Aberdeen Schools

The Aberdeen School Board approved the hiring of a new principal for A.J. West Elementary School and the hiring of a new assistant principal at Miller Junior High School at its meeting Tuesday, May 4.

Lorie Brady, currently assistant principal at Kenedy Elementary School in Kenedy, Texas, will take the helm as principal at A.J. West Elementary School with the start of the 2021-22 school year, while Kasey Robbins, currently a principal intern and middle school CTE health science teacher in Yakima, will become the assistant principal at Miller Junior High School.

“I am very pleased that we have such outstanding candidates who are interested to join our district,” Superintendent Alicia Henderson said. “It speaks well of our district that we have attracted such high caliber candidates. Both of them bring experience that we value and both are familiar with our population and our district.”

Lorie Brady’s grandfather lives just down the road in Warrenton, Ore., and she has visited the Pacific Northwest many times growing up.

“The entire area is breathtakingly beautiful and I have been watching for the right opportunity,” she said. Prior to her move to Texas to become an assistant principal, Mrs. Brady taught in Oklahoma public schools where she held certificates for elementary education grades 1-8, English, U.S. History, Economics and U.S. Government grades 6-12, and Science grades 6-8. Mrs. Brady has three daughters – a 6th grader, a daughter who will graduate from high school this spring and a daughter serving in the Navy.

Kasey Robbins grew up in Port Angeles and earned post-secondary degrees and certifications in exercise science and paramedicine from Central Washington University and her master’s in education leadership from Eastern Washington University. As an educator, her focus has been career and technical education sciences. “I am really excited to get to Aberdeen and Miller Junior High because there are so many opportunities to help kids,” she said. “My passion is to help kids find where they want to go and help get them on a path to achieve (their goals).”

Mrs. Robbins said she and her husband Christopher Nesmith are looking forward to the move to Grays Harbor. He grew up on the North Beach, and the Elma School District recently announced he has been hired as its next superintendent.

Also in this Issue:

• Summary of the School Board meetring
• Join AHS Art Teacher Molly Houk for a painting workshop
• Kindergarten family event planned
• Registration opens Monday for summer sessions of Twin Harbors Skills Center
  
• Dates for your calendar

Grays Harbor and Pacific County superintendents are creating a scholarship fund in memory of Cherie Patterson, the superintendent and principal in the Cosmopolis School District who died last week on April 29. She also was a proud graduate of Aberdeen High School.

Although the timeline is tight, "We are committed to kicking this off with the graduating class of 2021," Superintendent Alicia Henderson said.

• Checks should be written to: Aberdeen School District with a note on the check: Cherie Mumper Patterson Scholarship
• Send to: Aberdeen High School, Attn: Laura Sanz, Comptroller, 410 N G Street, Aberdeen, WA 98520
• Please write "Cherie Mumper Patterson Scholarship" on the envelope.

Eligibility & Process

Graduating AHS students who attended Cosmopolis School District for elementary school, and who plan to pursue a post-secondary pathway (e.g. 2- or 4-year college, technical/vocational program, military service) are eligible to apply. Students will complete a simple application with their dates of attendance in the Cosmopolis School District, and provide a brief statement of their post-secondary plans. Completed applications will be provided to Cosmopolis School, and the faculty will select the recipient.

President Sandra Bielski convened the regular meeting of the Aberdeen School District Board of Directors at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 4, 2021, via webinar following guidance for conducting remote meetings in compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. Directors present were Bill Dyer, Jennifer Durney, Jessica Jurasin and Suzy Ritter, along with Student Representative Brooke Solan, Superintendent Alicia Henderson and 20 patrons and staff watching remotely.

The meeting began with the Flag salute.

Minutes, Bills, Trips & Gifts

The board approved the Consent Agenda, which included:

• The minutes from the meeting on April 20, 2021.

Comments from Board members

Director Bill Dyer commented that it was Teacher Appreciation Week and that the work teachers are doing during these unprecedented times is very much appreciated.

Director Dyer commented that the passing of Cosmopolis Superintendent Cherie Patterson is a great loss, and that many students in the Aberdeen district are among those impacted by the loss as they attended grade school in Cosmopolis.

Director Suzy Ritter also expressed appreciation for teachers, especially for patience and flexibility, and creating normalcy as students return to classrooms.

President Sandra Bielski noted the retirements on the agenda and thanked the retirees for their years in the district.

Comments from Student Representative

Student Representative Brooke Solan reported that winter sports have begun and spring sports are in the post-season; that ASB is planning a spirit week to go along with the prom senior parents are sponsoring; that May marks a month of testing for many students, and that graduation is now just 38 days away.

Old Business

Mastery-based credits: The Board adopted two new policies intended to assist students toward graduation by allowing credit to be awarded when mastery of a required subject is demonstrated:

• Policy 2402 English Language Arts Mastery-Based Credit, and
• Policy 2403 Math Mastery-Based Credit.

World Language Credit: The board adopted an updated to Policy 2409 World Language Mastery-Based credit awarded via a state-approved assessment (STAMP test).

Graduation Requirements: The board adopted an update to Policy 2410 Graduation Requirements for 2021-2022 to reflect new state requirements and the return to a semester system.

Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Henderson commented on the sudden loss of her very good colleague and friend, Cosmopolis Superintendent Cherie Patterson. She said she can’t say enough about her for being an a very strong advocate for the Cosmopolis School District, students, staff and her community.

Teacher Appreciation Week: Following a reading by Superintendent Alicia Henderson, the board adopted a resolution recognizing May 3-7 as Teacher Appreciation Week and expressing appreciation for the work of teachers in our district.

Distance and In-Person Update

Superintendent Henderson provided an update on school operations. She noted:

• Information is being collected from distance-learning families on whether they plan to return in-person in the fall and it appears 62 students have an interest to remain remote. Superintendent Henderson said various options through Edgenuity would be available to students in Grades 3-8, with additional supports provided by the district. An option for K-2 is pending.
• The district’s Return to School plan for the fall will be presented to the board at the May 18 meeting. The plan will include staffing for a full return, full schedule, five days a week.
• Teaching and Learning Director Traci Sandstorm is taking the lead on the equity component of the Return to School plan.
• With six weeks of school left, schools are operating smoothly throughout the district. She noted that the community is appreciative of the enormous effort by all staff to ensure smooth and safe operations.

COVID-19 Response

Superintendent Henderson reported that the current case rate is 187 new cases per 100,000 over a two-week period for the region and that the governor has declared a pause on changing phases for at least two weeks. She noted that guidelines for in-person attendance for graduation at Stewart Field currently allow for at least four tickets per graduate.

Extended Learning Program

Superintendent Henderson reported that planning for Kinder Academy (Jumpstart Kindergarten), and extended learning for elementary and secondary students this summer are moving forward. Hiring for the programs is still taking place.

Budget Advisory Committee

Superintendent Henderson reported that the Budget Advisory Committee met on April 28. She noted that the district is eligible for significant federal COVID-19 relief funding.

WSSDA Regional Meeting

Superintendent Henderson reported that the WSSDA Region 5 meeting is planned for Wednesday, May 12, at 6 p.m., and that it will be conducted remotely.

Athletics and Activities

Athletic Director’s Report: Athletic Director John Crabb presented an overview of sports participation in the district, and shared planning for the fall.

Inter-District Swim Agreement: The board approved an agreement with the Hoquiam School District to let HHS swimmers compete with the AHS team as the Hoquiam district does not have a swim program.

Personnel Report

Following an executive session, the board approved the personnel matters, as well as certificated staffing, building administrative staffing and district administrative staffing for 2021-2022.

The next regular meeting of the School Board is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, via webinar. Agenda materials and a link to join the meeting are posted on the district website at least 24 hours in advance and usually the Friday before the meeting.

Written public comment is accepted until 3:30 p.m. the day of the meeting. Public comment should be submitted to schoolboard@asd5.org. Comments are shared with the board and become part of the online meeting record.

The AHA! Club and Aberdeen Parks Department have teamed up again to offer another

painting workshop. Discover the joy of painting under the direction of our amazing

AHS Art Teacher Molly Houk.

Families are encouraged to attend a fun, playful event on June 3 where you can get many of your questions answered, receive supplies for the summer and register your student for kindergarten, if you have not already.

You can also register online at anytime on the district website. All families with incoming kindergartners are encouraged to register as soon as possible so we can keep you posted about upcoming events.

In addition to Family Night described in the flyer above, we are planning "Jumpstart Kindergarten" in August. Stay tuned for more information.

Principal Hoehn is overseeing the district's kindergarten events this spring and summer. She can be reached at jhoehn@asd5.org.

Twin Harbors, A Branch of New Market Skills Center, is offering summer skills classes free of charge for high school students entering grades 9-12. Two sessions will be offered.

Registration opened May 3 and continues to Friday, June 11 -- but don't wait too long in case classes fill up.

The first session will run from June 16 until July 2. The second session is scheduled July 6-22. Classes will be in person from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, with breakfast and lunch provided.

Visit the Twin Harbors Skills Center page for registration information.

Session 1 courses include:

• Automotive Technology,
• Electrical Engineering,
• Computer Animation and
• Photography and
• Graphic Arts.

Session 2 courses include:

• Health Care Careers and
• Culinary Arts.

Twin Harbors serves students from 11 school districts including: Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Lake Quinault, Montesano, North Beach, Ocosta, Raymond, South Bend, Taholah, Willapa Valley and Wishkah Valley.

Registration is also open now for fall programs. Inquiries may be directed to CTE Director Lynn Green at 360-538-2038.

Superintendent Alicia Henderson announced that the maintenance crew calculated the crowd capacity at Stewart Field under the new guidelines this week, and the stands at Stewart Field can accommodate 1,645 attendees at graduation.

"That's good news for our families because it means we can issue six tickets per senior instead of four," she said.

The entire stadium will be put into play -- home stand, visitor stand and the end zone -- with the stage located near the scoreboard. "There won't be a bad seat in the house," Superintendent Henderson said.

Masks will be required. Additional guidelines are being developed and will be provided to the graduates to share with family and friends. Those who aren't able to attend will still be able to watch the live stream.

Graduation is at 7 p.m. Friday, June 11.

• Miller 6th Grade Family Orientation is planned as a webinar on Thursday, May 20. From 6 to 6:45 p.m. the program will be in English, and a Spanish language version will be offered from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m.
  
  
• AHS Prom cannot be a district event, but senior parents are holding a junior/senior prom event on May 22 with details being sent by that group soon.
  
  
• AVID Senior Night will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 25, in the AHS Commons. Each AVID senior will be provided two (2) guest tickets.
  
  
• AHS Senior Parent Information Night via webinar at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 2.
  
  
• Harbor High Graduation via webinar at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 8.
  
  
• Senior Awards Night is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 9, at Sam Benn Gym. Details on attendance are still being worked out, as well as how families can access streaming of the event.
  
  
• Moving Up Assembly/Senior Signing Assembly will be a virtual event via webinar at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 10.
  
  
• Graduation is Friday, June 11, at Stewart Field. Admission by ticket only.
  Graduation Parade: starting from Shoppes at Riverside parking lot at 4:30 p.m.
  Graduation will take place at 7 p.m. at Stewart Field. Based on current guidelines, each graduate will have up to six tickets to share.

Soccer Playoff Canceled

The District 4 playoff game for third and fourth place that was scheduled for Saturday, May 8, has been canceled. Athletic Director John Crabb said the other team had to forfeit. As a result, the Aberdeen boys finish the season third in the district.

Go Cats!

• Superintendent Alicia Henderson, ahenderson@asd5.org

• Business Office, Elyssa Louderback, elouderback@asd5.org
• Human Resources, Christi Sayres, csayres@asd5.org
• Special Education, Rick Bates, rbates@asd5.org
• Career & Technical Education, Lynn Green, lgreen@asd5.org
• Teaching, Learning & Technology, Traci Sandstrom, tsandstrom@asd5.org
• Food Services, Jaime Matisons, jmatisons@asd5.org

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The Aberdeen School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, 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 employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Christi Sayres, Title IX Coordinator and Civil rights Compliance Coordinator, 216 North G St., Aberdeen, WA 98520; (360) 538-2222; csayres@asd5.org; Dr. Richard Bates, Section 504/ADA Coordinator, 216 North G St., Aberdeen, WA 98520; (360) 538-2017; rbates@asd5.org.