportunities outside
of the classroom. Last year in the state’s
Healthy Youth Survey, 95 percent of secondary
students reported having “lots” of chances
for involvement in school activities. Also, high
schools offered more than 2,500 spots on
athletic teams. Beyond the sports fields, here
is a sample what’s available:
•Choir, orchestra, band
•Leadership clubs and classes
•Chess clubs
•Health/fitness clubs
•Kiwanis K-Kids and Key Club (service)
•World-language clubs and classes
•Art clubs
•Environmental clubs
•Math clubs and Math Olympiad
•Technology clubs
•Writing and reading clubs
•Amnesty International
•Robotics clubs
•Knitting clubs
•Pottery clubs
•Scrapbooks clubs
•Philosophy clubs
•National Honor Society
•Anime clubs
•Drill and dance teams
•Fashion club
* Equal rights clubs
•Yearbook
•Drama
•Journalism
After some serious preparation in Mrs.
Swiftney’s Social Studies class, Josh and other
students took a day-long field trip to Finance
Park in Auburn. There, they were given an
adult “identity” and challenged to handle the
finances they might expect to encounter when
they grow up. In Josh’s case, his persona was
a single-parent human-resources administrator.
“We had to pay taxes, we had to provide for
everyone in our family, we had to get a car, to
get a home—pretty much everything you’d
have to do to manage your real life,” Josh says.
“I learned that managing money is very
stressful. There’s a lot of work to do. There’s
more to provide for than I thought. Right now,
I’m saving up to buy a road bike next summer.
I think the experience has taught me to manage
my own money. I learned so much from the
experience. It’s not that hard to comprehend—
but it’s something you really have to put
some thought into.”
Issaquah’s Academy for
Community Transition
focuses on self-reliance
It’s all about independence.
Issaquah School District’s Academy for
Community Transition (ACT) is designed to
help young adults with severe developmental
disabilities move toward the most independent
lifestyle possible.
Each year, ACT serves as the next step after
high school for these 18- to 21-year-olds by
providing them community-based employment
experience with a focus on social skills and
development of real-world vocational skills.
Through interactive activities such as field
trips and internships, ACT students learn
money skills, meal and nutrition planning,
METRO-use training, social skills, fitness
training, and basic computer skills.
“There is a very wide range of functioning
abilities in our group, and the state has an
expectation that all adults with disabilities
should work,” ACT teacher and District Transition Specialist Diana Gay says. “We spend a
lot of time outside of the classroom, and it’s
part of the school culture now—to help
these students move into employment and
independent living in the community.”
The proof is in the outcome: ACT alumni work
in a wide range of jobs, including food- and
customer-service positions that have them
busing, dishwashing, doing basic prep,
bringing in carts, and bagging groceries at
local stores. Many also are office assistants
doing jobs like filing, recycling, and document
shredding. Other students whose disabilities
are too severe for paid work often hold
volunteer positions.
“The entire focus for our students is their
post-secondary outcomes,” explains
Secondary Supervisor of Special Services
Susan Wolever. “We’re proud of the level of
success students have achieved during the
program and after they leave.”
The key is developing and matching an
individual student’s distinctive skills and
personality with the right employment
oppor tunity, according to Gay.
“One young man was not having any success in his high-school setting. He basically
could not do any activity for more than 10
minutes. We noticed he was very good at
activities using his hands and manipulatives,
so his program involved having him work for
longer and longer periods of time on these
concentrated tasks. Today, he has taken
those skills to a job in a local grocery store,
returning misplaced items to the shelves. He’s
had that job for over a year now. For him and
his family, it was a big step.”
This ACT student’s experience is one of many
success stories.
“Every parent has told us that their students
have been prepared for life as a young
adult in our community,” Wolever says.
“That’s the goal.”
Issaquah School District
Community Newsletter
ISSAQUAH SCHOOL DISTRICT
continued from front page
565 NW Holly St., Issaquah, WA 98027
Issaquah schools both teach and model Life
Management lessons.
www.issaquah.wednet.edu/news/FOCUS.aspx
Why am I getting this newsletter?
September 2009
|
Vol. 14 No. 4 |
Learning locally, competing globally | www.issaquah.wednet.edu
Focus on life management
Students will live healthy, satisfying, and productive lives
A few of the reasons you have to be proud of your schools
Hooray for the Issaquah Schools Foundation!
Because of the District’s strategic
partnership with ISF, Issaquah
students have many more opportunities to master all learning
goals—including End 6, “Life
Management”—through programs such as VOICE mentoring, After
School Homework Labs/Clubs, Jr. Achievement, Club 7, and PSAT
testing. You can help ISF prepare students for success
in school and life by contributing to Calling for Kids. Go to
www.issaquahschoolsfoundation.org to participate.
Clark teacher earns prestigious honor
Clark Elementary’s Liza Rickey is one of just 100 teachers selected
nationwide to attend the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy in
New Jersey this past summer. Ms. Rickey, a fourth-grade teacher in the
science-technology program, was selected because of her passion for
inspiring young minds and excellent qualifications. The Academy brings
together educators to discover innovative new ways to teach math and
science in order to motivate students to pursue careers in these fields.
Liberty wins video, performing arts awards
Liberty High senior Brian Levine’s video ad, “The Perfect Wave,” won
1st place (and a Flip Video MiniHD Camcorder) in the Washington DECA
Taco del Mar Ad Competition. Students Ty Pestl and David Lowry
assisted Brian in his creative effort.
Liber ty’s Patriot Players competed with 80 other high school
productions in the 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards
and walked away with accolades and recognition for their production
“Kiss Me Quick Before the Lava Reaches the Village.”
Complete stories at: www.issaquah.wednet.edu/news/
If graduates have heads full of facts but neglect their health, how happy and productive will they ultimately
be? If they are prepared to work in high-demand jobs but have no concept of financial management, how
will they care for themselves and their family long term?
The idea is that—in addition to mastering core content knowledge—students must learn to safeguard
their own physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. The Issaquah School District has defined a core
group of such practical skills in End 6 (E-6), “Life Management.” As Focus Community Newsletter explores
each of the District’s five End student learning goals (see “E-4, Technology,” December 2008; “E-2,
Academics and Foundations,” March 2009; and “E-3, Citizenship,” June 2009), this edition spotlights how
students are preparing to lead healthy, satisfying, and productive lives under the guidance of E-6.
E-6 has several essential components: Sound physical, mental, and emotional health; goal setting
and attainment; resiliency even in the face of failure; personal and professional adaptability; financial
management; collaboration with diverse people; and post-high school career and education planning.
“A graduate must be ready to deal positively with the complex—and sometimes overwhelming—nature
of day-to-day life, which includes navigating relationships, making healthy choices, overcoming setbacks,
and finding purpose,” explains Superintendent Steve Rasmussen.
continued on next page
Ends: Academics and Foundations (E-2), Citizenship (E-3),
Technology (E-4), Personal
Awareness and Expression (E-5),
and Life Management (E-6).
In elementary schools, report cards include
metrics for “flexibility,” “perseverance,” and
“cooperation.” This focus continues throughout
high school, where students set goals based
on their interests and passions. Every student
completes a post-graduate project that includes
a skills inventory, hands-on career exploration,
and a financial plan.
Polling indicates that students are successful
in many Life Management areas. In the state’s
bi-annual Healthy Youth Survey, Issaquah
secondary students continually rank above
their state counterparts in healthy habits for
non-drug use, exercise, nutrition, and positive
connections to school. Issaquah graduates
say, in most part, they were well prepared in
human-relations skills. However, they say
they’d like to be better informed consumers—
information the District is using to expand its
financial literacy curricula.
Programs throughout the District that promote
Life Management skills include: marketplace
simulations; peer-support groups; learning
partnerships between English-language learners
and English-proficient students; parent book
Ends: What every
grad needs to know
Mission (E-1): Our students will be
prepared for and eager to accept the
academic, occupational, personal,
and practical challenges of life in a
dynamic global environment.
At all age levels, physical education (P.E.) and
health classes cover proper nutrition, hygiene,
and exercise. Supporting this effort is the
District’s nutrition policy, which calls for a daily
fruit and salad bar in lunchrooms and sets limits
on the number of calories per meal that come
from fat and sugar/sweeteners.
As a resident of the Issaquah School District, you are an important stakeholder in the education of
local children. This newsletter is designed to keep you updated on the work and accomplishments
of the District and its students–which contribute to the quality of our community and our future.
Points of Pride
Focus on life management
clubs studying healthy child development;
student playground mediators; veggie cultivation
and “Salad Celebrations;” and many more!
The School Board’s mission and
five Ends provide a roadmap of the
skills and knowledge every graduate
needs to succeed in today’s global
environment. It is the Board’s primary
responsibility, then, to ensure that
the District makes progress toward
achieving the Ends.
Please flip inside to read the full text of E-6 and
explore how students are learning Life Management.
The Board has embarked on an annual
process to monitor the mission and
Ends by intensely reviewing student
data and evidence of Ends success
at its meetings. This will culminate in
a comprehensive evaluation before
the cycle begins anew. Everyone is
invited to participate in person or to
track the data—and read the full text
of the Ends—at www.issaquah.
wednet.edu/board/.
For more updates on what’s happening in
the Issaquah School District—including
information about the 2010 Levy—please visit
www.issaquah.wednet.edu.
To parallel the Board’s work, Focus
newsletter will spotlight one End per
issue for the school year. This edition
explores E-6, Life Management.
“Life is meant to be enjoyed, and that’s what
E-6 is about,” Rasmussen says. “As much as
I want our graduates to win the next Jeopardy
championship tournament or invent a medical breakthrough, I prefer them to be happy,
healthy, and secure in their endeavors.”