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An aerial view of Lake Stevens High School. The new athletic building, which will connect to the renovated swimming pool will be on the right. Concrete foundations were poured for the new academic building, front and center.

Phase one construction continues at Lake Stevens High School

Lake Schools

Lake Stevens School District12309 22nd St NE

Lake Stevens, WA 98258www.lkstevens.wednet.edu

ECRWSS POSTAL CUSTOMERNON-PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE PAIDLAKE STEVENS, WA

PERMIT NO. 39

Students outperform state, county in annual assessments

The first phase of construction of the modernized and expanded Lake Stevens High School is well

under way. This summer, a water retention pond was dug adjacent to the baseball and softball fields. The portable classrooms and greenhouses behind the school were removed and the area was cleared and paved for a new parking lot and the school’s bus loop.

Continued as STUDENTS OUTPERFORM on page 2

Continued as CONSTRUCTION UPDATE on page 3

www.facebook.com/lakestevensschools @lssd @lakestevensschoolswww.lkstevens.wednet.edu

Last spring, Lake Stevens School District’s (LSSD) third- through eighth-graders

and 10th- and 11th-graders took the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) in English Language Arts and Math. Lake Stevens School District’s students once again outperformed their peers statewide in all assessed categories. Our students’ assessment scores also led other Snohomish County school districts in the majority of tested areas.

“I am extremely proud of our students and our staff members,” said Dr. Amy Beth Cook, Superintendent of Lake Stevens School District. “We take student achievement very seriously and are working to ensure that all students receive the help and necessary interventions to succeed. While there are many things to be excited about, we still have work to do to close the achievement gaps we see in some sub-groups of students.”

Stay up-to-dateon our construction projects by following

@LSSDCapProjects on Twitter

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FALL

2018

Thanksgiving Break begins Nov. 21

Schools will be dismissed 2.5 hours early on Wednesday, Nov. 21 for Thanksgiving Break. Schools and district offices are closed Thursday, Nov. 22 and Friday, Nov. 23 for the Thanksgiving Holiday. School resumes its normal schedule on Monday, Nov. 26.

Winter Break is Dec. 24 to Jan. 4

Schools will be closed Monday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Jan. 4 for Winter Break. Friday, Dec. 21 is an 85-minute early release for all schools.

It all started with a Star Wars cartoon. That’s all it took for a then five-year-old Kashan

Hussain to fall in love with space. That galaxy far far away ignited Hussain’s affection for all things space and science fiction. Today, 11 years later, he is one of 25 national Back to Space student ambassadors.

Back to Space’s main mission is to make Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) a focus in pop culture. That’s where the student ambassadors come in. Hussain recently returned from an all expenses paid trip of a lifetime to Dallas, TX, where he collaborated with fellow ambassadors, met astronauts and had the opportunity to speak to high school and college students about STEM. He was selected as an ambassador after completing an online application and creating a video explaining why he wants to go to space.

Hussain thanks his former Cavelero Mid High School computer applications teacher Karen Coulombe for encouraging him to apply to the program. Coulombe also recruited Hussain to the Seafair organization—he’s a student ambassador and she’s a board member.

“Kashan was a student of mine for two years and a member of Lake Robotics since eighth-grade.” said Coulombe. “I have watched him hear about opportunities and step forward—from serving as a Senate Page in Olympia as a freshman to embracing his role as a Seafair Ambassador this year. Kashan

listens and, most importantly, acts when possibilities are presented. He takes

risks and is confident in new and unfamiliar situations. Kashan’s

curiosity and insatiable drive for learning

characterizes

him as a perfect Back to Space Ambassador. We can all proudly watch as he represents Lake Stevens schools and the greater community.”

The Back to Space Student Ambassador Competition was open to U.S. citizens enrolled in grades eight through 12, and included students from schools across the country. Hussain’s video entry was selected from more than 500 applicants, and he was invited for a phone interview. From there, 50 applicants were narrowed down to the 25 ambassadors.

“The application process was intense and moved very quickly,” said Hussain, a 16-year-old junior at Lake Stevens High School. “In fact, I didn’t even tell my parents about it until I found out I had been selected as an ambassador. It was an amazing experience.”

While in Dallas, Hussain met Apollo astronauts Walt Cunningham, Apollo 7; Al Worden, Apollo 15; Charlie Duke, Apollo 16 and Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11. He met Chicken Soup for the Soul author Mark Victor Hansen and James Keyes, former chief executive of 7/11 and CEO of Blockbuster. Hussain also participated in a special gala where he and the other student ambassadors were formally welcomed and introduced. The student ambassadors have been invited back to participate in the TV program that Back To Space is developing that includes a dream-team of Hollywood producers who have won and been nominated for more than 13 Primetime Emmys.

Hussain arrived home from his adventure just in time to slip on a suit and attend the high school’s Homecoming Dance with his friends.

“The trip was exhausting, but wonderful,” said Hussain. “I was able to learn so much and to make so many important connections for my future.”

Hussain’s future looks very bright. While he had always planned on attending the University of Washington, his Back to Space experience

bolstered his confidence and he’s now planning to also apply to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and several Ivy League universities. In college he plans to study engineering, but hasn’t yet made a decision between electronic, mechanical or computer. He does know that whichever path he takes will lead him to a future in robotics.

In addition to an intense schedule at the high school, Hussain is taking a Running Start class at Everett Community College. He’s also the Junior Class President, a long-time member of the award-winning Viking Colt Robotics Club and also plays soccer for a recreational league. He is the son of Talat and Farzana Hussain of Lake Stevens, who also made the trip to Dallas with their son.

Hussain has attended Lake Stevens schools since kindergarten—starting at Hillcrest Elementary School and then transitioning to Lake Stevens Middle School, Cavelero Mid High School and Lake Stevens High School.

Love of space turns into selection as national student ambassador for LSHS junior

Lake SchoolsFALL 20182

Assessment scores are not the only source of information to measure student achievement. In our district, we focus as heavily, if not more so, on frequent, formative, classroom-based assessments that help guide instruction. Information gained from SBA results and other district and classroom-based assessments and activities help our educators plan and guide instruction. District administrators use the information to plan professional learning for teachers and to help identify, promote, and support successful programs, effective curriculum and instructional strategies.

All LSSD schools consistently and routinely use student data to develop systems of support for all students. Staff members are continuing to learn about Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports to effectively support students socially, emotionally and academically. District staff members are also continuing to learn about poverty and how it affects student learning. Two Family Engagement and Student Success Specialists were hired to help families navigate the school system and to identify resources to better support students.

Parents and guardians should have received their child(ren)’s assessment scores earlier this fall. Washington State’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has a helpful resource page that has many handouts that provide expanded information for families about state testing and learning standards, www.k12.wa.us/Resources. The Your Child’s Progress document provides specific information about grade level learning expectations.

Students outperformcontinued

Kashan Hussain, a Lake Stevens High School junior, is one of 25 national Back to Space student ambassadors.

Lake SchoolsFALL 2018 3

Sylvia Cohen loves to read. She co-founded a book club at Lake Stevens High School (LSHS).

She has a passion for the environment and sustainability. She is the LSHS National Honor Society President. She tutors students at Skyline Elementary School and served as a LINK Crew leader to incoming sophomores. She also earned a perfect score on the ACT and a 1550 on the SAT—a nearly perfect score.

Earning a perfect composite score of 36 on the ACT is significant and very rare. According to the ACT National Office, on average, only around one-tenth of 1 percent of all test takers earn the top score. Among US high school graduates in the Class of 2017, just 2,760 out of more than 2 million who took the ACT earned a composite score of 36.

Cohen first took the SAT, and then decided to also take the ACT after learning she could delete her scores if she wasn’t satisfied. She borrowed an ACT Prep Book from the Sno-Isle library system and completed several practice tests.

“After completing the ACT we were given a date range of when scores would be available online,” explained Cohen. “I was at the library downtown when I logged in and saw them. They actually came online about a week before the expected date so I wasn’t 100 percent sure those were my real scores. Once I received the letter from the ACT

National Office, I knew they were real and was very happy.”

Cohen is a Running Start student and takes Calculus, Spanish 4 and Political Science at Everett Community College. She also attends LSHS for UW English. She hopes to attend Stanford or the University of Washington to study environmental

science and linguistics—although she’s not yet certain about her career path. She is also in the process of applying to other area universities.

Cohen is the daughter of Alan and Lisa Cohen of Lake Stevens. A very proud Mr. Cohen shared a glimpse into Sylvia’s childhood:

“When Sylvia had not quite reached her third birthday, she and I went to the supermarket,” he said. I made a big deal about showing her the list of items I had written down saying, ‘Honey, some day when you are a big girl you will be able to read this.’ When we got to the check out she said, ‘Daddy you forgot something.’ Now I knew Sylvia could not read. I told Sylvia, ‘I don’t think so sweetie’—as I was sure that I had gotten all the items on my list. But Sylvia was insistent that I had forgotten something. So, I asked her—very skeptically—‘Okay honey, what did I miss?’ To which Sylvia replied, ‘I don’t know Daddy, but there are nine things on that list and there are only eight in your basket.’ Sylvia was not yet three-years-old and she was already smarter than me.”

LSHS’ Cohen earns perfect score on ACT exam

Steel beams are being erected in the new academic building at the front of campus, which will hold three stories of classrooms and the new Learning Commons (library). The swimming pool remains closed to the public, but is being used for PE classes and the school’s aquatics teams. It will close completely following the boy’s swimming and diving season and will reopen in the 2019-20 school year.

Middle school tracks replaced in phasesThe tracks at Lake Stevens and North Lake Middle Schools are being replaced in two phases. Work began at Lake Stevens Middle School in mid-September and started at North Lake Middle School in late October. The first phase of replacement includes the installation of an asphalt surface. Asphalt surfaces will be used by students and the community for PE, athletics and extra curricular activities until this spring. The second phase of construction includes the installation of a rubber track surface beginning in May of 2019.

The middle school track replacement project is part of the 2016 bond that was approved by the community. The project was originally scheduled for the summer of 2018, but was delayed due to permitting issues and contractor availability.

Construction of new kindergarten classrooms nearly completeIn 2016, Lake Stevens School District was one of 21 districts in the state to receive a K-3 Class Size Reduction Grant from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The grant provided funding to assist districts with adding new K-3 classroom spaces. A portion of those funds were used to build new kindergarten classrooms at each of the district’s elementary schools. Classrooms at Highland, Hillcrest, Mt. Pilchuck and Sunnycrest Elementary Schools opened last school year. Construction at Skyline Elementary School will be complete by the end of 2018, and construction at Glenwood Elementary School will be complete in early 2019.

Construction update continued

Steel beams are being erected for the new academic building at Lake Stevens High School. The new building will hold three stories of classrooms and the new Learning Commons (library).

The new asphalt track surface at Lake Stevens Middle School is complete. The rubber track surface will be installed this spring.

Construction of new kindergarten classrooms throughout the district is nearly complete. The classrooms were designed to match the existing exterior of each school building.

Sylvia Cohen, a Lake Stevens High School senior and Running Start student, earned a perfect score on the ACT. On average, only around one-tenth of 1 percent of all test takers earn the top score.

2018-19 Significant Dates

SEPT.

3

5

10

19

Labor Day

First Day of School

First Day of School for Kindergarten

First Day of School for ELC

OCT.

12

22-26

No school for students, professional

learning day

K-7 Conference; 2.5 hours early

release

NOV.

12

21

22

23

Veterans Day observed; no school

2.5 hours early release

Thanksgiving Day

No school

DEC. 24-31 Winter Break (Dec. 24 to Jan. 4)

JAN.

1-4

21

28

Winter Break (Dec. 24 to Jan. 4)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day; no school

No school for students, professional

learning day

FEB.

15

18

25-28

No school

Presidents Day; no school

K-7 Conference; 2.5 hours early

release (Feb. 25 to March 1)

MAR. 1K-7 Conference; 2.5 hours early

release (Feb. 25 to March 1)

APRIL 1-5 Spring Break

MAY 27 Memorial Day; no school

JUNE 17Last Day of School; 2.5 hours early

release (subject to change)

Join us for the 32nd annual Dickens Fair on Dec. 1

You are invited to Lake Stevens School District’s 32nd annual Dickens Fair

on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cavelero Mid High School,

8220 24th St SE in Lake Stevens.

More than 150 vendors will sell their handcrafted wares. Admission to the fair is a

can of food or monetary donation to the Lake Stevens Food Bank. All proceeds from the fair

support the district’s volunteer program.

There will once again be a customer shuttle, provided by the Lake Stevens Kiwanis Club,

to and from Cavelero from Lake Stevens Middle School and Hillcrest Elementary

School. The shuttle will run every 15 minutes from both locations. Monetary donations

will be accepted to support the Kiwanis Club.

For more information, call 425-335-1668.

Happy Thanksgiving! As I reflect on the school year thus far, I continue to be

grateful to our students who give us a daily reminder of our priorities and purpose as school employees. Our staff members are talented, capable and dedicated employees who work tirelessly to support Lake Stevens’ children. We are also extremely fortunate to live in this caring and engaged community.

State testing results show that we, once again, outperformed the state in all tested categories, and most categories were also higher than our Snohomish County neighbors. These results are a reflection of work on the part of the board, administration, the entire staff of Lake Stevens School District, and our outstanding students. While state assessments are just one of the many ways we assess students, I am grateful to see that the majority of our students are making progress. I encourage you to read the article on the cover of this publication to learn more about the many ways we are working to close the opportunity gap to ensure that all students are making academic growth and progress. This is no small task, but it is our most important job.

In October elementary and secondary principals presented the progress of their school’s 2017-18 School Improvement Plans to our Board of Directors. They also discussed the goals and strategies included in their 2018-19 plans. These plans mirror our district Foundation for Excellence and directly focus on the work happening in each of our buildings in our five goal areas:

Excellence in Teaching & Learning

Technology Empowered

Thoughtful Transitions

Engaged Community

Facilities Improvement

I appreciate the planning, analyzing of data and reflection that went into the creation and implementation of these plans.

At the end of last school year we conducted our annual survey of parents and community

members. District and school administrators spent the summer reviewing this important feedback, and used it to help create goals and action items for each School Improvement Plan. A summary of this feedback will be provided to our Board of Directors at an upcoming meeting and included in our district publications. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and ideas.

The number of students enrolling in our district continues to increase, and we welcomed more than 65 new teachers into our elementary and secondary schools this school year. The opening of our seventh elementary school, Stevens Creek, and the implementation of new elementary and middle school boundaries helped reduce enrollment numbers in many of our schools. Reducing class sizes has been an important priority and we are making good progress in this area. The next issue of this publication will provide you more information about this work.

As always, I welcome any questions you have about our schools. Please feel free to contact me at 425-335-1500.

Warm regards,

Amy Beth Cook, Ed.D.Superintendent

SUPERINTENDENT • Amy Beth Cook, Ed.D. EDITOR • Jayme TaylorBOARD OF DIRECTORS • David Iseminger, President • John Boerger, Vice President • Paul Lund, Legislative Representative • Mari Taylor • Kevin PlemelLAKE STEVENS SCHOOL DISTRICT • 12309 22nd St NE Lake Stevens, WA 98258 • www.lkstevens.wednet.edu

In accordance with RCW49.60, the Lake Stevens School District does not discriminate in employment and schools. The Lake Stevens School District provides Equal Educational and Employment Opportunity without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex, handicap/disability, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, creed, religion, age, veteran or military status, use of a trained dog to guide or service animal by a person with a disability, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and designated youth groups. The district complies with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations to include, but not limited to, Title IX, Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, RCW 49.60 “The Law Against Discrimination,” and RCW 28A.640 “Sex Equity,” and covers, but is not limited to, all district programs, courses, activities, including extracurricular activities, services, access to facilities, etc. Inquiries regarding compliance procedures should be directed to Lake Stevens School District, 12309 22nd St. NE, Lake Stevens, WA 98258, Attention: Title IX Officer, Ken Collins, or ADA Compliance Officer and Section 504 Compliance Officer, Miriam Tencate, 425-335-1500.

Lake SchoolsFALL 2018

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Message fromYour Superintendent

Stay informed about what’s happening inour schools!The free LSSD mobile appprovides easy access to news,calendars, notifications, lunchmenus and more. Search“Lake Stevens SchoolDistrict” on the App Storeor Google Play.