PARENT & COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

As the colors of fall fill our community, we have had great happenings in our first quarter at Kahlotus School District. Our days have been filled with meeting new friends, gaining new skills and exploring academic interests. As a staff, we are building our Multi Tiered System of Support, focusing on strong core instruction and building student skills through our SEL program. Our students are enjoying FBLA, FFA, music, sports and our Character Strong program. Fall is always a wonderful time of year! Here are some of the highlights in this newsletter:

• Letter from the Superintendent
• Food drive & Thanksgiving dinner
• Highly Capable
• Spotlights
• Food service
• OSSI/SIP
• ECEAP/Headstart
• Outdoor school
• Dual credit
• Parent committee participation
• FlashAlert

It is wonderful to enter into my second year as superintendent and look toward all of the exciting and unique things that are happening in the Kahlotus School District. There is excellence in service from our kitchen, our bus drivers and our front office. Our support services staff work tirelessly to see that our academically fragile students are receiving the best support possible and, even though we are a small school, our students have maximum opportunities outside of the classroom in everything from sports to FBLA, FFA, music, environmental science, community service and Highly Capable because it is important to our staff.

In the 2024-2025 school year, we will be finalizing our updated five year district-wide strategic plan which would not have been possible without the input from the school board, parents, staff and community over the past three years. We are eternally appreciative of all the work that went into the meetings, retreat and surveys to provide all of the stakeholder input! In addition, we will be updating and refining academic goals this year to write a specific plan for improvement in both math and reading as required by the Office of System and School Improvement. This will support the continual building of strong instruction PreK-12 and addressing program needs for students who are below grade level.

Our work this year also includes researching the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and increasing our dual credit and computer science offerings for the high school. ECEAP provides free early learning child care and preschool as well as family support and child health coordination, promoting a healthy start to Kindergarten. Dual credit access is required in Washington and includes programs such as Running Start, College in the High School and AP/IB. A course-based dual credit allows students to earn both high school and college credit. We currently offer three classes, but will look to increase our CTE dual credit courses for next fall. Computer Science is also a required offering. While we don't have an on-campus course to offer yet, students will have an opportunity to receive online instruction second semester.

Our school district is growing and I look forward to the continued services and support of our amazing and wonderful students over the year. Our families and community are highly valued and continue to be a top priority for the Kahlotus School District. We look forward to welcoming parents and families in for more events this year as well as providing opportunities to be part of the finance, remodeling and school improvement committees. There are so many awesome things that lie ahead for our district, and I firmly beleive that with the support of our parents and community, there is nothing that we can't accomplish!

I feel privileged and humbled each day to serve as your Superintendent. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of each of our students and ensure their success for the future.

Dr. Andie Webb,

Superintendent

Kahlotus School District

Our annual food drive kicked off Monday and the competition is on! During the two weeks of the food drive, school groups compete against one another for the trophy to see who can bring in the most food. Then, on Thursday, November 21st, the entire community is invited to the school to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner prepared by the students and staff. The dinner will be served in the multipurpose room from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Following the dinner, the remaining donations will be given to the Community Club for distribution to local families who are in need of food and supplies. We look forward to this wonderful tradition and seeing our entire community on November 21st!

The KSD staff began working on choosing a program that provided lessons and activities for social and emotional well being and learning in the 2023-2024 school year. Ms. Timber Frohreich, our school social worker helped guide the discussions and researched programs in order to help staff select their final choice, Character Strong which is a comprehensive and evidence-based program. The lessons are daily or weekly, depending on the grade level, and teach a new character trait each month. Student outcomes beyond social-emotional learning are positively impacted by strong SEL programs. This can include improvements in academic performance and reduced disciplinary issues.

Along with our Character Strong program, the staff chose to make one day a month a student activity day. On this day, students from Preschool to 12th grade work together in teams with a staff member as their lead, and complete activities or contests as well as a connection activity as a whole group. It has been a great way to have fun, enjoy a little competition and pair students at all grade levels. In September, we completed a scavenger hunt and had root beer floats. In October, we built skeletons, created costumes out of toilet paper and carved pumpkins together while enjoying hot apple cider.

We are looking forward to focusing on Gratitude this month! One way to think about Gratitude is “choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives.” Practicing Gratitude can increase our well-being and our happiness. Gratitude is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students "Be Well". Throughout the school, students will be developing skills like emotion regulation, positive self-talk, and stress management.

The Kahlotus School District has begun work on the building remodel. ALSC Architects out of Spokane was chosen last spring to redesign the building and Construction Services Group has been contracted to manage the project once the construction phase begins. A six million dollar grant has been slated to Kahlotus through the Small School District Modernization Grant fund with matching funds ranging from six million to twelve million through the School Construction Assistance Program. The remodel would entail complete renovation of all interiors of the shop, classrooms, office, library, kitchen and stages. Removal of the boiler to be replaced with a full HVAC system and replacement of the roof of the high school would both be completed. A new phone system, security system and intercom system would be installed and equipment would be replaced in the shop, labs and kitchen. Additional grants that were written last year by Dr. Webb will allow the purchase of a new commercial stove and creation of accessability in the multi-purpose room and the softball field, supporting the upgrading of both facilities as well as the sidewalks that connect to them. There will be more information shared as plans are finalized and the remodel committee is formed.

In K-12 education, our goal is to meet the unique learning needs, aptitudes and interests of all of our students. We recognize that Highly Capable (gifted) students perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experience, or environments. Outstanding abilities are recognized within students’ general academic talents, specific academic abilities, and/or creative capabilities such as with music or art. Highly Capable students are present in Kindergarten through 12th grade throughout our schools and throughout all demographic groups. Students who are highly capable show learning characteristics such as:

• Capacity to learn with unusual depth of understanding, to retain what has been learned, and to transfer learning to new situations;
• Capacity and willingness to deal with increasing levels of abstraction and complexity earlier than their peers;
• Creative ability to make unusual connections among ideas and concepts;
• Ability to learn quickly in their area(s) of intellectual strength; and
• Capacity for intense concentration and/or focus.

Currently, seven students with truly unique gifts have the opportunity for enrichment, advanced learning opportunities and unique academic challenges based on their qualification for program participation. Screening for the 2024-2025 school year will begin soon. Parents will be contacted if their student qualifies for the Highly Capable program.

The KSD Cook this year is Amy Hickok. Amy has a background in cooking and culinary art and went to school to be a Family and Consumer Science teacher. Ms. Hickok works tirelessly to meet all of the requirements of the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program and the USDA. All students receive free breakfast and lunch as Kahlotus is part of a special program that provides this to students. Our schools are also fortunate enough to have received grants and funding for a mentor program and the Farm to School progam which supports academic acheivement, health and well being through local food purchases, nutrition and agriculture education. Our student meals are always made right in our very own kitchen with USDA recipes that are created from scratch. As nutrition is important to our program and our superintendent, we use very little pre-made items or flash frozen foods. Our students are proudly served fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade breads and sauces and delicious desserts. Of course, we offer favorites like chicken nuggets and fries occasionally, but taco salad, chicken salad wraps, orange chicken, and enchiladas are always on the menu too.

Beginning in November, we will host moms, dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles for breakfast as a guest "buddy" of their student once a month. The buddy mornings will have two activities. The first is just having breakfast with your student and spending a little time with them at school. After the bell rings, the second activity is coffee and a short share time with the superintendent to give families and parents an opportunity to share thoughts, ideas or concerns and ask any questions that they may have. Each time, there will be at least one topic and plenty of time to talk. Students will be given the opportunity to invite one person each month to have breakfast. We hope to see lots of parents and family members!

In the Kahlotus School District, we are extremely lucky to have an amazing principal who works tirelessly to serve and support our students. Mr. Mark Bitzer has been part of student's lives in Kahlotus for 28 years, with this year being 29. We honor and celebrate our principal! THANK YOU Mr. Bitzer!

WSIF stands for Washington School Improvement framework. It identifies how schools can improve the education of all students. The Framework combines multiple indicators of students’ educational experiences, such as graduation rates, attendance, and proficiency on state tests in math and English language arts, into an overall 1-10 score for each school. WSIF was originally released in March 2018 and was last updated in March 2023. Part of the Every Student Succeeds Act, it requires that states implement an accountability system that identifies schools in need of support based on federally and state-defined measures. All individual schools are included in the accountability factor.

Based on the score from WSIF, a school is placed on a tier indicating that they will need to show improvement in one or more areas. Kahlotus has been placed on Tier 1, which is the lowest and least impacted tier, for the three-year cycle. Our low scores were indicated for student growth in English Language Arts (all students), low attendance rates (all students and students with disabilities), math and ELA proficiency rates (low income students), student growth rate in math (low income students) and dual credit rate (all high school students). While we definitely have some work to do, our improvement is around a specific (target) group. The good news is that all improvement benefits all of our students in one way or another and moves us forward in acheivement while holding all staff and administration accountable.

Our school improvement requires a written plan for continuous improvement that uses research-based, promising practices to improve educational outcomes for all students while eliminating opportunity gaps. The plan requires input from staff, parents and community members and would need to reflect student data, staff learning/development, teaching strategies, intervention, review and funding. We look forward to engaging with parents and community members about our school, classwork, programs and needs. If you are interested in being a part of this committee/work group, please sign up through the link at the bottom of this newsletter.

ECEAP (pronounced "E-Cap") is the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program funded by Washington State for children 3 and 4 and, in some locations, infants or toddlers who are younger than 3 years old. Children who attend ECEAP and Head Start learn to manage their feelings, get along with others and follow classroom procedures. They build the beginning skills for reading, math and science. The programs work closely with parents to support their children’s health and education and to meet family goals. They help families access medical and dental care and social services. Most children are eligible for ECEAP and Head Start based on their age and family income. Up to 10% of ECEAP and Head Start slots can be filled by children above the income requirement who have multiple support needs, including:

• Environmental factors such as homelessness, family violence, chemical dependency, foster care, or incarcerated parents.
• Developmental factors such as developmental delay or other special needs.

In addition, children with disabilities who qualify for special education services and/or previously participated in certain birth to age three programs are also eligible for ECEAP.

After eligibility is determined, children are prioritized for enrollment as space is available in their communities. ECEAP supports free early learning child care or preschool to support a childs development and learning, family support and parent involvement, child health coordination and nutrition and services responsive and appropriate to each child's and family's heritage and experience. As the program is funded by federal dollars, there is no cost to families and only a minimal cost (transportation) to the school district. As part of the work to bring ECEAP to Kahlotus School District, we would like to ask parents of students with children who are or will be 3 to 5 years old to fill out our survey. One of the requirements is that we have at least 8-10 students in the program, so our research includes determinig if we have enough local students. We are eligible to draw from anywhere around us including other school districts where ECEAP may not be offered or are at capacity. Please fill out our short survey if you are a parent of 3-5 year old students here: https://forms.gle/6h5h4HN1auAFLXUr8

Last spring, Mrs. Van Hollebeke wrote a grant that would pay for the travel and opportunity for her class to attend Outdoor School. Outdoor Schools Washington makes possible overnight outdoor education experiences for each and every child in Washington, so they may create relationships with others and connections with the natural world through curiosity, exploration, and science. The grant allowed for all 4th, 5th and 6th grade students to spend time at Camp Dudley, on White Pass and participate in recreation such as canoeing and archery, as well as environmental science and biology. Our students traveled with staff and parents who chaperoned their overnight trip in September. While learning in nature, kids are involved in hands on field work: identifying questions, gathering data, analyzing information, and proposing solutions. Through this work, they develop an affinity with nature, which allows them to become stewards of our planet for a lifetime.

Dual Credit provides students with the potential to earn high school and college credit at the same time through successful completion of a course and/or corresponding exam. Exam-based options include Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge International (CI), International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. Course-based dual credit options include Career and Technical Education (CTE) Dual Credit, College in the High School (CiHS), and Running Start programs.

Taking dual credit courses that have exams (AP/CI/IB) gives students a chance to try a college preparatory course and attempt earning the corresponding college course credit. Running Start and College in the High School has more potential for earning actual college credit, and also some risk, since the student actually starts an official college transcript by taking college courses, but it also immerses the student in college level work. Offered at the high school or a local skills center, taking a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Dual Credit course can earn a student college credit while satisfying specific high school credit requirements. CTE Dual Credit courses may also be part of a CTE Graduation Pathway, enabling a student to complete the graduation pathway requirement. With CTE Dual Credit, students can choose at the end of the course whether to accept the college credit or not. Running Start provides students with an early taste of college life as it is offered on the college campus and taught by its faculty, while College in the High School, on the other hand, exposes students to the same rigor and college-level work without leaving the high school environment.

Kahlotus High School offers Running Start in cooperation with CBC and currently offers Astronomy 101 and 150 in collaboration with the University of Washington and Finance in collaboration with Central Washington University for College in the Classroom and college credit. We will continue to add dual credit and advanced courses in CTE, English, science and math to meet graduation and WSIF requirements.

There are three committees/work groups that the school district hopes to have parent and community involvement in during the coming year. Each one is different and has a different level of time commitment. They are outlined below and have a link for any family or community member who would like to help the district and engage in this work. We would like to have as many involved as would like to be and if you have additional questions, please contact Dr. Webb at (509) 282-3338.

Schoolwide Improvement

In this group, parents and community members will review and share thoughts on communication from the school district and how/if it is inclusive and meaningful for families including supporting their students learning. Discussions will include parent/community involvement, services available for support of students and families and current or potential partnerships within the community. Discussions will also include barriers or potential barriers for families and students. This group will meet once per month in December, January and February with March as a reserve if there is some work to be finished.

If you would like to help as a parent, family member or community partner, please sign up through this link: https://forms.gle/CZMVeGubUMcAF9EW9

School Remodel Committee

As we begin our work on remodeling the main buildings at KSD, we would like a committe of staff, students, parents and community members who could provide input on design, timelines, budget, and key details of the remodeled areas. This group would work with the superintendent and the architect group as well as the project management group to provide thoughts and ideas as well as feedback. This group will meet once per month starting in April and will include meetings over the summer. This group will be together for 1-2 years until the project design is complete.

If you would like to help as a parent, family member or community partner, please sign up through this link: https://forms.gle/rNNhxM6wdCSKJK3i6

Community Finance Group

This committee is for community members, parents or family who are interested in providing input on the school budget. Each year, work begins on the budget in January until it is presented to the school board for approval in June. The group looks at where the funding might be prioritized and allocated and shares thoughts and feedback with the superintendent and business manager. This group will meet monthly February to June.

If you would like to help as a parent, family member or community partner, please sign up through this link: https://forms.gle/d9AJjznaqrnNK2jb6

FlashAlert is the communication system that Kahlotus uses to share information about school closure, power outages and safety. This year, we will also use it for non-emergency messeges and reminders. To recieve messeges in email, please go to flashalert.net. Select create/manage your messenger subscription, and provide your information. You can also upload the App for FlashAlert in order to get updates or emergency notifications on your phone directly. Be sure to use the "send test" feature once your account is active and verified to make sure you will receive your messeges. Please click and connect with us!

There are supports and resources for families in our community. Please find them listed here.

Community Action Connections Energy and water assistance

Housing Authority of Pasco & Franklin County Housing programs

Connell Food Bank Food source

CBHA Health and medical services

Lutheran Community Services Advocacy, mental health, child welfare, family support

Mid-Columbia Libraries books, Wi-Fi, public computers, printing

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Monday, November 4th-November 19th Canned Food Drive

Thursday, November 8th Parent/Teacher Conferences 2:45-6:30 pm

Friday, November 8th Veterans Honor Assembly 10:00 AM & Early Release 12:00 PM

Monday, November 11th Veterans Day Observed-No School

Tuesday, November 19th ASVAB test for high school, School Board Meeting 6:00 PM

Thursday, November 21st Breakfast Buddies 7:45 AM

Thursday, November 21st Community Thanksgiving Dinner 5:00-7:30 pm

Tuesday, November 26th Early Release 12:00 PM

Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, November 27-29th Thanksgiving Break

Thursday, December 12th 2nd Thursday & Winter Concert 5:00 PM Dinner 6:30 Concert

Tuesday, December 17th, Breakfast Buddies 7:45 AM, School Board meeting 6:00 PM

Friday, December 20th Early Release 12:00 PM

December 23- January 3rd, Winter Break

There are multiple ways to connect with the Kahlotus School District including our district webpage, Facebook page, and Instagram.