Wilson Creek school starts 8/27

Wilson Creek School District superintendent Monte Redal has notified the community about new staff members and revised scheduling for the coming school year. The school has a new principal, Sally Nelson from the Thorp School District, who is bilingual and has 19 years of experience. Amy Hickok is the new Special Education teacher whose prior teaching experience was in the Othello School District, although she grew up in Davenport. Wilson Creek also welcomes a new varsity volleyball coach, Lisa Nguyen, who was formerly a student athlete at St. John-Endicott High School before pursuing a career in sports medicine and working as a licensed massage therapist.

Among the major changes facing the district is implementation of the new Teacher and Principal Evaluation Program (TPEP), enacted into law by the Washington state legislature. The law will mean additional work for the teachers and principal.

Therefore, the administration, working with school board members and the teachers association, has scheduled 14 late starts during the year (about two a month) and added them to the revised calendar. School will start 45 minutes later than last year (at 9:08 a.m.) on those days. Buses will also run 45 minutes later, and breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. on those days. The revised schedule will be reviewed at the end of the year and adjusted as necessary.

Registration for the 2013-2014 school year was held August 20-21. All required forms were posted on the district website at http://www.wilsoncreek.org. Sports packets are also available on the website under “Athletics” and is required of all student athletes each year, while sports physicals are valid for two years. The 2013-2014 Student Handbook and Course Catalog have also been updated and are posted online.

Redal announced that the “Skyward” computer system had received a facelift this summer to include advanced features for staff, parents and students. Redal strongly encouraged all parents to utilize the system because of the wealth of information available there – grades, attendance, class schedules, discipline, food service (including payments and purchases and basic account information) and vaccination records.

Skyward can be accessed by going to the school website at http://www.wilsoncreek.org, clicking on “Skyward” and choosing “Family and Student Access.” A username and password are required, which the superintendent can provide by calling 345-2541.

Three-year-old preschool will also begin on Tuesday, August 27, when school opens for K-12. Four-year-old preschool will begin Wednesday, August 28.