CHS TEACHER RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY

Cheney High School teacher, Monte Syrie won a cruise after being entered into an international competition sponsored by Norwegian Cruise Lines. Mr. Syrie was one of 12,000 nominated for bringing joy to the classroom and making a big impact in their community. Congratulations Mr. Syrie!

CHENEY HIGH SCHOOL IS ONE OF AMERICA'S TOP HIGH SCHOOLS

Newsweek released its coveted list of America's Top High Schools 2016 - and CHS was ranked among 500 schools across our country that are doing a stellar job of preparing students for college despite their challenging economic status. Congratulations, CHS staff, on your amazing work!

ALGEBRA TEACHERS PARTICIPATE IN THE RAMP-A PROJECT

The RAMP-A project has focused on professional development of Algebra 1 teachers, supporting their understanding and skills in teaching the CCSS for coherence, focus and rigor.  Specifically, teachers have focused on how to integrate the Standards of Mathematical Practices while understanding the CCSS content standards and how to teach them.  District algebra teachers participated in this opportunity for professional collaboration and professional growth.  Tim Kennedy, Julie Martin, Georgia Baker and Caleb Kenison can be seen in this 3-minute video.

CHENEY HIGH SCHOOL AWARDED 2016 BRONZE MEDAL

U.S. News has once again ranked Cheney High School as one of the best high schools in Washington State for 2016. They reviewed over 28,000 U.S. public high schools. A four-step process determined the Best High Schools.  The first three steps ensured that the schools serve all of their students well, using their performance on the math and reading parts of their state proficiency tests and graduation rates.  A fourth step assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work, using Advanced Placement test data as the benchmark for success.  The top-scoring schools received a gold, silver or bronze medal. CHS received a bronze award.

GOVERNOR INSLEE RECOGNIZES CHENEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH GOLD STAR AWARD
The District was notified by Governor Jay Inslee that we are one of the top-performing districts in the state in terms of sign-ups for the College Bound Scholarship program.  This program provides the opportunity for middle school students from low income homes to sign up for a College Bound Scholarship. The students pledge to graduate from high school with a 2.0 GPA or higher, be a good citizen, and apply to an eligible college under FAFSA. College Bound, now in its eighth year, continues to encourage students to dream big and pursue a college education.  The early commitment of state dollars provides an opportunity and pathway for Washington students who might not have otherwise considered a postsecondary education.

 

DISTRICT FEATURED BY EMPIRE HEALTH FOUNDATION FOR COMMITMENT TO THE HEALTHIEST NEXT GENERATION

The District Nutrition Services program is highlighted in a video recently produced for the Empire Health Foundation. The Empire Health Foundation is a private foundation that strives to transform seven counties in Eastern Washington into the state's healthiest region. Linda Ableman, Betz Elementary School teacher, and others are featured in this video designed to help other districts achieve similar results.

DISTRICT FEATURED FOR HEALTHY FOODS
Cheney Public Schools implemented a childhood obesity prevention initiative in 2011 that has created a culture of healthy eating and healthier lifestyles. Our Back to Scratch school kitchens provide children with a healthy entrée, fresh fruits, and vegetables every day. Our research shows that the changes we have implemented have resulted in BMI rates dropping; however, more importantly we know that healthy children do better in school. Check out the video produced by Washington Grown to be aired on our local KSPS television station on February 2nd at 7:30 p.m. http://www.wagrown.com/episodes-and-clips/KDOP8JNwheE - It features our Cheney Middle School students and staff at approximately 18:40 into the program.

DISTRICT RECEIVES FIT FRIENDLY SCHOOLS GOLD AWARD

On Friday, November 14, 2014 the American Heart Association's Gold Fit Friendly Schools Award was presented to the district at a  ceremony held at Snowdon Elementary School. This award is provided to employers for promoting health and welness activities for their employees. In the Cheney Public Schools, we know that it is important to be role models for our students by making healthy choices. Our healthy choices include regular exercise, choosing nutritious meals, and managing stress.

CHS, CMS AND WMS TO PARTICIPATE IN STEM INITIATIVE

As the culmination of an extremely competitive grant process, Cheney High School, Cheney Middle School and Westwood Middle School have been selected to be among 45 schools across Washington state to participate in a cutting-edge initiative to provide teachers with stronger professional development in math and science teaching aligned to Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. This STEM initiative uses state-of-the-art technology that enables teachers to share their practice as they explore new ways to use technology in their professional learning. Thanks to the hard work of many staff members involved in submitting the application, we are thrilled to be able to provide this professional development opportunity to our staff!

"BEST OF THE WEST" HONORS

We are pleased to announce that Cheney Public Schools was honored at the West Plains Chamber of Commerce"Best of the West" celebration held on March 20, 2014 as the "Best Large Organization of the Year." This is truly an honor because the selection was made by community members. Not only was the district honored, but School Resource Officer Kelly Hembach was selected "Person of the Year" and Snowdon teacher Amy Violette was named "Educator of the Year." We could not be more pleased!

DISTRICT AND EMPIRE HEALTH FOUNDATION RECEIVE HUD SECRETARY'S AWARD

The Cheney Public Schools and Spokane's Empire Health Foundation received the HUD Secretary's award for public-philanthropic partnerships for helping combat obesity through healthier school nutrition programs.  We were one of only 10 across the country to win this honor!  As you have seen on our website, our Nutrition Services staff members have converted our breakfast and lunch program from unhealthy processed foods to healthy "scratch" cooked meals - from chicken nuggets to herb-baked chicken; from french fries to roasted red potatoes; from syrupy canned peaches to fresh fruits and vegetables.  In addition, exercise and healthy habits have been encouraged throughout our schools, and our students have reaped the benefits!  HUD Secretary Award Photo HUD Award News Release 
http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/10/17/cheney-public-schools-puts-usda-planning-grant-to-work/ 

http://www.letsmove.gov/blog/2013/10/22/cheney-public-schools-puts-usda-planning-grant-work

CHENEY HIGH SCHOOL NAMED ONE OF NEWSWEEK'S 2013 "AMERICA'S BEST HIGH SCHOOLS"

Cheney High School was recently notified of their recognition as one of the best 2,000 public high schools in the nation - those that have proven to be the most effective in turning out college-ready grads.  The list is based on six components:  graduation rate, college acceptance rate, AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student, average SAT/ACT scores, average AP/IB/AICE scores, and the percent of students enrolled in at least one AP/IB/AICE course.  Congratulations to the students and staff of CHS - we always knew you were the best!

CHENEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAKES 2012-13 AP HONOR ROLL

The College Board has identified Cheney Public Schools as an AP Honor Roll recipient.  The District Honor Roll is based on an examination of three years of AP data:  2010, 2011, and 2012 data from all students who took AP examinations in May. Cheney Public Schools increased the number of students participating in AP programs while maintaining high performance levels of 3 or higher on the AP Examination.  Cheney Public Schools recognizes the efforts of Steve Arensmeyer, Corey Anderson, Jeff Butler, Shasta Doll, Alan Harmon, Adam Marsh, Rachel Martin, and Darrelyn McDermott. In addition, the Board of Directors commends all teachers for preparing students for successful participation in an AP course. Special thanks to Mr. Ray Picicci for his leadership of advanced placement and AVID programming.  AP College Board Press Release

CHENEY HIGH SCHOOL AWARDED 2012 BRONZE MEDAL

U.S. News has launched its fourth annual list of America's Best High Schools, and Cheney High School has been awarded a Bronze Medal. To produce this list, U.S. News teamed up with School Evaluation Services (SES), a K-12 education data research business run by Standard & Poor's. SES developed the comprehensive methodology that judges how well high schools serve all their students, not just those who are collegebound. Please visit the following website for more information: http://education.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-high-schools/listings/washington/cheney-high-school

CHENEY SCHOOLS IDENTIFIED AS TOP 5% IN STATE

Our district was recently identified as a highest performing school district (top 5% in our state) by the Washington School Research Center, at Seattle Pacific University. This identification is based upon an analysis of student achievement data from 2005-2011. As a result, we have been selected to participate in further research in the Washington State Effective District Practices study. This new study is based upon a previous study titled, "From Compliance to Commitment: A Report on Effective School Districts in Washington State." District selection for this study was based on several criteria, including socio-economic status of students and the overall success of our 4th grade students on the state assessment.

WASHINGTON STATE AUDITOR'S OFFICE IDENTIFIES DISTRICT AS ONE OF TOP 15 IN STATE

The Washington State Auditor's Office recently did an analysis of the 295 school districts in the state, and identified Cheney Public Schools as one of the top 15 districts in the state making significant student acheivement gains while reducing non-instructional costs.  Basically, we have been identified as outperforming our peers (11 other districts of comparable size and student demographics) in terms of student academic achievement and also having significantly lower operating costs.  The State Auditor's office will develop a report which will provide guidance to other school districts after asking us open-ended questions about our practice.  The goal for the Auditor's Office is to identify practices that contribute to holding down non-instructional costs while maximizing the funding for classroom instruction.

SUNSET AND WINDSOR SCHOOLS SELECTED FOR WASHINGTON ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

The State Board of Education and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction celebrate top-performing schools and recognize achievement in language arts, math, science, graduation rate, improvement and closing achievement gaps through the Washington Achievement Award. This highly selective award is based on the school's performance according to the Washington Achievement Index, a comprehensive measurement of, over time, how schools perform.  Both Windsor and Sunset Elementary Schools received special recognition through the state's Closing Achievement Gaps award.  For further information on this prestigious award: www.k12.wa.us/EducationAwards/washingtonachievement/default.aspx