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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sixth-grader hasn’t missed a day of school

Walton

Bethany Walton, a sixth-grade student at Meadow Ridge Elementary School in the Mead School District, loves school.

In fact, she enjoys it so much that she hasn’t missed a single day since school began, not just this past school year, but every year since she was in kindergarten. That’s 1,260 days of school.

To celebrate her accomplishment, Walton was presented with a gift card to Aeropostale, a popular clothing store at NorthTown Mall, at an assembly on the last day of school. Store employees donated the gift card. Walton also received a gift card to Target for her perfect attendance.

Meadow Ridge Principal Marilyn Brennan said in an e-mail that Walton would “put the gift cards to good use as she shops for new school clothes to start middle school.”

‘Future of Education’

topic of discussion

The city of Spokane Office of the Mayor, the Spokane Regional Youth Department, the Spokane Regional Health District, the College Success Foundation, and the Spokane Chapter of Stand for Children will sponsor “The Future of Education in Spokane” on Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to noon at the Spokane Regional Health District building, 1101 W. College Ave.

According to a press release from the city of Spokane, Spokane Mayor Mary Verner said “The purpose of this event is to support greater community collaboration and coordination to promote higher student achievement. We can impact the success of all the students in our region if we plan our course of action and then implement it.”

The discussion will be moderated by Gary Livingston, the recently retired chancellor of the Community Colleges of Spokane. Panelists include Craig Dias, vice president and general manager of Haskins Steel; Nancy Stowell, the superintendent of Spokane Public Schools; Dan Newell, the assistant superintendent of secondary education, in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; State Rep. Pat Sullivan, member of the House Education Committee, 47th District; Linda Graham, the director of grants of Inland Northwest Community Foundation/Priority Spokane; Lee Lambert, director of the Washington College Access Network, College Success Foundation; and Sally Pritchard, the vice president of Community Impact, Spokane County United Way.

The focus is on improving student achievement and community efforts to provide support for student success.

The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide additional information about other community efforts to strengthen the education system.