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Page A-14 — Shelton-Mason Journal — Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020
STATE OF THE COMMUNITY
Shelton schools tout academy programs
By Kirk Boxleitner '4 O
kboxleitner@masoncounty com
The Shelton School Dis-
trict’s “State of the Commu-
nity” presentation Sept. 10
focused on the district’s older
grade levels as Shelton High
School Principal Bruce Kip-
per and Deena Alley, direc-
tor of the Shelton Academies,
explained how they prepare
students for continuing edu-
cation or careers after gradu-
ation.
Alley said the Health Sci-
ences Academy, which al-
ready includes designated
pathways for patient care and
sports medicine and fitness,
has added the “Lead the Way”
path for advanced scientific
studies such as biomedical sci-
ence and innovations, human
body systems and medical in-
terventions.
In the Business, Finance
and Hospitality Academy,
Alley said culinary and en-
tertainment production re-
mains popular with students,
and includes courses on both
tourism and multimedia com-
munications. In the Natural
Resources Science Academy,
Alley touted the horticulture
path as focusing on providing
food year-round from green-
houses and farms to table.
While the Manufacturing,
Engineering and Technology
Academy already exists, with
SHELTON HIGH SCHOOL
MET ACADEMY
0’ 75’ 150’
N
AflCl-‘llltllnu
The Shelton School District plans to build a new MET Acdemy building on the
high school
campus where the current staff parking lot is. Graphic courtesy of She/ton
School District
its paths previously catego-
rized under the headings of
construction, welding, auto-
motive and engineering, Alley
explained the courses would
be reorganized to create two
new pathways, one for “pure
engineering,” composed of
computer-aided design and
engineering courses, while the
other would focus on “mecha-
tronics” with courses on elec-
tronics and robotics.
“We want to help prepare
our students for what’s next,
so that they’ll be armed with
2lst-century skills,” Alley
said.
The Shelton Academies
plan to furnish the Manufac-
turing, Engineering and Tech-
nology Academy with a new
3,400'—square-foot building
that can expand based on fu-
ture enrollment and technol-
ogy needs.
Alex Apostle, superinten-
dent of Shelton School Dis-
trict, told the attendees of
the online presentation that
this project will be funded en-
tirely by non-high school dis-
trict money. “This money is
the non-high school district’s
legal obligation and contri-
bution toward the passing of
the $60-million-plus bond,
and can only be spent on high
school capital projects, mak-
ing the Manufacturing, Engi—
neering and Technology Acad-
emy facility possible,” Apostle
said.
Apostle placed the total
non—high school district con-
tribution at $6.5 million, and
the cost of the new Manufac-
turing, Engineering and Tech-
nology Academy at $4 million
to $5 million.
“Our vision is a 100%
graduation rate by
even though COVID has ob-
viously made that harder,”
said Apostle, who considers
it the schools’ duty to “excite,
inspire and motivate” its stu-,
dents to learn, as well as to
support their successes.
Alley encouraged commu-
nity members to donate their
time, talent, materials or
money, whether by stepping
_in as guest speakers, project
mentors or members of advi-
sory committees.
“Show us part of your day,”
Alley said. “Host a job shad-
ow, or wear a body cam for a
few hours, to show students a
day in the life of someone in
your field.”
Alley invited those inter-
ested in participating to email
her at dalley@sheltonschools.
org, or to call her at 360-229-
Duririg the question-and-
answer period, Alley assured
one inquiring residents that
regardless of the district’s
plans for its academies, Cedar
High School “is not going any-
where.”
sy’kark soxléiiuér
kbox/eitner@masoncounty com
The North Mason School District is weathering
“a very interesting year” due to COVID-19, while
achieving a relative degree of success under al-
ready difficult circumstances, Superintendent Dana
Rosenbach said during a Sept. 10 “State of the Com—
munity” presentation.
North Mason schools have seen their enrollments
increase while several district neighbors have seen
losses of students. to online learning programs,
Rosenbach said.
Due to a recent double-levy failure, the district
had already made provisions for budget cutbacks,
including what Rosenbach described as “significant
layoffs.”
Although close to half a dozen teachers had their
reduction in force notices reversed, allowing them
to stay on, more than employees, of whom more
than were teachers, lost their jobs.
North Mason has maintained its meal service to
students through its transportation department, al-
though meal deliveries have been reduced from dai-
ly to Tuesdays and Thursdays, with multiple meals
delivered on those days.
Because of the North Mason School District’s
. proximity to Kitsap County, the district is in regu-
lar contact with the public health districts of Mason
and Kitsap counties, and follows the standards of
whichever county is undergoing the worst condi-
tions.
On a six-stage scale, under which Stage 1 would
see everyone stay at home, and Stage 6 would
see everyone return to school, Rosenbach placed
North Mason at Stage under which the students
are staying at home, and explained that Stages 3
through 5 would see specific groups of students re-
turn to school, based on the priority of their return.
Rosenbach touted the “extremely robust” options
that North Mason families have for online learning
while acknowledging that several families are only
North Masondistrict overcoming obstacles
able to take advantage of such programs by using
one of the parking lot Wi-Fi hubs set up by Mason
Public Utility District 3. . .
North Mason has teaching assistants visiting
those hubs in vans at scheduled times to provide in-
person aid to complement online materials.
After being forced to abandon initial plans to of-
fer a “hybrid” model of online and in-school instruc-
tion, the North Mason School District is attempting
to provide music instruction and school clubs online,
in addition to counseling services and regular les-
sons, the latter of which are offered both live online,
and recorded and downloadable.
Although the 'district is waiting for- guidance
from the Washington Interscholastic Activities As-
sociation on school sports, Rosenbach said several
student athletes have been conditioning at home.
Among its many partnerships with agencies out-
side of school, Rosenbach cited the district’s work
with child care centers to ensure students in need
are fed and clothed.
Olympifgollege seeks to equalize educational experience
sy'kiifsoxieimr
kbox/eitner@masoncounty. com
Olympic College Shelton
campus Administrator Allison
Smith described the current
state of affairs as resembling
“a snow day that just keeps go-
ing” during her Sept. 10 “State
of the Community” presenta-
tion, which reviewed the col-
lege’s recent past, present and
future plans.
Addressing the question
“Where we were,” Smith re-
counted Olympic College’s
renovations of buildings that
were relics of the 1990s —-
composed largely of “leftover
furnishings” turned into more
state-of-tho-art facilities, with
an eye toward providing equal
resources among all three of
the Olympic campuses.
The other keys to guaran-
teeing this equity, Smith said,
have been building up faculty
and expanding the selection
of courses at the college’s
branches so students who at-
tend Olympic College at its
Shelton campus can expect a
parity of personalized instruc-
tion and educational options.
Likewise, by instituting a
“no cancel” policy, Olympic
College intends to reassure
students that they can make
reservations for classes at any
of its branches and they’ll be
sure those classes won’t be
canceled.
By moving most of the col-
lege’s curriculum online, Smith
said she sees COVID-19 as
having equalized the Olympic
College branches by imposing
similar limitations on them all.
Moving to “Where we are,”
Smith noted that courses such
as nursing and welding con-
tinue to provide some on-site
clinics, but most of the cam-
pus’ other functions are at a
distance, from online instruc—
tion to a “virtual ofi'ice” of staff
available via phone and email
during regular business hours,
acting as what Smith called “a
ranger station.”
Enrollment is down roughly
12%, Smith said, and they’ve
been told to wait on answers
regarding budget matters until
However, Olympic Col-
lege has already been told to
prepare for budget cuts in the
neighborhood of 15%.
Smith expressed sympathy
for students who have dropped
out because the shift to a near-
ly all-online format has been
too much, given that many of
those students are likely to be
older and juggling responsi-
bilities of families and jobs, in
addition to their educational
aspirations.
An additional complication
has been Olympic College’s
transition from a computer
system that Smith said dated
to the 1980s. She said “the
transfer of information has not
necessarily gone well.”
Smith closed on a more posi-
tive note with “Where we’re go-
ing” by detailing the college’s
attempts to secure money for
students enrolled in certain
cumulative credit levels of
courses, but also teasing the
possibilities of a Washington
College Grant and access to on-
campus day care for students
who are doubling as caregivers
to children —— courtesy of the
many otherwise empty build-
ings on campus.
Smith touted Olympic Col-
lege’s more than online
courses and pledged that the
college is searching for safe and
innovative ways to increase its
in-person instruction too.