Tonasket School District
Weekly Update ~ 3/15/2019
"Focused on Learning and Linking Learning to Life"
One School
One Team
One Purpose - Student Success
SCHOOL DISTRICT GOALS:
Capital Projects Update
Mike Larson and I met with representatives from McDonald Miller our ESCO (energy services company) to review projects, discuss financing options, review critical dates, and confirm points of contact for when they are on site. The following schedule was proposed:
Collect Data Logs - 3/12/19
Schedule Boiler Analysis - TBD
Preliminary Cost and Savings - 4/26/19
ESP/IGA (energy audit) completion - 5/17/19.
Powerful Teaching and Learning
- At our weekly administration meeting, Lilly Martin shared some strategies learned at a Flint Simonsen training she recently attended with several of our special education staff and the elementary school Tier II team. The training was about dealing with students with serious behavior issues. It took a very scientific approach to analyzing behavior and developing specific plans to increase the positive skills and decrease the negative behaviors. Please ask them what they learned!
Stewardship
- At the board meeting on Wednesday, I reviewed with the board the budget and staffing projections. We will formally adopt some staffing levels at the next meeting, but if SEBB (School Employees Benefits) is not implemented we will be able to make any staffing reductions through attrition. If SEBB is implemented by the legislature then we will have to revisit how much expenses will need to be reduced to meet our budget.
- Thanks to the staff who attended the staff presentation in the boardroom Monday afternoon on the school budget. I hope you have a better picture of our financial situation. I appreciated the questions and conversations. If there are further questions, please contact Bobbi or me.
- I met with PSE representatives in a labor management meeting on Wednesday. The topics we covered were: fiscal update, retro pay expansion, paraeducator certificate program, layoff and seniority language clarification, new Policies 5700 and 5800, seniority straws, and emergency substitute costs of certification and fingerprinting. The next meeting is scheduled for April 17.
District Culture and Climate
- This week has been Classified Week. Thank you to all of our classified staff for all of the great work you do throughout the district. It was great to have the opportunity to serve you at the BBQ lunch on Wednesday. Thanks to the transportation department for opening the garage for our lunch. It was nice to bask in the warm sun while we enjoyed lunch and visited together.
- Congratulations to Martha Wisdom who has been selected as the regional Classified School Employee of the Year by the North Central Educational Service District (NCESD).
Parent and Community Engagement
- Parent conferences were held Thursday and Friday. This is the second year that we’ve had two full days of no school for the students to hold parent conferences. This works well for the student-led conferences.
- Brian Ellis and I attended a regional meeting titled “NCW Opioid Response Conference: Pathways to Prevention.” today. The goal of the meeting was to gather people from around the region to have a coordinated response to increasing opioid drug abuse.
- Brisa Montejano shared with us the recent experiences their Family Leadership Institute (FLI) class had during their trip to EWU. “Last Saturday, the Tonasket Family Leadership Institute participants traveled to Eastern Washington University. Family Leadership Institute (FLI) is a curriculum focused on providing families with the knowledge, tools and inspiration to help their children succeed in school and in life. One of the lessons requires a college campus visit that inspires parents and students to think about life after high school. Moms participated in a Q & A with current EWU students, received a CAMP program presentation while students explored the JFK library children's center. Everyone toured the campus and experienced a bit of college life by eating lunch at the student union building on campus. It was a day filled with lots of inspiration and motivation! The Tonasket FLI meets everyone Monday evening at 5:30 pm at TMS. FLI participants receive 10 lessons that engages them in conversation and provides tools to become leaders at home, in their schools and community for their families. The 1st Tonasket FLI graduation will take place on Tuesday, March 26th at 6 pm. It's a great day to be a tiger!”
Creative and Innovative
LK Henley was awarded a grant for Reflex Math an online program that helps kids achieve mastery/fluency with math facts. LK and her class were featured on their website.
Other
- We received a grant from OSPI for $20,000 to replace the steam oven in our central kitchen in the HS/MS.
- I mentioned in my March 1 weekly update the district received a grant to purchase and install biometric finger scanners for our food service program. The purchase of the scanners addresses the concerns that have consistently been presented at our community outreach board meetings. The concern that students do not have enough time in the morning to eat breakfast before class starts. The scanners will help students get through the serving lines quicker.
We are ready to move forward with the scanners. Letters were given to parents at conferences this week informing them of the new finger scan system for food service. Most of the equipment is here and once it is fully set up, food service staff will set up a schedule to scan the students’ and staff fingers sometime in April. After the scanning is completed, implementation will be in May. To read the information sent home to parents, click the link:
What Every Employee Needs to Know - Reminders

