MEREDITH HILL MESSENGER

Board to Consider Changes in District Promotion Policy

The School Board is currently considering changes to the District’s Promotion Policy. According to Superintendent Murphy, the Board wants to assure that every 5^th grade student who leaves elementary school has the skills to succeed in middle school. Changes under consideration include:

*A “Student Profile” folder to help track and communicate a student’s progress from kindergarten through 5^th grade.

*More support for struggling students, including mandatory summer school at the end of 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grade.

*Required standards in reading and math which 5^th grade students must meet in order to enter middle school.

*A “district committee” to review the progress of any student recommended for promotion in 5^th grade who does not meet the required standards.

Parents have three opportunities to give their input on proposed changes to the promotion policy. They can talk with their school principal, give input to their School Leadership Team, or contact the Superintendent’s office. (The contact person is Asst. Superintendent Carol Matsui. Her e-mail address is cmatsui@fwps.org, and her phone number is 253-945-2030.) The Promotion Policy will be a topic for discussion at the next two Board Meetings, scheduled for March 11 and 25 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the City Hall. Public comments are always welcome at School Board meetings.

Sincerely,

Cindy Kelsey

Principal

Choice Enrollment

The application period for 2003-2004 Choice Enrollment runs February 1 through April 15 (or May 30 for incoming kindergarten students). Forms are available in all schools, the Community Resource Center (CRC) at the SeaTac Mall, and the reception desk at the district administration office beginning February 1.

Completed applications must be mailed or hand-delivered to the student placement office at the CRC, located near Sears at the SeaTac Mall, by the deadline. Lotteries for available space will be held at the CRC on Monday, April 22, beginning at 5:00 for students entering grades 1-12, and on Thursday, June 5 for students entering kindergarten next year. “Placement” or “Waiting List” letters will be mailed to parents by May 1 and June 15, respectively. For further information, please contact Linda Elder at (253)945-2264.

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten Registration for the 2003-2004 school year will be May 5-16. To register a kindergartner, you will need a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate to verify the age requirement (children must be 5 on or before August 31, 2003), a record of immunizations, and proof of residency. Non-resident students wanting to attend Meredith Hill on Choice Enrollment still need to register at their home school

Parent to Parent: Understanding the WASL

Families are vital to student success, but parents often lack the information they need to be effectively engaged in their child’s education. The Washington State PTA and the Federal Way Public Schools are co-sponsoring an interactive presentation for parents and other adults that explains our state’s school improvement efforts and the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), the test that measures student progress.

The workshop is presented for parents, by parents, and will cover:

1) Washington’s standards for student learning – how they were developed and how they drive school and district curriculum and teaching practices.

2) The WASL – understanding our state’s tests to measure student mastery of the standards.

3) New graduation requirements that require our present 7^th graders (the class of 2008) to “pass” the WASL prior to receiving a high school diploma.

This is an opportunity for parents to ask questions about any aspect of the WASL and the state’s educational reform efforts. Special emphasis will be made to use “parent-friendly” language. Please join us at the FWPS Education Service Center Boardroom, 31405 – 18^th Ave. South, on Monday, March 31^st, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

Help – Blankets Needed!

Meredith Hill is in need of blankets to help protect our Steel Drums. The drums need protection when in storage and when they are transported for the Steel Drum Tours. If you would like to donate a blanket, please bring them to the Meredith Hill office.

Pop Quiz: 1989,

A Year of Change

Remember 1989? That was the year:

· A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay area as 62,000 fans filled Candlestick Park for the third game of the World Series.

· After three decades, the Berlin Wall was opened; thousands of East Germans flocked to the west.

· The state marked its Centennial, with Booth Gardner at the helm as Governor.

· At the age of 81, Jessica Tandy won the Best Actress Academy Award for “Driving Miss Daisy”.

But for 7^th graders and younger in Washington State, 1989 has personal significance, as well.

Children born that year will be the first required to pass all four areas of the state’s learning assessment, the WASL, and to meet other state standards in order to graduate.

These are the children who – together with some late – 1988 babies – make up the class of 2008. They currently are in the 7^th grade, and will take the WASL this year, as well as in the 10^th grade.

Testing will take place intermittently throughout the three weeks between April 21 and May 8. Students will still attend class and receive instruction during that time. The test is not timed in order to allow all students enough time to do their best, but, on average, students spend about 10 hours taking the WASL.

Thank You Volunteers

We have fantastic volunteers at Meredith Hill! Volunteers contributed 274 hours in the month of February. Thank you for helping our students and teachers!

And to Think I Saw it in

Federal Way

Everyone is invited to a Community Literacy Celebration!!!

THE FEDERAL WAY CHAMBER EDUCATION FOUNDATION is sponsoring its annual Literacy Event, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at SeaTac Mall. This year with the theme, “And to Think I Saw it in Federal Way.”

KOMO Reporter Keith Eldridge will serve as Master of Ceremonies from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Brigadoon Librarian and renowned author Teresa Bateman will provide storytelling. Decatur graduate and author Jarrett Mentink, PhD, will offer comments on going from Decatur coach to author, and Clifford the Dog will sign books and pose for pictures.

Booths and interactive activities will be provided by AmeriCorps, Children’s World, City of Federal Way, KidREACH, Medallion Books, Multi-Service Center, Sylvan Learning Center, Usborne Books, YMCA, and Money Mailer of Puget Sound.

Readers from around the world and Federal Way will be on hand: among them, Ana Cristina Molina McCleary (Spanish), Judy Yi (Korean), Freni Gonzalez (tagalog – Filipino), Mayu Miyama (Japanese) and Marina McMullen (Russian), State Representatives Skip Priest and Mark Miloscia, and more local readers throughout the day!

Preschool Registration

Registration for the 2003-2004 Community Based Preschool are going on now. Registration packets can be picked up in the office. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Meredith Hill office at 253-945-3200.

Free Immunization Clinic

Saturday, May 3, 2003

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Seattle-King County Department of Public Health

33431 13^th Place South

Federal Way

Primary immunizations will be available at no cost to preschool through 12^th grade Federal Way Public School students. The event is a combined partnership between the Bert Bruell Memorial Fund of St. Francis Community Hospital, the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health and Federal Way Public Schools Health Services Department. Students must come with a parent or legal guardian and should bring their immunization records.

Available immunizations include: MMR, IPV, Hib, DtaP, and Hepatitis B. We encourage 5^th grade students to use this opportunity to get their second MMR which is required for entry to sixth grade. A second MMR is also required for entry to kindergarten through third grade for the 2003-04 school year.

The next free immunization clinic will be held in August 2003.

Meredith Hill Track

There is still time to join Meredith Hill track. Practices are Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:15 until 4:30 p.m. Please note the following Track Meet dates:

March 22 – Practice Track Meet @ Federal Way

Stadium (all ages), 8:15 a.m.

April 26 – 9 and over Qualifying Meet @ Federal

Way Stadium, 1:00 p.m.

May 2 – 8 and under Qualifying Meet @ Federal

Way Stadium, 5:15 p.m.

May 10 – 9 and over Championships @ Federal

Way Stadium, 9:30 a.m.

May 15 – Classic Track Meet – 9 and up, 5:30

May 16 – All ages practice and Social, 3:15-4:30

Gate Parent Notification

The March GATE Parent Network Meeting has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 22^nd at ESC in the Boardroom. Both Fulltime and Pullout Parents will meet at 7:00 p.m. for the latest update for the GATE program in 2003-2004 school year.

Karen Dickinson, Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction, will join us and share GATE/Middle School Transition developments.

In February, principals gave their input on a revised GATE program proposal. These ideas will now go to the superintendent and then the school board for review. Karen and I hope after this process, a plan will be formalized. However, the GATE winds of change have been very present this year and a lot may occur before June 17^th.

Thank you all for your patience as we continue to work through the GATE/Transition process.

Gwen Knechtel

FWSD GATE Program Manager

Spring Activities at the

Boys and Girls Club

Here is some news about our Spring activities at the Federal Way Boys and Girls Club. We have some exciting things going on, and we don’t want anyone to miss out! Sign ups are currently underway for: Spring Baseball, Kindergarten Baseball Clinic, Spring Basketball, Basketball Clinic, Judo, Girls Gymnastics, and Fly Fishing. If you would like to play, please go to the Federal Way Boys and Girls Club to sign up.

No Child Left Behind Report Card Available On Line

The No Child Left Behind Act requires all schools and school districts in the United States to prepare annual reports for parents and the public detailing their academic achievement. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Web site makes this information available on line. To review our school’s report, please go to http://www.k12.wa.us/edprofile/ and enter the district and school name in the boxes in the left hand column.

For more information about the NCLB Act, go to http://www.nclb.gov/index.html. For a hard copy of your Federal Way Public Schools’ district or school report card, please request one from your child’s school, or from the district’s Community Resource Center, 1813 S. SeaTac Mall, Federal Way, 98003, or call 253-945-2260.

Dates to Remember

March

19-26 – Military Food Drive

21 – Report Cards Home

22 – Practice Track Meet, 8:15 at F.W. Stadium

22 – Literacy Event, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

SeaTac Mall

25 – String Festival @ T.J., 7:00 p.m.

27-28 – NO SCHOOL – Conference Days

28 – SLT Mtg., 7:30 a.m.

April

7-10 – NO SCHOOL, Spring Break

16 – 1^st Grade to Pacific Science Center

17 – Cookie Day

17 – Read & Lead Celebration

17 – PTA Board Mtg., 6:30 p.m.

21 – WASL Window Begins

22 – GATE Parent Network Mtg., 7:00 p.m.

ESC Boardroom

24 –5^th/6^th Grade Music Concert, 7:00 p.m.

25 – SLT Mtg., 7:30 a.m.

25 – 2^nd Grade to Museum of Flight

25 – PTA Family Night Orcas Dance

26 – Qualifying Track Meet – 9 and over

1:00 p.m @ F.W. Stadium