Wirkkala receives principal honor

Alan Bennett, superintendent of the Naselle-Grays River School District, reported last week Naselle-Grays River K-8 Principal Karen Wirkkala has been elected Distinguished Principal of the Year by her peers.

Nominated by fellow principals from Pacific League schools, Wirkkala is respected by students, colleagues, parents and the community, he said. She maintains an orderly and purposeful learning environment, and is a positive influence.

Wirkkala thanked the board and said it it’s her job.

“I enjoy working with the kids and the staff and will do whatever it takes to make sure that we’re the best!” she said.

The board accepted the resignations of middle school track coach David Klinger and para-educator Diane Bennett. The board unanimously approved Naselle-Grays River High School Principal Jonathon Tienhaara and Russ Hickman as new track coaches.

In other business, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has approved the district’s application to waive five of the six make up days due to this winter's inclement weather.

The last day of school is scheduled for June 16. The mid-winter break scheduled for March 4-6 will remain on the schedule and students will attend classes March 20 as a make up day for January 27. March 20 was originally scheduled as a day off from classes.

If the area experiences another severe weather event forcing the cancellation of classes, those days will be made up at the end of the school year. OSPI by law can waive up to five of the scheduled 180 days of the school year, provided 1,000 hours of instruction are met.

Wirkkala described to the board the changes that have been made to the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) since Randy Dorn was elected Superintendent of Public Instruction in November.

What was once known as the WASL is no longer, she said. It is now referred to as the Measurement of Student Progress (MSP) for grades 3-8 and the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE) for grades 9-12.

The goal of the MSP is a shortened test which will be administered in one sitting. Currently, the WASL takes three to five days to finish. Long answer questions will also be reduced by about 25 percent.

Officials are hoping to make the test computerized by 2010, which would be optional. In 2012, taking the test by computer would be a requirement.

The HSPE is still being organized, however, Dorn released a statement saying educators must ensure standards are workable and reflect the real-life needs of students.

Dorn's statement went on to say that he was going to ask legislature to delay the effective dates of the graduation requirements tied to those standards.

What this means, Wirkkala said, is the reading and writing standards will remain, but as far as math and science, OSPI is going to make recommendations for standards and the effects that will be attached to those standards.

Tienhaara told the board of the bill in committee that would benefit the Naselle Youth Camp. What is called “Sentence for Treatment” would allow courts the option to admit juvenile offenders of medium or minimum security directly to the youth camp.

When a juvenile is sentenced, they will automatically be sentenced to Green Hill in Chehalis to be assessed before placement. Many have argued, he said, that judges don’t want to take the risk and will leave the kids in detention centers.

“Kids don’t get any help in detention,” Tienhaara said. "The education is abysmal and there isn’t a lot of treatment for the kids."

If passed, this bill would allow the judge to say if the offender gets so much treatment, education and vocational training as a diversion from the regular sentence.

If completed, it will save the state money because they won’t have to do their sentence. People have argued it will be better because the student will have something to work for and receive different types of job training at the same time.

“It’s pretty exciting the bill is out there,” Tienhaara said.