From the Superintendent's Desk . . .
June 16 , 2008
Good Morning,
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending high school graduation exercises for Two Rivers and Mount Si. Between the two schools, 289 students received their diplomas as graduates of our school system. During the course of those commencement exercises, I was struck by the accomplishments of our students. A few facts about the Class of 2008:
- 15 of our seniors are receiving the Washington State Principal’s Scholar Award for being in the top 5% of the Senior Class in our state.
- 51 seniors are receiving the Washington State Honors Award for being in the top 10% of the Senior Class in Washington State.
- 8 Running Start students are graduating with their 2-year Associate Arts degree completed at Bellevue Community College. This is the highest number of AA recipients from any Eastside High School.
- 1 senior is a National Merit Finalist.
- 2 seniors are National Merit Commended Scholars.
- 1 senior accepted an Air Force Academy nomination.
- Not one student failed to graduate because of falling short on the WASL.
- This year’s graduating seniors received student leadership awards in Computer Technology, DECA, Skills USA, Culinary Arts, Photography, Sports Medicine, and Video Production. A number were also earned recognition as All-State musicians and athletes.
- The class of 2008 has been awarded over 2.9 million dollars in scholarship money
- Our seniors worked diligently extending their efforts beyond the walls of our high schools to meet the needs of our community through active service learning. One particular senior was responsible for organizing a food drive that netted over 35,000 lbs. of food for area food banks. Another organized a local Special Olympics event that brought together over 80 Special Olympians and 150 volunteers.
These are but a few examples of the accomplishments of our students; there are quite obviously many more success stories that could be told.
These graduating students are in one respect the “product” of our school system. Many have been with us since preschool, developing from children into young adults during their school years in our district. Our students possess natural talent and innate abilities that are quite amazing. They enjoy strong levels of parent support for their learning. However, our schools and most importantly the staff in them have made a considerable impact on the growth and development of our students during their years in school. Our staff has had a significant role in nurturing our students, challenging them to excel, encouraging them when experiencing failure or difficulty, and supporting their learning.
Graduation is an important milestone for our students. It should also be a time of celebration for all of us who work in the Snoqualmie Valley schools. The accomplishments of the students under our care could also be described as the “fruits of our labors.” As mentioned above, the “fruits of our labors” in this year’s senior class is an impressive list.
Good luck with the final week of school. And thank you for the efforts you’ve made during the past year to make a difference for the students who attend our schools.
Joel
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