Submitted by Lopez School staff

Students may have left the classroom and emptied the hallways of Lopez Island School but that doesn’t mean that the teachers won’t be busy with workshops and trainings this summer.

Several teachers have been accepted into prestigious fellowships and nationally competitive trainings, all of which will impact the educational environment here on Lopez.

Kelli Fisher was awarded a placement with the Writing Institute at Columbia University. The five-day institute will cover the teaching of writing in different genres and using literature to craft writing that supports inquiry and collaboration. Fisher will also guide her fellow teachers on what she learned during PD days throughout the 2015-2016 school year. The Lopez Island Educational Foundation contributed to pay for the tuition cost.

Diane Mayer and Kathryn Kester were both honored with placements for the Washington State Fellows cohorts for science and math, prospectively. The statewide effort will build teacher leadership and build a foundation of skills as the state makes new instructional shifts. Kester was also selected to teach a new course called “Bridges to College Math” that was funded by a grant from the state. “We were one of only 20 or so districts that got this grant, and seniors who earn a B or more will be placed in a college-level course in Washington state,” said Principal Dave Sather.

Science teacher Jen Romo and English teacher Elizabeth Simpson will also use the time over the summer to develop their integrated English 10 and biology courses.

Their hard work goes to show that a teacher’s work never finishes.