Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 - Mason County Journal - Page A-21
A section of the Mason County Journal
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Thursday, Oct.
16, 2014
- Serving
the communities of Belfair, Allyn, Grapeview, Tahuya, Mason Lake, South Shore and Victor
VOLLEYBALL BATTLE OF THE SEXES
on rise
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By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@masoncoun com
Teachers and administrators at
the North Mason School District
are learning to adapt as numbers
of students speaking limited or
no English continue to rise at the
small district.
To compound the issue, said
Anne Crosby, North Mason's di-
rector of compensatory education,
many of this year's new students
are middle or high school aged
and many of the new girls have
never been to school.
"You have to not only teach
them about the language, you
have to teach them about school,"
school last
attending
were in the
Proficiency
Crosby said.
In the 2013-2014
year, 141 students
North Mason schools
English Language
(ELP) program.
This year, the number has in-
creased to 186, an increase of al-
most 32 percent.
"It's a unique challenge," Su-
perintendent Dana Rosenbach
said. "We don't want to seem like
we're complaining."
The number of English-as-a-
second-language (ESL) students
generally increases between 7
percent and 10 percent each year,
Crosby said.
Students in the district's ELP
program now amount to 8.4 per-
cent of the district's 2,200 stu-
dents. The new students are
spread out among every age group
in the district.
Statewide, ESL students ac-
count for 10 percent of total
Washington students, according
to the state Office of the Super-
intendent of Public Instruction
(OSPI).
Crosby said the number of
students who speak limited Eng-
lish will likely continue to rise at
North Mason schools.
Rosenbach said the district is
required by law to teach all stu-
dents, regardless of their immi-
gration status.
"It's not our job to police it; it's
our job to provide an education to
every kid living in our communi-
ty," Rosenbach said.
Rosenbach said other districts
in highly populated areas often
have students speaking a variety
of languages. However, at North
Mason, the new influx of students
is almost entirely from Guatema-
la, she said.
"The bulk of our kids are com-
ing from an indigenous language
background, and it's nflt a written
language," Rosenbach said..\
see STUDENTS, page A-22
-. tICe
North Mason senior varsity football player Tyler Grewell plays at the
with the varsity volleyball team in Belfair. The challenge games and a
for breast-cancer research and the school's volleyball program.
Herald photo by Emily Hanson
net Tuesday night during the challenge match
serve-a-thon fundraiser brought in about $500
NORTH MASON BRIEFS
Kids Fun Day
benefits project
Pumpkin painting, mummy wrap-
ping and games will be among the ac-
tivities at the Kids Fun Day in the Park
event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at
the Allyn Waterfront Park Gazebo.
The event will raise money for the
Allyn Playground project.
Admission is $2 for children and $5
for a family. The offerings will include
smashing a pifiata and treats.
For more information, call 275-2430.
Forums on Coffee
Oasis in Belfair
Two community f0nmls have
scheduled to talk about establishing a
Belfair site of The Coffee Oasis, a faith-
based, nonprofit organization that caters
homeles~ ~na st~et-o~i,~n~cl you~'Im ill
Bremerton, Port Orchard and Poulsbo.
The forums will be presented from
6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 23 and from 6 p.m.
to 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at the donated site for
the center, a new 3,800-square-foot
building at the five-corners intersection
in Belfair, across the street from the
Faith in Action Thrift Shop on Old Bel-
fair Highway. The building was donated
by Belfair resident Richard Moore.
The nonprofit is seeking $624,000 to
cover initial setup and equipment and
the first two years of operations, includ-
ing salaries, insurance and furniture.
Anyone interested in making a tax-
deductible donation can reach Victoria
Ahlfors at victoria.ahlfors@thecoffeeoasis.
com. For information on the forums, call
Ahlfors at 550-7534.
The Coffee Oasis was established by
Bremerton residents Dave and Cindy
Frederick.
Chefs wanted for
of chowder and a digital thermometer.
The event also features a Clean Joke
Contest. Patrons will pay $20 for each
joke they tell.
Public admission to the event is
$10. Patrons will vote for their favor-
ite chowder and joke. A prize for best
chowder will be awarded by judges.
For $50 or $100, sponsors can have
their names on the aprons of contes-
tants.
North Mason Resources is an um-
brella organization that helps serve
hungry residents, the homeless, veter-
ans and others.
Clog dance classes
offered in Belfair
The Hood Canal Masonic Temple
in Bclfalr i8 offering clogging
classes every Tuesday evening at 23341
NE state Route 3.
Beginning dance classes will start at
R-'dg p_m_ and ]~.~: an hour_
For more information, call ZTD-~t~OO
or 908-5431 or go to countrycloggers.org.
Chowder chefs are being sought to
compete in North Mason Resources'
C~howa~r ~oolr-O¢¢ from 1 1 ~.m_ ~o
p.m. Oct. 25 at Prince of Peace Catholic
Church, 1171 Sand Hill Road, Belfair.
Chefs will pay a $50 entry fee and
will need to bring 3 gallons of any type :, J Compiled by reporter Gordon Weeks
