Community:
Winter 2020

 

District News

Spotlight on Northshore Grads

Varisha Khan

Varisha Khan

Then: Timbercrest Junior High School; Woodinville High School, class of 2013

Now: I was recently elected and sworn in as a City Councilmember in Redmond, WA. Since graduation, I received my BA from the University of Washington in Journalism and Political Science and have worked in non-profits across King County focused on making media and government more representative of the people. In elected office now, I plan to put environmental sustainability, affordable housing and equity at the forefront in local government.

What did you love about your school?
What I loved most about WHS was that even though I stood out in the crowd of students as the only girl who wore a hijab and was often put down by my peers for being different, there were always a number of teachers, administrators, cafeteria staff, and custodians who I would also see everyday who would encourage me and made me feel seen and valued. I had teachers who not only defended me against mistreatment, but empowered me to stand up for myself. On days I felt insecure about how others may see me dressed, a cafeteria worker would smile at me, say my hijab looks beautiful and tell me a story about her childhood friends who were also Muslim. The “grown ups” at WHS who empowered me to be proud of who I am and who fostered my need to give back to others around me are what I will always love about WHS. 

Advice for current students?
My advice is first to be kind to yourself and then to learn as much as you can about yourself and how you can help those around you, not just now, but for the rest of your life.

You don’t need to have it all figured out, but by the time you graduate, there are 5 things that are important to know about yourself:

  1. What classes and activities you like
  2. What classes and activities you don’t like
  3. What classes and activities are easier for you
  4. What classes and activists are harder for you
  5. What makes you angry about the world.

When I was in high school, I wrote these down at the back of my planner every year and tracked them until graduation. The first four will help you determine what career paths to consider, colleges or trade schools, classes, and career specialities. The fifth will help you find your passion. Passion is often fueled by positive anger: a need for change. Use your positive anger as a compass to guide you to be as successful as you could never imagine you’d be.

 


 

Building for the future

Thank you to the Northshore community for voting in 2018 to renew the technology levy, renew the educational programs and operations levy and approve the capital projects bond. By voting “yes” on these three measures, you demonstrated your commitment to Northshore students, staff and schools. The trust and support you’ve shown the District is instrumental in our work to ensure excellence in education for all students. The levies have allowed the implementation of 1:1 computers for students in the classroom, as well as covered the education costs that our community finds important, but that are not fully funded by the state. The bond is supporting construction of Ruby Bridges Elementary, the Skyview & Canyon Creek Expansion Project, Northshore Concert Hall, numerous school improvements and essential safety & security upgrades.

Northshore Concert Hall at Inglemoor

Rendering of interior of Northshore Concert Hall at Inglemoor

In October, the Northshore Concert Hall at Inglemoor completed design development and the environmental review. As part of the environmental review, the project underwent the Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol. The project scored an 82, qualifying it as a Washington Sustainable School. Following design development, the project moved into the construction document phase, which outlined exactly how the building will be constructed. Once these documents were close to completion, the permitting process began in January. In the coming weeks, the Maximum Allowable Construction Cost (MAC) will be established and groundbreaking is expected in May.

Learn More

Ruby Bridges Elementary

Elementary 21 exterior

Ruby Bridges Elementary, formerly Elementary #21, was officially named in December by the Northshore School Board. The project continues to progress both inside and out and is on schedule to open fall 2020. The rockery retaining wall is installed in the east parking lot, the athletic field is 90% complete and site prep work is beginning for the accessible playground area. Additionally, the asphalt-treated base was placed in the bus entryway, as well as the staff parking area. Interior finish work is ongoing within the building. Casework, cabinets, ceiling grids, lighting, doors and hardware are being installed throughout various sections of the school. Power and lights were connected at the Large On-site Sewage System (LOSS) building in December. Operation of the septic equipment motors and generators will be tested in the coming months.

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Skyview & Canyon Creek Expansion

Skyview Canyon Creek Building F

The Skyview and Canyon Creek expansion project has made notable strides toward completion over the last several months. The flexible use main building had the commissioning process completed in December, as well as furniture installation. The certificate of occupancy for this building was issued at the beginning of January and students and staff were welcomed to the new space at the end of January. During winter break, flooring was laid in Skyview’s health classrooms and Canyon Creek’s gym. The remaining work on the project is on Canyon Creek’s gym, where the gym floor needs to be cured for an extended period of time. The entirety of the project is expected to be completed in early March, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and community event to be held on March 5, 2020.

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School Improvements

There will be a number of smaller projects during summer 2020 to modernize schools, as well as make them safer and more energy efficient. These important improvements are also made possible by the voter-approved bond. Some of these projects include:

  • Replacing sections of flooring at East Ridge, Lockwood, Maywood Hills, Moorlands, Wellington, and Westhill elementaries.
  • Upgrading restrooms at Lockwood and Wellington elementaries.
  • Continue upgrading the fire sprinkler system at Kokanee Elementary.
  • Upgrading HVAC system and sections of the roof at Lockwood Elementary.
  • Replacing the roof at Westhill Elementary.
  • Replacing equipment that regulates and circulates air in portables at Arrowhead Elementary.
  • Upgrading the playfield at Maywood Hills Elementary.

Safety & Security Upgrades

Northshore School District’s Safety & Security Department is leading the charge in piloting four projects to improve safety in our schools. These include: cameras, fencing, visitor and volunteer management software pilot and upgrading all main classroom entry locks. These safety measures were recommended by the District’s Safe School Advisory Committee. The Committee assessed, evaluated and identified challenges and opportunities related to safety at each of the District’s 33 schools. District staff took this information and determined which schools would participate in each of the pilot programs and the timeline of when schools would have new locks installed. Some of the things considered were: entry points, site supervision, current practices for visitor management, and the campus location perimeter. Based on a scaled rating of the evaluation, schools were selected.

Visitor & Volunteer Management

Visitors to the main office at Crystal Springs, East Ridge, Kokanee, Northshore Middle, Bothell High schools will notice a new sign-in process come winter 2020. Instead of signing in by hand, visitors will work with school staff to scan their driver’s license, take a photo and receive a name badge, to be worn at all times while in the school. Once the visitor is ready to leave campus, they will return to the main office and sign out so school staff know that the visitor is no longer in the building. Once this is piloted at these five schools, staff will evaluate efficiency and troubleshoot any challenges. This software is anticipated to be rolled out to all 33 schools district-wide over time. This approach will lead to consistency across all schools for all visitors and staff, and provide real-time monitoring of who is on campus, which is critical in the event of an emergency. Additionally, volunteer applications will be streamlined through the same software. This will allow a centralized database districtwide of all volunteers. This will reduce workload for school staff, student family members will only need to fill out one application but have the opportunity to volunteer at multiple schools and from a safety perspective there will be a consistent approach for approving volunteer applications. This also improves reporting and enables easier recruitment based on the needs of a school.

Lock Upgrades

In spring 2019, the pilot project for installation of upgraded locks began. The pilot project is scheduled to be completed by the end of February with upgrades at Northshore and Kenmore middle schools, as well as Arrowhead and Kenmore elementary schools. The new locks can be locked from inside the classroom without a key. The old locks required someone to lock the door from the outside with a key. The new locks also provide a visual indicator which will help in an emergency situation by displaying the status of the lock. The goal is for all main classroom entry locks to be upgraded across the District by the end of the 2020 calendar year.

Fencing

In order to direct visitors to the main office at schools, fencing will be installed at Kenmore, Crystal Springs, Arrowhead and Moorlands elementary schools during spring 2020. Enhanced school perimeters and wayfinding will allow for a consistent approach districtwide to ensure visitors are directed to the main office and are only in areas where visitors are permitted. Once the pilot is complete, fencing at other schools will be considered.

Cameras

Interior and exterior cameras are being installed at Westhill Elementary and Sorenson Early Childhood Center during winter 2020. The locations were chosen because of the age of students attending. Surveillance cameras provide staff the ability to monitor students and visitors and may deter misbehavior and vandalism. Once installed, staff will assess and make any necessary adjustments, before going out for a districtwide bid. This is an $86,350 investment. Additionally, camera modernization at Inglemoor and Bothell high schools, which began with 2014 bond funds, is expected to be completed with 2018 bond funds this summer.

1:1 Program

During winter 2020, 6,500 Chromebooks will be distributed to schools districtwide, bringing all schools to a 1:1 allocation of computing devices based on the October 2019 headcount. This project, known as District2School, will support the work that is already happening in the classroom and will broaden the learning opportunities for all Northshore students. Each school will have enough computers on campus to allow students’ access anywhere and anytime during the school day. The program compliments the School2Home program, which is being led by Student Services and provides identified middle and high school students with a laptop and/or hotspot for academic use at home.

Follow our progress and stay informed by visiting our Construction & Building Improvements webpage!