Honoring Our Veterans

Chief Spoor addresses South Bend students at the Veteran's Day assembly

This time of the year tends to produce many thoughts of thanks, and each November 11 we honor and thank our United States veterans.  Without the service and sacrifices made by our veterans and current duty service members, our freedom and country would not exist as we know it.

South Bend Schools honors our veterans each year through special student assemblies, and this year was no exception.  Both Chauncey Davis Elementary and SB Junior Senior High School held assemblies recognizing local veterans, some of which work for the school district.

This year's special speaker at the Jr. Sr. High assembly was Chuck Spoor, who served as a paratrooper in the US Army as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division.  Serving from 1988 to 1992 Mr. Spoor saw action in Panama and the Persian Gulf in Desert Storm.

"These men and women are my heroes," said Spoor as he spoke of the veterans in attendance.  "They led the way for us younger guys and provided us a great example," he continued.  Mr. Spoor, who is the chairman of the South Bend School District Board of Directors and Chief of the Raymond Police Department, told students of his service and encouraged them to remember the sacrifices our veterans have made for our country.

Mrs. Tanaka speaks to SB elementary students

At the elementary, our newest kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Lenora Tanaka, spoke with students about her service in the United States Air Force.

Mrs. Tanaka, who served for six years and is a veteran of Desert Storm, spoke of how the military is important in protecting our country and of the many opportunities it can provide to service members.  She also shared a display of some of her service memorabilia for students to observe.



I think it is important for us to not only remember our veterans, but to teach our students the importance our veterans played in establishing the freedoms we enjoy.  Freedom is not free, and is continually purchased through our service members' sacrifice.  It is important for students to understand our freedom has been continuously challenged throughout our nation's history, and that our country's men and women have always stepped up to meet those challenges.

As students enjoy a day off from school this November 11, take some time to remember our veterans, and thank the ones you know for their
service to our country.

Mid-Semester Update

As first quarter wraps up and we begin the second half of this semester, I want to share some happenings in the district.

I am reminded each day how fortunate we are to have such a caring staff and community in South Bend.  It is a pleasure to work with our school team and surrounding community, as we strive to provide the best learning opportunities for our kids.  I invite all community members to become involved with our school.  If you ever have any questions or ideas, please feel welcome to share!  You can contact me here, or feel free to visit my office.

Enrollment

South Bend School District Enrollment Comparison 14-15/15-16

We started the school year with significantly higher enrollment than the previous school year, and we are continuing to see growth.  We are excited to see new faces in each of the grades and welcome all our new students.

In addition to these numbers, we also are serving over 100 pre-school students throughout the tri-district, with the majority being served in South Bend.

Mrs. Tanaka teaches SB's newly added kindergarten class

Additional Kindergarten Class Added

Due to our large kindergarten class and newly funded class size ratios from the State, we were able to add a third kindergarten class.  We are happy to have hired Mrs. Lenora Tanaka to fill this additional role.

Small class sizes are important, especially at primary grade levels, in order to meet the learning needs of our students.  We are fortunate to be able to offer these smaller class sizes (about 16 per class) and we are already seeing academic gains.


Cheney Foundation Provides New Sound System to Koplitz Field House

If you have attended a recent athletic event at South Bend High School, you probably noticed the new sound in our main gym.  We were fortunate to receive a grant from the Cheney Foundation which provided $30,000 for this new system.  The system includes all new speakers, amplifiers, microphones, and external i-Pod connections.  The system is used daily in PE classes and provides clear sound throughout the building.

We appreciate the generosity the Ben B. Cheney Foundation continues to provide our schools.

New Greenhouse Constructed

South Bend students have several additional classes offered this school year, one of which is Horticulture.  Instructed by Mr. Steve Lazelle, students will be growing a variety of plants while learning the science behind horticulture processes.

The greenhouse was constructed by Gary Wilson, Al Lewis, and the construction class taught by Mr. Ryan McMurry.  They did an excellent job and we are excited to see the program grow.



New School Bus Purchased

The school district purchased a new school bus that arrived after the start of school.  The school receives dollars from the state each year according to the number of busses on our depreciation schedule.  In order for a bus to generate depreciation dollars, it must be less than 13 years in age.  Once a bus exceeds this age, we no longer receive replacement dollars.  Though we currently have a majority of our busses on depreciation, several will be coming off within a few years.  We are working on a replacement schedule to maximize the money available from the state.

Transportation Supervisor Wyatt Kuiken does an exceptional job maintaining our fleet.  He recently received a perfect inspection report from the Washington State Patrol.

Emergency Defibrillators Installed

 Our campus serves many community groups and events.  In addition, we have over 100 employees and over 600 students onsite on a given day.  We believe in being as prepared as possible in order to best meet life-safety needs.  In collaboration with the Raymond Fire Department and the Pacific County Health Department, the district has installed four defibrillators located at key points on campus.  They can be found in Koplitz Field House, the high school office, the elementary school, and the Early Learning Center.



Curriculum Adoption Work Currently Underway

Chauncey Davis Elementary is currently working to update curriculum in the areas of math and language arts.  Because the state has adopted the new Common Core Standards and our students are being assessed by the Smarter Balanced assessment, our curriculum needs to be updated to align with these new standards.  These changes can take time, and also introduce challenges as we learn to adapt both instruction and learning requirements.  At the end of the day, our goal is to provide the best opportunities for our students to be successful.

Similar work is also beginning at the secondary level, where we are now taking an inventory of current instructional materials to assess needed updates.  Administrators are meeting with curriculum advisors from ESD 113 this week for increased support.  Principals Jason Nelson, Kresta Byington, Manuel Rangel, and ELC Director Amy Nelson are all working hard to provide our teachers and students with the instructional resources needed to best impact our students.

New Art Class Offered at SBHS

Our new high school language arts teacher, Mrs. Jana Johnson, is also teaching a high school drawing class this fall.  Currently, 15 students are enrolled in the class and are learning basic drawing techniques.

Our goal is to add additional art classes down the road.  We believe that fine and applied arts are an essential component to a quality education.

The new art class is also generously supported by the Willapa Heritage Foundation, Hearts for the Arts program.

The SB Football Team's spirit bell received a fresh coat of paint this fall.  The bell is actually a historic fixture in the South Bend School District, originally purposed in the old "A Street" School (shown below) around 1914.  The school was torn down in the early 50's and the bell was given to the district to keep as a historic piece.  An old newspaper article can be found here describing the old school and bell.

Wyatt Kuiken and his shop students resurfaced the bell.  Historic information was provided by Steve Rogers.

A Street School.  Photo provided by Steve Rogers

School Year Going by Fast

It is hard to believe we are already in November!  Hopefully this blog article gives you a picture of some of the things happening in the district.  We have lots of other "irons in the fire."  As some of those projects progress and materialize we will provide further updates and information.

We at South Bend School District appreciate our community and surrounding areas.  As superintendent, it is a privilege to serve such a great school and community.

Patricia Verdun Brings High-Tech Vocational Programs (and more) to SB

Patricia Verdun, CTE Coordinator and Teacher, is in her third year at South Bend

Patricia Verdun, Career & Technical Education (CTE) teacher at South Bend High School is always looking to provide her students with life-relevant learning opportunities.

And isn't that what education should be about?

Ms. Verdun, who is in her third year at South Bend, provides a multitude of student programs and strives to offer impactful opportunities.

MOS Certification

One of the programs new this school year, Ms. Verdun is preparing South Bend students to test for Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification.  A new program supported by Microsoft and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), this multi-month certification process is being taught in Ms. Verdun's 9th grade computer applications class.

"Our students are becoming proficient in Word, Excel, and Powerpoint," says Ms. Verdun.  "Most students use Word and Powerpoint, but in this class they are learning to use all aspects of this software, it is very powerful," she continues.  "Microsoft provides Office 2013 curriculum to us and we teach the lessons here in our labs.  Students can also access the software from home, which allows students to have Office 2013 wherever they need it."  Students often use their own interests as data and content in their class projects.  Doing this allows students to have more ownership in what they are learning, and develops a little bit of pride in the process.  "I enjoy making class fun and relevant to the students so they can be invested," says Ms. Verdun.

Ms. Verdun has made South Bend High School a Microsoft authorized testing center, and South Bend students will complete certification testing on campus.  Microsoft provides the testing free of charge through program vouchers.

One reason I believe CTE classes to be so important is that they give students the chance to learn practical skills which can relate to future opportunities.  School needs to relevant to students, and CTE provides an arena for that relevance to be realized.  It is even better when training can tie directly to future job qualifications that may potentially give students a competitive edge.

Impacting Kids

Ms. Verdun, who has a degree in accounting, a Masters in education, and is endorsed in business marketing and work-based learning, enjoys teaching kids technology business skills.  But, she also involves students in other leadership activities where students learn life skills through service.  Teaching career choices, personal finance, intro to business, and journalism/yearbook, Ms. Verdun is often found working with students outside of school on various projects.  Her FBLA club coordinates school blood drives and various service projects.  Last year her students promoted Bully Prevention Week, and educated students and staff on these important issues.

When I asked what she likes most about teaching in a small school, Ms. Verdun said that she believes we can better impact students.  "Bigger schools may have more resources for a lot of things, but I've found I can really develop good relationships with kids here," she continues.  "I connect well with students and I like being able to help them out."

In these recent days where education is seemingly more about testing and accountability, impactful programs like ones provided by our CTE teachers run the risk of being overlooked.  And CTE are not the only ones left behind.  Art, music, and other subjects not always identified as "core" often take a back seat to the political favorites of the moment.  It is reassuring to have teachers like Ms. Verdun who push forward and continue to innovate in the classroom.  Yet another example of why South Bend is, "A great place for kids."

Great ShakeOut & Tsunami Evacuation Drill

South Bend Public Schools participated in the Great Washington Shake Out on October 15 at 10:15 am.  After the scheduled earthquake drill, the school followed the coordinated tsunami evacuation drill initiated by Pacific County Emergency Management and the City of South Bend.  The entire school district, over 600 students and staff from the pre-school to the high school, made their way up Monroe and over to Cowlitz and Jackson in under 15 minutes.  School busses were waiting at the staging area and transported elementary children back to the South Bend campus.

South Bend Schools have been practicing school-wide tsunami evacuation exercises for years.  We believe this is important to do so that both staff and students experience the process of where to go in the event of an actual emergency.  Practicing this drill allows us to become more efficient and safe as we move six to seven hundred people to elevated safety.  As this process becomes second nature to our students and staff, their confidence and understanding of what to do helps ensure everyone's safety.

It is impossible to anticipate the exact circumstances we will face during and after an earthquake emergency.  However, we have clear procedures of how to react during an earthquake and these procedures are taught to our students on a regular basis.  In the event of an actual tsunami evacuation order, we will evacuate as planned and then coordinate and follow procedures as established by South Bend
City officials and Pacific County Emergency Management.  Student safety is our primary concern, and we will do what it takes to ensure each and every one of our students are accounted for and safe.

Parents should be sure to talk with their children about safety procedures during and after an earthquake, and should have an emergency plan in place at home.  This is good reinforcement of emergency procedures learned at school, and will help ensure families are safe in the event an emergency occurs while at home.   Further information can be found at the Pacific County Emergency Management website.

Teacher-Librarian Lori Dearmore Brings Wealth of Experience to SB

Mrs. Dearmore is South Bend's new teacher-librarian

South Bend Public Schools has many new faces this school year and several new programs for students.

One program in particular is making increased services available to all students and teachers in the district, and that is our new school library program under the direction of new teacher-librarian Lori Dearmore and her para-professional Karen Clements.

Love for Reading

Mrs. Dearmore is a skilled teacher who had spent the last 25 years working for the Naselle School District, before coming to South Bend this school year.  We are very fortunate to have been able to hire her, and we have already seen a significant impact on our school.

"One of my roles is getting the right book into the hands of the student," says Mrs. Dearmore.  "My goal is to know both the library collection and the individual students well enough in order to match them together," she continues.

It is fun to watch as students of all ages get to know Mrs. Dearmore in the library.  It is clear that she loves kids and cares about their learning.  "I love working with students and seeing our new books fly off the shelf," she says.  "It is fulfilling to see students who love to read, and I enjoy being able to teach a love for reading."   "We are growing a student request list for additional books, we want the library to be functional for all student groups."

Enhancing Student Learning & Teaching

As superintendent, I believe the library should be a central, main feature of the school.  More than teaching students to read, we need to teach students how to be effective consumers and producers of information.  A quality library augments the teaching and learning happening in the classroom, and the teacher-librarian leads this effort.

This is where Mrs. Dearmore is invaluable.  Being a certified teacher, with teaching experience K-12 in a variety of teaching assignments, she knows how to enhance both the teaching and learning experience using library resources.  "I love working individually with teachers or co-teaching to enhance the curriculum," Lori explains.  "For example, the high school AP English class is just beginning a 7 month research project.  I have been working with Mrs. Haugan [AP teacher] to teach the kids about website bias, learning how to conduct scholarly research, and how to use library resources to create content," she continues.  "Information literacy is crucial for today's students---we are teaching kids to be both users and producers of information."

To be an effective instructional space and resource to learning, the library also needs to be setup and organized efficiently, and Mrs. Dearmore and Ms. Clements have been hard at work since before school started this September.  "We are just this week converting to an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) that will bring a lot of efficiency to both organizing our collection and getting it into the hands of teachers and students," says Mrs. Dearmore.  "Teachers and students will now be able to search and place holds through the Internet, and we will be more effective in providing our users with the resources they need."  Beyond this, the library houses two mobile learning labs, where students and classes use Chromebooks and Apple laptops to engage in library learning activities and research, all of which Mrs. Dearmore has ample experience.

First a Teacher

Not only does Mrs. Dearmore provide South Bend with significant technical expertise in library and information services, she also is a naturally gifted teacher who cares for all students.  "I enjoy working with and teaching all age groups, one of the things I have always loved about K-12 schools," she says.  "I really enjoy getting to know all of the kids and learning about their interests."  Fluent in Spanish, Mrs. Dearmore gets to utilize her language skills on a regular basis as well--another asset to the district, and something that allows us to better serve all kids.

Moving Forward

In my opinion, a functional library is much more than a collection of books.  Libraries serve as a gateway to the world---a vehicle for the discovery of knowledge, and a platform for students to have voice.  You will see our library develop over time as we add more and more opportunities for learning.

We are privileged to have Mrs. Dearmore working with our staff and students, and I am thankful for the educational service she and Ms. Clements provide---our library is a big part of the educational future here in South Bend.

If you are interested in learning more about our school library at South Bend Public Schools, please feel free to contact us.