K8 Staff Memo

WOW — the 2024–2025 school year is coming to a close, and what a journey it has been! I am incredibly proud of the growth and success we've seen this year. Our student progress data is beginning to shift from growth to achievement, and that is a reflection of your hard work and dedication.

The professional learning we've embraced — from Illustrative Math to LETRS — has strengthened our instructional practices, and our ongoing commitment to PLC collaboration is showing real results. Thank you for your continued support, teamwork, and belief in our shared mission.

This final week is packed with celebrations, field trips, reflections, and memory-making moments. Please take time to reflect with your students, cherish the joy of learning, and finish strong.

I am so proud of our Charger Family and truly grateful to be a part of this incredible team. Let's make this last week memorable for our students and one another!

Points of Interest

Field Day Donations

Field Day is coming up on Wednesday, June 12th, and we're excited to celebrate our students with PBIS prize drawings!  This year, we're focusing on prizes that promote active summer fun and family engagement, and we're asking for five prizes per grade level to help make the day extra memorable.
Donation Sign-up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4CA4A922AAF9C52-57152741-field#/

End of Year Forms

Please stop by the staff mailboxes to pick up your End-of-Year Checkout Form, or feel free to print a copy yourself. Completed forms are due to Bailey by Tuesday, June 17th.

• Certificated End-of-Year Checkout Form

• Classified End-of-Year Checkout Form

Also, don't forget to update your digital classroom inventory form with any changes or adjustments for the year.

• Classroom Inventory

Kinder & 8th Grade Promotion Ceremonies

This Tuesday, we will honor our Kindergarten and 8th Grade students with promotion ceremonies in the high school gym:

• Kindergarten: 1:00 PM

• 8th Grade: 7:00 PM

Please join us as we celebrate these students and cheer them on as they rise to the next chapter!

All Staff BBQ and LID

Our Friday LID agenda will be emailed later this week. In preparation for our end-of-year staff BBQ, please take a moment to complete the lunch survey — it's a simple choice: Chicken or Steak?  Classified staff are welcome to join us in the morning and may add .5 hours to their timesheet for the day.

BBQ Choice Survey 

Youth Suicide Education and Prevention Summit

Join us for this important summit on Tuesday, June 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Mistequa Casino Hotel in Chewelah. The event will feature nationally recognized psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Sung, who will present on comprehensive suicide prevention and lead a breakout session. Participants will explore strategies to address the youth mental health crisis, share ideas, and identify local actions. Please RSVP by June 10 to be part of this meaningful community conversation.  Sign-up Link

Calendar

2024-25 K8 Calendar

Monday, 06.09

• 3-5 Field Trip, Tribal Fish Hatchery

• K8 Core Leadership Check-in, 10 AM

• Office Meeting, 1 PM

• K8 Department Meeting, 1:30 PM

• Kinder Promotion Practice, TBA

Tuesday - 06.10

• PLC Time, 7:15-8:00 AM

• Student Support Team - K8 Conference Room, 10 AM

• Kindergarten Promotion, 1:00 PM

• Building Leadership Team Meeting, 4 PM

• MWSD Athletic Director Interviews, 4 PM

• 8th Grade Promotion, 7:00 PM

Wednesday - 06.11

• 8th Grade Silverwood Field Trip

• Admin Staffing Meeting, 10:30 AM

Thursday - 06.12

• Last Day of School

• Middle School Field Trip: June 12

• K-5 Field Day: June 12

• Bus Departure:  Flocking Together!

Friday - 06.13

• Final LID 

• All Staff BBQ, 11:30

Up and Coming Events:

• Youth Suicide Prevention Summit, June 18 

Helpful Links

• PLC @ Work Documents

• Essential Standards Report

• K8 Daily Schedule

• SWIS Referral 

• K8 Meeting Agenda

• K8 PBIS

• MTSS Process

K8 Weekly Staff Memo

Good Monday Morning,

Last week was packed with excitement and meaningful moments! It was inspiring to see our softball and baseball players honor the Northport community, celebrate our students at the WSU South Stevens County Banquet, cheer on our Chargers of the Month, and enjoy the 3rd graders' wrap-up of their Native project with delicious Indian fry bread. All across the school, students could be heard celebrating their growth and success on state testing — thank you to each of you for being ALL IN!

This week will be a little calmer — the calm before the storm — and it's the important time to keep students fully engaged and focused. Please continue connecting with families, sharing both celebrations and concerns, because strong home-school communication is the key to wrapping up this year well. Let's finish strong, together!

Thank you for all you do to support our learning community! 

~Brett

End-of-Year Student Reflection and Celebration

Wow — we are almost to the end of the school year! You have done an incredible job. As we approach the finish line, please look for ways to help your students reflect on and celebrate their growth and accomplishments. Research shows that meaningful reflection fosters affirmation and self-worth, which is especially valuable as the year concludes. Here are a few fun links to activities you can use to help your students wrap up the year.

19 Highly Engaging End-of-Year Activities
Edutopia offers a variety of creative activities, such as memory murals and digital memory books, designed to help students process their learning and foster a sense of closure.

Optimistic Closing Activities to Celebrate, Reflect, and Connect to Future Learning
Experiential Tools provides reflection techniques aimed at creating meaningful endings that cultivate lasting lessons and connect to future learning.

Celebrating Learning: End-of-Year Reflection Activities
The Core Collaborative presents activities like learning manifestos and challenge chronicles, encouraging students to synthesize their learning and build their learner identity.

Points of Interest

Field Day Donations

Field Day is coming up on June 12th, and we're excited to celebrate with special PBIS prize drawings! We're looking for five fun, active summer or family-themed prizes per grade level. If you'd like to help, please sign up using the Signup Genius link below and drop off your donation at the front office by Wednesday, June 12th. Thank you for helping make this a memorable day for our students!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4CA4A922AAF9C52-57152741-field#/

Field Trips

As you head out on upcoming field trips, please ensure that all required forms are fully completed before departure. Bailey has the master list of field trip forms if you need to double-check. In addition, be sure to confirm with Nurse Sherry regarding any student health concerns or medications. She also has larger first aid kits available for each group — please make sure you pick one up. Finally, remember to maintain adequate supervision throughout the trip to ensure student safety and a smooth experience.

Confirm State Testing

Please log in to the WCAP Portal and review your class roster to confirm that all state tests have been completed for your students. Mary, Keturah, and Darci will be available to assist with make-up testing sessions as needed. Thank you for helping us wrap up this important task!

8th Grade Orientation

Today, our 8th-grade students will head to the library for a special orientation session to help prepare them for their upcoming high school transition. Please wish them well as they take this exciting next step!  Additionally: they will have their 8th Grade Promotion on June 10th at 7PM and then will be going to Silverwood on June 11. 

End-of-Year Checkout Forms

Next Monday, we will distribute the end-of-year staff checkout forms along with the classroom inventory lists. Please keep an eye out for these materials and plan accordingly.

MTSS News

May was a very busy month, bring on JUNE! There are still a handful of elementary students who haven't finished up SBAC testing, so I hope to get them finished up Monday and Wednesday if needed. Tuesday I will be out at LETRS training. I'm so thankful for the LETRS training as it has given us some very useful diagnostic assessments to evaluate what our students are missing and where to go next! I'm grouping these students according to their needs and am looking forward to hitting the ground running with these students in the fall!

If your kiddos haven't completed the mySAEBRS yet please find a time this week to get that done and please make sure you complete the SAERS for your students as well. Have a great week everyone.

Calendar

2024-25 K8 Calendar

Monday, 06.02

• K8 Core Leadership Check-in, 10 AM

• 8th Grade Orientation 

• OSSI Site Visit, 10:30 AM

• Office Meeting, 1 PM

• K8 Department Meeting, 1:30 PM

Tuesday - 06.03

• Timesheets Due

• PLC Time, 7:15-8:00 AM

• Student Support Team - K8 Conference Room, 10 AM

• Brett's Behavior Academy Group, 11 AM

• 8th Grade Promotion Meeting, 11:40 AM

• Volleyball Camp, 3:45-5:45

Wednesday - 06.04

• 6th Grade Outdoor School

• Volleyball Camp, 3:45-5:45

Thursday - 06.05

• 6th Grade Outdoor School

• MWSD Class of 2025 K8 Parade, 8:30 AM

• K8 Core Leadership Check in, 12:30 PM

• Last Day of Pre-School

Friday - 06.06

• 6th Grade Outdoor School

• Student Access Day

• P2P AWSP Presentation Meeting, 3:30 to 5:00 PM

Saturday - 06.07

• Class of 2025 graduation, 11:00 AM 

Up and Coming Events:

• 3-5 Field Trip, Tribal Fish Hatchery: June 9

• Kindergarten Promotion: June 10

• 8th Grade Promotion: June 10

• 8th Grade Silverwood Field Trip: June 11

• Middle School Field Trip: June 12

• K-5 Field Day: June 12

• Staff Day: June 13

Helpful Links

• PLC @ Work Documents

• Essential Standards Report

• K8 Daily Schedule

• SWIS Referral 

• K8 Meeting Agenda

• K8 PBIS

• MTSS Process

K8 Weekly Memo

Memorial Day weekend is always a time to pause, reflect, and remember those who have given everything in service to our country. This year, my heart is also with the Northport community as they navigate the deep sorrow of last week's devastating tragedy. It has been moving to see that community come together in strength and unity during such a difficult time. Today, our middle school softball and baseball teams will travel there for their final game—at the request of the grieving family, the games will continue as a tribute and honor to their loved one. Todd and I will be traveling up to support their community, school, and teams, and I ask that you all keep them close in your thoughts and prayers.

As we enter the final three weeks of the school year, things will be busy, exciting, and full of activity. Thank you for your ongoing leadership, teamwork, and flexibility as we wrap up testing, embark on field trips, and continue meaningful teaching and learning in our classrooms.

Let's make this a great week—remember, we are caring for and loving other people's babies every single day. Let that love, care, and compassion shine brightly in all we do.

Memorial Day

Please remind students that although we observed Memorial Day yesterday with no school, we have a regular four-day school week, including a full school day on Friday. Let's help students stay focused and finish the week strong!

Blood Drive 

There's still space to donate blood at today's blood drive! Stop by the library between 10:30 AM and 2:45 PM to donate. This is a wonderful opportunity to help save lives and support our community. Thank you for considering!

WSU South Stevens County Celebration – Action Requested

This Wednesday, join us for the South Stevens County Mentorship Celebration at the Mistequa Hotel, starting at 5:30 PM. The evening will include dinner, presentations, and student project displays, honoring our 9th grade Capstone students, 12th grade graduates, and Peer Mentors. Please consider attending to show your support for the impactful work WSU is doing in partnership with our school—your presence makes a difference!

Summative Evaluations – Action Requested

This week, I will be wrapping up summative evaluations and sharing them individually with staff. I've truly appreciated the reflective conversations we've had so far and the thoughtful discussions about how we can continue to strengthen our Charger Learning Community.

Certificated Staff: I will connect with you during your prep periods this week to review your summative evaluations. Many of you have also provided valuable insights and observations about the paras working in your classrooms — thank you! Please let me know if there's anything additional you'd like reflected in the process; your input is always helpful.

Classified Staff: I will be scheduling short meetings with each of you this week, with Friday being the most open and flexible.

Thank you all for your ongoing dedication, hard work, and commitment to supporting our students. I'm grateful for each of you!

Charger Assemblies – Action Needed

This Thursday, we will host our Charger Assemblies! Please send your student recognition names to Bailey as soon as possible. It's also important to reach out to families—send a quick call or email inviting them to join the celebration. Together, let's make this a joyful and meaningful experience for our students and their loved ones!

FLASH – Family Life and Sexual Health Curriculum

This week we will continue teaching the FLASH curriculum to grades 4–8, with our classroom team, PE teacher, nurse, and support staff working together to guide students in making healthy, informed choices. While we approach this curriculum with professionalism, we honor and respect the important role families play in these conversations. Each lesson includes a family discussion activity to support at-home dialogue, and copies of the curriculum are available for review in the office. Thank you for helping us maintain thoughtful, respectful partnerships with our families.

Calendar

2024-25 K8 Calendar

Monday, 05.26

• Memorial Day, No School 

Tuesday - 05.27

• PLC Time, 7:15-8:00 AM

• Student Conflict Meeting, 8 AM

• OSSI Meeting, 9AM

• Student Support Team - K8 Conference Room, 10 AM

• Brett's Behavior Academy Group, 11 AM

• Brett out at Noon to Northport

• Baseball & Softball @ Northport

Wednesday - 05.28

• SBA Testing: 5th Grade WCAS Testing & MS Makeup

• Admin Meeting, 9:30 AM

• Field Day Meeting, 12:30 PM

• WSU Celebration, 5:30 PM

Thursday - 05.29

• SBA Testing: 3-5 Math PT Testing & MS Makeup

• MS Charger Assembly (Assembly Schedule) 9:00 AM

• Special Education Meeting, 11AM

• K8 Core Leadership Check in, 12:30 PM

• K-2 Charger Assembly, 2:00 PM

• 3-5 Charger Assembly, 2:30 PM

• 6th Grade Camp Planning Meeting, 4:00 PM

Friday - 05.30

• Regular School Day

Up and Coming Events:

• 6th Grade Camp: June 4-6

• Last Day of Pre-School, June 5

• 3-5 Field Trip, Tribal Fish Hatchery: June 9

• Kindergarten Promotion: June 10

• 8th Grade Promotion: June 10

• 8th Grade Silverwood Field Trip: June 11

• Middle School Field Trip: June 12

• K-5 Field Day: June 12

Helpful Links

• PLC @ Work Documents

• Essential Standards Report

• K8 Daily Schedule

• SWIS Referral 

• K8 Meeting Agenda

• K8 PBIS

• MTSS Process