Cascade Ridge Elementary School gets new principal
May 25, 2010
Issaquah School District officials announced May 6 that they had hired a new principal for Cascade Ridge Elementary School.
Natalie Fowler, a program assistant for Cougar Ridge and Newcastle elementary schools, will begin in July. She is also a teacher for the gifted program at Apollo Elementary School.
Cascade Ridge Principal Colleen Shields announced her resignation earlier this spring after her husband was relocated to California.
Fowler has worked in the district for six years. She came to the district after relocating from the Austin, Texas, area, where she worked as a teacher for two years.
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in textiles and apparel from the University of Texas at Austin, and holds a post-baccalaureate degree in education from there as well.
In her six years with the district, Fowler went back to school to earn her master’s degree in education and educational leadership certification from City University in 2009.
Superintendent Steve Rasmussen wrote in a letter to the community that it was clear from community survey responses that the next Cascade Ridge principal should be a person who builds relationships through honesty, openness and approachability. The next principal also needed to remain committed to helping every student succeed while retaining a unique sense of community, he wrote.
“It’s a tall order — justifiably so — and I believe I have found a match in Principal Fowler,” Rasmussen said. “For the past six years, Principal Fowler has shown tremendous instructional leadership in the Issaquah School District.”
Shields will help Fowler transition into her new role at Cascade Ridge in the coming months.
District hires new Cascade Ridge Elementary School principal
May 6, 2010
NEW — 2:45 p.m. May 6, 2010
Issaquah School District officials announced Thursday that they had hired a new principal for Cascade Ridge Elementary School.
Natalie Fowler, a program assistant for Cougar Ridge and Newcastle elementary schools, will begin in July. She is also a gifted teacher at Apollo Elementary School.
Cascade Ridge Principal Colleen Shields announced her resignation earlier this spring after her husband was relocated to California.
Fowler has worked in the district for six years at the three schools. She came to the district after relocating from the Austin, Texas, area, where she worked as a teacher for two years.
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in textiles and apparel from the University of Texas at Austin, and holds a post-baccalaureate degree in education from UT as well.
In her six years with the district, Fowler went back to school to earn her master’s degree in education and educational leadership certification from City University in 2009.
Cascade Ridge principal resigns
April 20, 2010
Colleen Shields, principal at Cascade Ridge Elementary School, announced her resignation April 5 after two years at the school.
“It is with extremely mixed emotions that I am announcing my decision to accept a new leadership position in the State of California beginning July 1,” she wrote in a letter to the community. “This new position allows me to be closer to members of my family and to support my husband’s current employment situation.”
Shields was hired in 2008. She came to the school with 11 years as an elementary school principal and 12 years of experience as an elementary school teacher.
“Cascade Ridge has thrived under Colleen’s leadership. She and her staff expect every student to achieve remarkable things — and they do,” Superintendent Steve Rasmussen said. “She has a heart for students and elementary education. We will certainly miss her.”
District officials will use the survey results to help hire a new principal for the school with help from a committee, which will include faculty members and parents.
Off the Press
April 20, 2010
Local woman’s legacy lives on at the Big Climb
Chantelle Lusebrink Press reporter
Lisa Abrahamsen was endearing, energetic, devoted and inspired.
I had the pleasure of meeting her at functions she’d helped plan at Cascade Ridge Elementary School. From those meetings, I remember her as a truly remarkable woman who always had a great quote and a friendly smile.
Lisa died Feb. 18, at age 42, after fighting non-Hodgkins Lymphoma for two years.
But her legacy is living today, forever woven into the fabric of her children and the community she served.
“My mom was really helpful,” said Lisa’s youngest son, Blake, 8. “When I had a bad day, she kind of just turned it upside down and I’d feel better immediately.” Read more
Cascade Ridge principal resigns
April 13, 2010
Colleen Shields, principal at Cascade Ridge Elementary School, announced her resignation April 5 after two years at the school.
“It is with extremely mixed emotions that I am announcing my decision to accept a new leadership position in the State of California beginning July 1,” she wrote in a letter to the community. “This new position allows me to be closer to members of my family and to support my husband’s current employment situation.”
Shields was hired in 2008. She came to the school with 11 years as an elementary school principal and 12 years of experience as an elementary school teacher.
“Cascade Ridge has thrived under Colleen’s leadership. She and her staff expect every student to achieve remarkable things — and they do,” Superintendent Steve Rasmussen said. “She has a heart for students and elementary education. We will certainly miss her.”
Parents are asked to help district officials find a new principal by filling out an online survey by 4 p.m. April 16. Parents can take the survey, which includes questions about what characteristics are important in a principal, here.
District officials will use the survey results to help hire a new principal for the school with help from a committee, which will include faculty members and parents.
Middle-school programs making an !MPACT this summer
April 13, 2010
Looking for something to keep your elementary or middle schooler occupied this summer?
Look no further than the Issaquah School District’s summer programs.
District officials are registering students for their Club Connection and !MPACT programs through April 16. The programs provide care for students from 7 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. during the workweek, and provide fun activities and field trips for students at neighborhood schools all summer.
“It’s not a normal summer camp and it’s not a daycare,” said Amanda Enright, a program leader. “This is way more fun for kids. In fact, we’re away from the schools three days a week. And on the days we’re there, we have cool activities, like theater improv, video game design contests, water battles, cooking and food fights.”
!MPACT serves all 2010-11 incoming sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. There are two locations — Beaver Lake Middle School and Pacific Cascade Middle School (the former freshman campus).
Club Connection is hosted at five locations: Apollo, Challenger, Grand Ridge, Cascade Ridge and Sunset elementary schools. Read more
Cascade Ridge Elementary School principal resigns
April 7, 2010
NEW — 4:15 p.m. April 7, 2010
Colleen Shields, principal at Cascade Ridge Elementary School, announced her resignation Monday after two years at the school.
“It is with extremely mixed emotions that I am announcing my decision to accept a new leadership position in the State of California beginning July 1,” she wrote in a letter to the community. “This new position allows me to be closer to members of my family and to support my husband’s current employment situation.”
Walkin’ in the rain
October 27, 2009
Cascade Ridge Elementary School students and their families walk laps in the rain around the school Oct. 16 during the annual PTA walkathon fundraiser, which brought in $46,000 to afford outside expert seminars for children, classroom grants and teacher stipends. By Greg Farrar
Cascade Ridge Elementary School families broke out the galoshes and rain gear to raise money for their school Oct. 16.
The school’s walkathon, their largest fundraiser, took place on the rainiest day so far this month. But that didn’t stop the families from walking or running a few laps while jamming to the school’s teacher band, The Hee Haw Band, and a deejay.
“It’s fun,” said Ethan Wolfe, a fourth-grader who ran 11 laps. “I like to walk around the school.”
The fundraiser brought in more than $46,000 for the school’s Parents, Teachers and Students Association, which helps bridge the funding gap between state funding and what is necessary for a 21st century education, said Cathia Geller, a walkathon team member.
For instance, money from the event will help pay for seminars with outside experts in math, science, art and music to teach the children, she said. It also pays classroom grants and teacher stipends. Read more
Volunteers lend their VOICE to mentor program
September 15, 2009
Volunteer mentor Denise Jarvis (left) works with student Hailey Morrison in June at Clark Elementary School as part of the district’s Volunteers of Issaquah Changing Education program. By Christopher Huber
If you walk through the halls of almost any school in the Issaquah School District this year, you might see your neighbor working with a student on his or her math homework, or helping him or her write a book report.
You might wonder why the student is not in class during the school day, but he or she is just getting a little extra help from a mentor with the VOICE program.
With funding from the Issaquah Schools Foundation and the school district, Volunteers of Issaquah Changing Education is entering its seventh year of helping struggling students get back on track.
“It’s one of the most rewarding things anyone can do,” said Wendie Rosenberg, a mentor at Cascade Ridge Elementary School. “Parents love it, because it’s one-on-one time with their kids.” Read more
School district fails to meet federal progress standards
August 18, 2009
Despite high testing scores on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning exam, the Issaquah School District did not meet federal Adequate Yearly Progress standards this year. Read more
