By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
cchancellor@soundpublishing.com
Change.
That word encapsulates superintendent Michelle Reid’s tenure in the South Kitsap School District and again applies as students return to class this week.
Students will encounter adjustments that are cosmetic and related to curriculum — or both.
Perhaps none will be more noticeable than the new artificial football surface at Kitsap Bank Stadium. Tom O’Brien, SKSD’s director of Facilities and Operations, said
The Matrix synthetic turf system being installed provides “excellent footing, traction and shock absorption.” He also said the new field will be made up of an organic composition from environmentally friendly, chemical-free materials, including cork and coconut fibers.
And the South Kitsap High School football team, which opened its season Sept. 4 against Central Kitsap, and boys and girls soccer teams won’t be the only beneficiaries.
“Physical education classes will actually be able to use the field this year for the first time,” Reid said. “In the past, we had to protect that surface.
”Two SKSD elementary schools, Hidden Creek and Mullenix Ridge, had leaky tile shingles replaced, while a third elementary, Burley-Glenwood, underwent a roof restoration.
“I don’t know how many students will notice that, but staff will because we won’t have buckets all over the classrooms,” Reid said with a laugh.Reid also said more than 80 classrooms throughout the district had carpet replaced.
“We really want to thank the voters on the recent levy, which enabled us to do the roofs and the carpeting,” she said. “There’s been a lot of facilities work that I think is long overdue.”Additionally, Reid said interactive whiteboards, which are a display panel that also can function as writing board, were installed in each elementary classroom in SKSD.
“That’s going to enable teachers to work more effectively with the new curriculum — in math, language arts and social studies,” she said, adding that the new English-Language Arts curriculum will feature a broader genre of literature with a greater emphasis on writing. “We see that as a real innovative approach and next step in our curriculum development.”
Reid said the recommendation to install interactive whiteboards occurred when the district’s teaching and learning and technology departments met in the spring to determine “the best system-wide move with finances.”
“Most of the new curriculum coming out now for children makes use of a lot of technologies that we haven’t had access to,” she said. “It really improves the quality of the classroom experience.
”For junior-high students, Reid said there will be more sections of seventh- and eighth-grade Algebra offered. She added that freshmen also will be able to take second-year Algebra at the high school for the first time.
“We’re really proud of the progress we’re making with our math instruction in the district,” she said.Students throughout the district also might notice changes in the libraries.“We upgraded library collections at all schools in the district,” Reid said. “It’s been many, many years since we’ve had an opportunity to support library circulations at different schools.”