Connections Newsletter
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Message from the Superintendent |
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Dear Northshore Community:
Last Tuesday, April 22, was Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Student success begins with safe and reliable transportation to and from school each day. Our staff’s unwavering focus on safety and student well-being - regardless of weather, traffic, or other challenges, is deeply appreciated. I am so grateful to our Northshore bus drivers, and I am sure you are too. Help me in celebrating these incredible members of the Northshore family! Please let your child’s bus driver know how much they mean to you and your family - not only on April 22 - but each and every day.
If you missed Northshore Speaks 2025, our annual spoken word event, you can still view our students’ performances online. Thank you again to the students, educators, families, and everyone else who made this opportunity possible.
Also, thank you to all of the parents, staff, and community partners that attended last week’s Family Symposium on Thursday, April 24. If you weren’t able to join us, the session presentations have been archived for your convenience. Topics are outlined in the Connections Newsletter below. And, thank you again to the Northshore Schools Foundation for sponsoring this important event, designed in direct response to family input.
Finally, the state’s Legislative Session closed yesterday. Our budget office is now reviewing the approved legislation and what it means for our district. I remain hopeful that we will be able to restore some of the budget reductions proposed for the 2025-26 school year. I want to share my gratitude with our committed School Board Directors, students, Northshore Council PTSA, labor partners, and staff for their many months of advocacy. Thank you for sharing Northshore’s story and what increased basic education funding would mean for our students.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we are committed to the well-being of our students, staff, and families. Northshore provides a robust library of mental health resources on a range of topics including grief, suicide prevention, anxiety, and more. I also recommend you explore Nexus, a mental health platform developed for youth by one of our own students. Nexus offers a 360° view of student mental health support including online self-help resources and regularly scheduled in-person events.
Please review the Connections Newsletter below for more important information including next steps in the 2025 Superintendent search process and the upcoming Town Hall on May 13.
In partnership,
Michael Tolley Superintendent |
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News & Updates |
As previously announced, Wednesday, April 30 is now a full day of school instead of an Early Release Wednesday. Because Northshore schools were closed for weather-related issues for a number of days this winter, we have not met our state-required instructional hours. This means that instructional hours will need to be made up on two Wednesdays that were previously scheduled to be Early Release Wednesdays: April 30 and May 7. These two days – April 30 and May 7 – are now full days of school, and the last day of school is Friday, June 20. Thank you to our labor partners for their support in finalizing these changes to our school year calendar. Revised one-page family calendars are posted to the district website. These updated calendars are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian, Hindi, Chinese - simplified, and Chinese - traditional. |
The Northshore School Board invites the community to attend the Superintendent Finalists Town Hall on Tuesday, May 13 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Northshore Concert Hall at Inglemoor High School, 15500 Simonds Road NE, Kenmore. Following a months-long superintendent search process, the May 13 Town Hall will provide our community the opportunity to hear from the candidate finalists and provide feedback to the School Board as they make their final decision. The Town Hall will be live streamed and an online, translated feedback form will be available so anyone can provide input on the finalists, either in person at the event or after viewing the livestream. If you would like to attend and need interpretation or an accommodation, please submit your request using this form. The School Board plans to announce the next Northshore School District superintendent by mid-May 2025. Please visit the Superintendent Search webpage to learn more about the engagement process and timeline. |
Thank you to our Northshore families for attending the District’s Family Symposium on April 24. This event provided the opportunity to attend two educational sessions on topics of interest, including Artificial Intelligence, Career and Technical Education, Choice Schools/Programs, Planning for College/Post Secondary Education, Special Education, Student Mental Health, and the U.S. Education System. The slides presented during these sessions are now available on our Family Symposium website for everyone to view. The event was coordinated by our Family Engagement & Resource Center based on direct feedback from families, and it was supported by the Northshore Schools Foundation. |
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we encourage our families, students, and staff to take time to delve into our virtual library to support your mental health journey. Resources include access to the video recordings of previous events as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. Care Solace is a complimentary and confidential service provided to students, staff, and their families by Northshore School District. Care Solace’s team is available 24/7/365 and can support you in any language. Nexus is a common access mental health platform for all Northshore students to use 24/7. Nexus was made by Northshore youth for youth and offers a 360° view of support including online self-help resources and in-person events. Please explore these resources when it works best for you. |
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Successful Students and Schools |
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Congratulations to Bothell High School 10th grader Saanvi Shah and Skyview Middle School 7th grader Sarabhesh Saravanakumar for being named finalists in NASA’s Power to Explore Challenge. Only 9 students nationwide were selected as finalists from more than 2,000 entries. This competition challenged students in grades K-12 to learn about radioisotope power systems (RPS) and write an essay in 275 words or less to imagine space exploration that could be achieved using RPS and their own personal “superpowers.” As finalists, they will be able to meet virtually with a NASA engineer or scientist to talk about their missions and ask questions. Winners will be announced in May and will get to visit NASA’s Glenn Research Center. Learn more from this NASA announcement or watch their interview segment on New Day Northwest. Congratulations and good luck, Saanvi and Sarabhesh! |
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Congratulations to our middle and high school science olympiad students for excelling at the state competition in Ellensburg on April 12, with a special recognition to the Bothell High School Blue team for winning the state title. The BHS Blue team will represent Washington state at nationals in Nebraska this May. In addition to BHS, students from North Creek High School, Woodinville High School, Northshore Middle School, Skyview Middle School, and Leota Middle School also did well at state. Congratulations, and good luck at nationals! |
Last week, the District premiered the 7th annual Northshore Speaks, highlighting the spoken word poetry of 18 of our Northshore students from kindergarten through high school. The event supports the District’s efforts to provide multiple avenues for the Northshore community to share their voice. The video is available to view on our Northshore Speaks website. |
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Bond & Levy Dollars at Work |
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This spring, the expansion project at Sorenson Early Childhood Center and Westhill Elementary has made steady progress. When complete, the one-story addition will reduce the number of portables and build additional permanent classrooms at Sorenson. The project also includes improvements to existing building conditions with interior remodels and other minor upgrades at Sorenson, installation of a fully accessible and inclusive playground at both campuses, and improvements to site circulation and additional parking, which benefits both campuses. This project is anticipated to be completed in fall 2025. To learn more about the construction progress at Sorenson and Westhill, please visit our construction project website. |
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School Board News |
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Racial and Educational Justice |
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May is Jewish American Heritage Month! We acknowledge the contributions, histories, and experiences of Jewish Americans locally and globally. As we celebrate the Jewish American community’s contributions this month, we also honor their resilience in the face of a long and painful history of persecution. May we continue to learn about the heritage and contributions of Jewish Americans in and beyond our community. |
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! This is a tribute to and celebration of the cultures, histories, contributions, and achievements of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders across the country and globe. This is a time, as it is always the time, to honor the rich stories and heritage that are represented among these communities and continue to learn about, value, and appreciate our own diverse Northshore community. |
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E-Flyers |
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Below are links to community E-flyers that were recently approved for sharing with District families. These activities are not sponsored nor endorsed by the Northshore School District or any of its schools.
The District assumes no responsibility for the conduct during or the safety of the activities. Northshore School District shall be held harmless from any cause of action, claim, or petition filed in any court or administrative tribunal arising out of the distribution of these materials including attorney's fees and judgment or awards. |
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Partnerships & Volunteers |
Northshore Schools Foundation continues to support educators’ needs, ideas, and innovation in the classroom to bring an enhanced and inspired learning experience to Northshore students. For its spring cycle, the Foundation awarded $31,000 to 30 educators across 15 Northshore schools, including $7,000 specifically for Title 1 schools. It is also supporting early learners in four Head Start classrooms during this spring round of grants. For the 2024-25 school year, the Foundation awarded a total of $68,500 to Northshore classrooms through 67 grants, which was made possible through donors at the Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Spring Fundraiser. Read the full grant winner list on the Foundation’s website. |
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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
April 28
April 30
May 2
May 5-9
May 7
May 12
May 14
May 21
May 26
May 28
Additional Religious and Cultural Observances 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
April 1-30
April 21 - May 1
April 30
May 1-31
May 1
May 5
May 16
May 23
May 28
May 29
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