Renton Specials - Renton School District Dec 2015

High Quality Instruction and Learning for Every Child, Every Day in Every Classroom

Dec. 2015

District looks for voter support of plan to address student growth Two important school funding measures for students, teachers and local education on February 9, 2016 ballot (ballots in homes by mid- Jan.) Citizens in the Renton School District will vote on two separate but equally-important funding measures to support student learning on February 9, 2016. It is estimated that, with approval of the two-item package, homeowners will pay the same amount of tax in 2017 and beyond as they pay in 2016.

Proposition 1: Replacement Educational Programs, Maintenance and Operations Levy provides more than 26 cents of every dollar spent in classrooms, for student learning, teacher training and other district operations each year. The levy will renew the district’s current four-year levy, which expires in 2016. Voter approval is required for this funding, which contributes to classroom materials, textbooks, teachers, support staff, building maintenance, school bus transportation, school lunches, athletics and more. This is not a new tax: It replaces a measure that expires in 2016.

Proposition 2: Building for a Lifetime of Learning Capital Levy to Construct and Renovate School Facilities will raise funds to build a much-needed new elementary school to accommodate the continued growth at all elementary schools throughout the district. The new elementary school will be built at the site of Sartori Education Center, 315 Garden Ave, North, Renton. The capital levy measure will also finance improvements and renovations to many existing schools throughout the district including: • roofs, floors and boiler replacements; • improvements in windows and classroom climate controls; • playground and parking lot repairs, and much more.

The capital facilities levy will also include funding for the District's comprehensive Technology Plan to continue to implement the longrange technology plan designed to maintain and update technology tools and software used by students, teachers and support staff in every classroom and school. The technology supported by this measure supports and strengthens student achievement, and works to operate a large technology-dependent system efficiently.

Tax rate will not increase?

Because of the large number of families and businesses moving into the area, individual tax rates will not increase with the approval of both of these measures. The total tax rate for both measures will not increase and will be the same in 2017 and beyond, as the 2016 tax rate.

Learn more at the district’s website: www.rentonschools.us.

Renton High students create children’s books for local preschoolers

Renton High School students in Jessica Diasio’s leadership class understand the importance of reading, and that all children at a very young age should become familiar with books and literature.

The leadership students recently wrote and illustrated their own children’s books for preschoolers at nearby Arise and Shine Preschool. School staff and students also held their annual Tiny Tots book drive to collect more than 100 books for the

preschool children. Renton High students then took their own books, along with those collected in the book drive, to give to the preschool kids. While there, the Renton High students also took time to read to the preschoolers.

Students learn how to manage money and financial options Teaching students to be responsible with their money, and how to be smart, informed consumers is important, not only to a student’s economic success, but also to the local economy. Financial literacy classes are taught throughout the district as part of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

With the help from local financial professionals, high school students recently received hands-on personal finance lessons from professionals at BECU, the community-based not-for-profit credit union. In celebration of its 80th anniversary, BECU closed all of its operations for half a day as a part of its “Closing for Good” initiative, where more

than 1,300 employees visited 21 high schools around the Puget Sound to lead Financial Reality Fairs with more than 3,000 students.

The Financial Reality Fairs gave teens the opportunity to make real-world financial decisions and see the impacts they make.

During the fairs, students were assigned a job and income, then attempted to balance their household budget while managing living expenses for transportation, clothing, cell phones, food and more.

Another program being taught at high schools is a community and business partnership program called EverFi, which is taught in collaboration with First Financial Northwest Bank,

helping students understand money management and good financial decision-making.

The through these and other programs, students are more knowledgeable and competent in: • savings

• banking • investing • paying for college • renting vs. owning • taxes and insurance • understanding credit scores and more

More fathers, grandfathers, uncles and brothers are showing their support for education Schools across the district are seeing more involvement by fathers, brothers, uncles and other males through the WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) program. WATCH D.O.G.S. is a nationally-modeled program where dads, uncles, grandfathers and big brothers come to school during the school day to provide positive male role models for students—demonstrating by their presence that education is important.

Watch D.O.G.S. volunteers perform a variety of tasks during their day including helping monitoring the

school for safety, assisting with unloading and loading of buses and cars, monitoring the lunch room, or helping a teacher in the classroom by working with small groups of students on homework, flashcards, or spelling. More and more males this year are signing up to participate in the program at their local school, which opens yet another door for bringing the community and the school together.

The program is also catching on in China, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Barbados.

Students work with local business people to understand the economy, business and to be ready for the real world Students in schools across the district are working with local business owners and managers to better understand how our economy works, how to go about choosing an occupation, and to pitch student-based ideas for products and services.

Lindbergh High School students recently participated in Global Entrepreneurship Week where they showed their entrepreneurial spirit to pitch new innovative product ideas to local business owners and managers. The high school students worked through the Renton Chamber of Commerce to bring local business people into school as speakers as part of the Entrepreneur Speaker Series, and also as judges for the Business Start-up Challenge, an opportunity for students to present their ideas for new and innovative businesses and products.

Kennydale Elementary School students in third-grade Discovery classrooms recently interviewed local business leaders from the Rotary Club of Renton as part of the classroom social studies curriculum. The interviews were part of student work in problembased learning, where they use interviews to create documentaries to ask the question, "How do individuals and their choices affect the community?" Students then narrated their findings using PowerPoint presentations to tell the stories of their interviewees.

They shared the presentations with the community, their families and Rotary club members.

Arts education thriving in Renton Schools Teachers and school staff throughout Renton School District understand the importance and value of arts education, and how art is important to a child’s academic growth along with academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity. Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork.

From elementary to high school, our schools across the district are providing students with meaningful arts education in areas such as painting and drawing, visual communications, computer-aided design, photography, web design, graphic design and more. Schools are also providing fine arts courses in drama, theater, choir, band, and orchestra. Students are thriving in these artsbased classes, becoming more engaged in school and with peers; developing coordination, reasoning and social skills; and enjoying learning something new, about themselves and the world around them.

Come see arts in action at the Hazen High School’s holiday play. This year’s play is the Odd Couple by Neil Simon, presented at the beautiful Hazen High School Performing Arts Center, 1101 Hoquiam Ave NE., Renton.

• Dec. 3, 4, 5 at 7 p.m.; • Dec. 10, 11, 12 at 7 p.m.; • Matinees Dec. 5 & 12, at 2 p.m.

Tickets: $6.00 Students w/ASB, Honored Citizens, & Veterans; $8.00 Adults and Students w/o ASB

Renton Rotary give students the gift of words More than 1,300 district thirdgraders are receiving the gift of words thanks to members of the Rotary Club of Renton. This marks the 10th year Rotarians will provide a free student dictionary to every 3rd-grader in the district.

Rotary members have been visiting schools throughout the district to personally present the dictionaries to students who will write their names in the books on a special sticker inside the front cover, and take the book home to use for homework, learn new words and facts, and share with family

members. The total cost for the books is more than $10,000 and represents the community’s commitment to early childhood education and the importance of having students read at grade level by third grade.

Students who previously received the dictionaries, some who are now in high school, say they used the books over the years with their siblings and, in some cases, to help teach English to family members.

Many of the students receiving books today weren’t even born when Rotarians began the giveaway events in 2005.

Other Renton Rotary initiatives include providing children with new coats in the winter and

offering family’s free healthcare screening and treatment as part of the RotaCare project.

Renton School District | 300 SW 7th Street, Renton WA 98057 | 425.204.2345 | www.rentonschools.us www.facebook.com/renton.schools | twitter.com/Renton_Schools | www.youtube.com/user/RentonSchoolDistrict