TEACHER MONTH Corina Fletcher nominated by Shafi qa Walizada - Keller School District #3
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January 2021
TEACHER Corina Fletcher
OF THE
nominated by Shafiqa Walizada
MONTH Woodridge / Spokane Public Schools
presented by
To send letters to the editor or for STAFF
more information, please write to: Mary Helen Black, Publisher
Shannon Dayton, Associate Publisher
P.O. Box 8293 Bob Black, Numbers Guy
Spokane, WA 99203 Matt Dayton, Editor
MEET TESS
The holidays brought thoughtful acts of
kindness by 12-year old Tess. She cooked
and baked delicious dinners and desserts
for the group of ‘singles’ who, because of
Covid, could not join her family.
Tess cooked a turkey, with sides of mashed
potatoes, gravy, corn, stuffing, cranberry
sauce, and home baked rolls. For dessert
she baked home made apple pies for each
missing friend. Tess and her family jumped
in the car and delivered the Thanksgiving
meals.
Her friends also enjoyed a special Christmas
dinner meal—cooked and baked by Tess
and delivered by Tess and her family.
We are proud of Tess and her thoughtful
acts of holiday kindness.
• Donate canned food to you neighborhood food
bank.
• Shovel your neighbor’s sidewalk.
• Send lettters or drawing to seniors in assisted
living facilities.
• Donate warm winter clothes that you’ve
outgrown to Mission Community Outreach.
• Donate children’s books to Transitions.
• Donate warm gloves and winter hats to
organizations serving people experiencing
homelessness like Volunteers of America and
Catholic Charities. PRIZES FOR WINNERS INCLUDE $100 DONATION
TO THEIR SCHOOL AND A $25 GIFT CARD FOR ICE
• IT DOESN’T COST A THING TO BE KIND!
CREAM! ANYONE CAN NOMINATE A KIND KID!
Teacher of the Month Corina Fletcher Woodridge Elementary I have lived in Spokane all my life! I was born in the Valley, then moved to the Woodridge neighborhood when I was in 3rd grade. I attended Woodridge, Salk and Shadle, then went onto Eastern Washington University where I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I am studying to be a principal through the EWU program. Ever since I was three-years-old, I knew I wanted to be a teacher! My mom is a teacher and has been for 42 years! I remember going to school with her one day and watching her teach. I remember thinking, someday, I will be up there. I got my first teaching position as a 6th grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary. I taught there for six years. When a position at Woodridge opened for sixth grade, I applied. Moving back to “my” school feels like home. I have been teaching for 13 years, mostly in 6th grade, with some 5th/6th combo classes sprinkled into the mix. My favorite thing to do in the whole world is teach. Being a teacher is sort of like being a traveling farmer. We plant the seeds, but we don’t see the harvest. We only get a few pages in the stories of our children, so all we can do is capitalize each moment we have with them to inspire, instruct, and spark joy and excitement and instill a love of learning. When I am not teaching, I love to go to movies, out to dinner and play board games with my husband and our three sons – Eli, Josiah and Weston. My colleagues amaze me every day with their creativity and resilience. I love my students, who despite all the challenges of this year, find the silver-lining in it all.
Sturm’s Hero, Tawni Barlow!
Medical Lake School District plans to have graduate-level
mental health resources in every school — two to three in each
building — supervised by the district’s clinical professionals.
A conversation about the pandemic brought words of optimism
and hope. Barlow said, “We can do amazing things together.”
She explained that COVID-19 has created a different kind of
trauma. “We are experiencing a new level of isolation. Social
Tawni Barlow is our Hero media allows us to talk about our isolation, and to understand
By Mary Helen Black
that we are all in this together. As humans, we are wired to
Tawni’s super power is compassionate care for be together. Facetime, Zoom and other technologies allow us
to at least see each other face-to-face. To develop a sense of
,
students, staff and families who live, work and learn
in the Medical Lake School District. Although, when self, we need to know that we belong to something, to each
asked, she said, “I’m not the hero. Our team at Medical other. During this challenging time, remind loved ones how
Lake are the real heroes. They lift others everyday!” important they are, and that soon, we will be able to physically
touch and be together again.”
In 2018, Medical Lake School District’s new
superintendent, Tim Ames, asked Barlow to become the The pandemic has forced us to pivot, and in doing so, the
district’s student services director. She oversees special pandemic has created growth that may have never happened.
education, 504s, and health services which includes “We are shifting from what we know has worked in the past
nursing and mental health. to celebrating new ideas about how to accomplish past tasks.
We are discovering new pathways together.”
Barlow believes that intervention is essential in making
life changes. In the past she was placed in a position, Barlow practices what she preaches. “During this time,it is
because of her jobs in the Department of Corrections especially important that we care for ourselves as well as care
and later as an investigator for Child Protective for our families. We work to find peace. We should play. We
Services, to react rather than to intervene. “I believe should find time for fun.” Barlow loves to ski and to bike. “I
that if we are in a place of intervention early in a child’s love all of our seasons. I am always planning for future fun. I
life, we can change lives.” With this in mind, Barlow and invite our community to plan as I do, for a wonderful future,
her team created Mind Your Health. filled with partnership in our work and our play.”
Mind Your Health is a program that offers free Sturm is proud to recognize
mental health and other services to the Medical Lake
community. The program eliminates the false stigma our community heroes.
that has long been associated with seeking help.
Superintendent Ames added, “Changing the narrative
on mental health is huge for us. It is okay to seek out
help for a friend, a family member, or a community
member.” The program combines “systems of support”
— mental health, academic support, physical health
and individual and familial social and emotional support
— which are traditionally “siloed” into separate support
mechanisms. sturmheating.com / 509.325.4505STCU and Kids Newspaper Teacher of the Month
The winning teacher and nominating student
will recieve gifts from STCU and Kids Newspaper!Taking Advantage of a Fresh Start
By Vince Meyer
We made it! 2020 is officially over. A year that brought
chaos, confusion and unsettled nerves. Alas we start anew.
We can start 2021 With a clean slate, a fresh set of eyes
and a list of new goals. Many of us will set resolutions, or
begin doing things which we have put off starting. Taking
the first step is often the most difficult. When it comes to
your child’s future education expenses, the first step is
saving that first dollar.
WA529 provides flexible options that help you save for
these future education costs. The key to being prepared
is to start saving early, make regular contributions, and
choose a savings option that will meet your goals. Every
family is different, and no single approach is a perfect fit.
With WA529, families can choose between the Guaranteed Also remember contributions towards a child’s college
Education Tuition (GET) Program and the DreamAhead savings make the perfect gift for holidays, special
College Investment Plan. To learn the benefits of each occasions, birthdays, baby showers and important
program, or see how to get started, visit https://wastate529. milestones. Friends and family can make gift contributions
wa.gov/get-started to help a beneficiary’s account grow. Education is a gift
that truly lasts a lifetime! Learn more at https://wastate529.
wa.gov/give-a-gift.
Did you know you can open an account before your little
one is even born? Simply list yourself as both the account
owner and the student beneficiary. After the baby is born The giving season never ends with WA529. New
and has a Social Security number, simply fill out a Change beneficiaries ages 13-months or younger with new GET
of Student Beneficiary Form (no fee) to add your child to or DreamAhead account will automatically be mailed a
the account. 12-month or 18-month size baby onesie.Storytime fun for kids & families
Building with Books: A LEGO Storytime Evening Storytime Online
For all ages For kids ages 2–5 & their families
Enjoy a fun read-aloud story! Then recreate a part of Children will have fun learning when we read stories, sing
the story, like a character, a scene, or a setting, using songs, and share fingerplays during this evening storytime.
LEGO bricks or other crafting materials in your home,
and share your creations with the group! ONLINE
Thursdays, Jan 7, 14, 21 & 28, 6:30–7pm
ONLINE
Tuesday, Jan 5, 12, 19 & 26, 4–4:45pm
For both of these online storytimes, you
can sign up at www.scld.org/storytimes.
Registration is required for each of these
storytime sessions, and you will need
to provide an email address to receive
login information.
You can also view our Storytime Shorts
videos on our Facebook page on
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10am
(no registration). Our librarians have
recorded some wonderful picture book
stories, songs, fingerplays, activities,
and flannel stories using the felt
board for this video series! Catch them
each week at www.facebook.com/
SpokaneCountyLibraryDistrict.
Solve the clues to locate the impostor
Online Gaming: Among Us
For kids in grades 6–12
There’s an imposter Among Us! Can you and your crewmates complete tasks before you are sabotaged by the impostor?
Play “Among Us”—the online multiplayer, social deduction, secret identity party game—with us.
All players must download “Among Us,” which is free for iOS and Android from your device’s app store and available for
PC at $5 on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/). We’ll meet up online to interact and chat as we play.
ONLINE
Saturday, Jan 9, 2–3pm
Sign up at www.scld.org/gaming-events.
Registration is required, and you’ll need to provide email to receive game
and interactive platform login information.
www.scld.orgB Ar M fit ho pe yo
GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!
SKINNY CHOCOLATE CHIP EGG MUFFINS WITH SAU-
BANANA MUFFINS SAGE, SPINACH, AND CHEESE
Ingredients:
• 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour Ingredients:
• 1 teaspoon baking soda • 3 lean breakfast turkey sausage links
• 1/4 teaspoon salt • 5 egg whites
• 1 ½ cups mashed bananas (3 bananas) • 2 whole eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla • 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon-optional • Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 Tablespoons honey • 1/4 cup fresh chopped spinach
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil • 1/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (nonfat)
1 Tablespoon soy or almond milk
•
BREAKFAST BANANA SPLIT
Ingredients:
• 1 banana
• ½ cup strawberry greek yogurt
Instructions: • ¼ cup blackberries
• Preheat oven to 350 F and spray 12 cup • ¼ cup raspberries Instructions:
standard muffin tin or 24 cup mini muffin tin • ½ cup granola • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a
with nonstick cooking spray. • mini chocolate chips for garnish medium skillet, brown the turkey sausage
• In a bowl whisk dry ingredients: flour, baking links on medium-high heat. Cook until
soda, cinnamon and salt. sausage is brown all the way through. Cut
• In a large bowl mash bananas. Next, add sausage into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.
honey, oil, vanilla, milk, Greek yogurt • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg
and egg, then, mix until well combined and whites and eggs. Whisk in skim milk and
smooth. You can use electric mixer or whisk season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in
by hand. the chopped spinach.
• Add dry ingredients and mix (or whisk) until • Grease 6 muffin tin cups with cooking
just combined. Instructions: spray or line cups with paper liners. Pour
• Fold in chocolate chips. • Scoop out two scoops of yogurt and egg mixture evenly into the muffin cups.
• Fill muffin tin with batter almost to the top place each scoop in a separate • Distribute cheese and sausage equally
and bake until the toothpick inserted in the paper muffin liner. between each muffin cup.
muffin comes out almost clean with a few • Put back in the freezer until ready to • Bake egg muffins for 20 minutes, or until
crumbs attached. It takes about 20-25 use. the muffins are firm in the center. Remove
minutes for regular sized muffins or 14-16 • Split banana in half. from oven and gently go round each egg
minutes for mini muffins. • Add 2 scoops of frozen yogurt with a butter knife. Serve warm.
• Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan, • Add berries, granola and chocolate • Note-you can store the egg muffins in the
then transfer to a wire rack to cool chips. fridge for 3-4 days and reheat them in the
completely. • Serve immediately. microwave.
omgchocolatedesserts.com www.artfrommytable.com www.twopeasandtheirpod.comPhysical Activity Kiddos need a brain break.
Physical activity and active play are critical for brain
development, boosting the immune system and
for young people during COVID-19 improving emotional well-being.
Try Online
YOGA Learn to
Build an
JUGGLE
OBSTACLE
COURSE
Have a
DANCE PARTY
JUMP
Challenge a Friend ROPE
ONLINE
Play Balloon
Make an Action VOLLEYBALL
MOVIE
For local COVID-19 resources,
Adapted from Steven Hanson/British Journal of Sports Medicine blog: https://blogs.bmj.com/ visit srhd.org/covid19Mary Helen Black All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of kids Newspaper.
Publisher *The school districts do not sponsor or endorse this event/ information and the districts assume
no responsibility for it. In consideration of the priviledge to distribute materials, the School
kidsnewspaper@comcast.net Districts will be held harmless from any cause of action filed in any court or administrative
tribunal arising out of the distribution of these materials, including costs, attorney’s fees and
(509) 710-4241 judgements or awards. Kids for moms and dads Service, a 501c3, is published monthly.You can also read
