SBLSD News
December 16, 2021
Our School Counselors are critical first lines of support for students experiencing behavioral and mental health issues. It’s through a counselor’s ability to identify students in need that connects them to a deeper level of intervention and care with our healthcare partners.
We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership that has created the YES Sumner-Bonney Lake program in our middle and high schools. In partnership with Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Kids’ Mental Health Pierce County, YES (Youth Engagement Services) Sumner-Bonney Lake is a collaborative treatment model that provides behavioral health navigation and services to support the well-being of students ages 13 and older regardless of insurance coverage.
How YES Sumner-Bonney Lake works:
- School counselors refer students with the greatest need to SBLSD’s Behavioral and Education Support Team (BEST), which includes three licensed mental health professionals.
- The BEST clinician works with the student and their family to identify goals addressing specific behavioral health needs.
- Based on the goals, the clinician provides interventions, which may include one-on-one counseling, family sessions and/or safety/crisis planning, and intensive case management.
- Clinicians work with the student and family to develop a transitional plan and provide behavioral health navigation to ensure connection with the appropriate resources to meet the needs of the student.
To learn more about YES Sumner-Bonney Lake, contact your child’s school counselor.
Is your incoming junior or senior looking for applied, hands-on experience in a specific career-focused class? Consider exploring offerings from the Pierce County Skills Center (PCSC) to see if there’s a match of interest. To learn more about PCSC, students and families are invited to an Open House event on Feb. 15 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the campus, 16117 Canyon Rd E in Puyallup. PCSC registration begins March 1.
At PCSC, students from area school districts receive hands-on learning combined with academic curriculum taught by industry professionals. Each course is tailored to give students the necessary leadership and employability skills to continue their education, enter an apprenticeship program or go directly into the workforce. All PCSC programs count toward high school graduation requirements and satisfy a Career & Technical Education/elective credit.
By Sophia Agtarap, Director of Equity & Language Services
We continue to celebrate Black History Month, recognizing the notable contributions of African Americans. Here, we learn about Carter Godwin Woodson.
Carter Godwin Woodson, (born Dec. 19, 1875, New Canton, Va., U.S. — died April 3, 1950, Washington, D.C.), was an American historian who first set out in 1926 to designate a time to promote and educate people about and elevate the study of Black history and culture especially within the field of history. What began as a week-long celebration to encourage the coordinated teaching of Black history in public schools and focus and broaden the nation’s consciousness about the African American experience, evolved in the 1960s, into what is now known as Black History Month.
As we continue to learn about and honor the contributions and genius of African Americans, let us also remember that African American history is American History, and that the lived experiences of those within the Black community continue to both shape and challenge who we say we want to be as a community.
In keeping with the practice that he started years ago, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), which was founded by Mr. Woodson, designates a theme for Black History Month each year. This year’s theme is Black Health and Wellness, acknowledging the legacy of Black scholars and medical practitioners, but also other ways of knowing and healing throughout the African Diaspora.
Your invitation this month and throughout the year is to consider: How am I contributing to and sustaining the health and wellness of members of our Black community here in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District and beyond?
To continue learning, please check out these local and national resources:
- Pierce County Black History Month
- Black History Month (joint effort from The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
- City of Sumner
- Seattle Public Libraries
Do you know a renter who needs help paying rent or water utilities? Questions about eviction? Find out about eligibility and receive help applying for federal assistance at a free, drop-in Housing Help Pop-Up event on Feb. 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. hosted by the Sumner-Bonney Lake Family Center at 1508 Willow St. Portable 705 in Sumner. If you have questions about this event, email hsrent@piercecountywa.gov.
Do you know a child who will be five years old on or before August 31? Maybe it's your neighbor, friend or even your own child. Now’s the time to enroll kindergarten students for the 2022-23 school year. The sooner you enroll, the better we can keep you informed.
Kindergarten kickoff video
To learn more about kindergarten in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, watch this video for an overview of kindergarten, the registration process and forms, resources, transition events and kindergarten readiness.
Registration
Enrollment into the District is now online. Visit our enrollment page for details on the three-step registration process. Hard copy registration packets are available at our schools.
For more information, go to www.sumnersd.org/kindergarten.
One way SBLSD prepares students to be career- and college-ready is through its Career & Technical Education program, which offers exposure to careers, an opportunity for exploration through engaging courses, and experience in workplace readiness through connections with business partners. CTE helps students find their passion and guide students' course selections through their education so they are career and life ready. This planning begins in middle school and continues to be expanded or changed throughout high school. By connecting curriculum to interests and skills, students are well-prepared for life after high school. Watch this video to learn more about the District’s CTE program.
Registration is now open for virtual READY! for Kindergarten winter classes. This free program for parents and caregivers of children birth to age five provides tools that prepare children for kindergarten. During these virtual sessions, you’ll learn important information specific to your child’s age on how they learn, grow, and receive essential take-home tools and activities to make learning easy and fun.
Watch this one-minute video for a look at READY! classes. Families who are new to READY! must attend an orientation prior to the class sessions. Registration is required. Zoom links will be sent on the day of your class.
Session dates:
- Feb. 23
- March 1 and/or
- March 3
Time: All sessions are held from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Location: All sessions are held virtually through Zoom. Links will be emailed the day of your orientation/session.
Orientation: (for first-time READY! for Kindergarten participants):
Feb. 17: 6 - 6:30 p.m. via Zoom
Register: www.readyforkindergarten.org/sumner
More information: Email Annette Bowen at annette_bowen@sumnersd.org.
