West Seattle Herald / White Center News - Public Schools

HCC’s MaST Center launches bottle cap collection campaign

ericm — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:34:47 +0000

Press release:

Highline Community College’s Marine Science and Technology Center (MaST) is pleased to announce the launch of the “Got Caps?” plastic bottle cap collection campaign on Saturday, June 8th from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. The MaST Center is partnering with community organizations and local schools to collect bottle caps to prevent accumulation in our landfills. The caps will be reused for eco-art educational projects and distributed to partnering organizations for proper recycling.

The launch event will include workshops to teach different ways to reuse caps for things such as children’s projects or garden art, and a “Sink Your Boat” contest. Attendees that bring a grocery bag of plastic bottle caps to the MaST Center will be entered to win prizes such as a Salty's at Redondo gift certificate, an iTunes gift card, a “sustainable” gift package and more.

Despite common perceptions, plastic bottle caps are one of the least commonly recycled items. These caps eventually become litter in our oceans, streams and beaches. Each year countless birds, mammals and sea turtles die from ingesting caps and other plastic debris. Even in a landfill, a plastic bottle cap can pose a threat to scavenging birds and land animals.

There are currently no measures to guarantee that municipalities recycle bottle caps. In response, the MaST Center will be collecting bottle caps to prevent further build up in landfills. School groups and other organizations are welcome to become involved in collection efforts.

The campaign was also prompted by the gray whale that beached on Arroyo Beach in April 2010 where an examination of his stomach revealed large amounts of plastic. For community awareness and education, the MaST Center permanently showcases the skeleton of the gray whale along with an exhibit of the actual stomach contents.

“After discovering the plastic debris in the stomach of the gray whale and working on a research project involving marine debris and microplastics, I realized the direct impact we as humans have on the Puget Sound and our ecosystem. I hope this campaign will spread awareness that these recyclable caps will end up in our waterways unless we properly recycle them,” said campaign director Nicole Bostic.

The MaST Center is located at 28203 Redondo Beach Dr. S. in Des Moines, Wash. For more information about the “Got Caps?” campaign or collection efforts contact Nicole Bostic at nbostic@highline.edu or visit mast.highline.edu/bottlecaps.php.

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ericm

05/17/2013

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District proposal keeps Highline school security officers armed

ericm — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:37:24 +0000

Proposal to be presented to the public on May 20

School security officers will remain armed under a proposal announced May 14 by Highline Public Schools.

A public meeting will be held Monday, May 20, 6-7:30 p.m., at district headquarters (ERAC), 15675 Ambaum Blvd. S.W.

The school board holds its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 6 p.m., at Southern Heights Elementary,11249 14th Ave. S. The board must approve the plan.

Here is the news release from the district:

More extensive staff training and strong coordination with local law enforcement are the hallmarks of a proposal to improve safety and security at Highline schools. The proposal will be presented to the community at a public meeting on Monday, May 20.

If adopted by the school board, the district Safety and Security plan would not bring major changes to staff structure. It does call for significant improvements in the extent and types of training required of Safety and Security officers. It also outlines joint training and collaboration with local law enforcement agencies.

The proposal includes a vision statement and guiding principles that emphasize building relationships with students as a way to prevent school violence. It envisions Safety and Security personnel as mentors who students trust to help them solve issues that could lead to conflicts at school. The plan includes a rigorous hiring process to ensure that the best candidates are selected as Safety and Security staff.
The proposal was developed after several months of study that included input from staff and community members. The police chiefs of Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, and SeaTac and the South Precinct Commander from the King County Sheriff’s Office gave input on the plan.
Safety consultant Roger Baker, a retired Des Moines police chief, did an analysis of the current safety program and made recommendations for improvement.

The public is invited to learn about the proposal at a community meeting.
Monday, May 20, 6:00-7:30
District Central Office (ERAC)
15675 Ambaum Blvd SW, Burien

For our previous coverage go to www.highlinetimes.com.

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ericm

05/15/2013

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Area junior girls honored for academic achievement

ericm — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:00:09 +0000

The Highline Branch of the American Association of University Women held its annual Young Scholars reception at the Highline District Offices on May 7 to honor local eleventh grade girls who have excelled in science, math, and technology.

The students were nominated by their teachers and counselors from Highline, Evergreen, Tyee, Aviation, Mount Rainier, Kennedy, and Seattle Christian High Schools

The keynote speaker, Dr. Erika Wagner, Business Development Manager of Blue Origin, talked about the thousands of job opportunities that will be available in the private sector of space exploration.

Her advice of “proceeding step by step ferociously” provided inspiration to the young honorees and was especially timely as these girls face one more year of high school and make decisions about their future.

This is the twelfth year the Highline Branch AAUW has been sponsoring and encouraging young women to pursue excellence in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) careers.

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ericm

05/09/2013

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Attention: ex-Wolverines, Pirates, Rams, Totems, Glacier Grizzlies and others, donations sought for Highline student-athlete scholarships

ericm — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:20:02 +0000

It went so well last year, Highline Public Schools and Highline Schools Foundation staffers are doing it again this year.

It is the Scholar-Athlete, Coach and Community Recognition Program.

Sixteen student-athletes, eight honored middle and high school coaches and community contributors will be honored at a recognition banquet, Tuesday, May 21 at Mt. Rainier High School in Des Moines.

The students will receive scholarship funds.

The total amount given away depends on the generosity of Highline alums, parents and community members.

In the inaugural event, $15,000 was raised for scholarship support.

Highline district athletic director Terri McMahan said donations reached $30,000 per year when she organized a similar program as Edmonds Public Schools athletic director. The Edmonds program is still going strong, she reports.

As for last year’s Highline event, McMahan said she has heard nothing but positive comments about it.

“We are committed to making this an annual event and to growing scholarship support,” McMahan declared.

Donations are being accepted online at www.highlineschoolsfoundation.org. Checks can be made payable to the Highline Schools Foundation at 15675 Ambaum Boulevard S.W., Burien 98166. Contributions received after May 17 will apply to next year’s event.

For questions, contact McMahan at terri.mcmahan@highlineschools.org or 206-433-2418.

The student scholarships will be awarded to athletes at the four high school campuses that offer interscholastic athletics—Evergreen, Highline, Mt. Rainier and Tyee.

The coaching staff at each school selects the nominees. They must have a 3.2 or better cumulative grade point average, played at least two sports their senior year, volunteered in the community and displayed outstanding leadership skills.

KJR radio host Dick Fain, “Voice of the Seattle Storm,” will be master of ceremonies at the banquet. Fain is the son of former Highline assistant superintendent Geri Fain.

University of Washington Huskies play-by-play announcer Bob Rondeau pinch hit for Fain at the inaugural event last year when a schedule conflict occurred.

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ericm

04/25/2013

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Aviation High School named #6 in state by US News & World Report

ericm — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:23:09 +0000

AHS ranked among the highest in the nation

Press release:

Aviation High School is ranked as one of the top performing schools in U.S. News and World Report’s Best High School rankings for 2013.

The school is ranked as the 6th best high school in Washington state out of 587 public high schools. Aviation High School is ranked #257 in the country out of more than 21,000 public high schools evaluated. Aviation High School is one of just ten Washington schools to receive a Gold Medal in the report.

“Being ranked so high in the prestigious U.S. News & World Report is a great honor and reflects the quality of teaching by our staff, the support of our industry partners, and our remarkable students,” said CEO/Principal Reba Gilman. “This is the first time Aviation High School has received the national gold medal distinction.”

The rankings are based on how well schools serve all their students, calculated first on how students performed on state exams; and secondly, on how well students are prepared for college-level work, measured by Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate participation and test results.

Aviation High School facts:
State Rank: 6
National Rank: 257
Medal Awarded: Gold
Proficient in Reading: 99%
Proficient in Writing: 97%
AP Participation Rate: 76%
Student-Teacher Ratio: 23:1

View full U.S. News and World Report rankings for Washington State.

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ericm

04/25/2013

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Highline High School students paying it forward to elementary students

ericm — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:04:26 +0000

Cedarbrook Lodge helping older students mentor younger students

Press release:

Global Connections High School students are teaming up with Cedarbrook Lodge to educate fifth graders from Bow Lake Elementary on childhood obesity, anti-bullying and classroom etiquette.

The DECA class at Global Connections developed a field trip for the Bow Lake students. Cedarbrook Lodge is hosting the field trip on May 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

DECA is an international association that aims to prepare emerging high school leaders for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

“My Advanced Marketing students love the challenge of ‘thinking like a 5th grader’ as they consider their target market for the lessons they are planning,” said DECA teacher Alana Vinther. “It’s delightful to hear them comment on the challenges and rewards of working with the elementary students.”

The high school students have enlisted the help of Cedarbrook’s Culinary Director, Roy Breiman, and Executive Chef, Mark Bodinet, to teach the elementary students about nutrition and sustainability through a cooking demonstration. The students will then get to taste the food and go home with a few easy and healthy recipes to try at home.

“I feel it is our responsibility and obligation as members of the Highline community to help educate and inspire passion in our community’s youth,” says Cedarbrook Lodge General Manager, Scott Ostrander. “There is truly no better joy than paying it forward and helping to motivate and foster the growth and maturation of our future leaders.”

Cedarbrook Lodge is also assisting the DECA students in producing a short video that will teach the elementary students about good classroom etiquette. The video will be shown during the field trip.

During the three weeks leading up to the field trips, the high school students are challenging the middle school students to stand up to bullying. During the field trip, students will be recognized for their participation and success in the anti-bulling program.

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ericm

04/24/2013

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Highline College offers free online career tool to community

ericm — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:58:00 +0000

HCC launches Career Coach

Press release:

Highline Community College in partnership with Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI) is pleased to announce the release of Career Coach, a free online tool that allows students and the community to explore career and educational opportunities in our region.

Through a simple keyword search, students and community members learn about the employment prospects of careers and the educational training requirements. The real-time information is customized to Highline’s geographic location, includes detailed wage estimates, employment trends and up-to-date job postings associated with more than 800 careers.

“Career Coach offers both our campus and surrounding communities a powerful tool for career and educational exploration that is easy to use and best of all free,” said Dr. Lisa Skari, Highline’s vice president for institutional advancement. “It is an especially valuable resource because of the local data and job postings it provides. Our hope is that it connects users to the jobs and educational training necessary to obtain their ideal career.”
Career Coach offers additional features to comprehensively prepare users to pursue a profession. The website includes a resume builder to assist in constructing professional-looking resumes and generating content. Career Coach also provides related job fields to assist users in discovering alternative careers that may better match their desires or have stronger growth opportunities.

Visit Career Coach at highline.edu/careercoach. Contact Melissa Sell at msell@highline.edu for questions or more information.

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ericm

04/17/2013

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School retirees meeting scheduled for April 23

ericm — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:01:24 +0000

Press release:

A meeting of the SW King School Retirees Association will be held on Tuesday, April 23, 2013, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 8th and So. 192nd St., Des Moines, at 11:30 a.m.

A donation ($6) lunch will be served and the program, to follow, features Mr. Richard Anderson, President of WSSRA.

He will bring us up-to-date on the happenings in Lacey, and the benefits that AMBA has for us.

(We are also still collecting food and money for the local Food Banks; this month the Feinstein Foundation will double our contributions.) Please join us. If you have any questions regarding this meeting, please call Eileen at 206 878 3294.

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ericm

04/15/2013

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