PSD Connectivity is a new weekly online communication from the Puyallup School District delivered to your email inbox. 
Students at Northwood Elementary are excited about their new building.

The bond has passed. Now what?

Thanks to voter support of the School Construction and Facility Improvements Bond, the Puyallup School District is moving forward with five major construction projects. The $292.5 million bond will allow the district to replace  FirgroveNorthwood, and  Sunrise elementary schools, remodel and expand  Pope Elementary, and build a  new elementary school on undeveloped district-owned property on 144th Street near 80th Avenue west of Meridian on South Hill.

"Our community has emphatically endorsed a long term investment which will serve generations of children in the Puyallup community," stated School Board President Dane Looker.

Projections call for an additional 1,600 students in the next five years in Puyallup, with 1,050 of them expected to arrive in already overcrowded elementary schools. The five projects approved in the  November 3 General Election will create additional classroom space for 2,720 elementary students.

The district's Capital Construction Division is responsible for all new construction, remodeling, and modernization projects. Prior to the bond's passing, the focus of this division has been on  small capital projects supported by voters in the February 2014 Capital Projects Levy. In addition to this work, they are now spending much of their time implementing the plans prepared in advance of the bond's passage.

In anticipation of the possibility of an approved bond proposal, work began in the spring of 2015 with the identification of architects. Work continued throughout the summer and into the fall with the revision of Educational Specifications. On Tuesday, January 19, at their regularly scheduled school board meeting, directors heard a report from Director of Educational Planning Mario Casello about revisions recommended.

Casello presented names of the Educational Specifications Core Team which consists of teachers, building principals, district administrators, and other key stakeholders. This team began their work on November 3, 2015. In collaboration with the architecture representative, new standard elementary educational specifications have been developed and proposed to the PSD Board of Directors.

The "Ed Specs" are the communication between professional educators and design professionals. They provide the foundation from which architects will design the school building. They are the vision for how the school building will support the educational program and are used as reference documents - guiding the design of the building and used as a measure of the relative success of the design upon completion of the construction.

The first projects to make use of the Educational Specifications will be in rebuilding Firgrove and Northwood elementaries, and the construction of a new elementary school in South Hill. Since each individual project has some unique site-based characteristics, minor modifications will be made to the district standard.

Firgrove and Northwood will each have 30 home rooms similar in size to the last two elementary schools, Edgerton and Carson, which opened in 2007. The new elementary on 144th Street will be built with 44 home rooms and provide much needed relief to Zeiger Elementary and other schools in the nearby area.

The school board will consider the Ed Specs as presented and will consider approval at their next regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, February 1 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Stahl Junior High School.
District seeks efficiency in communications

In an effort to expand communications and reach all members of the Puyallup community efficiently, the Puyallup School District is evaluating its existing communications plan and reorganizing for improved engagement.

Having studied the results of a survey taken by 800 Puyallup parents and community members, the PSD  Communications and Information Department is recommending a varied approach to providing information and engaging stakeholders.

This month, in response, the district will implement a new communications plan designed to reach all stakeholders in our community more efficiently using digital communications more frequently. The plan has three primary objectives:

Current and relevant - Our goal is to provide readers with current information which is relevant to their interests and to student achievement. The  district website and social media platforms will be updated with new content daily. Social media postings will be designed to lead participants to websites for greater detail and in-depth communications about the school district.

Delivered to stakeholders  - While many people search for information on school and district websites, we believe that busy families appreciate communications which are easy to locate. You are reading the first issue of  PSD Connectivity , a weekly digital newsletter which replaces the bi-weekly "board highlights" communication previously produced as a report on the business of the school board.  PSD Connectivity  will contain a broader collection of stories and announcements including highlights from recent school board meetings. This weekly newsletter will be sent each week to all who register their email address with the Communications Department. To sign up for delivery of PSD Connectivity find the "Sign Up Now" button on the district website.

Honoring preferences  - We know that a number of stakeholders maintain a preference for printed communications and could miss important information if the school district moves to digital communications exclusively. To keep all community members informed we will compile and print newsletters three times each year and mail them to all Puyallup homes (over 52,000). The publication  PSD Connections will be an important tool for use in communicating with this very important demographic of the Puyallup community.

We believe that communication efforts outlined here will reach more people in our community more frequently and honor the staff and students of the Puyallup School District for the achievement they make daily.  We welcome your feedback and invite you to send us your thoughts at Communications@puyallup.k12.wa.us.
Pictured above: Colonel Michael Place, Principal Jason Smith, Chief Special Services Officer, Kathy Ehman, School Board Director Kathy Yang, Superintendent Tim Yeomans

District partners with Madigan to support military families

The Puyallup School District is pleased to begin a new partnership with Madigan Army Medical Center to host a satellite adolescent school-based health clinic at Rogers High School. The clinic will open on January 22, 2016 to serve the primary care needs for Rogers High School students who are military dependents. 

Madigan School Based Health Centers or (SBHC) are designed to promote the physical, behavioral, and emotional well-being of military dependent adolescent students on school campuses. 

Initially, Madigan Army Medical Center staff will be onsite at Rogers for approximately one-half to one-day per week, but will increase frequency as needed, based on demand and fiscal resources. Students must have a consent form signed by a parent or guardian in order to receive health center services.

Services provided will include physical exams, immunizations, acute and chronic wellness management, sports injury and concussion management, nutrition and weight counseling, and screening for emotional and behavioral health concerns. The clinic will also focus on resiliency-based strategies related to the unique stresses that military children face.

The new Madigan School Based Health Center at Rogers High School was officially recognized with a ribbon cutting ceremony on January 20, 2016. Participants included Madigan command staff, Puyallup School District staff, Madigan Pediatric/Adolescent staff, Rogers High School staff, and health center staff. Services began today - January 22.

Rick Wells named Athletic Director of the Year

Last September, Rick Wells, director of athletics, health, and fitness, was selected as the League Athletic Director of the Year for 2015 by the South Puget Sound League (SPSL) 4A athletic directors. 
 
The SPSL is part of West Central District Region III, which represents 77 schools in the region.
 
As the SPSL Athletic Director of the Year for 4A he advanced as one of six nominees for the next level of recognition.  Earlier this month, Director Wells was named the Athletic Director of the Year for the West Central District Region III.

His nomination was supported by several letters from other athletic directors from the region as well as a letter from Puyallup School District Chief Equity and Achievement Officer, Gerald Denman. 
 
In his letter, Denman exclaimed "Rick Wells has a deep understanding of issues related to equality for all students. He understands that a school system cannot be truly excellent if it is not also equitable; and that the concept of student athletes must encompass not only high-quality educational opportunities for all students, but also high-level outcomes for every student."

Denman has noted a few significant contributions made by Director Wells in recent years including:
  • Helping establish a board policy for higher GPA requirements for PSD student athletes
  • Pioneering a baseline concussion screening program as well as a rigorous return to play protocol
  • Implementing Automated External Defibrillator (AED) installation and corresponding training program at all district sites
  • Expanding girl's athletic opportunities to include Girls Bowling, Girls Water Polo, and Girls Wrestling at all three comprehensive high schools
Wells stated "I am humbled to be selected from a field of other noteworthy athletic directors who made significant contributions to the WIAA, WCD III, and their leagues."  Wells went on to explain "In addition, our Puyallup School District high school and junior high building athletic directors also contributed to the athletic department's success through their outstanding work."
 
Wells has also been nominated for State Athletic Director of the year.  Selection for the state award will be in April at the annual Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association (WSSAAA) conference held in Spokane.

At their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, January 4, the Puyallup School District Board of Directors met at Aylen Junior High School for their first regularly scheduled meeting of the new calendar year.

During the District Highlights portion of the meeting it was noted that Governor Inslee has proclaimed January as  School Board Recognition Month. Board members were thanked for the many hours spent volunteering for the benefit of the Puyallup community. Puyallup Educators Association President Karen McNamara presented each director with a book and calendar in appreciation for their work and thanked them for "doing what is best for our kids."

Directors heard a report on the efforts made over the past three years to improve community engagement through the use of digital communications and social media. Executive Director of Communications and Information Brian Fox provided the board with an overview of tools now being used to effectively communicate with, engage, and involve stakeholders in the Puyallup community.

A copy of the board meeting agenda can be found on the "meetings" tab at the following website:  PSD School Board Meetings.

The Human Resources report approved by the school board can be found at the following website:  Human Resources Report January 4, 2016.
Girls challenge masculine sports stereotypes

"You hit like a girl." 
"You run like a girl." 
"You throw like a girl." 

These are just a few of the statements girls may be confronted with when playing sports. Junior and Lacrosse player Katie Batchelder encountered a few of these in a high school gym. 

"In PE I have heard people say things to my friends. One friend I have would always hear 'move in cause she is a girl' but then she would hit it and they would back off," Batchelder said. 

Senior Taylor Rutherford has been playing softball since she was young. She speaks about her first time playing. 

"As a little girl I would always play catch with my dad, so as soon as I was old enough he signed me up for T-ball and I have been playing ever since. I remember drawing a lot in the dirt with my fingers and picking all of the dandelions in the outfield during my first game. I think I was too young to have a real appreciation for the sport," Rutherford said. 

Rutherford criticizes people that tend to insult others and discriminate based on gender. 

"When people say you throw or hit like a girl, I really just try to ignore it. I find it pretty insulting but people who say that tend to have some underlying insecurities so I choose not to let it affect me," Rutherford said. 

Senior Sophia Barton has been wrestling since she was a sophomore. According to Barton she felt intimidated the first time she wrestled. 

"My first match in my sophomore year, I was so scared. I thought I was going to get pinned really fast and I was not really sure of myself. It did not end up being that bad though," Barton said. 

Barton strongly states her opinion on her thoughts on "you throw like a girl" and insults much like it. 

"Doing something like a girl is not an insult. I can run far, throw far and hit hard. People should not use it as an insult just because they think that a different gender is weaker than another because that is not true. Girls can be just as strong as guys because doing something like a girl means doing it as best as you can and working hard for it," Barton said. 

Read the entire article written by Vanguard staff member Shayla Jones: Girls challenge masculine sports stereotypes.


On Saturday, January 23, 2016, the Karshner Museum and Center for Culture & Arts will present  A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin.  

Horace Pippin was an African American painter born in Pennsylvania in 1888. As a child, he loved to draw pictures for his sisters, his classmates, and his co-workers. Even during World War I he filled his notebooks with drawings from the trenches . . . until he was shot.

Witness Pippin's incredible true story of triumph when not even an injured arm could keep him from his art.

This family theatre performance will be performed at 1:00 and 4:00 pm by Book-It Reportory Theatre, an award-winning theatre ensemble from Seattle.  For a complete agenda of the day's events, visit the Karshner Center website.
Puyallup School District 
302 2nd St. SE Puyallup, WA 98372   |   Phone: (253) 841-1301    ww.puyallup.k12.wa.us
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