Pi Program Newsletter
October 14, 2021
It's been a wonderful start to the year in Pi!
Our goal is to build and foster relationships with our community in order to create meaningful alternative learning experiences that are rooted in our amazing Chimacum community. Each child's ALE plan is designed with this in mind, and we look forward to the exciting learning adventures ahead.
Student safety remains our top priority. To date, there has been one in-school student-to-student Covid infection in public schools (Clallam county). In addition to mask-wearing, vaccination mandates, and layered mitigation strategies schools are still doing well staving off infections. We closely follow Jefferson County and the Washington Department of Health guidelines to guide our safety practices. Our primary focus is to keep school in person, and we share that vision with our colleagues across the state.
You will only hear about Covid cases in our schools if your student has been in close contact with a person at school who has tested positive for Covid 19. Close contact is defined as being within 3 feet for 15 or more minutes in a 24 hour period. If you do not hear from the school, your child was not determined to be potentially infected in our contact tracing.
If a student has been in close contact with a positive case, they will stay home in quarantine if unvaccinated, or test for Covid within 3 days if vaccinated. All positive Covid cases quarantine at home for 10 days.
If our Pi program experiences an outbreak of Covid 19 (defined as 2 or more positive Covid Cases transmitted within schools, not including in-family transmission) we will communicate to all families about the outbreak and response plan, which will include, contact tracing, testing, and isolation, and mitigation (like cleaning).
No School Thursday, October 28th and Friday, October 29th
October 28th and 29th are set aside for parent/teacher conferences. Pi teachers will be contacting students and their families on an "as needed" basis to schedule a conference.
If you feel you would like a conference, please contact your Pi teacher. Otherwise, Pi teachers will only be contacting selected students to conference with regarding their learning plan, attendance, or assignments that need to be completed.
Welcome Glen!
Glen Milligan is the new Pi Math/Science teacher and is excited to be working with your students this year. Glen is in his second year teaching after graduating with a Masters in Education but has worked in a number of related professions, including as a paraprofessional, an assistant director of several summer camps, and a private piano teacher for the last seven years.
In addition, Glen hopes to use his varied experiences as a professional actor, a choir conductor, a 3d printing hobbyist, and a certified nursing assistant to bear on relating his math and science lessons to the real world. Glen brings a passion for learning to the classroom and he is excited to spend this next year exploring the world around Chimacum with his Pi students!
Pi Middle & High School Math with Mr. Milligan
Last year was a tough year for learning, with so much being done remotely, but I am happy to tell you that Pi program math has had a productive start to the year! Every class is spending the beginning of the year reviewing concepts from the previous year, and each class has done a tremendous job! Every class has completed at least 1 out of the ten chapters of the curriculum during the last month, with many students working well into their second chapter.
For my 7th and 8th-grade math classes, this means that we have mastered negative numbers and are moving on to using rational numbers. In algebra 1 that means we are moving on from solving equations to transformations in the coordinate plane. For geometry, we have moved on from solving equations with equal signs to solving equations with inequalities. Lastly, my algebra 2 class has moved on from advanced transformations to solving equations using the properties of triangles.
Our drama class has memorized their first monologues and we are heading toward performing for their peers in class as we begin to work on acting techniques.
In the sciences, my biology students have reviewed the fundamentals of science, life science and have started investigating how ecosystems work together, with an emphasis on invasive species as a model. These students also have wrapped up their solar still engineering challenge and are in the process of deciding on fish for the class fish tank.
English Language Arts & Social Studies with Mrs. Jensen
My in-person elementary group has begun assembling their interactive notebooks for writing workshop and are enjoying a book study of the Ghost Canoe by Will Hobbs, a historical fiction novel that takes place on the Olympic Peninsula. See the following paragraph for more info on the book.
Seventh and eighth grade Washington State History and English are finishing up a local history research project, working through chapters on Statehood and Treaties, and delving deep into Will Hobbs' historical fiction novel, "Ghost Canoe". The story is set on the Olympic Peninsula, mainly Neah Bay and Tatoosh Island, during the late 1800s. A fourteen-year-old boy from California, newly relocated to Tatoosh Island and the remote Makah Village, finds himself trying to solve a mystery that eventually leads him to a fight for survival in the wilderness.
Pi high school students in English and Current World Problems are beginning work on a Model United Nations. Each student chose a country to research/represent and will be writing a "Position Paper" to convince other countries to side with them on issues around "Ocean Conservation".
Elementary Pi with Mr. Thaddeus
Both my Pi elementary cohorts have been working on a combined Art – ELA “About Me” project combining self-portraits with a short biographical piece. We’ve also taken advantage of some of our gustier days to do some math-infused kite building and flying. For the younger students this involved discussions of shapes and areas, while with the older students, we calculated the area and perimeter of the kites.
The Elementary group and Middle School cohorts had a crash course in bottle rocketry, which included rocket design and build, as well as analyzing data to figure out how to improve future flights. The Middle Schoolers also explored some properties of air by constructing hot air balloons out of tissue paper.
Outside learning, play and meals
To the greatest degree possible, we are using our outdoor spaces for learning, playing, and eating. For student meals, we are pleased to be offering free scratch-cooked breakfast and lunch for all students. As long as the weather permits, students will be eating outdoors.
When winter arrives and the weather turns too cold, we will be utilizing our indoor spaces for student lunches. Eating outdoors is one of the best safety COVID practices we can do to ensure we stay open for in-person learning. The students have been enjoying eating outside so this practice is not only the safest procedure our school can follow but also one that our students are enjoying.
PI SBAC Testing Schedule
Due to COVID, the statewide Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC) testing was not able to occur last spring and as a result, all 4th-12th grade students will be participating in the SBAC this fall. Students will complete an abbreviated SBA assessment based on their last year's grade level. For example, our current 4th-grade students will complete a shortened end-of-year third-grade SBA. At the end of this year, all our 3rd-12th grade students will complete the "regular" end-of-year SBA.
SBAC testing is scheduled to start the week of November 1st. We will be adapting our schedules during the week to support testing. For our "online" and students who do not come to campus, the SBA can only be taken on campus. Pi teachers will be contacting you to arrange a testing session.
For more information regarding SBAC testing please refer to this site http://bit.ly/StartStrongReadyWA If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's Pi teacher.
SENIOR CLASS INFORMATION
Important information for Pi Seniors
- Senior Yearbook Portrait Deadline 11/1
- Senior Yearbook Quote Deadline 11/1
- Senior Signature Stole Deadline 11/10
- Jostens Cap & Gown Packets are available now in the main office and counseling office. Senior order week (discounts) 10/18 – 10/23, but can be ordered through 12/10.
- Financial Aid (FAFSA) now open – ongoing, no time like the present to start thinking about financial aid (How-To Videos and Instructions)
- Scholarships – ongoing throughout the year
- College Portfolio How To Instructions
- Graduation Requirements
Keep an eye on your Google Classroom and email for more important information and dates.
The Google Classroom is by invitation only. You should have received a link from your school counselor. If you don't have the link for any reason, please email Kirsten_Bledsoe@csd49.org
PHOTO CONSENT
From time to time, photographs or videos of students are taken during the school day for use in district and educational news releases, publications, video productions, social media, educational projects, and the district website.
If you do NOT wish to have your child photographed/videotaped for news media or school publicity purposes, sign and return this form to the school’s main office. Parents must submit to their student’s school office each year. This form applies only to the current school year. Please fill out a new form each school year if you do not want your child’s image published.
Healthy Youth Survey
Our 6th-12th grade Pi students will be participating in the Healthy Youth Survey between Oct. 11th - Oct. 22nd. Students will take this anonymous 45-minute survey in their classroom(s).
The Washington State Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) is an effort to measure health risk behaviors that contribute to morbidity, mortality, and social problems among youth in Washington State. These behaviors include alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other drug use; behaviors that result in intentional and unintentional injuries (e.g., violence); dietary behaviors and physical activity; mental health; school climate; and related risk and protective factors. The 2018 administration was the sixteenth such statewide survey of Washington students and participation has been steadily increasing over time. In 2018, over 230,000 students from all 39 counties participated in HYS.
The Healthy Youth Survey data is used to support our social-emotional instructional programming and to develop our mental health supports. If you prefer for your child to not participate in this survey, we will need you to fill out this form by Oct. 20th. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jason Lynch, Principal at 360-302-5855. For more information regarding frequently asked questions please see this document.
Upcoming Events
Oct. 28 & 29 - Parent Conferences
Nov. 11 - Veteran's Day
Nov. 12 - Professional Development for Staff (No School for Students)
Nov. 24 - Early Release - 12:15
Nov. 25 & 26 - Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 3 - Picture Day 9:00-11:00
Dec. 20 - 31 - Winter Break
Jan. 3 - School Resumes
Jan. 17 - Martin Luther King Day
Jan. 28 - End of Semester
Jan. 31 - Semester Break
Feb. 21 - Presidents' Day
Mar. 9 & 10 - Early Release - 12:15
Mar. 18 - Parent Conferences
April 4 - 8 - Spring Break
May 20 - Early Release - 12:15
May 27 - Snow Make-Up Day
May 30 - Memorial Day
June 11 - HS Graduation
June 17 - Last Day of School - 12:15 Dismissal
Chimacum School District's Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedures
About The Pi Program
Email: jamie_jensen@csd49.org
Website: https://www.csd49.org/6/Home
Location: 91 West Valley Road, Chimacum, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 302-5855
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chimacum-Pi-Program-536561936836901/
School Disclaimer
Chimacum School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights, Title IX, and Section 504 Coordinator: Melinda Miller, 360-302-5886, melinda_miller@csd49.org; PO Box 278, Chimacum, WA 98325-0278.
Chimacum School District will also take steps to assure that national origin persons who lack English language skills can participate in all education programs, services and activities. For information regarding translation services or transitional bilingual education programs, contact Jason Lynch at (360)302.5855