2021-22

Strategic Planning with Performance Fact, Inc.

August 2021 through January 2022

Our community engaged with Performance Fact, Inc. from August through January to develop our new strategic plan. 

Process Calendar Overview All things strategic plan

student advocacy groups

September 2021 through June 2022

High school students created the Disability Advocacy Group in hopes of "seeking and enforcing accommodations that benefit student well-being and learning." And further, "Disability Advocacy Group cultivates an accessible and inclusive community in which students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate."  The DAG is the third club focused on advocacy, joining the Queer Spectrum Alliance and the Racial Equity Pact as groups who are interested in building a more inclusive school environment. Similar groups with similar interests have also been formed at the middle school this year.

Japanese cherry tree Project

September 2021 through June 2022

John Stanton, director of technology, proposed and coordinated this project with Danny Rock, principal at VHS, the Vashon Heritage Museum, Mukai Farm and Garden and the Vashon Island Fruit & Garden Club. John also worked with Stephanie Spencer, director of teaching and learning, to write and secure a Kip Tokuda Memorial Grant through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in Olympia. We were awarded $25,000 to help support the project. Finally, John also worked with our grounds and facilities crews on various aspects of the project.

The Vashon Fruit Club has successfully grafted new rootstock onto existing scions taken from the remaining cherry trees. We plan to plant some of the cherry trees on campus and to share  others to Vashon Maury Heritage Museum and Mukai Farm and Garden.

Our AP U.S. History students participated in a class project under the guidance of their teacher, Heather Miller. They researched and created biographies for all of Vashon Island's Japanese American students who were interned with their families during World War II. These biographies have been shared with the Vashon Maury Island Heritage museum and will eventually appear on the website of the Vashon Maury Island Heritage museum along with other links to the story of the internment. 

On May 15, 2022 we participated in the Mukai Farm and Garden Day of Exile Event where we unveiled a full size temporary version of the sign commemorating the internment of Japanese American students at the Vashon Island School District during World War II.  The sign was developed as a joint project between Vashon Island School District, the Vashon Island Heritage Museum and the Mukai Farm and Garden Project. 

Chantal Uto, a Japanese American alumna of our high school, was selected to create the sign and spoke at the May 15 event about her process while researching and creating the sign.

The permanent sign will be located close to some of the remaining cherry trees on our high school campus. We hope to have a small ceremony next spring when the cherry trees that were gifted to VISD in 1932 by the island's Japanese American community, are in full bloom. 

Vashon’s community commemorates the Day of Exile by Marina-Rae Gill, Online Editor for the Riptide (VHS student paper)

With Art and New Cherry Trees, Exiled Students to be Honored by Peter Woodbrook, VISD communication specialist, as published in the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

TwuLushootseed Yard sign project

October 2021

"The Puyallup Tribal Language program worked with Native artists to create txʷəlšucid yard signs. These signs were for the Puyallup Tribal community to share the Lushootseed language." We have several signs posted around our schools and  grounds.

For additional information, please visit the Puyallup Tribal Language website.

tribal consultations

March & May 2022

Puyallup Tribe of Indians

In March, Charlotte Basch, Historic Education Coordinator for the Puyallup Tribe scheduled a consult with Dr. Stephanie Spencer, director of teaching & learning, and Puyallup Tribal representatives. This was an effort related to new legislation that requires our district to work with our neighboring tribes when planning educational activities and experiences regarding tribal sovereignty, etc. The meeting was attended by Charlotte, Anna Bean (council member), Amber Hayward (program director of Puyallup Tribal Language Department) and Connie McLoud (culture director). 

Dr. Spencer shared the work that our teachers engage in to address Puyallup and other indigenous peoples’ history as well as to raise awareness of our Puyallup neighbors and the issues they face as a sovereign entity. She discussed the resources that our teachers use in our classrooms: the Puyallup Tribal site, the Puyallup language program website, Vashon Heritage Museum exhibit materials, Since Time Immemorial, Native 360 and so on. Dr. Spencer also discussed our desire to establish strong partnerships with Chief Leschi as well as the Tribe.

Muckleshoot Indian Tribe

On Friday, May 6, Dr. Spencer participated in the Muckleshoot Tribal Consultation with other local public schools. This was the first time our district had been invited to the consultation. The tribal representatives shared these resources.

For those not as familiar with the Muckleshoot Tribe, the Muckleshoot name is derived from the Native name for the prairie on which the reservation is located. The reservation was created in 1857. The Muckleshoot Tribe is made up of descendants from 6 Coast Salish tribes: Duwamish, Skopamish, Smulkamish, Stkamish, Tkwakwamish and Yilakoamish. They are the only tribe in Washington State that has treaty rights under two treaties: Medicine Creek and Point Elliott.

They purchased land on Vashon and have been cultivating and harvesting oysters, clams, mussels and geoducks since 2004.

Patrisse Cullors

April 2022

Patrisse Cullors Engagement with our Schools & Community: April 4th-8th

In addition to the events listed below, Patrisse also participated in a discussion moderated by Nikkita Oliver at the community event on the evening of Friday, April 8th. One of our students, Malea Dickerson (daughter of Kevin and Aimee), was asked to open the evening with her spoken word poetry. You may view her powerful performance here (she is introduced just before the 2:30 mark).