Mission (our purpose):
Our Mission is to ensure that all students have the knowledge, skills, motivation, and confidence to be successful citizens.

Vision (who we must become):
We are a community of learners and leaders united to enrich the lives of all our students.

Dear MMK Families,

Welcome back to Mary M. Knight for 2024! I hope your winter break was filled with rest, joy, and quality time with loved ones. As we return to our educational journey, I'm excited to see our students back in our hallways and classrooms.

This week marks an important transition as we dive back into learning. Our high school basketball teams have several exciting matchups, including games against Columbia Adventist, Wishkah/Elma, and Oakville. For our secondary students, our after-school tutoring program continues Tuesday through Thursday from 3:00-4:30 PM, providing valuable academic support.

As we return from break, we'll be taking time to review our OWLS expectations - Ownership, Willingness, Leadership, and Success. These principles guide our positive school culture and help ensure every student's success. I encourage families to review our after-school supervision guidelines, detailed in this newsletter, which help maintain a safe and productive environment for all students.

I want to remind families about our upcoming PTO meeting on January 8th at 3:30 PM in the elementary library. Your involvement in our school community is invaluable.

Looking ahead, we remain committed to our mission of ensuring all students have the knowledge, skills, motivation, and confidence to be successful citizens. I'm energized about continuing our work together in supporting every student's academic and social-emotional growth.

Here's to a great start to 2025!

Monday 12/23 - Friday 1/3/24

• No school - Winter Break

Monday 1/6

• HS basketball vs. Columbia Adventist 5:30 PM

Tuesday 1/7

• HS basketball vs. Wishkah/Elma 5:30 PM

Wednesday 1/8

• Late Start
• January PTO Meeting 3:30 PM

Thursday 1/9

• 
  

Friday 1/10

• HS basketball @ Oakville 5:30 PM

Saturday 1/11

• HS basketball vs. Darrington 3:30 PM

Dear Mary M. Knight Families,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. I am writing to share some important updates regarding our after-school supervision policies to ensure the safety and well-being of all our students.

Student safety is our highest priority, and we want to maintain a positive environment for everyone participating in or attending school activities. With this in mind, I'd like to clarify our expectations for after-school supervision:

Unless students are participating in supervised, school-sanctioned activities such as sports or clubs, they should either take their assigned bus home or be picked up at the end of the school day. Students may not remain on school grounds without proper supervision.

For after-school sporting events, we have specific guidelines in place:

Elementary students must be accompanied by an identified parent or guardian while attending these events. If a guardian is not present, the student will need to contact home for pickup.

Secondary students are welcome to attend after-school events but must follow all school rules and expectations. Students who do not meet these behavioral expectations may be required to contact home for pickup and could face additional consequences, including restrictions from attending future events.

All students attending after-school events are expected to focus on watching the designated activities and remain with their guardians if behavioral concerns arise. This helps ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone in attendance.

We appreciate your partnership in reviewing and discussing these expectations with your children. Working together, we can maintain a safe and positive environment for our school community.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

What a wonderful way to wrap up 2024 before winter break! Our halls were filled with joy, creativity, and holiday spirit during our Winter Fest week. The energy and enthusiasm from our students and staff made this celebration truly special.

Our students embraced the holiday spirit with their fantastic participation in our dress-up days. From creative ugly Christmas sweaters that brought smiles to everyone's faces, to students transforming into their favorite winter characters, and even dressing up as presents that might be found under the tree – the creativity was endless! It was heartwarming to see so many students and staff members participating and spreading holiday cheer throughout the week.

Walking through both our elementary and secondary buildings was a magical experience, as our students and staff transformed our hallways into winter wonderlands. The decorations showcased not only our school spirit but also the collaborative effort of our entire school community. Every corridor told its own winter story through creative displays and festive arrangements.

One of the highlights of our Winter Fest week was the elementary winter concert. Our young performers put their hearts into weeks of preparation, and it certainly showed! The gymnasium was filled with proud families and friends as our students delivered beautiful renditions of beloved Christmas songs. The joy on our students' faces as they performed was matched only by the proud smiles of their families in the audience.

These moments remind us of the strong community spirit that makes Mary M. Knight such a special place. Thank you to all our students, staff, and families who contributed to making this Winter Fest week memorable.

Dear MMK Families,

Our secondary tutoring program continues to provide academic support for students in grades 7-12. The program runs Tuesday through Thursday from 3:00 to 4:30 PM, offering students direct assistance from teachers on assignments and assessments.

Students must attend the full session unless prior arrangements for early pickup are confirmed by parents. While this is a valuable opportunity for academic support, families need to arrange transportation at 4:30 PM, as bus service is not available. Please note that tutoring should not be used as a waiting period for after-school events.

For questions about the program, please contact the main office.

Washington state has seen a sharp increase in pertussis, also known as whooping cough, cases in 2024.

Number of cases

As of November 12, 2024, 1,200 cases of pertussis have been reported in Washington state, compared to 51 cases in 2023. This is a 21-fold increase from the same time last year.

Due to the increase in these cases, we are asking you to make sure that your student has received their vaccinations. Pertussis is especially prevalent right now in the middle and high school populations, elderly and pregnant people.

Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial infection. The CDC recommends the following vaccines to prevent pertussis:

DTaP vaccine at 2, 4, 6, 15–18, and 4–6 years of age. Preteens between 11–12 years should also get a Tdap vaccine. Please make sure that your student has received all required doses for this vaccine.

For any questions, please contact Athletic Director, Tom Kerr at (360)426-6767 or tkerr@mmk.wednet.edu

Find updates at the Mary M. Knight Athletic Web-Page

Last year, we had a theme of Above-The-Line and recognized student that were that demonstrated characteristics or actions of being Above-The-Line. This year we will continue our student recognition program as part of our PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) program with our positive referrals and weekly GRIT awards.

GRIT Awards - In the 2024-25 academic year, we're all about embracing 'Nurturing Resilience, Inspiring Excellence' as our guiding principle. We believe that having GRIT – Growth, Resilience, Intensity, and Tenacity – is key to creating a culture where challenges are seen as stepping stones to greatness. We want to foster a growth mindset in our students and ourselves, understanding that hard work and dedication can help us develop our abilities and intelligence. Student will be nominated weekly if they are demonstrating characteristics of GRIT. Student will receive a certificate and shared out.

Weekly Grit Students for the Week of 12/16/24:

• Elementary: Koal Reed, Jadynn Smith, Grace Johnson, Ava Candeda Armenteros, Harper Finch, James Reed, Lucas Vogland, Mrs. Lohman's class, Ms. Dodge's class, Mr. Richert's class, Mrs. Jewett's class, Ms. Niles class, Ms. Daniel's class, Ms. Dewey's class, Mr. Ferguson's class.
• Secondary: Bleyden Jenkins, Logan Green

If you are interested in helping us with the Mary M. Knight PTO, don't hesitate to get in touch with pto@mmk.wednet.edu or Josh Stoney at jstoney@mmk.wednet.edu

PTO updates and information will be posted on the district website at https://www.marymknight.com/domain/25

• Next Meeting: January 8, 2025 at 3:30 pm in the elementary library

Email: jstoney@mmk.wednet.edu
Website: https://www.marymknight.com/
Location: 2987 Matlock-Brady Road, Elma, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 426-6767
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MMKOwls