News Releases

March 29, 2006
Grant, Washington and Winship schools earn state recognition for boosting student achievement

October 30, 2006
Grant and Washington Elementary Schools recognized by California Business Community for high academic achievement

March 10, 2006
Healthy Kids Survey given in April

August 30, 2005
Eureka City Schools expands award-winning EAST program

November 5, 2003
Washington Otters run for fitness and fundraising on November 10

June 19, 2002
Eureka elementary readers help their schools gain $5,000 state award

October 25, 2001
Washington students run to raise funds for new playground

May 1,2000
Eureka teacher awarded Toyota Tapestry Grant

April 12, 2000
Grant and Washington designated as California Distinguished Schools

October 25, 1999
Washington Elementary School holds 4th Annual Roadrunner Run on new field

News Release

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2007

Grant, Washington and Winship schools earn state recognition for boosting student achievement

EUREKA— An ongoing and coordinated effort to boost student achievement at three Eureka schools has been recognized as a distinguished accomplishment by the California Department of Education (CDE).

Grant Elementary School, Washington Elementary School and Winship Middle School have been awarded CDE's 2006-07 Title 1 Academic Achievement Award. Representatives from these schools will attend the 2007 California Title 1 Conference in Costa Mesa on April 16 to receive the awards.

Kim Cobine, former principal of Winship Middle School and current assistant superintendent of Humboldt County Schools, described the school's accomplishment as an eight-year process. "It was a combination of analyzing testing data each year and developing various school-wide programs that really made the difference," noted Cobine. "Our decisions were all focused on improving student learning."

Winship offers school-wide programs in reading, writing, library research, mathematics and classroom management for teachers.

Test data was scrutinized to find "key patterns within the subgroups and address areas of concern," said Cobine. Student subgroups consist of English language learners, special education, socioeconomic and ethnicity.

In addition, special education students and their teachers have more involvement in regular education classroom. "Winship has an inclusion model that brings special education teachers and aides into the classrooms where small groups of resource students are clustered," said Cobine. "They receive the same curriculum and instruction as everyone else, but with the teachers and aides in the room, all students are given more attention."

"The added bonus for our special education students was the increase in self esteem and confidence they gained as learners because they weren't being pulled out of the classroom and singled out by other children," said Cobine.

Winship's after school program also receives credit from Cobine. "Students received strong academic support after school. It was an integral part of the success."

Cobine is proud of the entire Winship staff. "It was a lot of hard work on the teachers' part, and actually everyone who works at Winship, because we all had to be a part of the learning. Whether working with students in a support class, after school program or even on the playground to enforce our school-wide behavior plan, without their dedication to the concept that we can do better and all children can learn, I don't think we would have achieved at the level we did."

The Grant school staff recognized the importance of meeting the changing needs of their students after a shift in demographics brought more English language learners to the school. Lee Ann Lanning, former principal of Grant Elementary School and current principal of Washington School, convened a site leadership team of teachers which met regularly to address the changing academic and social needs of students.

"Math is an area Grant students have done well in," remarked Lanning, "so teachers identified literacy as the primary academic need along with social, emotional and behavioral issues."

Grant's leadership team determined that the literacy needs of their students were related to second language issues as well as possible learning issues.

To address students' social, emotional and behavioral needs, a variety of interventions and ongoing trainings were put into place including utilizing the school's psychologist, disseminating parent surveys, offering Healthy Play training for staff members and ongoing training for the school's playground monitors. One of the results is that Grant has experienced a decrease of in-school and out-of-school suspensions.

Lanning arranged for her teachers to participate in targeted training on curriculum evaluation, program planning and developing quality intervention programs. "We decided to revamp our intervention both during the school day and in our after school classes," said Lanning.

Grant School also identified students for language arts intervention classes and English language learner support. "Grant leadership team decided to group English language learners within the grades based on a variety of information, including test results, in order to provide intensive and targeted instruction in language development."

Lanning credits the entire Grant staff for the school's accomplishment. "Grant School has a highly dedicated staff committed to ongoing professional development to supporting student learning."

Paul Gossard, former principal at Washington School and current principal at Winship Middle School, was pleased to find out about the recognition and was quick to praise the entire Washington staff.

"School success does not come by accident," stated Gossard. "This award reflects the dedication, creativity and tenacity of Washington's teachers, intervention teachers and support staff in seeking success for all students."

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News Release
For Immediate Release

October 30, 2006

Grant and Washington Elementary Schools recognized by California Business Community for high academic achievement

EUREKA— Eureka City Schools announced today that Grant and Washington elementary schools have been selected by the California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) Foundation and Just for Kids-California (JFTK-CA) as two of 304 public schools in California to receive the title of 2006 Honor Roll school.

This is Washington Elementary School’s second consecutive year of being recognized as an Honor Roll school.

Grant and Washington schools will be honored at an awards dinner on November 14 in San Francisco.

Schools receiving this distinction from California’s business community have demonstrated consistent high student academic achievement and have made significant progress toward closing achievement gaps among all their students. The CBEE Foundation/JFTK-CA Honor Roll is made up of two different awards, the Star Schools Award (100 schools) and the Scholar Schools Award (204 schools).

“We are thrilled to be selected as an Honor Roll school and recognized by California’s business community,” said Lee Ann Lanning, principal at Washington Elementary. “Our teachers and administrators have worked tirelessly to ensure the focus is on student academic achievement and reaching grade-level proficiency.” Lanning was principal at Grant Elementary for four years prior to starting this school year at Washington.

Former Washington principal Paul Gossard remarked, “We hold all our students, no matter what their background, to the same high standards because we believe they can all reach grade-level proficiency.” Gossard was principal at Washington for five years before moving to Winship Middle School for the start of the 2006-07 school year.

CBEE Star Schools (100 schools) are those with significant populations of socio-economically disadvantaged students that have shown a significant increase in grade-level proficiency over four years for all subgroups.

Honor Roll schools are being recognized because they are on track to meet the goal of 100% grade-level proficiency by the 2013-14 school year as required by No Child Left Behind.

According to CBEE, no other school recognition program in California uses hard data, individual school and student subgroup performance data based on the California Standards Tests and the California High School Exit Exam, to evaluate school academic performance.

The CBEE Foundation describes its mission as “driving the debate beyond the usual questions of “if” we should have standards or accountability or “where” those standards should be set to instead demonstrate that standards can and are being met. We focus our attention on improving student achievement and giving a voice to those that are raising academic achievement and closing achievement gaps.”

The non-profit organization Just for Kids-California (www.jftk-ca.org) provides a powerful on-line data and school improvement system free of charge to everyone; parents, educators and communities. The JFTK-CA database has become the largest longitudinally linked, student achievement database in California and is receiving over one million hits per month from California schools.

A full list of the Honor Roll Schools can be found at www.cbeefoundation.org.

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News Release
For Immediate Release

March 10, 2006

Healthy Kids Survey given in April

EUREKA— Eureka City Schools will be administering the California Healthy Kids Survey in April. It is given every other year to 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th grade students. It is voluntary and anonymous. Students do not have to participate and no names are used. The survey results will help us plan programs to assist students.

The survey asks questions about student behaviors, such as:

physical activity and nutrition

use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs

bullying, teasing, weapons, and school violence

feelings of safety at school and out of school

feelings of connection with a teacher or other adult (does someone care about them at school and out of school)

Signed consent is required for all 5th grade students from their parent or guardian. Parents/guardians must sign and return the form, either giving or denying consent.

Signed consent is not required for 7th, 9th, and 11th graders’ parents or guardians. If you do NOT want your child to participate, fill out and return the withdrawal form. If you allow your child to take part in the survey you do not have to return the form.

Consent/withdrawal forms were mailed to all 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th grade student addresses. If you did not receive it, call your child’s school or 476-1601.

You can read a copy of the actual survey at your child's school. Each school office has a copy in English and in Spanish.

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Press Release
For Immediate Release

August 30, 2005

Eureka City Schools expands award-winning EAST program

EUREKA— Eureka City Schools has big plans to offer its award-winning Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) program to four elementary schools, the Transition Opportunity Program (TOP) and Zoe Barnum High School during the 2005-06 school year.

“We are the first school district in California and third in the nation to bring EAST to this level,” said Michelle Hutchins, the district’s learning director of education technology.

Eureka City Schools recently received a $230,000 Enhancing Education Through Technology competitive grant from the State of California, to expand its EAST program, offered at Eureka High School and Winship and Zane Middle schools, to include four elementary schools, TOP and Zoe Barnum High School.

“We are now the only district in California where students in grades 4 through 12 can experience the collaborative learning environment provided by the EAST experience,” noted Hutchins. “The EAST program will now serve a total of 800 students as 500 additional students join from fourth through twelfth grades.”

Eureka City Schools pursued the expansion of EAST to include grades 4 and 5 with the belief that early introduction of EAST program tenets will increase student commitment to their learning process.

EAST students are encouraged to find a school or community problem to solve, document their progress, and present their results/status using technology.

The EAST model was chosen because of a nationwide history of success and the success experienced by Eureka City Schools’ students. Based on a limited study over the past four years, Eureka EAST students experienced a 15 percent increase in attendance and a 40 percent decrease in incidences involving discipline. In addition, at-risk students are less likely to transfer to independent study or alternative education if they are involved in EAST. Almost 90 percent of Eureka EAST projects directly involve the community and 20 percent of student projects concern issues about race and ethnicity.

Students from the Eureka High School, Zane and Winship EAST programs attended the 2005 EAST Partnership Conference held in Sacramento where each program received “Superior” ratings. Several EAST projects with significant community impact were recognized with awards at the annual conference including “Youth Relay for Life,” “Gotta Serve Somebody; Humboldt Vietnam War Memories,” and “Youth Ready to Respond,” a cross-age disaster preparedness education program. More than 2,000 middle school and high school students were there to represent the hard work of over 20,000 EAST students from over 220 schools in 6 states.

Hutchins credits the EAST Lab facilitators for creating a dynamic program. “The success of our EAST Labs is a testimonial to the awesome instructors we have directing these programs; Jennifer Johnson and Ron Perry at Eureka High, Jamie Bush at Zane, and Dana Jacobs at Winship.”

The new elementary EAST program, serving students in grades 4-5, will allow teachers to develop lessons rich in real-life experiences. Much of their initial work will focus on analysis of instructional methods and student learning through video work. With this information, they will refine their lessons and include technology as a component for increasing student access and achievement.

“Assuming we can secure the funding, we plan to include the remaining two elementary school in the near future,” said Hutchins.

Both Washington and Grant Elementary Schools will each receive 32 laptops with wireless network capabilities that will all connect to the Internet from several buildings on the campuses. Adding to the existing technology, the laptops will be dispersed between target classrooms to ensure daily integration of EAST philosophy. Laptops provide flexibility to the number of computers used with students on a given day resulting in the number of students per computer averaging 2.4 students per computer at Grant and 3.4 students per computer at Washington.

Jefferson Elementary School will receive 10 multimedia workstations dispersed throughout 3 classrooms that will bring the number of students to computers to 5:1.

Lafayette Elementary School will receive 15 multimedia workstations located in one classroom that teachers will rotate their students through on a daily basis. The shared classroom will provide 2 students per computer initially, but after renovations are complete and computers are dispersed, classrooms will have a 7:1 student to computer ratio.

All computers purchased are designed to run advanced software applications. Several of the applications come with campus licenses and some with home licensing for students.

“The home licensing and laptop check-out programs will address the needs of students who would not have the means to acquire experience in these applications any other way thus helping to address the “digital divide,”” remarked Hutchins.

The four elementary schools will have their EAST programs up and running by October, according to Hutchins.

The EAST program at TOP School and Zoe Barnum High School will serve academically at-risk students, provide teachers a professional development center and host family technology nights. The classrooms will be used after school for various programs and become a place where students and their families will have access to technology for the purpose of learning.

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Media Advisory
November 5, 2003

Washington Otters run for fitness and fundraising on November 10

EUREKA— Washington Elementary School students will be participating in The Otter Trotter Jog-a-Thon, an all-school event, sponsored by the Washington PTA on Monday November 10 from 9 a.m. to noon. The goals of the event are to emphasize the importance of fitness and to raise funds for important school projects, including playground renovation and technology. Students are getting either flat-rate or per-lap pledges.

The media is welcome to come to the Otter Trotter Jog-a-Thon. Please check in with the school’s office.

For more information contact Paul Gossard, Washington principal, at 441-2547. Washington is located at 3322 Dolbeer in Eureka.

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'Press Release
For Immediate Release

June 19, 2002

Eureka elementary readers help their schools gain $5,000 state award

EUREKA— Between October and April, Eureka elementary students at five schools read well over 2.7 million pages to qualify their school for the Governor’s Reading Award. On June 18, The Secretary of Education’s office announced the $5,000 award will be given to Grant Elementary School (442,576 pages), Lafayette Elementary School (1,031,878 pages), Lincoln Elementary School (539,250 pages) and Washington Elementary School (741,207 pages). Locally 17 schools received the reading award and up to 800 statewide could qualify. This is the third year of the Governor’s Reading Award program.

Eureka school librarians have encouraged students and parents to create a good reading environment at home and the importance of reading 15-20 minutes every day in a quiet area with no distractions.

For more information visit www.ose.ca.gov/ose_programs/reading/index.html or contact Sheldon J. Reber at 441-2416.

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Press Release
For Immediate Release

October 25, 2001

Washington students run to raise funds for new playground

EUREKA— Ready, set, run! Kindergarten through fifth-grade students at Washington Elementary School will participate in the school’s bi-annual Roadrunner Run on Friday, October 26 from 9:50 to 12:30 p.m. on school’s field. The students and their families have been busy gathering community pledges to raise funds for new playground equipment.

The media is invited to attend Washington School’s Roadrunner Run.

New state standards require Washington to make $40,000 worth of changes to existing playground equipment. The school will need to install thicker safety mats around current playground equipment. Washington must also replace their wooden play structure with one that is in compliance with state safety requirements.

For more information contact Washington principal Paul Gossard at 441-2547.

May 1, 2000

Eureka teacher awarded Toyota Tapestry Grant

EUREKA - A local teacher's idea to raise student-environmental literacy levels through a series of field trips has attracted a $10,000 TAPESTRY grant from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc.

Jeff Self, a Washington Elementary School teacher, is one of 50 winners nationwide to receive a 2000 Toyota TAPESTRY grant. Funded by Toyota and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the grants total nearly $500,000 and enhance the teaching of science in the areas of environmental education and physical science. Self's project was selected by a panel of science educators from more than 700 proposals.

Toyota TAPESTRY is the largest K- 12 science teacher grant program in the country. Since the program's inception in 1990 it has awarded teaching grants totaling nearly $4 million to teachers in 48 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

As part of Self's project, fourth-grade science students and their families will take field trips to 20 unique environmental sites in Northern California's Humboldt County. After researching the environmental sites, students will develop, write and organize hands-on, minds-on activities and draw maps for each of the 20 sites.

Self teaches all subjects to fourth-grade students at Washington Elementary School, where he has been teaching for 14 years. Assisting on the project are fellow Washington Elementary School teachers, Cathy Westphal, Martin Goddi, Kathy Dimick and Mary Pigeon.

"In the past 10 years, innovative TAPESTRY projects have been awarded throughout the United States and its territories -- in urban and rural areas -- to 393 teams of teachers," said Gloria Jahn, TMS Corporate Manager Corporate Philanthropy and Internal Communications. "Toyota is proud to be a part of a program that directly supports teachers' creativity with their students and in their communities."

"NSTA is pleased to celebrate the IOth anniversary of this wonderful program with the announcement of the 50 winners for the year 2000," said Emma Walton, president of NSTA. "We congratulate the awardees and thank Toyota for supporting innovative science education at the grass roots level through its partnership with NSTA."

NSTA, headquartered in Arlington, Va., is dedicated to improving science education at all levels. Its 50,000-plus membership includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives.

Toyota TAPESTRY is just one program that demonstrates Toyota's commitment to education. In 1999, Toyota contributed more than $16.9 million to U.S. charities, with more than 60 percent funding education.

April 12, 2000

Grant and Washington designated as California Distinguished Schools

Exciting teaching strategies, a commitment to community service, and child-centered learning environments are just some of the qualities that were noted when Grant and Washington elementary schools received Distinguished School status from the California Department of Education.

Grant School has previously been recognized as a California Distinguished School in 1987. Washington School has also been recognized in 1987 and 1997.

The Grant report noted, "The teachers and administration subscribe to a very motivating hands-on approach. Classrooms reflect this with colorful displays of student work and engaging bulletin boards."

Grant's staff was given credit for working together. "This is a very harmonious staff. There are many opportunities to interface. Collaboration is a strength resulting in Ocean Weeks, a school-wide thematic unit at the end of each year," the report stated.

Grant's extensive after-school program was mentioned. "The school houses a sizable Community Learning Center which offers remediation and enrichment opportunities after school. In addition, students can receive help with math and reading before school."

Washington School's distinguished school application mentions the school's high academic marks. "A key element to Washington students' continued academic success is the school's initiative in exploring and implementing innovative programs. A restructured scheduling of the school day and the development of a multi-age program at the primary grades are successful outcomes of the Washington 'can-do' spirit."

The application also noted, "Every decision made at Washington is child-centered and constantly stresses the developmental needs of its students as its highest priority."

A Washington parent commented that school efforts, "fuse together like a quilt of many pieces-a quilt that envelops our children. Not always definable in measurable terms, it's a thing of great beauty." On May 5, representatives from the two Eureka schools will travel to Anaheim to be recognized among 233 California schools. Applications were received from 681 schools, the largest number in the school recognition program's 15-year history.

For more information contact Kevin O'Brien, principal at Grant Elementary, 441-2552. Grant School is located at Oak and H Streets, Eureka.

For more information contact Kathleen Honsal, principal at Washington Elementary, 441-2547. Washington School is located at 3322 Dolbeer, Eureka.

October 25, 1999

Washington Elementary School holds 4th Annual Roadrunner Run on new field

Washington Elementary Schools Roadrunner Run will be held this Friday from 9:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the schools renovated field. The walk/jog/run-a-thon has been sponsored jointly by the school and the PTA every other year since the Fall of 1993.

PTA Event Chairman, John Friedenbach said that he expects nearly 100 percent turnout from the 378 K-6 students as well as a handful of parent volunteers to participate in the Roadrunner Run. Children in kindergarten through 2nd grade will walk or run for 20 minutes and students from 3rd through 6th for 30 minutes. Each participant receives a T-shirt in the morning as well as a popsicle upon completion of the race. The start of the race times are 9:50, 10:20, 10:50, 11:30 a.m. and 12:10 p.m.

Freidenbach said that the Roadrunner Run has raised more than $30,000 since 1993. This year he expects the pledges from the community to reach at least $8,000. The money helps support the technology program, school-wide student activities and PTA activities.

This is the first event that will be held on the newly renovated field at Washington Elementary. Eureka Rotary, the Humboldt Area Foundation, Redwood Empire Little League, Humboldt Youth Soccer, St. Bernards High School and Eureka City School formed a successful community partnership to transform the blacktop-like ground to the new field.

The $75,000 project was completed in August after installing an irrigation system and grass. The new facilities also feature new backstops, dugouts, bleachers, baseball diamonds, restrooms, a snack bar and improved drainage system.

The Roadrunner Run will be held at Washington Elementary School, located at 3322 Dolbeer St., Eureka. For more information about the Roadrunner Run, contact Kathleen Honsal, principal or a PTA member at 441-2547.