Ask SPS

Hi Samantha, Your spelling is correct. Heidi Dullanty retired in 2011after 22 years of service.

Hi Jocelyn, Which school's homework center are you interested in?

Many schools use Leo's Photography, but you should check with your school to be sure.

Hi Yoene, A mistake was made last week and the Arabic translation of the early release Friday message was sent to all families. Everyone should have received the same message in English the day before. We are all doing our best to learn the new notification system. Apologies for the inconvenience this must have caused.

Hi Brandon, Thanks for your question. It would be best to start by talking with your son's teacher and principal.

Hi Angel, Pratt Academy has two sites: Pratt Core in the Valley and Pratt North on Shaw’s Campus. Pratt North is a half-day program and students will have an opportunity to access Skill Center programs for the other half of their school day starting next fall. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact the school at 354-7100.

I shared your concern with Adams Principal Beth Nye and Elementary Director Jennifer Keck. Jennifer said, “It’s important when a student sees something concerning to share it with a trusted staff member. The adult can then address the concern directly or seek further assistance from the administrative team. If there are further concerns, parents can call their school’s principal for clarifications.”

Beth agreed and added:

“We do encourage students to determine if it is a big or little problem. They should see themselves out of little problem or, better yet, encourage or support the students to solve the problem on their own, or tell an adult on their own or together (this allows it to remain a first-person account rather than a second- or third-person account).

If it is a big problem that a student can’t walk away from (someone is getting hurt emotionally and/or physically), and the person cannot speak up for him or herself, then students are encouraged to tell a trusted adult on their behalf. If they don’t feel heard, then they are encouraged to tell another adult.

If a parent does not feel like their child is being heard, I would encourage them to call the principal (me). This provides another layer of communication to make sure the situation is addressed and followed up upon.

My wondering is if this student/parent is feeling like students are not being looped back to. That one is tricky. We certainly want folks to know that issues are being addressed, but, if the information does not pertain directly to them, that may not happen, and many times should not due to privacy. A quick outreach to concerned individuals saying “Hey, thanks, we got this” is always our goal, but may not always happen.

We all have the common goal of communication and keeping kids safe!”

Hi Sally, Thanks for your message. It would be helpful to get more specifics and to know what school your child attends so that we can best address your concerns. Please let us know!

Hi Mary, On Nov. 1, our district switched its mass communication tool from BrightArrow to BB Messenger. We still use PowerSchool, though. If you are having trouble logging in to PowerSchool and already tried "forgot password/login," please contact your student's school for assistance. For BB Messenger, there is no parent login area. If you aren't receiving messages, please check with your student's school to be sure your contact information is accurate.

Hi Mary, We reorganized and redesigned our website with the goal of making it easier for users to find the information they need. So really, pretty much all the information is for parents. As for flu shots, I have not yet heard of any of our schools offering clinics. If there is something else specific you are looking for and can't find, please let us know!

Hi Carter, If you go to the PowerSchool login page, hit "Forgot Username or Password" to get help.

Hi Carley, The 2020-21 calendar is being finalized and we hope to have it available online very soon. I can tell you, however, that the first day of school for the 2020-2021 school year will be Sept. 3 for grades 1-12 and Sept. 9 for kindergarteners.

Hi April, That's a great question for the alumni association. Learn more about them and how to contact them here.

Hi Anthony, This is a great question. I asked our Safety & Risk Management Specialist John Vansant to help with an answer: Street lighting is the responsibility of the City (streets) or County (roads) departments. It usually involves a balance between safety and inconvenience to homeowners who don’t like the additional lighting shining in their windows at night.

One idea is to see if there is neighbor who would support having a light on the street and if there is, email your council member (City) or commissioner (County) with the concern.

Hi Jeri, Schools are directed by state (OSPI) rules on how we respond to different behaviors. The Rules of Conduct section at the end of Procedure 3240 is based on these state rules and provides guidance to schools on the response. Tobacco violations and alcohol violations are considered different and therefore the response that schools can take is different. Schools can, and do, suspend students for tobacco violations but by rule they can’t on a first time offense. With an alcohol violation, schools can suspend on a first time offense

Hi Jennifer, Police calls for service often unfold rapidly. Officers notify schools of potential threats as part of their response to the call as the situation and circumstances allow and dictate, typically once they arrive on scene. Yesterday, the police activity ended very quickly. Officers notified school administrators and Campus Safety as soon as it was prudent to do so and, in this instance, after they were no longer actively seeking a suspect.

We rely on the judgment of responding officers and work closely with them to keep students, families, and staff safe. Campus safety did respond to offer assistance to students who had to walk near the crime scene.

Hi Tara, Thanks for your question. I shared it with John Vansant, our Safety & Risk Management specialist, and he responded: "'Flashing When 20' lights are an additional school safety feature that you see most often on higher volume/higher speed streets such as arterials or highways. We are working with the City to add additional ones (I think they are $30,000 a pair) as the funding becomes available. We will work with the city traffic engineer to do some volume and speed tests around Westview to determine if this area should be prioritized. I’ll get out to Westview to take a look myself, and work with Spokane PD traffic enforcement to see if we can get some extra presence."

Rogers senior pictures are due Nov. 30. Find more information here.

Hi Mrs. N, You can go directly to your neighborhood school to register.

Hi! Ferris senior portraits are due Nov. 1. You can find all the info you're looking for on Ferris' seniors page here. Click on "Senior Portrait" under the large photo on the page.

Hi Topher, Each school has its own DECA advisor: *North Central: Dempsey Ortega, DempseyO@spokaneschools.org or 509.354.6225

• Lewis & Clark: Chantal Czarapata, ChantalC@spokaneschools.org or 509.354.7022 *Ferris: Cheryl Gould, CherylG@spokaneschools.org or 509.354.6003 *Shadle Park: Erin Ruehl, ErinR@spokaneschools.org or 509.354.6787 *Rogers: Bryan Venema, BryanV@spokaneschools.org or 509.354.6554 or 509.354.6632 Hope this helps!

Hi Lori, I am sorry for your frustration. I hope that your meeting today provides you the information you are seeking. I did want to also make sure you looked at our Curriculum & Instruction page, which provides state standards and the curriculums being used at each level. Please contact us again if your concerns are not adequately addressed.

Hi Teresa, Currently, we have no schools hosting shot clinics, but many local pharmacies do offer vaccinations on a walk-in basis.

Hi Michelle, Thanks for your question. All north side 6th graders will move into middle schools starting with the 2022-23 school year. South side 6th graders will move to middle schools starting with the 2023-24 school year. This coincides with the building of new middle schools. Read more here.

Hi Tracey, Whatever proof of vaccination compliance you have, please provide that to Westview's main office. You can take it in or scan it and email it. Hope this helps!

Hi Shannon, The makeup day has not yet been determined. We will announce it on our homepage and through social media as soon as we have that information. Thanks for asking!

Hi Robert, Sorry for the delay in responding. The SPS Transportation and Safety departments do review areas that don't qualify for bussing. They look for hazardous walking conditions and adjust boundaries and bus stops accordingly. If you disagree with their determination, please send an email that explains your situation and includes a specific request to Transportation Specialist Michael Warnecke: MichaelW@spokaneschools.org.

Hi Kaden, Minecraft EDU was approved for use within the district by ITSC a few years ago. ITSC’s role in approving software is to ensure that each software is licensed, can be supported, will install and will run properly on our machines and network. There are other groups in the district that make the determination whether an application is appropriate for use as a part of a curriculum in the district. Additionally the district needs to ensure that any software put in front of students will protect student privacy according to state and federal laws. Unfortunately, very recently Microsoft changed its funding model regarding Minecraft EDU and the application is no longer free to us, so we will have to explore another path forward.

Hope that helps. Greg Trepus ITSC Supervisor

Hi and thanks for your question. Please contact Karen Turner at 354.7947 and do what is called a "Child Find." Karen will be able to help you do the intake form and get you started to see if your son qualifies for special education services.

Hi Owen, It is a school-by-school decision for activities that are not under the umbrella of the WIAA or sponsored by the school. Please check with LC's athletic director for more information.

Hi Theresa, You can find information on how to apply to have your student attend a school other than their neighborhood school here. I wonder too if you have had a chance to talk with the Rogers staff and administrators about your dissatisfaction and the incidences that have occurred?

Hi Lynne, Principals must approve, and risk management should be consulted, before anyone brings any animal other than a service animal into a school. Thanks for asking!

Yes, they are! Sometimes playgrounds do need to be closed temporarily due to construction, but that usually happens during the summer.

Hi Kate, Thanks for your question. I just learned the answer and posted it to the district calendar: Elementary schools will have an early-release schedule during conference week, Oct. 14-18. *Grades K-6, and Montessori: 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. *Language Immersion at Libby, and Odyssey: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Hi Michael, Thanks for your question. From LC's homepage, you can click the Digital Tools button (below the large image), or go to the "Learn" channel and click "Grades." PS. Your opinion has been noted.

Hi Michelle, I'm sorry, but those won't be held this year. Unfortunately, the vendor who did those last year will not be returning.

Hi Connie, Our approach is to focus on student safety and excuse student absences with parent permission.

Hi Rob, Thanks for your question. Our security officers, much like Spokane County sheriffs deputies and the Spokane Police Department's upper administration, are on call after hours. Services they provide after hours include: *Responding to building security alarms if night security staff is not available *Responding to bus incidents that occur nights or weekends *Assisting with weather-related issues such as wind storms or snow events *Assisting the Spokane Police Department in joint security events/concerns.

Hi Kelsey, I'm sorry to hear that. The director of Express is Lisa White: 509.354.7293 or lisawh@spokaneschools.org.

Hi Sarah, Thanks for your question. On the SPS school year calendar you'll find the early release Fridays for middle and high schoolers denoted by a triangle. Hope this helps!

Hi James, Thanks for your question. Board Policy 2030 and Procedure 2030 address Service Animals in Schools. The Policy document in particular helps distinguish between a service animal and an ESA. Since we follow Washington State Law, you can [find more information in this document as well.](https://www.spokaneschools.org/cms/lib/WA50000187/Centricity/Domain/167/Service Animals and the Washington Law Against Discrimination-032019.pdf)

Hi Diana, I am sorry for your frustration, but I'm glad you shared it with us. I have a few ideas for you. You can call John Vansant, Safety & Risk Management specialist, at 509.354.4635. He will call parking enforcement on your behalf, or you can call them directly at 311. If you could share with him which school your student attends, he can also talk with the principal about an education campaign for pickup/dropoff rules and best practices.

Hi Lori, A decision regarding retention should be discussed with the school principal. A school team who works with the student will be helpful in identifying supports for you.

Hi! Thanks for your question. Because each school may handle things a bit differently, it would be best for you to talk about this with the principal at your student's school.

Hi Gary, If you are referring to individual staff webpages, look in the staff directory. If you see a small world icon by their name, that means that staff member has a website and you can click their name to access it.

Hi Ryan, I'm not sure of the particular rules at your child's school, but generally there are expectations for appropriate behavior in hallways and during lunch. The school staff should be able to talk with you more about what those expectations are.

Hi John, NC has a regular schedule today -- not a half day.

Hi Eric, The 25th and Madison stop was accidentally left off the driver's route sheet. It is now corrected and the driver will stop at the scheduled stop at 25th and Madison. We apologize for the inconvenience and frustration this must have caused you.