WSD Weekly
District News I Happenings I Information
Winter Break Reminder
Wenatchee Schools will be closed December 23-January 3.
School will be back in session Monday, January 6th.
2020 Calendar Events:
- January 20 - Martin Luther King Day (No School)
- January 21- Non-Contracted Day (No School)
- March 12 - Spring Parent/Teacher Conference Day (No School)
- March 13 - PLC Day (No School)
- March 30 - April 3 - Spring Break (No School)
- May 1 - Non-Contracted day (No School)
- May 25 - Memorial Day (No School)
- June 12 - Last Day of School (3 hr. Early Release)
Stay Alert, Don't get Hurt
WHS Program Puts Students with Mobility Challenges in the Driver’s Seat
As he sped into the Pioneer Middle School gym in his motorized wheelchair, you could sense that Bryan Delarosa was the kind of young man that didn’t let anything hold him back including his mobility. Flashing a smile, Bryan was helped from his wheelchair into a custom set of wheels thoughtfully designed by students in the Wenatchee High School (WHS) engineering program.
Through the Go Baby Go program, WHS students have been modifying battery-operated ride-on cars for kids with mobility challenges. Bryan, age 13 was the most recent student to be chosen for a customized vehicle. Seniors Niko Omlin and Rhett Goviea, who are leading the design process for Bryan’s vehicle were quietly observing the modifications they made after his last fitting and making mental notes on further tweaks necessary to accommodate Bryan’s unique needs.
“The harness is just a little too tight this time,” Rhett commented. “We’ll want to make some modification to the wheels too. It’s come a long away since we first started,” he said. Niko and Rhett started with the standard Power Wheel starter kit and after meeting Bryan began the customization process. Each case is different and there are varying levels of adaptation that need to happen depending on the needs of the driver, explained Niko.
Cole Galloway, a physical therapy professor at the University of Delaware, started the Go Baby Go program in 2012. He had been working with another department on designing high-tech robots that could help young children with mobility issues explore their world independently. The project was expensive though, making it out-of-reach for most families. He shifted gears when he walked into a toy store and saw battery-operated ride-on cars, realizing they could be modified to the task for a lot less money. The program took off from there with schools, communities, and companies nationwide pitching in to purchase and modify the cars.
WHS Engineering instructor Doug Merrill learned about the Go Baby Go Progam during a conference and saw potential for his mechanically inclined high school engineering students to get hands-on experience with everything from the problem-solving skills required to figure out how to adapt the cars to fit the individual needs of the students to the wrench-turning and wiring skills needed to make the changes. Merrill applied for and received a $10,000 state grant to buy 20 of the cars, along with the tools and parts needed to make the modifications.
During Bryan’s fitting session, Physical Therapist Patricia Collins, DPT, provided hands-on support and evaluation of Bryan’s experience carefully noting his ergonomics and reflex responses, while Bryan maneuvered around the gym and experimented with the joystick operation. Patricia, a new physical therapist in the District, is collaborating with the students and engineering teacher Doug Merrill on the customization of Bryan’s wheels. Collins also offered to connect Niko and Rhett with local experts who customize power wheelchairs, allowing them to take a deeper dive into learning about durable medical equipment.
What began with a handful of high school kids and a few robotic cars is now in high gear, enabling more local children to gain independence and put their mobility challenges in the rearview mirror. To date, three students have received a custom set of wheels from the WHS program and a license to “Go, Baby, Go!”
Chill Out With Us and Stay Active This Winter
Winter is here and it can be easy to stay cooped up in the house! That is why we have partnered to put sleds in the hands of children across the valley to help and encourage them to get out, enjoy the fresh air, and stay active this winter!
Enjoy free sleds, hot chocolate, and fun at CVCH CHILL OUT!
Stay informed about details and giveaways for this event, by clicking “going,” on the Facebook event page and help us spread the word about CHILL OUT by sharing it with your friends.
*FREE Sleds will be available while supplies last. Must be present to receive a sled. Sleds will be reserved for children first. Any remaining sleds will be available for adults at the end of the event.
Announcements
Foothills Robotics, Call for Volunteer and Judges
The Foothills VEX Robotics team will host a home tournament scheduled for February 1. This will be the team's first time hosting a tournament. They are currently in need of judges and volunteers to assist with the tournament. For more information or to volunteer contact Brigitte Wiegand at wiegand.brigitte@wenatcheeschools.org
Pictured: FMS Team 98000E, Uncooked Spaghet (yes, spelled Spaghet) won the Design Award at a recent VEX tournament in Ellensburg.
Apply for an Open School Board Position by January 6
Wenatchee School District is currently seeking applicants for two open board positions.
Selection Process Timeline:
- Applications will be accepted until 4:00 pm on Monday, January 6.
- The Board will review applications and select candidates to interview on January 6 at 5:00 pm Interviews will be set for Thursday, January 9 beginning at 5:00 p.m. during an open public meeting.
- All candidates will be notified of the final selection and a community-wide announcement will be made on Friday, January 10.
Applications are available in the following ways:
Online Application
In-Person: Paper copies are available at the District Office: 235 Sunset Ave., Wenatchee WA 98801
Applications are accepted in the following ways:
By mail: PO Box 1767, Wenatchee, WA 98807-1767
Drop off in-person: 235 Sunset Ave., Wenatchee WA 98801
Email: White.k@wenatcheeschools.org
Events
Beauty of Bronze Student Exhibit
December 6 - January 4
10 AM - 4 PM
Students from participating schools and their families can view the Beauty of Bronze exhibit for free. Admission to all other museum exhibits is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for students.
Lincoln
Columbia
Lewis & Clark
Newbery
Mission View
Sunnyslope
Washington
Valley Academy of Learning
Wenatchee Valley Professional Development Summit
February 6, 2020
9 AM - 5 PM
Wenatchee Valley Convention Center
$55
Wenatchee High School grad and co-founder of Character Strong, John Norlin brings it all together as the keynote speaker.
The Wenatchee School District is a proud a presenting partner of this annual workforce development event.
Empty Bowls
Wenatchee Jazz Workshop
February 3-7
Jazz band students from Wenatchee HS and Orchard, Pioneer and Foothills MS will be participating in the 20th annual Wenatchee Jazz Workshop February 3-7. They’ll spend a week in classes with six world-class jazz musicians who sit right in the sections with them, demonstrating and offering individual guidance.
The workshop ends with Jazznights, two public concerts at the Numerica Performing Arts Center: Thursday, Feb. 6 by the pros, and Friday, Feb. 7 featuring the students. Tickets will be available at 663-ARTS. The Wenatchee Jazz Workshop, thought to be the only one of its kind in the U.S., is an affiliate of the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center.
WSD Communications
Email: district_communications@wenatcheeschools.org
Website: wenatcheeschools.org
Location: 235 Sunset Avenue, Wenatchee, WA, USA
Phone: 5096638161
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wsd246/
Twitter: @wenatcheeschoools