Good News February 24, 2016

Fifteen FWPS Teachers Honored for Achieving National Certification

We’re starting the Good News segment of our evening by honoring fifteen Federal Way teachers who earned National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification in 2015. National board certification is an assessment program designed to recognize great teachers who meet high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.

National Board Certified Teachers have successfully demonstrated exemplary teaching knowledge, skills, and practices. The National Board candidacy process is demanding, and has numerous benefits to students, as teachers become even more self-reflective about their practice and increase their specific subject area knowledge.

Federal Way Public Schools ranks fourth in the state for the number of teachers achieving national board certification in 2015. The district is routinely among the top districts in the state for the most teachers to earn national board certification each year.

With us this evening to stand in recognition of our newest National Board Certified Teachers are Francine Oishi, the district’s Program Administrator of Teacher Induction, Mentoring and Support, and district National Board Certified Teacher facilitator Diane McSweeney. I’ll be reading the teacher’s name, school and certification area, beginning with:

Dana Cole, Valhalla Elementary School: Certified in Literacy, Reading-Language Arts; Early and Middle Childhood

Harvey Cole, Thomas Jefferson High School: Certified in Mathematics; Early Adolescence

Dena Hagen, Panther Lake Elementary School: Certified in Literacy,Reading-Language Arts; Early and Middle Childhood

Lauren Hamilton, Federal Way High School: Certified in Science; Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Dallas Harwood, Decatur High School: Certified in Social Studies-History; Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Brittany Howell, Sunnycrest Elementary School: Certified in Generalist; Middle Childhood

Jacina LaBoo, Olympic View Elementary School: Certified in Physical Education; Early and Middle Childhood

Marina McMullen, Enterprise Elementary School: Certified in English as a New Language; Early And Middle Childhood

Deborah Oliver, Lake Grove Elementary School: Certified in Literacy, Reading-Language Arts; Early and Middle Childhood

Julie Richard, Sacajawea Middle School: Certified in Physical Education; Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

Juan Rodriguez, Federal Way High School: Certified in Science; Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Jamie Sproul, Todd Beamer High School: Certified in Science; Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Sara Tenzler, Thomas Jefferson High School: Certified in Social Studies-History; Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Dirk Vander Hulst, Federal Way High School: Certified in Science; Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Jane Wohn, Enterprise Elementary School: Certified in Generalist; Early Childhood

TJ Emergency Response Team Sweeps Regional Skills USA First Aid and CPR Competition

Thomas Jefferson Emergency Response Team students recently swept the top 17 spots to bring home another Skills USA Puget Sound Regional Championship in First Aid and CPR.

Sarah Ho, Michael Zaremba and Tyler Lucas finished first, second and third respectively in the competition.

All T.J. contestants finished above the 90th percentile, while the closest competition was in the 70th percentile. The students are fundraising to send the top 4-5 finishers to state, where they will be competing for T.J.’s sixth straight championship title.

Teacher and advisor Monica Watchie has been with Thomas Jefferson for 30 years and has been teaching and training T.J. students in emergency response for 17 years.

In addition to Sarah, Michael and Tyler, we want to congratulate the following First Aid and CPR Skills USA Regional Champs:

• Elissa Cadena 
• Nalien Moore
• Alex Huang
• Gildardo Alvarez
• Scarlet Robles
• Jessica Truong
• Raelyn Warder
• Jose Aguillar
• Kylie McSheery
• Pratiibh Bassi
• Samantha Shoemaker
• Pamely Nunez
• Sabrina Mohammed, and
• Kelby Paulson

Twin Lakes’ Mariner Self-Manager Program Provide Positive Incentives

Since implementing the Twin Lakes Mariner Self-Manager Program in January, Twin Lakes Elementary has had over 100 student-scholars, grades 1 through 5, earn their Mariner Manager Badge. To become a Mariner Manager, Twin Lakes student-scholars must demonstrate they are respectful, responsible, and ready to learn in multiple way.

Twin Lakes’s Mariner Manager Program grows each month and culminates with an end-of-the month celebration. These celebrations are vital for acknowledging those who have earned this special status, and for creating an incentive for other students in the process of qualifying for their badge.

While the Mariner Manager celebration is a collaborative event, there is one person in particular who deserves special recognition. That is Marcy Samuelson, Twin Lake’s LAP Para and Library Assistant.

Mrs. Samuelson is the primary designer and coordinator of Twin Lake’s Mariner Manager celebrations. Every month she pulls out the
stops to create a very special celebration.

Twin Lakes is very lucky to have Mrs. Samuelson’s head, heart, and hands on deck. She consistently goes above and beyond to serve Twin Lake’s students and staff. Thank you for your support of our student-scholars, Marcy!

Kilo Middle School Teachers Offer Saturday Math School

We want to acknowledge Kilo Middle School teachers Sam Ruppel, Katarina Waters and Trisha Ramos this evening.

Sam and Katarina, with support from Trisha, spend one to two Saturdays a month -- on their own time -- providing a Saturday math school. The teachers reach out to the families of students who need a little extra math assistance, and invite the students to attend.

While the students do not always enter with a positive attitude, Sam says they usually leave with a smile. They will often even admit they had fun and ask to come back. A few have asked to have a math school every Saturday! The fact that Sam, Katarina and Trisha also provide breakfast – sometimes pancakes, sometimes bagels – certainly doesn’t hurt.

We appreciate your commitment to our student-scholars, Sam, Katarina and Trisha!

TBHS Senior Lexus Oden Reps Federal Way on WIAA Statewide Committee

Todd Beamer High School Senior Lexus Oden is serving her second year as a member of the statewide Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s LEAP Leadership Committee.

LEAP stands for Leadership through Education, Activities and Personal Development. As a part of the committee, these student scholars participate in WIAA events, committee meetings and community projects.

Just 12 students from across the state are selected for this two-year commitment. The application requires a 500-word essay, a video, and letters of recommendation from teachers, coaches or other school personnel.

LEAP committee members have the unique opportunity to be the voice of Washington’s nearly 230,000 WIAA student participants. Lexus is also a member of the Todd Beamer High School’s South Puget Sound League four-A girls’ basketball championship team that will play in the state tournament the first week in March.

Thank you for representing Federal Way Public Schools as a WIAA student leader, Lexus.