An innovative approach to
elementary education.

Ms. Shires has been involved with dancing and acting since she was in elementary school. She taught children's jazz and hip hop lessons for two years and has taught drama lessons in several different children's theater camps. Students in Stacy’s class often participate in small plays and reader’s theatre projects

Ms. Shires was born in Connecticut, grew up in Tampa, Florida and she moved to the Northwest in 1995 to pursue her teaching certificate. Stacy, her husband, and her two children currently live in Woodinville. She loves the Northwest and she and her family enjoy playing in local parks. Stacy also enjoys dancing, reading, and watching old movies.

Stacy loves her job and she loves teaching in the PACE program!

Jo Rayl - 1^st Grade Classroom

Jo Rayl is team teaching the PACE 1^st grade class with Stacy Shires. Mrs. Rayl began her teaching career is 1989, teaching 2^nd grade on Mercer Island. With a Masters in Early Childhood Special Education, she taught an integrated classroom with 4 to 5 special education students mainstreamed into the class. After five years on Mercer Island, she and her husband and three-year-old daughter moved to Woodinville; a new son shortly joined them. Mrs. Rayl took a break from teaching to raise her two children. Mrs. Rayl has been a volunteer for many years at Wellington, working in the classroom in a variety of capacities: running literature circles, math groups, art docent, science docent, and as head of the Publishing Center. She began substitute teaching in the Northshore district in 2002 and spent many days in primary classes at Wellington. Mrs. Rayl’s children participated in the PACE program, which gives her a unique perspective on what is down the road for the students in her own class.

Originally from New York and California, Mrs. Rayl received her undergraduate degree in French and International Relations from Colgate University. After graduating from college, she spent several years leading bike trips throughout the United States before settling in Seattle to work on her Masters and teaching certificate at the University of Washington. The travel bug has settled somewhat, but she and her family love to spend their free time outdoors, hiking, biking, sailing, and skiing.

Mrs. Rayl loves to read, write, and take photos of anyone who steps in front of her camera. She has had several articles and photos published in a variety of magazines over the years. Children’s literature is of particular interest to Mrs. Rayl, and she can often be found, flashlight in hand, reading under the covers late into the night.

Sue Styrlund - 2^nd Grade Classroom

Sue Styrlund is the 2nd grade teacher for the Wellington PACE program. Sue was born, raised and educated in Wisconsin. She received a BS in Education and Masters Degree in Exceptional Education from the University of Wisconsin. Sue stayed in Wisconsin for three years after graduating from college before getting the urge to move west to Seattle. It was there she met her husband, who at the time was in the Navy. Other than a three year assignment in Hawaii (which was delightful) and one at Bangor Naval Base in Silverdale, Washington, Sue has lived with her husband, Tom and her son, Dan in the Woodinville area.

Sue has taught for over thirty years in three states: Washington, Hawaii and Wisconsin. She began her teaching career in Wisconsin with preschool aged children with learning disabilities. Since then Sue has been a math resource teacher for grades 1 through 6, worked with children with behavioral disorders, and taught in the regular education program in all grades except kindergarten and sixth grade. She loves teaching and finds working with children inspiring, refreshing and fun. Teaching keeps her on her toes and she learns something new and valuable each day, which is a great thing!

Sue enjoys gardening, cooking, reading, traveling and spending time with friends and family. Over the years she has enjoyed soccer, skiing, hiking, golf and yoga. Since moving to a small lake seven years ago, Sue has developed an avid interest and appreciation for wildlife and nature. She is especially fond of birds, and can be found many mornings down on the dock with a coffee cup in one hand and pair of binoculars in the other waiting patiently for a cherished glimpse of one of her many feathered friends that frequent the area.

Karen Zehm - 3^rd Grade Classroom

Karen Zehm is our 3rd grade PACE teacher. She is an enthusiastic, energetic teacher who loves learning and enjoys exciting her students to learn too! Her students are often found exploring science topics and their science investigation projects are a favorite exhibit in the halls of Wellington Elementary.

Karen began teaching in 1984, after graduating from Seattle Pacific University with a Major in Fine and Applied Arts and a Minor in Education. Karen also earned a Master's Degree in Education with a specialty in Reading in the area of Curriculum and Instruction from Seattle Pacific University. She has taught a wide range of ages, from Kindergarten through 6th grade and has been an educator for the Seattle, Mukilteo and Northshore School Districts.

After teaching for several years, Karen spent time raising her own children and stayed closely connected by volunteering in her children's classrooms at Wellington and within the PACE program. She and her children were one of the original PACE families to start up the Wellington PACE program. In addition to volunteering in classrooms, Karen also coordinated, edited and published the Sixth Grade Scoop, a student written school-wide newspaper. Before going back to classroom teaching, Karen also worked as the Lab Assistant in the Wellington Computer Lab. Since then, she has served Northshore as a Technology Resource Teacher (TRT). She enjoys being on the cutting edge of educational technology.

Karen has a passion for making science come alive for her students. Imagine training over 200 sixth grade students and parents to raise over 1,000 Coho salmon in your classroom for three years! Many of these salmon may still be finding their way back to their spawning ground in Bear Creek. Since then, she has continued to involve her students in the scientific process. Each Spring, her students engage in investigating their own science research questions and create exciting projects that are displayed for the entire Wellington student body to view.

Beyond the classroom, Karen has been a ski instructor at Steven's Pass, she is a certified scuba diver and enjoys visiting the beaches of Maui whenever possible.

Karen and her husband, Steve, are both teachers at Wellington. She and her family live in the quaint town of Duvall where she can often be found biking, gardening, reading and visiting with family and friends in her free time.

John Borga - 4^th Grade Classroom

John Borga, our Fourth-grade teacher has been teaching in the PACE at Wellington program since 2000. He has been working in public schools since 1977. He came to education in a round-about manner, finding a job as a teaching assistant after moving to Seattle. He spent 11 years working with kids of all ages in a number of schools in the Seattle School District before going through Central Washington University’s Teaching Extension program where he used his B.A in history and philosophy from the University of Colorado to obtain his teaching certificate in 1988. In 1999, after 10 years teaching in Seattle, Mr. Borga obtained his Masters Degree as a reading specialist in curriculum and instruction from Seattle University. He heard about a job opening in our PACE program and was excited enough by its potential to transfer to the Northshore School District.

Active parent participation has always been encouraged in Mr. Borga’s classrooms, and the volunteer assistance in PACE seemed a natural fit. Teaching a multi-age class was a bit daunting at first, but his experience has shown that it creates a stronger sense of community since the older kids help the new ones adjust and fit in. As new students and parents come into the program with different needs, interests and skills, he adapts the environment to use and appreciate all members. A sense of community is very important to Mr. Borga, and his classroom reflects his attitudes towards responsibility, individual pride, organization, and consistency. In his classroom community, Mr. Borga is clearly the mayor, but both parents and children are vital elements. Actively working in his room each week allows parents to be integral partners in the development and implementation of their children’s education.

Mr. Borga is well supported and encouraged by his wife, Karen. Her technical expertise and teaching experience clearly benefit the classroom. Their frequent retreats to their mountain cabin with their little dog, Dandi, keep him refreshed, and the stack of papers to be graded doesn’t seem quite as high when he can shift his gaze to the river flowing by. He has taken many photos that echo that peacefulness, and they are well worth seeing.

In May of 2004 John Borga was awarded the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year award by the Lynnwood Wal-Mart store. As a result, the PACE program at Wellington received a $1,000 grant. This was actually the second time Mr. Borga received this honor.

Bob Whittemore - 5/6 Classroom

Mr. Whittemore spent his first three years in the Edmonds School District and the subsequent 10 years in the Northshore School District. Bob Whittemore is one of the pioneer Wellington PACE teachers teaching a combined 4-5-6 class the first two years and 5/6 class since 1998. Mr. Whittemore provides a historical viewpoint as PACE continues to grow. He is also one of Wellington’s representatives to the teacher’s union.

Mr. Whittemore’s formal training started when he received a BA in Art from the University of Nevada-Reno in 1971. After graduation, he went to Holland to work as an illustrator for Vroom and Dreesman. He received a Masters degree in Art from University of California-Fresno in 1976 and spent the next 5 years as a professional artist working in the US, including several exhibitions. He was accepted as an artist in the Phylis King Gallery in Chicago. After years spent successfully making ends meet working at Sears, he decided in 1991 to have a mid-life career change when he received a Teaching Certificate from the University of Washington.

Art and math are closely related subjects, and Mr. Whittemore teaches the students drawing, color and other artistic skills. He uses his extensive art training during Bob’s Math to help students learn to visualize and apply the mathematical concepts they have learned in prior years. Drawing is an essential part of the major project assigned each trimester.

The 5/6 class is a time of transitions. Many of the children are on the cusp of adolescence and Mr. Whittemore’s class is a microcosm of society. Students must learn to schedule tasks with a variety of due dates, learning teamwork, scheduling, and presentation skills as they go. Kids are encouraged to question why but to take responsibility for their own actions and behavior. Students develop their own styles of organization and work habits, experiment with what works and what doesn’t, and learn from their successes and failures in an environment that supports both. Graduates of Mr. Whittemore’s class frequently find junior high to be an easy transition for both academics and work habits.

Mr. Whittemore takes great pride and joy getting sunburns and backaches as he sands, reconstructs, caulks and otherwise makes a mess on the 1947 47’ wooden yawl he started rebuilding in 2001. His wife, Saundra, and daughters, Adrien and Madeleine, are frequent guests to keep him company, though Saundra restricts the mess to the boat and not to the home. She does not venture into his classroom often.

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Format of PACE Classrooms

• Provide a variety of activities from which children may choose
• Emphasize hands-on materials rather than workbooks
• Have field trips as an integral part of the curriculum
• Teach basic skills (Northshore curriculum)
• Involve family and greater community in the learning process
• Evaluate each child’s progress at conferences
• Provide inter-disciplinary and applied learning
• Encourage children to take part in all Northshore School District activities

Accelerated Math

The Wellington PACE program began using Accelerated Math to supplement the school district's math curriculum. Students in PACE study the same objectives as children in regular classrooms, but also do extra work at their own level and speed to reinforce those objectives. Accelerated Math is a computer task management system that operates at the task level in the classroom. It provides information to teachers and students on students' individual achievement of the task.

Teachers or students print out individualized worksheets and students do their work at their seats with extensive parent tutoring. When finished with their worksheet, students enter the multiple-choice answers on a scan card and run it through the optical scanner. A report is then automatically generated for the teacher which provides information on the student's progress. The teacher or parent is then able to assist each student individually, based on results from the students' worksheets.

Accelerated Math is designed to:

• Motivate and monitor daily practice of foundational skills;
• Help every student master every objective;
• Generate personalized algorithm-based math assignments — each assignment being unique to the student;
• Reduce paperwork (system scores student daily work and tests);
• Automatically identify areas requiring immediate intervention;
• Enhance existing curriculum materials; and
• Improve student success in mathematics.

Our fifth/sixth grade classroom first piloted Accelerated Math in the 1999-2000 school year. The following year, several other classrooms at Wellington joined in, and additional libraries were purchased for math skills beyond the sixth grade. Accelerated Math is now used in nearly all Wellington classrooms and is maintained by the school. Funding for Accelerated Math was provided by Wellington's technology budget, with private contributions purchasing the intermediate level libraries.

More information about Accelerated Math can be found from the creator and manufacturer Renaissance Learning.

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Wellington PACE Philosophy Statement

We believe that parents and children, under the direction of innovative teachers, share responsibility for shaping our program.

We believe the best learning takes place in a warm and supportive atmosphere where each child's individuality, learning style and learning rate are considered and respected.

We believe applied experiences are of equal importance to traditional methods of learning and that the child should be actively involved and encouraged to do his or her own thinking.

We believe students and families working cooperatively with teachers foster the uniqueness of the individual as well as teach the importance of teamwork.

We strive, through active participation, to create a bridge between home and school learning activities.

We believe children learn from each other as well as from adults and therefore we encourage interaction between age groups and classes.

We believe it is each participant's responsibility to be flexible and innovative, while considering the current needs of the PACE population. This is the key to alternative education.

Our Goals

We want our children…

…to be curious … creative … caring
…to love learning
…to have a positive self-image

• to master necessary skills
• to be able to set goals and be responsible for their choices
• to be able to make decisions … to solve their own problems
• to show respect and kindness to others
• TO BE HAPPY!

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Our Roots

Over twenty-five years ago, in schools across the state and nation, parents were working to create alternatives to traditional education systems within their public school districts. In 1973, a group of fifteen families proposed the Northshore Alternative Program (NAP). With the Northshore School District's Board approval, the first teacher was hired to begin the 1973-74 school-year.

The program has grown over the two decades to include four programs at Lockwood, Kokanee, Woodmoor and Wellington Elementary Schools. In 1994, the program was renamed PACE: Parents Active in Cooperative Education.

PACE at Wellington began in 1995 with two classrooms. With growing demand, expanded in 1997 to three classrooms serving approximately 72-75 students. District wide, the PACE program serves nearly 350 students drawn throughout the school district.

In the spring of 2009, the four district PACE programs underwent a restructuring into three programs, evolving from spilt grade classrooms to single grade classrooms. PACE at Kokanee and PACE at Woodmoor merged programs to become PACE @ Woodmoor. Lockwood PACE and Wellington PACE programs began moving into a single grade configuration for grades 1 through 4, with the goal of becoming complete single grades 1 through 6 by fall of 2010.

A Brief History of Northshore PACE

Nearly 30 years ago, 15 Northshore families in conjunction with Northshore School District created an alternative option to the district’s established elementary educational system.

1973

Northshore Alternative Program (NAP) was started with one classroom as a K-3 program at Lockwood Elementary.

1974

NAP was provided with an additional classroom at Lockwood.

1975

NAP gained a third classroom.

1976

NAP became a K-6 program with the addition of a fourth classroom.

1980

NAP opened a K-4 site on the east side of the district at Woodin Elementary with 2 1/2 classrooms.

1980

NAP Lockwood acquired a classroom, creating a 5 1/2 classroom program.

1985

NAP Eastside moved to the Woodinville Annex where it grew from K-4 to a K-6 program with 5 1/2 classrooms.

1990

NAP Eastside became Recognizing Educational Alternatives for Children, REACH.

1992

REACH moved to Woodmoor Elementary with its 5 1/2 classrooms.

1994

REACH and NAP become Parents Active in Cooperative Education, PACE.

1994

A K-6 PACE program with 4 1/2 classrooms was started at Kokanee Elementary.

1994

PACE Woodmoor’s site was reduced from 5 1/2 classrooms to 4 1/2 classrooms in conjunction with the opening of PACE Kokanee.

1995

PACE Kokanee was reduced from 4 1/2 classrooms to 3 1/2 classrooms.

1995

A 1-6 PACE program was started at Wellington Elementary with two classrooms.

1997

PACE Wellington gained a third classroom.

1999

PACE Woodmoor was reduced, becoming a 3 1/2 classroom site.

2000

The PACE program restructures and becomes a 1-6 program.

PACE currently has 16 classrooms and has an enrollment of approximately 350 students.

PACE Lockwood, has 5 classrooms, with students drawn from Lockwood, Kenmore, Shelton View, Arrowhead, Crystal Springs, Frank Love, and Westhill Elementaries

PACE Woodmoor, has 6 classrooms, with students drawn from Woodmoor, Moorlands, Maywood, Canyon Creek, and Fernwood Elementaries.

PACE Wellington, has 5 classrooms, with students drawn from Wellington, Cottage Lake, East Ridge, Sunrise, Woodin, Hollywood Hill, Kokanee and Bear Creek Elementaries.

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The following collection of articles and papers indicate how valuable parental involvement can be to the academic achievement of children:

Parent Involvement: A Key to Student Achievement.

Document #ED468558 from www.eric.ed.gov

Noting that students whose parents and other significant adults are actively involved in their learning are more likely to be successful in school, this paper examines eight parent and community involvement models and discusses selected strategies for initiating plans for school restructuring related to parent involvement.

Family Involvement: A Key Component of Student and School Success

Document #ED470319 from www.eric.ed.gov

This paper addresses the role of school-family partnershoips to improve the educational environment.

Father Involvement in Schools

Document #ED419632 from www.eric.ed.gov

Until recently, fathers were the hidden parents in research on children's well-being. Research stimulated by the new interest in fathers suggests that fathers' involvement in their children's schools does make a difference in their children's education.

Online Resources for Parent/Family Involvement

Document #ED432775 from www.eric.ed.gov

Noting that research has shown that the more extensive the parent involvement, Noting that research has shown that the more extensive the parent involvement, the higher the student achievement, this Digest discusses standards for parent/family involvement and describes online resources that can help parents and educators attain those standards.the higher the student achievement, this Digest discusses standards for parent/family involvement and describes online resources that can help parents and educators attaining those standards.

A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achieveme

Document #ED4474521 from www.eric.ed.gov

Noting that the evidence of families influence on their childrens school achievement is consistent, positive, and convincing, this report examines research on parent and community involvement and its impact on student achievement.

The Relations among School Enviroment Variables and Student Achievement

Document #ED471085 from www.eric.ed.gov

The analyses addressed in this paper show a strong positive relationship between school attributes and constructivist teaching. It finds that schools which emphasize parental and community involvement and have teaching staff who model and expect responsible behavior and mutual respect, are more likely to have construtivist teaching methods.

Building Relationships for Student Success: School-Family-Community Partnerships and Stuent Achievement

Document #ED474379 from www.eric.ed.gov

The authors of this booklet interviewed parents and other family members, teachers, and administrators at four elementary schools and two secondary schools in Oregon and Montana that are known for their strong family-involvement practices.

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