Stanwood Middle School

With ballots out in the hands of area voters, I wanted to take a moment to discuss voting.

Voting is a fundamental right in our country. It is an opportunity to have a say in the decisions that impact our lives, our schools, and our communities.

However, Snohomish County consistently ranks toward the bottom for voter turnout among the state’s 39 counties. Island County voter turnout typically ranks in the top third.

We understand that life can be busy, but I want to remind you that every vote counts in every election.

If you are not registered to vote, I encourage you to learn more at vote.wa.gov and our Voter Information webpage. You can also learn more about our replacement levy at www.stanwood.wednet.edu/levy.

Ballots are due by Feb. 13.

Empower Our Students

Monday is the end of the semester, Spartan families with no school on Tuesday for students and the start of second semester on Wednesday.

With Wednesday's official start to the semester, it is a great time for a fresh restart with a cleaned out backpack, some more school supplies, and goals to hit the ground running for academic success.

The semester also means new schedules--please have your Spartan check their schedules on Skyward Tuesday night to make sure they know where all of their classes are.

Also, this Wednesday are our final volleyball games of the season and it is time to put the nets away and roll out the mats and hoops for 6-8 Co-Ed Wrestling (combined with Port Susan) and 7th and 8th grade girls basketball.

In order to participate on the first day, next Monday, February 5, students must have all of the information cleared through Final Forms.

To sign up, please click https://stanwood-wa.finalforms.com and follow the prompts to create your account, add your student(s), and sign your forms. You will be required to sign your forms once per year and after any update; you may review your data at any time to verify it is current.

Also, we have the following clubs going right now:

Yearbook Club, Mondays until 3:15

Minecraft Club, Tuesdays until 3:15

Anime Club, Wednesdays until 3:15

Pokemon Club, ONLY TWO MORE THURSDAYS LEFT

Here's to the start of a great second semester!

Tod Klundt

Principal

Stanwood Middle School

360.629.1350

tklundt@stanwood.wednet.edu

Take a moment to review our weekly levy update messages that explain more details about different aspects of our replacement levy.

• Nov. 22: Why do school districts need to ask their communities for a levy?

• Nov. 29: A closer look at some of the specific areas funded by this levy

• Dec 6: How property taxes are calculated for levies and how much the levy would cost

• Dec. 13: How does our levy tax rate compare to neighboring school districts?
  

• Dec. 20: Recapping information about the levy and providing an opportunity to submit questions

• Jan. 3: Addressing your questions about the levy

• Jan. 10: Explaining recent changes to the state’s property tax relief programs for seniors and people with disabilities

• Jan. 17: Voting information and ballot drop box locations

• Jan. 24: Impact of levy on after-school sports and extracurricular activities

This is a friendly reminder that there will be no school on Tuesday, Jan. 30, as our dedicated teachers will be participating in a professional development in-service day.

This day is crucial for our educators to enhance their skills, collaborate, and bring new insights to the classroom. We appreciate your understanding and support in providing our teachers with this valuable opportunity for continuous learning.

Each week we find time either during lunch or the morning announcements to honor the students who show of PRIDE. You'll received the write up for prominent display on your refrigerator. We appreciate all of our Spartans and how they work hard across so many areas each day.

Staff Spotlight

This week, we are turning the spotlight on Jenna Berg, our Leadership and Family and Consumer Sciences teacher. She is in her 13th year of teaching, all at SMS! Mainly she's taught FCS, Leadership, and ELA. She says the best part about teaching FCS is getting to spend time with students in the kitchen; it is so much fun to see them make a recipe from start to finish. She enjoys teaching Leadership because it is awesome to work in partnership with the students to create fun activities at SMS. Leadership has had a very busy "finals" week with our spirit assembly and canned food drive all this week!

Stanwood MS is a special place for Mrs. Berg because she attended school here as a 6th grader before Port Susan opened. The students, staff, and community support make this a wonderful place to teach.

When she is not at SMS she likes to spend time with her family, play pickleball, and try new recipes.

What's New in the SMS Library? We are having a Bookmark Design Contest beginning this

month! Deadline to enter is March 31, 2024. Prizes! Stop by the library for forms and details!

Check all the library events and literary news in the January/February Library Newsletter.

The district typically hosts one “emergency substitute” training per year in the fall. However, our need for teaching substitutes is increasing, and we are preparing to host an additional training in February or March.

Please complete this form if you would like to be notified if we begin accepting applications for emergency substitute teachers.

What is an "emergency substitute"?

Substitute teachers need required certification in Washington state. However, when a school district doesn't have enough certified substitutes, it has the option to widen its search to other candidates, who can apply to get an emergency substitute teaching certificate.

To qualify as an "emergency substitute," you do not need to have completed a teacher education preparation program or certification exams — but you must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree (in any subject).

We are hiring for substitute bus drivers. This job offer flexible hours and shifts that are perfect for stay-at-home parents or retirees.

Anyone interested can visit www.stanwood.wednet.edu/JOBS to learn more and to apply!

Please be cautious before and after school as bus stops and walking routes can be dark and difficult to see students.

School district Transportation officials urge families to consider using a flashlight at a bus stop or wearing reflective tape.

Students should wait a few steps back from the road but remain visible at the bus stop. Please do not wait inside nearby houses.

Teachers:

Amy Anderson - aanderson@stanwood.wednet.edu

Shannon Austin - saustin@stanwood.wednet.edu

Jenna Berg - jberg@stanwood.wednet.edu

Gaylynn Beuthien - gbeuthien@stanwood.wednet.edu

Patrick Bliss - pbliss@stanwood.wednet.edu

Lara Brown - lbrown@stanwood.wednet.edu

Elizabeth Currey - ecurrey@stanwood.wednet.edu

Alissa Donovan - adonovan@stanwood.wednet.edu

Dave Gelatt - dgelatt@stanwood.wednet.edu

John Getzinger - jgetzinger@stanwood.wednet.edu

Claudia Holum - cholum@stanwood.wednet.edu

Kelli Ingram - kingram@stanwood.wednet.edu

Kim Liebscher - kliebscher@stanwood.wednet.edu

Amelia Mundell - amundell@stanwood.wednet.edu

Jason Schonberg - jschonberg@stanwood.wednet.edu

Doug Smith - dsmith@stanwood.wednet.edu

Jenny Taney - jtaney@stanwood.wednet.edu

Morgen ten Hoopen - mtenhoopen@stanwood.wednet.edu

Kiah Thomas - kthomas@stanwood.wednet.edu

Larry Wall - lwall@stanwood.wednet.edu

Mark Wayland - mwayland@stanwood.wednet.edu

Carl Webster - cwebster@stanwood.wednet.edu

Counselors

Jayde Piggott - jpiggott@stanwood.wednet.edu
Christy Thompson - cthompson2@stanwood.wednet.edu

Student Support Advocate

Amy Hart - ahart@stanwood.wednet.edu

Administrators

Tod Klundt - tklundt@stanwood.wednet.edu

Holly Christmas - hchristmasharris@stanwood.wednet.edu

Bus Information

Check out your student's route and bus stop information for the 2023-24 school year now at our Bus Route Information webpage, which includes instructions on how to use Versatrans eLink.

Student Drop Off/Pick Up

Student drop off/pick up will be in our east parking lot. This is the opposite parking lot from where our busses drop off. Students will still enter through the front of the building when dropped off in the morning.

Morning Routine

Once students arrive at school they can eat breakfast in the cafeteria each day. All students will wait in the foyer, or cafeteria if eating breakfast, until our bell rings at 7:25 a.m. When the bell rings at 7:25 a.m. students will go straight to class. On regular schedule days students go straight to 1st period, on Wednesday students will go straight to our Spartan Space (Advisory).

Routines and Expectations at Stanwood Middle School

You will see below we have included expectations we have developed for classrooms, the cafeteria, hallways, bathrooms, the library, our outside areas, and the bus lane before and after school. we will review all of these with students throughout the first week.

In addition to what is listed below, we don't allow hats, hoods, gum chewing or cell phone usage from 7:25 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. We will talk with students about these expectations during the first week as well.

During the first day of school Holly Christmas, our Assistant Principal, Jayde Piggott, our Counselor, and myself will be visiting every classroom twice. We will first walk around in the morning to introduce ourselves to every student and make sure we answer questions about lunches, schedules and anything else that will make students comfortable on their first day. We will again visit every classroom after lunches to talk about bus and pickup procedures for students after school.

After School Bus Procedures

First Wave: Stanwood Buses - students will leave class and go straight to their bus.

Second Wave: Camano Buses - students will go to the following classrooms to be supervised.

Rt 15: Mr. Wall, 151

Rt. 14: Mr. Bliss, 153

Rt. 12: Mrs. Donovan, 159

Rt. 11: Mrs. ten Hoppen, 105

Rt. 10: Mrs. Berg, 107

Y bus: Mr. Schonberg, 218

Students need to exit the building immediately and go to their bus, their bus room, leave to home, pick up line, or practice/club/activity.

• Find school breakfast and lunch menus HERE
• Sign up to volunteer in our schools HERE
  
• See our job openings HERE
• See school start times HERE
• Steps on how to complete Free & Reduced Meal applications are HERE
• Find the calendars for the school year HERE
• Sign up for our new weekly Spartan Sports Report newsletter HERE

Find the most recent Friday Family Message from the Stanwood-Camano School District online HERE

The Stanwood-Camano School District does not discriminate in employment, programs, or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the District's Title IX/Affirmative Action Officer and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, Christine Del Pozo (cdelpozo@stanwood.wednet.edu), or the Section 504/American Disabilities Act Coordinator, Robert Hascall (rhascall@stanwood.wednet.edu) Stanwood-Camano School District, 26920 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood, WA 98292. Telephone: (360) 629-1200.