June 2013
Connecting the people of Vancouver Public Schools

Download Phoenix rising--and graduating--from the ashes 06-12-2013 (4.02 MB)

Duration: 4:21 m

Phoenix rising—and graduating—from the ashes


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    Graduation season is here, and once again the spotlight is on our seniors as they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. Each graduate has accomplished a major milestone. For a few, the journey has been relatively easy. For most, achieving graduation has been hard work but doable. But for some, like Daisy Rodriguez, graduation can seem insurmountable.

    When Daisy was a ninth-grader at Hudson’s Bay, her family’s home burned to the ground. The family was left homeless and destitute. Feeling overwhelmed and depressed in the aftermath, Daisy began failing her classes. Eventually she dropped out of school. Both her home and her freshman year were in ashes.

    But Daisy’s school community wasn’t ready to give up on her, even if she had given up on herself. When Daisy was an eighth-grader at Discovery Middle School, her counselor Elizabeth Mikaele had encouraged Daisy to sign up for a scholarship program called College Bound. As a counselor at Bay, Mikaele reminded Daisy of that opportunity and urged her to come back to school. Daisy recalls other acts of kindness. Teacher Lacey Grady gave her a box with bowls, cooking utensils, a lamp, and other items that her AVID class had collected. Daisy said, “People stood by me, supported me, and kept me on track with my academics so I wouldn’t let anything keep me down, not even the fire.”

    She re-enrolled in school. While attending Bay full time, she also took classes at Clark College through the Running Start program to make up for her freshman year. She brought her GPA up to nearly 3.0, passed every section of the high school proficiency exam, and was awarded the Presidential Award for Academic Achievement. When the class of 2012 received diplomas, Daisy was among them. She was the first person in her family to graduate from high school.

    After convincing Washington State University (WSU) of her academic potential, Daisy also became the first in her family to attend college. At Pullman, she’s become involved with the Residence Hall Association and helped advise WSU’s programming committee. Daisy is now a sophomore and is majoring in apparel, merchandising, design, and textiles. She’s planning a career in product development and clothing design.

    While Daisy’s story is remarkable, students facing significant challenges in our district is, unfortunately, not uncommon. Nearly 54 percent of our students qualify for federally subsidized lunches, up from 39 percent seven years ago. Homelessness is on the rise as well, with the number of students served by the HOPE program increasing from 562 to 804 over the last two school years.

    And yet our students still find ways to excel. In 2012, 90 percent of 12th-graders met the state high school proficiency standard in math. Nearly 100 percent met the standard in reading and writing. And since 2011, our district’s on-time graduation rate has increased by nearly 10 percentage points.

    You, the VPS team members on the front lines, have seen these achievements firsthand. And you’ve made these achievements possible. You have guided and encouraged students in the classroom, on the playground, and on the school bus. You have stepped up to help when children and their families have faced difficulties and disasters. Because of you, more of our students are graduating, going on to college, and leading successful lives.

    Thank you for all the work you’ve done this year. I wish you a relaxing, refreshing, terrific summer. It is very well-deserved.

    Take care,


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Episode 001: Helping a new student find her way home
Episode 002: Walking together for kids
Episode 003: "Heart work" endures
Episode 004: Mentoring "pays it forward"
Episode 005: Teachers inspire a family
Episode 006: Employees brighten the work environment
Episode 007: Our own prodigal son
Episode 008: A community mourns the loss of Gordon Patterson
Episode 009: Harvesting dreams
Episode 010: Seeing challenges as opportunities
Episode 011: Attitude makes the difference
Episode 012: Putting students first
Episode 013: Coming home
Episode 014: Superheroes of Vancouver Public Schools
Episode 015: Highlighting "Bright Spots"
Episode 016: Gifts for the future
Episode 017: Equitable funding for our children
Episode 018: Working together to meet our students needs
Episode 019: Rx for student success: Instructional rounds
Episode 020: Riding the waves of music
Episode 021: Discovering one's voice; there's an app for that
Episode 022: Graduation…The key to a better life
Episode 023: Wrestling against the odds
Episode 024: One employee, one school district to watch
Episode 025: Gifted young poets inspire and excel
Episode 026: Fortitude
Episode 027: Being present
Episode 028: New year's resolutions
Episode 029: Springing into new beginnings
Episode 030: Lessons from the NSBA Education Technology Site Visit
Episode 031: Phoenix rising—and graduating—from the ashes
Episode 032: Storytelling
Episode 033: From the community come reasons to be thankful
Episode 034: The giving spirit
Episode 035: Lewis and Clark transforms with blended learning
Episode 036: New technology tools
Episode 037: Success stories draw governor, mayor
Episode 038: All I really need to know
Episode 039: As one chapter ends, another begins
Episode 040: Jumping over achievement gaps
Episode 041: Compassion strengthens district

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