Inside East Lewis County Schools:
Mossyrock
School District
An
Interview with Dr. Karen Ernest, Superintendent
"Our
School District is a reflection of the Red Apple Award that the fourth
graders of this District received. They were among the TOP TEN Elementary
Schools in Washington state to win this honor. I am very proud to be here
and also proud of the District's continuing results."
The Chamber visited Dr. Karen Ernest for the first of five scheduled “Inside
East Lewis County Schools”
stories highlighting the public school districts in the area.
Dr. Ernest recently arrived to East Lewis County from Idaho. Her passion
for this area was evident from the onset. Her desire to express the happiness
she's experiencing at the Mossyrock School District and is Mossyrock in
particular, is directly related to the warm welcome she received. “I
am happy this vacancy was available, this is a great school district.”
Mossyrock's school academic achievements are noted within and outside
the district. The ratio of kids per class is close to fifteen. This low
ratio has provided teachers the ability to reach all kids and at the same
time assist at attaining their goals and standards.
The district’s success is the result of a dedicated staff and a committed community — and both of those groups derive support from the district’s student information system, PowerSchool. The district has been using PowerSchool since 1999 and was the first district in Washington state to deploy the system.
“PowerSchool has been a positive force within the community,” said Jim Forrest, principal of Mossyrock High School, noting that automatic emails and 24-hour web access help parents stay informed about their children’s progress from home. Within the district, the staff uses PowerSchool to keep paperwork under control and help motivate the students. High-school counselor Ted Johnson summed it up in a simple phrase, “PowerSchool encourages everybody.”
In his role as school counselor, Ted Johnson works hard to be a positive influence on the students at the middle school and high school in Mossyrock. Mossyrock High School is ranked within the top 40 High Schools within the state of Washington For further details, please see this link.
Q
& A with the Superintendent
Chamber: Other than the staff (administrative and teachers),
what other resources and assistance contributes to the success of the
Mossyrock School District?
Superintendent: Other resource areas are The Booster
Club, The Garden Club, our district newsletter (forwarded to every household)
and our PTA.
Chamber: What's the largest attraction to the Mossyrock
School District by someone outside East Lewis County looking to relocate
here?
Superintendent: The largest attraction is our commitment
to academic achievement, small class size, and exceptional staff.
Chamber:
You've seen the efforts of the Chamber thus far. Is there a possibility
you might strongly consider joining us in our efforts as an individual
member?
Superintendent: Yes, I am considering it, for myself,
however, I would like to see the District join. I will present this before
the Board and if the Board does not consider it, I'll join as an individual
member.
I was a member in the Chamber while in Idaho too.
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