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MVSD Points of Pride


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mount Baker Middle School has been selected to participate in a project spearheaded by the Educational Development Center (Boston, MA) in collaboration with Vulcan Productions and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. This group plans to produce The Leadership Toolkit for Change, a collection of materials designed to help leadership teams cultivate and maintain quality instruction in their schools and districts. It includes a keynote video, a series of instructional modules for leadership teams, and an extensive suite of resources for teachers. Clips of Mount Baker classrooms and leadership team meetings will be included as positive examples.

 

The American Institutes for Research, one of the largest behavioral and social science research organizations in the world, has invited Mount Vernon High School to participate in a study funded by the Gates Foundation, the Washington State Board of Education, and OSPI. The study will focus on the effects of  state support for high school improvement. OSPI lobbied for the high school's participation in the project as an example of how positive change can occur with state support.

 

Mount Baker Middle School recently received the Building Bridges Between Math and Science grant. Two teams of math and science teachers will be awarded stipends and professional development through ESD 189 to integrate math and science concepts at both the 7th and 8th grade levels. Instructors Jody Dylan and Jeff Dutton comprise the 7th grade team and Sarah Walker and John Clark are the 8th grade team. We are thrilled that our teachers have been awarded this opportunity!

 

Kirsten White, a senior at Mount Vernon High School, has been awarded the 2008 Princeton Prize in Race Relations for her efforts to improve race relations in her school community. The Princeton University program recognized 92 high school students in 19 metropolitan areas across the country for their outstanding work. Kirsten will share the $1,000 first-place prize with one other first-place winner from the Seattle area. She was recognized for her efforts in bringing the national program, "Challenge Day" to MVHS last February.

 

In the recent Washington Vocational Sports Medicine competition at Wenatchee High School, Mount Vernon High School's Sports Medicine students finished 4th place overall, but 1st place for a 3A school. The eight participants representing Mount Vernon included seniors Rick Pitman, Joe Oelfke, Violet Fowkes and Adrianne Ridenhour. Juniors were Hillary Johnson, Kylie McDermott, Vaani Ganeson and Katie McNett. The two-day competition included three 150-question exams and the performance of three practical skills. In addition to the exams, the MVHS students participated in educational seminars related to health care careers and leadership skills. To "wrap up" the competition (pun intended), Joe Oelfke taped an ankle in 21.8 seconds to become the fastest taper and winner in the Washington competition. Congratulations to our students!

The Skagit Valley Hospital Guild awarded $500 scholarships to three deserving Mount Vernon High School students in ceremonies held on April 5 at the hospital.

Mount Vernon High School students Wendy Wu, Theresa Strachila and Abbi Olson were honored by Guild members for their academics and service as Skagit Valley Hospital Junior Medical Volunteers.

Wendy Wu of Mount Vernon plans to study pediatric nursing at the University of Washington. "I want to be able to keep children healthy so that they can have a chance for a brighter future," Wendy writes in her application. Wendy has a 3.3 grade point average and contributed 228 hours to volunteering at Skagit Valley Hospital.

 

Theresa Strachila of Mount Vernon has a 4.0 grade point average and will attend Boston University towards her goal of becoming a physician. She has volunteered 160 hours at Skagit Valley Hospital and hopes to one day serve as a doctor to help the poor of Latin America.

 

Abbi Olson of Mount Vernon will attend Washington State University to study animal science with the ultimate goal of pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine. She is a member of National Honor Society and Skagit County Horse 4-H. She has a 3.95 grade point average.

 

Congratulations to our oustanding MVHS students!

Mount Vernon High School was recently awarded the opportunity to send six migrant students and two adult chaperones to Washington D.C. to participate in the Close Up Program for New Americans program. The Close Up Program for New Americans gives recently immigrated middle school and high school students the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to become informed and active citizens in the United States. Migrant education students are also eligible to participate.

 

The Close Up Program for New Americans has three components: a weeklong study visit in Washington, D.C., in which participants learn more about the federal government and the political process; Local Learning Activities, in which students focus on their state and local government; and Community Service-Learning Projects, in which students take part in a variety of initiatives to improve the lives of people in their community. These activities are designed to show students the principles and rewards of good citizenship and give them a vested interest in their new country.

 

Six Mount Vernon High School Latin students won recognition for their outstanding performance on the 2008 National Latin Exam administered March 14, 2008. More than 149,000 Latin students from all fifty states participated this year, as did students from thirteen foreign countries.

 

In the Latin I division, Nicolette Bohn received the Maxima Cum Laude (Silver Medal) award; Jacqueline Divita, the Cum Laude award; Tehani Montaron, the Magna Cum Laude award; and Justin Sturdy, the Cum Laude award. In the Latin II division, Lesley Gardner received the Cum Laude award. In the Latin IV division, Alexander Zweber received the Maxima Cum Laude (Silver Medal) award.

Congratulations to our outstanding high school Latin students!

 

Congratulations to Lincoln Elementary's "Success For All" (SFA) Facilitator, Patricia Shanander. Patricia was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Washington State Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (WSASCD), one of the largest and most influential educational associations in the world. Patricia's term on the Board begins July 1 and will extend for three years. Washington State ASCD's membership is comprised of over 1,800 educators in diverse positions throughout the state, with participation offering opportunities for leadership, professional development, problem solving, joint planning, research, publications, and networking. Nominations Chair Janel Keating stated, "We are confident that not only will WSAASCD's mission be enhanced by Patricia's leadership, but her district will benefit professionally as well."

The number of students attending student-led parent conferences at Mount Vernon High School in March was "amazing," according to Principal Dave Anderson. Over 615 students came with at least one family member, compared to 288 families who attended last year's spring conferences. "To think that over one-third of our parents and students came into Mount Vernon High School for conferences is significant," stated Anderson.

 

Mount Baker Middle School will host the 2007-08 Washington State Math Olympiad competition on May 3 at Mount Vernon High School in the New Main building. Up to 160 middle school "Mathletes" from Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and San Juan counties will travel to MVHS to compete in brow-sweating competitions demonstrating their passion for advanced mathematic problem solving. Early estimates show that at least 30 teams have eagerly registered for the regional competition, bringing statewide recognition to Mount Vernon School District.

 

Lincoln Elementary School's Abe Nurkiewicz will attend "Lead America" at Johns Hopkins University in Washington D.C. this summer for a ten-day class in Science Medicine and Robotics. Abe was nominated by his math instructor, Lisa Condran.

 

Lincoln School's Roots and Shoots club, under the direction of instructor Teresa Vaughn, dreamed of creating a garden arbor for the Lincoln School Garden. Last year, the group came up with a design concept and raised funds to produce the arbor. In the spring, Lincoln's Garden Committee, part of the Lincoln Healthy School Project, worked with Mount Vernon High School's welding instructor, Randy Brown, and high school senior Ben Schwind to translate the children's design into a building plan. Schwind took on the arbor as his senior year culminating project.  Because of the arbor's large size (10' x 10'), city of Mount Vernon regulations required a foundation and building permit. Facilities manager Michael Brown stepped in to provide a crew to dig space for the gate foundation and helped navigate the permit process. The culmination of the students' hard work took place on March 20 when a group of high school students walked the arbor to the Lincoln School Garden and returned the following day to complete its installation.

 

Madison Elementary's third-graders held a potlatch for honored guests and visitors on March 21. The ceremony was a celebration of their integrated social studies, language arts, math, art, music, and public speaking curriculum with the theme of Skagit Valley history, geology, and geography. The students sang songs, read student stories and poetry, exchanged gifts, and feasted on "salmon and berries" (goldfish crackers and raisins) in the setting of a simulated longhouse which they measured, weighed, and decorated.

 

A big congratulations to the Mount Vernon High School Debate Team's Rebar Niemi for winning the state championship in Lincoln-Douglas Debate this March. The state tournament, held at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, included over 20 competitors from across Washington.  Rebar defeated Sam Magaram from Mercer Island in the final round to secure the title, and his win put an end to the four-year winning streak by Bainbridge High School.

 

Mount Vernon High School has been recognized as an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) National Demonstration Site, the first high school in Washington state to be awarded this distinction. The school is one of only 100 other schools in the nation to earn the distinction through a rigorous application, screening and review process by the National AVID organization. AVID is a college preparatory program for students who have potential for success in advanced academics programs in high school and college, but who need a support system outside of the content-area classes in order to achieve success in rigorous curricula. Principal Dave Anderson said, "I want to extend a very sincere thank you to our AVID teachers Chris Oliver, Julie Wilson, Polly Hagg, as well as Assistant Principal Juan Espinoza, who has been instrumental in developing a master schedule to support the AVID program." Also receiving recognition were Angelica Garcia, AVID support specialist, and the district, for providing ongoing support to the program.

The Mount Vernon High School Wrestling Team will take five wrestlers to state competition, plus two alternates. Out of 19 schools, Mount Vernon High School placed 4th in the regional wrestling finals. Levi Koetje won the regional championship at 119 lbs., George Hausauer placed second in the region at 125 lbs., Kyle Hoagland was fifth at 140 lbs. (and qualified as an alternate), and Ricarda Garcia--the first girl to qualify for state for Mount Vernon--placed fifth in the region at 119 lbs. Also qualifying for state competition were Bradley Rabenstein, winning his second straight regional championship at 215 lbs., Daniel Osburn, placing second at 285 lbs., and Frank Burge, an alternate, at 103 lbs.

Martha Thornburgh, sixth-grade instructor at Lincoln School, has been honored by the Northwest Discovery Educator Network Leadership Council for her advocacy for the use of educational technology. Thornburgh has been a member of the council since its inception and was recognized for her efforts to organize and encourage educators statewide to improve student achievement through the use of digital media and other educational technologies. The Discovery Educator Network is a global community of educators who are excited by the power of digital media and want to collaborate and share resources with other educators. There are more than 26,000 active Discovery Educators across the world providing professional development to over 400,000 teachers. "Discovery Education appreciates Martha for her leadership and hard work," said Scott Kinney, Discovery Education Vice President of Outreach and Professional Development.

Jody Dylan and Aeron O'Brien, science instructors at Mount Baker Middle School, recently led a team of 17 students to Chilacum, Washington for their first Science Olympiad Team Competition. Out of 14 teams competing from around the state and Oregon, the Mount Baker team earned one first-place award, two third-place awards, and took sixth overall. Principal Beth Ashley notes that Mount Vernon's team was the only group to include Hispanic, ELL, and special education students. "It has been exciting to see the quality and rigor of the competitions," Ashley said. "Jody and Aeron have done an amazing job of preparing students. They should be commended for their excellent hard work."

Ann McCune, Registered Nurse and School Nurse at Mount Baker Middle School, was recently promoted to Chief Nurse in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. As part of her new duties, Ann will attend an Air Force Executive Leadership seminar for Chief Nurses and Superintendents in Dallas, Texas in March.

Megan Lizama, Mount Vernon High School Music Instructor, proudly reports that several high school choir students won top honors in regional solo and ensemble competitions recently. One student or ensemble from each category was chosen to represent our region at state competition this spring: Allisha Nichols, Mezzo Soprano; Emma Lynn and Miranda Zickler, first alternate Women's Small Ensemble; Synergy, first alternate Large Mixed Ensemble; and Bel Canto, second alternate, Women's large Ensemble.

Mount Vernon High School students Amy Felt, William Hoagland, and Michael Lien, have been selected as Washington Aerospace Scholars for 2007-08. The students are among 225 talented juniors from across the state who have been accepted into the first phase of Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS). They are currently participating in distance learning with a NASA-designed curriculum and will independently select a topic of interest for a final project. The students are also competing for a space in one of four summer residency sessions.

Mount Vernon High School is on the leading edge of a nationwide shift in physical education by including and expanding classes like Walking and Yoga. A recent Associated Press release reports that physical education teachers nationwide are shifting away from team sports and instead promoting individual activities that teach students lifelong fitness habits. Unlike team sports, which generally involve some down time, individual fitness activities such as yoga, martial arts and strength training enable all students to be active simultaneously and allow overweight or less athletic students to work at their own pace. According to Liz McNett Crowl, Skagit Valley Hospital's Healthy Communities Coordinator, the MVHS classes are helping to raise the bar for health in Skagit County.

Mount Vernon High School Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Eric Monson is one of only five Certified Master Athletic Administrators in the state of Washington. Established by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, the CMAA credential recognizes a high level of experience and expertise in the field of K-12 athletics administration.

The Mount Vernon High School Chess Team is going to State at Burlington-Edison High School on February 8th and 9th. The team members are Steve Hembree, Josh Groh, Alex Brin, Brandon Lange, and Rubon Cruz.

Mount Baker Middle School earned Honorable Mention in the 2007 State Superintendent's Learning Improvement Award for the "remarkable gains" their students have achieved in mathematics and reading scores over the last several years.

Mount Baker Middle School students Sam Park, Dakota Biggs, and Sarah Mattson were the winners of the Teen Writing Contest sponsored by Mount Vernon City Library. These students wrote essays on "My Favorite Book Character" in Louise Edwards' reading class. Congratulations, students!

MVSD teachers Nikki Klinger (Little Mountain), Erin Duez (LaVenture), and Michelle Kiehn (Jefferson) were recently recognized by the MVSD School Board for earning their National Board teaching certificates. Over the past year or so, the teachers had to demonstrate their alignment with superior teaching standards through self-evaluation, testing, and education. The prestigious National Board certification recognizes them as highly qualified and knowledgeable in their subject areas.

MVHS softball players Carly Feiro and Jill Barnett signed National Letters of Intent in November, 2007 to play for Division 1 colleges. Carly will be going to Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and Jill to the University of Toledo in Ohio.

MVHS Debate Coach Charlie Potter will receive special recognition in June 2008 at the Lincoln Financial Group/National Forensic League (NFL) Tournament in Las Vegas for his devotion and dedication in training effective student leadership skills. Charlie has been a member of the NFL since 1993. During this time, his students have earned over 30,000 credit points at various competitions. One-tenth of these points are awarded to the coach. Charlie's first diamond was awarded after attaining 1,500 points. The points increased to 3,000 on July 3, 2007, entitling Charlie to a second diamond.

The MVHS (and Stanwood) student chapters of the American Welding Society District 19 were recognized at the FABTECH International and AWS Welding Show held November 11-14 in Chicago. Randy Brown is the MVHS chapter coach. The premier national meeting of fabrication companies and professionals recognized the local welding student chapters for their "performance devoted to the promotion and expansion of welding skills and knowledge."

MVHS senior Richard Gomez has been recognized by the nonprofit College Board's National Hispanic Recognition Program. Students who are recognized enter the program by taking  the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test during their junior year.

Five MVHS choir students were accepted to the 2008 All-State Choir (Symphonic Choir:  Emma Lynn, David Bahr, Miranda Zickler, and Byrdie Landreth; Jazz Choir: Kyle McInnis.) The MVHS Concert Choir took 1st place at Artsphere on November 2 AND was also chosen from among the best choirs in Western Washington to participate in the WWU Choral Invitational Festival on November 15, 2007.

The Student Leadership Team at Little Mountain Elementary School, under the guidance of Andrea Clancy (5th), Danielle Pike (Hi-Cap), and Mary Nowicki Sullivan (6th) raised a little over $1,000 in their Penny War. Half of the proceeds will stay in the building to help fund supplies and field trips. The other half is being donated to Heifer International, a non-profit organization that strives to help end world poverty through the philosophy of the gift that keeps giving.

Madison's Flower Power Team (Linda Renne, Lori Nellor, Leah Clayberg, and Julie Minor) learned their proposal was accepted to present at the April 2008 International TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.) Conference. The team will be presenting Flower Power over Spring Break.
 
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