District open house offers dinner, classroom tours

La Conner Schools served up a dinner menu that included food for thought during the district's winter open house last Wednesday.

As the over 200 attendees finished a community ham-and-potato meal served by school staff, the district's administrative team outlined the status of on-going programs and its recipe for student success and achievement going forward.

Superintendent Will Nelson, hired in 2021, shared with the public the building blocks of a major five-year plan: social-emotional learning, universal design learning, professional learning communities and equity in education.

"Social-emotional learning is super important to us," said Nelson. "so that our students can thrive."

He said the universal design learning format is designed to provide relevancy to classroom lessons while encouraging student voice and development of creative critical thinking skills.

Professional learning communities give school staff time for data analysis and to collaborate and align lessons, he said.

The goal with equity in education is to reinforce student self-confidence by removing barriers and providing all learners the tools needed to succeed.

Bobby Vaughn, director of operations and planning spelled out key district security, facilities and transportation topics.

He praised Kim Pedroza, who recently left to become the transportation supervisor at Stanwood Schools. Her departure and the mid-year retirement of a bus driver has left the department shorthanded.

"We're looking for drivers," he said.

Vaughn said installation of a new security camera system has been "a great asset for the district."

"We see things we couldn't see before," he said.

Vaughn said the public will soon see a significant La Conner Schools rebranding of the district's mascot. "You will see a lot of our new logo around campus," said Vaughn, with the re-painting of the high school gymnasium floor this spring, a project funded by state monies.

Director of Special Programs Andy Wheeler stressed that the new logo, which is to be featured prominently at Landy James Gym, was designed by local artist Jeanette Quintasket.

Wheeler, who will retire at the end of the school year, said he was especially pleased with the return to campus of a pre-school program.

Beth Clothier, assistant director of teaching and learning, lamented Wheeler's pending retirement.

"Personally," she said, "it's very crushing for me."

Clothier praised the new math curricula for producing greater student proficiency and higher test scores.

"I want to give a huge shoutout to our math teachers," she said. "This is cause for celebration."

La Conner Elementary Principal Heather Fakkema shared her building's emphasis on positive behavior and expectations "in every setting across the school."

She said students and staff are engaged in a "Great Kindness Challenge."

"We're taking a tally of acts of kindness," she said. "A donor has pledged to pay 10 cents per kind act with the goal being to raise enough money to buy four goats for an impoverished family overseas.

"So far, said Fakkema, "we've earned a full goat."

Middle and high school principal Christine Tripp invited attendees to tour her building's classrooms, where teachers shared their course content and instructional strategies and methods.

At the elementary school, parents and family members were introduced to scavenger hunts and various other interactive learning activities.

Representatives of local public service organizations, agencies and institutions staffed information tables throughout La Conner Schools buildings during the open house.

Nelson thanked the community for taking part in what evolved into a smorgasbord of ideas and opportunities.