2/16/24

On Tuesday, Port Angeles High School hosted a riveting students versus staff Knowledge Bowl practice, orchestrated by John Gallagher and Stacey Sanders. The staff, including Rodger Johnson, Adam Logan, Daniel Shyles, Shannon Hamblin, Barry Landry, Alyssa Wetzler, and myself faced off against the students in a battle of wits. Despite the staff's valiant efforts to keep the scores close, the students' remarkable performance left us astounded. With their lightning-fast responses and ability to anticipate questions, the students dominated the competition, showcasing an impressive depth of knowledge.

This experience served as a reminder of the exceptional talents of our students and the dedication of our staff. Although our staff lost the competition, we emerged with a renewed respect and admiration for our students. I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who participated and contributed to making this event a success. Your enthusiasm and joy for learning was contagious.

Say hi to Poet! Poet has joined the team at the District Office as our new Payroll Secretary.

Where are you from?

My family immigrated from Guatemala in 1976, I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and officially moved here in February of 2023. Thankful to be in Port Angeles and the greater Pacific Northwest as my new home!

What is your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite aspect of this job is the people I get to work with and the detail-oriented nature of payroll.

Anything you'd like to share about your family?

My family is diverse, intelligent and are kindhearted people. I appreciate the many variations of family that come into one's life and the myriad ways we learn from each other.

Do you have any hobbies?

I enjoy reading & engaging with book clubs, any type of genre but especially memoirs, graphic novels and zines.

I also really enjoy outdoor adventuring and volunteering.

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?

Wake up early to greet the sun, go for a long hike with good friends and family to a waterfall or hot spring (really any body of water), enjoy delicious Mediterranean cuisine, appreciate a luxurious spa/massage, and spend time with loved ones adventuring and goofing around.

What is your goal for this year?

My goal for 2024 will be to complete 31 things off my bucket list.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Ideally WWOOFing around the world and continuing to volunteer for organizations and passions where values align while leaning into all the good this life has to offer ❤

What is a fun fact that most people don’t know about you?

Traveled to Turkey for my 21st birthday and swam in the Mediterranean sea and cruised the Bosphorus Strait. Explored the Grand Bazaar, prayed in beautiful mosques, enjoyed phenomenal cuisine and explored with great friends. Definitely a life-changing experience and one I treasure greatly.

Anything else you'd like to share with your co-workers?

Grateful to be here and to be welcomed into this community.

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Have questions about SmartHealth?

Contact WebMD online or call WebMD Customer Support at 1-800-947-9541, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can also visit Accessing SmartHealth for step-by-step log on instructions.

We are excited to announce the launch of a new section in our weekly staff newsletter: Policy Updates. As part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and keeping you informed, this section will be your go-to resource for staying up-to-date on the most relevant policy changes within our district.

It is crucial that we are all aware of any updates or modifications to district policies that may affect our day-to-day operations. This new section will provide concise summaries of any policy changes and explain how they may impact you and your work.

We encourage you to check Policy Updates each week so you can stay informed and empowered in your role. Thank you for your attention to this new initiative, and as always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

• Policy 3226 – INTERVIEWS OF STUDENTS ON SCHOOL PREMISES to INTERVIEWS AND INTERROGATIONS OF STUDENTS ON SCHOOL PREMISES (WSSDA revised and renamed this policy)

• Policy 2161 – SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS (WSSDA recommended to update this policy so that the procedure can also be updated based on Senate Bill 5315)

In the next couple days, we will be starting the process of administering the Educational Effectiveness Survey (EES).

On February 21st, you will receive an online, multiple-choice survey from research.net on behalf of CEEsurveys@effectiveness.org . The survey will have the subject line: EES Staff Survey – Port Angeles SD/ “Your Building” and will include instructions and your unique survey link. We ask that you please complete and submit the survey by March 8th.

The survey questions were developed by the Center for Educational Effectiveness, a Bellevue, Washington-based educational research firm, in collaboration with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for Washington State. This survey will provide our staff and leadership valuable information and feedback.

This survey has been used with over 750,000 educational stakeholders in the Western U.S. Based on these experiences, here are some notes / details:

• Your email invitation is unique to you – please do not share or forward your email to other staff.
• This survey is formative, not evaluative. There is no “final score” that indicates “good” or “bad.” The data from the survey will be used to stimulate improvement conversations with staff and leadership.
• The context of this survey is primarily the individual school building. There are some “district” level items and these will specifically reference “In this district...”. Each building will receive their building-level reports and the district leadership team will receive district-level summary views (if multiple buildings in the district administer the survey).
• The survey is confidential and anonymous. Once the users submit their feedback, they will no longer be able to login to the survey. Emails are not attached to the responses. CEE protects the confidentiality of each respondent and does not disaggregate into groups smaller than 10.

Please contact your supervisor if you have any questions or need assistance.

Thank you for your help and participation!

Exciting news! Susan Warren, our dedicated secretary at Dry Creek Elementary, is thrilled to share her most recent project, aimed at supporting our students' emotional well-being: the Coloring Corner and Book Nook.

Designed to provide students with opportunities for relaxation and creativity, the Coloring Corner offers a range of coloring materials. The Book Nook provides a cozy space stocked with reading materials.

"I had a struggling student not wanting to get on the bus daily," Susan shared. "I told her about my idea of the coloring corner and book nook and that if she got on the bus for 2 days in a row that she can come and color with me. I stated I would give her teacher a pass that she can bring down to me to color if she met that goal. Ever since then she and I have built a relationship of trust and love for each other and she feels that she can come to me when she is dysregulated and needs support. Students can come if they need a little break or earned a reward."

Thank you, Susan, for doing whatever it takes to create a welcoming environment for ALL students. Seeing our classified and certified staff collaborating to support our students is so exciting.

The Port Angeles Education Foundation (PAEF) will award a total of $4,000 to Port Angeles School District educators as reimbursement for classroom items purchased using personal funds. Awards are limited to $250 per person.

A Google application will be available from February 1 through March 31, 2024. Receipts for purchased items must be included with the application. Receipts may be dated from September 1, 2023, to the date of application. http://tinyurl.com/PAEF-reimbursement2024

Reimbursements are for basic classroom materials that are depleted during the school year. Items that last more than one school year will also be considered, but permanent items are not likely to be reimbursed.

Applicants will be notified after April 17 whether or not they will receive reimbursement. Successful applicants will receive checks by the end of April.

PAEF and the Welcker family appreciate your extra efforts to ensure students have basic materials for education and fun in the classroom.

Contact AdminDirector@PA-EF.org for questions or more information.

🌹💖 PAHS Rider Crew, leadership, and garden crew came together for this week's epic Valentine's Day Bash at the student center! It was a blast from groovy tunes to flower bouquets, ping pong, foosball, crafts, photos, and awesome raffle prizes! A huge shoutout goes to the Rider Crew kids for organizing this fantastic event and ensuring a smooth cleanup.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!

Join us for a paper shredding event on Saturday, April 13th, 2024, from 10 AM – 1 PM at Steve Methner’s State Farm, 611 E. Front Street.

Bring your paper to shred and make a donation. Proceeds from this event will help fund our Back to School Fair held in August, where children in need receive supplies for the 2024-25 school year.

Thanks to our community for supporting this event year after year!

Do you have a fun event, classroom activity, or want to share a success story from your school building?

If so, fill out this communications request form ahead of time, and let's celebrate!

• February 19 - Presidents Day Holiday - No School
• February 22 - School Board Meeting, Lincoln Center, 5pm
• March 8 - Snow Makeup Day - School in Session
• April 1-5: Spring Break - No School

Port Angeles School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Port Angeles School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Title IX Coordinators, Civil Rights Compliance Coordinators: Scott Harker, 905 W. 9th Street Port Angeles, WA 98363, (360) 457-8575, sharker@portangelesschools.org, for Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Dr. Rachel Summers, 905 W. 9th Street Port Angeles, WA 98363, (360) 457-8575, rsummers@portangelesschools.org.