WFIS Calendar:
Nov. 13, 2008
WFIS Fall Workshop
Spring Valley Montessori
Federal Way
Feb. 12, 2009
Winter Dinner and Best of Washington Awards
Museum of Flight
Seattle
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The WFIS eMemo is a publication of
Washington Federation of Independent Schools
435 Main Ave So
Renton, WA 98057
425-228-WFIS(9347)
Judy Jennings
Executive Director
Jan L. Morrison
Assistant to the Director
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 With the 2008-09 school year well underway, your staff and Executive Board at WFIS want to wish each of you your most successful school year ever. While each of you has been busy hiring new staff, interviewing new students and fine-tuning schedules and calendars, we at WFIS have been preparing for the upcoming year as well.
At our May Board meeting, the board once again reaffirmed our strategic direction. WFIS will continue to focus on three fronts we believe to be crucial to private schools in Washington. Our first strategic front is our legislative advocacy and representation on behalf of private schools in Olympia and in Washington, D.C. Because this is not only an election year, but a biennial budget approval session, WFIS will be able to provide influence and testimony to protect our schools' independence and encourage lawmakers to include us when it is appropriate. Last session, we supported the Washington State Catholic Conference bill to allow paid access to the WASL for their schools. They have chosen not to bring the bill back for another round. This month, WFIS and several member schools have also provided effective and influential testimony to the Department of Health outlining our concerns regarding the new School Health and Safety Regulations. As rules and regulations are being written and implemented, we will continue to be at the table to voice our schools' views and positions on all applicable issues. We are also monitoring which bills will be re-introduced and any new legislation that could affect our autonomy as independent schools.
Our second strategic initiative is to continue to expand and improve our services to member schools. Over the past four years, we have vetted and implemented new providers for employee benefits and background checks. We continue to search for and negotiate with providers that will give our schools the best possible prices for their product. We are also committed to providing as many services and as much information as we can on our website. We continue to work with a new site manager to upgrade and improve our information and user friendliness. Another service we provide is professional in-service, both on-line through 24/7 and on-site with our annual Fall Workshop to be held November 13 as well as the Puget Sound ESD's Private Schools Day on October 8th, and other partnerships as we are able to schedule.
Our third strategic initiative is simply to improve and expand our communication and marketing abilities statewide. Currently, there are over 500 private schools representing enrollments of 84,000 students. WFIS is the only private school organization in the state that works on behalf of ALL of those schools. Our board continues to be committed to increasing our school membership, and continuing to look for alternate revenue streams to keep dues at a manageable rate for our schools. We will also again be emphasizing pre-school representation and membership this year. In order to continue to improve our state-wide communication, we will be attending and reporting at all constituency administrative meetings around the state. Thank you for partnering with WFIS and the greater private school community. We look forward to serving you this year. If you have any issues or concerns, please do not hesitiate to contact me at jjennings@wfis.org. Have a great year!
Judy Jennings
Executive Director
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Thank You, Member Schools!
On September 10, 2008, WFIS Director, Judy Jennings, and administrators from several member private schools testified in Olympia before the entire Department of Health Board of Directors. The DOH has spent the last four years doing an exhaustive renovation of the School Health and Safety Guidelines. The school rules had not been totally revised since the late 1970's. In order to accomplish this enormous task, a committee was formed to include all of the stakeholders from around the state to help draft proposed rule changes. WFIS was also asked to send a representative to the committee. We want to especially thank Ed Foster, Facilities Director for the Seattle Archdiocese, for his work on our behalf.
The revisions focused primarily on water quality, air quality and playground safety. Each of these areas would be evaluated by new construction industry requirements, testing to monitor air, water, surfaces, and playground equipment. Findings would need correction if necessary. An appeals process was also included in the newly formulated rules.
Testimonies from our schools focused on the potential negative impact that the current implementation timeline for the newly revised Health and Safety Plan would have on our state's private schools. Our schools' concerns primarily focused on the "one size fits all" approach to building issues, because many private schools are housed in non-traditional settings. Another paramount concern came from the Small Business Impact Report, which stated that private schools could pass the costs of any upgrades "on to our parents". This concern resonated throughout the comments given. While both public and private schools agree that the intent of the rules is good, both are also gravely concerned about the funding of the necessary upgrades and inclusions. Many public schools have large deferred maintenance issues already. This would further deplete available monies, personnel and time.
While we, as private schools, definitely want to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for all of our children, we believe the new regulations can be implemented in a more timely and cost effective manner and still be effective for our schools.
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IT'S COMING! Yes, the time is drawing close! It is the Annual ...
WFIS Fall Administrators Workshop
November 13, 2008
8:3030 am - 3:30 pm
Spring Valley Montessori School
Federal Way, Washington
We are excited to bring you our annual workshop with all new, timely presentations regarding the most important issues facing our schools today. Our topics will include:
* Core 24 - the New HS Gaduation Requirements
* New IRS Regulations Regarding Retirement plans
* How to build an effective administrative or faculty team
* Hiring and firing coaches
* Identify Theft
* Confronting Personnel Problems
* WFIS legislative updates
* Dept. of Health - New Rules and Regulations
Watch your E-Mail for registration information
Clock hours provided by WFIS through 24/7 Educational Services
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Private Schools Day at Puget Sound ESD, occurring on October 8, is quickly approaching, but there is still space for YOU to attend!
The ESD homepage for this event has been UPDATED to further describe the exciting program they have planned. It includes descriptions of the day's breakout sessions and a list of participating vendors. This page may be viewed at:
http://www.psesd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=438&Itemid=342
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WFIS Best of Washington Awards ...
Who will you nominate?
Do you have an outstanding teacher or student? Perhaps your Principal or Board of Directors have excelled in a recent project. What about that school librarian, or parent, or nurse who is always there for your students?
This is your opportunity to nominate individuals for the WFIS Best of Washington Award, honoring excellence in education and supporting the missions of independent schools.
Winners will be honored at the Annual Winter Dinner to be held Thursday evening, February 12, 2009, at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Nomination forms will be available soon.
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Renew Your WFIS Membership!
The Washington Federation of Independent Schools (WFIS) is the umbrella organization for private education in Washington State. WFIS is the only statewide vehicle for regular communication and strategic development between the many different constituencies. WFIS schools are affiliates of: the Catholic dioceses in the state, the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), the Christian Schools International (CSI), Lutheran Schools, Montessori schools, the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS), the Seventh-day Adventist Schools (SDA), and numerous other religious and independent institutions, including the Waldorf Schools, Hutterian Brethren, and those institutions with sponsorship within the Jewish and Islamic communities. The WFIS Board of Directors consists of eighteen school heads representing the major constituencies chosen regionally by their respective bodies. WFIS is networked with similar organizations in other states through the Council for American Private Education (CAPE).
Help keep your independent school independent. If you have not already done so, please renew now. Go to www.WFIS.org/member for online enrollment. You will be asked to enter your School Code and e-mail address of record. If you are unsure of these, please contact Jan Morrison at jmorrison@wfis.org for assistance.
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TONIGHT: SAMA Parent Forum
Teens and Drug Addiction Concerns
Seattle Central Community College
6-8 on Thursday, October 2nd - dinner will be served
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The non-profit Youth Suicide Prevention Program of Washington State (YSPP) is looking for middle school teachers to pilot and help evaluate a new middle school health curriculum.
Grant funding from the State of Washington allows YSPP to offer free curriculum and training and to reimburse schools for a teacher's sub time to attend training. In return, teachers will be asked to follow an evaluation protocol that includes giving students pre- and post-surveys and filling out evaluation surveys themselves.
LOOK LISTEN LINK was written as a stepping stone to H.E.L.P., a high-school suicide prevention curriculum also developed by YSPP.
If interested or for more information, please contact:
Lisa Watson Curriculum Project Coordinator Youth Suicide Prevention Program 206-491-6834 lisa@yspp.org
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Washington State Dept. of Health
School Environmental Health and Safety - Fall 2008 Workshops
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/school/workshopflyer.pdf
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BioQuest, the outreach program at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI) is offering a paid, two-day workshop for high school science educators on November 7. This year, with support from the AMGEN Foundation and the Harvest Foundation, SBRI is pleased to provide curriculum, materials and training related to malaria and contemporary malaria research tools (specifically mosquito dissections, microarray technology and malaria vaccine development)-as well as meals, training stipends ($50 per teacher), class field trip sponsorships ($300) and access to nine clock hours.
Apply today to learn more about malaria, Washington State research efforts to eliminate the nearly 3,000 daily infant deaths attributed to this parasitic infection AND how a visit to the largest Institute in the country dedicated to global infectious disease research can add authenticity (e.g., GLE 3.1) and inspiration to your classroom!
Theresa Britschgi, M.S., Director of BioQuest Seattle Biomedical Research Institute 307 Westlake Avenue North, Suite 500 Seattle, WA 98109-5219 (206) 256-7200 (reception) (206) 256-7229 (fax) theresa.britschgi@sbri.org ..........
Washington State Association for Multicultural Education
Fall Conference - October 25 - 8 am - 4 pm
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Mission Increase Foundation's no-cost workshops this October will cover why building organizational awareness through a website rarely motivates a donor to support a ministry over an extended period of time. Mission Increase Foundation is a Christian foundation that seeks to provide ministries with free development training and matching grants. For workshop information go to:
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2008 Blue Ribbon Schools Announced:
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The State Board of Health will continue its deliberations regarding the school environmental health & safety rule on Wednesday, October 8 at the Yakima Convention Center, 10 North 8th St, Yakima. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. Testimony will not be taken during this hearing session. Hearing sessions were previously held on August 27 in Spokane and on September 10 in Olympia. More information about the hearing session on October 8 will be posted to the Board's Web site on Friday, October 3:
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