May-June NWESD Board to Board Newsletter 2021

board to board

May - June 2021

News from the Board of NWESD

NWESD Regional High School Art Show

Gavyn Hoerner *NWESD staff pick Moonlight Spirit

View the NWESD art show online at >> https://bit.ly/3odJ6i9

New Regional Superintendents

Will Nelson La Conner SD

Ed Murray Lopez Island SD

Karst Brandsma Oak Harbor SD

Mike Stromme Lynden SD

New NWESD District 4 Board Member

Oscar Escalante District 4

The NWESD is pleased to welcome Oscar Escalante to the NWESD Board of Directors.

Oscar was appointed to the District 4 position (representing Coupeville, Lakewood, Mukilteo, Oak Harbor, South Whidbey, Stanwood-Camano) at the April 28th board meeting. Oscar is a veteran of the US Navy. He is a Licenced Mental Health Counselor and holds various mental health credentials. As a bilingual speaker of English and Spanish, he brings a broad understanding of multicultural issues as well as the role culture plays in the formation of young adult patterns of behavior. Oscar replaces long-time board member Claudia Talmadge who announced her resignation in March.

NWESD Regional High School Art Show Winners

Camille Steckler Lopez Island HS Eyes of the Old

Gavyn Hoerner

Kylie Alexander Snohomish HS Polka Dot

Danavyn Ferrel

Hailey Wubben

Lynden Christian HS Inner Thoughts

Meg Perry

Ryanne Mardini Snohomish HS Heaven on Earth

Islay Ross

NRLC *staff pick Moonlight Spirit

Burlington-Edison HS Labyrinthe

Glacier Peak HS Stripped

Friday Harbor HS Kitchen Window

Shelby Lang

Ryleigh Schmitt

Lorali Snyder

Mayako Pereira

Golden Rays & Willow in the Wind Oak Harbor HS

Lynden Christian HS Polluted

Oak Harbor HS Feast Fit for a King

Blaine HS Class and Taste

* not pictured: Samantha Spencer Oak Harbor HS Crushing Reality

Retirement Announcement Please join the NWESD in extending our best wishes to Joni Morrell, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, on her retirement July 1, 2021. Joni has been a valuable member of the NWESD staff for 18-1/2 years. She will be greatly missed by school districts, colleagues, and board members alike. We have all benefited from her incredible problem-solving skills, innovative organization style, attention to detail, and her wealth of organization knowledge. Joni has been an inspiration and a helping hand to us all. She will be greatly missed and leaves big shoes to fill.

Joni started working for NWESD in 2002 as an assistant for clock hours and certification. In 2003, she began working as administrative assistant to the NWESD Employee 2002-2021 superintendent and board. Throughout her career, Joni has worked in a support role for every level of education from kindergarten to community college.

Joni Morrell

In her retirement Joni looks forward to spending time in her garden, working on home improvement projects, traveling, and taking more walks with her faithful dog Tilly.

The NWESD is pleased to announce that Jennifer Longchamps from the NWESD Teaching & Learning department will be stepping into this important position following a highly competitive and thorough selection process.

New NWESD Coordinators Abby Trimble is the new Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Implementation Coordinator who will represent the NWESD in OSPI’s growing team of MTSS coordinators statewide. In this role, Abby will partner with local education leaders to use the MTSS framework to improve tiered intervention systems and improve student outcomes.

Abby Trimble

Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Coordinator

Prior to joining the NWESD, Abby was the Whatcom and Skagit County Graduation Success Program Manager at Treehouse. Abby’s teaching background is in the middle school level; she worked as a resource teacher and IEP case manager in Los Angeles.

When Abby is not working toward school improvement, you can likely find her outside. Abby enjoys backpacking, cycling, paddle boarding, gardening, walking her beloved dog, and traveling. Contact: atrimble@nwesd.org Sinead Fitzpatrick Plagge joins the NWESD as the Career Connected Learning Coordinator. Sinead is responsible for supporting districts in the expansion of career and technical education (CTE) graduation pathways and work-integrated learning.

Sinead Fitzpatrick Plagge Career Connected Learning Coordinator

Sinead previously spent a 16-year tenure at Skagit Valley College (SVC) where she held key leadership positions, most recently as the Dean of Basic Education for Adults. In her leadership roles she worked to develop, advocate and champion programs that support our most under-resourced populations in realizing their personal, educational and professional success. She brings experience developing student support programs, developing CTE and graduation pathways, K-12/college course articulations, dual credit and work-based learning.

Sinead loves paint by numbers, reading, and CrossFit. On the weekends you will most likely find her watching her daughter perform in a local theater production. In addition to their daughter, Sinead and her husband are the proud puppy parents of a French bulldog named Winnie. Contact: splagge@nwesd.org

Charles Crabtree, District 1 Bellingham, Meridian

Dr. Jack Thompson, District 2 Blaine, Ferndale, Lopez Island, Lynden, Mount Baker, Nooksack Valley, Orcas Island, San Juan Island, Shaw Island Mark Venn, District 3 Anacortes, Burlington-Edison, Concrete, Conway, Darrington, La Conner, Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley Oscar Escalante, District 4 Coupeville, Lakewood, Mukilteo, Oak Harbor, South Whidbey, Stanwood-Camano

Educational Service Districts have served Washington State for almost fifty years, providing vital services and functioning as advocates for local districts. Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD) serves Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, and San Juan counties.

NWESD’s more than fifty programs are organized into seven departments to serve you: Administration, Early Learning, Fiscal Services, Prevention Center, Special Programs and Services, Teaching and Learning, and Technology Services.

Please visit us on our website at nwesd.org for more information on each of these departments.

Stay in touch

Send an email to communications@nwesd.org to request email updates and subscribe to our Ed Talks blog.

Dr. Alan Erickson, District 5 Everett

Cory Duskin, District 6 Arlington, Granite Falls, Index, Marysville, Sultan Claudia Buxton, District 7 Edmonds, Mukilteo

Sue Phillips, District 8 Edmonds, Mukilteo

Merle Kirkley, District 9 Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish

Learn more >> learn.waesd.org/summit