Cooperative Education
Readers who are not aware of the Marysville Cooperative Education Program will want to know what an exceptional opportunity this is for families in our community. MCEP is an independent and optional program through Marysville School District, housed at Quil Ceda Elementary School for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
MCEP has the highest WASL scores in the district.
Through parent participation, students receive an enriched learning experience that involves enhanced art, science, music and academic curriculum. As a parent with two children at MCEP, I am proud and happy that my kids individual needs and interests are always addressed with great concern and care. Being housed at Quil Ceda is a great benefit, as the school has fabulous administrators, teachers and staff. Thanks is also due to the Tulalip Tribes for the amazing involvement, cultural education and support it gives our students and school community.
Involved families and community members are what I believe makes this program special. MCEP graduates continue onto middle school as talented, kind and respectful citizens. They also are diverse and creative thinkers who have developed strong bonds with and admiration for their peers, regardless of their differences.
MCEP accepts applicants now for the 2008-2009 school year. For more information, contact Quil Ceda at 360-653-0890.
Karen Anderson
Marysville

Define rural, protect it
Snohomish County will soon be holding community meetings to define rural character. This is an important process that demands citizen participation. The resulting definition will influence the kind and scale of development allowed in our rural lands. It is also important, however, that the county participate fully and actually make changes necessary to protect that rural environment.
After all, the public overwhelmingly asked that density bonuses in rural cluster housing be reduced in the latest update of the Unified Development Code. I would ask the County Council to send the revised code back to the planning department since density bonuses have not been addressed at all.
A great many of us have also asked the county to get rid of the code that allows a city of 15,000 people be built on 2,000 rural acres. The County Council failed by Councilman John Kosters vote to institute a moratorium on these cities. In addition, our County Executive, Aaron Reardon, lobbied the Puget Sound Regional Council to remove language from its planning documents that asked counties to avoid developing these cities. He was quoted by the Seattle Times to say that nothing prevents sprawl.
I sincerely hope that this new process of defining rural character will not end in more words that look good on our executives re-election campaign material, but do little or nothing, backed by little or no real and substantive action, to prevent the sprawl he apparently thinks is inevitable.
It is still incumbent upon us as citizens to take part in the process. But lets not forget to demand the change, as well.
Ellen Hiatt Watson
Seven Lakes


Thanks for caring
Id like to publicly thank Marysville Police Commander Robb Lamoureux, Parks and Recreation Director Jim Ballew and City Council member Jeff Vaughan for taking the time to meet with every student at Totem Middle School this past week to educate us about the problem of graffiti in our community and to engage our kids in the important job of coming up with a solution that works. In the session I attended, the kids were attentive and asked thoughtful questions. These city leaders made the powerful point that we really are all in this together hurting any part of our community is hurting ourselves. I believe the kids got the message loud and clear.
The effort of these community leaders is a great example of the belief that education is all of our business. As important as they are, schools cannot do the job alone. Marysville must become a truly educative community where we all do our part, where our kids have regular interactions with caring adults from all areas and where each of us treats every child as our own. I believe we are well on our way.
Jim Strickland, Teacher,
Totem Middle School


Foster Care Month
Compass Health hosts a dinner every May honoring foster parents and the business partners that support them.
May is National Foster Care Appreciation Month and this year Compass Health (www.compasfosters.org) is celebrating by hosting an honorary dinner for their foster parents and inviting the community partners, Sleep Country USA and Lori Lawrence, John L Scott.
Compass Health partnered with Sleep Country USA in order to address the needs of its foster children. Compass Healths therapeutic foster care program provides specialized foster care to children and adolescents, ranging in age from 6 to 17. Sleep Country USA provides outreach and stresses awareness of foster childrens needs through media advertising, fund raising events (like the upcoming Pajama Bowl) and six annual drives. Sleep Countys many successful charity drives provide new clothing, winter coats, backpacks and school supplies for Compass Healths foster children.
John L. Scott, Lori Lawrence and staff provide what the children want for Christmas.
Both Sleep Country and John L. Scott, Lori Lawrence, fulfill an important need and serve as a valuable community resource for the many foster children and their caregivers throughout the region. Without their help, many of our foster children would likely go without the basic necessities every child deserves. Sleep Country and John L. Scott, Lori Lawrence, show how everyone can benefit when businesses partner with non-profits to help a common cause.
Fran Barnett, Foster Home
Licensor, Compass Health