• All sophomores and some older students will take the Pre-Scholastic Aptituted Tests (PSATs)on October 16. The bell schedule will be in its normal mode for this day. The PSATs will be a thre-hour test that will start during first period.

• After-School Tutoring: We have established times and dates for Before/After School Tutoring.This opportunity is for any and all students in grades 6-12. We are going to offer two morning sessions (Tuesdays and Fridays) beginning at 7 a.m. for a while to see if there is a need for students who, for whatever reason, cannot attend an after-school session. We will monitor the mornings and make necessary adjustments as we see them. After school sessions will be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. High school students should report to Mrs. Emery's room and middle school students should report to Mrs. Graf's room on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Mr. Houck's room on Wednesdays.

• WASL: The Assessment about the Assessment: Final posted WASL scores for Kittitas Secondary School were encouraging and generally showed strong improvement. KSS students exceeded grade-level state average scores in nine of 12 areas. We continue our dedication to improve on these fine scores. It should also be noted, however, that while WASL scores are important and provide schools with some critical data about teaching and learning, they are only part of the educational picture at any school. There is constant learning going on in all classes at all levels and we are always proud of the dedication of our teachers and the efforts put forth by our students. The school’s WASL scores from last year, as well as those from other districts around the state, can be accessed at the website for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) at www.k12.wa.us and click under “Research/Reports” on the menu at the top of the page.

• WASL: The Hair-razing Experience: Middle School science teacher Jeff Schmidt made a deal last spring with his eighth-grade science students that, if their combined test scores exceeded the state average, he would shave his head. Not only did the Kittitas score of 55.8% beat the state average of 47.7%, it was the best 8th-grade science score in Kittitas County. On September 22, Mr. Schmidt allowed members of his 2007-2008 Team to take a swipe at his head with a set of barber clippers and a local barber finished the job.

• Site Council: We are currently looking for interested parents, teachers, and students to serve on the KSS site council. While we will determine the time, dates, and frequency of meetings once the group has been assembled, interested applicants can expect meetings to be roughly every month or month-and-a-half. Contact the principal either by phone or e-mail if interested. The council will listen to reports of what’s happening at school, offer advice on proposed classes, or other situations as might interest the council.

• Homecoming: The ASB leaders are planning a wonderful and full slate of activities for the week of October 6-11. The athletic events for the high school that week include home volleyball games against Liberty Bell on Oct. 7 and Oroville on Oct. 11, and the varsity football game against White Swan on Oct. 10. The week’s dress-up day themes will be Crazy Hair Day (Monday), Twins Day (Tuesday), Wear Your Animal Hat Day (Wednesday), Circus Day (Thursday), and Spirit Day (Friday). The annual Homecoming Dance will be Saturday night. Students planning on bringing non-KSS students to the dance are reminded to get a dance pass signed by a school administrator before the end of that week.

• Tests & Surveys: All sophomores, as well as some juniors and seniors, will take the PSAT test on Wednesday, October 15. This test will start at about 8:30 a.m. and take approximately three hours. This test can be important as a preparation for SAT tests, as well possible qualifying for National Merit awards and scholarships. The results are also a big help to students as they begin the process of considering their post-secondary options. All students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12, will take the Healthy Youth Survey on Thursday, October 16 during second period. Parents should have received a flyer by now explaining this survey. If you have any questions about either of these events, please contact either the school principal or the counselor.

• Student Leaders: Kittitas Secondary has a wide variety of student leadership opportunities and activities. Here is a list of this year’s elected leaders:
o High School
 ASB: Drew Dixon (12th-grade), president; Jordyn Hudson (11), vice-president; Natalie Gibb (11), secretary; Alexis Clerf (11), treasurer.
 Senior Class: Amber Allphin, president; Kristin Poulsen, vice-president; Heidi Ely, secretary/treasurer.
 Junior Class: Morgan Uceny, president; Ali Kilgore, vice-president, Heidi Ely, secretary/treasurer.
 Freshman Class: Erica Clerf, president; Michael Dorman, vice-president; Edgar Borges, secretary/treasurer.
 Interhigh Reps: Mallori Allphin (9), Kort Genge (10), Natalie Gibb (11), Kyra Garnich (12).
o Middle School
 Executive Board: Dakota Adams (8), Kendal Greninger (8), Cassie Johnson (7), Kaitlynn Kilgore (8), Ashley Sabin (6).
 8th-Grade Officers: Felicia Kempf, Bib Martinez, Catlyn Robins.
 7th-Grade Officers: Jennifer Figueroa, Oliver Hawks, Kimberly Miles.
 6th-Grade Officers: Lindsay Clerf, Ithzel Villegas.


Kent K. Sherwood, principal
Kittitas Secondary School