School Board Meeting Makes Lively Additions to the Agenda

— Kahana Pietsch commended as a National Merit Scholar

— by Margie Doyle —

School Board directors (from left, Scott Lancaster, Tony Ghazel and Chris Sutton), turn zinc-copper pennies to “gold” in a hands-on demonstration of applied physics at the school board meeting

Amidst the dry but important business of the Maintenance and Operations Levy on the near horizon, the understandings signed with the county regarding early childhood education and the mental health tax funding, and budget and enrollment figures, there was a fresh and envigorating mood at the regular Orcas Island School District (OISD) board meeting last Thursday.

From Homecoming to Merit scholars to enthusiastic teachers and involved parents, the regular  meeting was a positive celebration of the learning and accomplishments of a good, progressive school.

Just as Middle/High School Principal Kyle Freeman had told the board of highlights for the upcoming Homecoming Weekend, the Associated Student Body Rep Lilly Miller, charged with excitement, came to the meeting to confirm the Homecoming activities, including assembly, parade, bonfire, pep rally, game, barbeque and dance.

The energetic atmosphere of the meeting continued as Patricia Slabaugh, representing the Orcas Education Association, raved about the School Band’s performance with the Dallas Brass at Orcas Center the previous weekend. She said some of the band members were freshmen and the only ones in their instrument section, but “they held their own.

“I had nothing to do with it, but I was so proud of them!“ she said.

She then told the board about her successes in improving her OASIS students’ writing abilities, beginning three years ago with Slabaugh taking a class from David Madison to learn how to better instruct her students in writing. The state-approved OASIS Alternative Learning Experience regulations require that the students write four reports each quarter, in writing math, social studies and science. She wanted to help her students to better on their reports.

She struggled through using Google Chat, and then gained approval to invest $20 to use the Go to Meeting application. She, her students, and their parents all encouraged each other. From three students the first year, to a full slate of mostly 7th and 8th graders last year, Slabaugh is working especially with 3rd and 4th graders this year.

The kids are writing every week, using the “Six Traits of Writing” rubric, she reports. “They’re using metaphor, onomatapaiea… and it’s so exciting to see what they’re doing.

“They smile at similes, and when they see someone doing what they’re supposed to be doing, you can just see their eyes light up when they recognize the learning and application in each other’s writing,” she says.

“Each of us in OASIS are trying to figure out how we do this well, appreciate support from Eric [Webb] in helping us do it well,” Slabaugh concluded to applause from those in attendance at the board meeting.

Business manager Keith Whitaker reported that the district’s finances are in “good shape with the budgets performing and expenses performing [as projected].

Though enrollment figures showed a drop from 814 to 801 full-time students since last month, Sup’t. Webb said that students who had been on a waiting list have since been enrolled.

Elementary Principal Theresa Mayr said that over 90% of grade school families had completed parent conferences. She announced that the school will observe Veterans Day on Nov. 10 in the high school gym at 8:45 a.m., with Velma Doty organizing the community efforts.

Mayr praised the collaboration between the school district and Camp Orkila. “Our kids are out there all the time and it’s fabulous. The Kindergarten through 4th graders been out there for team-building exercises; and we’re getting geared up to send the 5th and 6th graders out there too.”

Middle/High School Principal Kyle Freeman reported on a great Futures Fair, held in conjunction with the Funhouse, and sponsored by Dan and Margie Carper. “There were lots of families at the financial information night,and it was great to see families engaged early.”

Freeman also said that Kahana Pietsch was commended as a National Merit Scholar, and will be recognized at the November school assembly.

Upon Supt. Webb’s recommendation, regular board meetings will hear from a particular teacher or program administrator as pasrt of the agenda. This month, teacher Brett McFarland engaged the meeting with slides and demonstrations and explanations of the Applied Physics classes.

Driving home his conviction that real learning happens with “hands-on” work, McFarland had board members electroplate zinc  onto “copper” pennies (since 1982  mostly zinc with copper skin), using blow torches at low heat. The color changes as the zinc attached to the copper and theresult was a shiny yellow-gold appearance. McFarland not only explained the conceptual physics involved, but related the anecdote of applied physics students in the past who then sold the “gold” pennies to elementary students for $1!

McFarland gave a nod to Dennis McKinney who started the program at Orcas High School and also to Pete Welty Zak Lech, Tony Howe, Kaj Enderlein and others who work with materials and share their knowledge with the students.

McFarland related other classwork, such as building boats that are both solar- and electric-powered; making ceramic tiles displaying oxidation reduction chemistry; describing the unique “unmelting” properties of glass; and more.

He displayed a “learning pyramid” graph  in which the old “lecture” model shows the smallest amount of retained learning, while those engaged in “hands-on” practice of the subject show a 75% retention rate, and those who engage in teaching others have a 90% retention rate.

With enthusiasm that engaged everyone, McFarland described his classwork as continual activity that uses steel forging techniques, carving tools, centrifugal crucibles; and that illustrates deep picture concepts, such as leverage, oxidation, diffusion, torque, drag/shear layer diffusing, power proportional to the cube of velocity — you should have been there!

“Overall, it helps having activities to keep the interest up, and to try to focus on big concepts so they actually learn this stuff,” McFarlane says.

He doesn’t just teach this way because it’s fun for him, he’s done the research that conclude that when “manipulative elements” are added to the traditional, lecture model of classwork, “Everyone’s scores went up, particularly the low- to middle-income kids.”

“In some ways I feel the high school teaching model is more on board [than university level education] with improving  learning,” McFarlane said. When asked by board member Scott Lancaster if the new facilities at the Career and Tech Ed (CTE) building allow him to expand his teaching, McFarlane agreed emphatically, “Oh yeah it’s huge!”

McFarland has set the bar high for these teacher-program reports to the Board. The addition of these reports will draw the public to school board meetings in the future, and make those meetings more engaging and lively.

The next school board meeting will be held on Monday Nov. 23, a change in the regular Thursday meeting, in deference to Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 26. The Monday meeting will be at the regular time, 5:30 p.m. and place, the new school library.