From the Superintendent: Through the years the Dieringer community has tackled many important questions regarding how to best provide for our children’s futures. Whether it was important questions like dealing with an aging and leaky Lake Tapps Elementary or responding to the impact on our schools from rapid community growth, the citizen committees have stepped forward to carefully considered the issues. Supported by the Dieringer community through the ap-proval of bonds, the new Lake Tapps Elementary and ex-pansions of all three schools are tangible evidence of this community’s continuing vision and support for its chil-dren. Once again, a community task, this time focused on addressing the impact of legislative budget action on Dier-inger students, staff and the community as a whole. To address these questions, the Collaborative Task Force, composed of parents and staff are working to ad-dress the following: 1. Understand the impact of legislative requirements

and constraints (salary, levy, state revenues, redistri-bution of taxes, class size, non-high, etc.) on the stu-dents, staff and tax payers of the Dieringer community

2. Develop a plan to articulate and communicate #1 with Dieringer stake holders, the media and our local legis-lators

3. Work to achieve a more equitable funding plan for our community: local funds remaining local, levy rate rein-stated, CPI vs. IPD increases from the state, non-high funding provided for, staff allocations that recognize the education and experience of our staff, and capital funds to support reduced class size, etc.

Whether you currently have children in school, or simp-ly value passing on the gift of education to the children of your community, thank you. You have made a wise in-vestment in the lives of our children and the future of this amazing community. Warm regards, Judy Martinson, Superintendent

AROUND THE DISTRICT….

Dieringer Welcomes Newest Board Member

Megan Bearor was appointed as the new director repre-senting District 5 at the October 29th Board of Directors’ meeting. Megan will fulfill the remainder of the term for Hilary McCabe who recently stepped down from the Board. Megan is an active Dieringer community member and will be officially sworn in at the November Board

meeting.

DIERINGER HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY...

Being a Good Citizen Today Includes Being a Good Digital

Citizen

Use of technology in the Dieringer School District and at Dieringer Heights Elementary has changed drastically over the last years. We have gone from students visiting a com-puter lab for short periods of time, to all our students hav-ing access to either a personal lap top computer or an iPad in their classrooms. Our homes are all full of internet capable devices as well. Having such high access to digital tools creates great learning opportunities for our stu-dents. What it also creates is a need for clear and inten-tional instruction around Digital Citizenship. Mike Ribble, an authority on digital citizenship says, “Students need to be educated on how to be good citizens of their coun-try and what their rights and responsi-bilities are as members of society. The same issues need to be addressed with regard

YOUR DIERINGER SCHOOLS Connecting Community and School

November, 2018

Mrs. Malkowicz’s class works with iPads as a group.

to the emerging digital society, so that students can learn how to be responsible and productive members of that society.” We are committed to training our students to know and do what is right in the digital age…To be excel-

lent digital citizens. To that end we are utilizing Common Sense Media’s K–12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum. With updated curriculum in grades 3 -5, each lesson helps pre-pare students to develop critical 21st century skills and take on real challenges that students face today. Common Sense Media even has a parent section to help families understand the problems and possibilities of raising chil-dren in the digital age. Look for the Parent tab in the top left of the website. For more information or to check out their excellent resources go to https://www.commonsensemedia.org/. In Dieringer we are fortunate to have such a wonderful and supportive community. Your support of our efforts to help students to be prepared for the technological world we live in is very much appreciated.

I hope we all are learning to “Tweet others the way we

want to be tweeted!”

LAKE TAPPS ELEMENTARY... Did you know that for the last several years a Monday in October has been set aside, with the approval of the School Board, for teacher collaboration and training? This year, October 15 was that day. Teachers from Lake Tapps Elementary and Dieringer Heights Elementary spent the morning hours working together on writing instruction, learning needs and materials used at each grade level. They learned what skills different grade levels work on, to try to build upon what students have already learned. Teachers also have opportunities on several Friday after-noons throughout the school year for professional devel-opment. On September 28, the staff at Lake Tapps Ele-mentary School spent the afternoon learning more about the program Imagine Learning. Imagine Learning is a pro-gram specifically geared for our English Language

Learners, but the strategies within Imagine Learning are effective for any young student learning to read. The afternoon of November 9, the staff at Lake Tapps Elemen-tary will be increasing their learning about the STAR As-sessment and data. STAR is a an assessment for reading and Math, and data can be used to guide instruction to focus on individual student needs. We appreciate the time we have on Friday afternoons to learn how to improve our craft.

Did you know that the Sumner Rotary Club donates a dic-

tionary to every third grade student in Dieringer School

District?

The Ro-

tary Club

donates

the dic-

tionaries

to third

grade

students

every year,

and has

a long

history of doing so. The Rotary Club representatives visit-

ed Lake Tapps Elementary School on Monday, November

5, to present the dictionaries to every 3rd grade student,

and explain what the Rotary Club does for our community.

They handed out 180 dictionaries. They challenge the stu-

dents to look up a word during the presentation, and they

are always very impressed with the respect and behavior

our students show our guests. The Sumner Rotary Club

helped build the skate park in Sumner by raising

$1,000,000 for the project. They also raised $250,000 to

help with the building of the Sumner YMCA. These are

just two examples of the many community service activi-

ties the Rotary Club participates in every year. We are so

grateful to our Sumner Rotary Club for the dictionaries,

and for all of their community service efforts.

NORTH TAPPS MIDDLE SCHOOL.. Eric Spring, Director of Bands, is pleased to announce that Erica Johnson successfully auditioned into the 2019 Washington State Jr. All-State band this past month. She worked on a 4-part audition, submitted a recording, and was selected as one of the top 7th grade trumpet players in the state of Washington. She will perform with the Jr. All-State Baker Band in February in Vancouver, WA. If you see her around, please tell her congratulations!

Jon Stenson, Choir Director, is also pleased to report that Sophie Jones, 8th grader, auditioned and was select-ed to participate in the Jr. All State Honor Choir this Febru-ary in Portland. Congratulations are also in order for the North Tapps Middle School 7th Grade Football Team. They won the

Photo courtesy of Friesel/Hamlin championship game against Mt. Baker with an overtime score of 26-20. They were undefeated in their 2018 -19 season. Mrs. Pritchett’s Fast pitch team was also victorious in their 2018-19 season. The girls ended their season with a 7-1 record and were Dieringer/Auburn Co-League Champs with Rainier Middle School.

Photo courtesy of Photographs of Life

The Dieringer School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical

disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following

employee has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Dr. Judy Neumeier-Martinson , Superintendent: Phone: 253.862.2537, 1320 178th Avenue E.; Lake Tapps, WA 98391.

Board of Directors Mr. Greg Garrison, Board Chair Mr. Scott Reisnouer, Vice Chair Mrs. Chelsea Steiner, Leg. Rep. Mr. Greg Johnson, Director Mrs. Meagan Bearor, Director

More Info?

Visit our Website:

www.dieringer.wednet.edu

ieringer School District 1320 178th Avenue E Lake Tapps, WA 98391

POSTAL CUSTOMER

ECRWSS

NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT # 8

ORTING, WA 98360

Contact Us: Dieringer School Dis trict Office 1320 178th Avenue E Lake Tapps, WA 98391 253-862-2537

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

November 21 Pre-holiday – Early Dismissal 22-23 Thanksgiving Break—No School 26 School Board Mtg - 6:00 pm DSD DO 28 Elementary PTA Skate Night— 6:00-8:00pm—Crazy Sock Night

29 Pierce County Fi re and Life Safety Assembly—DHES 1:30- 2:00 pm December 8 PTA Holiday Shoppe—DHES—9- 11 am 11 Elementary PTA Board Mtg— DHES—6:00 pm 12 NTMS Winter Concert 1-Begin ning Band, DHES Chorus , NTMS Choir 5:30 pm – Gym 12 NTMS Winter Concert 2-Jazz

Band, Cadet Band, Concert Band 7:30 pm Commons 17 School Board Mtg - 6:00 pm DSD DO

19 DHES—All school sing-a-long 2:00 pm

20-31 Winter Vacation January 1 Winter Vacation 11, 18, 25 , Feb 1 and Feb 8 ACE

early dismissals 8 Elementary PTA Board Meeting— 6:00-6:30 & General Meeting— 6:30 pm DHES 9 NTMS High School Information Night 7-9 pm

10 PTA Reflections Awards Cele-bration—6:30 pm NTMS

Fast Facts

In 1998, Dieringer had 1,068 students in two schools. The 2018 enrollment of

1,541 in three schools represents a 44.3% increase from 20 years ago.

In 2008 we had 12 students who spoke 6 languages other than English; today we

have 69 students who speak a total of 18 other languages than English.

Dieringer ranks #1 in cost per rider among the 20 same size school districts. Be-cause of the high performance of our transportation department, a grant to cov-

er 78% of the underfunding was provided by the state.

Running a school district, regardless of size, is complex. Dieringer has many unique

factors:

Dieringer is third smallest in the Puget Sound area.

Dieringer is in the top half, by student enrollment, of the 295 school districts in

Washington.

Dieringer is the largest of the 46 non-high or K-8 districts; the next biggest serves

650 students.

What Dieringer does have in common with all other school districts is the reporting and management functions necessary to meet federal, state and local requirements and, most importantly, support our students and staff. The following chart shows a comparison of Dieringer and other local school districts, based on the percentage of

operating budget used to support these essential district-wide functions.