West Valley Career Connected Learning

Thursday, January 14, 2021

West Valley Innovation Center - Mission and Vision

West Valley Innovation Center

Mission and Vision for our Learners

The last couple of weeks have moved us forward in bettering serving our students. As of today, West Valley JH Principal, Russ Tuman, has been named as the 2021-22 Principal of the West Valley Innovation Center and we are ready to begin the real work We will use the Career Connected Learning Blog as a way to keep our community informed in the development of the Innovation Center.

Some of the work ahead of us includes hiring our teachers, adopting curriculum, and approving our new school platform. Ahead of us there is a lot of work but before any of that work can begin, we need to ground ourselves in a Mission and Vision of the West Valley Innovation Center.

Core Values

We have some core values already identified which are non-negotiable in educational practice which are good for kids.

Full Inclusion Educational Model
Career Pathways and Post Secondary Connections
Competency Based Learning / Mastery Learning
Project Based Learning
Students will have Voice and Choice in showing how they have mastered standards

From this base we feel confident in the development of a model that will best serve our students.

Friday, November 20, 2020

West Valley at AWB Manufacturing Week

The fall, Innovative Programs has been using COVID to re-evaluate what is best for kids. One of our projects is how we inspire and excite kids about their futures.

In October, we were able to participate in the Association of Washington Business, AWB, also known as the Washington State Chamber of Commerce's Manufacturing Week. W spoke about our Junior High programs and how at a younger age, we can excite students about all of the options their future has in store for them.

Additionally, we spoke about our excellent partnership with AJAC Aerospace and Boeing Core Plus and how these partnerships are the cornerstone to changing student lives.

Watch here:

West Valley Interview with AWB

2020 Manufacturing Week LIVE - Oct. 2 from Association of WA Business on Vimeo.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Hosting AASA Redefining Ready Virtual Tour

West Valley School District was luck to host the AASA Redefining Ready Virtual Tour today.

AASA Redefining Ready Cohort members learned about four important topics in how West Valley can best serve our students.

Learn more about Redefining Ready Here:

https://www.redefiningready.org/

Forecast 5

Attendees learned how West Valley is using Student Engagement Data through virtual learning to ensure no student is lost. Dr. Adam Cibulka showed attendees how Forecast 5 is able to pull engagement data to enable principals to build personal interventions for students.

Forecast 5 has been instrumental in measuring how we can identify the needs of our students and build interventions aligned to the West Valley Five Steps to Student Success.

Core Plus Aerospace

Dan Parker from the Boeing Company presented on the highly rigorous statewide program, Core Plus Aerospace. Students in West Valley begin Core Plus in the seventh grade learning about lean manufacturing principles and material science. In high school, students learn about aerospace manufacturing principles culminating in a registered apprenticeship with AJAC, the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee,.

Microsoft Certification with CCI Learning

All seventh graders can earn their Microsoft Office Specialist certification at West Valley Junior High. From West Valley's one to one initiative we felt that digital literacy would be absolutely essential for our students. The Microsoft Imagine Academy certifications were the beset solution to help students meet this new challenge.

In eighth grade, student have the ability to earn their Python coding certification through Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA). Microsoft certification is one of the career exploration options available to students at West Valley Junior High.

Grow Your Own

Students in their junior year of high school can enroll in West Valley's Para Educator certification program. Students selected can work toward and be hired as para educators in the West Valley School District. As part of our larger 'Grow Your Own,' initiative, as paras, students can enrolled in the Para Educator Registered Apprenticeship where they can earn their AA degree at 50% tuition. Paras with their AA can enroll in the Yakima Valley College, Bachelors of Applied Science of Teacher Education, earning their K8 teaching certification.

Monday, May 4, 2020

Keeping Kids Engaged with Aerospace

West Valley Junior High's very own Drone and Aviation Manfuacturing teacher, Ben Green, has made it his mission to keep kids building during the statewide COVID 19 shutdown.

Mr. Green has produces hundreds of cardboard gliders which allow students to apply the principles of flight; lift, force, thrust, and drag, in the real world.

Gliders are handed out to students during our school lunch directibution with special deliveries made by parent request. Mr. Green stated, "Our kids and families are dealing with a lot right now, its important I do what I can so they have what they need to learn."

All gliders are produced from sheets of cardboard at West Valley Junior High from designs provided by Flite Test Stem.

Thursday, April 30, 2020

West Valley Joining PSE Para Educator Registered Apprenticeship

West Valley School District is not a new name in the world of Apprenticeship. In 2016 we partnered with the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee, AJAC, to pilot one of the two youth apprenticeship program in Washington State. Students enrolled in our AJAC Youth Apprenticeship earn a 2000 hr journeyman certification, fifteen college credits, core academic credit, and earn $28,000 while simultaneously enrolled in High School.

Building hope is the foundational goal of West Valley. We function off of the mission, "to ensure that all students achieve their highest level of knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be responsible and productive citizens."

Investing in the future of our students and investing in the future of our staff is not mutually exclusive. Research is clear, the better trained our staff the better our students perform. It was a natural decision to blend out commitment to apprenticeship and our commitment to professional development to launch the Para Educator Registered Apprenticeship with state partner, Public Schools Employees (PSE), and local partner, Teamsters Local Union 760.

Currently employed para educators can apply for and be selected to join our Para Educator registered apprenticeship. Apprentices have two pathways, Para Educator I and Para Educator II, where they work toward an associates degree in para educator through Green River Community College, fully online and as members of the apprenticeship, at 50% tuition.

Our goal is to connect our paras to newly adopted Bachelor's of Applied Science of Teacher Education degrees newly emerging across Washington State where working paras with associate degrees can earn K-8 Teaching degrees.

If we are committed to connecting our community to better lives then it is important to we think of ourselves as the employers and not just the educators in that mission.

To learn more about the Para Educator Apprenticeship, click here:
https://www.educationapprenticeship.com/

To learn more about the Yakima Valley College BAS-TE program, click here:
https://www.yvcc.edu/academics/baste/

To lean more about West Valley Futures Career Pathways, click here:
https://wvfutures.org/

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Community Collaboration through Social Distancing

Social Distancing does not have to mean social isolation. Many of us are entering new worlds and there is no better time than now for us to work together. Looking for opportunities to support families and each other, West Valley has scheduled three ways for staff and parents to connect.

We are all in this together.

Staff Information Sessions

Tuesday's at 8am are West Valley Staff Information Sessions. Previous topics have included, Google Classroom for Beginners, Screen Castify and YouTube for Online lessons, and Building an eLearning Agenda for Students.

Teachers who have had exciting success using technology volunteer or are recruited to run information sessions for their peers.

Next week, April 21 at 8am PST: Wendy Clark, Highly Capable Coordinator - Developing Enrichment Activities for Students.

Parent Support Sessions

In the same tone as our teacher information sessions are routine parent sessions. Zoom webinars are scheduled every Tuesday at 5pm where guest panelist from within the West Valley School District discuss ways in which we can support our families. District staff are on hand in Q/A Sessions and in the Chat Box for parents who have questions during webinars.

Parents can use this opportunity to ask for future webinar topics.

Next Week, April 21 at 5pm PST: Enrichment Activities for Students with Panelists:

- Wendy Clark, Highly Capable Coordinator - Enrichment Activities

- Michelle Siguenza, Special Services - Accommodations While at Home

- Danielle Crawford, Elementary Instructional Coach - Using Play to Meet Standards, Kindergarten and 1st Grade Activities.

Please click this URL to join on Tuesday, April 21 at 5pm PST.
https://wvsd208.zoom.us/j/99407349431?pwd=VnN5R2M2aHl1STR0Y2tXem5mYkFYdz09
Password: 578987

Teacher Collaboration Sessions

Friday's at 8am are reserved for Teacher Collaboration Sessions. Sessions are unscripted and open for teachers who have something to share, questions to ask, and/or support they need. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Special thanks to our previous hosts and panelists.

Friday, April 3, 2020

Community Supporting West Valley FFA Plant Sales

If you are using you stay at home order to do so much needed hard work, West Valley FFA still has plants available for purchase.

Roots Yakima and Stein's Ace Hardware have both stepped up on a big way. Both businesses have been deemed essential to keep your home and family operating.