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Connections Newsletter News from the Northshore School District September 23, 2024
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Message from the Superintendent |
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Dear Northshore Families, Students, and Staff,
Two weeks ago, I witnessed something truly powerful - a former Northshore student, once unsure of his path to graduation, accepting his diploma after many months of hard work. And now, he is considering college. This is what public education is all about. It’s not just about knowledge - but empowerment.
It was such an honor to celebrate with our student, his family, our staff, and school board representatives. I am excited to see what he does next. I know there are many stories like this in all of our schools - I see evidence when I am out in our buildings and classrooms. So, I also want to thank our entire Northshore community for believing in our students and supporting them along their K-12 journey. You are what makes Northshore great.
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This month has already been full of notable events and many more on the horizon. The Seattle Times ran a joint Op-Ed submitted by Northshore School Board President Amy Cast and School Board Presidents from Yakima and Vancouver. In the publication, our elected leaders encouraged the state legislature to fix our outdated funding model. I want to thank President Cast for her leadership and unwavering support. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated, student-focused School Board Directors.
I also want to celebrate the work of our Food and Nutrition Services team. For a number of years, our staff has been working to diversify our school menus - ensuring that the nutritious and delicious meals we serve reflect the cultures and needs of our students. This month, Northshore’s Food and Nutrition team is once again a leader in our region, pledging to serve 28% plant-based menus by 2027. Read more about this commitment and the work underway outlined in a press release from the Humane Society of the United States. Congratulations to all of our food and nutrition services staff! Thank you for prioritizing our students, their health, and identifying culturally responsive and sustainable meal options.
I am looking forward to joining the Frank Love community tomorrow for the official opening of their new inclusive playground. Two years ago, when I was meeting with Frank Love students, I asked them what could make school better. One student quickly spoke up and mentioned the playground and her desire for it to be redesigned so that all students could use it. Tomorrow, because of our generous voters and committed community, her wish will become a reality.
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During this next week, along with Board Directors, staff, students, and families we are also officially breaking ground at Fernwood Elementary, Sorenson Early Childhood Center, Westhill Elementary, and Crystal Springs Elementary. These four campuses are part of the 2022 voter approved bond projects and once complete will increase the number of permanent classrooms, decrease portables, and improve site circulation (flow of traffic around the schools). Thank you to our voters for your support of students and Northshore! You can find more information below in Connections.
And finally, ongoing and authentic engagement with our full Northshore community is key to our students’ success. Similar to the past two years, I will be hosting in-person and online learning sessions for families, students, and staff over the course of the school year. The purpose of these regularly scheduled meetings is to provide district updates and progress but also hear directly from you.
Family sessions will take place this fall and culminate in a Family Symposium. The schedule for this year’s family learning sessions are posted on the Superintendent webpage. The first session is for our Spanish-speaking families on Saturday, September 28 at North Creek High School. Interpretation will be provided. Please share the invitation with your friends and neighbors. I really hope to see a lot of our families there!
In partnership,
Michael Tolley Superintendent
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Successful Students and Schools
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Congratulations to the 26 Northshore students who were named National Merit semifinalists this fall. Nationally, about 16,000 students were named semifinalists this year. High school seniors entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The students are:
These 12th-grade students have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring. In addition, another 108 students were named Commended Students by National Merit. Learn more on our website, and congratulations to these students!
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News and Updates
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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. Dates are set and available on the Superintendent’s website, and the first session for Spanish-speaking families will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at North Creek High School.
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Attendance matters! Regular attendance is one of the most powerful ways you can prepare your student for success — both in school and in life. Students are expected to attend school every day, for the full day. But if your student misses school, all Northshore families now have an easy way to report their student’s absence using ParentVUE. All schools in the district can now receive notifications of student absences using ParentVUE, and we encourage you to give it a try. Using ParentVUE to let your school know your student will be absent simplifies the process for our school offices and is simple for families, requiring just a handful of clicks. Visit the Report an Absence website to learn more or log in to ParentVUE.
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Created by the Department of Health in partnership with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and other organizations, Safety Study Hall is a website resource on several health and safety issues for schools, students, and families/caregivers. This state-level website, mandated by the Washington State Legislature, currently focuses on the topics of: Opioid Overdose Prevention Strategies, Secure Storage of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medication, and Secure Storage of Firearms and Ammunition.
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Annually the District provides parents/guardians with notifications that must be acknowledged. If you have not already, we ask that parents/guardians log in to ParentVUE soon to view these notices. If you have never logged into ParentVUE, you will find instructions on how to do so when you click the ParentVUE link above. Once logged in, you will be required to complete any missing state-required information, and then you will be prompted to download, read, and take action for each of the notices listed above. Each parent/guardian must acknowledge these notices the next time they log into ParentVUE. Typically, only one parent/guardian per household will need to provide updates to the state-required information. This is required annually to ensure we have current information for each of our families. These steps are required before parents/guardians can access student grades and other information. If you need assistance, please review this step-by-step guide on the District website or contact your child’s school.
Please note: When you begin to confirm/update your family information in ParentVUE, please select “2024-25 Annual Update,” rather than the “2024-25 Student Enrollment” button. Only use the “Student Enrollment” button if you are enrolling a new student in Northshore.
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The health and safety of our students is of critical importance to the Northshore School District. Even so, accidents happen, sometimes resulting in costly medical bills. Please know the district does not carry insurance for student personal injury costs (including athletics) and therefore cannot assume responsibility for them. As a service we're providing information regarding optional student insurance administered by Myers-Stevens & Toohey, Inc. These plans are used by many school districts across Washington.
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School Board News
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Upcoming Meetings and Topics
Past Meeting Highlights
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Bond and Levy Dollars at Work
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Beginning this week, we will celebrate the start of construction on school growth projects funded by the 2022 Capital Bond, which was generously approved by Northshore voters. Events will take place:
It has taken approximately two years to work through the stages of project development, schematic design, design development, and construction documents and permitting, but we are officially under construction and eager to gather in celebration of this milestone. Our students, families, staff, and neighbors are invited to join us at the events, which will feature remarks from representatives of the school and district. Learn more about the groundbreaking ceremonies and about each of the 2022 Capital Bond projects.
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Racial and Educational Justice
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Partnerships and Volunteers
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On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the District will be hosting the fall 2024 Art Docent training. This will be an opportunity to meet other art docents in the District and to learn about resources that are available to create lesson plans and activities. The training agenda will be available soon. This training will take place from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22 in the Administrative Center Boardroom, 3330 Monte Villa Parkway in Bothell. Registration is not required.
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The Northshore School District is currently seeking new members for a number of committees and task forces. If you have a passion for supporting students and schools across the entire district, we invite you to apply for any of the below opportunities. The links included will provide more detailed information about the purpose of the committee or task force, commitment required, and application process.
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Thank you again to the many community members who supported the 2024 Community Serve Day! It is such a gift to our students and families. Please enjoy the Community Serve Day video, featuring Arrowhead Elementary.
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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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Important Dates
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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
Sept. 23
Sept. 25
Oct. 2
Oct. 4*
Oct. 9
Oct. 12*
Oct. 16
Oct. 16-23*
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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.
Sept. 15-Oct. 15
Oct. 3-12
Oct. 4
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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
Title IX Coordinator: Jerred Kelly 3330 Monte Villa Parkway Bothell, WA 98021-8972 425-408-7622 or 7604
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
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. |