- Everett Public Schools
- Innovation
Equity and Access
1. Outdoor Communication Boards
In our commitment to innovative strategies that address the challenge of equitable access to playground use, Special Services is collaborating with teachers, SLPs, the Special Education PTSA, school PTAs, and other departments within EPS to design and install outdoor communication boards at all elementary school playgrounds in EPS. Many of our students use a different means of communication. This will ensure that ALL students have the opportunity to share their ideas, preferences, and needs with peers and adults while using the playgrounds at our schools.
Contact: Kelley Clevenger, Katy Ramon
2. Internships in school kitchens
Last year Everett Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services partnered with Special Services and the G.O.A.L. program to provide students opportunities to work in a professional kitchen. We provided guided learning at Emerson, Evergreen and Cascade. This year we will be hosting students at Sequoia and North.
Contact: Adam Pazder
3. Washington Grown Foods (Farm to School)
Washington State Department of Agriculture awarded EPS with $172k in funds for the procurement of locally grown foods and equipment to support the use of those foods. F&N has been developing relationships with local dairies, and farmers to increase the variety of local and unique foods available to students at each of our 27 school locations.4. Vegetarian/Vegan Meals, hosted by Tambark Creek
TCE will be hosting grad student interns from Bastyr University to help F&N create exciting and culturally relevant vegetarian/vegan recipes for students interested in pursuing plant-based meals. TCE was identified as a host site due to the high number of students with cultural backgrounds familiar with vegetarian cuisine. In this way F&N will have access to a dynamic and engaged student-led focus group to help shape the flavors of future menu items. Successful recipes will be refined and incorporated into menus across the district. Concurrent efforts will be invested in creating a 'QR Code' based 'App' that will allow students to order Vegetarian/Vegan meals in advance of their scheduled lunch period as a way to help connect students and their needs, with kitchen staff while minimizing waste and enhancing customer service.
Contact: Adam Pazder
5. Assistive Tech 3D
Working with CTE and AT Lab on 3D-printed accessibility tech tools for students' needs to access classroom technology, like keyguards, switches, mounts, and joysticks. Working with CTE resources has reduced the cost and time of getting the tools needed to the students.
6. ADAPT
Assistive Technology, LITS, Career and Technical Education, OT/PT departments are collaborating with Cascade High school's Foundation of Manufacturing students to adapt toys for students in our schools that receive special services due to disabilities. This work was started in our area by the UW engineering school in a program called Husky Adapt at a Everett High school workshop. Our EPS departments have since created our own version by collaborating together for a sustainable and ongoing project, with the goal of doing this on a yearly basis. This work has been supported by the Everett Public Schools Foundation with grants.
ADAPT stands for "accessible design and play technology" allowing children to have inclusive play with others, allowing critical aspects of social, emotional and physical development.
Contact: Danielle Deluca
7. IEP push-in model pilot program
Special education resource room teacher is piloting a push-in model for providing services to the majority of students on IEP's.8. Plant-based student meals Pre-ordering
More and more students are seeking plant-based and gluten-free options at mealtime, yet these foods tend to be more expensive to provide. Food & Nutrition has developed a digital pre-order form that will allow students to reserve a plant-based meal at lunchtime. Staff will have the benefit of knowing how many servings to prepare and students will be confident that their selected item is available while they wait in line in the cafeteria. Our department expects pre-consumer food waste to decrease while student satisfaction rises. Live testing will begin May 2023 at Gateway Middle School and Henry M. Jackson High School. Pre-ordering will be available at most middle and high schools by September 2023.
Contact: Adam Pazder
9. Empower to Lead Summit
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department held its annual Empower to Lead Student Summit to promote awareness, networking and inclusion around the issues of social justice, leading to an increased students' sense of belonging and positive action in their community.
Contact: Joi Odom Grant
10. Makerspace at Sequoia High School
At Sequoia, we are working to engage students in creative projects and collaborative activities to build a greater sense of community. We are doing this by providing a space and materials that are often found at comprehensive high schools in the form of a Makerspace. Our Makerspace is a place for students to dream up, design, and execute projects on independent and collaborative levels. In return, we are seeing a greater sense of community and student engagement in our building.
Contact: Dylan Folkers , Maryke Haynes
11. ECEAP at Madison Elementary School
The Madison Elementary School Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) staff identified a need to support water safety for their students and families and reached out to Everett Public Schools and the community for support. The result was a multi-agency partnership between The Everett Family YMCA, Everett Public Schools Foundation (EPSF), Seattle Children’s-North Clinic, and Puget Sound Taxpayers Accountability Account (PSTAA) grant program.
Funded by EPSF and the Early Learning Partner portion of the PSTAA grant, this partnership allows all Madison ECEAP families to have access to eight weeks of free swim lessons at the YMCA, that started March 17. While students are in swim lessons, parents and guardians can attend the Water Safety Ambassador Training.
On May 16, 2023 Madison ECEAP hosted a Safety family event. Seattle Children’s-North Clinic provided education on water safety and properly fitting Everett Public Schools’ ECEAP preschoolers with life jackets. The life jackets were provided by Safe Kids Snohomish County.
Contact: Madison ECEAP Staff-Nancy Brown, Vicki Rister, Cheryl Vandermoon, Kim Monk
12. Story poles
Creating story poles which show symbols of our family cultures. Students will each design a 2 foot wooden totem or story pole to reflect their culture and background. They will display these in their front yards as a community builder on understanding different cultures, religions, and beliefs.
Contact: Tate Loftin
13. Sustainable Gardening
Sustainable gardening is about growing a greener future. Sustainable gardening combines organic gardening practices with resource conservation. This is the focus of our Hawthorne Garden space. Our garden will provide students with a real-time look at how food is grown. Children in grades K-5th will have opportunity to learn and get their hands in the dirt through our afterschool garden club, teacher lead classroom science extensions, and other educational extensions and opportunities. This project would assist us in offering our after school learning experience of our Seed of Hope Garden Club:
Twelve, 1.5-hour sessions after school, 4 Sessions in the Fall and 8 Sessions in the Spring
2 HAE staff members co-teaching during the sessions with a group of 30 students (K-5) to focus on the following topics connecting science, technology, and math
Lessons and activities include:
• What plants need to grow- planting, growing, and harvesting
• Composting, recycling, reusing natural materials
• Life cycle of a seed/plant
• Renewable energy
• Water & soil conservation
• Pollination and insects
• Nature & birds
Contact: Holly Small
14. The Nut Cracker
The Nut Cracker, the Gipson GOAL Program focuses on teaching students how to dress for each occasion (interview, work, casual, etc.)
The 9 units we study in the transition program include:
• Workplace Safety
• Technology
• Self-Advocacy
• Maintaining employment
• Financial Literacy
• Health and Wellness
• Preparing for Employment
At the end of the unit of study, we go to the Snohomish Clothing Closet and get an outfit for the Nutcracker (appropriate for the ballet and/or a job interview).
We will be taking the public bus to get to all activities and back (students participate in trip planning at appropriate times). We will pack a lunch for our trip. Everett Public Schools (EPS) provides the ingredients and students prepare the meals.
We are also learning how to be a positive part of our community and attending the Nutcracker Performance will help students engage positively in a new activity in the community.
Contact: Terri McAlister
