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March 2003 Messenger Newsletter Congratulations! ....to Our February Students of the Month Enid
Moore, 9th grade
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE February and March are very busy months for schools, especially this year as we struggle with budgetary limitations while we plan next year's academic program. During the last several weeks, the staff and I have had numerous discussions about the best way to maintain the excellent program we have implemented thus far. As you know, we have established high standards for student performance and we expect students to complete a rigorous academic program that will prepare them for college. We have also been able to provide students with more classes than most other schools, giving them the opportunity for additional art experiences. However, while maintaining the high quality of the core program, we will have to reduce these opportunities to six classes next year. Keeping the present schedule would require a significant increase in class size, something we do not want to do. In the coming weeks our new courses for next year will be identified and students will be surveyed as to their preferences for electives. Classes for seniors are already being planned, including the internship piece and graduation performance assessments. I have just hired a consultant to develop the internship program. Her job will entail creating positions for students as well as helping them prepare for this new experience. It is our expectation that all seniors will earn one internship credit. We anticipate full enrollment next year (300) and are pleased with the enormous level of interest at our information meetings and tours - we've had about 500 people attend these events! We plan to hire two more teachers (humanities and math/science), a career center specialist, and an internship coordinator. With four grades in attendance we will certainly begin to feel like a complete school. — Judith Peterson, Principal
TEACHER PROFILE John MacDonald, School Psychologist Dr. MacDonald grew up with two brothers and a sister in East Orange, New Jersey, twelve miles west of Manhattan; and spent summers on a farm 230 miles north. John received his B.A. in psychology and sociology from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. He has accumulated quite an interesting variety of experiences on his way to TCS. During high school he worked on dairy and hay farms and in restaurants, and painted houses. He also had volunteer jobs which led him into his chosen field: working on a crisis intervention hotline and counseling at day camps. While in college he tutored refugees and junior high students and spent one summer repairing tombstones in a cemetery. "In graduate school," he said, "you do a lot of jobs as part of your training. I worked in the University's learning disabilities clinic and at state schools for the deaf, blind and developmentally delayed, as well as taught classes. I interned with a community mental health center in Oklahoma which covered school districts. During an Austin schools internship we analyzed reasons why students drop out without graduating; and identified schools which produced the most achievement growth.". Dr. MacDonald's first job after graduation was at Eastern Kentucky University where he trained school psychologists for seven years. "But," he admits, "that wasn't as satisfying as working as a school psychologist." He worked in North Kitsap schools from 1990 to 2001 then came to the Seattle school district last year. He relates, "I really enjoy working at Center. I wish I could spend more time here - I work at two other schools. Students and staff are interesting and fun to talk with, and there are some exciting activities going on. The school is small enough that people can get to know each other pretty quickly. It's interesting to watch the school develop." Outside of
TCS, John pursues many interests. "I like hiking, cooking, music,
comedy, theater, travel, learning about different cultures, local and
family history." In his spare time John chairs the Government Relations
committee for the Washington State Association of School Psychologists.
They monitor legislation and communicate with legislators about changes
they would like to see. John lives in Poulsbo with his wife, Linda, who works at the Kitsap Mall; and their daughter, Rachel who is a high school senior planning to be come a veterinarian. They enjoy their beagle named Buster and their snowshoe cat, Shadow. OUR COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION At out February 3 meeting, the CSCA board received seven funding requests from faculty and staff. Only two were granted at this meeting: $450 to 11th grade Humanities classes for a bus to Olympia so they can meet with legislators, and $500 to the Drama program for students to attend a reduced-price production of Romeo and Juliet at the Seattle Rep. All other requests were tabled and a special meeting was scheduled for February 10. At this meeting the process of granting funds was discussed. Guidelines and priorities were drafted. Also, most of the remaining requests were granted. We have almost reached the total of $10,000 which is budgeted for "Curriculum Enhancement." Please note that because April 7 falls during spring break, the April board meeting will be held on March 31, at 5:00 pm. Remember that complete minutes are posted on our website.. On a personal note, I must step down as President of the CSCA board, I will be succeeded by Wendy Graff and Bob Moore, who will share the responsibilities of President and Secretary. It has been both an adventure and an honor to volunteer for this brand new school. Good luck to you all! Complete minutes of our meetings may be found on our website. — Teru Lundsten, CSCA President Editor's Note: Special thanks to Teru for her many efforts to get us off to a good start at TCS! She not only served as the President of the CSCA but also worked diligently to start this Newsletter. CSCA NOMINATIONS NEEDED Want to be more involved with our school? Your energy and interest are needed and welcome!! Nominate yourself now for a Center School Community Association (CSCA) board position for next year. The CSCA is our school's combination of Site Council and PTA. Elections for next year's board will take place at the April 28 parent meeting, which will also serve as the annual PTA meeting and feature a Student Talent Show You can nominate yourself for any position: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, or Parent at-large. We are particularly recruiting for the Secretary and the Parent-at-large positions since those offices need to be filled for next year. If you are interested in running, please contact a member of the Nominating Committee by the end of March: Andy
Edwards (oondahlee@mac.com
or 725-5931) Rounding out the CSCA are two school administrators, three teachers, two students, and one member of the Seattle Center Community. This year's officers, who are also willing to serve next year, are Wendy Graff and Bob Moore, co-presidents; Carol Hepburn, vice-president; and Andy Edwards, treasurer. Blair Butterworth finishes up his two-year stint as Parent at-large in June, and the position of Secretary is being filled on an ad-hoc basis for the rest of the year.
COUNSELING NEWS College Planning Many parents and students would like to know how to prepare themselves for Senior Year and beyond. We will host a college planning night on March 19th from 7-9 pm at The Center School. Our goal for that evening is to outline what the end of junior year, the summer and senior year look like in terms of testing, applications, visits, interviews and graduation. Please bring your questions and hopefully we will have the answers. College Admission Representative Visits Starting in March, representatives from various colleges and universities will come to the Center School to share information about their school. We will make announcements during advisory and post visit dates on the bulletin board by Mr. Vance's office.College Fair A college fair is being held on March 22nd from Noon to 3 pm at the Connolly Center on the Seattle University campus at 14th and Cherry. There will be representatives from SAT, ACT and over 200 colleges and universities. It is open to the public. Testing There are two major tests that colleges use for admissions, the SAT and the ACT. Most colleges will take scores from either test to use for admissions decisions. If a student does not do well on one test, it may be worthwhile to take the other because they are much different. The SAT focuses on just a few areas (verbal and math), whereas the ACT covers material in those areas as well as science, and history. I generally recommend that juniors take at least one of these tests in the spring of their junior year. This allows students to get their scores in time to take any prep courses or do some studying on their own over the summer and retake the test in the fall of their senior year. The following are test dates and deadlines for the SAT and ACT: SAT
ACT
WASL/ITED Testing The juniors are not the only ones thinking about testing in the spring. Freshmen will be taking the Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITED) and sophomores will be taking the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). A calendar of the testing days and times is provided on the insert. Please note that all students are affected by the testing schedule. Freshmen have a late start on days when they are not taking the ITED. — Brian Vance, Counselor SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES The summer is a great time for students to explore interests, volunteer, travel and catch up on missing credits. If you are looking for something to do this summer, check out the bulletin board in front of Mr. Vance's office. THE
CENTER SCHOOL WISH LIST
Our faculty can use...
EXTRA! EXTRA! The paper drive was a smashing success! Senor Murphy's advisory won the pizza party! You all have another change to win during second semester. We need all kinds of odd-size and color paper. The advisory that collects the most paper will win a pizza party and our gratitude. Many thanks to all those who donated during first semester, including the following businesses:
Thanks to Anna Hofstetter and her family for doing the leg work on the donations from these three places. Parents are Invited to View The African Resilience Project and Sukutai! TCS 9th and 10th grade Humanities students invite you to enjoy their poems, speeches, posters, songs and murals for the African Resilience Project. On Thursday, April 3rd, students in Periods 1 & 2 will present their projects from 9:00 - 10:30 am in Rooms 365 and 369. Students in Periods 5 & 6 will show their projects from 1:30 - 2:55 pm in Rooms 365 and 369. Also, please
join us on Friday, April 4th, at 3:00 pm as we conclude our unit
on Africa with al all-school community event featuring: Sukutai - Marimba,
Dance and Storytelling from Zimbabwe. |
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