Reporter Central Kitsap
Knights Hoop Bremerton girls take the win against Klahowya Page 6
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2012 | Vol. 28, No. 13 www.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.com | 50¢
Harrison Medical Center in talks with Doctors Clinic Franciscan Health System announced an affiliation with Harrison in October By WES MORROW wmorrow@centralkitsapreporter.com
Finding the perfect tree
Wes Morrow/staff photo
Forrest and Jessica Richardson and their kids search for the perfect Christmas tree at Hubert’s Christmas tree farm in Seabeck Saturday. Lauren Broga takes a rest by sitting in a Christmas tree. Emily Gailushas waits with her dog Bear while her father cuts down the family tree.
Bremerton schools receive Lighthouse grant from STEM School and academy receives $19,000 from state superintendent By WES MORROW wmorrow@centralkitsapreporter.com
Bremerton High School and West Hills STEM academy each received $19,000 grants from the Washington state Office of
Superintendent of Public Instruction. The purpose of the Lighthouse grants is to help facilitate an influx of educators and administrators from other state districts to the high school and STEM academy in order to learn from Bremerton’s methods. Lighthouse grants recognize schools for leading the charge in certain areas. The money from the grants offsets costs involved with
Harrison Medical Center and The Doctors Clinic, two of the largest local health care providers are in talks regarding possible affiliation. The two groups have yet to make any official announcements, and there is no specific indication of where the talks will lead. However, Jacquie Goodwill, public information officer for Harrison Medical Center, confirmed that the two groups are in conversation. “We have signed a letter of understanding,” Goodwill said. “That letter of understanding is that we will enter into discussions to explore affiliation with one another.” Goodwill emphasized the fact that, while talks are taking place, Harrison Medical and The Doctors Clinic have not formally affiliated yet.
bringing in other educators to learn from the schools. Bremerton School District has received Lighthouse grants in the past for its implementation of all-day kindergarten and Spanish language immersion programs. Patty Glaser, community relations coordinator for Bremerton school district, said she believes Bremerton is still the only district to offer all-day kindergarten at every one of its elementary schools. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Math. The goal of STEM education is to improve students’ knowledge and interest in these areas of science at an earlier point in their education. Patty Glaser Bremerton School District transformed West Hills elementary into
Harrison is already the largest private employer in Kitsap County, employing more than 2,400 medical professionals and staff. While Harrison is a nonprofit organization, the Washington Secretary of State’s office lists The Doctors Clinic as a for profit corporation. The recent talks between the two have come just after Harrison announced in October it would affiliate with Franciscan Health Systems of Tacoma. Franciscan Health Systems is a Catholic hospital system affiliated with a larger organization, Catholic Health Initiatives. Catholic Health Initiatives itself came to an agreement in August with another provider, PeaceHealth, agreeing to form an “Integrated Regional Health Care Network.” According to a joint press release, the PeaceHealth See TALKS, A2
West Hills STEM Academy toward the end of the 2010-11 school year. Now, a year and a half later, the school’s performance has shifted dramatically upward. Performance on the fifth-grade Measurement of Student Performance in the 2011-12 school year stood at 70.4 percent, nearly double the 38 percent of the year before. Glaser attributed these increases to a number of changes. STEM programs, unlike many other learning models, integrate core subject areas rather than teaching each subject separately. West Hills’ STEM program focuses heavily on project-based learning to engage students in subject matter. The youngest students are taught about recycling and See STEM, A3