John Glenewinkel Ed.D. jgwinkel@republicsd.org W: 775-3173 H: 775-0965

Republic School District No. 309 30306 E Hwy 20 Republic, WA 99166 (509)-775-3173 www.republic309.org

Travis Fletcher District 5 – Board Chair/Acad. Rep. trfletcher@republicsd.org

Ralph Ellingson

District 1 – Board Vice-Chair

rellingson@republicsd.org

Neal Martin District 2 – Legislative Rep. nmartin@republicsd.org

Rochelle Rodak District 3 rrodak@republicsd.org

Cherie Exner District 4 – ALE Rep. cexner@republicsd.org

K-12: Chris Burch cburch@republicsd.org 775-3327

Asst. Principal: Dan Groom dgroom@republicsd.org 775-3171

The column below is largely recycled from a newsletter I wrote in January of 2015. I am

doing this for two reasons: First, I am at total loss of what to write for this month. Things

are going really well in the District right now and I believe the rest of the content in this

newsletter will fill you in on happenings. Second, I think that the basic concepts I outlined

then hold true today.

The New Year provides an opportunity for reflection and reorganization. The tradition of

making New Year’s resolutions is a reflection of the hope that we can make improvements

within ourselves and have a better future.

The unfortunate reality is that few of us really keep the New Year’s resolutions that we

make. A January 2013 article in Forbes cites research that suggests that only 8% of the

people who make New Year’s resolutions keep those promises. While the Forbes article

gives some suggestions about how to do a better job of keeping your promises to yourself,

that is not the purpose of this column.

My purpose is to give my thanks to you for the community that you have created. Now, I

am not about to say that Republic is a perfect place. It has its problems and challenges.

Some of those problems and challenges are common to all communities. Some are unique

to where we live and the culture we have created.

Regardless of our challenges, this is a pretty special place to live. People I meet, who have

visited but don’t live here, often remark how they would love to live in this community.

They envy me because I am incredibly fortunate to be able to live and make a living in this

community. Sometimes I wonder if they understand that at times, especially when it is

ten degrees below zero and the roads are sheets of ice, I envy where they live but that

quickly passes.

People dream about living here not because they can hunt, fish, camp, dig fossils, or just

decompress. They dream about living here because the people of Republic and Ferry

County make such a positive impression on others. The sense of community and support

is palpable. Being in Ferry County refreshes the body and salves the soul. Republic

represents the ideal place to live: Clean and open spaces, good neighbors, a slower pace

of life and an opportunity to make a real difference for the community is the promise that

is offered. I am proud to say that by and large, that promise is kept.

(continued on next page)

RSD’s 2017 Winter Concert

(continued from previous page)

The schools are an integral part of that promise. Community support for our students is overwhelming. Whether that be

through turnouts at sporting and music events, scholarships, connections to community mentors, or support for students and

families who are struggling, we can always count on the support of the community. Perhaps, most importantly, kids in this

community, sometimes to their frustration, are not anonymous.

As we move into the New Year, I will reflect on how blessed I am to be a part of this community. My resolution will be to be the

best friend, neighbor, and community member that I can be. I will resolve to give those around me the benefit of the doubt. I

will resolve to be an agent for enhancing the positive and working to change the negative.

Forbes says that I have about an 8% chance of being successful in these resolutions, but then again, I doubt that writer has ever

been to Republic.

As always, please feel free to contact me at work (775-3173), at home (775-0965), or via email, jgwinkel@republicsd.org, if you

have questions or concerns.

John Glenewinkel, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Our Winter Concert on December 7th went so well. Students in each grade were able to participate and put on a wonderful show. Special thanks to Mrs. Walker and to AmeriCorps for the beautiful decorations, and to

Mrs. Cromwell for organizing such a lovely event!

Tattem Rodak playing the saxophone.

A group of some our younger students all getting

the chance to participate.

This semester we have accomplished a great deal in Horticulture. Early on in the semester, we

harvested several pounds of tomatoes, peppers, and even a golden watermelon. Currently, we

are working on finishing up the hydroponics system, which we are just about ready to start

planting in.

Our goal is to start growing lettuce in the hydroponics system by the start of the next semester for lunchroom use.

Our main goal for next semester is to prepare and be ready for the annual plant sale. We are in the process of ordering

our seeds and will have a large variety of flowers ready to go for the sale.

Christian Spencer

HS Science Teacher

I would like to take this time to wish all of our families a Happy New Year! It really is amazing how fast the days fly by and it is

hard to believe that January 24th marks the halfway point to the school year. Staff and students have been working extremely

hard to finish the second quarter strong to build momentum heading into the third quarter. This time of the year can be a difficult

time for students to stay focused in their learning (especially when all that white stuff is coming down outside!). Please continue

to help support your students at home with their studies and reading to allow for a productive third quarter.

One update that I would like to inform parents on is that we are now providing an after-school study hall every Monday,

Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM for students in 5th-12th grade. Christian Spencer, our high school science

teacher, is running 9th-12th grade study hall, and Kara Walsh, our middle school science teacher, is providing study hall support

for 5th-8th grade. Liz Bremner, our middle school ELA and social studies teacher, will also be providing support to students and

families through the study hall program. The study hall team will be working on sending out more information to students and

families soon. If you have any questions regarding study hall, please contact the school.

The Kindness Challenge Campaign is in full swing at Republic School District, and staff and students are thrilled to be participating.

The Kindness Campaign has been motivated and based on the book Wonder, written by R.J. Palacio. Elementary staff and

students have been reading the book Wonder in class and participating in activities centered around spreading kindness. We are

now at the phase in our Kindness Campaign where staff, students, and the community will begin to publically accept Kindness

Challenges and perform random acts of kindness in our schools and community, and challenge others to do so! If you have not

had an opportunity to check out Mr. Burch’s Kindness Challenge, please do so on the Republic School District Facebook page. If

you would like to participate in the Kindness Challenge and want the District to post your challenge, please send it to Hannah at

the District Office or to Dena at the High School Office. Remember, when you post your Kindness Challenge, use

#choosekindrepublic so we can all follow the kindness being spread around our great community!

Go Tigers!

Mr. Burch

K-12 Principal

The monthly newsletter can be found on

the school website under links on our

homepage. If you would like to receive

monthly newsletters via email, please

send an email to hwillits@republicsd.org.

By the time you receive this newsletter, you will probably have a ballot in your hand asking you to support the Republic School

District levy. I apologize for the lateness of this notice. It is not our intent to create a situation that could be seen as an attempt

to not fully advertise this election or its impacts.

The lateness of this notice is due to the fact that the levy we are seeking is being run under a completely new set of rules. The

new rules are a result of the legislation that was passed in the last session. This legislation is commonly referred to as the

“McCleary Decision.”

As a result of the McCleary Decision, the legislature was tasked with creating a school funding system that would allow school

districts to be less reliant on local levy funds. The result is a new levy structure.

The rules for this new levy structure are still being debated. Because our current levy will expire this year, to avoid a gap in funding,

we have decided to present a levy to voters in February.

The levy we are proposing replaces our current levy. The current levy was approved in 2015. It was approved in the amount of

$499,500 and the cost to the taxpayer is currently $1.76 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The last collection date for this

levy will be in April of 2018.

The replacement levy is calculated differently. This levy will be capped at a collection rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property

value. The $1.50 levy cap is part of the legislation that was passed in the last session.

It is important to remember that under the past levy rules, voters approve or reject a total levy amount. Under the new rules,

voters still approve or reject a total levy amount, but if that rate is greater than the amount that can be collected for $1.50 per

$1,000 of assessed value, the amount collected will be reduced.

We are proposing a four-year levy with the following amounts: $450,000 in 2019, $460,000 in 2020, $475,000 in 2021, and

$490,000 in 2022. The amounts proposed represent a growth rate of 3% per year. Notice that even in the year 2022, we are

proposing an amount that is less than the current levy amount.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

I can be reached at 775-3173 (work), 509-775-0965 (home) or via email, jgwinkel@republicsd.org.

The Elementary, Junior High, and High

School will be closed on Monday,

February 19th for President’s Day.

GOOD STUDY HABITS: A Key to Your Student’s Success

8 Suggestions For Developing Good Study Habits:

Help your child find a regular place to study every day.

Give your child a planner to keep track of homework and due dates.

Post a calendar and have your child keep track of school dates as well as all other

activities.

Encourage your child to take notes in class. Teachers talk about what they think is

most important.

Have your child review notes every day.

Keep a phone list of study buddies your child can call with questions.

Teach your child how to use a textbook. Make bold-faced headings into questions.

Make flashcards of key vocabulary words.

Make sure your child has the tools needed for studying. A dictionary, calculator,

pencils, and paper should all be available.

February 21st

March 21st

Board meetings are held in the School District Board Room.

Work Session starts at 6:00PM. Meeting starts at 6:30PM.

National Honor Society Induction Ceremony December 13, 2017

There were five new enrollees for NHS this year:

Johnna Jensen, Melanie Lichterman, Ian Hamrick, Mary Groom, and Jordan Starr (absent), as pictured below.

A few members from left to right, Johnna

Jensen, Tiffany Byington, Tandice Fletcher,

Ian Hamrick, Melanie Lichterman, and Joleen

Nush of NHS distributing Kiwanis Food

Baskets this year with Bob Sly.

Amanda Nielson Kindergarten Teacher

Where did you grow up? Republic, WA from 1st grade forward.

How many siblings and/or kids (and grandkids) do you have?

I have 2 younger sisters.

What’s your favorite memory/what do you like best about working for RSD? I love the close-knit community and staff here at RSD.

What’s your life motto? To do my best.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I would live anywhere near my family.

You are happiest when..? I am happiest when I can spend time with my family.

You are most excited about..? I am most excited about life and what may come next.

Your biggest fear is..? Making a mistake.

What are some of the highlights of your life?

- Finally getting my degree in elementary and special education. - Having two wonderful nieces and one nephew that I get to spend a lot of time with.

What are you proudest of in your life?

I am proudest when I can help another person; it brings me a lot of joy.

List 3 things people would be surprised to know about you.

1. I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.2. I love the Marvel movies.3. I like winter cold more than summer heat.

Please list your favorite; sport/pastime/memory/song/movie/book:

- My favorite sports are baseball and basketball. - My favorite memory is when my mom would take my sisters and I to swim during the summer at Swan Lake. - My favorite song is “I Can’t Stop The Feeling.” - My favorite book is anything written by Mary Daheim.- My favorite movie is Serenity.

What is your biggest pet peeve? Plead the fifth.

If you could give your school-aged self one piece of advice, what would it be? Stay the course and finish higher education earlier in life.

SkillsUSA is a national membership association serving middle school, high school, and college students

who are preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. It is a partnership of

students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure that we have a skilled workforce. Here at

RSD, Mr. Cromwell and Mr. Grove are taking the lead.

This local Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) is a way for students in CTE classes to compete in areas other than

just academics, although it includes career and business skills as well. Our hope is to grow the membership into an active group

of students who can show their excellence and feel successful. Short lessons are integrated into our CTE classes to help students

learn important soft skills needed to succeed on the job.

SkillsUSA Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of every month, during 7th Period in Mr. Cromwell’s room.

February’s meeting will be on Wednesday, February 21st.

This year, four students will be participating in the regional welding competition, hosted by Chewelah School District, but taking

place at Spokane Community Colleges on February 2nd. They will be given a template plan, with the metal pieces associated with

the blueprint. They will be tasked with analyzing the blueprint and welding the pieces together accordingly; they will then be

tested on the quality of their welds. They will be tasked with TIG, MIG, and Stick welding. Mr. Grove’s students have been working

hard preparing for this! There will be prizes for First, Second, and Third Place, and they will then qualify for state competitions in

the Spring. Good luck!!

Happy New Year from Eureka Home School Alliance!

This past year was a great year for EHSA. In the short time since our start in Fall of 2016, we

have seen our students grow academically and physically. Our students studied “Populations &

Ecosystems,” created beautiful clay masterpieces, strummed new tunes on the guitar, and

mastered the skill of ordering food in Spanish. We are so excited to see what 2018 has in store

for these brilliant, young minds.

I would like to reach out to any unaffiliated homeschool families. If you do not know who we are, I encourage you to check us

out. We provide curriculum, planning goals, and electives for our students and their families. If you are curious about our

program and you would like more information, we can be reached at 509-775-2456 or via email, plarson@republicsd.org.

Thank you and I wish you a great new year!

Phil Larson

EHSA Teacher/Coordinator

Season’s greetings from all of us at EHSA,Rusty, Geniel, & Phil

For more information on our alternative education program, please contact the Eureka Homeschool Alliance in Republic; 509-775-2456.

It’s the middle of winter, and high school basketball (boys and girls) and wrestling are chugging

along. Basketball this year is low on numbers on both the boys’ and girls’ sides, so both teams

have been able to field only varsity teams most of the year. The future looks bright, however,

as three 8th graders form a quarter of the girls’ squad, and five 8th graders make up the largest

plurality of any class on the boys’ squad. Meanwhile, three 8th graders wrestle. This is half of

the high school wrestling contingent.

State competitions for wrestling and basketball are set. Mat Classic XXX is on February 16th and 17th at the Tacoma Dome. The

State “B” Basketball Tourney is from February 28th through March 3rd at the Spokane Arena. Teams and individuals still have

their work cut out for them to make these championship competitions.

On these cold winter mornings, Mr. McRae’s archery group is target shooting in the elementary gym. Of the 17 total participants,

nine are high schoolers and eight are from the middle school. The group will be competing at the NASP (National Archery in the

Schools Program) State Shoot at Deer Park on March 10th or possibly on March 17th at Ellensburg.

The fields may be buried in snow, but spring sports are right around the corner, starting February 26th, with the first baseball and

softball home games slated for Friday, March 30th. Here’s to hoping the fields are ready by then. Track’s first meet is March 24th

at Colville.

Junior high athletics are on hiatus during the first couple of months of the new year. They will resume with junior high track

sometime around the beginning of March.

Dan Groom

Asst. Principal, Athletic Director

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 SkillsUSA Welding

Competition @ Spokane CC

3Wrestling -

1B North @ ACH (Coulee City) @

10:30 AM

4 5

NHS Mtg. @ 12 PM

RSD Board Room

6 7

Basketball – First Round Districts @ Higher Seeds

8 9 10 Wrestling -

D7/D9 Regionals @ Reardan –

Time TBD

11 12

Music Boosters Mtg.

5:15 PM RSD Band Room

13 14 15

Booster Club Mtg.

6:00 PM PUD Basement

16 17

Wrestling Meet State Tourney Mat Classic XXX

@ Tacoma – Time TBD

18 19

President’s Day

No School

20 21

School Board Mtg. @ 6:30

SkillsUSA Mtg. Mr. Cromwell’s

Room – 7th Period

22 23 Basketball –

Regionals, TBD

24 Basketball –

Regionals, TBD

25 26

Spring Sports Begin!

27 28

Basketball – State Tourney @

Spokane (Feb. 28 – March 3)

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

1 Maple Bar & Fruit Haystacks Veggie/Fruit

2 French Toast & Fruit Hamburger Fries Veggie/Fruit

5 Pop Tarts & Fruit Dragon or Sweet & Sour Chicken & Rice Veggie/Fruit

6 Muffin & Fruit Lasagna Cheesy Bread Veggie/Fruit

7 Omelet & Hash Browns, Fruit Soft Tacos Veggie/Fruit

8 Pancakes & Fruit Chicken Burger Veggie/Fruit

9 Breakfast Wrap & Fruit Spaghetti & Meatballs Garlic Toast Veggie/Fruit

12 French Toast, Yogurt, Fruit Bean & Cheese Burritos Veggie/Fruit

13 Biscuits & Gravy, Fruit Tomato Soup Grilled Cheese Sandwich Veggie/Fruit

14 Empanadas & Fruit Cheeseburger Fries Fruit/Veggie

15 Sausage & Egg English Muffin, Fruit Pizza Veggie/Fruit

16 Tiger Tails & Fruit Turkey Sub or PB&J Sandwich Veggie/Fruit

19

President’s Day No School

20 Bagel & Cream Cheese, Fruit Baked Potato Bar Veggie/Fruit

21 Fruit Pockets & Fruit Beef Tips & Noodles Veggie/Fruit

22 Pizza Bagel & Fruit

Teriyaki Chicken Rice Veggie/Fruit

23 Maple Bar & Fruit Cheeseburger Sliders Veggie/Fruit

26 Biscuits & Gravy, Fruit Pizza Veggie/Fruit

27 Waffles & Fruit Cook’s Surprise Veggie/Fruit

28 Cinnamon Rolls & Fruit

Enchiladas Veggie/Fruit

Breakfast Pre-12th $1.50 Lunch Pre-6th $2.50 Lunch 7th-12th $2.95

Menu may change due to unavailability. USDA is an equal opportunity provider.

Milk is offered at every meal.

Cereal is offered as an option for Breakfast.

Come enjoy Breakfast with us!

COUNSELOR’S CORNER – Bonnie Grumbach

High School & Beyond Planning — News & Information

January

STUDENTS

When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for

graduating.

Source: Attendance Works

Attendance Matters Students who miss more than ten percent (or just two days every month) of school days in one year are considered chronically absent. Students miss school for a variety of reasons: illness, doctor’s appointments, vacations, or skipping classes because of lack of interest or success. Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with schoolwork, dealing with a bully, or facing some other potentially serious difficulty. Regardless of the reason, the effects are real. Once freshmen missed ten percent of school days, their odds of graduating dropped below forty percent.

What You Can Do

Insist on regular, prompt attendance. Encourage your teen to get involved at school with a club or activity.

Establish and stick to the basic routines (going to bed early, waking up on time, etc.) that will help your teen develop the habit of on-time attendance.

Talk to your child about why going to school every day is critical and important unless they are sick. If your teen seems reluctant to go to school, find out why and work with a teacher, administrator, or afterschool provider to get them excited about going to school.

Reach out for help if you are experiencing tough times (e.g. transportation, unstable housing, loss of a job, health problems) that make it difficult to get your child to school. Other parents, your child’s teacher, principal, social worker, school nurse, afterschool providers or community agencies can help you problem-solve or connect you to a needed resource.

If your child is absent, work with the teacher to make sure she or he has an opportunity to learn and make up for the academics missed.

Sources: Practical Leadership and Attendance Works

Senior Checklist If you haven’t filled out the FAFSA or

WASFA, do it this month!

Review your Student Aid Report (SAR)online at www.fafsa.gov. Check that youlisted all the colleges you areconsidering. If your SAR asks foradditional information, or if you need tomake a correction, do so ASAP.

Register for the SAT or ACT test ifneeded. Talk to your counselor if youneed a test fee waiver.

Complete scholarship applications.

Searching For Scholarships Scholarships for college are given to students for good grades, athletic ability, community service, or other qualities, traits, or abilities. Businesses, organizations, and universities award scholarships to a variety of students.

Scholarships range in both amounts and competitiveness. For example, a local scholarship may offer $500 for one year, but will only be open to seniors at your high school, while a national scholarship may offer $10,000 for four years of college, but will be open to students across the country.

Search (and apply) for scholarships on sites like

thewashboard.org, bigfuture.collegeboard.com,

scholarships360.org, fastweb.com, and

scholarships.com

Continue to apply for scholarships while you are in college.

Did You Know?

REPUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT #309

30306 EAST HIGHWAY 20

REPUBLIC, WA 99166

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Pictured above is this year’s NHS members:

Joleen Nush, Tiffany Byington, Johnna Jensen, Krystianna Fraser, Melanie

Lichterman, Ian Hamrick, Mary Groom, and Tandice Fletcher (absent: Jordan Starr).