Educate

In the theater, students will listen to guest speaker, Ryan Leaf. Ryan is an advocate for those struggling with mental and behavioral health issues and encourages audiences to transform the way we think about mental health issues . Ryan works to eliminate the mental health stigma and says, “asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness!”

Create

Set up in the commons, students will create buttons and friendship bracelets. There will be a rock painting station. Supplies to write cards of encouragement to friends who may need to hear how important they are will be available.

Relate

While in the gym, students will engage in activities to help them get to know their pack and learn how to support each other.

Olympia is a city, but the capitol is a town of its own.

Five other Spokane Public School (SPS) students and I arrived in an ink-black van alongside a few other school district admins. The tinted windows of the vehicle paralleled the obscurity of my inner uncertainty. How would capricious, partisan senators grumbling with distaste of the potential of further controversial work react to the many concerns of North Central with which I was burdened? A volatile response was surely due in course...

But, in summary, I did not encounter the vicious feud of party agenda outweighing our personal, unfiltered anecdotes. Rather, I was confronted with the comforting truth that our representatives really want what's best for us, the students.

Exiting the security of the van, I was immediately confronted with the rich culture of the capital. Not only were the buildings themselves laced with symbols of democracy through perfected neoclassical architecture, but the governmental workers had an urgent but endearing vitality that made the capital feel alive.

We then cautiously approached the capitol steps where many unfamiliar people stood. There, I felt visceral webs of connection transcend space like unspoken weaves through the moist, West Coast air. Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck shared his love of politics -- despite its sharpness -- and fellow representatives knowing fellow representatives and fellow lobbyists knowing fellow lobbyists shared in gentle laughter. We were still unsure if joining this shared camaraderie without the hint of invitation would be pretentious, so the six of us quieted our inner desires for belonging and remained silent. Feeling a tad out of place, yet still brimming with anticipation, we shuttled along to a meeting over the importance of collective activism at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

The meeting was a bit drab, with a brokerage of questions that were presented as true inquiries but could have rather been framed rhetorically for Erin Jones, a former superintendent candidate, and the current superintendent, Chris Reykdal, to answer themselves. Nonetheless, the room was filled with zealous students teeming and buzzing with excitement. The energy was channeled by the superintendent as a type of fuel, as if we were weaponry to be supercharged and launched at our representatives. To me, the sinister plot of the capital was beginning to unfold; its secret tensions were soon to be exposed. The OSPI posed our visitation and lobbying as needing to be forceful to be effective, as if the representatives were inclined to push back against educational investment and reform. 

However, yet again, the reps were in concurrence with us, the students, as public servants desiring to support youth, and were not extremely disagreeable as my presumptive thought had inclined me to expect.

After our convocation with OSPI, we entailed several hours of hustled meetings with the individual reps of Eastern Washington. Committee meetings, photos, and food were dispersed intermittently between these expeditious conferences. Some congressional members we met with included Andy Billig, Marcus Riccelli, Suzanne Schmidt, Jenny Graham, Timm Ormsby, and Mike Volz.

Though our discussions were fast paced, our concerns were met with thoughtful and sincere responses. Rep. Riccelli took us to the house chamber and showed us their voting system. Rep. Schmidt offered to broker a meeting between students and administrators throughout the Spokane region to address vaping addiction. Rep. Graham shared her concerns for the safety of our students on public transit with today’s plethora of social issues leading to violent and illicit activity. And Rep. Timm Ormsby shared his desire to increase funding for Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOC) to reflect real school district costs that have been elevated due to rising inflation.

I personally have come to conclude that sharing our stories as student lobbyists was impactful. For the reps, hearing issues from a personalized perspective initiated conversations from a different basis in comparison to them hearing about the atrocities of school issues from people who don’t experience the day-to-day of student life. Also, the differences in intentions and results are not fully clear to the reps in Olympia, and student experience showcases the harsh truths over whether the prototypical model and/or novel policy enactments are effective in educating our students.

I encourage Washington State students to contact their local representative of their legislative district and/or their school board with any concerns or changes they would like to see implemented at their school.

By Tommy Elliott

Math is Cool

Friday afternoon some of our IST students participated in the Math is Cool Competition at Mt. Spokane High School. They competed against schools from across Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. North Central received the first place school award in our division for grade 7, the only grade where we competed. In addition, Rex Ellingson received first place in the individual competition for our division receiving the highest score of all sixth graders competing. They will continue on to the state tournament in April.

French Club

This week the French club talked about American painter Lois Mailou Jones and created some art of our own. Some students followed the model to recreate a piece while others were inspired by her other works of art. Next week we are celebrating Mardi Gras and talking about Carnivals around the French speaking world. 

I'd like to express gratitude to all who attended our screening of Screenagers on Wednesday night. Proactively addressing the influence of screen time on teenage mental health is crucial. It's essential that we unite to ensure our youth feel connected and supported by their community.

In today's digital age, the influence of screens on our youth is profound and multifaceted. By coming together to engage in reflection on this topic, we take proactive steps towards understanding and mitigating its effects.

As a community, it is essential that we unite in this endeavor. Our collective efforts can make a tangible difference in ensuring that our youth feel not only connected but also supported in navigating the challenges presented by excessive screen time.

Thank you once again for your participation and dedication to the well-being of our youth. Together, let us continue to foster a community where our young people thrive and flourish.

North Central High School

At NCHS, our vision is to provide a supportive and nurturing environment which embraces diversity, encourages social responsibility, promotes rigorous learning experiences, and emphasizes personalized learning support.