Your Ellensburg Schools

Welcome Back!

It's been a great first month (almost) of school. From our littlest learners preparing for kindergarten, to to our Ellensburg High School seniors preparing for life after graduation, our students are busy, happy and learning.

My family and I are getting settled into our new home. With three children participating in Fall sports, evenings are hectic and busy, as many parents can relate to right now. The kids are settling into their new schools and my son, our youngest, has provided me with a detailed list of improvements to get to work on. Ah, teens.

I have been busy meeting with leaders from throughout the area. I have learned a lot about local organizations and businesses and look forward to expanding and formalizing some of our important partnerships. It has also been great to reconnect with old friends and colleagues in the region.

It's been a great couple of months here in Ellensburg. I look forward to the traditions and seasons to come.

Superintendent Troy Tornow

Ellensburg School District was well represented on Labor Day Weekend as the city celebrated the annual Kittitas County Fair and the 100th anniversary of the Ellensburg Rodeo.

Our students are awesome and there was ample evidence at the Fair. Students showed, and auctioned, the livestock they have been raising for months. Student art, sewing, baking and mammoth pumpkins were on display, while other students performed with local dance groups.

The Rodeo Parade featured the debut of our Morgan Middle School band. And, as always, the EHS band and cheerleaders brought the pep to the Saturday parade. The parade also offered the community an opportunity to see our new Superintendent Troy Tornow, who marched alongside the ESD Bus with Board Member Jonathon Henderson, Assistant Director of Transportation Traci Russell and Transportation Coordinator Doyle Beekley. Many more students rode or marched with local clubs and organizations. Grid Kids once again took on the important task of cleaning up after horses.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in a fun, entertaining and memorable Ellensburg Rodeo Weekend. And a special thank you to the Kittitas County Fair and Ellensburg Rodeo boards and staff members for all of the hard work that makes it happen!

On Sept. 5, Ellensburg School District staff members gathered kick off the 2023-2024 school year with a Welcome Back event at Morgan Middle School.

The festivities began with a Continental breakfast, prepared by ESD Child Nutrition, and time to say hello to friends and colleagues. For many employees this was the first opportunity to meet Superintendent Troy Tornow, who shared his vision for building a strong culture focused on the primary mission of quality teaching and learning for all Ellensburg students.

Following his remarks, Molly Brinkley, Regional Educational Technology Coordinator of Educational Service District 123, shared information about artificial intelligence (AI), specifically ChatGPT, and how teachers can leverage use of AI in the classroom. After the program, teachers returned to their schools for a day of intensive training and to put the final touches on their classrooms. Staff members returned to the important support work that keeps the District moving.

Most of Ellensburg's students started school on Sept. 6. At the four elementary school and Morgan Middle School, Central Washington University Football team members joined teachers and staff members in welcoming students back. At Ellensburg High School students were met by their own cheer squad and band. Kindergarteners began school on Sept. 11, and later in the month pre-school and Transitional Kindergarten students began their educational journey.

Ellensburg School District's Board of Directors welcomed the 2023-2024 Student Representative to the Board at the meeting of Sept. 28 with a swearing-in ceremony.

Mac Steele is a senior at Ellensburg High School. He runs cross country and track, and also serves as the FBLA president at EHS. Mac is “interested in the process of how the school board trickles to administration, and teachers, and students,” he says. “And I also wanted to help fellow students have a voice.”

Amare Thorn is a junior at EHS. He is the captain of the golf team and a member of cross country as well. Amare wants to learn how the Board operates. “I want to see more behind scenes and what happens that helps our school and the system run,” Amare also has his fellow students in mind, saying he wants to “help other students have a better high school and educational experience and are equipped with the tools for life after school.”

Both students will serve through the academic year. Although they are not voting members of the Board, they bring student-focused energy and input to the process.

Please join us in welcoming Mac and Amare to the ESD School Board!

Valley View is gearing up for their annual Walkathon with a goal of $20,000 this year, but mascot Bobby the Bobcat is missing! This video may hold some clues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkJLZhtRcs8

The annual event is Valley View's one fundraiser of the year. Proceeds fund field trips, events, learning opportunities and more. The Walkathon will be held on the track at Andreotti Field on Oct. 20 from 2-3 p.m. Parents and families are invited to watch, walk or run!

This year's event features some changes including a guest host and an easy online registration and donation process. Valley View families are encouraged to register early, since the first school reward is based on the number of early sign ups. There will be prizes for individuals, classes, grade levels, and school-wide goals.

Community members can also make a contribution by visiting: https://pledgestar.com/valleyview98926/

Pizza parties, pajama days and other perks are on the line, so please help out if you can.

And this year, if the Valley View students meet the school fundraising goal, Principal Rob Moffat has agreed to be transformed into a human sundae.

Who is Magnus? Will Bobby be found? Will Mr. Moffet become an ice cream sundae? Tune in next month for the answers to these and other burning questions!

"We are OVER THE MOON excited to announce that this summer we were awarded $150,000 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Action for Healthy Kids to improve the nutritional quality of our school meals," says ESD Director of Child Nutrition Alexandra Epstein-Solfield. "We have big dreams and this will help us achieve them,."

Funds will be used for culinary skills training for staff, updated nutritional analysis software, a new blast chiller for the central kitchen, the development of a nutrition education curriculum for students, among other items.

Ellensburg is one of 14 districts in the state and one of 264 districts nationally that received this award. Learn more here.

Everyone needs help sometimes, but finding the right person to talk to can be confusing. Here are some easy guidelines that will help you contact the right person so your question and requests don't get delayed.

1. Talk to your student's teacher. Most problems can be solved at this level. Teachers can also refer you to other resources and people who can help.

2. Talk to your principal or another building administrator.

3. Did you know you can connect to any ESD Department or school when you call 925-8000? Just listen to the phone tree to be directed to your school, or any ESD Department.

4. Make an appointment to see the Superintendent if you feel your situation has not been resolved. You might not get a different answer, but the Superintendent is happy to meet with you. But please make an appointment as his schedule is busy!

5. Email the Ellensburg School District Board of Directors at board@esd401.org. Normally, the Board President will respond to you, however all members of the Board receive your email.

We would also like to encourage community members to contact our elected officials. Districts across the state have undertaken massive budget cuts to balance their budgets and Ellensburg is no exception. Please let our legislators know what is important to you. You can find information on how to email, call or write to our representatives here:

Sen. Judy Warnick

https://judywarnick.src.wastateleg.org/contact-me/

Rep. Tom Dent

https://tomdent.houserepublicans.wa.gov/contact/

Rep. Alex Ybarra

https://alexybarra.houserepublicans.wa.gov/contact/

It’s not uncommon for hikers to set their sights on the Washington Bulger List, a list of the 100 highest mountain peaks in our state, especially in the summer when the weather is more accommodating. It’s not even uncommon for hikers to scale more than one mountain a year. But the trip that EHS Science teacher Jeff Hashimoto, Langdon Ernest-Beck and Uhuru Hashimoto took this past summer was anything but common. If they had merely climbed the peaks, that would be impressive enough, but this trio set out on a Human Powered Hundred Peaks adventure, riding bikes to every location.

“I like the beauty in nature and I like a challenge,” says Hashimoto, who teaches environmental science and serves as advisor of the Environmental Club. “In some ways the trip was an outgrowth of the environmental science classes and club that all deal with climate change. Having a hobby that involves energy use, I asked ‘how can I still do this and use no energy, leave no trace in the atmosphere?’”

The project began with a few weekend trips before school was out last spring. Once school was out, they took to the road for the next 62 days, arriving back in Ellensburg just in time to start school. In total Hashimoto and Ernest-Beck traveled 1,880 miles by bike, reaching an elevation of 116,938 feet. But those nearly 2,000 miles only got them to the mountains. The duo climbed 835 miles to an elevation of 381,781 feet.

The two kept strict rules. Jeff's son Uhuru joined them as his schedule allowed. Jeff’s mom, former Board Member Meg Ludlum, joined the group for camping along the way. But visitors were strictly forbidden from lending any aid or bringing any supplies.

What’s next after you bike to the highest heights? “We haven’t decided,” says Hashimoto, “right now were trying to recover.” Given that Hashimoto is back to work and coaching more than 100 cross country runners, this may not be as easy as it seems.

Congratulations to Jeff and EHS alumni Uhuru and Langdon! To read a first-hand account of their adventure visit: https://www.langdoneb.com/humanpoweredhundredpeaks

The Ellensburg School District Education Foundation, ESD administrators and the Ellensburg School Board hosted a Welcome Back Tailgate party for all ESD team members and their families before the football game on Sept. 15.

Superintendent Troy Tornow thanked those who attended, saying, "It was a good start at revitalizing a tradition that was once an important part of getting each school year off on the right foot. The Ellensburg School District Education Foundation Board did an amazing job of planning, organizing, and supporting the event. They are already thinking about ways to make it better and bigger next year."

Steve Russell and FFA provided the grills and Director of Maintenance Randy Aker and Superintendent Tornow served as grill masters. Participants enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs and other picnic and potluck fare. The icing on the cake was a 41-0 victory for the EHS Bulldogs against rival Selah Vikings.

On Sept. 26 Ellensburg businesses joined forces to fund the local tradition of a Teacher Appreciation Day. The following businesses donated a percentage of their sales, or made a financial contribution, to support K-12 teachers in Kittitas County.

The Teachers Appreciation Day Fund disbursement will begin Tuesday, October 3 at 3pm. All K-12 teachers who live or work in Kittitas County are eligible. School ID is required.

Jerrol’s will have at least $25 available for at least 100 teachers, which is valid for any in-store purchase or pre-paid special order at Jerrol’s. The teachers will also receive a 15% discount on their entire purchase. Teachers are welcome to purchase more than $25 with the 15% discount, and can buy anything they like. Jerrol’s will offer both walk-in access and the ability to reserve your disbursement online and schedule a time to come into the store. Text TEACHER to 1-877-558-2196 for a reminder!

Please thank and support these local businesses that made Teacher Appreciation Day 2023 possible:

· Cornerstone Pie

· D&M Coffee

· Jerrol’s

· Mountain High Sports

· Ellensburg Pet Center

· Better Life Natural Foods

· The Mule Cocktail Bar

· RERUNS Consignment

· Pearl Street Books & Gifts

· *Kirkham Law

· *Gerald Lael - Farmers Insurance & Financial Services

· *The Daily Record

* Supported with cash donation or in kind donation

In the final days before school started you could find Morgan Middle School Teacher Mike McCloskey at the Kittitas County Fair. In addition to overseeing the candy store, a task he’s undertaken for years, he was also in charge of the school house and root beer saloon this year. In between, he was running over to help his church, where he is chairman of the board, sell baked potatoes. All along the way he was stopping to offer a smile and kind word to students, families and friends from throughout the valley.

If you don’t know Mike McCloskey then your student hasn’t been to middle school, you don’t head straight for the pickle booth at the fair, you haven’t been on a Kittitas County Museum Pub Crawl, you haven’t been on a field trip to the San Juan Islands, and you don’t go to theatre or other events at Morgan Performing Arts Center (MPAC). And even if you think you don’t know Mike McCloskey, you have likely benefitted from his years of service to our community.

McCloskey began his career as a bus driver, a vocation he not only loved, but excelled at. Before he was able to legally drive, he was washing buses as an after-school job in Kent, his hometown. “I was good at parking, so my supervisor said ‘here, park this,’” says McCloskey. “I drove a bus before I drove a car.” He also participated in the Washington School Bus Rodeo, advanced to nationals in Denver and has “many bus driving trophies.”

When he came to Ellensburg for college, he got a job driving for the Ellensburg School District. “It was perfect. I drove the school bus in the morning, went to class and drove again in the afternoon,” he says. “I paid my tuition and never had to take out any loans for school.”

Armed with his Special Education degree, McCloskey began applying for jobs and had “no intention of staying in Ellensburg.” Then a job came up for a paraprofessional at Morgan, which eventually led him to his current position as a Humanities and English Language Arts teacher now in his 34th year at Morgan.

He credits his community connections to the summers and weekends he worked for the Kittitas County Chamber answering phones. He can tell you the names of the people who got him involved in every endeavor. It’s not that McCloskey is a name dropper, but instead grateful and conscious of every connection that has led to another adventure.

In addition to teaching and managing the MPAC, his “daytime jobs,” he organizes trips to New York and Washington, D.C. for middle school students and supervises the Youth Litter Crew on I-90 through the Washington Department of Ecology in the summer. He was the president of the Children’s Activity Museum and got involved in the Kittitas County Museum through his Explore Ellensburg course at Morgan. He started the Kittitas Youth Awards and even took a turn at square dancing with the Blue Agate Square Dance Club. He currently serves as president of the ESD Education Foundation, a non-profit that supports the ESD community through grants, donations and events like the recent Welcome Back Tailgate.

Even with all of these experiences and successes, McCloskey still misses his days driving the bus. “I love driving a bus,” says McCloskey. “Being a bus driver made me fall in love with middle school kids. When I got the chance to teach them, I never left.”