March 17, 2025: Congratulations to our educators and students

Message from the Superintendent

March 17, 2025

Dear Northshore Colleagues,

I am excited to share some wonderful celebrations and events happening across Northshore this month.

Congratulations to Cathi Davis, founding principal of Ruby Bridges Elementary, who was recently named the 2025 Elementary Principal of the Year by the Association of Washington School Principals! This honor recognizes her “exceptional leadership, unwavering commitment to inclusion, and profound impact on students, staff, and families.” I am so proud of Principal Davis and all that she has accomplished in support of students. Learn more about this well-earned recognition below in the District Highlights. I should also point out that Ruby Bridges Elementary is now home to Washington state’s 2025 Elementary Principal of the Year and Teacher of the Year, Kim Broomer!  

I am also proud to share that Heidi Bush, teacher-librarian at Northshore Middle School, has been named the 2025 Secondary Teacher-Librarian of the Year by the Washington Library Association for her outstanding work supporting students, their learning, and teachers. Please help me in congratulating all of these incredible educators for their achievements. As I have said many times before, what sets Northshore apart is our dedicated, talented, and student-focused staff. 

March is Music in Our Schools Month, and we are proud of our vibrant music programs. Many of our students recently qualified for the state solo and ensemble contest in April. And on March 28, Bothell High School’s Jazz Band will perform at Hot Java Cool Jazz in Seattle — a celebration of some of the region’s best young jazz musicians. These same Bothell Jazz students were recently featured on New Day Northwest (pictured above). You can watch the segment here. 

As previously mentioned, March is also Youth Art Month, celebrating the creativity of our talented students. Stop by the Northshore Administrative Center to see their artwork on display through March 31. You can get a sneak peek here. We also invite you to a reception on March 31, from 6–7 p.m., to honor these young artists, their families, and teachers.

This last week, I had the opportunity to attend Northshore Middle School’s Career Fair. Thank you to the school’s counseling staff, administration, and our School Board Director, Sandy Hayes, for coordinating such a meaningful and engaging event for our students. From sessions with industry professionals, to a panel discussion with college representatives, to an incredible keynote from Erin Jones - it was a day full of information and inspiration. Thank you to the remarkable volunteers (pictured below) who gave their time and expertise to enrich the experience. I felt fortunate to be there and learn along with our students.

Finally, to all who are observing the Baha’i Fast, Holi, Lent, Nowruz, and or Ramadan, and other important traditions this month — we see you and are committed to supporting you and our students during these meaningful times. More information can be found below in District Highlights. 

In partnership,

Michael Tolley
Superintendent

Highlights from Around the District

Have a story you would like to see shared in the "Highlights from Around the District" section of this message and on our website? Submit using this form.

The Northshore School Board has hired Ray & Associates to manage the 2025 Superintendent Search. The engagement process began last week when a survey was distributed to all staff, families, secondary students, community partners, and the community. Input from the survey, Board interviews, and focus groups will shape the Northshore community’s desired qualities for the next Superintendent. The School Board will conduct interviews, with the finalists invited to participate in a public Town Hall on May 13, with more details to follow as the date approaches. The School Board hopes to announce the next Northshore School District superintendent by mid-May 2025. Please visit the Superintendent Search webpage to find links to the survey (available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian) as well as additional details on the process and timeline.

A number of students in Northshore schools are participating in a season of reflection and religious observances that may affect their food and nutrition needs during school. In support of students who will be fasting during religious and cultural observances, and through new OSPI waivers, Northshore is offering shelf-stable, take-home meal packs containing both a breakfast and a lunch each day through Friday, March 28. These meal packs are vegetarian and will be available for students to pick up during breakfast service at their school. On a daily basis, Northshore schools offer a wide variety of meal options to our elementary, middle, and high school students, including vegetarian entrees. Our Food and Nutrition Services staff at each school are available to support our community’s needs and welcome feedback and questions on school meal options.

Ramadan is an Islamic religious observance that began at sundown on Feb. 28 and ends on March 29 this year. Ramadan is a time for connection, celebration, deep reflection, and continued prayer. Once the sun sets, families meet for big meals and people also have a morning meal before the sun rises. For the hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world who observe Ramadan, the month is a time to focus on their faith and also perform generous acts. To learn more about Ramadan, view this message on the District’s social media from the Islamic Center of Bothell.

The Bahá’í Fast is a Bahá’í religious observance lasting nineteen days each year during which adult Bahá’ís, age 15 and older, fast from sunrise to sunset each day. This period is expected to begin at sundown on Feb. 28 and end on March 19, which is then followed by Nowruz or the Persian New Year. It is a time of prayer, meditation, and spiritual rejuvenation. The Bahá’í Fast is a reflective and solemn time focused on prayer and self-reflection and also viewed with joy and gratitude.

Ash Wednesday on Wednesday, March 5 marked the beginning of Lent, a solemn, 40-day period leading up to Easter that holds profound significance in Christianity. Starting on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Holy Thursday, it is a season of penitence and preparation. This is a time in which many Christians remember the events leading up to and including the death of Jesus Christ. Those who participate in the Lenten season engage in prayer, reflection, fasting, and helping others. To learn more about Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season, view this message on the District’s social media from Bothell United Methodist Church.

Holi is a festival of colors celebrated by Hindus around the world last Thursday, March 13. Holi is celebrated to mark the arrival of spring, victory of good over evil, spreading friendship, peace, and joy in the community.  On the previous day, people light bonfires and dance around it. The next morning people join together on the streets, sprinkle colors on each other, and share sweets. The bonfires represent destroying bacteria in the air, and colors represent strengthening the immune system and adding beauty.

Nowruz takes place on the spring equinox, which is the first day in the Persian calendar. The new year is celebrated at the exact moment of the vernal equinox, which is March 20, 2025, this year. Over 300 million people all around the world celebrate Nowruz, and it has been observed for more than 3,000 years. It is observed by various ethnic groups across Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Balkans, including Iranian, Pakistani, Afghan, Turkish, Tajik, and Kurdish communities. Note that the spelling of Nowruz varies by country. It can be spelled correctly in numerous different ways, including Nawrouz, Novruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz, and Newroz.

Students from each of Northshore’s high schools and programs will come together on Friday, March 28 at Cascadia College to create space for high school students to celebrate their intersectional identities, build community and collaborate with peers and across schools, grow their knowledge and understandings about various forms of justice, meet and work with educators and community partners, and learn more about higher education opportunities. This event is organized by the Racial and Educational Justice Department, co-designed with the Student Justice Collective, and sponsored by Cascadia College.

This year’s C.P. & Dorothy Johnson Humanitarian Award ceremony will be held at the Northshore Concert Hall at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20. The event will honor student recipients who exemplify humanitarianism qualities including: community, acceptance, and advocacy. School leaders, if you have not done so already, please review these instructions on nominating your two students.

The nonprofit Student Music Initiatives (SMI), founded by Inglemoor High School students, is running its Spring Jazz - Listen and Talk series, with performances for shoppers at the Alderwood Mall, where they collect donations for local charities. Upcoming dates include March 23 and 29 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of the food court at the mall, where they’ve set a goal to raise $2,000 this season. Students participating are from Inglemoor, Bothell, North Creek, Mariner, and Juanita high schools. SMI works to give leadership and learning opportunities to aspiring individuals while connecting communities together through the universal language and power of music. Since inception, they have raised funds for various causes including Feeding America and the American Cancer Society.

Important Dates

The following section features non-school days, Northshore School Board meetings, and religious and cultural observances, including dates listed on the Days of Highest Impact and Days of Fasting charts that are part of Northshore’s Religious and Cultural Observances Calendar. This aims to expand awareness about the multiple forms of diversity among our students and families, the days that students may not be at school due to religious observances, and the days that students may be fasting. 

*Begins at sundown of previous day/ends at sundown

March 1-31

• Women’s History Month
• Music in our Schools Month
• Youth Art Month

March 1-30

• Ramadan* - Islamic

March 1-19

• The Baha’i Fast* - Baha’i

March 5 - April 17

• Lent - Christian

March 19

• Early Release Wednesday

March 24

• School Board Special Meeting, 5 p.m. Topic: Goal 2 - Responsible, Resilient, Empathetic Learners
• School Board Regular Meeting, 7 p.m.

March 26

• Early Release Wednesday

March 29

• Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) - Islamic

April 2

• Early Release Wednesday

April 7-11

• Spring Break, No School

April 13-20

• Passover* - Jewish
• Feast of Unleavened Bread* - Non-Denominational Christian

April 14

• Vaisakhi/Vishu New Year - Sikh/Tamil

The following section features additional important dates, including those listed on the Full Religious and Cultural Observances chart three, which is part of Northshore’s Religious and Cultural Observances Calendar.

*Begins at sundown of previous day/ends at sundown

March 25

• International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

March 27

• Laylat al Qadr* - Islamic

March 30

• Ostara - Neo Pagan
• Ugadi/Yugadi/Gudi Padwa - Hindu

March 31

• International Transgender Day of Visibility

April 1-30

• Arab American Heritage Month

April 6

• Rama Navami - Hindu

April 13-16

• Boun Pi Mai - Laotian Culture

April 13

• Palm Sunday - Christian

April 14

• Maundy Thursday

Northshore School District is enriched by the many experiences and perspectives each individual member brings to our District and community. Therefore, our District prohibits discrimination based on age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, cognitive, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.

Civil Rights and ADA Coordinator for Staff: 
Jerred Kelly
3330 Monte Villa Parkway
Bothell, WA 98021-8972
425-408-7622 or 7604
TitleIXOfficer@nsd.org  

Title IX Coordinator: 
Jerred Kelly
3330 Monte Villa Parkway
Bothell, WA 98021-8972
425-408-7622 or 7604
TitleIXOfficer@nsd.org 

The Northshore School District shall provide equal educational opportunity and treatment for all students in all aspects of the District’s academic, activities, or employment programs without discrimination. In addition, the District provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups in its programs and activities.

Section 504 and ADA Coordinator for Students: 
Rick Ferrell
Director of Student Services
3330 Monte Villa Parkway
Bothell, WA 98021-8972
425-408-7632
rferrell@nsd.org 

Any Northshore School District staff and community member has the right to raise concerns or make a complaint regarding discrimination under this policy without fear of retaliation. The above-listed employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged unlawful discrimination.