[6] December 28, 2011 [ PEACE CORPS from page 1]
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and cultural barriers have humbled her. “I’ve learned to listen a lot more,� she said, noting that her community also speaks Lao. Duffy, 26, grew up in Federal Way. She graduated from Decatur High School in 2004, and eventually earned a degree in international business and finance from Gonzaga University. She credits her high school cheerleading coach for instilling a good work ethic, and credits a past job at Poverty Bay Coffee for introducing her to concepts like sustainable farming. “I wanted to do some kind of global service,� she said. “Peace Corps was a great fit for me.� Duffy’s main projects in her Thai community have involved recycling and waste management. The country embraces recycling, and even has a saying that goes with it: “Waste is gold.� However, Duffy is promoting more recycling. She’s also working on a project to clean up a forest that serves as a de facto dumping ground for this community, which burns much of its trash. She is adjusting to life in the Thai village. She recycles and composts, and rides a bike everywhere. She also tries to be a good role model for Americans. Most residents of Thailand have formed impressions of Americans based on Hollywood or an encounter with wanton tourists in Bangkok — the capital city that seems worlds away from Duffy’s rural village.
Most of these Thai villagers are rice farmers (the nation is the world’s top rice exporter). Fortunately, Duffy said, the catastrophic flooding of 2011 did not directly affect her community. “Thai people love to laugh and have a good time,� she said, noting their positive outlook as the 2011 flooding devastated much of the country. “They had so much to teach me.� She’s made a cultural impression on the villagers, showing them U.S. traditions like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Part of her schedule includes teaching English at a Thai high school, while brushing up on Thai skills weekly with a “host mom.� Her small office in the village has wireless Internet, allowing Duffy to communicate with friends and family in the U.S. Thanks to Skype, video chats with her parents can help ease homesickness. When she returns to Thailand in January, Duffy will attempt to build a bio-gas tank that uses dung from water buffaloes as fuel to cook her food. The mayor of her Thai community is interested in one of these contraptions for his house. Also, she’ll return to her pet cat Baksida, a name that translates to “foreigner.� “There’s a niche for everyone in the world. I want to have a job that goes into my life,� she said, recalling the impact of her experience. “These people are going to be in my life for the rest of my life.� The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area ranks No. 7 in the country for producing Peace Corps volunteers with 196 residents currently serving.
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being implemented within this school district. The Common Core Standards are based upon international benchmarks and high level, data-driven research. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on continued development of these learning and assessment standards. The question we should be collectively asking ourselves is this: “If Common Core will become law in 2014, then why are we not transitioning into those standards? Why are we heading down a path that creates so much suffering, as opposed to taking the path advocated by many of the leading education experts in the nation?� Given the challenges we have faced with Power Standards implementation, are we doomed to repeat the turmoil with the mandated state changes? The suffering of students and teachers that we’re presently witnessing is the result of the proper standards not being correctly implemented. The frustration expressed by parents,
teachers and students at successive school board meetings shows that we need new modes for engagement. We need a thoughtful transition process with the active participation of all stakeholders. We need to define a clear vision for our education system to ensure that the transition protects students and engages teachers and parents. Parents need to have a coherent voice to bring a co-equal perspective to the future of FWPS. The Federal Way Parents Organization is being formed to provide a powerful voice, an opportunity to share experience and to develop positive, creative input. Together we can bring FWPS to new heights of performance through effective partnership among all stakeholders.
Kurt Peppard is the founder of Federal Way Parents Organization. Contact him at fwparentsorg@ gmail.com. “Together we can create the vision and the means of establishing a world-class school system.�
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event. The Key Clubs at Federal Way and Thomas Jefferson high schools provide a lot of young labor to get the work done. The Kiwanis and Lions club members have been the backbone of our volunteer program for many years. Thanks to all of the South King firefighters that take in all On behalf of all of us that organize and the donations and help get them all to a oversee this project, I want to thank central location. Thanks to all of the everyone that makes this event school counselors that help FEDERAL WAY public possible. Once again this year we us find these families in need, along have delivered food and toys to 130 with many small groups that help families and provided many truckget all of the work done. loads of toys to other local programs We want to thank the thousands of to help those in need in the area. citizens that have dropped off toys at our We would like to thank these groups for local fire stations. Because of the donations the financial support they provide: South you provide, we are also able to help other King Firefighters Foundation, Kiwanis local programs and families at Joint Base Club of Greater Federal Way, Scoreboard Lewis-McChord. Pub, Kiwanis Club of Federal Way, Federal Finally, I want to thank Donna Conner, Way Lions, H-Mart, Wal-Mart, Winco Ed Coutts and Roger Hershey for all of the Food, Poverty Bay Coffee, Red Robin work they not only have done this year, but Restaurant, Decatur High School students, the many years before this. Longview Fiber, Des Moines Elementary, This is a great program that keeps imFederal Way Advancing Leadership and all proving every year. I look forward to workof the individuals that donate to this great ing with all of you again next year. program. Captain Kevin Crossen, South King Fire We also want to thank South King Fire and Rescue and Rescue for providing space to host this
Community Food and Toy Drive says thank you to Federal Way area volunteers for efforts