Volume 30 Issue 2 Spring 2018

Message from the SuperintendentDear ASD Families:

It is almost the end of another successfulschool year. As I reflect on this school year, I am so happy to be a part of the Auburn School District.

Here are a few of the highlights:

1. After a ceremonial groundbreaking in March, construction began in earnest in April on the new Olympic Middle School. The new school is scheduled to open in the fall of 2019.

2. All secondary students have a Chromebook for use at home and at school. These tools are revolutionizing personalized learning.

3. We have prioritized the work of our strategic plan with three big goals: increased attendance and engagement, high achievement and 100 percent graduation.

4. We hosted a Welcome to School event in August that more than 1,000 people attended. Mark your calendars for this year’s event 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., August 22 at Auburn High School.

5. Our elementary and middle schools are participating in No Excuses University, a program rooted in the belief that every student has the right to be educated in a way that prepares them for college and career.

In addition tothese, we havehad many,many individualsuccesses. Wehave a robustcareer andtechnical program with numerous studentswinning state honors in a variety of fields.Students throughout the district excel inmusic, athletics and theater.

Our partnerships with Green RiverCollege, UW Tacoma, local businessesand the College Success Foundationprovide opportunities specifically for Auburnstudents.

We have a supportive community,passionate parents, excellent leaders andgreat staff. Our common goal is successfor each student. Success is measureddifferently for different students and ourcharge as an educational system is toprovide the path to success for eachstudent.

With community and family support,we will achieve equity and excellencefor all students. I am honored to be yoursuperintendent and I hope you have arelaxing, fun and safe summer.

Dr. Alan SpicciatiSuperintendent

Retirement 2018!We would like to thank the following Auburn School District employees retiring this year.Thank you for your service to children. We wish you the best in your future endeavors!

Lela Barlow, Administration; Lloyd Barnes, Maintenance; Deborah Bird, Auburn High;Jeanne Bloedel, Auburn High; James Bradley, Maintenance; Ann Brewer, LakelandHills; Kara Brewer, Arthur Jacobsen; Barbara Brown, Evergreen Heights; ArleenBurkhalter, Mt. Baker; Victoria Burkhart, Annex; Kim Burnham, Transportation/WestAuburn; Connie Burton, Administration; Regina Butler, Lea Hill; Debra Bylin, Rainier;Luis Chavez, Rainier; Elisabeth Daumit, Auburn Mountainview; Lori Davis, TerminalPark; Christine Didericksen, Chinook; Donald Dotson, Administration; Janice Erie,Auburn High; Delia Fogarty, Pioneer; Elizabeth Garvin, Auburn Mountainview; CynthiaGemmell, Transportation; Kathie Gibson, Ilalko; Maureen Green, Gildo Rey; LindaHarmaning, Dick Scobee; Donna Harris, Auburn Riverside; Theresa Haynes, AuburnMountainview; Luann Hein, Transportation; Carol Hering-Phillips, Administration;Teresa Huiras, Arthur Jacobsen; Susan Johnson, Transportation; Dianne Jordan,Auburn Education Association; Rebecca Keefe, Auburn High; Debra Keeley, AuburnHigh; Nancy Kirkpatrick, Transportation; Debbie Leighton, Administration; SharonLindgren, Mt. Baker; Laurel Lorenz, Administration; Jeri Mason, Olympic; DorinMeinhart, Olympic; Shirley Miles, Arthur Jacobsen; Janet Millgard, Lake View; JulieMorgan, Rainier; Gail Mustain, Cascade; Carolyn Olson, Ilalko; Bess Owens, AuburnHigh; Gail Powell, Transportation; Lori Sanford, Lea Hill; Ardith Scarlett, TerminalPark; Leticia Seltun, Lakeland Hills; Judith Shaw, Auburn Riverside; FlorenceShockley, Transportation; Joann Spear, Lea Hill; Margaret Stalmaster, Lake View;Lorri Wert, Terminal Park; Robert Williamson, Hazelwood/Maintenance; ChristineWilson, Rainier; Suzanne Zabriskie, Hazelwood.

Elementary School - Bonnie Harvey,WashingtonHarvey has servedthe students ofWashington astheir counselor forher entire 16-yearteaching career.Education is asecond career forHarvey. Priorto becoming acounselor, shewas an assistant comptroller for the SeattleIndian Health Board.

When looking at a career change, Harveyasked herself what she would naturallybe doing if she wasn’t being paid. She

decided the answer was elementary schoolcounseling and she has never looked back.

In her role, she works with the social andemotional well-being of students, whichclosely connects to their ability to havea growth mind set and make academicprogress. Harvey’s work in the classroom,in small group settings and one-on-onecounseling plays a significant role in studentsuccess.

She also teaches various stressmanagement and relaxation strategies, aCollege Conversation lesson for third gradeand a Walk to Read group with third gradestudents.

Harvey’s work extends outside of herwork with students. She participates andleads numerous committees and activities,

including the SIP/Leadership Team,Intervention Team, Deep Equity Team,Meet Me in the Future Night, Open House,Kindergarten Family Night, and leads stafftraining for Social Emotional Learning andTrauma Informed Classroom/Teachingstrategies.

She is part of the district BehaviorLeadership Team and cultivates relationships with external agencies tosupport Washington’s students experiencinghomelessness. She spends significant timeconnecting families with resources duringthe holidays.

Principal Pauline Thomas said, “Herimpact on students, their families, ourstaff and our community has beenimmeasurable.”

Middle School - Kat Sherer,RainierSherer is in herthird school yearat Rainier, but hasbeen a teacher forabout 20 years.Prior to coming toRainier, she workedat St. Mary’s Homefor Boys in Oregonfor 11 years, aschool for boys withcriminal backgrounds and mental healthissues. She also taught in Portland PublicSchools for four years.

Since Sherer’s arrival at Rainier, studentsuccess in general education and inclusionclasses has increased dramatically whilesuspensions and behavior incidents havesubstantially declined.

As an adaptive behavior specialist, Shererhas the opportunity to provide individualsupport to her students. She said, “I reallyget a chance to know my students andtheir families, which gives me insights intowhat contributes to the behaviors that limitthem.” This in-depth knowledge providesinformation she uses to develop individualprograms rooted in trust with accountabilityand positive reinforcement.

Not only is Sherer an exceptional teacher

for her students who have emotional andbehavioral challenges, she is a leader in herschool and the community. She recentlytook on the role of athletic director, is onthe building leadership team, is the specialeducation department chair, is a YES! cohortleader and coaches multiple school sports.

Her Pathways teammates said, “KatSherer is the embodiment of an educator.She is a person we can all aspire to imitate.”

High School - Jan Erie,Auburn High SchoolAfter a businesscareer workingas a buyer andtextbook editor, Eriediscovered her lovefor teaching whensubstitute teachingin Auburn after herchildren were born.She returned toschool for Englishcertification and hasbeen teaching English and language arts forthe last 11 years at Auburn High.

Erie’s definition of teaching is based onfacilitating learning for students, guidingthem to make connections through literatureto how human nature affects the choices

people make.She firmly believes all students can

succeed and it is her job to removeroadblocks. She makes personalconnections with students by constantlyreminding them, “You can do this, I knowyou can.” She pushes students to reachtheir potential, regardless of where theystart. She has been instrumental in openingup Advanced Placement courses for tenthgraders.

Erie said, “I love seeing students discoverhow smart they are.”

Her genuine belief in the capabilities ofall students also has led her to be a leaderin working with colleagues to examinedisaggregated data to improve andpersonalize instruction.

In addition to her work as a classroomteacher, she has been a driving force for

Auburn High’s FIRST Robotics team sinceits formation in 2009. In an effort to erasebarriers and make it possible for all studentsto participate, she collected more than$65,000 in grants and other funding sourcesfor the robotics program.

Her leadership with the robotics outreachprogram created workshops for Boy Scoutsand Girl Scouts, with Auburn Parks and Rec, at local libraries and throughout the district.She helped create and run a leadershipcamp for Washington FIRST teams. She was personally recognized with the Woodie Flowers Award for outstanding mentorship of a FIRST team.

Assistant principal Stacy Jordison said,“Jan’s dedication to improving the world we live in one student at a time is obvious to all who meet her.”

www.auburn.wednet.eduPage 2 - Inside Your Schools - Spring 2018

Teachers of the YearCongratulations to the 2018 Auburn School District teachers of the year! The ASD recognizes one elementary, middle and high schoolteacher annually as the teachers of the year. The recipients move on for consideration as the Puget Sound ESD Regional Teacher of theYear.

Free Summer MealsThe ASD summer feeding program offers free meals to all children ages 1-18. Familiesdo not need to qualify for free or reduced meals. Parents or guardians are welcome topurchase a meal for $3.75 and enjoy it with their child.

The summer feeding program begins July 2 and ends August 17.A variety of hot and cold lunches are offered daily and include an entree, cold milk,fresh fruits and vegetables.

Every weekday morning, Child Nutrition Services staff will prepare thousands oflunches to deliver to multiple sites throughout Auburn, Algona and Pacific.

A great deal of time and effort goes into the planning of this program. The meals arenutritious and well-balanced.

For the most up-to-date lunch serving times and locations, please visit the Child Nutrition Services web page at: www.auburn.wednet.edu/cns.

www.auburn.wednet.edu Inside Your Schools - Spring 2018 Page 3

Bond Projects are UnderwayIn November of 2016, the Auburn community passed a $456 million bond to replace six schools and build two new elementary schools.

The district has been planning and preparing in earnest since the election. In April, the dirt started moving at Olympic Middle School and willbe open for students in the fall of 2019.

Right after Olympic opens, the next replacement building is Dick Scobee Elementary. During the 19-20 school year, Dick Scobee students will attend the old Olympic Middle School. Dick Scobee will be razed and the building constructed during the 19-20 school year.

Visit the ASD website at www.auburn.wednet.edu to see the architect renderings for Olympic Middle School and the tentative timeline forall of the bond projects.

Olympic construction site earlier this month.

Safety in the Auburn School DistrictStudent and staff safety is the top priority inthe ASD. Here are some examples of how we work to keep students and staff safe:

Emergency Drills: Every month all schoolsperform emergency drills, which include fire/evacuation, lockdown, earthquake, shelter-inplace and safety related.Front Entry Access: Each day, onceschool begins, schools strategically lock and monitor exterior doors. Newer schools have an entry vestibule, which will be replicated as our new schools are constructed.Campus Safety Officers: There is acommissioned school resource officer andcampus safety officer at the comprehensive

high schools. Middle schools each have ahalf-time safety officer and next year they will be full-time.Security Cameras: Front entry securitycameras are installed at all of our schools.Partnerships: The district’s emergencypreparedness committee has representationfrom the Auburn Police Department,Valley Regional Fire Authority and AuburnEmergency Management. We meet regularly to discuss best practices in school safety.Training and Preparedness: District andschool staff are trained on effective schoolemergency management. All classrooms areequipped with first aid and emergency supply backpacks.

No matter how well we prepare, the bestdefense is people speaking up before anincident occurs. Students, staff and thecommunity are the eyes and ears for lawenforcement.

The district has a Safe Schools 24-houranonymous tip line. Tips can be submittedvia telephone, text, email or directly to thewebsite. Anyone can report anonymouslyabout any topic that impacts student andschool safety. If you see something, saysomething.

Submit tips via:

Online: http://1258.alert1.us Email: 1258@alert1.usPhone: 855.790.9375 Text: 855.790.9375

See Something — Say Something!

Non-Profit OrganizationUS Postage

PAIDAuburn, WA

Permit No. 162915 4th Street NE, Auburn, WA 98002(253) 931-4900 ~ www.auburn.wednet.edu

AUBURN SCHOOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ray Vefik, PresidentRyan Van Quill, Vice President

Anne Baunach, DirectorRobyn Mulenga, DirectorLaurie Bishop, Director

BOARD WELCOMES PUBLIC

The Auburn School District Board of Directors welcomes citizens interested in their local schools to attend the board’s regular meetings.

The meetings are held the second and fourth Mondays of the month, at 7 p.m., in the James P. Fugate Administration Building Board Room.

SUPERINTENDENTDr. Alan Spicciati

www.facebook.com/AuburnSchools

twitter.com/auburnsd

www.auburn.wednet.edu

Remember to Vote!

On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, the General Election will take place.

Register to vote online:www.kingcounty.gov/elections.aspx

www.instagram.com/auburnschooldistrict

PESTICIDE APPLICATION NOTICEThe Washington State Pesticide Application Act, RCW 17.21, was amended in 1999 to include specific requirements for the application of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides within public school district buildings and grounds. The law requires that public school districts comply with the following guidelines when considering the application of pesticides in or around all school district buildings and grounds:1. All district employees or commercial vendors involved in pesticide application must possess a Washington State Pesticide Applicators License.2. All pesticides, herbicides and fungicides utilized around public school buildings and grounds must be approved for use within the State of Washington by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).3. All building staff and students must be notified at least 48 hours in advance of any pesticide application, including application location, date, time, pesticide name and Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) provided.4. There must be proper signage posted immediately after the pesticide application at the location of application and at the building main entrance and remain posted for at least 24 hours afterwards.The Auburn School District’s pesticide application procedures are in full compliance with the Washington State Pesticide Application Act. If you have any questions or wish to review any of the district’s procedures and records, please contact the assistant superintendent of business and operations (253-931-4930).

Public Records RequestDebbie Leighton, Auburn School District assistant superintendent of human resources, serves as the district’s public records officer. When requesting public records, contact Mrs. Leighton at: (253) 931-4932 or dleighton@auburn.wednet.edu.

Auburn School District complies with all federal rules and regulations and does not illegally discriminate on the basis of age; gender; race; color; creed; religion; national origin (including language); sex; sexual orientation including gender expression or identity; honorably discharged veteran or military status; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; the use of a trained dog guide or service animal; and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.Inquiries regarding compliance procedures may be directed to: Debbie Leighton at (253) 931-4932, Title IX Officer and Section 504, ADA, and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator.

The ASD will host its annual Welcome to School event from 3:30-6:30 p.m., August 22, in the Auburn High School Commons. There will be entertainment, a resource fair, information on technology, a barbecue, school supplies and much, much more. This FREE event is open to all ASD families. Look for more information in early August.

SAVE THE DATE!