School FYI
Published 9:34 pm Monday, September 1, 2008
Sno-Isle Skills Center sets groundbreaking
The Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center celebrates its 30th anniversary on the same day it holds a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new building.
The event is 12:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at the campus, 9001 Airport Road.
The center, which serves 42 high schools from 14 school districts, teaches a wide variety of work skills, such as fashion and merchandising, criminal justice, firefighting and welding.
Construction is set to begin early in March on a $24 million building that will allow the school to add programs in auto-body-collision repair; aircraft service; cosmetology; heating, ventilation and air conditioning maintenance and installation; and low-voltage electrical wiring. The new building, set to open in 2010, also will have room to add another program and to move existing criminal justice and fashion and merchandising programs out of portables.
The ceremony is open to the public, including former students.
“We would love to have alumni come,” said Linda Garbo, assistant director of the center.
There also will be an open house to tour the center.
Oak Harbor gets grant for student health
A grant recently awarded to the Oak Harbor School District comes with an ambitious goal: to develop the habits and the desire among students to pursue physical activity and good health every day of their lives.
Oak Harbor was one of 96 school districts in the nation to receive the federal Physical Education Program grant, which will provide more than $600,000 to purchase exercise equipment, acquire electronic monitors and train teachers to help students develop lifelong habits.
The grant is expected to pay for sweeping changes at all schools, moving the focus of the P.E. curriculum from mostly athletics to a fitness-based and nutrition-based program.
Ranee’ Bristow, the P.E. instructor at Oak Harbor Middle School who wrote the grant, calls the program “Island Fit For Life.”
Lake Stevens schools get new principals
Several Lake Stevens schools have new principals this fall.
Laura Clift is taking over as principal of Glenwood Elementary School. She worked for the Mukilteo School District for the last three years as a dean of students.
Gina Anderson is serving as the interim principal at Highland Elementary. She is scheduled to hold the position for one year. Previously, she worked as a teacher on special assignment as an assistant to the principal at Sunnycrest Elementary.
Chris Larson is the new principal at Mt. Pilchuck Elementary School. She has served as principal at Highland Elementary for the past seven years.
Trudi Spierling is moving to the Lake Stevens School District office for a one-year interim position as an administrator on special assignment. Previously, she had been the principal at Mt. Pilchuck Elementary School.
Matt Wyant is the new dean of students at Sunnycrest Elementary. He will be working with Principal Tim Haines to provide leadership for the split campus during a construction project. Last year, he was an administrative intern for Highland Elementary.
Changes made to small learning communities
High school students in Marysville can choose to study in one of eight small learning communities this year.
The options are: Pathways of Choice; Teaching and Tech Academy; International School of Communications; School for the Entrepreneur; Bio-Med Academy; Heritage, Arts and Technology; and Marysville Mountain View.
Each small learning community now has its own principal, secretary and counselor.
There are around 3,500 high school students in Marysville.
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