Bethel Pride

BETHEL

PRIDE NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2020

When will students return to schools?

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Whe re yu r mas k?

Our Schools 4

Bond Project Update

Our District 10

It's more important than ever that students have the tools and resources to safely address their feelings and emotions.

With each passing month we're getting closer to finishing our newest school, Katherine G. Johnson Elementary.

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A Day in the Life See the world of remote learning through an elementary teacher's eyes.

Snail and Puppy are Friends

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From Hope to Change Equity is a journey, one in which we strive to create the right conditions to allow everyone to reach their full potential.

On the cover: Masks and social distancing will be a requirement when students eventually return to school.

As 2020 draws to an end, I know many of you are wondering when we will be able to finally bring all students back into our school buildings.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to move to a hybrid model of instruction in 2020 due to the rising rate of COVID-19 cases. Students will continue, without changes, in their current instructional model through at least the middle of January 2021.

We know that remote learning has been tough on families and our staff. We also know in-person learning is more effective for the majority of students.

That is why we will continue our work to move to a hybrid model when we can. We are continuing to meet with the health department and are looking at new research surrounding transmission rates in school settings. Until then, our teachers and staff will continue to work to improve remote learning to give students the best education possible.

When we decide it is safe to return to school in person, we will be sure to provide families with at least two weeks notification prior to moving to an inperson hybrid model. However, we will not move to in-person learning for all students until it is safe to do so.

With COVID-19 and the flu season upon us, now is a good time to wear your masks, follow social distancing guidelines, and also get a flu shot, so we can move towards a safe return to in-person learning in the future.

Tom Seigel

SCHOOL BOARD

From the desk of...

Marcus Young President 253.439.7174 myoung@bethelsd.org Roseanna Camacho Vice President 253.495.0096 rcamacho@bethelsd.org John Manning 253.655.5573 jmanning@bethelsd.org

Brenda Rogers 360.893.5425 brogers@bethelsd.org

Cindy Henry-Young 520.220.8106 chenryyoun@bethelsd.org

Superintendent

BETHEL PRIDE

Bethel Pride is produced by the Bethel School District’s Communications Department.

Doug Boyles, Communications Director 253.800.2202; dboyles@bethelsd.org

Timra Knox, Graphic Design Manager 253.800.2203; tknox@bethelsd.org

Conor Christofferson, Communications Manager 253.800.2204; cchristoff@bethelsd.org

Nicole Thompson, Secretary 253.800.2201; nthompson@bethelsd.org

Email: communications@bethelsd.org Website: www.bethelsd.org

Questions and feedback: 516 176th Street East Spanaway, WA 98387 Phone: 253.800.2000

Bethel School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Title IX Coordinator, Director of Athletics and Security: 253.800.4303; Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Executive Director of Special Education: 253.800.2300; Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, Director of Equity and Achievement: 253.800.2019. All individuals may be reached at this address: 516 176th Street East, Spanaway, WA 98387.

El Distrito Escolar de Bethel no discrimina en sus programas o actividades por motivos de sexo, raza, credo, religión, color, nacionalidad, edad, condición de veterano de guerra o grado militar, orientación sexual, expresión de género o identidad, discapacidad o uso de perro guía entrenado o animal de servicio, además ofrece igualdad de acceso a los Boy Scouts y a otros grupos de jóvenes especificados. El empleado mencionado a continuación ha sido designado para atender consultas y quejas de supuesta discriminación: Coordinador del Título IX, Director de Atletismo y Seguridad: 253.800.4303; Coordinadora de Sección 504/ADA, Directora Ejecutiva de Educación Especial: 253.800.2300; Coordinadora de Cumplimiento de Derechos Civiles Directora de Equidad y Logro: 253.800.2019. Todas las personas pueden ser contactadas en esta dirección: 516 176th Street East, Spanaway, WA 98387.

BOND PROJECTNovember UPDATE: 2020

With each passing month we’re getting closer to finishing our newest school, Katherine G. Johnson Elementary.

Construction crews continue to make amazing progress at the site, located on Waller Road between Military and 176th. The roof on the school’s A and B wings are now fully installed and workers can begin the process of putting in electrical wiring.

We recently held a COVID-delayed ceremonial groundbreaking at the site, where members of our School Board got a chance to reflect on the project.

“I want to thank all the voters and the community for voting ‘yes’ for this school,” said Board Vice President Roseanna Camacho. “But it’s not just a yes to this school, it’s a yes to education, it’s a yes to children, and it’s a yes to the community and the future of education within this community.”

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When the school opens next fall, it will be capable of comfortably educating 700 students, with space for enough portables to house another 200 students on site. Because of the way the state funds school construction, we can’t build schools to accommodate future growth, if we want to still be eligible for matching funds.

“It’s an area of the school district where there’s definitely need for additional capacity to handle the kids right now, and the other 3,200 who are coming in the next 10 years,” said Superintendent Tom Seigel.

Challenger High School Another exciting bond project now in the works is the second phase of Challenger High School’s renovation and expansion.

As you probably know by now, Challenger is getting completely rebuilt to get students

and staff out of old portables and into real classrooms. Phase I of that project, which built new classrooms, offices, and common areas,

“Seeing that whole project from beginning to end was quite awesome to watch,” said School Board President Marcus Young. “I’ve been part of that cluster of cars at the beginning of days and at the end of the day, so I know it will definitely be a relief.”

The second phase of the project to renovate and expand the school will begin in 2023.

Challenger High School – Phase 2

opened earlier this year. The 8,000-square foot building was not funded by our recent construction bond, but the larger second phase of the project will be.

Our School Board recently approved the educational specifications for the second phase of the project. The 31,000-square foot project will add new classroom space, as well as more parking and a practice field.

Architect Wade Jensen said one of the guiding principles for this site was, “creating a secure interior area with buildings circling the outside to make students feel safe and to build a sense of community.”

Phase 2 construction is slated to begin in the spring of 2021, with the completed school opening to students in the fall of 2022.

OTHER BOND PROJECTS Naches Trail Elementary Naches Trail’s modernization and expansion project is being done in two phases. Crews finished improving the site circulation for the school this summer. That project will help improve traffic flow at the school for cars and buses.

The blue areas show where we will expand Graham-Kapowsin High School.

2021 Preview Next year is also shaping up to be a busy one for our construction teams. Not only is Katherine G. Johnson Elementary scheduled to open in the fall, but: • Construction begins on the new Bethel High School • Construction begins on Phase II of Challenger High School • Planning continues for the Graham-Kapowsin High School expansion project, which will start in 2022 • Planning begins for Evergreen Elementary’s modernization and expansion project

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A day in the life of an elementary teacher All of our teachers have had to reshape and refine their skills to adapt to the world of remote learning, but the transition has been especially difficult for our elementary teachers.

Working with young students is challenging enough in a face-toface classroom, but keeping the attention of a 5-year-old over Zoom can be a Herculean task.

Clover Creek Elementary first grade teacher Molly Trottman has been an educator for eight years, and to say she loves her job would be a massive understatement.

“I enjoy the fun conversations I get to have with the little ones.

I enjoy the lightbulb moments,” she said. “I enjoy the progression, seeing them come in with letter sounds, but then learning to read 6

paragraphs.”

Trottman has seen a lot during her years in the classroom, but she said the recent move to distance learning has been the most difficult period of her career. Not only do she and her

this situation can be for both parents and students, so they’re doing everything in their power to ensure our students aren’t falling behind. For Trottman and many of her co-workers, that has meant doing things they’ve

"We love them from a distance."

– Molly Trottman, 1st Grade Teacher co-workers have to teach their students, but they also have to work closely with parents to make sure they have the skills to help when teachers aren’t available.

Teachers know how difficult

never done in the past, such as giving out their personal cell phone numbers and encouraging parents to call for help.

Trottman also leaves her Zoom link open all day, just in case parents need to jump on for a

quick question.

On a typical Monday, Trottman and her co-teacher will do one main Zoom meeting with the entire class. Once that class is done, the teachers will begin their one-on-one Zoom meetings, where students can get help with specific problems they’re having.

Next, they begin working on videos that are needed for both live Zoom sessions and the prerecorded presentations students use for homework. In order to make each video, teachers have to first create as many as 20 educational slides and SeeSaw activities to go with each video.

Trottman creates five unique videos each week, and when she finishes those videos she

moves on to creating slides and activities for her live Zoom sessions.

Once all of her daily teaching and preparation work is finished, Trottman begins the arduous process of giving feedback to her students and parents.

“In the classroom we can give instant feedback. Now we have 100 or more assignments coming back to us every day. It consumes us,” she said. “Also in primary grades our feedback is verbal, because we have many developing readers. This means we have to be in a quiet place with no background noise, which can be difficult sometimes.”

everything in her power to keep them motivated. That has meant physically driving to her students’ homes to give them sociallydistanced pep talks. In fact, she said the biggest silver lining to the pandemic is that she and her fellow teachers have gotten a chance to really get to know their students and families in a way that they hadn’t in the past.

“I just want parents to know that all the teachers I know have one goal in mind: to do what’s best for kids and families,” she said.

“We’re really just trying to serve them and help them grow. We always have their best interest in mind, and we love them from a distance.”

If she senses a student is falling behind, Trottman does

The GKHS virtual band is one of the many innovative classes we are celebrating on our Facebook page. Follow us at facebook.com/bethelsd.

By definition, bands and orchestras require a group of people working together to make music. So how can schools continue to offer these music classes when a global pandemic has forced students out of the classroom and into distance learning?

Like all of our teachers, our band and orchestra leaders have been using Zoom. Brett Johnson, the Band Director for four Bethel schools, admits the move to distance learning hasn’t always been easy, but he is encouraged by what he has seen from his student musicians.

That’s the challenge our team of music educators has been working on over the past several months. The answer, it seems, is to make the best of the situation by taking advantage of technology.

“There are a lot of things we can do over Zoom to empower them as individual musicians to work on fine tuning their technique and giving them feedback to help them grow and get better,” he said. “So we haven’t lost everything. There’s still a lot we

can do during remote learning.”

While technological advancements have allowed our teachers to do things that would have been unthinkable just a generation ago, there are still hurdles to overcome. Between internet problems, uncharged iPads, and distracted students, our teachers have to be on their toes to make sure classes run smoothly.

Even with all of these challenges, Bethel’s Director of Teaching and Learning Arts & Curriculum Integration, Mike

Remote learning won't slo

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ow our student musicians Saccomanno, says he couldn’t be more proud of the work his teachers are doing.

“This has been an incredibly challenging time for everyone, but they have remained optimistic and have really worked together as a team to determine next steps for their students and their programs

and to ensure that what we offer in any environment has value and worth and meaning for students,” Saccomanno said.

“That creative outlet for kids has been really important and I’m incredibly proud that we’ve been able to continually offer it.”

It would be easy to view this period of distance learning

“We need to see this as a chance to do something really cool and special with the time that they have.”

– Brett Johnson

through a lens of what cannot be done, but Johnson and others in the district are choosing a more optimistic outlook.

“We need to see this as a chance to do something really cool and special with the time that they have,” Johnson said. “They have the chance at home to practice an instrument and get better at it and become a musician.”

In a normal year, our bands and orchestras would be preparing to play concerts in their schools this winter. This year will be a little different, but our students will still be able to show off their new music skills using virtual recitals and other innovative ideas.

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Snail and Pupp

Puppet pals help young st

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed virtually every aspect of our lives, and it’s more important than ever that students have the tools and resources to safely address their feelings and emotions. That’s exactly why our district is committed to offering the best, most impactful Social Emotional Learning resources possible.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is all about giving students the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage their emotions. It helps them achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Last year our School Board formally adopted a new Social Emotional Learning Curriculum for elementary and middle schools, and our teachers and social workers spent the year giving students the foundational knowledge to use the curriculum.

“We are so proud of the work that our teachers are doing with Social Emotional Learning and using the Second Step curriculum with our kids,” said Dr. David Hammond, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Schools. “This was an important piece going into this remote learning model and all the challenges that families are facing right now.”

Hammond said elementary teachers start their live Zoom sessions using the SEL curriculum. “We’ve found that’s really

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py are f riends!

tudents talk about feelings beneficial,” he said. “We think starting out that way each day, in a positive way and with that lesson, is really helping.”

Camilla Fredrikson, who teaches first grade at Spanaway Elementary, is already using several resources in her Social Emotional Learning toolkit.

She admits the move to distance learning hasn’t always been easy from a SEL standpoint, but she says her students have been receptive and responsive to the changes.

“It is definitely a lot of work, but it feels like I have had the opportunity to make more connections with families, in more meaningful ways, in a shorter amount of time,” Fredrikson said.

Our middle and high schools are also focused on connecting with students and families.

“The SEL piece is huge,” said Dr. Jennifer Bethman, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools.

“Our teachers are doing a great job of taking time to connect with our students, which is really big, and making sure that they have a sense of how kids are doing.”

Bartlett. “We’ve had to adapt our strategies, but the goal remains to connect with every student and build a community of learners.”

Snail and Puppy are two puppets from the Second Step curriculum that teachers can use to help younger students talk about emotions.

As kids learn to recognize the emotions the two puppet pals are expressing, they can learn to recognize those emotions in themselves and their peers.

Snail and Puppy also help demonstrate problem solving skills for dealing with conflict.

Bethel Middle School Principal Julie SchultzBartlett said her teachers have been using advisory time several times a week to host virtual “circles” with students.

“Our circles employ the chat feature of Zoom for simple quick responses, and gives all students an equal chance to provide their voice, said Schultz-

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Our path from

hope to change

Equity is a journey, one in which we strive to create the right conditions to allow everyone to reach their full potential.

Are there challenges? Absolutely!

Do we face roadblocks? At every turn!

But, the entire Bethel school community sees equity as a journey, a practice, and a mindset. From our School Board, who has made equity their number one goal, to the staff who work alongside students and give them space to be their unique and honest selves in the pursuit of achievement.

Our Equity & Achievement Department has established Equity Teams at each of our schools. These teams give staff a safe place to have crucial conversations about equitable practices in the field of education.

Our Community Equity Team also meets monthly to discuss issues that are impacting students and families in the district.

Our Equity Specialists build relationships with students and help their voices to be heard.

Each one of the people involved in this critical work is a crucial element to make our district a better place for every student, staff and community member.

Equity is who we are, and it is the path we follow, from hope to change.

Our Equity and Achievement Department is committed to working with our students, staff and community to help navigate the difficult conversations about equity.

We encourage you to visit bethelsd. org/equity for resources to assist you in understanding and creating space for these important conversations.

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High School & Beyond Remote learning may have changed the landscape of education, but our high schools are making sure students have what they need to succeed, in high school and beyond!

ADVISORY Students have Advisory for each year they are in high school. It’s a time to work on their High School and Beyond plan, and it also gives teachers time to deliver social emotional instruction and teach study skills.

The goal is for students to keep their same Advisory teacher for all four years. “Honestly, that's one of the best things about Advisory, because you get to see them grow,” said Spanaway Lake High School’s Jessica Clairmont. Clairmont teaches Advisory as well as ELA. “Senior year is always the best … watching them graduate at the end of the year and walk across that stage, it’s just super fulfilling as a teacher.”

JROTC While our students have access to JROTC programs at all three of our comprehensive high schools, that is certainly not the norm across the country.

“We are a very unique district in that we have these programs,” said CTE Director Ron Mayberry. “There are over 400 school districts on the waiting list to get JROTC programs.”

Unlike the college-level ROTC program, JROTC is not a recruiting program. The primary goal is to build leadership skills and responsibility in cadets.

While the pandemic has limited the in-person aspects of the program, the Cadets and Instructors are continuing to push forward, “engaged in something that represents something greater than themselves,” said Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Derek Reeve (GKHS).

Cadets work together at the Joint Cadet Leadership Camp at JBLM (May 2019).

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DISTRICT CALENDAR*

*Please note: Dates are subject to change due to the ongoing uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit bethelsd.org for updates.

DECEMBER 2

Late Arrival MS/HS End 1st Trimester/ Grade Prep

4

Early Dismissal, 6-12

6

Late Arrival

12

School Board Meeting

13

Late Arrival

18

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2

7 p.m., via Zoom

8

School Board Meeting

9

PL Day #1

No Students

20

Late Arrival

16

Late Arrival

26

School Board Meeting

27

PD Day #3

7 p.m., via Zoom

21-31

Winter Break No School

FEBRUARY

JANUARY

No School

7 p.m., via Zoom No Students

3, 10, 24

Elem End of 2nd Qtr/ Grade Prep Early Dismissal, K-5

Late Arrival

9

School Board Meeting

12

Snow Make-up/COVID Day or No School

15

President's Day

16

PL Day #2

23

School Board Meeting

7 p.m., via Zoom

No School

No Students

7 p.m., via Zoom

NEW! 7 Days of Meals now available!

Due to increasing rates of food insecurity across our state, Child Nutrition Services is now providing meals for all seven days of the week. Along with their regular “brunch bag” (bag that contains both breakfast and lunch), children will receive an additional “weekend bag” containing two additional breakfast and lunch meals at all Meals in Motion locations and bus routes on Fridays.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the waiver for COVID-19 Emergency Feeding through the end of the 2020-21 school year. Meals will be free for all children, through age 18.

• Children do not have to be students enrolled in the school district to participate.

• Households do not have to have previously qualified for free or reduced-price meals.

• Children do not need to be present to pick up meals.

PICK UP LOCATIONS (Meal pick-up Monday-Friday, 11 am–1 pm) • • • • • •

Clover Creek Elementary School Cougar Mountain Middle School Elk Plain School of Choice Graham-Kapowsin High School Kapowsin Elementary School Liberty Middle School

• • • • • •

North Star Elementary School Roy Elementary School Shining Mountain Elementary School Spanaway Elementary School Spanaway Middle School Spanaway Lake High School BETHEL PRIDE

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516 176th St. E., Spanaway, WA 98387-8335 (253) 800-2000 | www.bethelsd.org

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