LC named among leading U.S. public high schools
For the third year in a row, Lewis and Clark High School has made the cut, ranking among the top 1,200 public schools in the United States, according to Newsweek magazine.
This year LC ranked 1,087th.
LC is the only school from Spokane on the list and just one of 14 from Washington state.
To compile the list, public schools are ranked according to a ratio: the number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in 2005 divided by the number of graduating seniors.
Schools honor employees
Spokane Public Schools honored Marilyn Blair, cafeteria manager at Chase Middle School; Keith Jones, Havermale High School student specialist; Linda Kilmer, special education instructional assistant at Madison Elementary; and Barb Vally, instructional assistant at Regal Elementary as Distinguished Classified Employees of the Year.
In addition to managing Chase’s lunch program, Blair coaches the school’s junior varsity softball and volleyball teams.
“She has ways of making everyone feel special,” a nominator wrote. “Her ability to bring out the best in each of the students she works with is remarkable.”
Jones is known as an “intervention specialist extraordinaire.” He treats each student with respect, and through careful listening and taps into the heart of each student, one of his nominators wrote.
Kilmer’s nominator writes that she not only makes a difference in the lives of students, but everyone with whom she comes in contact.
“She has an amazing way of connecting with students, finding their interests, and using her knowledge of those interests as a road to making a lasting relationship with each child,” a nominator wrote.
Vally has been instrumental in the planning and organizing of Regal Elementary’s Title I book room. She is “always well prepared for her class and is willing to help out anywhere she is needed,” a nominator wrote.
The program is sponsored by School Employees Credit Union and Pemco Insurance.
Advisory Committee
Spokane Public Schools’ Citizens Advisory Committee for Human Growth and Development will have an opening for one member-at-large position for the 2006-07 academic year. The person selected will be a voting member.
The committee is responsible for reviewing all instructional materials and program components pertaining to the K-12 human growth and development curriculum. The committee meets from 1 to 3 p.m. the last Wednesday of each month, September through May, except November and December, when a special meeting is held on the first Wednesday of December.
The committee meets at the Libby Center, 2900 E. First Ave.
Membership application forms are available at the administration building at 200 N. Bernard St. and may be obtained by calling Cathy Agrella at 354-5975. The deadline for applications is May 26.
SPS cites educators
Spokane Public Schools recently honored two teaching teams as Distinguished Educator Teams.
The teams selected were the fourth-grade teaching team of Mitra Maleki, Cindy Malmquist and Deb Maher and librarian Ginny Pounds from Roosevelt Elementary as well as Moran Prairie Elementary’s sixth-grade teaching team of Jennifer Hentges, William Nye and Lynne Carrick.
The Roosevelt team has been working on a social studies unit about the state of Washington that has students incorporate technology into their projects and presentations.
The Moran Prairie teaching team was nominated for being a model of collaboration and coordination.
LC garage sale
Lewis and Clark High School’s senior all-nighter parent committee will hold a garage sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 115 Eagle Ridge Blvd. (off Highway 195 across from Qualchan Golf Course and west on Meadow Lane Road).
Items include sports equipment, furniture, household items, electronics, books, CDs and videos.
Proceeds help pay for food, entertainment, student scholarships and other expenses for the graduation party, an alcohol- and drug-free event.
NWC humanities event
Northwest Christian High School students will present special exhibits at the 10th annual Evening in the Humanities at 6 tonight at the Colbert Campus, 5104 E. Bernhill Road.
This year’s program theme is “One Million Connections” and includes presentations from students in humanities, history, English, theater and art.
The Art Department offers live demonstrations of chalk art in a garden setting.
Selections from the NWC spring musical, scenes from student-directed plays and staged readings also will be part of the entertainment.