On April 19, the Auburn High School (AHS) DECA chapter hosted the Washington Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) “Get in the Action” event.

The Get in the Action event is part of AHS DECA’s School Grants for Healthy Kids project sponsored by AFHK and the Walmart Foundation.

During the event students and staff had opportunities to learn how to improve overall health and academic and athletic performance. From personal training sessions to cooking classes to dance lessons, students discovered new ways to stay fit and eat healthy.

Additionally, Eddie J. Williams, fullback of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and formerly with the Seattle Seahawks, was the featured guest speaker. Williams, who lives in the Seattle area during the offseason and is the young adult pastor at Mountain Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Covington, addressed the dangers of obesity and inactivity. “My goal is to help create awareness about the importance of health, be it physically, mentally and also spiritually, especially amongst our young people,” remarks Williams.

Lori Jacobs, advisor for the school’s award-winning DECA program, leads the effort called Trojans Taking Charge. “The event is a catalyst for

change in our school and throughout the community,” says Lori. In fact, the $5,000 awarded to AHS DECA through the AFHK partnership will help increase healthy food selections on campus.

Get in the Action events are perfect opportunities for schools, communities, parents and students to implement community service events that benefit neighborhood schools and students. Schools nationwide have taken advantage of hosting Get in the Action events to bring together school members, parents, families and community members to roll-up their sleeves and get involved to promote and showcase their school wellness programs.

FO C U S

YOUR FUTURE THROUGH CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION

915 4th Street Northeast - Auburn, Washington 98002

Vol. XXI Ed. 2 Spring 2013

IN THIS EDITION...

Trojans Taking Charge

ARHS Turns out Record Numbers

for Blood Drive and Named School

Blood Drive of the Year

AMHS Students Explore Careers in

Technology

Auburn Students Tackle Robotics

Challenge

Auburn Mountainview Wins

Prestigious Chairman’s Award and

Earns Berth to FIRST World Robotics

Championships

CTE Electronics Teacher Named

Auburn School District Teacher of

the Year

Thank You, Retirees!

Auburn CTE Students Excel in State

and National Competitions

Auburn Mountainview Grad Pursues

Childhood Dream

www.auburn.wednet.edu

Trojans Taking Charge

Cindi Blansfield,

Director of Career and

Technical Education

(253) 931-4903

cblansfield@auburn.wednet.edu

Amy Spence, Editor

Page 2

Auburn Riverside High School Turns out Record Numbers for Blood Drives and Named School Blood Drive of the Year

Auburn Riverside High School (ARHS) students turned out in record numbers for

the school’s biannual blood drives to benefit Cascade Regional Blood Services.

Between the two blood drives, 526 registered donors donated blood to help save patients in the community. This includes cancer survivors, burn patients and trauma victims at hospitals like Auburn Regional, Enumclaw Regional, Highline, Valley Medical, UW Medicine, Children’s and Harborview (and 70 other Western Washington

hospitals and clinics).ARHS students exceeded their donor goals

and were named the Cascade Regional Blood Services School Blood Drive of the Year during a donor appreciation event on February 21. The honor recognizes the top high school in Washington State.

Students in Chris Tucker’s sports medicine program organize the fall and spring blood drives. According to Tucker, “Before each blood drive we meet as a class and set goals for how

many students, teachers and parents we want to donate. Then we create promotional posters to hang in our hallways, and we have students go to classes and speak about the drive.”

Raven students understand the importance of how one donation has the potential to save three lives thanks to the education and outreach of the sports medicine program. “My students take this very seriously, and we work hard to make a difference in our community,” says Tucker.

Auburn Mountainview Students Explore Future Careers in Technology

Throughout the 2012-13 school year, Auburn Mountainview High School (AMHS) business

education students have explored multiple careers in technology and industry.

Each semester students of the AMHS Microsoft IT Academy and business department venture to the Microsoft Campus in Redmond. Rainier Middle School students also participate in the field trip. Microsoft volunteer host Phil Peerman, academic account manager, arranges personalized learning opportunities during each field trip.

In December, students visited the Microsoft Visitor’s Center and Microsoft Store, and toured the XBox facilities. Microsoft employees were on hand to answer student questions related

to job responsibilities, hiring processes, new technologies, and more.

On April 18, AMHS was the first high school to participate in the new Junior Achievement and Microsoft Job Shadow event at the Microsoft Store in Seattle. Students networked with 10 Microsoft employees to find out more about their job responsibilities and how they landed a career with Microsoft. Additionally, students toured behind-the-scenes, digging deeper into retail management, inventory and quality control.

According to AMHS business education teacher Patty Eckelman, “Students experimented with products, learned about store inventory, and even sang the opening store chant with Microsoft employees,” says Eckelman.

Then on June 3 students had the opportunity to tour Microsoft’s Envisioning Center, which highlights future technologies for the workplace and home.

“My goal is to give students learning opportunities and skills that prepare them for college, work and other post-secondary opportunities,” says Eckelman.

Auburn Mountainview Robotics Team #2907 earned the highest honor of the FIRST Spokane Regional Robotics Competition, the Chairman’s Award, and an invitation to compete at the FIRST World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 24-27.

The Chairman’s Award represents the spirit of FIRST and honors the team that best embodies the goals and purpose of FIRST. According to Kevin Ross, founder of Washington FIRST Robotics, “These gracious individuals complement each other’s talents…they are endlessly giving their time to outreach to and mentor FLL teams throughout their community…and helping other FRC teams get started.”

During the FIRST World Championship, Team #2907 narrowly missed the finals and placed 16th out of 400 teams.

Page 3

Auburn Students Tackle Robotics Challenge

Auburn High School Robotics Team #3219, also known as “TREAD” (Technology,

Robotics, Engineering and Design), and Auburn Mountainview High School Robotics Team #2907 competed against robotics teams from across the state at the FIRST Microsoft Seattle Regional Robotics Competition, FIRST Spokane Regional Robotics Competition and FIRST Central Washington Regional Robotics Competition.

This year’s competition, called “Ultimate Ascent,” required teams to build robots that could play a game similar to Ultimate Frisbee. During a six-week “build session.” Auburn’s robotics teams designed, programmed and built 150-pound robots that could shoot flying disks through goals of varying heights, defend against other robots, and climb a pyramid structure. After the build session, the robots were crated and shipped to a secure location. Teams reunited with their robots one day prior to competition.

During the first day of competition, robots played in constantly evolving teams of three against three during seeding rounds. Highly-ranked teams selected an “alliance” of three robots for the final rounds on the second day of competition.

AHS Robotics Team TREAD finished as quarterfinalists in both the Seattle and Central Washington Regionals Competitions and won the Jack Kamen Imagery Award in Seattle. AMHS Robotics Team #2907 captured 6th place out of 64 teams at the Seattle Regionals

Competition and the coveted Chairman’s Award at the Spokane Regionals Competition.

FIRST Robotics encourages and inspires students to engage in the fields of engineering, science and technology through hands-on, mentor-supported challenges and achievements. The experience inspires innovation and fosters well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

Auburn Mountainview Wins Prestigious Chairman’s Award and Earns Berth to FIRST World Robotics Championship

Auburn High’s robot lit up for action.

LEGAL NOTICE: The Auburn School District No. 408 complies with all federal rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, or disability, and does not tolerate sexual harassment. This holds true for all students who are interested in participating in educational programs and/or extracurricular school activities. Any reports of alleged sexual harassment or concerns about compliance and/or grievance procedures should be directed to the school dis-trict’s Title IX RCW 28A.640 officer and Section 504 and ADA coordinator, Tim Cummings, 915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, Washington 98002. (253) 931-4932.

Carollynn HansonAuburn Mountainview High School Career and College CounselorYears of service to ASD: 8Years of service in education: 34

My career highlights: I enjoyed the challenge of opening a new high school and developing the Career Center from the ground up…AMHS has a much more diverse population than my former school district. It has been fascinating to learn about other cultures through the eyes of our kids. I have been particularly compelled to work with students who have come from harsh conditions in their countries of origin…I enjoy having students, parents and colleagues come to me for information and in nearly all cases I know the answer or at least the resources to get the answer!

I will miss working with the kids and learning from them!

Professional Honors: I was selected for the Executive Board of the Washington Council for High School-College Relations, an organization comprised of admissions directors from Washington colleges, OSPI and HECB representatives, and other key players in the state. It has been a wonderful experience.

My retirement plans: I will make the Sunbird Golf Resort in Chandler, Arizona, my permanent home. I plan to learn to golf!

Page 4

CTE Electronics Teacher Named Auburn School District Teacher of the Year

Frank Medina, Auburn Riverside electronics teacher, is the Auburn School District 2012-13

high school level outstanding teacher of the year. Mr. Medina prepares students for competitive industry careers, apprenticeship programs and post-secondary education opportunities.

The Auburn School District Board of Directors recognized Mr. Medina during the school board meeting on June 10, 2013

According to Mr. Medina, “It is a true joy to come to work and prepare students with the technical knowledge, employability skills, industry standards and competencies used in today’s workforce.” Mr. Medina teaches electronics, computer maintenance and web publishing courses. Students bring theory to practice in the classroom. In electronics, students learn applied mathematics and circuit analysis in addition to soldering techniques. In computer maintenance, students build and repair PC systems, while students in web publishing use HTML code to create new web pages.

Students also prepare for industry-level certifications. This year six students have earned the International Society of Certified Electronics (ISCET) industry certification and seven more are preparing for the exam. Four students have earned CompTIA A+ industry certification, and one student recently earned industry W3Schools certification in HTML. Because the course curriculum covers what is on the exams, earning certification is the next logical step for many students. “Being certified looks great on a resume, whether a student’s going straight into industry or college,” says Mr. Medina.

Additionally, Mr. Medina advises the SkillsUSA club at Auburn Riverside. This year 28 students demonstrated mastery of technical and leadership skills valued in the workplace—from extemporaneous speaking to electronics technology—at the SkillsUSA Washington State Leadership & Skills Conference in April. To date Auburn Riverside has 22 State Champions and 1 National Champion.

One of Mr. Medina’s career highlights has been collaborating with teachers across the district to increase student achievement. According to Mr. Medina, “Together we have made remarkable strides in creating standards and aligning our frameworks, curriculum maps, and assessments. It is an exciting time!”

Thank You, Retirees!

Colleen RayburnWest Auburn High School Career Choice Instructor/WBL CoordinatorYears of service to ASD: 14Years of service in education: 25

Highlight of my career: I was on the Marketing/Management Advisory Board for Highline SD and was asked to teach a summer school class. That summer one of my students fought me every inch of the way on a lesson. She was having difficulty grasping the concept and I realized she would rather be viewed as “bad” than stupid. I continued to work with her and insisted she complete the lesson. Begrudgingly, with several outbursts, she did. After a few more tries, she got it! I will never forget the look on her face once she understood the lesson. Right then and there I decided to become a CTE teacher and have never regretted my decision.

I will miss: Every time a student “gets it” and they are proud of themselves; graduation; grad boards; and every time a grad comes in to tell us about their successes. West Auburn is my extended family and I will miss my students, my friends, and teaching.

Professional Honors:2006 Auburn School Board Staff Recognition2003 Auburn School District Teacher of the Year1996 Lakewood Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year 1995 Clover Park Foundation All Stars of Excellence 1994 Clover Park School District Teacher of the Year1994 21st Century Awards Honorable Mention, School to Work Transition1993 Clover Park School District Learning and Liberty Award

My retirement plans: Sleep in! Travel. Spend time with my family and become a student.

VISION STATEMENTThe Vision of Career and Technical Education in the Auburn School District is to incorporate a wide variety of programs designed to help students explore career pathways, prepare them for the world of work, and launch further post secondary educational opportunities. Career and technical education equips students with skills in applied academics, appropriate work ethics, interpersonal relationship skills, leadership skills and technical skills in given occupational areas.

With 59 years of combined service in education, CTE instructors Colleen Rayburn and Carollynn Hanson are retiring at the conclusion of the 2012-2013 school year.

Page 5

Auburn CTE Students Excel in State and National CompetitionEmerging ArtistAuburn Riverside senior Kylie Urban won second place in the 2013 Saul Bell Design Emerging Jewelry Artist awards competition. Kylie’s handmade nickel silver necklace features a swivel locket with resin interior and eight etched nickel silver diamonds.

Kylie was recognized at an invitation-only gala during JCK Las Vegas, an international trade show for jewelry professionals, on June 1, 2013.

The Emerging Jewelry Artist category, open to designers 18 years of age and younger, celebrates the fresh ideas and creative spark of young, aspiring designers.

This is Auburn Riverside’s fifth consecutive year winning second place honors in the Saul Bell Design Emerging Jewelry Artists awards competition.

Aspiring ArchitectsOn February 4, Mt. Baker Middle School students—Jhordin Prescott, Vanessa Saeteurn-Kaio and Dakotah Godare—won third place in the 2013 School of the Future Design Competition sponsored by the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI).

The team designed, planned and created a prototype of a school for the future situated on a building site that Auburn School District currently owns for a future building project. According to Mt. Baker teacher Bruce Jacobs, and project advisor, “The students took off with the project. After a lot of research and investigation, the students created a final product that was structurally sound and environmentally conscious.” The building blends with the landscape and even utilizes the site’s wetlands for a ‘Science on Wheels’ curriculum.

All classrooms boast state-of-the-art technology including smart boards, notepads and webcams. Additionally, the team designed a paved path from the schoolhouse to the wetlands and a footbridge into the wetlands so it can be accessed for hands-on, outdoor science education.

The team presented their project to a jury for review. Their visual aids included 3-D model of the school, PowerPoint presentation, display board and site map.

The annual competition, open to middle school students, challenges student teams to design their schools to enhance learning, conserve resources, be environmentally responsive and engage the surrounding community. The opportunity allows students to develop math, science, language, communication and leadership skills through the process of design. The multi-disciplinary solution requires students to follow a planning process from the concept phase to completion of the project, with thorough documentation.

Computer Maintenance and Electronics ChampionsEvery year students from across the nation qualify to compete at the National SkillsUSA Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri. This year two Auburn Riverside students, Brandon Hall and Hayden Stanko, will compete in Kansas City after winning first place in their respective divisions—Computer Maintenance Technology and Electronics Technology—at the Washington State SkillsUSA Competition on April 18-20 in Pasco, Washington.

Junior Brandon Hall captured first place in the Computer Maintenance Technology (CMT) division. The CMT competition requires contestants to identify and repair

computer hardware malfunctions, solve configuration problems and install common components. “My first foray into computers and gaming was when I was five and my controller broke. I got another controller, took it apart, acquired the necessary parts, and then fixed mine,” says Brandon. Today Brandon is winning state competitions, interning in the Auburn School District’s Information Technology Department, and researching future careers in aviation and aerospace engineering.

Senior Hayden Stanko won first place in the Electronics Technology (ET) division. ET is a three-part competition that requires contestants to identify and repair broken circuitry, decipher electronic schematics and assemble components on a breadboard, and sauter each of the components into a board while observing polarity. According to Hayden, “I am insanely interested in electronics theory, physics, chemistry and the properties of a power source.” Hayden will attend the University of Washington next fall. He plans to graduate with honors and then pursue a doctorate in electrical engineering at MIT or Stanford. “I would like to work for the NSA in research and development, perhaps designing circuits so complex that nothing can reverse engineer it,” remarks Hayden.

Master Microsoft Office SpecialistMatt Anderson, a senior at Auburn Mountainview High School, earned Master Microsoft Office Specialist 2010 Certification. Additionally, he is the only AMHS student who piloted and certified in OneNote and SharePoint 2010 year. And he is the only high school student in Washington State to certify in SharePoint 2010.

Technology Student Association CompetitorsThe following Auburn Riverside High School Technology Student Association (TSA) students earned finalist medals at the 2013 Washington State TSA Conference in Bellevue on March 28. The students also qualified for the 2013 National TSA Conference in Florida on June 28-July 2.

Computer Aided Design 2D Architecture: Johnny Robertson 4th place; Dragster Design: Matt Jones 4th place and Matt Benabid 5th place; Flight Endurance: Matt Jones 4th place; Engineering Design: Johnny Robertson 3rd place; Technology Problem Solving: James Crews and Johnny Robertson 4th place; Architectural Renovation: Ruslan Kuzmich and Ryan Swigart 5th place; Woodworking Design Large Project: Jordan McDonald 1st place; Woodworking Design Small Project: Ryan Swigart 1st place and Nick Konkler 3rd place; Vex Robotics: Hayden Stanko, Jordan McDonald and Ryan Swigart 10th place, and Matt Benabid, James Crews and Marvin Velasquez 14th place.

Automotive TechniciansAlex Gaub placed third overall in the Automotive Service Technology division at the Washington State SkillsUSA Competition on April 11-13 in Renton. Gaub was selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship to Universal Technical Institute.

Dylan Kludsikofsky and Johnny Hansen also qualified and competed at State. Kludsikofsky competed in the Automotive Service Technology division and Hansen in the Small Engine Repair division.

International DECA QualifiersAuburn High School DECA members competed in the 2013 Washington State DECA Competition on March 7-9. This year’s competition was the largest in state history.

The following students qualified for the 2013 International DECA Competition in Anaheim, California:

Community Service Project: Alexis Embody 2nd place; Entrepreneurship Promotion Project: Wendy Menchu-Lopez, Jordin McCoy and Adam Luk 4th place; School Based Enterprise: Madison Cheney, Samuel Lindsey and Maggie Elston Exemplary; International Thrive Academy: McKenna Wall, Makayla Sonstelie and RaeLee Hemenway; Chapter Development Academy: Ashley Brown, and Leadership Development Academy: Kassy Strickland.

Business Student LeaderWendy Menchu-Lopez, a junior at Auburn High School, was selected as Area 5 DECA President and State Officer during the Area 5 DECA Competition on January 8, 2013, at Emerald Downs.

Washington DECA, a business student leadership organization, is comprised of 11 geographical areas across the state. Area 5 includes Auburn, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Tahoma and White River School Districts with approximately 1,200 DECA members.

The state officer election process is extensive and includes a 100-question test, personal interview, speech, scored application with essay and voting session by delegates from each school. The scores are combined and the student with the highest average wins. There were four students running for the position.

Wendy has participated in DECA since her freshman year. She has qualified for international competition the past two years. This year she pre-qualified by successfully completing a DECA Campaign project for Global Entrepreneurship Week in November.

Currently Wendy is the AHS DECA President. Wendy also is a member of the girls’ soccer team and Troy Crew. She was selected as Rotary Student of the Month in November and received one of two $1,000 scholarships at the 2013 Washington State DECA Competition.

According to AHS DECA advisor Lori Jacobs, “Wendy is a quiet yet forceful young lady who leads by example. Her work ethic is commendable and she continues to inspire and motivate her peers. Wendy is an excellent student and committed to acquiring a quality education. She understands the importance of leadership, community service and social responsibility.”

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FOCUS“Your Future Through Career & Technical Education”915 4th Street Northeast - Auburn, Washington 98002

SUPERINTENDENTDr. Kip Herren

BOARD OF DIRECTORSJanice Nelson

Ray VefikCarol Seng

Anne BaunachLisa Connors

DIRECTOR OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Cindi Blansfield (253) 931-4903

Auburn Mountainview Grad Pursues Childhood Dream

On a crisp autumn afternoon back

in 2009, a man in his late 40’s collapsed of a heart attack on Auburn Mountainview High School’s (AMHS) football field during a track team practice.

Staff trainer Aaron Pierce and a team of student trainers, including 16-year-old Manjot (Manny) Bains, were first on the scene. The team called 911 and then administered CPR and resuscitated the man with the school’s automatic defibrillator. Firefighters and King County Medic One continued the efforts upon arrival and an ambulance transported the man to a local hospital.

“I’ve always wanted to help others. In elementary school I’d help classmates in the classroom or playground. As I got older and joined the sports medicine program at Auburn Mountainivew, I began helping in the training room and volunteering at hospitals,” says Manny. “It wasn’t until my experience helping resuscitate

the man who had a heart attack did I really know I wanted to pursue a career in medicine.”

Manny’s ambitious career plans—to become a trauma surgeon—ignited on that October afternoon but kindled his freshman year at AMHS. During a freshmen orientation event, Manny discovered the AMHS sports medicine program and had the opportunity to speak with the sports medicine instructor, Mr. Calhoun. “I took anatomy and physiology with Mr. Calhoun and decided to apply to the sports medicine program,” recalls Manny.

Manny was accepted into the AMHS sports medicine program and believes the foundational knowledge he acquired in high school played a critical role in his current college success. Manny learned anatomy, modalities, rehab, taping and more. He spent hours in the training room tending to AMHS student-athletes and was mentored by staff trainers at both home and away games. Manny graduated from AMHS in 2011 and immediately headed south to Los Angeles.

Currently Manny is a sophomore at UCLA and was officially admitted into the UCLA sports medicine internship program after a grueling 20-week “Observation Period”. The Observation

Period is a learning experience for the intern and is part of the acceptance process that takes place during the fall and winter quarters. Ultimately only 25 students successfully completed the program to become interns. Manny and his fellow interns were required to work a minimum of 6-10 hours per week in order to acquire various experiences including learning basic athletic training skills, knowledge of the use of therapeutic modalities, first aid and emergency procedures, and daily athletic training room operations.

“The experience I gained at AMHS gave me a competitive advantage,” says Manny. “I already learned many of the basic skills and knowledge from Mr. Calhoun, which allowed me to focus on forming relationships with the UCLA staff athletic trainers and earn 1 of the 25 internships.” This summer Manny begins the “Professional Phase” of the program. He will be a student trainer for the Bruins football team. From taping to soft tissue massage to wound care to thermotherapy, Manny will support UCLA football players in their PAC-12 league play and bowl pursuits. “It’s exciting to continue pursuing my dream of helping others,” says Manny.