May 2011 Staff Newsletter - Kennewick School District

Seven Kennewick School District seniors received
scholarships at the annual The Hispanic Academic
Achievers Program (HAAP) award ceremony held
April 29. We are very proud of the following students
and wish them the best of luck in their pursuits!
Karen Ola, Kennewick High—
$1,000 scholarship. Karen plans to
attend University of Washington and
major in Nursing.
Breanne Short,
Kamiakin High—
$1,000 scholarship.
Breanne plans to major in Dentistry at
Washington State University
Jazmin Galicia, Kennewick High—
$1,500 scholarship. Jazmin is heading
to Eastern Washington University to
study Nursing.
Raul Ramirez-
Hernandez,
Kennewick High—$1,500
scholarship. Raul is pursuing a career
in culinary services and will be
attending Columbia Basin College.
Our Mission:
To send our youth into the future ready to reach their potential
as adults through a lifetime of learning.
Tony Peryda, Kamiakin High—
$3,500 scholarship. Tony is
pursuing a career in medicine and
plans to attend Columbia Basin
College .
Adolfo Garcia, Southridge High—
$2,500 scholarship. Adolfo is
planning to major in Civil
Engineering at University of
Washington.
Jesus Larios Murillo, Kennewick
High—$8,000 scholarship. Jesus
plans to major in Electrical
Engineering. He will start at
Columbia Basin College and
transfer to Washington State
University Tri-Cities.
The Hispanic Academic Achievers Program (HAAP)
was founded to provide support for Hispanic students
and their families seeking to better their lives through
education. Since 1991, they have awarded
scholarships to graduating seniors based on academic
performance.

After attending an Advanced Placement (AP) Studio
Art workshop in 2009 Southridge High School art
instructor Anne Hedin decided that she would do
something drastic to help increase the number of
submissions of AP art portfolios at her school. She
took the advice of AP Instructor Barry Lucy and
reformatted her Introduction to Art curriculum. It took
her two years to enhance and organize her materials
enough to be successful but the hard work paid off.
The highest
number of Art
AP portfolio
applicants prior
at SHS had been
12 and these
students usually
had multiple
years of art
experience.
This year, in the
Introduction to
Art class alone,
there are 15 art
applicants
Painting by Maria Vallejo-Lopez
currently
working to
submit to
College Board; the rest of the students are creating a
detailed PowerPoint slideshow that features the variety
of art pieces they have created.
Creating 24 unique pieces of art in less than 9 months
is an enormous challenge even for professional artists.
Students who do not submit this year may use these art
materials to submit to College Board in the future.
Student artist Daniel Neville said, “I would never have
sent my art to College Board had I not taken this
class.”
“Most people do
not realize the
enormous
undertaking that
these students
have
accomplished”,
adds Hedin.
“The art world is
vast and most of
the information
being taught to
these students is
completely new
to them. This is
not just a little
Painting by Emily Compton
cutting and
pasting this is high school students completing
collegiate level artwork and submitting it to College
Board for college credit.”
Students have to
learn art history,
theory, vocabulary
and techniques.
Hedin would argue
that more new
information is
being learned by
students in this
class than almost
any other high
school class being
taught today.
“The curriculum is
Mixed media work by Shaiann Grimes
rigorous. It just
doesn‟t seem to be
as difficult as many other courses because the students
enjoy doing it so much.”

The Kennewick School District is in the process of
adopting a new district-wide elementary science
curriculum. Engaging parents to review materials is
an important part of the process. To do that, schools
are hosting K-5 Science Parent Review Nights.
In this photo,
Gabriela Boggess
from Edison and
Kim Moore from
Vista are
explaining one of
the kits we are
thinking of
adopting to a group
of parents. The kit
is for first grade
and is titled Push,
Pull, Go. The kit is
about physical science and lays the foundation for
understanding forces through hands-on exploration
Below, Natalie Fehrenbacher, Eastgate, and Randy
Hamon, Edison describe the “Our Solar System” kit
for 4th grade that helps the students explore
relationships between the stars, planets, sun and
moon by making models. By participating in handson
activities the students build understanding of
Earth's orbit and seasons, night and day, and phase
of the moon.
Lexie Keck, with visiting author Kenn Nesbitt at
Westgate's "Nesbitt Night" . shares one of the
poems she was inspired to write after his visit in
February. Lexie entered one of her poems in the
Benton-Franklin Reading Council's Poetry Contest,
and was awarded 4th place.
My New Hair Cut
~ by Lexie Keck
I got a new hair cut, not too long ago.
I put on a hat, so it would not show.
Oh how jealous everyone would be of me.
Oh how jealous they would be of me.
My hair cut is so fine, and grand,
I look like a rock star in a rock „n roll band
Then, I took off my hat in the middle of school,
so everyone would see that my hair looks so cool.
But here was unexpected twist,
everyone just pointed and laughed and hissed.
They didn‟t think I was stylish you see.
So I ran straight home as quick as can be.
I knocked on my door with a boom and a bang!
But after all that I was okay,
The barber had been sick, I had cut my hair that day.

L to R: Sangeetha Thevuthasan,
Grace Choi, Joe Luey, James Luey,
Collin Bampton, and Amanda White.
After taking first
place in Washington
State, a team of
students from
Kamiakin High
School took their
innovative design for
a next generation
airplane wing to the
National Real World
Design Competition
in Washington, D.C.
and walked away
with a second place
finish.
The challenge was
sponsored by the
U.S. Department of
Energy and
coordinated in
Washington State through the Washington State
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(OSPI). Dennis Milliken, Career and Technical
Education Supervisor at OSPI, presented the team
with a trophy on May 5.
This is the third year that a team from Kamiakin has
won the state challenge and its first placing at
Nationals. This year‟s winning team called
“Connotations of Flight” was coached by local
architect, Terrance Casey. The team from Kamiakin
High includes Sangeetha Thevuthasan, Sophomore;
Joe Luey Sophomore; Collin Bampton, Senior; Grace
Choi, Senior; Amanda White, Senior; and James Luey,
Senior.
The team designed a wing for a 737, employing
modern structural techniques in the form of spars and
ribs for the internal structure. They used steel
reinforced titanium for both spars and ribs with a thin
layer of aluminum for the skin. Their structure also
incorporated a fuel tank designed to hold 20,000 lbs of
fuel. They tested over 150 wings in a virtual wind
tunnel before reaching their final design.
L to R: Gerry Ringwood, Tri-Tech Principal; Karl Rehwalt, and
Keith Rehwalt from Jim’s Pacific Garages, Inc.; and Lin Grant,
Tri-Tech Program Instructor
Students in Tri-Tech Skills Center‟s Diesel and Heavy
Equipment Program will have their hands-on training
enhanced through the generous donation of a 2005
Freightliner Diesel Truck by Jim‟s Pacific Garages,
Inc. The late-model truck, valued at over $22,000, will
allow students to work on a truck equipped with the
latest technologies.
Lin Grant, program instructor at Tri-Tech, states,
“This truck is a wonderful addition to our program and
will allow us to teach the next level of truck systems
technology. We want to thank Jim‟s Pacific Garages
Inc., for their generosity. It will make a significant
difference.”
“Today‟s diesel and truck technicians need to be both
proficient on computers as well as with a wrench in
their hand,” adds Karl Rehwalt, from Jim‟s Pacific
Garages, Inc.
Jim‟s Pacific Garages and Tri Tri-Tech have partnered
for years with the Automotive Youth Education
System (AYES) summer internship program which
prepares young men and women to become high
performance entry level technicians. According to
Rehwalt, “Students have opportunity to experience
real world situations while being paid. We are always
looking for qualified technicians and appreciate Tri-
Tech‟s commitment to training tomorrow‟s workforce
in this important industry”.

Two seniors in our district have received corporatesponsored
National Merit Program scholarships.
According to the National Merit Program website,
only 1,000 high school seniors across the nation have
won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship.
These awards are financed by about 200 corporations,
company foundations, and other business
organizations.
Orma Ravindranath graduates
from Southridge High School in
June. She plans to study
Environmental Science and Music at
Washington University in St. Louis.
Akshai Baskaran is
graduating from
Kennewick High this
year. He is pursuing a career in
chemical engineering.
Scholars were selected from students
who advanced to the Finalist level in
the National Merit Scholarship competition and met
criteria of their scholarship sponsors. Most of these
awards are renewable for up to four years of college
undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that
range from $500 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a
single payment between $2,500 and $5,000.
Recipients can use their awards at any regionally
accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.
A big thank you to all the district employees who
helped make Horse Heaven Hills D.C. Adventure
Club Fundraiser a success!
A group of H3MS students raised money by selling
sets of sheets. They will be traveling to Washington
D.C. this Summer, June 14 th -19 th . We appreciated all
of your support with our fundraiser!
Mrs. Maiuri and the D.C. Adventure Club
L to R: Abbey Butterfield, Jackie Gazewood, Eric Vo, Jeremy
Rexus, Nikhil Devanathan, Cole Hewitt, and Danny Marty —not
pictured Carrie Christensen.
Ridge View‟s 4 th grade team took first place at the
Richland Math is Cool Competition last April. In
addition to the team victory the following students
received individual recognition as well: Daniel Marty
2 nd place, Nikhil Devanathan 4 th place and Eric Vo 5 th
place. The team has been invited to compete in the
Master‟s Tournament in Moses Lake on May 21,
2011. Good Luck!
On March 31 st the students in Sherry Dedmond‟s
science class at the Juvenile Justice Center undertook
what promises to become an annual school event; their
first Science Fair!
Each student researched, designed and developed a
presentation, given to an audience of approximately 20
parole officers, counselors, teachers and other staffmembers.
For most of these students, this was a first
time experience. The subject matter varied from,
“Erupting Volcanoes”, “The Stages of Human Growth
and Development”, “Astrometry,” and much more.
The class was mentored by Darroll Clark, Pasco PUD
Manager of Renewable Energy Sources. Supporters
were encouraged to cast their votes. The people‟s
choice for finalists were; Andres 1 st Place
“Volcanoes,” 2 nd Place Dylan “Flying Frogs,” and
3 nd Place Dominic “Color Burst,”. We applaud the
courage of our students and congratulate them all for a
job well done. All participates were recognized for
their effort and awarded a certificate for “Excellence
in Science.”

The Kennewick School District‟s Parent Partnership
Program has been gaining the attention of the
National Network of Partnership Schools, of which
the district‟s program is a member, for its innovation
and leadership.
In addition to recent rewards reported here in the
October Connection (available on our internal and
public websites), KSD‟s program was featured in the
most recent national newsletter, which shares best
practices with members.
The newsletter cited the program‟s outreach to
bilingual parents to teach them basic computer skills
and how to access Power School to monitor their
children‟s attendance and academic progress. Park
Middle School‟s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta was held up as
an example of a school that has empowered its
Spanish-speaking families parents to take
responsibility for planning a large event.
KSD‟s Parent Involvement Program operates at
Amistad, Westgate, Eastgate, Edison, Park and
Highlands. You can learn more about KSD‟s Family
and Community Involvement efforts on our website at
http://www.ksd.org/parentresources/getinvolved/
default.aspx
Students in Kamiakin High‟s FFA Chapter recently
competed in a metal art contest with FFA Chapters
from around the state. The event was held at
Columbia Basin College and each team had just six
hours to produce their piece.
The goal of the
competition was to teach
students about the use of
metal, tools, and
welding in creating
artistic pieces, exposing
students to a college
environment with
industry professionals, and help students understand
the value of their skills through the sale of pieces
created.
All of the sculptures,
including the two from the
Kamiakin teams picture
here, are being auctioned at
You and I Framing in
downtown Kennewick. The
auction ends May 7.
A group of Tri-Tech construction trade students recently visited
ECEAP students at Hawthorne Elementary. Here, Angel Hernandez
shows students the proper way to hammer a nail.

and the kind folks at Oklahoma State University
have put together some quick facts and information
to keep us safe year round! It is estimated that there
are roughly 3,600 disabling electrical contact
injuries occur every year in the United States, along
with another 4,000 non-disabling injuries.
Effects on your body: Electricity is an integral part
of today's modern world, and sometimes it is easy
to forget just how dangerous it can be.
A small night-light with a 6-watt bulb can be
fatal. Here are some effects of current passing
through a 150 pound body:
Basics of Electricity:
Electrical current will not flow unless it has a
complete path
Current flows through you and other
conductors.
Current can harm you when it flows through
your body.
Just as there is pressure in a water pipe, even
with no water flowing, there is voltage at a
receptacle, even if current is not
flowing. Another word for voltage is
"Potential."
Current passing through your body can cause
electric shock, resulting in 3 types of potential
injuries: Burns, Physical injuries (broken bones,
falls, and muscle damage), and Nervous system
effects.
Minimize your exposure to static
shocks. Never clean the glass face of
your computer monitor while the
computer is on. You can be injured by
the reaction to the shock even though such shocks
in themselves are not hazardous.
Use safe equipment Do not use
equipment that has been damaged or
improperly modified. Always use
equipment according to the manufacturer's
specifications. Check cords--they should:
Be completely free of damage and deterioration.
Should always have an appropriate strain relief
device where they enter the enclosure
A final reminder to be aware of electrical panels in
our buildings. OSHA & Fire Codes require that we
keep a clearance of 36” around the breaker panels.
In the case of an emergency, our electricians and
fire fighters need a clear pathway to the panel.
Take a few minutes and check your work areas for
electrical hazards~ if you find one we have great
electricians on staff that can help correct problems,
give advice, and help you stay safe!
Article contributed by KSD Safety Coordinator,
Mollie Lutz

05/13—Art Show/Silent Auction Southridge
Photography Students will be holding an Art Show and
Silent Auction at the Mid Columbia Library, 1620 S.
Union Street to raise money for World Relief. Show
starts at 6:00, auction from 7:00-7:45 p.m.
05/18—Project Goodwill At Tri-Tech Skills Center, 5
p.m. With the support of Goodwill Industries, Tri-Cities
DECA and FCCLA chapters from local high schools will
participate in a local version of the hit show, “Project
Runway”. Each team creates three outfits made from
items purchased at Goodwill with a $10.00 budget.
05/19 —KeHS FFA Baked Potato Bar Fundraiser 5:30-
7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. $10.00 ticket with every
penny going to landscape improvements at Kennewick
high.
05/21 Practice SAT, Southridge High is offering a
practice run at the SAT exam this spring for all
interested students. The cost is $25—payable to the
Southridge Academic Boosters. Deadline to register,
May 19. For more information contact
Deborah.Borque@yahoo.com or 585-9828
05/26 Westgate Donuts for Dads, 7:30 a.m. Students
will be encouraged to bring their fathers to this
event. Besides the donuts, the focus of the event will
be reading with your child and summer reading.
06/01 Westgate Muffins for Moms, 7:30 a.m.
Students will be encouraged to bring their mothers to
this event. Besides the muffins, the focus of the event
will be practicing math with your child and math
games.
06/21-23—Quality Teaching for English Learner’s
Workshops, at KSD, Math and Literacy for English
Language Learners for middle and high school
teachers. Contact kathy.fisk@ksd.org for information.
Our spring catalog can be viewed on the KDS website
at www.ksd.org/communityed. Copies are also
available at each school and the Administration
Center. You will find walks, talks, and tours to help you
enjoy the splendor of the Tri-Cities in the spring as well
as indoor classes to challenge the mind.
We are always looking for new ideas for classes and
for instructors. If you have a class idea or would like to
teach for us, contact Terry.Andre@ksd.org
5/9 Mon~Growing Herbs for Fun and Flavor
5/9 Mon~ Preparing for the Unexpected
5/10 Tues~Presenting Yourself
5/11 Wed~Unplugged: Wiring Made Easy
5/12 Thurs~Creative Containers
5/14 Sat~Houses That Hanford Built
5/14 Sat~Crafting with Kids
5/17 Tues~Makeup Artistry
5/18 Wed~Easy Home Repair Projects
5/19 Thurs~Posts and Signs
5/19 Thurs~Radio Controlled Aircraft
5/19 Thurs~Handmade Dragon Beard Candy
5/24 Tues~Getting to Know Your Car
5/26 Thurs~Chinese Knot Necklace & Bracelet
5/26 Thurs~Camping-You Can Take It With You
6/1 Wed~Nutrition Know How
6/3 Fri~Nine Canyon Wind Farms Tour
6/11 Sat~Ice Age Floods Field Trip-Walla Walla
Valley
5/6 Fri~ Raptors, Thrashers, and Flycatchers-
Birds
5/14 Sat~ Ice Age Floods Field Trip Columbia
Plateau
5/21 Sat~ Pickled Asparagus
Want to see your news here?
The KSD Connection generally publishes the first Friday
of the first full week of the month, except January. Send
your submissions to lorraine.cooper@ksd.org by the 30th
of each month. Photos are welcome. Please include
names and a description of the what is going on in the

Read together 20 minutes every day!
Community Photo Contest
Community Prizes
Family Reading Basket
Photo Session and 16X20 Print
from Meghan Rickard Photography
$50 gas card from Sun Mart
Stores
$50 gift card from Barnes & Noble
Do you have pictures of adults reading with children?
Photos of children loving books?
Submit these photos to the Children’s Reading Foundation
during our May 2011 Community Photo Contest.
Submit photos on the Reading Foundation website at
www.readingfoundation.org/mid-columbia
www.readingfoundation.org
(509)222-7323