Connections NewsletterNews from the Northshore School District November 12, 2024
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Message from the Superintendent
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November 12, 2024 Dear Northshore Community: Thank you to all of the Northshore veterans, including our parents and staff across schools and departments. Your commitment to our country is an inspiration, and we are deeply grateful for your service and personal sacrifice. Last Friday, our schools hosted various events to honor and celebrate our veterans in advance of Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11. From assemblies to classroom activities, our students had the opportunity to learn about the values of courage, service, and dedication. We hope these experiences will deepen their appreciation for those who have served. You can watch Canyon Creek Elementary School first-grade students’ rehearsal for their Veteran Day assembly on our Facebook page. I hope you enjoy their performance as much as I did! Thank you again to our families, students, and staff for attending my Listen and Learn sessions. My most recent session was with our families that speak Portuguese. It was wonderful to learn more about our families’ culture, what is going well, areas we can improve, and how the District can help foster a stronger community of parents across schools. My next Listen and Learn session will be with our Native American students and families on Dec. 3. I am grateful for our partnership with the Eastside Native American Education Program (ENAEP) and their support of this upcoming event. The full list of my Listen and Learn sessions can be found on the Superintendent Webpage.
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November is also Native American Heritage Month! In Northshore we recognize and honor the histories, contributions, and experiences of all Native, Indigenous, Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian peoples represented in our district community. In response, on Monday, Nov. 18, our District will host a Racial and Educational Justice Community Panel celebrating Native American Heritage, Hispanic and Latino Heritage, Hindu Heritage, and Disability History and Awareness. The community panel will take place from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Administrative Board Room, 3330 Monte Villa Parkway. All Northshore families, students, and staff are invited to attend this educational and celebratory event. Finally as the District works through our 2025-26 School Year Budget Development Process we are committed to transparency. The Budget Department has now launched an associated webpage where you can view a one-pager about our anticipated $6 million shortfall for the 2025-26 school year and other information. Additionally, this evening, Nov. 12, we will be providing the School Board with another Budget Study Session at 6 p.m. at the Admin Center. You can watch the session online by accessing the live stream on the Board’s webpage. The session will be archived on the Board’s webpage for future reference. And finally, next Monday, Nov. 18 the School Board will be hosting Conversations with the Board from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Canyon Park Middle School Library. This is an opportunity to have a two-way conversation with your elected Board Directors about the budget, next steps, and other topics of community interest. I hope to see you there. I recommend you review the Connections Newsletter below. Included in today’s edition are reminders about parent-teacher conferences, Thanksgiving break, additional details about our upcoming Conversations with the Board session, and many other important topics. In partnership, Michael Tolley Superintendent
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News and Updates |
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Help shape the District's approach to personal mobile device use for students! We’re seeking input from families, students, and staff to better understand perspectives on cell phone and smart device usage in school. Your feedback is essential for developing a policy that supports learning and well-being. Please take a few minutes to complete our survey and share your thoughts. The survey will be open through Friday, Nov. 22.
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The end of the first quarter of school means that student progress reports and mid-term grades will soon be uploaded to ParentVUE for families to review. For our families of grades 1-6 students, these progress reports will provide the foundation for your upcoming conference with your student’s teacher. Please note, only general education progress reports for grading periods are available in ParentVUE. Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will continue to receive IEP progress reports through IEP Online. Please review this website for guidance on how to access grading period progress reports in ParentVUE.
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This week, we celebrate National School Psychologist Week. The Northshore School District is thankful for such a professional, passionate, and student-focused group of individuals. Our school psychologists go above and beyond every day in order to help school teams and families meet the needs of students. While the week is a time to celebrate all the ways our School Psychologists bring value to the District, we know that without their work all year, it would be difficult to ensure our students' needs are identified and then served ongoing.
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Successful Students and Schools |
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School Board News
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Upcoming Events
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Superintendent Tolley’s fall and winter Listen & Learn sessions are an opportunity to share information and hear back from families and students. School Board representatives will also be present at each session. A full list of dates are available on the Superintendent’s website, and the next sessions will take place on:
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E-Fliers
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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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Racial and Educational Justice
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November is Native American Heritage Month! Northshore recognizes and honors the histories, contributions, and experiences of all Native, Indigenous, Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian peoples represented in our district community. This month and always, it is important to ensure that these rich histories, stories, and futures of resilience, heritage, land, people, and community continue to thrive with each passing generation. The following resources provide helpful culturally responsive strategies and information for this month and beyond:
Thank you to our community and staff for their work to honor our Indigenous communities.
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Our District will host three Racial and Educational Justice community panels this school year to gather in community for shared learning. The first community panel will take place on Monday, Nov. 18 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Administrative Center Board Room, 3330 Monte Villa Parkway, Bothell. This panel’s theme will focus on celebrating Hispanic and Latino/a/x Heritage, Hindu Heritage, Disability History and Awareness, and Native American Heritage. Panelists will share about their experiences, cultures, and knowledge. Everyone is welcome to join us to celebrate and learn in community.
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Partnerships & Volunteers
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There is currently a backlog of Northshore School District volunteer background checks due to delays in the Washington State Court System. Processing time for applications will be affected for many applicants until the issues are resolved with the state courts, which is out of the District’s control. We will post updates as we receive them on the District’s Become a Volunteer website. Thank you for your understanding and patience.
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