School Highlights: Points of Pride:
Good Apple Award recipients recognized
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| Rabiha Hatridge, librarian at East High School, was one of the recipients of the Good Apple Award. Photo by Susan Arensman |
More than 200 people were recognized for providing exemplary service and receiving the Good Apple Award. The Board of Education recognized the recipients during a special ceremony on December 3 at Hamilton Middle School. The Good Apple Award program allows schools and administrative support centers to recognize employees, volunteers and school partners who go the extra step in helping the school district and its students to succeed.
A list of the Good Apple recipients and photos of the event are posted on the district's website.
The spring Good Apple Award ceremony will be held April 21 at Stucky Middle School.
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Eight teachers receive National Board Certification
Eight teachers have earned the profession's top honor of National Board Certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. National Board Certification is a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize and reward great teachers and is the most prestigious credential a teacher can earn.
The eight recipients are:
- Tanya Belcher - kindergarten teacher at Linwood Elementary
- Karen Burrell - math teacher at North High School
- Gaye Coburn - journalism teacher at North High School
- Kelly Frederick - language arts teacher at North High School
- Jeffery Freund - language arts teacher at North High School
- Tennele Hankins - science teacher at Curtis Middle School
- Rebekah Winter - P.E. teacher at South High School
- Shanna Zimmerman - marketing teacher at East High School
National Board Certification is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes a year to three years to complete. Teachers document their knowledge of the subject matter, show evidence they know how to teach students effectively and show their ability to measure student learning.
More information on National Board Certification can be found at www.nbpts.org.
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District receives second award from EPA
The Wichita Public Schools has received the prestigious Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools 2007 Model of Sustained Excellence Award for its efforts to improve indoor air quality in our schools. Wichita was one of five districts across the country to be honored with the award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“The district has taken the initiative and continues to evaluate indoor air quality,” said Tim Phares, Supervisor of Environmental Services. “We do everything humanly possible to address concerns involving allergies and asthma with our students and staff.”
The Model of Sustained Excellence is given to districts that have previously won the EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Excellence Award. The Wichita Public Schools received that award in 2005. The Model of Sustained Excellence demonstrates ongoing exceptional commitment to maintaining healthy educational facilities.
Winners are selected from hundreds of schools and districts nationwide who have implemented Indoor Air Quality management programs and have seen improvements in indoor air quality.
The Wichita Public Schools has four highly trained Indoor Air Quality Specialists who can pull air samples. The specialists conduct air quality assessments, collect and analyze biological and chemical data and respond quickly to any air quality concerns. The district has more Indoor Air Quality Specialists in the Environmental Services office than any consulting firm in Wichita.
The district has a laboratory at the School Service Center to evaluate the air samples. There is more than ten-years worth of data on indoor air quality for every building in the district, allowing Environmental Services to monitor any changes.
Phares accepted the award on December 6 at the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium in Washington, D.C.
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Southeast and Jackson receive $100,000 grants from Cox
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| Superintendent Winston Brooks, Southeast principal Leroy Parks and Cox Communications Regional Vice President Kimberly Edmunds hold the check that was given to Southeast to support student achievement. They are surrounded by students, tutors and mentors who also benefit from the grant. |
Southeast High School and Jackson Elementary each received a $100,000 grant from Cox Communications to support increased student achievement and narrowing of the achievement gap. Events were held at both schools on Dec. 6 to thank Cox for the donation.
“We are very pleased with the support from Cox Communications,” said Superintendent Winston Brooks. “Cox is a great partner and supporter of the Wichita Public Schools. They saw the great things we are doing in this district and Cox said they wanted to help us raise student achievement and close the gap.”
Southeast will use the grant money to focus on tutoring and student support. The grant will support the school’s AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and Ready to Impact programs. The grant will be used to hire nine school-wide and AVID tutors to provide more than 100 hours of tutoring support each week. The tutors support students across all grade levels and courses, including AP and honors courses.
"It is really making a difference," said Leroy Parks, Southeast principal. "This grant is helping us create a culture of learning and success here at Southeast."
Southeast's grant will also support a mentor for the Ready to Impact program, which targets at-risk students to get on track for graduation and post-secondary options.
"This is just awesome," said Jessica McClellan, senior at Southeast. "We're glad that Cox wants to get
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From left: Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools Alicia Thompson, Jackson principal Brad Pepper, Cox Communications Regional Vice President Kimberly Edmunds, BOE District 1 member Betty Arnold and Superintendent Winston Brooks. Photos by Susan Arensman |
involved in our school."
Jackson will use the money to support an after-school reading initiative aimed at students who need additional support. Certified teachers will provide tutoring in small groups for one hour after school, four days a week. The school has seen results in students' reading scores since starting the program earlier this fall.
"It's more than just increasing scores," said Chad Schuetz, first grade teacher at Jackson. "We have great connectedness with our students. They love coming to school."
Jackson's grant is also being used to engage all staff in a research-based behavior intervention plan (BIST), which has lowered the school's suspension rate.
Cox also gave a grant of $25,000 to Coleman Middle School to purchase a fully-equipped laptop computer cart. Cox is committed to supporting the increase in student achievement through the use of technology.
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Student paints mural at Blackbear Bosin Academy
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| Patience Biggs, senior at North High School, painted the mural in front of Blackbear Bosin Academy. Photo courtesy Blackbear Bosin Academy |
Blackbear Bosin Academy has a new mural in front of the school. It was painted by Patience Biggs, senior at North High School as part of her senior project. Blackbear Bosin staff member Mark Walker, asked his wife Tara, art teacher at North, to suggest a student to paint the mural.
Before painting the mural, Biggs, along with other art students at North, studied the life of artist Blackbear Bosin. Biggs also received a model of Bosin's Keeper of the Plains to help her design the mural.
Biggs said she enjoyed working on a large scale project.
"I would like to do more wall murals and projects such as the sign I painted for Blackbear Bosin," said Biggs.
Biggs plans to get her teaching degree at Wichita State University in arts education.
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Woodland to celebrate 100 years in January
Woodland Health and Wellness Magnet will celebrate its 100th anniversary on January 25, 2008. The school plans to have an open house, chili feed and students entertainment beginning at 6 p.m. The school will also create a time capsule.
Woodland will have classroom activities that tie in to the 100 year celebration. The students will have lessons and play games from 100 years ago.
For more information, to RSVP for the chili feed, or to donate memorabilia for the event, contact the school at 973-0100.
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Employee discount information available on the portal
Employees can discover discounts available to them on the portal by going to the Marketing and Communications portal site. Many businesses offer discounts to district employees and Marketing and Communcations portal site is where employees can find that information in one place.
The discounts are posted in five categories: computers, organizations, phones, retail, restaurants and software. Some of the discounts available are computer discount with Dell, software discounts for Microsoft Software, and a discount with retailer CompUSA.
Check the portal throughout the year as different discounts are posted to the site.
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W-2 forms will be mailed soon
The Payroll Department will soon mail out W-2 forms to district employees. Employees need to verify that the address on their paycheck has current address information. The change of address form is located on the human resources portal site.
If a W-2 is sent to an incorrect address, it will be sent back to Payroll and will not be reissued until the employee requests a reissue in writing. The request can be mailed to the Payroll Department, 201 N. Water, Wichita, KS 67202 or faxed to 973-4767. All reissued W-2 forms must be picked up in the Payroll Department and a photo id will be required at time of pickup.
For more information, contact Payroll at 973-4574.
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Nominate others as Friends of Education
School and district staff are encouraged to nominate individuals or groups for the Friends of Education Awards. The Friends of Education Awards, sponsored by the Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force, honor people or organizations who have made outstanding contributions to public education in the following categories:
• School Volunteer – an individual or couple who provides volunteer services in public schools.
• Community Leader – an individual who has made a significant contribution to public education while serving in a leadership capacity.
• Partner Activity – a business, company or agency that has provided an on-going partner activity for three years or more that exceeds typical collaboration from a private or public institution.
• Private or Public Institution – a company, business or agency that has made a significant contribution to public education.
• Community/Civic Organization – a club, organization, committee or task force that has made a significant contribution to public education.
Nomination forms and information about the awards can be found on the Confidence in Kansas Public Education website. The deadline for submitting nominations is January 31, 2008. One Award of Excellence and up to four Certificates of Award will be presented in each of the five categories. All other nominees will receive Certificates of Merit.
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Heights P.E. teacher named Teacher of the Year
Candee Stuchlik, P.E. teacher at Heights High School, was honored for her dedication to teaching. Stuchlik has been named Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Kansas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Stuchlik received her award during the KAHPERD State Convention at Emporia State University on November 8.
"Candee is always finding new ways to engage her students," said Karla Stenzel, P.E. teaching specialist. "She gives them the knowledge and the skills it takes to be active for a lifetime."
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Southeast student named Academic All-State
Marissa Quillin, student at Southeast High School, has been honored for excelling in the classroom and in athletics. Quillin was named to the Academic All-State Cross Country Team by the Kansas Cross-Country and Track and Field Coaches Association. This is the second year she has made the Academic All-State team.
The honor is given to juniors or seniors who have a 3.75 grade point average or higher, placed in the top 30 in the state cross country meet and received a nomination from the cross country coach.
Horace Mann unveils art project
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Horace Mann art students stand under their stained glass window project. Photo by Gretchen Cox |
Seventh- and eighth-grade students at Horace Mann unveiled their project to beautify the school on Nov. 20. Students in Jane Smalley’s art class created stained glass mosaic windows. The students worked with Arts Partners artist Ruthie Spriggs to create the project.
The windows are located at the front entrance of Horace Mann over the interior doors. The windows were covered in black construction paper and students removed the paper during the unveiling event.
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