Zillah School District

ZHS Parent/Alumni/Boosters Newsletter Volume 8 #39 05/13/08

A look ahead @ ZHS:

5/13 ASB Officer Interviews-TBD

5/14 ZHS Staff Mtg 7:30
Activity schedule: ASB Speeches PAC
Adv. Drama class presentation @ HES (Per 1-3)
G Dist @ Suncadia
FFA State Livestock CDE @ Colfax
ZSD Family Science Night @ ZMS 5:00-7:00

5/15 2009 Class Officer Application process begins
State FFA Convention @ WSU
ZHS Spring 2008 directory released to post secondary/military
SB District opener ZHS vs Riverview 4:00 pm @ ZMS
YV Tech Open house & Summer School Registration 5:00-7:00 pm
ZCSTC Presents “Annie” 7:00 pm PAC

5/16 ASB Election @ Lunch
State FFA Convention @ WSU
TF Dist. @ Connell 4:00
T Dist @ Sunnyside
ZCSTC Presents “Annie” 7:00 pm PAC

5/17 ZCSTC Presents “Annie” matinee 1:00 pm PAC
State FFA Convention @ WSU
SB Dist @ Tri-Cities
T Dist @ Sunnyside
Perry Tech open house and program testing 9:00-1:00
ZCSTC Presents “Annie” 7:00 pm PAC

5/18 State FFA Convention @ WSU

5/19 ELL Project Visitation
Class officer applications due
Senior parent Mtg 6:30 library

5/20 ELL Project Visitation
Class Officer Interviews (if needed)
ZHS Music Dept. Spring Concert 7:00 pm PAC
State Golf @ Bellingham

5/21 ZHS SIT Mtg 7:30
State Golf @ Bellingham
Class officer elections @ Lunch
Senior Aloha BBQ @ Lunch-Commons
Fine Arts Awards-PAC

5/22 Senior Final Exams Per 1-3-5
State Golf @ Bellingham
State Track/Field @ Tacoma
Tennis Team Awards-TBD
Baseball Team Awards-TBD
ZMS/ZIS Band Concert 7:00 pm PAC

5/23 Senior Final Exams Per 2-4
Senior Check out in classes
Class of 2009 Officers Mtg 11:00
State Track/Field @ Tacoma
State Softball @ Spokane
State Tennis @ Yakima

5/24 State Track/Field @ Tacoma
State Softball @ Spokane
State Tennis @ Yakima

5/26 No School-Memorial Day

5/27 Senior Class Field Trip to Seattle
ZMS/ZIS Choir Concert 7:00 pm PAC

5/28 ZHS Staff Mtg 7:30
Future Teachers/Careers in Education program mtg 11:45-GC
Baccalaureate Practice 12:55 @ Resurrection Church
Traffic Safety Education Summer Program Mtg 5:00 pm Library
ZMA Baccalaureate Service 7:00 pm @ Resurrection Church (Schooley Rd)

5/29 Senior Awards 7:00 pm PAC

5/30 Graduation practice 8:25-Leopard Field
Graduation pictures 5:30-7:15
Ticketed seating opens 6:30
General admission seating opens 6:40
Commencement ceremonies begin 7:30
Senior Parents Graduation Party 10:00 pm – 3:00 am (Gym/Commons)

*******************************************************.

Family Science Night: The Zillah School District's Z-PAC, 21st Century, and Gear UP are hosting a science night on May 14th from 5:00-7:00 pm at the Zillah Middle School. Everyone is invited to attend to enjoy dinner, hands on science activities from across grade levels, college information, and prizes. The Agenda is

5:00 Welcome & Dinner
5:45 PowerPoint presentation of ZSD Science Programs
6:00 Family Science Activities grades K-12
6:45 Drawings for prizes
6:55 Closing Comments

Every in the ZSD is welcome to attend.

ZHS Alumni Announces Awards: At the 50^th annual ZHS Alumni Banquet held during community days two seniors were recognized and rewarded for their academic achievement. Tyler Torres, son of Mike and Shannon Torres received a $1500 scholarship to continue his education next year at Columbia Basin College to study mechanical engineering. Kimberly Sevigny, daughter of Mike and Bev Sevigny received a $2000 scholarship to continue her education next year at Yakima Valley Community College to study elementary education. In addition the ZHS Alumni group donated $1000 to the science program to add additional equipment such as microscopes and scales to enhance the new buildings capacity. ZHS is proud of their alumni and grateful for their continued support of our students and programs. Thank you!

FFA Plant Sale: On behalf of the Zillah FFA Greenhouse program, a big thank you to all who came out to support the annual plant sale last week. It was a very successful event. Students not only learned about raising plants, but also about marketing them. Thanks again for your support.

State FFA Convention: Twelve members of the Zillah FFA will be traveling to Washington State University in Pullman from May 14th-18th. They are Luis Cuevas, Marissa Cuevas, Shelby Grenz, Beth Martinen, Travis Oswalt Trevor Perrault, Ty Purdy, Trevor Schell, Katie Sealock, Taylor Sealock, Ryan Williams and Jared Ziegler. While there they will be competing in the State Livestock Judging Contest, First Year Greenhand Contest, and the FARM competition. The first year Greenhand contest is for freshmen only and is based on general agriculture and FFA knowledge learned during the Introduction to Agriculture Class, teamwork and a presentation to a panel of judges. The FARM competition is based on an application and presentation on activities the members were involved with during National FFA Week with our annual Open House and presentations done at both Hilton Elementary and Zillah Intermediate Schools. Last year both of these teams placed in the top 5 at the state level. We will also have 2 members receiving their State FFA Degree, the first recipients for Zillah in over 5 years, and a State FFA Officer Candidate!

YVCC Hispanic Serving Institution Outreach Message: Good Morning Everyone, As the Interim Director of College Outreach & Multicultural Services at Yakima Valley Community College, I would like to inform you of this opportunity for your high school students. I have received many requests from high schools that high achieving students with potential are unable to pay for the Admission & Testing fees to enroll at YVCC. This year we have additional funding to pay for Admission & Testing fees at YVCC for up to 20 students The easiest and most convenient way to make this happen before the school year would be for students/parents to give the application forms to their high school guidance counselors I will pick them up from the high school and process the applications at YVCC. If you have questions please give me a call. Thank you, Luis Gutierrez, Interim Director of College Outreach & Multicultural Services
Yakima Valley Community College 509-480-8250

YV Tech Open House & Summer School Pre-Registration: ZHS Students and parents interested in YV Tech for next year, but who have not had the chance to make their required visitation may do so on Thursday, May 15 from 5:00-7:00 pm. Not only will this cover the required visit for the application process, it will also count as a PEARLS C-2 item (Tech school visitation). Once the visit is completed, turn your application for next year into Mr. Griffin and he will fax it back to YVT. Only faxed applications from ZHS are accepted by YVT. If you are interested in cosmetology for this summer and/or next year you should visit your cosmetology school that evening. Call YVT at 573-5000 if you have questions.

YV Tech Summer School Pre-Registration: ZHS Students and parents interested in YV Tech’s free summer school program may pre-register on Thursday, May 15 from 5:00-7:00 pm during the open house. The visit will also count as a PEARLS C-2 item (Tech school visitation). YV Tech has many interesting summer programs for ZHS students, but it is limited to first come, first seated. To get the best choice of placement, plan to attend the open house and pre-registration event this week. Call YVT at 573-5000 if you have questions.

YV Tech Applied Math and WASL Requirements: This summer YV Tech will offer a free Applied Math course allowing ZHS students to earn 1.0 credit in Math. This might be of great interest if you have a junior (class of 2009) who has not passed the WASL Math test.
ZHS graduation requires 3.0 credits in math. If a current junior has completed 3.0 credits in Math and passed the WASL Math they have met the graduation requirement. If they have NOT passed the WASL Math, the state requires they complete another 1.0 credit, therefore the graduation requirement for seniors who did not pass WASL Math testing is 4.0 credits.
Your student then has a choice, they can enroll in and pass 1.0 credits of the next level of Math study at ZHS during their senior year, or they could take this Applied Math course and satisfy the state requirement during the summer. It is recommended that you pre-register on May 15 if you would like to take advantage of this class. Call YVT at 573-5000 if you have questions.

Teen Drivers: Safe to and from Prom…and Beyond (This message is being sent by the Division of Adolescent & School Health, NCCDPHP, CDC. Visit the DASH Web site at www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth.)
Teen Drivers: Safe to and from Prom…and Beyond
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Fortunately, there are proven ways to reduce teens’ risk on the roads. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems, combined with parental management, can make your teen a safer driver -- this prom season and throughout the year. Would you like to:
· Learn more about teen driving, GDL systems and the laws in your state, and tips for parents of teen drivers?
· Send an E-card on teen safe driving?
· Listen to a podcast on helping teen drivers to stay safe?
Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's web feature on “Teen Drivers: Safe to and from Prom…and Beyond” at www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/teen_drivers.htm.

Summer Employment-Toppenish Conoco Station: (Mr. Winters has forwarded this to me to share.) If the high school has an advisor program or some type of communications to the seniors would you please pass the word that we have positions for summer employment, and/or continued hours available for individuals that may be planning to stay in the area (such as those going to YVCC, Heritage, Perry Tech, etc). Some of my best employees in the past have been from Zillah High, I really need to find students who want to work. Minimum 18 years old, available from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm Sunday - Saturday, Toppenish Store, the one past Safeway. We split the day into 2 shifts generally. Must be able to handle cash efficiently, good customer service/communication skills, dependable and honest. They will operate a cash register and balance shift on their own, receive daily telephone calls, take fuel orders and dispatch to drivers; maintain the stocking and cleaning of the store daily. Thanks in advance for your help. Deb (Chandler) Kraft

*******************************************************.

ZHS Questions & Answers: If you have a question about Zillah High School and/ or a guidance related question, please contact me. When the question would be of interest to others I will post them here anonymously. Send your questions to griffin_j@zsd.wednet.edu

Q. I read recently in Newsweek that Fast-Web, a Scholarship search service that you promote at ZHS, is really not worth the effort and is more a come on for companies to gather marketing contacts. Do you think that ZHS should be part of this?

A. I think Fast-Web is like any other resource, if used properly it may be of help in locating scholarships to pay for college. It is not a guaranteed to scholarship awards. It is a voluntary free service if you choose to use it. Fast-Web is just part of the package we recommend including the ZHS scholarship Board, the ZHS Scholarship Forms Website, the FAFSA, and your colleges of choice. In case others did not see the article I have it here and also a response by Fast-Web. I will let you parents and student decide if you wish to use Fast-Web or not.

Web Site of Hard Knocks-Fast Web links students with scholarships. But is a $1,500 grant for duck-calling really worth pursuing? Steven Levy NEWSWEEK Updated: 1:29 PM ET May 3, 2008
Two thoughts occur to just about any parent whose child is about to enter college. The first is "I can't believe how quickly the years have gone by." The second: "I can't believe how much it costs." As one of those parents, I did my best to get past the disturbing first thought and tried to calm my churning stomach while dealing with the second. That's when a fellow fretter pointed me to FastWeb, the most popular Internet scholarship site, self-described as "the best way to get free money for school." A few sessions with FastWeb, and a hard look at some of the scholarships it offers, and I had another reason to hate the college-financing process.
My first problem was the volume of the personal information requested to get going—from the student's prospective major to grade-point average and ethnic heritage. Steve Boyce, director of marketing for FastWeb (which started as an independent company but was acquired by the job-placement site Monster.com in 2001), explains that it's necessary to link relevant scholarships to applicants. If customers agree to release that information, FastWeb will share user data with third parties. According to the FastWeb privacy policy, recipients can include "data aggregators" and marketers compiling lists. "In the old days, you used to go into the library and flip a book to find out about scholarships," says Marc Rotenberg, head of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "Now you don't find out about the scholarship until they find out about you."
Nor was I charmed that, before seeing the scholarships, the site required me to click "no thanks" to offers from survey companies, online universities and U.S. Navy recruiters. Boyce says that FastWeb tries to get a proper balance between users and advertisers who fund the business, but the pushiness of the ads gave me the impression that FastWeb knows that its users won't bail because they're desperate for college funds.
Once you get to the scholarships FastWeb finds for you, though, how many are really worth pursuing? Put aside for a moment the esoteric nature of some of the grants, like the $1,500 scholarship for duck-calling. The instant access the Internet provides about awards, as well as the desire of sites like FastWeb to list thousands of opportunities, has led to an abundance of what are called promotional scholarships. These are an inexpensive way for a company to woo customers under the guise of kindness to a worthy young person. Since FastWeb doesn't rate the quality of its scholarships, these are cheek-to-cheek with more-traditional, less-exploitative grants. (Boyce says that the site is working on a system to identify and explain these promotional scholarships.)
A case in point is the Coca-Cola College Bound Contest, brought to you by the Chuck E. Cheese pizza operation. The winner gets $25,000 toward a college fund. To qualify, one was asked to register for the "Chuck E-Club," thus opening one's IN BOX to a stream of offers from the company. (Tucked in the bottom of the Web page was a link that allowed one to enter the contest without joining the club.) According to Chuck E. Cheese spokesperson Brenda Holloway, more than 1.6 million contestants signed up for the contest, which ended last week. She doesn't specify how many of those joined the club (typically in contests, the majority of entrants take the suggested path), but did say that the club's population rose. That's hundreds of thousands of new Chuck E. members, at a cost of to the company of a few pennies each. And only one got a scholarship.
Many of the FastWeb offers ask entrants to write essays—in the aggregate, students spend millions of hours creating themes that will pay off to only a very few. Sometimes the assignments appear to be a form of indoctrination, like the ones offered by the Ayn Rand Institute to expound on issues in "The Fountainhead" or "Atlas Shrugged." Then there is the $250 prize given to the best essay based on the themes of the book "High School's Not Forever"—a gift offered by the book's authors.
One of the more ubiquitous scholarship sponsors on FastWeb is a company called Brickfish, which often asks students to compete for small grants ($500 or less) by making a video or blog post involving a consumer product that pays Brickfish to run a marketing campaign. "Scholarshiping sends a positive message, one of good will," says Brickfish CEO Brian Dunn. And though college costs are high, modest prizes are sufficient to get the reaction Brickfish wants. "Oddly enough, people react better to smaller amounts—they think they're more likely to win," Dunn says.
Donald Heller, director of the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Pennsylvania State University, says that applying for scholarships found on FastWeb and similar sites isn't worth the effort for most families. "The real action is in the dollars given by the institutions themselves," he says. (FastWeb's Boyce says he doesn't have statistics to prove it, but "anecdotally, we are helping students meet their goals.") As for my own family's strategy, I've filled out the usual government forms and ones offered by the college my son will attend; I will also keep an eye out for local programs that don't involve competing with FastWeb's 38 million registered users. And when the jackpot gets high, I play Mega Millions. At least with the lottery, you don't have to write an essay. http://www.newsweek.com/id/135371

A Response from Fast-Web
Dear Educator: Recently, a column appeared in Newsweek analyzing FastWeb, how we operate, and the services we offer. While we were disheartened to read this criticism of FastWeb as we feel we truly provide a valuable service in matching your students with the right awards to obtain free money to help them pay for school; we were also inspired by the educators and students who responded to us, (and some even to Newsweek editors) referencing their disappointment with the column. We find this article unacceptable as it could potentially undermine the reputation of a tool that has been endorsed by millions. This year alone, we've helped more than 10 million students.
The article does not effectively characterize the value FastWeb brings to the students it assists each day in realizing their dreams of higher education. Given the crisis in the student loan market and general uncertainty in the economy, we believe FastWeb is an even more valuable resource than ever before.
The materials and support we provide to all of our members represents a significant investment for our company; but one that we are proud to make because, at FastWeb, providing great service to students and their families is our highest priority.
Please know that with our database of 1.5 million scholarships worth over three billion dollars, we work extensively to match your students with the opportunities that can help them pay for college. Every scholarship in our database is touched by a member of the FastWeb team to verify its legitimacy. We also have a research team which verifies and maintains the integrity and accuracy of scholarships daily, as well as a fraud detection team to further validate awards - no other scholarship site provides this level of authentication.
As for the data we collect, by having the information about your student's background and interests, we can ensure the best match to the right opportunities to help pay for school. In fact, the list of criteria collected is dictated by the scholarships themselves. Please know that FastWeb does not hold sensitive information such as social security numbers or credit card information in its database.
Our reputation as the leading resource for scholarships has been established since 1995 and we recognize our success is dependant upon the value we provide.
Your feedback and input is very valuable to FastWeb and we would appreciate hearing from you about the services we provide so we can continue to enhance and improve them. Please feel free to reach-out at any time by contacting: 1-800-FastWeb or feedback@fastweb.com .
Thank you for your continued support of our efforts to help students realize their dreams of higher education - ultimately, inspiring them to improve their lives. Sincerely, Amanda Joyner Vice President and General Manager FastWeb, LLC A Monster Worldwide Company ; Sal Iannuzzi Chairman and CEO Monster Worldwide

Q. Mr. Griffin, can you tell me what it costs to have a student at ZHS take the WASL testing series? My reason is that as a tax payer I am concerned about money spent. I would like to know the cost of the book, administration, support, grading and reporting. You have reported that students who did not pass the WASL can sign up for an ACT/SAT fee waiver paid for by the state at about $40 and that score can show skill proficiency. Wouldn’t it just be cheaper to take the ACT/SAT in the first place? Wouldn’t it take less time? Do you have a way to report to us parents about this?

A. I contacted Mr. Chris Barron, Assessment Communications Manager, OSPI about your question. He reported back to me A per student cost has ranged between $17 and $28 per test including development, administration and grading. So for a student to take the WASL Reading, Writing, Math and Science the cost to the state to get the test to us, ship it back, get it graded and report scores is $68-$112 per student. At the district level it costs staff time (and I suppose you could say money, but the staff is on contract so the real cost is lost academic time) to be trained, proctor tests, account for and ship back the tests. Testing time runs about 2 hours per day x 8 days of testing for a total of 16 hours of instruction time shifted to WASL testing. For tests taken in March and April results are usually back in June.
The ACT and SAT test are allowed to substitute for WASL to show students have basic skills and met standards, but only after students have failed the WASL. This year the cost for the ACT (with Writing) is $44.50. SAT (with Writing) is $43.00. To administer the ACT here at ZHS takes us one session that lasts 4 hours including breaks. We normally get results back in about 4 weeks.
I see where you are going with your question and how my answers are filling in the blanks for you. Without reading more into your email question than is actually there, it is my interpretation that you would like to save costs and time by looking at other options to document learning. I am also a tax payer and I am for quality education and solid standards; however the ZSD does not set the policies. I highly recommend that you and other parents who have concerns about this WASL funding and reporting issue contact your legislators. They pass the budgets and approve the spending. If you are interested in pursing this question further go to http://www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature and check out contact information for the 15^th District. I am not trying defend or attack the situation. It is what it is right now. If you wish to see change, then that change must be address at the state level. Please do not attack the elected officials, rather present your concerns in a positive, businesslike manner.

Q. So what happens to seniors who may not earn a diploma because of WASL?

A. Seniors who have not passed the Reading, Writing WASL according to current state laws can not earn a diploma. Students who have not passed Math WASL can make up for that by completing 1.0 credit in Math. ZHS/ZSD do not give up on students when they fail to meet a goal. We will have options depending on what the parents and senior wish to do. We will be able to meet with each family individually and go over options, but briefly and in general
1) Students could come to summer school to sharpen WASL required skills and retest in August
2) Students could sign up and submit COE portfolios (due in February)
3) Students could sign up to take the ACT or SAT in the fall and try to score high enough to be equivalent to the WASL Standards (Sept-Oct)
4) Students could choose to return to ZHS or ZAP next fall and enroll in courses to better prepare them to try passing the WASL again in the spring
5) Students could chose to go directly to a post secondary option that does not require a diploma.
6) Other-there are possible other options to explore on an individual basis.
It is really going to depend on the students interests and goals. My advice to the senior would be to try to do whatever they could in the shortest amount of time to demonstrate the needed standards in Reading, Writing and Math. To me that would mean digging in this summer and that being the priority. Then moving on to the post secondary training. Some may choose to by-pass the HS Diploma all together and just enroll at a community or technical college, if other than WASL all other requirements have been satisfied.
This is an information bulletin from OSPI on the subject and I present it as background to assist you with your question.

Options for Students not Graduating After Four Years of High School

Students who have not met their high school graduation requirements AND have not earned a regular high school diploma are eligible for a free public education through the school year in which they turn 21 years of age. This includes students under 21 who have earned a GED certificate.

FREE OPTIONS

Free options are available for students who are NOT graduating after four years of high school and want to meet their high school graduation requirements. The options are:

Continued Enrollment in High School: All students are eligible to attend their resident high school through the school year in which they turn 21.
Enrollment in a School District High School Completion Program: School districts may contract with community colleges to offer tuition-free high school completion programs to students still enrolled in their resident school district. Upon completion of program, students would receive a high school diploma from that district.
Continued Running Start: Students who participated in Running Start during their 11th and 12th grade years but didn’t complete the classes required for high school graduation may continue their Running Start participation to meet high school graduation requirements beyond 12th grade, but only to take those classes through Running Start that they failed or did not complete successfully. (The Running Start program allows eligible 11th and 12th grade students to take college classes tuition free and accrue both high school and college credit for those classes.)


PAID OPTIONS

Paid options are available for students who are NOT graduating after four years of high school and want to meet their high school graduation requirements. The options are:

Enroll in a Community and Technical College High School Completion Program: A number of community colleges in the state offer high school completion programs providing students with a high school diploma from the college. Students must drop out of their resident high school to enroll in these programs. In most cases students are charged tuition and fees for enrollment, although the colleges have the authority to waive tuition and fees for students 19 and older. Students 16 to 18 years of age must have a signed release from their resident school district in order to enroll in a community college high school completion program.
Pursue a General Education Development (GED) Certificate: Students 16 and older may earn a GED certificate by passing all in a series of tests offered through a GED program. In order to take the tests, students must drop out of their resident high school. State community and technical colleges are the official testing centers for the GED. Students pay fees for the tests and may have to pay tuition and fees for GED preparation courses offered through community and technical colleges. The certificate is not equivalent to a high school diploma, and students who earn a GED certificate are considered dropouts for high school accountability purposes. However, students who are under 21 years of age and who have a GED certificate can still fulfill their high school graduation requirements and get their diploma. (See Free options No. 1 and 2 above.)
Enroll in a Public Two- or Four-Year College or University: None of the public colleges and universities in Washington requires that students have a high school diploma in order to be admitted, although a high school diploma significantly increases the chances of admission to the state’s four-year institutions. Students without high school diplomas who enroll in colleges and universities pay full tuition and fees like all other students. Students who do not have a high school diploma or GED certificate may not be eligible for certain federal, state and private financial aid.


********************************************************************
Keep informed:

ZHS Daily Bulletin: www.zillahschools.org/ZHS/bulletin.htm
ZSD News: www.zillahschools.org/news
ZHS Monthly Calendars: www.zillahschools.org/ZHS/calzhs.htm
ZHS Alumni & Supporters: http://www.zillahschools.org/zhsalumni
ZHS Parent/Alumni/Boosters Email News: Join the news list by sending parent name, student name, address, phone number and email address to griffin_j@zsd.wednet.edu. You will receive the latest ZHS news and updates each Tuesday.


********************************************************************
This is the latest issue of the Zillah High School Parents Email Newsletter. This newsletter service is open to all parents of ZHS students, ZHS Alumni, Community Boosters, grandparents and ZSD Staff in an attempt to enhance communication between school, home and the community. Usually a news update is sent each week.

To unsubscribe to this newsletter, email griffin_j@zsd.wednet.edu with your request.

John Griffin
griffin_j@zsd.wednet.edu
Guidance Counselor
Academics/Careers/Post Secondary
Zillah High School
1602 Second Avenue
Zillah, WA 98953-9682
Phone: 509-829-5565
Fax: 509-829-5285
http://www.zillahschools.org/ZHS

Hilton Elementary School News	Special Program News
Superintendent & Board News	Zillah Intermediate School News
Zillah Middle School News	Zillah High School News