Schools FYI

The word from:

Marysville-Pilchuck High School:

“It’s near the end. (School ended Monday.) Our school year is kind of screwed up. A lot of classes aren’t doing very much right now.”

Aaron Campion

– 10th grade

Students fold cranes, hope for world peace

Carol Slove today will finish packing the precious cargo – 1,000 origami cranes – to mail to Hiroshima, Japan.

The retired teacher knows how hard four classrooms of students at Challenger Elementary in the Mukilteo School District worked making them.

Slove told them the story behind the cranes – how 10 years after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, 12-year-old Sadako Sasaki began folding cranes in an ancient Japanese tradition. The girl, who developed leukemia, hoped that if she made 1,000 cranes her wish to live might be granted.

The local cranes will join thousands more from around the world in a “Cranes for Peace” project at an annual remembrance to the victims of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945.

“It was a cool lesson,” said Destiny Fitzpatrick, a fifth-grader. “At the same time you learned to make cranes, you had an art and history lesson.”

Teachers Laurie James, Kelly Hanson, Chuck Tessaro and Brent Magill had their classrooms participate.

Everett district offers K-10 reading lists

Looking for ideas for books to read over the summer?

The Everett School District has suggestions from kindergarten through 10th grade on its Web site, www.everett. k12.wa.us.

The lists, which break down suggestions for each grade level, has dozens of titles.

The lists were developed with input from the curriculum office, individual schools and librarians.

Lakewood offers new kindergarten option

The Lakewood School District plans to offer a tuition-based, full-day kindergarten class at Cougar Creek Elementary School next fall.

With tuition-based kindergarten classes, families pay for half the school day not supported by tax money.

The class will mean that both the district’s elementary schools offering kindergarten will have the same options.

Cost is $185 per month. There are only a few slots left at Cougar Creek.

“I didn’t know there would be this demand,” said Allen Sharples, a school district spokesman.

To learn more, call Lakewood Elementary at 360-652-4520 or Cougar Creek at 360-652-4517.

New principals join Edmonds district

Five new principals have been hired in the Edmonds School District.

Steve Burleigh, dean of students at Horizon Elementary in the Mukilteo School District, takes over at Westgate Elementary.

David Meglathery, interim principal at Edmonds Elementary, has been hired to run the campus. He previously was a principal in Connecticut.

Greg Schwab is the new principal at Mountlake Terrace High School. He was an assistant principal at Shorewood High in the Shoreline School District.

Jackie Tanner, a principal from the Sumner School District, has been selected as principal at Mountlake Terrace Elementary.

David Zwaschka is Lynndale Elementary’s new principal. He was interim assistant principal at Meadowdale High School.

What’s up at your school? Call us at 425-339-3036 or schoolfyi@heraldnet.com.