Frucci retiring after 44 years at Sacajawea

After 44 years of educating students at Sacajawea Middle School, Dominic Frucci will retire at the end of the school year.

He was first hired at the school in 1964 as a teacher and coach. In the spring of 1965, he was hit in the head with a baseball. The accident severely injured Frucci and he has had to take medication for it ever since.

Over the years, he helped save the windows at the school, helped install the totem pole in the school courtyard and has supervised the associated student body association.

Former principal Morris “Skip” Pixley said in a letter about Frucci, “I would like to suggest that Spokane School District 81 get a nice bronze plaque and dedicate the new Sacajawea library wing, The Dominic Frucci Library in honor of this truly great and dedicated educator who has served so well.”

Kudos

•Paul DeSantos, a sophomore at Riverside High School, has been selected as the representative from Washington state in the Family Career Community Leaders of America’s national competition for its STAR competition (Students Taking Action with Recognition).

The competition will be held in Orlando July 14 and 15. The school will be holding fundraisers to help get him there.

If you would like to help DeSantos get to Florida, call the FCCLA advisor at Riverside High School, Vicki Zimmerman, at 464-8550.

•Faculty members at Gonzaga University have been given awards at the school’s annual Academic Honors Convocation.

For exemplary non-tenured faculty, the awards went to Kirk Besmer, an assistant professor of philosophy; Andy Goldman, an assistant professor of history; Heather Easterling, an assistant professor of English; William Hayes, a sociology and criminal justice assistant professor; and John Villalpando, an assistant professor of mathematics.

For exemplary tenured faculty, the awards went to Wayne Pomerleau, a professor of philosophy, David Cleary, a chemistry professor, Maria Bertagnolli, a biology professor; Brian Clayton, a professor of philosophy and Patrick McCormick, a religious studies professor.

James Dallen, a religious studies professor, Bud Hazel, a professor of communication arts and Jim Vaché, a law professor, were named Professor Emeriti. Sandra Wilson, a doctoral studies associate professor was named Associate Professor Emerita.

Ellen Maccarone, an associate professor of philosophy received the Diversity Leadership Award and Kristina Morehouse, a journalism adjunct instructor, received the Service Learning Faculty Award.

•Spokane Public Schools has announced its Distinguished Educator Teams for the second half of the school year.

The Holmes Literacy Team, made up of Brenda Van Matre, Bonnie Mendoza and Jodi Wilson, was selected for its work to redesign the first- and second-grade classrooms to be more conducive to learning, its attendance at a Comprehensive Literacy Model training workshop and a summer spent researching and planning the new program at Holmes.

The districtwide integrated math cadre, Rick Biggerstaff of Lewis and Clark, Linda Hutchinson of Shadle Park and Barry Olson and Aubrie Zumini, both of Ferris, has been working to prepare for the roll-out of the district’s new math curriculum. The group has written curriculum guides, supplementary materials and unit assessments and provided regular professional development of the teachers involved in the new courses.

•Four students have received a Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) scholarship from the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.

Shianne Bright of North Central High School, Andrew Durant of Rogers High School, Ashley Parkison of Ferris High School and Allyson LeCouix from the Spokane Skills Center received two years of undergraduate tuition and will keep it as long as they maintain at least a 3.0 grade-point average.

The students were recognized for excelling in career and technical education.

•The 2008 Spokane Lilac Festival royal court has selected teachers of the year for their inspiration and excellence in education.

The winners of this award were John Hays of Freeman High School, Dick O’Brien of Central Valley High School, Lorie Rambo of Lewis and Clark High School, Kim Rieken of North Central High School, Paul Schneider of University High School, JoAnn Tripp of Shadle Park High School, and Steve Warren of West Valley High School.

They rode in the Teacher of the Year float at the 70th Annual Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade.

•John Hagney, a senior service learning course teacher at Lewis and Clark High School, has been appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to serve on the Professional Educators Standards Board. The board determines teacher certification, teacher preparation, college accreditation and professional ethics.