SBLSD News

We can thank Mother Nature for an upcoming four-day weekend. Since we have not had to cancel school due to inclement weather, there is no school on both Feb. 19 (Presidents Day) and Feb. 20, which was reserved for an emergency weather makeup day.

Please note: No school also means there will be no childcare or preschool.

There are four things that Superintendent Laurie Dent wants you to know about the two replacement levies on the upcoming Feb. 13 election ballot. Check out this February superintendent update video to find out!

With less than a week to go until election day, remember to vote by Feb. 13! Visit sumnersd.org/vote for more information.

It’s less than a week until the special election voting deadline — Feb. 13! Every vote counts for SBLSD’s two replacement levies on the ballot, funding educational programs, operations, technology, and safety and security.

Have you voted yet? Some of our staff have already mailed their ballots and others kindly remind people to vote. Ballots must be postmarked by Feb. 13 or dropped off at county drop boxes by 8 pm that same day. If you have questions about the two propositions, please read our election Q&A and find more information at sumnersd.org/vote.

Beyond keeping our schools safe and secure, campus safety officers play a big role in building community, relationships and belonging for students. Campus safety officer Anthony Martin at Sumner Middle School is a great example!

Some of Mr. Martin's duties as a CSO include monitoring inside and outside of the school building and directing morning traffic. But Mr. Martin’s favorite part of being a CSO is interacting with the students. Mr. Martin has helped start a Cultural Connections Alliance for students to share their own cultures as a Sumner Middle School Bobcat.

Check out the below video for a glimpse into Mr. Martin’s role as a campus safety officer.

Did you know that eight out of our 10 campus safety officers district-wide are funded by our EP&O levy? Thank you, voters! The EP&O levy is up for replacement in the Feb. 13 election. Learn more about it at sumnersd.org/vote.

This week is National School Counseling Week, and our schools have been recognizing the work our counselors do each and every day to know, value and support every child in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District.

School counselors help students reach their full potential by encouraging them to explore their abilities, strengths, interests, and talents, furthering their educational, personal and social-emotional growth.

We asked counselors: Why are you student-focused? Here are some of their answers:

“I am student-focused because… every child deserves the chance to be happy, healthy, safe and independent! The skills they need for life start now.” -Aubrie Merritt, Maple Lawn Elementary

“I am student-focused because… every student deserves to feel valued, cared for, and heard.” -Mari Lysne, Lakeridge Middle School

Thank you to our school counselors across the district!

Did you know our Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) levy funds 42 counselors and mental support specialists across the district, compared to 27 with state funding? Thank you, voters! The EP&O levy is up for replacement in the Feb. 13 election. Learn more about it at sumnersd.org/vote.

The District’s combined Sumner Spartans and Bonney Lake High School Panthers Special Olympics basketball team, called the Spanthers, will play at 6 pm on Feb. 15 at Bonney Lake High School. The community is invited to “Pack the Gym” for a fun-filled evening of events.

In this week’s STEM Spotlight, Julie Collins shares where the fun stuff happens in her 5th grade STEM classroom at Crestwood Elementary!

“There are lots of great things about STEM, but probably my favorite is that there is something in STEM for everyone,” Mrs. Collins said.

In the elementary STEM program, students have the opportunity to code, 3D design and print, fly drones, learn about the salmon life cycle, and more. Check out the video below to see some of the skills students can learn in elementary STEM classes.

You are invited to join Mrs. Collins at the 2024 STEM Fair & Art Show on Feb. 24 from 10 am - 2 pm at Sumner Middle School. We hope to see you there!

In honor of CTE Month in February, we want to highlight some of our outstanding CTE students!

Meet Hope, a senior at Sumner High School. She has taken all the classes in the Education and Training Pathway, which is a series of classes SBLSD students can take if they are interested in careers in teaching and education. See all of our Career Pathways here.

Hope is currently taking Teaching Academy, a CTE class in which students learn the techniques of teaching, how to create lesson plans, learn about instruction, and apply those skills out in the field as part of an internship. Hope is ready to start her internship in February.

She also is involved in Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), one of our Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs). FCCLA is a national organization that offers intra-curricular resources and opportunities for students to pursue careers that support families. This past year, Hope competed at the state and national level in Early Childhood Education where she created a portfolio and planned engaging lessons for toddlers. She placed 3rd in the nation this past summer. Hope is planning on attending Northwest University to study elementary education.

Way to go, Hope!

Feb. 10 is the start of Lunar New Year, an important festival for many cultures across Asia. The festival begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the calendar, and ends with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day.

In many cultures, each year is also associated with an animal from the zodiac. This year is the Year of the Dragon.

Devan Higashide, a member of Sumner High School’s Asian American Pacific Islanders Club, shared what the Lunar New Year means to him.

“It can mean a lot of things – for me, it means family and expressing gratitude for one another,” Devan said. His family celebrates often through feast and food around the table, having a good time.

Hear more from Devan about Lunar New Year traditions in the video below.

To celebrate Black History Month, students at Emerald Hills and Victor Falls elementaries enjoyed performances by the Bright Star Touring Theatre group.

Through theater, students learned about how George Washington Carver and other Black History heroes laid the groundwork for some of the most amazing discoveries of the modern era, especially when it comes to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Students also learned about figures like Colonel Charles Young of the Buffalo Soldiers, the Tuskegee Airmen as they take flight to help achieve victory in World War II, and Mary Elizabeth Bowser, whose work as a spy helped the Union during the Civil War.

A big shout out to Emerald Hills PTA and Victor Falls PTO for helping to make these learning experiences happen for our students.

Do you want to better understand, prevent and compassionately respond to challenging behaviors in the home and community? Attend a free training on this topic, hosted by the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District and Behavior Bridges.

Preventing Challenging Behaviors

Feb. 27 from 5-8 p.m.

Victor Falls Elementary, 11401 188th Ave. Ct. E., Bonney Lake

This topic is intended for caregivers of early learners through adulthood. Walk-ins are welcome, but space is limited and not guaranteed, so please register here. Childcare will be available for kids 5 and older. Light snacks will be provided. For more information, contact Dr. Jeannie Larberg at jeannie_larberg@sumnersd.org.

La crianza con Amor y Lógica representa un enfoque práctico de "cómo hacerlo" para la crianza de los hijos que se ha enseñado con éxito durante 25 años. ¡El enfoque de Amor y Lógica es divertido! Los participantes recibirán un libro de trabajo gratuito. Esta capacitación es GRATIS proporcionada por el Distrito Escolar de Sumner-Bonney Lake y utilizará videos de Amor y Lógica.

Esta capacitación está disponible para cualquier padre o guardián, independientemente de la edad de su estudiante. La capacitación tendrá un límite de 30 participantes. Las familias de SBLSD tendrán la primera prioridad para registrarse.

Los participantes aprenderán cómo:

• Evite las luchas de poder y las discusiones imposibles de ganar (poner fin a las discusiones, las contradicciones y rogar)

• Establecer límites exigibles

• Empoderar a los niños

• Ayude a los niños a aprender de los errores en lugar de repetirlos

La serie se ofrecerá los siguientes días:

• Los martes, 27 de febrero - 26 de marzo, 5-6:30 p.m. en Sumner High School (1707 Main Street, Sumner WA 98390)

Registrar aqui.

Guardería para niños/jóvenes de 5 años y adelante. Se proporcionará agua y refrigerios en cada sesión.

Love and Logic parenting represents a “how-to” practical approach to parenting that has been successfully taught over 25 years. The Love and Logic approach is fun! Participants will receive a free workbook while attending.This free training is provided by the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District and will use Love and Logic videos.

This training is available to any parent or guardian regardless of the age of their student. The training will be capped at 30 participants. SBLSD families will be given first priority for registration.

Participants will learn how to:

• Avoid un-winnable power-struggles and arguments (putting an end to arguing, backtalk, and begging)

• Set enforceable limits

• Empower kids

• Help kids learn from mistakes rather than repeating them

The series will be offered on the following days:

• Tuesdays, February 27 - March 26, 5-6:30 pm at Sumner High School (1707 Main Street)

Register here.

Daycare available for children/youth 5 years and older. Water and snacks will be provided at each session.

Study session highlights: Feb. 7

• Presentation: Future Ready Goal 5 – Readiness for College, Career and Life

• Recording (passcode: ejK7W=^c)

Board meeting: Feb. 21

• Register for in-person or virtual public comment (Deadline to sign up: Noon, Feb. 20)

• Submit comments online (School board reviews online submissions by noon the day prior to board meetings. These are not read aloud at the meeting, but are included in meeting minutes.)

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