EDUCATION IN THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS

Lopez School receives produce garden grant

posted 05/30/2008
It's green and it's going to help the garden grow but Lopez students won't be eating the latest green item associated with their farm-to-school program. School officials have been notified that they have been awarded a grant from Lowe's Home Improvement Stores in the amount of $3,600 toward further development of their food gardens. The "Toolbox for Education" grant has been awarded the Lopez School for the purpose of helping increase the amount of produce the students are able to plant and grow for school cafeteria.

The school will be building up to six more raised growing beds with the proceeds from this grant. The school currently has a dozen beds and produces approximately 20% of the produce used by the food services department. The addition of the new beds and the addition of a new fruit orchard on campus, both projects assisted by this Lowe's grant, will significantly add to the quantity of home-grown foods being served to Lopez students.

"We are excited about this support from Lowe's and the increased fresh vegetables and produce we hope to provide our kitchen," said Lorri Swanson, the District's garden coordinator and author of the grant.

The school is also slated to receive a green-house/tool-shed from Lowe's that will enable them to grow starts, develop a field-based wash-off facility, and store tools, etc…

Principal Roland MacNichol expressed appreciation of Ms. Swanson's work and for the support from Lowe's. “Our efforts to feed our students healthy food and develop on appreciation in our students for healthful living is further enhanced by this grant”, MacNichol said.

Save Our Schools Update: $125K more needed in matching funds

Roche Harbor Pledges $10K - Rich and Joan Komen pledge $10K - matching funds total $175K

posted 05/30/2008
Recent gifts through the "Save Our Schools" Campaign have pushed the matching funds total to $175,000 toward matching a $300,000 "Challenge Gift" to mitigate anticipated program reductions. Recent pledges of $10,000 each by Roche Harbor Resort, and Rich and Joan Komen helped the campaign go over the half-way mark toward matching the challenge gift.

Superintendent Michael Soltman said, "With matching funds, $350,000 has been raised to restore program cuts related to a $600,000 budget shortfall. We are now able to restore classroom teaching positions, the Primary Intervention Program, part of the athletic program, and some essential secretarial, custodial and student support services. However another $125,000 must be raised to fully restore our programs and services for the 2008-09 school year." MORE INFORMATION

Open enrollment June 4 at Skagit Valley College

posted 05/13/2008
Early registration for Returning Students who are interested in Summer and Fall quarter classes and workshops at Skagit Valley College begins today, May 13. Summer Quarter begins Monday, June 23 and Fall Quarter begins Monday, September 22 at all SVC locations: Mount Vernon Campus, Business Resource Center in downtown Mount Vernon, Whidbey Island Campus in Oak Harbor, South Whidbey Center in Clinton, San Juan Center in Friday Harbor, as well as through eLearning.

Additional important dates:

• Wednesday, May 28: registration for New Advised Students begins.
  
  
• Wednesday, June 4: Open Enrollment begins.

SVC offers academic transfer degrees, professional/technical career options, job skill upgrades, and personal enrichment courses and workshops. In addition, the college offers courses in basic skills, English as a Second Language, citizenship preparation, as well as GED preparation courses and testing.

SVC offers an Associate in Arts University and College Transfer degree (AAUCT), an Associate in Arts, and an Associate in Technical Arts degree. Specialized transfer pathways include an Associate in Music, Associate in Science, Associate in Visual Arts, an Associate in Business, Applied Science in Early Childhood Education, a Theater Arts Emphasis, and a Pre-Nursing degree. In addition, students can study anytime, anywhere with eLearning and earn a two-year transfer degree or select individual courses from many disciplines.

Interested students can apply and register online at www.skagit.edu, in person, or by contacting their nearest campus or center:

Mount Vernon Campus
(360) 416-7697 OR
toll free: 1 (877) 385 5360

Business Resource Center
(360) 416-7873

Whidbey Island Campus
(360) 675-6656

South Whidbey Center
(360) 341-2324

San Juan Center
(360) 378-3220

eLearning
(360) 416-7770

Lopez HS seniors heading to Harvard, MIT, Vassar, Brown...

posted 05/13/2008
Lopez Island High School seniors received acceptance letters from "an alphabet soup of colleges around the country," district officials said. The list includes: Albertson College of Idaho, Bellingham Technical College, Big Bend Community College, Brown University, Central Washington University, Centralia Community College, Deep Springs College, Eastern Washington University, George Fox University, Harvard College, Humboldt State University, MIT, Multnomah College, Northwest Lineman College, Oberlin College, Pacific Lutheran University, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Skagit Valley College, Swarthmore College, University of Washington, Vassar College, Whitman College, Warner Pacific College, Western Washington University, Wesleyan University, Western Oregon University, Whitworth University, Willamette University, Whatcom Community College, and Western Arizona Community College.

Commencement is set for June 7, 2008. Approximately 95 percent of the graduates will be going on to college, university, or other post-secondary education in the fall, with a few students electing to defer a year before beginning at colleges and universities to which they have been accepted. "We are proud of our students and of the school system that has provided such a solid educational experience to these graduates," said Principal Roland MacNichol.

Lopez will graduate approximately 98 percent of its seniors, the state average is approximately 70 percent. The above average graduation and post-secondary attendance rates are consistent with historical trends in the district and helped earn the district a Bronze Recognition this Fall as one of the country’s top high schools in U.S. News and World Report's national ranking and recognition program.

"It just goes to show what you can accomplish with a powerful staff, dedicated principal, and amazing community support," said Superintendent Bill Evans. "The descriptors of small and rural don't have to have a negative connotation when talking about schools – Lopez is proof of that,"

SJI School Board cuts $400k from budget;
keeps teaching staff

Sports reduced by $100K, classified staff by $170K

posted 05/13/2008
San Juan Island School Board needed to cut $400,000 out of its budget last night. It took board member Todd Roberts more than two hours to convince them cutting a high school science teaching position didn't make sense.

In the end, the board sliced $100,000 out of the the athletic program by reducing offerings to one sport each for boys and girls per season and slashed $170,000 out of the custodial, secretarial and paraprofessional staff budgets. Of that amount $75,000 is the top priority to be funded through the "Save our Schools" fundraising drive underway.

Food service is eliminated except for sack lunches for students eligible for free and reduced lunches. The Primary Intervention Program is cut. Administration sees a reduction in summer hours, travel, professional development, technology support and supplies.

Special Education is reduced by a .5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) teacher and a .5 FTE school psychologist intern. The intern does special education assessments. FULL STORY

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