Our Academy for Community Transition (ACT) program has a longstanding tradition of getting students into the Issaquah-area community for seasonal activities, including an annual fall visit to a pumpkin patch. This year, pandemic-related restrictions meant leaving campus wasn’t an option, so ACT staff decided to bring a pumpkin patch to campus instead! On October 29, they set up a socially distanced pumpkin patch in the field outside ACT’s buildings. It had a pumpkin for each student, hay bales and cornstalks (generously donated by The Grange), and other autumnal decorations. After choosing and “picking” their pumpkins, posing for pictures, and spending some pleasant time in the crisp fall air, the students went back inside to paint their pumpkins.
ACT is one of the ISD special programs that has resumed in-person learning in a hybrid model. ACT serves young adult students and focuses on the development of independent living skills, social skills, vocational skills and other important life skills to increase self-reliance and confidence.
See more photos from the event at the ISD Facebook Page.
During a recent virtual author presentation, writer J. Scott Savage encouraged students at Beaver Lake Middle School to use their unique talents to tell the stories only they can tell.
Savage has written 18 popular novels for kids, including books in the “Mysteries of Cove,” “Far World,” and “Case File 13” series. During the October 21 Zoom meeting with students, he discussed and shared a book trailer for his newest book, “The Lost Wonderland Diaries,” a spinoff of Lewis Carroll’s classic “Alice in Wonderland.”
The main character in Savage’s newest novel is dyslexic, so he discussed neurodiversity and famous and noteworthy neurodiverse people. He told students about his techniques for creating and writing and encouraged them tell stories of their own.
"Everyone has a story that can help others, and you are the only person who can tell your unique stories," Savage told the students.
More than 100 students from Gibson Ek High School are being mentored by professionals this fall as they work independently on academic projects from home, but some students are still looking for a mentor.
“I am actually surprised at my own ability to learn about certain things in a short period of time,” says junior Jackie Moyle, whose mentor is a senior portfolio manager from Russell Investments. “This field seemed pretty intimidating, but I am loving it so far and am learning so much.”
Current volunteer mentors are programmers, authors, film producers, non-profit leaders, photographers, historians, investors, realtors, audio engineers, animators, entrepreneurs, librarians, theater directors, graphic designers, fashion designers, law enforcement officers, chefs, lawyers, architects, UX designers, health care leaders, educators, military analysts -- even a Disney Imagineer!
Gibson Ek would like the ISD community’s help finding mentors in these areas:
“Mentoring brings some very welcome variety to an otherwise repetitive work-from-home environment of 2020,” says Jackie’s mentor, Megan Roach. “Give it a shot.”
Gibson Ek also has students seeking help on some very specific projects:
The time commitment is minimal: Mentors spend a few minutes meeting with students via video each week, primarily to give feedback on their projects. If you or someone you know might be willing, please just click this link to let GEHS know: https://forms.gle/YrVGSYzQhg9MdSUz5
Reach out to mentor coordinator Casey Henry with questions: henryc@gibsonek.org. Learn more about Gibson Ek at https://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/gibsonekhs.