This spring I had the chance to spend one Thursday early-dismissal day with special education paraeducator Joanne Szegedi, walking in her shoes as she works with students in our BRIDGES special education program at Lowell Elementary School.���� (Just a note that due to the needs of a particular student, the day I was there Joanne was focused primarily on one individual student, so while I spent considerable time with Joanne, it was really a day experiencing the entire BRIDGES classroom.)

A little background on the BRIDGES program: Just like the diversity we see with learning or physical differences among our students, we have diversity in students’ social-emotional learning needs as well. BRIDGES stands for “Behavior Re-education in Developing Growth and Emotional Strength,” and the program serves students who have some challenges regarding their emotional behavior. The BRIDGES program provides an academic curriculum within a structured behavior management system, with integration and mainstreaming into general education. We have BRIDGES programs at four locations: Parkview Elementary, Lowell Elementary, Whatcom Middle and Squalicum High schools.

Lowell’s BRIDGES classrooms are wonderful, although certainly sometimes challenging, positive and structured places of learning. I got to spend the day in one of these rooms with a half-dozen amazing students and four wonderful educators, including Joanne, who has been a paraeducator in our BRIDGES program for 19 years, working at both Sunnyland and Lowell. The rest of the BRIDGES team I spent time with was teacher Logan Hilgers and paraeducators Katie Lopez and Tim Massey.

I arrived at 7:30 a.m., and we started by setting up breakfast in our classroom. We then walked the school grounds from the bus to school ensuring the walkway was free of obstructions and distractions, literally smoothing the path for her kids to get to their classroom and start their day off right. I marveled at Joanne’s amazing attention to detail. Every moment of the day is a learning opportunity, and I watched Joanne start her day by setting the stage for her students to have the most successful day they could.

At 7:45 a.m. we started greeting the buses, with lots of adults out to help students get transitioned into their school day. I heard stories about every student as each arrived, and I witnessed the strong connection students have with their bus drivers. Our district transportation department coordinates specialized transportation for nearly 400 students per day, in addition to all our regular bus routes. The bus drivers are really important people in the life of our kids, as they’re often the first school personnel to see them in the morning and the last in the afternoon. Thanks, bus drivers!

During this bus time I also had the opportunity for a great conversation with a parent, who advocated for additional adults on the bus. I’ve heard this throughout my time in the district; we do this when we can and are always looking for ways to be strategic with our resources.

We all made our way down to the classroom, and at 8 a.m. school started. It was like magic: we went from casual conversations and friendly welcomes, to orchestrated engagement from each staff member in synchronization. Like in all elementary classrooms, you could tell that predictable routines and structure are a huge part of what makes a BRIDGES classroom successful.

I got to settle in and meet the students in this class. One had a huge “jawbreaker” candy and was excited that he had it. Another was thrilled to have me visiting and asked if I was the boss of all the principals. I told him I get to support all our principals, including Lowell’s wonderful principal, Mary Sepler. A waterfall video and calming music was playing, as the intentional setup of the room and spaces for each student allowed them to start their day calmly and positively. BRIDGES staff are continually collecting data on their students’ needs, growth and work to strategically decrease behavioral or emotional triggers and increase student progress toward their learning and behavior goals.

Additionally, ��work for the greatest possible inclusion into regular education classes.

Each student had a space and began working on their morning routine. I heard one student confide to an adult, “I might be a bit grumpier today,” and the adult responded, “Thanks for letting me know.” Self-knowledge, self-regulation, emotional awareness, and mutual respect on display! In our work on teaching all our kids social-emotional learning, we know that power struggles don’t work—we reframe our thinking and start off with success. (I’m sure we all know some adults who could benefit from this!)

Students ate breakfast in their classroom as well as had snacks available throughout their day. I reflected on how our food programs have changed over the years to help make sure students have the fuel they need when they need it and are able to learn.

Joanne began her day one-on-one with a student. They identified goals for the day and did their morning routine. This student has a plant named Tiny on their desk. Part of their routine was to tell “Tiny” to have a great day, and Tiny has a sign reminding the student to have a great day, too!�� JoAnne was so kind and thoughtful with each student interaction throughout the day.

At 8:15 a.m. our class had its morning meeting. Most of our elementary and many middle schools hold regular classroom- or school-based meetings as part of social-emotional learning. One student felt too tired to join, but a magic comment from Tim had him joining right in, another example of how well the BRIDGES staff knows their students and use their incredible patience, humor and intelligence to know how to respond. The relationships were very deep in this room, and I was on a steep learning curve!

We then moved into our math lesson. During the lesson, one student needed to take a break, so Joanne took him outside for a walk. Just then, I got a message on my phone that 911 had been called from Lowell because a student had run off campus. My first worry was that it was my fault and it was our student outside with Joanne! Once we checked and it wasn’t that student, I went to the office to help, making sure dean of students Sarah Walker had the support she needed (and also that she knew I had nothing to do with it!). Principal Sepler and another staff member were down the street with the student trying to ensure the student stayed safe and came back to school. I noted this as another example of how having lots of support, like our deans, counselors and assistant principals, is crucial across our district, and is something we have invested a lot in in the past years.

I went back to the classroom where students were writing to the prompt, “If I were invisible, I would…”�� Interestingly, many of the imaginative and funny responses had to do with ice cream. There was a lot of love for ice cream in the room.�� Later, I watched a student doing math on the computer and I asked him how he did his work so fast and accurately; he responded, “I’m good at math!” Another student had done some beautiful art. The vibe in the room was that of —that we will develop students who are mathematicians, writers, and artists (and more).

I also got to help another student with math on the computer. He was having a bit of trouble figuring out the solution. I suggested a different way to solve it. He looked at me and asked, “Are you sure?” I was a bit nervous, but said, “I think so…” I knew that getting a wrong answer might be an upsetting experience for this student—even though no one loves to be wrong, of course! He entered it, pressed the button, and we were…right. (Whew.) We celebrated: “Yes!”

We finished up our math / learning lesson at 10:25 a.m. with P.E. next up, and the class was incredibly excited to go, because it’s the gymnastics unit. Over the years our awesome P.E. teachers have built a system where each elementary school takes turns with real gymnastics equipment like a balance beam and horse to build gymnastics skills. We share this resource when it’s not in use by our high school gymnasts in the winter. Unfortunately, we couldn’t leave for P.E. until 10:30 a.m.—those were the longest five minutes ever! The staff did a great job using this transition time to remind everyone about expectations and appropriate behavior in P.E., and then with much anticipation we got to head to the gym!

We all had a blast practicing gymnastics skills with Ms. Norwood, Lowell’s outstanding P.E. teacher. We played Jumanji and snakes. It was a great time for all students to move, jump and run, and provided lots of opportunities for engagement. One student became overstimulated, and Joanne again used her skills helping to deescalate and refocus them so they were able to rejoin the class.

After lunch we moved into reading groups and I had the opportunity to work one-on-one with a student who needed some time outside. This was one of my favorite parts of the day. We went outside and played basketball together. It was a great time to talk about his life and his future.

The school day was nearly at an end and it was time to clean up and get ready for the bus, which turned into an adventure when a student didn’t have a piece of equipment they needed to ride the way they normally did. It was a complex situation that took a team to solve, including multiple staff and our bus drivers. It took a while to get the student situated and on their way home. But no complaints—it was always clear how much staff at Lowell love their students and want them to be successful, just like all our staff want for all our kids.

In just this one day with Joanne and her team in BRIDGES, I could see some of the different strengths and talents of each student—musician, artist, athlete, communicator and performer, and more. They are our kids learning and growing in their own ways, and dedicated educators like Joanne, with her vast experience helping this certain population of kids show growth toward their goals, are incredibly important as we strive to include all students in our public schools.

Thank you again to Joanne Szegedi and the BRIDGES team for welcoming me.

“Walking in the Shoes” is an ongoing series where Dr. Baker spends time out in our schools “walking in the shoes” of a staff member or student to shine light on our diverse district. You can find earlier entries . If you have an idea for a walking in the shoes experience, !

Throughout the past few years, I’ve found that Walking in the Shoes of our students and staff gives me unique perspectives about our schools.

For Walking in the Shoes, I typically spend the day shadowing a student or staff member.

Last school year, I walked in the shoes of a few students with special circumstances. This included a student in our Life Skills program, a kindergartner who is homeless, and a student who is transitioning as part of our LGBTQA community.

Watch this video to see my experiences Walking in the Shoes of students in 2015-16 school year

Whose shoes do you think I should walk in this year? I look forward to your thoughts and feedback.

If you want to see a comprehensive list of my past Walking in the Shoes experiences, please��.

This particular experience was with a loving, energetic young student named Jeighlen, a kindergartener at Birchwood Elementary… and someone who happens to be homeless.

My experience also included spending time with Jamie, who is a single-mom and student at ����Ӱ�� Technical College, Sarah Simpson, one of our district’s Homeless Support Coordinators, as well as some of the wonderful Birchwood staff who work with Jeighlen.

My day started out at 8 a.m. in Ms. Sadie Miller’s class. (Actually, I was supposed to arrive at 7:30 a.m., but I was late! Sorry again, Ms. Miller.)

I went outside to play tag with Jeighlen and other students before school began. Later, when we were at our desks at 8:30, I asked Jeighlen a question and he told me to be quiet, as the teacher was starting to share the plan for the day. Then, I started to take notes on my laptop, but I realized that wasn’t a great idea because Jeighlen couldn’t concentrate on Ms. Miller, and he kept trying to type, so I put that away and relied on pen and paper.

At 8:40, Jeighlen and I went into the motor room with Andrea James (Ms. Andy), and students got to shoot baskets while on a balancing board. When Jeighlen made a basket, Ms. Andy gave him a huge smile and a big hug. She really demonstrated our belief that all children should be loved!

We were back in Ms. Miller’s class at 9 a.m. for carpet time and Jeighlen taught me how to sit “criss-cross apple sauce.” We sang songs and Ms. Miller played guitar. Jeighlen gave me his sticker he earned for doing well in the motor room and said “Here, you earned this!” He then looked at my ID badge around my neck and asked what it said. I told him “Dr. Baker,” and he asked “You’re a doctor?”

At recess, we played more of his favorite: tag! We then had lunch and Jeighlen said “chocolate milk is the best!” Since I tend to agree with that sentiment, I didn’t quite have the heart to tell him that chocolate milk is going away next year (except for maybe special occasions). Quick tangent: having white milk or water as drinking options for our kids is much healthier. I know it will be missed (by me, too), but after we completed our food services audit with consultant Chef Ann, we have learned we can take many steps between now and 2019 (when we get our central kitchen built and running) to improve healthy and less-processed offerings for students, like serving breakfast in the classroom (more on that later) and limiting our beverages options to low/no sugar drinks. I’m sure this news will impact you like it did me: you’re a little bummed out, it’ll take some getting used to, but you know it’s the right decision to make for our kids.

Ok. Back to my day.

After lunch, I met with his mom, Jamie, who is a strong, courageous woman who had a housing crisis right when the school year started. She started our conversation out by telling me that Birchwood was the best school ever and praised the staff for their amazing support of Jeighlen. Jamie told me how Birchwood staff has helped identify sensory issues and mental health support that her son needed and how it has really impacted and helped her son. “Birchwood has become my rock,” she said. Jamie takes classes Monday through Thursday at BTC, so she brings her son to school, then goes to her classes, then picks him up.

Jeighlen and Jamie had a housing crisis when school began in August, and luckily, got connected with one of our Homeless Support Coordinators, Sarah Simpson, who has helped them immensely. Currently, Jamie and Jeighlen live in the county, but they found out that they have to leave their current place in a few weeks, and mom is worried about the upcoming transition and whether their move will mean transferring Jeighlen to a different school. That’s hard given their strong emotional ties to Birchwood. She tells me that the number of challenges she and Jeighlen face every day and week are substantial. She says food is so expensive, and she relayed that they lost power for several days during a power outage earlier this year and that it was devastating because of the amount of food they lost in their fridge and freezer. She told me Jeighlen loves fresh fruit, but it’s hard to afford it.

Earlier this year, she had to make a decision to either pay for their storage unit or car, and she had to pick the car because she needed transportation. That meant losing all of their belongings in the storage unit, which they are now trying to get back. She also continuously asks herself if she should stick with her education at BTC and if it’s worth the struggle or go back to a low-wage job (and possibly be stuck indefinitely).�� Financial aid only pays for three quarters, but she attends school year round, which leaves her $2,000 short. Her books for this quarter were over $700, so for many classes, she’s going without and trying to Google content to learn what she can.

Jamie tells me that there are some bright spots: Jeighlen received a free bed, thanks to the district and the ����Ӱ�� Foundation. She said this is the first time Jeighlen has ever had his own bed! The Opportunity Council has also been a great partner, but resources are limited due to great demand in our area.

I spent time with Sarah Simpson, our homeless coordinator, and she said “what Jamie needs is a boost,” meaning enough money for a rental deposit and sometimes first and last months’ rent. Sarah pointed out that because we live in a college town, many college students have parents to help with down payments and/or to consign for rentals. Jamie doesn’t have that, and it can make for an uneven “playing field” in securing a rental. She said this pushes people out to the county, which impacts transportation issues.

In the meantime, Jamie is on a section eight housing waiting list, along with 900 other people. Jamie has been on that list for two years.

I asked Jamie and Sarah what we could do better, as a district, to help families like hers. They both agreed that having staff who know where to send people and how to access resources helps. (This is one big reason why I do Walking in the Shoes!) Jamie said it took a lot of courage to come into the district office and ask for help. She got hooked up with our homeless coordinators, who she says have been an incredible resource for her and Jeighlen.

A few other reflections to share about my day include time and conversations I had with those who work at Birchwood. I was blown away by the care, love and respect our staff have for students, each other and families.

A quote from mom: “Ms. Sadie Miller is so AWESOME. She has so much patience and is so loving to Jeighlen and all her students. I really feel safe knowing that Jeighlen is with her.”

Ms. Miller told me that there are ways we can help support homeless students, families and staff. One is by keeping homeless students in the same school so they have stability in their relationships. She also said having adult mentors for homeless students has helped, and she hopes we can do more of that in the future. Ms. Miller said offering Breakfast in the Classroom (which we started this spring at some of our title elementary schools, including Birchwood) is really important because it’s for all students, not just some, and that students no longer have to choose between before-school recess or eating. She also stressed that always providing a welcoming, safe environment for students and their families is crucial. Ms. Miller says she tries to honor where students are. For example, a student may not be getting a good night’s sleep if they are sleeping in their car, so if they need a rest during the day, that’s ok.

Principal Matt Whitten really models loving and caring for our students, too. One thing he said that really resonated with me was “You solve the problems you have control over.” Matt knows we can’t fix every challenge, but we can make sure our kids are loved by showing compassion and ensuring that our staff understands the situations of our kids and families.

Matt says that many of our homeless families are embarrassed and/or don’t make it known that they need help; many are not making connections like Jamie, though he wishes they would. He said in the big picture, we need more affordable housing for families. He says right now, families are “couch-surfing,” sleeping in motels, cars or going out to the county. He says full time counselors have been a great investment and wishes we had more access to mental health counseling for students.

Then, I’m not kidding, in the middle of our conversation, I look out the window: a horse is walking down the street. Matt says “Yes, that’s Birchwood!”

Back to Matt.

He points to great steps we’ve taken to help kids in need, like fifth grade strings for all students and increasing high-quality after-school offerings at Birchwood (though Matt wishes there were more!) like mountain biking, tennis club, choir and garden club.

In conclusion, it’s incredible what we (Birchwood and the district) mean to Jamie and Jeighlen. Birchwood provides a steady piece in their lives, and I felt very proud of our staff and homeless coordinators and for everyone who helps advocating for Jeighlen and others like him. Jamie and her son are amazing, and I so appreciate their willingness to talk and meet with me.

I’m still left with a big question, though…How do we advocate for housing for our kids? I think it really will take the whole community to help our kids and their families.

Thanks again to all at Birchwood and to all our staff throughout the district and our community partners for the incredible work delivering upon The Promise.

And Jeighlen – we all look forward to watching you learn and grow, and with the support of this district and community, ensuring you have a wonderful future ahead of you.

For this “Walking in the Shoes,” I was paired with a wonderful young man, Alex, who attends Sehome High School.��One of the first things I learned was that��Alex loves machines! It was fascinating to see how his mind works. You can tell it is always moving a mile a minute.

But first, a bit about our Life Skills program. The program maintains its own schedule within the high school’s larger master schedule. Our Life Skills staff are incredibly dedicated and creative, working hard within our system to give these teenagers as many meaningful social and academic experiences as possible. It was magical to see how they made it all work together so seamlessly. Throughout the day, I followed Alex as he engaged in a wide variety of activities. It was truly a whirlwind! I just did what I was told.

My day started when I arrived at Sehome at 7:30 a.m. and met Alex. Students in Life Skills continued to arrive all morning long, according to their individual schedules. I was moved by the strong feeling of family as the students and staff gathered to start the day. There was a warm welcome all around. Each student had a different job to do, and my attendance gave them an opportunity to practice greetings and handshakes, similar to what they might experience in a future job interview.

It was also great to see all the different ways students had to communicate – from speaking, to writing to using a computer.��After a morning meeting with Kacy Keck, Alex’s teacher, to talk about our weekend and plans for the week ahead, it was time for us to attend Kevin Criez’s Applied Physics class with Tommy, another awesome student in the program. ��They were working on a robot that would pick up, move, and drop a golf ball.�� It was wonderful to observe the benefits our students in the Life Skills program gained by being in the rigorous class with a focus on their individual growth. They become more aware of our broader world and have opportunities to develop additional ways to connect with others around them. It was also heart-warming to observe students with very different abilities interact together. This is good for all of our students. At one point, Tommy glowed from the acknowledgment he received from another student in the class.

Compass Class came next. Alex loves looking at history books. (Ours was from 1999…I know, History teachers! ��Time for new texts! Our 1-1 initiative should help in this endeavor.)

There was a birthday in class that day and Tommy and Alex took the lead in wishing another student happy birthday.

Then it was time to move on to lunch duties, which give our students another opportunity to build skills. Four of us, two students and two staff, worked together in the cafeteria. Each student had specific jobs and there was much singing to make the work fly by. (We rocked out to some serious Bon Jovi!) ��Their teacher did a great job assigning students to tasks that suited their abilities and learning needs.

I then had lunch with some other students in the program; we were all very excited about nachos…Yummm! While at lunch, I was pleased to see the seamless, truly spectacular adult support that was in place to help our students have a positive experience.

I then had the opportunity to visit with one of our other students, someone I knew from his time at Wade King and someone who requires a high degree of adult support. ��I talked with him while two phenomenal staff members helped him eat his lunch. ��The patience, care and love shown toward this young man is remarkable. ��I don’t think most people in our community have an understanding of the care and work that goes into ensuring that all of our students receive an education.

After eating, I had the chance to observe this student for about 10 minutes in the sensory therapy swing. While it sounds like a toy, I could see what a difference this break in the day made for him. Staff treated him with such dignity and respect throughout the process, engaging him as a partner in his own treatment. It was an honor to be there and share this time with him. He was overflowing with laughter and joy.

I then left to join another group of students who were learning about the concept of time. We practiced reading a clock and worked on our understanding of time. Observing the different students was quite interesting – they were insightful, funny and caring. ��Not so different than any other classroom I suppose, but there was certainly something special going on here.

In the afternoon, we piled into a couple of vans to go to Cordata to mentor younger students in their Life Skills program. Our Sehome students worked with the younger ones around the theme of empathy. Our older kids orchestrated skits to demonstrate what empathy does and does not look like. There were, of course, some very cute moments. There were also important moments where you could see both the older and younger students benefiting from the opportunity to connect across grade levels.

After role playing, our older students sat with the younger ones to read together before we headed back to Sehome. On our way back, one of the Sehome students let me know that he wasn’t thrilled about the field trip. “Little kids take my genius power,” he said.�� I can’t really vouch for that, though. During our time at Cordata, there was a moment when one of the little ones needed to use a sensory vest and this same older student ended up being a great (dare I say, “genius”) partner for him.

Before the day ended, we played a little basketball in the Cordata classroom. Yowzah! Chaos erupted! Before the fun was done, there was a seizure and two ice packs … (nobody really got hurt) … and everyone was all smiles. It was great to see our students having so much fun while building their physical confidence and social skills.

My day spent walking in the shoes of a student in our Life Skills program overflowed with examples of The Promise in action. Our students were clearly cared for and respected. Like all ����Ӱ�� students, Alex and his peers were each exceptional and were being supported according to their specific needs and abilities. Our community also promises that all children will be loved. I can tell you I saw examples of this all day long.

My day with our Life Skills program also reminded me that it truly takes our whole community coming together to create such a strong, high-quality experience for our students. It is up to us (adults) to model the culture we want. Kids of all ages look to us to see how they should respond, for instance, when a student has unusual behaviors. We build our culture based on the expectations we have for ourselves and how we will treat each other. As I shadowed Alex and the program, I saw a culture built on respect and a strong welcome for students of all abilities.

Some of the students in our Life Skills program will continue into our Community Transitions program. The Transitions program provides classes, supported and independent vocational experiences, and linkages to adult services for students ages 18-21 with mild, moderate, or severe disabilities.

I extend my thanks to the students, staff, parents and partners of our Life Skills program, including the staff at Sehome and Cordata. Thank you for making this part of our educational program so rich and meaningful … and thank you for making me feel so welcome. I’d like to extend a special thanks to Kevin Johnson (KJ) for coordinating the logistics as part of his aspiring administrators program, just as Bethany Barrett did with the last Walking in the Shoes. I’d also like to acknowledge the skill, heart, and dedication of the Sehome Life Skills team. It is clear to me why they, along with their Life Skills colleagues district-wide, were recognized as part of the BPS last year.

Enjoy the rest of the day, everyone, and have a great weekend.

Greg Baker

I wanted to share my recent��Walking in the Shoes��experience and the time I spent with��Tristan,��a junior at Squalicum High School. This school year (2015-16), I am focusing on spending time with students with unique circumstances. I’m a little behind schedule! I had a great time last year shadowing staff, and I’m thrilled to be able to focus again on our students.

My first walking in the shoes this year was with Tristan, who used to be known as Shannon. They (notice the use of “they” because not everyone falls into the “he/she” binary) are a transitioning high school student, and I was really excited about our day together, which happened to be the second day of the second semester in January. Tristan told me that going to some of their classes for the first time as a transgender student can be hard because even introducing yourself can feel difficult and awkward. Their year-long classes are choir, AP Biology and AP Psychology and new classes included technical writing, business and marketing, and world literature philosophy. Tristan likes taking AP classes, but they’re required to take AP tests at the end of the year and those come with a price tag. The $92 charge for each test presents a real challenge for some of our students and families.

I learned Tristan attended Columbia Elementary (shout out to former principal Ms. Ferguson, who Tristan loved!), Shuksan Middle and now Squalicum High Schools. They still have a lot of friends from elementary and middle school and Tristan smiled when they told me some just say “hey you!” if or when they aren’t sure which name to use.

I got to experience their 10:20 a.m.��THOR��class, which stands for Tutoring, Homework, Organization and Reading. We were in a classroom with 30 new desktops (thanks, technology levy!), and it was great to hear how awesome the new computers are. Tristan worked on an assignment for next period: business and marketing.

Ms. Stevens taught��business and marketing, (with more brand new computers – thanks again tech levy!) and today’s class was all about branding. It was interesting to hear students’ reflections about what kinds of quality and values they associate with a variety of businesses (like Macy’s, Target, Chipotle, etc.). Students got to design their own logos and business cards that reflect their own brand identity.

I was able to attend Tristan’s��philosophy��class taught by Mr. Dolmatz, and this was the first day of class, so Tristan had to be prepared that their name would be called for attendance. This can be a stressful situation for students as they may be referenced by a name others may not be familiar with. It went smoothly, and Tristan seemed very relaxed. I learned that Tristan met with Mr. Dolmatz the week prior to explain their context, and Mr. Dolmatz later shared with me how appreciative he was for the conversation and interaction. He said he’s hoping to engage more with Tristan about whether they want to share or explain to the class anything further about their background (or not).

I also have to give a shout out to Mr. Dolmatz, who is one of our��! I guess this is one of the good things about waiting to send out my blog: I get to link to updates that we didn’t know or have finalized back in January when I walked in Tristan’s shoes. Mr. Dolmatz is an amazing teacher who has taught for 37 years and is retiring after this school year. I could go on and on about him and��all��the teachers I witnessed, but I’m already running long on this blog… I’ll just add that the students love the unlimited access to hot chocolate and hot tea.J

It was a pleasure getting to know Tristan and hearing various reflections about school, wake up times and their passions. They are really involved in after school��drama and the QSA��(Queer Straight Alliance) Club. At the time, Tristan was going to be an assistant director in an upcoming play, then planning to co-direct a play after that.

Tristan shared with me that it’s been great having��gender neutral bathrooms��this year at Squalicum. I shared with them that the district is making this change at our middle and high schools, and as we build new schools and facilities, we want to keep improving on our intentionality to make more restrooms accessible to all. We have also recently added new LGBTQ+ Welcome signs in our schools.

At lunch, I enjoyed a Harvest of the Month chicken sandwich, and we sat with many of Tristan’s friends. They talked about some of their favorite elementary and middle school teachers, and it was wonderful to hear their sweet and funny memories. It was also a great reminder how some students in our system are able to go to elementary, middle and high school together. They also talked about their emotional goodbye to Mr. Marshall last year and how excited they were to have Mr. Parker as their new choir teacher. It’s always good when we can land an outstanding person to take over for someone with really big shoes to fill.

I had to ask them about��high school start times��in light of the�� that were coming (but in January hadn’t yet been announced). Tristan said they wake up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. to catch a 7 a.m. bus and loved the thought of more sleep. They said they especially felt bad for their friends who are in Storm Singers and arrive at school at 6:30 a.m. Tristan said, “They love the class, but it sucks that they have to get up so early.” I’m looking forward to having music and more electives be incorporated into the new schedule and to allow our students the sleep they need.

One of the most meaningful aspects of my day with Tristan was attending the��QSA after school club��at Squalicum.

There were about two dozen students from all different grade levels who attended the club (and me) and the QSA advisor, Bethany Barrett. We all sat in a circle and their meeting begins with a “check-in,” which involves each student saying their name, what pronouns they prefer for themselves, how their day was and an answer to the question of the day.

The question of the day was, “What tattoo or piercing would you get?”Answers ranged from sentimental names of loved ones, meaningful quotes to a sailboat (that was mine!).

I observed a lot of smiles and laughter throughout the meeting, and a lot of support for one another.

Students talked candidly about a lot of different topics, including topics in the news and curriculum, specifically about health class, like what they feel is missing from our teaching and learning about sexuality and ways we could broaden our curriculum to be more inclusive.

Students also talked about pronoun use by staff, and the power of more neutral “they/them” as opposed to “he/she.” They have many wishes and wonders for our district, including more staff training and student education about bullying and healthy vs. abusive/unhealthy relationships; improved support for LGBTQ+ students; stronger learning about the use of gender neutral terms (from registration forms with “male or female” check boxes to a classroom tactic to have “girls on one side and boys on the other”); and revising the high school dress code so it’s more gender neutral (which we did last year at the��).

One student articulated their wish for our staff: “be educated so you can educate others.”

I want to give a shout out to Bethany, who helps provide this supportive and amazing environment for our students.

We also talked about The ����Ӱ�� Promise, our strategic plan, which guides our work, and our mission:

We collectively commit that our students are cared for and respected, and that
they will graduate from our schools prepared for success in the global community.
Each will be exceptional in��his or her��own way, with strong character, a passion for learning, and ready for the widest range of educational and vocational options
to support a diversity of life choices.

We do not take edits to The Promise lightly, nor do we make changes often, but I greatly appreciate the feedback to change “his or her” to “their” and believe this is a revision worth making.

Many students talked about what they perceive as nervousness by staff to try to be more gender neutral and their reluctance to use “they/them” instead of “he/she.” This point really resonated with me, because before my day with Tristan, I was worried I was going to mess up and use the wrong name or pronoun. Tristan, Bethany and all the LGBTQ+ students I met that day were all very reassuring and always gracious about my missteps. Their wonderful attitude helped me realize that this is another powerful part of helping support our staff and each other: our students can be our most powerful teaching and learning tool!

Thank you, Tristan, the QSA club and the team at Squalicum for an amazing day!

I arrived at the bus yard at 6:20 a.m. to clock in. Transportation even made me my own time card. I believe it may be the only department that still uses punched time cards, although they are also piloting a computerized time system.�� As we went outside, Deb and I started with our bus safety pre-check which involves checking the oil and other fluids, looking for leaks, checking belts, tire pressure and making sure all our lights work. (This whole process reminds me of my days as a tour bus driver in Alaska, a job I had to help pay for graduate school when I attended Western Washington University.)

I learned that Deb has been a driver for 18 years and on her current route (Squalicum, Alderwood and Shuksan) for five years. She’s a ����Ӱ�� native and attended Whatcom Middle and ����Ӱ�� High schools.

The first thing Deb asked me was “When was the last time you were on a school bus?” and I replied, “Last week…with you!” Deb had driven our Parent Advisory Committee up to Western’s Planetarium for a field trip. (We’re contemplating incorporating a planetarium field trip as part of our curriculum.)

At 6:48 a.m., we arrived at our first pick up, but the student was not there. Deb told me that the student has a hard time getting up early enough to catch the bus an hour before school starts, and mom is frustrated that she has to drive him…a good example of the challenge of early high school start times.

At 7:13 a.m., we make our last high school pick up at Alderwood Elementary; we now have about 30 high school students on the bus.

7:28 a.m., we arrive at Squalicum HS – students have about 15 minutes to grab food, stop at their lockers and get to class on time.

A couple reflections: Deb played music during the bus ride, creating an enjoyable, relaxed vibe. Many kids were engaged with some kind of technology – phones, music, computers, etc.�� Others were talking with seatmates. Deb and I also talked about the pros and cons of having a second staff member or even volunteer on some of our routes to help coach/train our students. I was wondering when a driver is driving, how can they effectively manage all of the kids and ensure their safety? Our drivers are in a unique position given they are trying to navigate roads and traffic while also managing kids.�� In partnership with the ����Ӱ�� Public Schools Foundation, we are looking to hire a volunteer coordinator who could help recruit volunteers for our schools. Maybe we should consider volunteer bus riders, too?

Back to the bus: time to pick up Alderwood Elementary kids. One of the highlights of this trip was my interaction with kindergarten twins who told Deb that they liked her “new students,” referring to me and our videographer Lars. The girls offered me a bracelet and gave me wide, toothless grins. This particular ride was quiet and uneventful (that’s some foreshadowing of what’s to come), but Deb assured me that it was usually much louder. Lars and his camera have been following me around this school year to film my Walking in the Shoes experiences, similar to last year’s. We plan to show this year’s recap at the Back to School Breakfast on August 25 and want all our staff (including our bus drivers!) to be there.

Probably TMI, but another reflection is I found myself a little uncomfortable at times during this ride. I’m not used to going too long without water/coffee, snack or bathroom break!

Our morning drop off to Shuksan MS was great – wonderful kids excited as far as I could tell for a great day of middle school. Then back to the bus yard to clock out. We had from 9:10-10:40 a.m. to take a break and have our own time. Deb says she usually goes home to walk her dog or runs errands.

At 10:40 a.m., we clocked back in and this time, we were in a smaller bus heading to Geneva to pick up prekindergarten kids. I spent a day in this same class for my very first Walking in the Shoes experience last year.

11 a.m., pick up seven kids at Geneva. One little guy was crying, so we had to pull over and he said he really wanted to sit by me. I told him I would rotate around the bus as students got dropped off and he perked right up. Then, just as we were continuing our route, a student started to have a severe seizure. We were in Sudden Valley, and Deb pulled the bus over and called 911. We took turns holding the little girl as she went completely unconscious. The other kids were amazing and just sat there quietly, watching and listening. It was a very apt reminder of all the responsibilities a bus driver has to ensure our kids are loved and safe. On any given day, they are part- nurse, part-coach, part –caretaker, while also driving a massive vehicle. The paramedics, firefighters and ambulance staff arrived and we handed our little one over to them; she was at that point starting to regain consciousness.�� I observed amazing teamwork, between transportation, school and district office staff and our emergency responders.�� Later in the day we called mom and heard that her little girl was doing better and she thanked us for all our help.�� This was a pretty intense experience…having a student lying in your arms, not responding…makes me think of “in loco parentis”…referring to the legal responsibility we as educators have in taking the place of parents while student are at school.�� It’s not just teachers and principals, but all staff.�� What an amazing and important responsibility.

After the pre-school drop-offs, we picked up Birchwood fifth graders from Whatcom Falls Park�� field trip. There, Deb ran into a student she used to drive every day, and he was so excited to see her. It was a true “Promise in action” moment�� that showed how much she loved and respected her kids and how we can all make connections that can last a lifetime.

Our afternoon was full of loud bus rides home with lots of energy. I wasn’t able to get out of my seat to help manage kids, and I found that a bit challenging. I had some great conversations with students about current jobs and future aspirations.�� I also enjoyed a conversation with a middle school student who wants to learn more about culinary arts. We talked about our new Options and Sehome high school facilities and the possibility of a culinary arts program.

Big picture, what a day! Over 10 hours, we logged 130 miles and transported nearly 100 students. Deb really knows her kids, says good-morning to each one by name,�� and it’s obvious that both Deb and our students have a lot of mutual respect and love for each other.�� Thank you Deb and thank you bus drivers!�� You play an important part in The ����Ӱ�� Promise and the development of our students.

Happy Wednesday and have a great rest of your week and an enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend!

Greg Baker

My Walking in the Shoes actually began on a Monday at 3:45 pm at Shuksan Middle School, as Lisa is in charge of our nightly .�� As I arrived, we jumped right in to preparing dinner – beef barbeque sandwiches, tator tots, coleslaw (my first time making this!), veggies, fruit and milk.�� We also cooked some cheese pizza with whole wheat dough in case we had any vegetarians.

At 5 pm, dinner was ready to go and students and families started arriving. We had kids who were coming from after-school events, funded by our federal that supports before/after school programming, others who came from after-school sports, as well as families who came from home to eat dinner together.�� I met families from all over the city, including some from other districts. The great thing about our after-dinner program is we can serve all students for free, as well as their siblings, and charge a minimal fee to adults. Dinner is funded by a federal program, so it is a real win-win for our district and community.

By 5:30 pm, I started to get real hungry…and it was tough to keep serving food, but not eating it! Luckily, Lisa was gracious and let me go mingle with the students/families and have a dinner. Don’t tell anyone, but I probably had three servings of tator tots…loved them! After 6 pm, we started the clean-up process: wiping tables, washing dishes and putting food away. Lisa was so respectful of the fact that we were guests in the Shuksan kitchen, and we left the place spotless.

Later that week, I joined Lisa at Northern Heights Elementary for a day serving breakfast and lunch.

I arrived at 7:30 am, and to my surprise, there were already tons of kids sitting in the cafeteria eating. I wondered “Where did all these kids come from?” School doesn’t start until 8:30 am, and our doors don’t usually open until after 8:00 am. Well, it was our kids whose parents work and need to drop their kids off early.�� Our YMCA before/afterschool program operates at 13 of our 14 elementary schools.�� Students are dropped off as early as 6:30 am in many of our schools.�� This was a real eye-opener to me, and it demonstrated the fact that our current 8:30 am start time does not work for many families.�� We have students throughout our city already at school ready to learn, but need to wait up to two hours until the bell rings.

Throughout the day I was able to observe the love and care that Lisa demonstrates toward her kids and the impact she makes.�� One of the classes wrote me a letter…here is part of what they wrote:

“Dear Dr. Baker, Thank you for coming to Northern Heights today and ‘walking in Miss Lisa’s shoes”. ��We think it is a good idea to spend time looking around the district to see how hard people work.�� We would like you to know how we appreciate the patience Miss Lisa has because sometimes kids aren’t paying attention and they forget their lunch number.�� We think she is a ‘thinker’ because she had to do a lot of estimating about how many lunches to serve every day and she also uses her math skills when she collects our money…We think she loves her job because she loves kids, she is always smiling…Miss Lisa always puts kids first.�� We hope that spending time with her will help you when you have to make food decisions for schools.�� Thank you for hiring Miss Lisa!!!”

Enough said. Throughout day, as we made breakfast and lunch, helped kindergartners enter their lunch numbers, washed dishes, rotated milk, called in meal counts…it was so apparent that this was more than just a job.�� Lisa is an example of so many of our staff throughout the district…who work hard because they love kids and want the very best for them.

is alive and well in the kitchens and cafeterias throughout our district! Thank you Lisa, and thanks to everyone on staff, our families and our students for living The Promise every day.

Here’s a summary of a fabulous day learning what it’s like to keep an entire middle school open, safe, clean and ready for 600 eager learners!

I arrived at Fairhaven Middle School at 6:30 a.m. We began with a��safety checkthroughout the building, inside and out. We check that all doors are locked, windows are closed, and that there is nothing suspicious about the grounds. We begin turning certain lights on in the hallways, balancing the need for staff coming in early to be able to see with the need to conserve energy to save dollars that can then be focused on classroom support.

We then spend time checking the calendar for the day, important emails and making a list of projects. Today at 1 p.m., we have safety and security consultants coming to do aschool safety audit. This is paid for by our recent bond and a large matching grant. The result will be recommendations on future safety improvements to all our schools.

We stop by the staff lounge to do some clean up, then do some laundry in Mikol’s office. We sort and fold towels that will be used by us, as well as the kitchen staff.

We walk through the building again turning on more��lights��as most staff are arriving.�� Then we’re off to the lunchroom to prepare for��breakfast. We set up a small number of chairs and tables.�� There’s a whole science to setting up lunchroom tables.�� One misstep and you could tweak your back for a month. Mikol does a great job teaching me and ensuring I stay safe.

It’s 8:15 a.m.: time for the��front doors to open!�� There is a massive group of students waiting just outside. Mikol gives me instructions on how to unlock the doors. As I unlock each one, students come streaming in, laughing and smiling, ready for their day of middle school!�� Students go to their lockers, play ping pong and foosball, visit the library, eat breakfast, drop off instruments…I spend time in the lunchroom greeting students and helping them as they drop off their trays/garbage.

Throughout the day there are a couple of moments where kids are in some type of crisis situation, whether sitting on a bench crying or upset as they walk down the hall.�� Each time, it was interesting to watch how quickly an adult stepped in to support them. ��I realize custodians see a lot. Throughout the day, we observe/interact with nearly every student. It’s interesting watching the students and wondering how they each are doing. Are they connected? Have friends? Doing well in classes?

Mikol makes an observation around how well students interact with and support our students in the Life Skills program. I think many of these students went to school together at Wade King.�� It’s great to see students interact and treat each other with such respect.

At 9:30, we get a short break, and I hear about Mikol’s background, his family, his passion around wrestling, and his appreciation for how hard staff work in the school.

Right after our break: the highlight of the day: the��boiler just went down! No hot water for the entire school. Awesome!! J We quickly go to the boiler room and identify the problem with one of the boilers. We call for some support from Buildings and Grounds. In no time, Bryan Gust, our plumber arrives. Fixed in no time!

Throughout the day, we continuously��respond to staff��that need assistance.�� We help our cafeteria staff in greasing/cleaning a large can opener. We find some duct tape for an English class. We hang a whiteboard in an office. It’s wonderful to be able to help so many people.�� The more they can focus on their work, i.e. teaching, cooking… the better for kids.

It’s now time to go get the lunchrooms set up. Now this is a chore! Set up all the tables and chairs as quickly and efficiently as possible. Mikol shows me how to do (what I call) the��“Dance of the Chairs”! It’s a true art to set up a table and get chairs around it in record time. I enjoy the challenge.

During lunch, I get to interact with students, speak to our Food Services staff, and help keep the place tidy. After lunch, it’s clean up time, where we break down tables, stack chairs, sweep and mop the floor (I get to use some type of cleaning��zamboni��for the first time!) and put everything back in its original place.

The last thing on our list is preparing for a��school assembly. After just cleaning the entire cafeteria and putting everything away, including all the chairs, it’s kind of disheartening to now think about unstacking all the chairs and putting them all out. As we begin though, in comes a music class, filled with students anxious to help us. It’s great. Within minutes tons of students are helping us pass chairs down a line, like a fire bucket brigade. The assembly set-up is done in record time. Really shows what teamwork can accomplish.

As the assembly begins, our shift ends, and the evening custodian arrives. What a great day��Walking in the Shoes of a Custodian. When I think about my day and��The ����Ӱ�� Promise, it resonates with our vision: “We, as a community, make a collective commitment to ����Ӱ��’s children.” It really takes all of us to make this magic work.�� I also think about our core value of “compassion and service build community.”

Thank you, Mikol, and thank you Fairhaven students and staff for helping ensure��The ����Ӱ�� Promise��is alive and well.

Last Friday, I spent a day walking in the shoes of school secretary, JoLynda Chronister at Roosevelt Elementary School.

7:30 AM Arriving at Roosevelt I said a quick hello to JoLynda Chronister and Principal Tom Gresham and we jumped right into the work. Kindergartners are going to the pumpkin patch, so we need to ensure all medical needs are planned for (inhalers, etc…). We went through the medicine cabinet and put medications in a bag with directions. Then we looked at the sub list; One staff member was sick today. We need to go to the gym and get it unlocked.

We also have a paraeducator coming in for two hours to support one of our kindergarten classes. This year each kindergarten teacher in our district was provided 30-plus hours of paraeducator support to help them during the first part of the year. Kindergarten can be challenging, given that for many it is their first time in school, although we are addressing this given our investment in early childhood and our Promise K Program.

We just had a sub come that was not on the list so we need to brainstorm/backtrack the whole situation. All of this in the first 20 minutes!

7:58 AM We just received student pictures that need to be peeled and put on cumulative folders. Sounds like a good job for a volunteer or for me? The challenge is that some of the pictures have incorrect names so we need someone who knows each student by name. I won’t be of much help with this one.

8:00 AM�� Word of the week…a teacher comes in with a suggestion. The word then gets posted on the new reader board. Who does this? JoLynda does. We talked about other options, i.e. a parent volunteer, custodian, etc… One of those things JoLynda just does to ensure it gets done.��Time before school starts, the office is the social hot spot! Staff, subs, parents, students…a hub of, “hellos, how I can help you, have a great day!”

I learn what JoLynda does when parents don’t turn in the immunization records. She has to continuously try and get parents to turn in forms, including phone calls and letters. I wonder about what role others might play, i.e. the nurse or the principal, in having some of these hard conversations.

Sharon Reichstein, our second secretary, has been gone the last two days. JoLynda and I discussed whether a sub is brought in or not to help. Generally not, at least here at Roosevelt, due to the complexity of the job. It feels like it’s more work than it is worth to have someone fill in that doesn’t know the job and all the necessary context. I wonder if there is something we can do to better train subs?

8:20 AM Just answered my first phone call while JoLynda was helping a teacher. Dad taking three kids to the doctors today and wanted to let us know. Sharon then helped me enter that information into Skyward so the teacher is notified.

8:28 AM A little kindergarten student just walked in. She just started here a few days ago. She forgot her teachers name. We helped her out, and I got to walk her down to class.��First grader walks in with a note from home that she gets to go home on the bus with a friend. Huge smile!!!

We wrote a note to the teacher. Here comes the friend…and both moms! Big event for these two youngsters.��So far this is similar to my time , where it felt like constant triage. We are running from one request to another.

JoLynda helps each person with a smile and knows right what to do. I get why having a sub who doesn’t know what to do/how all the systems work, could be more work than it’s worth.

8:34 AM A little guy, kindergarten maybe, just walked in with a big smile, and said, “Am I late?!”�� I think he knew the answer…and he was proud that he knew he was and knew what to do. He got a note and marched off to class.

8:42 AM After another half dozen students/parents coming in a bit late, things have temporarily quieted down for a moment. First moment of silence since 7:30.

Let’s see how long it lasts…One second…Two seconds…Three…here comes another youngster with mom!�� Student has been sick but she so wanted to be here at school, she convinced mom to bring her, even if she is a bit late.

I asked JoLynda about our counseling support and if she has noticed any impact due to the increase in counselors across our schools over the last four years. Her response was overwhelming with evidence of how our counselors support our kids and families, how it decreases the workload for teachers, the office and the principal. She said having someone here full-time has been incredible.

8:53 AM�� We need to find a space to test some students for our Highly Capable Program. Space is tight so we need to be creative.

8:56 AM Pondering how we might use parent/community volunteers for some of the things that happen in the office/school. All of our schools use volunteers to differing degrees. We do not have anyone in the district who helps coordinate, support, train and develop volunteers in an organized/systemic way. It reminds me of last year when the School Board held a linkage (meeting) with our senior citizens community, who shared that we so under-utilize volunteers in our community.

There are so many folks that would like to help, but don’t know how to connect with our schools. The senior citizens said they have an army of untapped volunteers in ����Ӱ�� just waiting to be engaged. What would it take to get a volunteer coordinator that could support all 22 schools in helping them get volunteers, train and develop them, facilitate the sharing of best practices, etc.?�� Maybe another partnership idea with the ����Ӱ�� Public Schools Foundation.

9:10 AM�� 60 kindergartners marching off to the pumpkin patch! Last night, there was a family fun night where kids and their families carved pumpkins. I asked Tom, who provided the knives! Parents brought their own. I told Tom to keep this a secret…let’s not tell our Risk Management Office.

9:20 AM Stand-up meeting with Tom to discuss the day and share info back and forth. Teacher arrives and asks to meet with Tom.

9:23 AM Call from a classroom needing some support with a student. The office is kind of like the 911 call center. Call comes in and the dispatcher needs to determine what resources to deploy. In this case, with the principal busy, we go find the counselor, who quickly is able to head to the classroom.

JoLynda shares with me how she thinks through these situations. Sometimes the principal is needed, sometimes the counselors, and sometimes it is her that goes to help. She then describes how she loves interacting with kids in multiple settings. Sometimes it may be going to read in classrooms, or participating in the jog-a-thon or helping with supervision/student management. It is clear JoLynda loves these kids and is passionate about her work.

9:30 AM A lot has happened in just two hours!�� At this pace, this reflection is getting quite long and I wonder if I will have lost people reading it…I think I will take a break from writing and come back online a bit later.

11:00 AM�� Ok – I waited 90 minutes. A quick summary of what occurred:- We did a deep dive on record retention. What documents do we need to keep for how long? An easy question with a complex answer. We called Kris Newberry, a secretary in the Department of Teaching and Learning. A year or so ago we added a new part-time position, someone whose job it is to provide ongoing training and development and support to our secretaries. Together Kris, JoLynda and I spent time identifying the challenges and possible next steps.

The goal is to make it easy and clear to secretaries what records need to be kept and for how long, and what are best practices in doing so.- We had two students come in with teeth that had fallen out!- We had some good laughs regarding the use of technology and why we still have a fax machine and typewriter in the office.

I also heard her initial reluctance to dual computer screens, but now she loves it!- Consulted with our counselor, Chris Wermus, about calling a family for clarification on a restraining order.��– Discussed how one gets walls painted and the process of filling out a work order. I think I will leave it at that with this one.

12:30 PM School shooting in Marysville. We had just talked about our safety and security work; hope we never get to a point where every single person has to be buzzed in.�� (I won’t spend much time talking about the Marysville event right here; just to note that throughout the rest of the day I needed to break from my job as secretary and communicate with others in the district around impact, messaging and next steps.)

1:00 PM�� Dog poop!�� Three kids stepped in big piles and need clean shoes.�� They are currently going in stocking feet to lunch.�� Luckily Cornwall Church heard we needed shoes for a variety of reasons, and brought us a ton, so we search through some boxes for clean shoes for the kids to borrow.

Three kids came in from recess with bumps; similar to my time Walking in the Shoes of a school nurse at Wade King; ice packs all around! One of the hardest decisions JoLynda said is determining the severity of injuries and making constant judgment calls.

Young girl walks in with a smile on her face. “I have a gas bubble and so I am going to lay down.”Ball injury from recess and another ice pack.�� Two more bonks!�� More ice packs!

1:30 PM�� Sharon done for the day, so now it’s just us running the office.

3:00 PM�� The rest of the afternoon, we took care of some additional injuries, calls from parents and said good-bye to all the youngsters as they headed home.�� What a great day!

Thank you to the Roosevelt staff that welcomed me and especially JoLynda for letting me walk in her shoes for a day. The life of a school secretary is action-packed and involves helping and supporting an entire community, including students, staff and parents.�� It is clear The ����Ӱ�� Promise is alive and well at Roosevelt.��Have a great week everyone!

Greg Baker