POSITIVELY PASCO Your Online Connection to Pasco Schools April 19, 2019

Putting students first to make learning last a lifetime.

Celebrating academics, diversity, and innovation.

Two Pasco Schools will have new principals beginning July 1. Jamie Bacon will be the principal for the brand-new Three Rivers Elementary when it opens to students in August. Bacon has spent the last few years serving as an Assistant Principal, first at Longfellow Elementary and currently at Frost Elementary. Prior to that, Bacon served as an elementary instructional coach at Longfellow and Chess Elementary. Bacon started her PSD career in 1999, and has served as a teacher at McGee, Angelou and Chess Elemen-tary schools, as well as McLoughlin Middle School. “We have a unique opportunity because we get to establish Three Rivers’ first mission and vision statement, and we get to be on the ground floor for building the school’s culture,” Bacon says. “I’m really looking forward to working collaboratively with our team as we work to define who we are and what our vision is for our school.”

Omar Escalera will be the new principal at Frost Elementary, replac-ing Robin Hay who will serve as the principal of Columbia River Elementary when it opens in the 2020-21 school year. Escalera is currently an Assistant Principal at Pasco High School, a position he has held for the last two years. Prior to that, Escalera served as a dual-language teacher in the district at both Angelou Elementary and McLoughlin Middle School. In 2016, Escalera was named the ESD 123 Regional Teacher of the Year. Escalera started his career with Pasco Schools in 2000, working as a paraeducator at Longfellow Elementary. Escalera says there are three things that he’s excited about with this new challenge. “I am excited about continuing the leadership legacy in the Pasco School district,” Escalera says. “I’m also excited about serving my community and having an opportunity to impact the academic, social and emotional learning of all students, but especially vulnerable student popu-lations and their families.”

PSD to Welcome Two New Principals for 2019-20 School Year

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IN THIS ISSUE...

PSD Students Honored at ESD Art Show - Pg. 2

PHS Teacher Named Educator of the Year - Pg. 4

VIP Day at Frost Elementary - Pg. 8

Upcoming Events/Board Meeting Notes - Pg. 12

Jamie Bacon

Omar Escalera

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Students, Teachers Honored for Inspired Art at Annual ESD 123 Show

Talented student artists and the teachers who inspire them to create beautiful and thought-provoking pieces of

art were honored at the Board of Directors meeting on March 26. Each of the students submitted artwork for

the annual ESD 123 Student Art Show held recently at CBC’s Gjerde Center.

Students who received Honorable Mention at the ESD 123 Art Show:

Jocelyn Frank - Chiawana HS, “Late Bloomer”

Marisol Torres - Chiawana HS, “New York City”

LeeAnne Griego - Chiawana HS, “Dragon”

Anjela Bracamontes - Chiawana HS, “Colored Man”

Bradley Smith - New Horizons HS, “Pink Flower”

Juan Guerrero - New Horizons HS, “Dragon Dog”

Chloe Brook - Pasco HS, “Hanging Reflection”

Students who received Judges Choice honors at the ESD 123 Art Show:

Cooper Brook - Chiawana HS, “Hoop”

Aliya Pangelinan - Chiawana HS, “Jewel of the Eye”

Leon Galvez - Chiawana HS, “Got ‘Em”

Yesenia Moncada - Chiawana HS, “The Onlooker”

Yesenia Penaloza - New Horizons HS, “Close Eye”

Marlene Macias - Pasco HS, “Self Portrait”

Students who received Superintendent’s Top Choice and Honorable Mention honors as chosen by

Superintendent Michelle Whitney:

Jessica Alencaster - Chiawana HS, “Bright Colors”

Keila Castillo Sainz - Chiawana HS, “Contrasts”

Martha Perez - New Horizons HS, “Road to Success”

Florentino Castillo - New Horizons HS, “Marco Education”

Wendy Rojas - New Horizons HS, “The Way to a Bright Future”

Marlene Macias - Pasco HS, “Asteraceae”

Several PSD art teachers were also

recognized for helping to inspire the

students, including Chiawana High

School teachers Felicia Jones, Ethan

Miller, Ken Merrick, and Verna

Schwilke, New Horizons High School

teachers Saul Martinez and Joel Nunn,

and Pasco High School teachers Kristi

Baker and Randi Cruzen.

ESD 123 Art Contest winners and their teachers were recognized at the

March 26 Board of Directors meeting. From left to right: Chiawana HS

teacher Verna Schwilke, Chiawana HS student Keila Castillo Sainz,

Chiawana HS teacher Ken Merrick, Pasco HS student Marlene Macias.

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Chiawana 9th Graders Impress in Rube Goldberg Machine Competition

Even though they may not have known who Rube Goldberg was at the beginning of the school year, 9th grade

STEM students at Chiawana High School certainly did a good job creating some of his namesake machines for

a special competition last month.

For those who don’t know, a Rube Goldberg machine is a machine that is intentionally designed to perform a

simple task in an indirect and overcomplicated fashion. Students were tasked with creating a Rube Goldberg

machine using their knowledge of physics principles studied in science, and their understanding of various

sensor capabilities from work done in their robotics classes. And to incorporate their English class, the

machine had to be designed to symbolically represent the cause and effect relationships demonstrated in

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Two teams tied for 1st place in the competition: Some Glasses (Yadhira Tadeo, Jaedee Gonsalves, Maria

Severiano Morales) and Thee Riverhawks (Anthony Parra Guzman, Kelsey Anderson, Jennifer Edeza

Garcia). The project was funded through a STEM Like Me! Grant from the Dream Builders Educational

Foundation and the Mid-Columbia STEM Network.

Pasco High Teacher Honored by Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Congratulations to Pasco High School’s Constantino

Montes! He received the 2019 Outstanding Educator

of the Year award from the Tri-Cities Hispanic Cham-

ber of Commerce.

Montes is a math teacher at Pasco High. He received

the award during the chamber’s “Una Noche de Exi-

tos” banquet on April 12 at the Pasco Red Lion.

#PROUDofPASCO

First Place (tie): Thee Riverhawks First Place (tie): Some Glasses

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Carniceria La Barata Honored with “PinK” Award at Board Meeting

The Pasco School District Board of Directors presented

a Partner in Kindness, or “PinK”, award to Carniceria

La Barata at their meeting on March 26.

Partner in Kindness awards are given to groups, organi-

zations and individuals who donate more than $1,000

in cash, goods or services that directly benefit the stu-

dents of the Pasco School District. In December,

Carniceria La Barata donated and served up more than

2,000 tacos at Pasco High’s parent-sponsored posada

event.

A big “thank you” to Carniceria La Barata for their

generous commitment to our students and the Pasco

community.

Pasco School Board President Steve Christensen presents

a Partner in Kindness award to Carniceria La Barata own-

er Margarita Ortiz.

Longfellow Students Honored for Entries in Cesar Chavez Poster Contest

Nine students from Longfellow Elementary were recognized last month for the artwork they submitted for the

Cesar Chavez student poster drawing contest sponsored by the Tri-Cities Council of the League of United

Latin American Citizens.

Marco De La Mora, Ana

Hernandez, Natalie

Jaimes, Ariana Murillo,

Perla Ramirez, Jasmin

Toscano, Meztli Toscano,

Anali Verduzco and Leila

Wright all received their

certificates during a recep-

tion at Columbia Basin

College on March 30.

Great job Longhorns!

#PROUDofPASCO

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Frost Elementary Welcomes Community at VIP Day

More than a dozen Very Important Parents and Very Inter-

ested Patrons got up bright and early on March 28 to see

Very Innovative Pasco in action at Frost Elementary’s VIP

Day. Guests spent the morning with Frost students, engag-

ing in classroom activities and experiencing the exceptional

qualities that make Pasco Schools an exciting place to learn.

Principal Robin Hay and Assistant Principal Jamie Bacon

served as tour guides for the guests, showing off many of

the great things that students are learning and doing at Frost

Elementary.

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Bus Rodeo Tests Skills of Bus Driver Candidates over Spring Break

Scholarships Available from Pasco Association of Educators

Applications are now being accepted for five $1,000 scholarships

offered by the Pasco Association of Educators (PAE). One scholar-

ship will be awarded to a PSD senior whose parent is a PAE mem-

ber, and who plans to enroll in a program that results in a teaching

degree. Another scholarship will be awarded to a PSD senior who

also plans to enroll in a program that results in a teaching degree,

but their parent does not need to be a PAE member.

Two more scholarships will be awarded to two PSD seniors whose

parents are PAE members, and who plan to enroll in a two or four

year vocational or academic program.

A fifth scholarship will be awarded to a current senior attending a public or private school in another district

who has a parent who is a PAE member.

Applications can be picked up at the PAE office located at 500 N. 20th Avenue in Pasco. You can also request

an application by calling (509) 544-0363 or emailing lunseth@washingtonea.org. Applications are due by

May 2.

Some of the District’s new bus driver trainees

and driver training candidates spent part of their

spring break honing their bus driving skills at

the PSD bus yard. The drivers participated in a

bus rodeo on April 5, where they practiced sev-

eral bus driving skills including student pickups,

backing into a parking stall, left/right turns, rail-

road crossings, and parallel parking.

The daylong event wrapped up with a barbecue

potluck and medals for the winning teams.

Angelou Elementary students (from

left to right) Isabella Bustamante,

Gerardo Moran Garcia, London

Ruff, Anisha Broetje, Emely

Acosta, Marbella Meraz Mendoza,

Noe Lima Ponce, Jocelyn Lopez,

Lizette Gomez and Brooklyn

Landram led the flag salute at the

Board of Directors meeting on March

26. The students are all enrolled in

the school’s Dual Language program.

Saluting Students

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Board Notes 3-26-19

Study Session • Michelle Whitney led a discussion on the Board’s self-assessment and characteristics, and the District’s

annual objectives. Special Recognition • Shane Edinger presented a Partner in Kindness award to Carniceria La Barata for their generous donation

to Pasco High School’s parent-sponsored Posada. The District’s winners in the annual ESD 123 High School Art Show were also recognized. Edinger also recognized the Benton-Franklin School Retirees Association in honor of School Retirees Appreciation Week March 18-24.

Action Items • The board approved the completion of the Long-Term Facilities Management Plan to address facility

needs for Pasco School District. Reports • Sarah Thornton provided an update to the board on the topic of director districts in light of a recent change

in the Washington Voting Rights Act. • Kevin Hebdon provided board members with background information and an overview of GFOA’s best

practices in school district budgeting. • Kevin Hebdon provided board members with a monthly budget status report for the District’s General

Fund, Capital Projects Fund, Debt Service Fund, ASB Fund, and Transportation Vehicle Fund. Consent Agenda was approved with: Personnel; Warrant Approval; Approval of 180 Days Requirement Waiver Due to Cancellation of School; Approval of Resolution No. 973: Columbia River Elementary Constructability Recommendations, and Reso-lution 974: Acceptance of bid proposal for Middle School #4; Approval of Asset Preservation Program Build-ing Condition Assessment Scores; Approval of Overnight Student travel for Chiawana High School and New Horizons High School DECA Students to participate in Every 15 Minutes program in Kennewick, WA. Board meetings are broadcast on PSC-TV (Pasco City Television) Channel 191 on Charter Cable in Pasco. You can view the schedule at: www.pasco-wa.gov/psctvschedule. The City of Pasco is also streaming the meetings at: www.pasco-wa.gov/psctvOnDemand. The meetings are also posted on the District YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/pascoschools Board meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. (the only exceptions being

December and July). Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. Study sessions are held in advance of regularly sched-

uled board meetings at 4:30 p.m.

Board agendas are posted on Friday prior to the meeting. Agendas and minutes can be viewed at

www.psd1.org/domain/24

Upcoming Events: Apr. 23: Board of Directors Meeting - 6:30 p.m.

Apr. 24: Administrative Professionals Day

Apr. 26-27, May 3-4: PHS Drama: Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon

May 6-10: Teacher Appreciation Week

May 7: National Teacher Day

May 8: National School Nurse Day

May 9-10, 17-18: CHS Drama: Chicken Bones for the Teenage Soup

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION: Pasco School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, age,

religion, color, national origin, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of trained dog

guide or service animal. Pasco School District provides equal access to the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other designated youth groups. Questions

and complaints of alleged discrimination should be addressed to the following designated employees: Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance Officer

Sarah Thornton, 1215 W. Lewis St., Pasco, WA 99301, 509-543-6700, sthornton@psd1.org; or Section 504 coordinator Charlotte Stingley, 1215 W.

Lewis St., Pasco, WA 99301, 509-543-6700, cstingley@psd1.org. Nondiscrimination policies are available at www.psd1.org.