Student voices are shaping our schools

New welding class sparks student futures

While the doors won't officially open until this fall, the dedicated welding classroom at the new Bethel High School is already being seen as a massive leap forward for our students. This cutting-edge program is a direct result of our community’s investment. While other schools don’t have these facilities yet due to high costs, the 2019 School Construction Bond made this shop possible. Thank you, voters! “I have to give a big shout-out to our construction team,” said Jeff Johnson, Director of Career and College Readiness. “They found a way to help us really outfit the shop with industry-quality equipment.”  The shop isn't just a room at the new school. It’s a pathway to a high-paying career. Johnson said that the equipment arriving now is better than what many pros used during their own training. “Some of the workers were in there saying that this shop is nicer than the ones that they learned in at their community colleges or technical schools.” To accompany the professional-grade equipment, the School Board recently approved a comprehensive welding curriculum that covers all the real-life skills students will need to kick start their careers as soon as they cross the graduation stage. “What’s going to happen at Bethel High School with any student that comes through this program starting next year is just state-of-the-art,” said Board Director Roseanna Camacho. Along with their high school diplomas, these students will also earn the certifications needed to land a high-demand job right out of high school. That means they’ll be able to see a clear path, from practice to paycheck.

Big moves and major upgrades this summer

Our dedicated operations team is gearing up for one of the busiest summers in our district’s history. Thanks to our community's incredible support, we are officially moving into the brand-new Bethel High School building. This massive undertaking is a monumental milestone for our district, and we want to send a huge thank you to the voters who made this beautiful new space a reality! The domino effect of school construction means Cedarcrest Middle School is also packing its bags. Soon after school gets out, the old Cedarcrest building will be torn down to make way for a brand-new school. In the meantime, Cedarcrest staff and students are moving into the old Bethel High School building, which will serve as their temporary home for the next two years while their new school is being built. Once again, a big thank you goes to our voters for partnering with us to build a better future for our kids. Moving two entire schools is just the tip of the iceberg. Operations teams will be working districtwide to ensure every building is refreshed and ready for the first day of school this fall. Roofs are being replaced at Roy Elementary and Thompson Elementary, while Pioneer Valley Elementary is getting brand-new flooring. Drivers will also notice smooth new pavement at Centennial Elementary and Roy Elementary. To accommodate our growing community, Expedition Elementary is officially getting portables, and Frederickson Elementary staff and students will stay cool with a brand-new HVAC chiller.  Crews will update the Pierce County Skills Center’s kitchen, tackle Art Crate Stadium with multiple projects including concessions, and Spanaway Lake High School is getting a new greenhouse. We are also making crucial portable improvements at Elk Plain to better serve our Special Services team. On top of these major construction tasks, custodial teams will be doing the heavy lifting of waxing floors, resurfacing gym courts, and cleaning carpets across our schools. When students return in the fall, they will step into bright, safe, and beautifully updated spaces designed to help them thrive.

How athletics fuel higher GPAs

A sixth-grader steps onto the wrestling mat for the first time, nervous but ready to try something new. What they don’t know is that the same discipline required to master a wrestling takedown also helps them focus during a mid-term exam. For most of our 4,817 participating middle and high school athletes, sports aren't about going pro, they are about personal growth. In fact, only one-third of our students play at the varsity level. While our varsity teams get the headlines, our JV and C-Team programs are where the real magic of growth happens. These teams aren't just a bench, they are a laboratory for grit and persistence. “Two-thirds of our kids are playing on sub-varsity, which means they're developmental,” said Bryan Streleski, Director of Athletics and Security. “We're trying to make them better, trying to help them improve, to get better every single day.” In our schools, "developmental" is just another word for "opportunity." It’s where a student who has never picked up wrestling headgear finds their footing and their confidence. That commitment to the game translates directly to the classroom. Student-athletes in our schools maintain GPAs nearly half a point higher than students who don’t participate in activities. These students are also seeing higher attendance and graduation rates as well.  “They’ve got to stay eligible to participate,” said Streleski. “But they're not just staying eligible, they're excelling.” To ensure every student can find a place to belong, our athletic programs continue to expand. This year, we added a middle school girls wrestling tournament to mirror our long-standing high school programs. And girls flag football continues to expand. Perhaps the most powerful example of that community is found in our Unified Sports teams, where special education students and general education students compete together in everything from basketball to track and field. “It's phenomenal,” said Streleski. “It's great for our students with special needs. It's also great for our partner kids to learn and grow and understand how to work within a community.” These opportunities are made possible by our community. The Educational Programs & Operations Levy is the backbone of our athletics program. It ensures our students have the tools to succeed both on the field and in life. Thank you, voters!

Say the word, do the motion

Dena Mariano has spent 27 years teaching in our schools, but she is still finding new ways to grow.  This year, in her first grade classroom at Shining Mountain Elementary, she has seven multilingual students in her classroom. These are students who are learning English, on top of learning the curriculum. It sounds like a heavy lift for a six-year-old. Enter Brianna Kangas, the school’s multilingual education teacher. "Being multilingual is such a superpower,” Kangas said. "There's different neural pathways that are strengthened and created when you are acquiring and learning another language, and so it just makes your brain super, super strong.” To help the multilingual students unlock those superpowers, Kangas and Mariano are using Total Physical Response (TPR) to turn new vocabulary words into actions. A familiar phrase that echoes throughout the classroom describes it well, "Say the word and do the motion!" TPR is not American Sign Language. Kangas and Mariano co-plan their lessons and determine which vocabulary words will get the TPR treatment. Putting an invisible crown on your head is used for the word “British.” For the word “country” students pretend to plant a flag in the ground. This allows first graders, some of whom are still learning English, to define and understand concepts as broad as American Independence, and to get hands on with events like the Boston Tea Party. When students learn the word "government," there is a gesture. When they say "independence," there is a movement.  “Recently, I got a new student who is a newcomer to the United States and on day one he was able to participate in our lesson through the use of those hand gestures,” said Mariano. And the strategy works whether you’re a native English speaker or not. “When you pair a motion with a vocabulary word, when you're saying something at the same time your body's doing something, there's something that happens in your brain that's going to help you remember and connect that word," Kangas said. In other words, every student is benefiting. And the impact continues as those vocabulary words become essays. As students lean over their papers, their free hands often form the gestures they learned earlier that morning. They are rehearsing their sentences before committing the words to paper. “You'll see them doing the hand motions as they write, to help them recall that vocabulary,” said Mariano. ”They can really just focus in on the mechanics of writing.” Kangas co-teachers with Mariano for one period a day. Their partnership is helping students to build the academic language they need to thrive. And in this classroom, students are learning with their voices, their hands, and their hearts.

Student voices are shaping our schools

“Speak a lot! Do not be afraid to express your opinion.” That’s the advice Lyllian, a senior at Bethel High School, offered to those following in her footsteps. It is empowered advice, and likely not something she would have shared three years ago. Her confidence blossomed through a unique opportunity in our district called the Superintendent’s Student Leadership Council. “I felt like SSLC pushed me past my comfort zone of talking to other individuals,” Lyllian said. “It helped me step into the realm of what's happening at my school and what's happening at other schools.” Now, finishing up her third year with the council, Lyllian finds it powerful to advocate for change that can impact students districtwide. “You are representing this entire district,” she said. “You are representing all of the high schools, all the elementary schools and middle schools.” The SSLC recently put their representative power into action during their annual roundtable dinner with the School Board. This isn’t a dry presentation from a podium. Instead, Board members visit individual tables to listen, learn, and engage in in-depth conversations about the student experience. And the students did not shy away from heavy topics. They led discussions on staff diversity and the need for more multicultural programs and interpreters. They also brought practical solutions to the table, requesting updates to the advisory curriculum to include "real-life skills" like financial literacy. While algebra has its place, they want to graduate knowing how to handle loans, credit, taxes, and mortgages, while also mastering professional skills like resume building and interviewing. Board President Marcus Young thanked the students for bringing both concerns and solutions to the table. “I felt like I heard the voice of those individuals that you all serve in your schools,” he said. “You did it with conviction, you did it with clarity, and you actually caused me and the Superintendent to have to reassess our thoughts.” School Board Vice President Teresa Cosio said the candor was a breath of fresh air for the Board. “Continue these conversations, but bring them to the board more often,” she told the students. “We need feedback throughout the year on how well we're doing and how our staff is doing on supporting you.” As for Lyllian, her journey of self-expression is just beginning. After she crosses the Bethel High graduation stage next month, she plans to attend The Evergreen State College in Olympia to major in performing arts and fine arts, with a goal of minoring in creative writing. While she’s there, the change she championed here will continue to support students across our district for years to come.