Bethel Pride | January-February 2023

PRIDE

FROM THE DESK OF...

Tom Seigel Superintendent

Happy New Year!

This is a great time to celebrate the many accomplishments of our staff, while also looking towards new aspirations and goals.

We capped off 2022 with the exciting news that Camas Prairie Elementary had been named a National ESEA Distinguished School. This is a rare honor, as Camas is one of just two schools in Washington state to receive the award this year for their exceptional student achievement.

We rang in 2023 with another exciting announcement. Spanaway Middle School Principal Shannon Leatherwood has been named Washington State's Secondary Principal of the Year. Shannon has been an amazing leader in our district for many years, and we are thrilled that her dedication to students is being recognized so publicly.

We continue to be engaged in a number of ongoing special projects at the federal, state, county or local charitable organizational levels aimed at helping students and families. Some of our priorities in 2023 will be working with Pierce Transit on expanding bus service in our district, which is woefully inadequate at its current levels. We are also exploring several avenues for funding more sidewalks in the district. The Bethel School District spans 202 square miles, yet only 9 percent of our roads have sidewalks. That is unacceptable.

Finally, you might be surprised to know that our district has approximately 600 homeless families. While many of these families find shelter with other family members or friends, there are 12 to 18 Bethel families that live out of their cars (and an equal number living in RV's of questionable habitability). Providing them safe transitional housing in a permanent building is a recognized important first step to allow them to get services and then focus on making the necessary changes to get out of this vicious cycle. You can read more about our efforts to help these families find stable housing on page 13. We are also working with governmental and non-profit groups dedicated to improving this decades-long problem.

Yours,

Tom Seigel

On the cover: Students at Naches Trail Elementary (seen here working on a class project using levy-funded ipads) will soon have a new school thanks to the 2019 bond. Thank you, voters!

Marcus Young, Sr. Vice President 253.439.7174 myoung@bethelsd.org

Terrance Mayers, Sr. 206.832.6203 tmayers@bethelsd.org

Brenda Rogers President 360.893.5425 brogers@bethelsd.org

Roseanna Camacho 253.210.1783 rcamacho@bethelsd.org

John Manning 253.222.2938 jmanning@bethelsd.org

BETHEL PRIDE SCHOOL BOARD

Bethel Pride is produced by the Bethel School District’s Communications Department.

Doug Boyles, Communications Director 253.800.2202; dboyles@bethelsd.org

Conor Christofferson, Assistant Director 253.800.2204; cchristoff@bethelsd.org

Email: communications@bethelsd.org

Website: www.bethelsd.org

Questions and feedback: 516 176th Street East Spanaway, WA 98387 Phone: 253.800.2000

Bethel 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: Title IX Coordinator, Director of Athletics and Security: 253.800.4303; Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Executive Director of Special Education: 253.800.2300; Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, Director of Equity and Achievement: 253.800.2019. All individuals may be reached at this address: 516 176th Street East, Spanaway, WA 98387.

El Distrito Escolar de Bethel no discrimina en sus programas o actividades por motivos de sexo, raza, credo, religión, color, nacionalidad, edad, condición de veterano de guerra o grado militar, orientación sexual, expresión de género o identidad, discapacidad o uso de perro guía entrenado o animal de servicio, además ofrece igualdad de acceso a los Boy Scouts y a otros grupos de jóvenes especificados. El empleado mencionado a continuación ha sido designado para atender consultas y quejas de supuesta discriminación: Coordinador del Título IX, Director de Atletismo y Seguridad: 253.800.4303; Coordinadora de Sección 504/ADA, Directora Ejecutiva de Educación Especial: 253.800.2300; Coordinadora de Cumplimiento de Derechos Civiles Directora de Equidad y Logro: 253.800.2019. Todas las personas pueden ser contactadas en esta dirección: 516 176th Street East, Spanaway, WA 98387.

TheBethelPrideisintendedtoinformthecommunityatlargeaboutthegoingsoninthedistrict.Becauseweusebulkmailing, individualaddressescannotberemovedfromthemailinglist.

Timra Knox, Graphic Design Manager 253.800.2203; tknox@bethelsd.org

BOND CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

There’s a chill in the air, and we've already seen some winter weather, but that isn’t stopping our amazing construction teams from making progress on a number of exciting bond projects.

New Naches Trail Elementary

Construction on the new Naches Trail Elementary is moving right along towards its fall 2023 completion.

Naches Trail was originally slated to get a complete remodel and expansion. But a cost analysis determined it would actually be more expensive to modernize the current school than it would be to build a new school.

The new 77,000-square foot school will house 41 general classrooms and is scheduled to be ready for students this fall.

Evergreen Elementary Expansion

After the New Naches Trail Elementary School is completed and staff and students move into the new building, the old Naches Trail Elementary will be home for the Evergreen Elementary staff and students while the renovation and expansion of their school takes place.

This project will modernize the current Evergreen Elementary building, which was originally built in 1979, and will add 15,000 square feet to the school.

Our School Board recently awarded the pre-construction phase of the Evergreen Elementary School expansion and renovation to Korsmo Construction.

The project is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

Graham-Kapowsin High School Expansion

Construction is well underway on the Graham-Kapowsin High School expansion project. The 33,000-squarefoot expansion is adding a new classroom wing, an auxiliary gym and weight room, along with a larger commons area and administrative spaces. The new wing will allow students and faculty members to move from portables back into the main building.

Once construction is done, GKHS will also be home to a new School-Based Health Clinic, the construction of which is being funded through a congressional award that Congresswoman Kim Schrier spearheaded. It will offer students and staff from GKHS, Frontier Middle, and Nelson Elementary a free clinic for an assortment of medical needs.

The GKHS projects are scheduled to be completed by the fall of this year.

Elementary #19

Bethel’s 19th elementary school will be a two-story, 64,000-square-foot school located in the Lipoma Firs community. It will house nearly 500 students in 24 classrooms.

Because the school will be located in Lipoma Firs, which has sidewalks throughout, Elementary #19 will be one of Bethel’s only “walking schools.”

Construction crews will break ground on the project this year and look to have it completed in 2024.

A passion for teaching

It’s no surprise that Cody House grew up to be a Special Education teacher. After all, his mother was a paraeducator in a self-contained classroom and Cody spent a lot of time helping her out.

“When I went to college, it was a pretty easy choice to jump into education, because I had a pretty solid background already,” Cody said.

Cody, who grew up in Marysville, knew he wanted to be a SPED teacher early on, and he hoped to build his career in Western Washington.

Now in his fourth year in the district, and first at Nelson Elementary, Cody has enjoyed the

many challenges of his job.

“A big piece of it is that you get to be really creative with how you instruct and work with the students because they have a lot of lagging skills in many different areas. Trying to bridge that gap in a way that meets their needs is a challenge, but it’s a worthy challenge,” he said. Working in Special Education is a calling. Cody says it takes a lot of patience, creativity, and flexibility.

"I want to give a shout out to all the special education teachers out there. It’s a tough job, especially these last few years,” he said. “It’s not easy, but people are doing really good work out there.”

2023 Daffodil Princesses

Congratulations to this year's Daffodil Princesses!

Melony Bridgeman (left) is from Bethel High School. Melony is a student in the Cambridge program. She is also a member of the National Honor Society and is the activities coordinator for the Future Business Leaders of America club. She works as a referee and umpire for Bethel Rec.

Carissa Milton (center) is from Graham-Kapowsin High School. Carissa plays varsity softball

and is the ASB President. She volunteers her time at Kapowsin Elementary, the GKHS softball camps, the Pierce County 4-H Equestrian Department and the Orting Food Bank.

Sarah-Angeles Edmonson (right) is from Spanaway Lake High School. Sarah plays an active role in her school community by participating in Leadership, Link Crew and the Ethnic Studies committee. She is also president of the Black Student Union and the E-Sports club.

Principal of the Year!

People don’t become educators for the accolades – they do it because they have a deep love for helping young people reach their potential.

That's certainly true for Spanaway Middle School Principal Shannon Leatherwood, whose devotion to students was recognized this January when she was named Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year.

Leatherwood has been a principal for 12 years, with the last five of those at Spanaway Middle School. Over those years she has developed two fundamental goals: Always do what's best for students, and if something isn’t sustainable, it’s not worth doing.

A tireless advocate for students, Leatherwood leads by example and serves with her whole heart, creating a culture of inclusivity, support, and pride in students, staff, and community while maintaining a high

standard of academic excellence. In her time at Spanaway Middle School, she has built a strong and collaborative leadership team, increased the school's inclusionary practices, created better access to quality learning, improved school and student safety by growing restorative practices and strengthening support systems. This was all done by providing the right professional development for the school’s staff to grow their individual and collective efficacy.

Even as she was being singled out as the best in state, Leatherwood was quick to share her award with the SMS staff.

“I’m very shocked. The staff have worked hard, and this is just a representation of Spanaway Middle School and the staff,” she said. “I think the focus on culture in our building is what makes us special. We know that relationships drive student learning. Making sure

our students feel that sense of belonging, that’s the key.”

Spanaway Middle has thrived under Leatherwood’s leadership. In fact, only one of Washington’s 541 middle schools saw more growth in their test scores than Spanaway Middle. For all those reasons and more, Leatherwood is a deserving winner.

“We are so excited to see Shannon recognized as Secondary Principal of the Year for the state. Shannon is an amazing leader who has demonstrated the ability to truly be the learning leader of her school in a way that results in both improved school culture and increased student achievement,” said Dr. Brian Lowney, Bethel’s Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools. “Shannon is an outstanding representation of the fantastic principals, teachers, and staff who are dedicated to serving the students and families in Bethel.”

L to R: Tom Seigel, Superintendent; Julie Woods, AWSP; Shannon Leatherwood, SMS; Scott Friedman, AWSP; Dr. Brian Lowney, Assistant Superintendent

Nationally recognized Camas Prairie Elementary!

Camas Prairie Elementary has been named a National ESEA Distinguished School! Camas is one of just two schools in Washington state to receive the honor this year for their exceptional student achievement. Each year the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators honors up to two schools per state as Distinguished School Award

Recipients. Schools that have successfully used their ESEA federal funds to improve the education for all students – including economically disadvantaged students – are recognized.

Dr. David Hammond, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools, said when he told Principal Melissa Munson-Merritt about the

award and congratulated her, she made sure he knew it was the hard work of her staff that made the award possible. Hammond said that’s nothing new, “Everytime I try to give her kudos she deflects it right back on her staff.”

"Camas Prairie Elementary staff are committed to extensive collaboration with fellow educators, in professional

learning teams and special programs, to ensure all students receive rigorous, focused learning experiences," Munson-Merritt said. "In short, educators work closely with one another, align the standards and their professional judgement, to determine essential learning outcomes for students and work flexibly to ensure students achieve those outcomes.”

More information about the National ESEA Distinguished Schools is available at ESEAnetwork.org.

"While the staff is super important and integral to this process, our kids put out the hard work so they deserve the kudos as well as the staff"

~ Melissa Munson-Merritt, Principal Camas Prairie Elementary

Building Future Leaders

Two years ago we highlighted a pair of fresh-faced JROTC cadets on the cover of the Bethel Pride, and we thought it would be fun to check in with them to see how the program has shaped their lives and educational careers.

Graham-Kapowsin High School

students Aalimah Shahzad and Michael Sams, Jr. were relatively new to the JROTC program when we featured them on the magazine. The students, now seniors, have both thrived in JROTC – Shahzad is now the school’s Battalion Commander, and Sams is the battalion’s Deputy

Command Officer.

“I really like knowing that I’m a part of something so much bigger,” Shahzad said of the JROTC program. “Knowing that you’re a part of something that is making a change, making a difference, making an impact on kids’ lives. Helping kids grow and be more than they thought they could be.”

Sams says he always knew he wanted to enlist in the military, so joining JROTC felt like a natural fit. During his years in the program, Sams has learned a host of life lessons about leadership and community.

“It’s a regular class,” he said. “It’s a class about how to be a better citizen, how to improve yourself, overall, throughout your life.”

When they graduate later this year, both students will head out into the world with a trove of skills and knowledge they wouldn’t have had without JROTC. Shahzad plans on heading to college to play lacrosse and study sociology or criminology. Sams hopes to enlist the military, and later wants to join his father’s roofing and construction company.

Advisory class is a time during the school day that allows teachers to work with sixth through twelfth grade students around a variety of topics. Whether it’s the state-required High School and Beyond planning, social emotional learning, or housekeeping items like class or building surveys, advisory is the time during the school day where it all happens.

The Advisory Task Force ensures that each grade level advisory class leads to the next. Chad Honig, Executive Director of Secondary Schools, said that’s key, especially because of the environment that it creates for students.

“Advisory is an opportunity to build strong relationships with students,” he said.

The Advisory Task Force makes sure schools are meeting the standards of the High School and Beyond law as students cover college and career exploration and create resumes. The team also works to push advisory to the next level. Last year they developed a piloting process for a new state requirement for a digital High School and Beyond tool for students. The process took the entire school year and included a lot of student voice.

Made up of school administrators, teachers, counselors, CTE and behavioral health staff, the Task Force meets monthly, and subgroups of the team can actually meet more often than that.

This year students and teachers are being surveyed so the task force can learn what they feel are the most important parts of advisory, to help the team plan future lessons down the road.

We talk more about advisory and the work of the task force on Episode 19 of our podcast. Listen and subscribe at bethelsd.org/podcast.

FAMILIES: PLEASE COMPLETE THE FAMILY INCOME SURVEY!

As you know, 24 of our schools with high numbers of low-income children now offer all meals for free thanks to the USDA's Community Eligibility Provision. You can see the full list at bethelsd.org/meals.

If your student attends one of those schools, we need you to fill out the Family Income Survey if you haven't already. This will help ensure that your child’s school continues to get the full amount of federal and state funding available to them, as the school must have a way to identify children from households that are at or below the federal poverty level.

If your student does not attend one of these schools, you may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The free or reduced-price meals application can be found at bethelsd.org/meals.

Life in the Library

The teacher-librarian position is a unique one in Bethel. While many school districts have librarians who split time between buildings, Lisa Steudel, Teacher-Librarian at Katherine G. Johnson Elementary said our district knows the importance of the position.

“Of all the districts around us, we’re the only district that has an elementary librarian full time in each of our elementary schools,” she said.

Students are the ones who benefit from this commitment, because teacherlibrarians work alongside classroom teachers to help further our students’ education. And that’s just one of the many things that fill their days. They collaborate with teachers, extend lessons that students are doing in their own classrooms, help students with passion projects, teach digital citizenship, and manage three different inventories at each school – the library collection, school technology, and curriculum – with the help of the library clerks at each building.

Librarians also meet with their principals to share ideas and collaborate on bigger projects.

In her role, Steudel also serves as a Teacher On Special Assignment and works with district leadership to help support teacher-librarians across the district.

“We’re a big enough group that we need a leader,” she said. “Someone that can work with things behind the scenes. There’s always projects we’re working on as a group, or to go into buildings and help somebody new in the position.”

"Of all the districts around us, we're the only district that has an elementary librarian full time in each of our elementary schools."

~ Lisa Steudel, Teacher-Librarian, Katherine G. Johnson Elementary

Helping homeless students and their families

Close your eyes and imagine being told you have two weeks to pack your worldly belongings and leave your home. Imagine the panic, the abject fear of not knowing where you and your family will go and how you will survive with no roof over your head. Thankfully, most of us will never have to experience that frightening scenario. But it’s also important to remember that some people within our community are living that very nightmare right now.

One Bethel family was recently forced to stare down their worst fears when they were evicted from their home just weeks before Thanksgiving. The matriarch of the family, a mother named Sua, said she and her son, as well as her brother, sister-in-law, and three nieces and nephews, were told they could no longer stay in the home they had been renting for several months.

The family wasn’t able to put together enough cash for first and last month’s rent – plus a hefty deposit – to get into a new home. They were stuck, and time was not on their side. Unsure where to turn for help, Sua reached out to Bethel High School, where her son is a student.

Fortunately, our district has a team of dedicated specialists working to ensure that every Bethel child in need is accounted for. That team is able to do their jobs thanks in part to the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, which created a federally mandated program to ensure educational rights and protections for all students experiencing homelessness.

Our McKinney-Vento liaisons worked

with Sua and were able to help her and her family get into a new, stable home in time for the holidays.

“I feel so blessed to have them on my side. I feel so blessed that they’re there to help me and my family,” Sua said. “If I didn’t have that help, I really don’t know where I would have gone. I’ve seen a lot of people on the streets, a lot of kids on the streets.”

Dani Stanford, who is one of our two McKinney-Vento liaisons, says a large portion of her job is to ensure all students have access to an equitable education.

“The main goal is to remove any barriers to a student’s access to education,” Stanford said. “Some of the ways we remove those barriers is by providing transportation for students who have moved outside of their school boundaries or helping with enrollment. Basically, it’s just to provide them with the same educational experience that a student who is housed would have. We want to provide them with some stability, because oftentimes they’re lacking stability in their lives.”

When most people think of homelessness, they most likely think of big cities, such as Seattle or Tacoma, but that is not always the case. As of this January, more than 600 Bethel students are experiencing homelessness.

In order to bring those families back into a

more secure living environment, our McKinney-Vento liaisons work with various community partners to make sure every possible resource is made available to families in need.

“We’re really having conversations with families about what is the next step,” said McKinney-Vento liaison Echo Abernathy. “Sometimes that’s a big step, and sometimes it’s a little goal, but we want to be with them every step of the way, to the best of our abilities.”

Both Abernathy and Stanford are proud to be able to help children and families rise out of homelessness, but they both admit the job can be emotionally draining. Stanford said she avoids getting emotionally overwhelmed by focusing on the many success stories she has helped create with families.

“I love to celebrate all the little victories with our families. That’s really what keeps me going. We’ve already had a handful of families get into permanent housing this year. Keeping those stories at the forefront helps remind us why we’re doing what we’re doing, even if it can be really emotionally taxing.”

McKinney-Vento Coordinators, Danielle Stanford and Echo Abernathy

Bethel Sports Report

A Spanaway native has gone from high school football star to professional futbal player. SLHS alum Jacob Castro played both football and soccer during his high school career, and he recently signed a contract with the Seattle Sounders FC! After graduating from SLHS, Jacob took his talents to the University of Washington. He later transferred to San Diego State University, where he earned All-Pac-12 honors in 2021 and 2022. Congratulations, Jacob!

Graham-Kapowsin Volleyball

Jacob Castro

Former Bethel High School student-athlete Esmeralda Morales thrived in her first year playing basketball at Portland State University. Esmeralda led the Vikings in points (12.5), assists (3.7), steals (1.9) and minutes (35.4) per game while starting all 29 games during the season. She finished the regular season ranked in the Top 15 of the Big Sky in points per game (11th), assists per game (6th), and steals per game.

EsmeraldaMorales

Huge, huge, huge congratulations to the Graham-Kapowsin Eagles Volleyball team for winning the 4A State Championship! The Eagles beat Lake Stevens to take the title!

DISTRICT CALENDAR

*Pleasenote: AllschoolboardmeetingswillalsobeavailableviaZoom.