Be Positive, Be Grateful, Be Involved

• Providing information on the upcoming Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Levy has started. This week, I attended a couple of staff meetings, Anitra and I will soon be working on short video clips to put on the district’s Facebook page and website highlighting the things the levy supports, and informational brochures will be mailed later in the month when the ballots come out around January 24. The special election is on February 11.
  
  
• Temperance and Good Citizenship Day, observed Wednesday, January 16, 2020: RCW 28A.230.150 states that on January 16 of each year (or the preceding Friday when January 16 falls on a non-school day) each public school will observe Temperance and Good Citizenship Day. Observation of Temperance and Good Citizenship Day is meant to promote civics education and peaceful citizen engagement. https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/civics/temperance-and-good-citizenship-day-is-january-16-2019.aspx
  
  The original language of the 1923 Washington law included specific language regarding the education of the effects of alcohol and drug use; however, this language was removed when the law was revised in 1969. While many interpret “temperance” to mean prohibition, as defined above, instruction on “temperance” may include information about prohibition, but it is not a specific requirement of the law. The 2013 Legislature added the expectation that Temperance and Good Citizenship Day include opportunities in our schools for eligible students to register to vote at school.
  
  A #FutureVoter is “a United States citizen and Washington state resident, age 16 or 17, who wishes to provide information related to voter registration to the appropriate state agencies.” Materials have been provided to schools to promote civic readiness and voter registration in school classrooms.
  
  
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, observed Monday, January 20, 2020: In January 2004, the Washington State House of Representatives passed House Resolution 4676 to recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, honoring the importance of the life and work of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The resolution calls on the people of the state of Washington to study, reflect on, and celebrate Dr. King’s life and ideals in order to fulfill his dream of civil and human rights for all people and urges “all the citizens of our state to make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a day of service—a day on, not a day off.” There is no state law or specific regulation that requires school districts to observe this day in any particular way.

• Enrollment for January is 1,075.12 compared to December’s enrollment which was 1,077.78. We are staying very steady.
  
  
• WIAA just finished reclassifying all schools for athletics. Tonasket will remain as a 2B school. Follow the link below to see all the other school classifications: