September/October 2017

BETHEL

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

PRIDE

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8 In the Community 4 12

Hunger Task Force Two years ago the school district teamed up with the community to start a Hunger Task Force.

Facilities Task Force The Task Force will present their final recommendations to the School Board on October 10th.

In the Classroom 6

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Closing the Gap The College in the High School program brings collegelevel courses to all three comprehensive high schools.

In the Spotlight A closer look at what our staff and students are up to.

ON THE COVER: Thanks to all of you who made our #BETHELDAY1 campaign a huge success!

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Meet the School Board Get to know the men and women who serve our district.

Evergreen Shines Evergreen Elementary was recently named a National Title I Distinguished School.

I’m very proud to see Evergreen Elementary showcased in this issue as the recipients of a National Title I Distinguished School award. They are one of only two schools in the state to receive the honor.

And they are having success in a building that was built in 1979.

Evergreen is one of a handful of schools that our community-led Long Range Facilities Task Force is looking to modernize and expand with a future bond.

The Task Force would also like to see a new high school and new elementary school in our district.

Those new schools would help ease the growing pains we are currently feeling in our buildings. This school year alone, we have 426 more students than we did last year. And the trend looks to continue upward for the foreseeable future.

The Task Force will be providing their final recommendations for a future bond to the School Board in October, and I want to personally invite you to that meeting, as the result of it will impact our community down the road.

Two things are certain, we are growing, and we are running out of space to house our students. But I hope we can begin to remove obstacles like overcrowding and aging buildings, so our staff can focus on their main work, educating the students in our community.

SCHOOL BOARD

From the desk of...

Amy Pivetta Hoffman President 253.213.3767 apivettaho@bethelsd.org John Manning Vice President 253.655.5573 jmanning@bethelsd.org

Stanley Chapin 253.847.1614 schapin@bethelsd.org

Brenda Rogers 360.893.5425 brogers@bethelsd.org

Warren T. Smith, Sr. 253.531.2211 wsmith@bethelsd.org

Tom Seigel

Superintendent

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

Doug Boyles, Communications Director 253.683.6049; dboyles@bethelsd.org Conor Christofferson, Communications Manager 253.683.6966; cchristoff@bethelsd.org Timra Knox, Secretary 253.683.6053; tknox@bethelsd.org

Questions and feedback: 516 176th Street East Spanaway, WA 98387 Phone: 253.683.6000

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

Bethel School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all federal rules and regulations, including Title IX, RCW 28A.640, RCW 28A.642 and Section 504. Bethel does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any disability, or use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Please contact Title IX officer Bryan Streleski, Director of Athletics and Security at 253.683.6055, Section 504 coordinators Lori Haugen (students), Executive Director of Special Education at 253.683.6920 or Todd Mitchell (staff), Executive Director of Human Resources at 253.683.6020 or Civil Rights coordinator Debbie Carlman, Director of Equity and Achievement at 253.683.6035 with any questions or complaints.

It’s a disheartening fact that there are families in the Bethel community that can’t always afford to put food on the table.

Nearly 50 percent of all Bethel students qualify for free and reduced-price meals, and weekends can be particularly difficult for some families in need. Adding to the problem, the community’s lack of a city government means local families generally have to fend for themselves.

But what the community lacks in governmental outreach, it makes up for in heart. Recognizing a

need wasn’t being met, Bethel School District leaders have stepped up to fill the void.

Two years ago the school district teamed up with local faith leaders, charities, and concerned residents, to start a Hunger Task Force.

The Task Force’s aim was simple: Feed the people — especially the children — who are in need.

“Our overarching desire is that no kids go hungry, that no kids develop food insecurity,” said Jay Brower, the district’s Director of Community Connections and

one of the people most involved in the Task Force.

The Task Force relies heavily on faith leaders. Many local churches were already offering food services, and the Task Force was able to take those existing programs and use grant money and school district infrastructure to expand on them.

Harvest House, which is a food pantry operated by Cedar Springs Community Church, had already been feeding students who didn’t have enough food to get through the weekend. Prior to connecting with the Hunger Task Force, Harvest House was preparing “Power Packs” for roughly a dozen students each week at Graham Elementary and Kapowsin Elementary.

“We had started something, but we were just limping along,” said Justin Henderson, Director of Harvest House. “And then we found out there were opportunities to team up with the district and United Way.” Now two years into its partnership with the Task Force, Harvest House gives out more

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than 200 Power Packs — which hold enough food to last a weekend — at 12 different schools each week.

The Power Pack program has been an unmitigated success, but everyone involved admits it’s only a drop in the bucket of what’s needed in the district.

Task Force members understand they need to find creative ways to reach those in need.

It was that sort of thinking that led to the creation of the Bethel Outreach Bus, or B.O.B., as it is lovingly known in the Bethel community. On any given week, B.O.B. is out in the district supplying food, clothes, toys and general assistance to anyone who needs it.

It’s an usual program for a school district to take on, but Bethel isn’t your average district.

“It’s all about taking responsibility for our own community,” said Vickie Ayers, Bethel’s Assistant Director of Child Nutrition. “We’re not Tacoma or Seattle or some of these other districts that have a major city behind them with these types of resources. We

don’t have those out here, so we have to, as the school district and the largest employer out here, step up and help our neighbors.”

first sparked the idea of the Task Force. For years, Sandy Seigel has picked up donated bread from Franz Bakery Outlet and delivered it to Bethel schools.

Keeping children well fed isn’t simply a humanitarian issue, either. Bethel Superintendent Tom Seigel said there is more to being hungry than many people think.

She was delivering bread to Spanaway Elementary School about three years ago when she saw something that affected her greatly. As Tom Seigel tells it, Sandy was in the school’s front office when she overheard a conversation between a young boy and a staff member.

“I think kids who come to school hungry not only can’t concentrate on learning because they’re physically hungry, but there is that social component, that mental component, that self-worth component that needs to be reinforced so kids feel confident, feel welcomed

“A staff member asked (the boy) what was wrong, and his response was, ‘I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten anything since Friday.’ This was a Monday. So we really do have kids who are

“Strong schools build strong communities, and strong communities build strong schools” and know they are part of this larger social family — the school,” Seigel said.

It was Seigel’s wife, Sandy, who

food insecure and in some cases don’t have anything to eat at all over the weekends,” Tom Seigel said.

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CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

The transition between high school and college can be difficult for students, but there are ways to make it easier. One way Bethel is closing that gap is by bringing college into high school classrooms.

Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Bethman was the principal at GKHS when the College in the High School program began. She said the first course offered was Addiction in the Brain.

course. They wanted to see how high school students would do in that course. They did a really intensive job of training our teachers for that course. There was a real strong connection to begin the class.”

College in the High School

“It was a class that I believed students would be really interested in,” Bethman said.

“UW had reached out and asked if we were interested in the

In addition to the College in the High School program, Bethel offers several other ways high school students can earn college credit.

The College in the High School program brings college-level courses to all three of Bethel's comprehensive high schools.

The coursework, which is supplied by both the University of Washington and Central Washington University, allows students to earn official college credit in the comfort of their own classrooms.

High school teachers go through an intensive training program before they actually teach the courses.

Currently, Central Washington offers classes in pre-calculus, calculus and statistics at all three comprehensive high schools, while UW offers a class in "Biology: Addiction in the Brain" at Graham-Kapowsin and Spanaway Lake high schools.

Students pay $55 per credit.

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Dual Credit Courses Dual credit courses allow students to earn high school and college credits for the same class. The college credits can be used toward a degree from Pierce College, Tacoma Community College, Green River College, and a handful of other local institutions. High school students enrolled in dual credit courses are only required to pay a transcript fee.

Advanced Placement Classes High school students can also take Advanced Placement classes to earn college credit.

“There’s research out there that shows that students who take an A.P. class are much more likely to go to college,” Bethman said.

“Students who take the A.P. test are much more likely to be successful in college and graduate in four years, and that success rate grows for students who score a three or better on the A.P. test."

Running Start Another option is Running Start.

The program is free for students, but transportation can be an issue because courses are taught on college campuses and outside district boundaries.

"We have a lot of kids who earn an associate's degree by the time they're seniors," Bethman said.

Pierce College at GKHS A new partnership between Pierce College and Graham-Kapowsin High School is giving east Pierce County residents access to higher education without the hassle of a long commute.

In January, Pierce College began offering an assortment of core college courses at Graham-Kapowsin. More than 130 students – both teenagers and adult learners – have already taken advantage of the new program, which is currently being funded by the State Board of Community & Technical Colleges.

For more information on the program, please contact Pierce College.

MEET THE SCH Bethel spans more than 200 square miles and is home to over 19,000 students. It’s the 16th largest district in the state, but unlike school districts in Seattle or Tacoma, we have no city government to help guide us. That means the Bethel School Board has a lot of responsibility for how the community functions. With that in mind, we thought we would give you a chance to get to know the men and women who give up so much of their time to make sure we have a school district and community we can be proud of.

Visit BethelSD.org to read the entire profiles.

Amy Pivetta Hoffman, President Amy Pivetta Hoffman is nothing if not tenacious. When she sets her sights on a goal, it's unwise to bet against her.

Pivetta Hoffman admits she wasn't exactly a scholar in high school, but once she decided she wanted a college education, nothing was going to stop her. It was a slow process that began at a local community college, moved on to the University of Washington, and ended with a law degree from the University of Montana.

After years working with local Native American tribes, Pivetta Hoffman decided to run for a seat on the School Board.

"I decided I wanted to be more involved and more aware of the issues in my community," she said. "I wanted to do something that was going to benefit people who lived in my community, people who had the same issues that I did as a resident here."

John Manning, Vice President When most people are finishing their day and heading to bed, John Manning is just getting started.

Manning is in the logistics industry and works an overnight shift that lets out at 8 a.m. Being that school board meetings generally take place in the early evenings, Manning is essentially sacrificing his sleep to help shape the community he loves.

It’s a sacrifice he’s willing to make because he knows thousands of students and employees are counting on him and his fellow board members to make the right decisions for the district.

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HOOL BOARD Stanley Chapin Stanley Chapin has lived an adventurous life that has zigzagged from the east to west coast and through a host of seemingly unrelated careers.

He has repaired Air Force flight simulators, worked on a large mushroom farm, and created animal exhibits at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.

Chapin has tried his hand at a variety of careers, but his current job as one of the five board members shaping Bethel’s future is perhaps his most impactful. It’s not a job that he ever imagined he’d be doing, but his innate curiosity and genuine love for the Bethel community has made him a perfect fit for the role.

Brenda Rogers When Brenda Rogers moved to Graham some 30 years ago, she didn’t envision herself entering the world of public education.

But when her youngest child began attending Kapowsin Elementary, Rogers started volunteering at school and eventually became president of the Parent Teacher Association.

She shined in her new role, and in 2003 a member of the Bethel School Board took notice and approached her about running for a seat on the board. Intrigued by the idea of helping shape the entire district rather than a single school, Rogers decided to run for the seat. She was elected that same year and has been on the board ever since.

Warren T. Smith, Sr. Like many people born into a military family, Warren T. Smith, Sr. spent much of his childhood on the move. Smith and his family bounced around from base to base, living for a time in eight different states and overseas in Germany.

The experience gave Smith a unique perspective on public education. He attended schools in both poor and affluent districts, and he quickly learned that not all schools are created equally.

The longtime school board member has used his experience and knowledge to help make Bethel a school district that everyone – no matter their background – can be proud of.

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EVERGREEN ELEMENTARY EARNS PRESTIGIOUS TITLE It’s no secret around here that Evergreen Elementary is one of the best schools in the state, and soon even more people will know.

Evergreen was recently named a National Title I Distinguished School. The prestigious recognition is given to a small number of schools across the country that excel academically despite having a large percentage of low-income students.

Evergreen is the first Bethel 10

school to ever receive the honor, and only one other school in Washington was named a Distinguished School this year.

Principal Jamie Burnett said Evergreen’s teachers have slowly but surely created an atmosphere of excellence at the school.

“It starts with the teacher mindset,” Burnett said. “The teachers have a mindset that is, essentially, the No Excuses philosophy. Teachers have that mindset to not give up on any

student.”

Fifth grade teacher Lynn Taylor said Evergreen’s success didn’t come because teachers decided to work harder. They’d always worked hard, but they discovered ways to work smarter.

“We were sick to death of failing, and working hard at failing,” Taylor said. “And that’s what we’ve been able to change. Now we hold each other accountable.”

Accountability isn’t just a buzzword at Evergreen — teachers and administrators truly believe that everyone must be held to a certain standard in order to be successful.

That means teachers call each other out if they see something they don’t like, but they also hold each other up for praise when it’s merited.

“We’re competitive in a way. Not against each other, but with each other. We want Evergreen to be the best it can be,” said fourth grade teacher Sherry Mayfarth.

Fourth grade teacher Bobbie Dysart said Evergreen teachers need to have a certain

stubbornness about maintaining the standards they’ve set for each other and for their students.

“We’re not really good at taking no for an answer,” she said.

“And that goes across the board.

We don’t take no from students.

We don’t take no from each other. We don’t take no from the administration very well.”

Superintendent Tom Seigel has repeatedly praised Evergreen and Thompson Elementary, which also produces above average test scores despite having a large percentage of low-income students.

“They’ve proven that poverty

is not a limiting factor as far as getting kids to perform at very high levels. That’s because the teachers in both of those buildings have taken it as a personal challenge, they’ve dedicated themselves personally, not just professionally, to obtaining that goal. That’s when you have remarkable things,” Seigel said.

In addition to the bragging rights associated with being named a Distinguished School, Evergreen will also get a $25,000 award and a delegation from the school will travel to Philadelphia next year to be recognized at the National Title 1 conference.

Thompson Elementary was second in the district in producing above average test scores.

They've proven that poverty is not a limiting factor as far as getting kids to perform at very high levels.

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COMMUNITY TASK FORCE MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOND

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The Seattle Times recently called Pierce County the fastest growing county in the United States.

And since 1/8 of the population of Pierce County lives in Bethel, that means we can expect to continue growing for the foreseeable future.

In fact, the numbers for this year have just come in, and we have grown 426 students from last year. This means our schools are more crowded than they have ever been.

Our community-led Long Range Facilities Task Force has been hard at work this year finding solutions to the capacity issues we’re facing

Hoffman said she and the Board have been really impressed with the passion and commitment of the Task Force. “The Task Force has put significant effort in developing priorities for the future of our facilities. We are looking forward to their recommendations and maintaining our new and valuable relationship with them,” she said.

The Task Force will present their final recommendations to the School Board at the October 10th School Board meeting.

The meeting is open to the public, and the community is encouraged to attend.

now. They are also looking at our future capacity issues as well. In September they presented their initial recommendations to the School Board in a public Study Session.

Their plan called for the modernization and expansion of a handful of our schools, including Evergreen and Naches Trail elementary schools, Cedarcrest Middle and Bethel High School. The Task Force would also like to see a new high school along with a new elementary school built in our district.

The last time we opened a brand new school in Bethel was 2009 (Frederickson and Nelson were both completed that year). Since then, 1,800 new students have arrived.

But increasing our capacity to relieve overcrowding will require a bond. And that’s not something our School Board takes lightly.

“We don’t bring bonds to people for fun, and we don’t do it flippantly,” said Board President Amy Pivetta Hoffman. “They’re very serious and we know it’s a lot to ask for, but we’re just outgrowing all of our facilities." Pivetta

The Task Force will present their final recommendations to the board on October 10th.

The meeting is open to the public, and the community is encouraged to attend.

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in the

Spotlight

Bethel students and staff members are being recognized.

Here’s a look at what they’ve been up to.

Day of Service As part of the 9/11 Day of Service, students, staff, local churches and other community groups came together to beautify the campuses of four of our district's schools.

Challenger and Graham-Kapowsin high schools, and Clover Creek and North Star elementary schools all benefitted from the many helping hands that braved the return of the autumn weather.

Emergency Subs Nearly 30 new emergency substitute teachers took part in a training course recently to make sure they're ready to enter Bethel classrooms when called upon.

The Bethel School District is looking for people who want to make a difference and are excited about becoming part of Team Bethel as an emergency substitute teacher during the 2017/18 school year.

More information about becoming an emergency substitute is available at www.bethelsd.org/page/3207.

WEB and Link Crew Day Before school began, the district held WEB and Link Crew Day for our 6th and 9th grade students. Across the district, these new middle and high schoolers got a funfilled day to meet teachers and upper classmen who will mentor them throughout the year.

They also participated in a number of activities and toured their school hallways, so that on the first day they wouldn't have any surprises waiting for them.

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District Calendar october 7

ABC Day 9 a.m., GKHS

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School Board Meeting

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Waiver Day

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GKHS Homecoming Game

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BHS Homecoming Game

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School Board Meeting

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Late Arrival

7 p.m., ESC

No school for students

7 p.m., Art Crate Field

7 p.m., Art Crate Field

7 p.m., SLHS

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Elem/MS Grade Prep

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SLHS Homecoming Game

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Elementary Conferences

Early dismissal, K–8

7 p.m., Art Crate Field

Early dismissal, K–5

november 1-3

Elementary Conferences

1-3

Secondary Conferences

4-5

SLHS Holiday Craft Fair

Early dismissal, K–5

Early dismissal, 6–12

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Daylight Saving Time ends

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Election Day

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HS End of 1st Quarter

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Veterans Day (observed)

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School Board Meeting

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Sat: 9 a.m.; Sun: 10 a.m., SLHS

JROTC Cadets from Bethel, Graham-Kapowsin and Spanaway Lake high schools teamed up to honor 9/11 with a joint flag ceremony.

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Return to Standard Time

Early dismissal

No school

7 p.m., ESC

Thanksgiving Break No school

Non-profit org.

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