Earthquake rattles schools, but nothing breaks.

When a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck North Kitsap on the last day of February, the students of North Kitsap were rattled along with the items on the walls.

“There was really good rolling action. You could feel it rolling underneath,” said high school student Stuart Mangold, who was in the “H” building when the earthquake hit.

Most students were recounting the event soon after it struck, more excited than scared.

“The tables started shaking,” said 13-year-old PJH student Dana Neudorfer, who was working on a computer when the quake hit. “My hands were on the keyboard, and they were shaking.”

Some teachers even used the earthquake — which did no structural damage to the school buildings — as a lesson, teaching younger kids how to spell “earthquake.”

But the day the quake hit, some students were not so eager to learn about it.

“The teacher kept trying to teach,” said high school student Nick Cottrell. “She said things like, ‘Can you feel the curves?” But we were like, ‘We don’t really want to be learning right now.’”

Breidablik Bear returns.

The Breidablik Bear, the proud symbol of Breidablik Elementary, made a triumphant return last March.

The bear had been scorched by vandals, so a new one was needed.

Enter Steve Backus.

Backus, a chainsaw carver, took a whining, buzzing chainsaw to 7-foot tower of cedar, and, in front of mob of amazed students, removed every part that wasn’t a bear.

As the chainsaw whinnied and the sawdust flew, Breidablik got a new bear (this one covered with a coating that makes it harder to burn).

Lorne Berrei, a sixth-grader, summed the whole event up, saying, “It was pretty cool to watch.”

Voters approve bond.

It was a bold step, both for the North Kitsap School District and the North Kitsap community.

When voters approved a $60-million dollar bond in March, they approved several changes to North Kitsap schools, including a renovation to the pool and a new secondary school to be placed in Kingston.

Improvements will also be made to several other schools, including elementaries and Spectrum Community School, which will receive a new multipurpose room.

School board member Catherine Ahl said, “It was a huge ‘yes’ vote. Huge.”

Dick Endresen, who had seen his share of construction on his 16 years on the board, said he was excited when more than 60 percent of the voters approved the bond.

“I was really thrilled,” he said.

Vietnam class proves controversial.

When one parent became concerned about the content of a senior-only elective class at North Kitsap High School, “The Vietnam Experience,” she was not alone. Soon, much of the North Kitsap community was involved in the controversy.

At the heart of the matter was a book, “The Vietnam Experience,” a collection of nonfiction and fiction, that was used in the class.

Several stories were reviewed by the Instructional Materials Committee (the committee that had approved the book the previous summer), and — in a packed, three-hour meeting which was better-attended than most movies in town — were removed from the class.

Teacher Tony Bressan stood up for the stories, saying of one, “It’s the heart and soul of the book.”

That wasn’t the end, however. There was a forum, sponsored by the American Legion; and a second review, triggered to contend the IMC’s decision.

But the school board, which made the second review, stood by the IMC’s decision.

Medina named ‘Person of the Year.’

The Greater Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors named NK superintendent Gene Medina as “Person of the Year” last June.

Medina, who arrived at the district in 1999, helped marshal the bond which voters approved in March; helped the schools keep up with technology; and helped guide the schools into the future, often bringing innovative ideas and creative solutions to the district.

“I’ve been really impressed with his connectedness to the community,” chamber executive director Robert Ford said. “He has a vision and he sticks with it — I think people are beginning to realize this.”

Pair of graduations honor students.

One ceremony was formal; the other somewhat less so.

But North Kitsap High School and Spectrum Community School always find ways to honor all their graduating seniors — and 2001 was no exception.

“How long has it been?” Asked Sean Mumford, one of the senior speakers at the NKHS graduation ceremonies. “Twelve years? Remember kindergarten? The worst thing you had to worry about was eating all the Play-Doh.”

The purple-robed audience burst into laugher, as it often did during the ceremony.

But later came the tears, as parents, students, and teachers said their goodbyes to North Kitsap High School.

Later, Spectrum Community School graduated 52 seniors of its own, and as always, principal Chris Wendelyn had something nice to say about them; all of them. Wendelyn commented positively on all 52 students, praising them for their verve, passion, and commitment to learning.

Sept. 11 a dark day for schools.

There wasn’t much commotion in North Kitsap Schools after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Instead, a kind of brooding silence descended on the schools.

A few parents picked up their children, but besides that, everything stayed the same … but was completely different at the same time.”

“Everyone’s been talking about it,” high school student Michael Deboy said. “Everyone’s still talking about it.”

Student Craig Middlebrook said, “Some students are taking it hard.”

But after the shock wore off, students showed their spirit; collecting money for the victims, decorating their schools in red, white and blue, and speaking with more clarity and passion about current events from other spots on the globe.

School board sees changes — and stays the same.

After the school board elections in November, board president Bethany McDonald and longtime member Dick Endresen didn’t have to go anywhere. McDonald and Endresen were re-elected to the school board, so the only change came in district five, where Brad Camp stepped in for Marie Hebert, who stepped down after one term on the board.

The board hopes to usher in several new projects, most of them connected to the bond that was passed earlier in the year.