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This message is official correspondence from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. For general questions, contact Karen.Conway@k12.wa.us.
Bulletins
This week's bulletins:
-
Student Travel
Survey Postponed Until Spring 2019
-
Summer Special Milk Program Application 2018
Addendum
to Bulletin 032-18
Informational
Re: Student Travel Survey Postponed Until
Spring 2019
Summary: Due to programmatic delays, the
Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Transportation
(DOT) will be postponing the 2018 Student Travel Survey mentioned in Bulletin 032-18,
sent on April 25, 2018. The Student Travel Survey will now be conducted in
spring of 2019. No schools will be contacted at this time, but should look for
communications regarding the survey in February 2019. DOH and DOT apologizes
for any confusion this might have caused, and would like to thank you for your
patience and understanding.
Key
Audiences: Educational
Service District Superintendents, School District Superintendents, School
District Business Managers, School Building Principals, School Transportation
Directors
Bulletin
041-18 attachment
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8
Re: Summer
Special Milk Program Application 2018
Action Required,
Informational: due date June 8
Summary: The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
(OSPI), Child Nutrition Services (CNS), is pleased to release the 2018 Summer
Special Milk Program application.
The
SMP provides milk to children in schools, child care institutions, and eligible
camps that do not participate in other federal child nutrition meal service
programs. Any nonprofit organization providing organized child care or a
residential camp may apply for participation in the Special Milk Program (SMP).
Key Audiences: Educational
Service District Superintendents, School District Superintendents, School District Business Managers, Potential Sponsors of the Summer Special
Milk Program
Of Notable Interest
A
letter from our State Superintendent
Dear
Colleagues:
As
we look toward to this upcoming commencement season, I want to address a topic
of great community interest — tribal students wearing items of cultural
significance, such as eagle feathers, during graduation ceremonies. I want to
reaffirm my stance on this matter and encourage all high schools to adopt
policies that allow for this form of cultural expression in their ceremonies.
I
am heartened that many schools already recognize the appropriateness of Native
American students wearing eagle feathers at graduation. These policies range
from specifically accommodating Native American students to permitting student
organizations to work with parent committees and/or Tribes to distribute eagle
feathers for Native American students. It is important to recognize that since
time immemorial, many tribal nations have viewed eagle feathers as sacred to
cultural traditions. As such, to present an eagle feather is a high honor in
recognition of a great accomplishment. The honoring of a student with the
presentation of an eagle feather is held in high regard to family, community,
and tribal leadership.
Further,
what a tremendous opportunity schools have to recognize the diversity of their
community in acknowledging this important honor. In my experience, the wearing
of items of such cultural expression would not fall outside of a school's dress
code for commencement. I call upon school district staff to work to foster
inclusive commencement policies. Also, it is important to work to resolve
matters of this nature toward an inclusive end much earlier than commencement
day. This request reflects the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's
(OSPI) commitment to fostering the vital government-to¬ government
relationships with the 29 tribes whose boundaries fall within Washington state
and the many other tribes who are represented in the public school system.
Federally recognized tribes in Washington state are sovereign nations and OSPI
fully supports policies that recognize a tribal student's ability to honor
unique tribal cultures.
Our
state strives to foster inclusivity, respect government-to-government
relationships with tribes, and provide a high standard of educational equity.
Thank you for supporting this effort. If you have any questions, please contact
Laura Lynn, Office of Native Education Program Supervisor, at laura.lynn@k12.wa.us. The agency TTY
number is 360-664-3631.
Chris
Reykdal, Superintendent
of Public
Instruction
Planning
School Activities around Common Religious and U.S. Public Holidays
Many students
end up missing school and important school events in order to honor their
religious practices. For this reason, OSPI encourages districts not to schedule
significant school events on major religious holidays. Schools that plan around
major religious holidays convey to all students that they are a meaningful part
of their school communities and that their religious traditions matter. The
purpose of the calendar below is to assist in this effort to raise awareness
about religious holidays practiced in public schools across the state of
Washington.
OSPI encourages
each local education agency to educate themselves on the religious traditions
of the students and communities they serve, strive to honor all religious
communities, and work to be inclusive of all students. School personnel can use
this calendar when responding to student requests for excused absences for
religious purposes or when planning events such as curriculum nights, field
trips, school or team pictures, dances, and hearing and vision tests,
etc.
For this school
year’s Common Religious and Public Holidays calendar, as well as next
school year’s, please visit this link.
The Bulletins & Memos Weekly Update is official correspondence from OSPI to K–12 Superintendents, Principals and Educators in Washington state. If you have questions about your subscription, contact karen.conway@k12.wa.us.
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