Spartan Update
May 3rd, 2024
Weekly Schedule
Monday 5/6 Schedule B
Tuesday 5/7 Schedule A
Wednesday 5/8 Schedule A
Thursday 5/9 Schedule A
Friday 5/10 Schedule A
Bell Schedule
Deliveries & Drop off Reminders
Just as a reminder we do accept door dash, uber eats, and food deliveries but students can NOT pick up food during class time. They can pick it up during passing periods or at their lunches.
Another reminder, the parent drop off and pick up zone is in the front of the school in the bus loop only. Please do not drop off or pick up your students in the stadium or gym parking lot as this causes back ups and unsafe conditions for staff and students arriving to and leaving school.
Senior Memo
TO: The class of 2024 and their Parents/Guardians
FROM: Principal Jeff Baines, Assistant Principals Robin Furlan, Kell Garrison, Brett Thompson and Graduation Advisor Jennifer Peters.
DATE: May 2024
Senior Class Year-End Schedule and Graduation Information
This communication is to inform seniors and their parents of important events during the final days of the 2023-2024 school year. Please keep this memo as a reminder. If you have any questions, please call the school at 253-891-5500.
May 1 Senior Speech Applications are available in the Main Office (due May 22nd)
May 1 Prom tickets go on sale (see June 1st info) May 1st - May 17th - Early Bird Pricing $60 with ASB and $65 without. May 20th - May 31st - General Pricing $70 with ASB and $75 without. Final deadline to purchase tickets is 3:00 PM on Friday May 31st. Guest forms for non-Sumner High students will be available in the Main Office. All guest forms are due no later than May 31st at 2:30 pm.
May 20 Spartan Future Signing Day during lunch in the phase 1 courtyard. This student only event will be a celebration for all seniors and their commitment to their future.
May 20 Senior Meeting during advisory - PAC
May 22 Senior Speech Applications are due to Mrs. Peters in the main office by 2:30pm
May 20-31 Seniors sign up for graduation seating (must sign up with their seating partner) in the Main Office. This is optional. Students who do not sign up will be assigned a seat.
May 21 & 23 Late arrival for state testing. (Schedule will be class periods 1, 2, 3. Classes start at 10:05.) All Seniors who needed to complete this requirement took the test on April 23.
May 22 & 24 Late arrival for state testing. (Schedule will be class periods 4, 5, 6. Classes start at 10:05.) All Seniors who needed to complete this requirement took the test on April 24.
May 24 Scholarship Survey Deadline - please fill out the link to submit any scholarships you have received. https://forms.gle/HnndGE2jBbd2A3LTA
May 27 & 28 No School - Memorial Day and emergency make up day
May 30 Senior Breakfast tickets go on sale. Tickets are $10.00 (see June 17th info)
May 30 Senior Speech Tryouts (based on application). Invitations will be sent for tryouts
June 1 Tacoma Art Museum 8-11 pm. Starting May 1st, tickets will be on sale Monday - Friday, before & after school and during lunch. Guest forms for non-Sumner High students will be available in the Main Office. All guest forms are due no later than May 31st at 2:30 pm. Final deadline to purchase tickets is 3:00 PM on Friday May 31st; no tickets will be sold at the door. No exceptions and no refunds
June 4 Senior Community Scholarship Night - SHS Phase 1 Commons 7 pm. If students are receiving a scholarship, they will receive an invitation to this event
June 5, 6, 7 Senior Finals
June 7 All make-up credit verifications and online classes needed for Graduation must be submitted to the Sumner High School Counseling Office for graduates to participate in graduation ceremonies
June 10 Victory Grad Tour – more information to follow
June 10 Senior Yearbook distribution – begins after the Victory Tour and ends at 3:30 pm - Phase 1. (Subject to change.)
June 10 Graduation Ticket distribution begins in the courtyard after the Victory Tour. Eight (8) tickets will be given to each student meeting Graduation requirements. Students must sign for tickets. If students are unable to pick up their tickets on the 10th, they will be available in the Main Office, starting the morning of the 11th. Additional tickets will be sold at the bookkeepers office for $10 each, starting June 11th
June 10 Honor Cords Distribution - begins after the Victory Tour - Phase 1.
June 12 Senior Sunset at Sunset Stadium. Food trucks will be on site to purchase items. This is an optional senior class event. 7:00 - 10:00 pm
June 12 School-wide Senior Award Assembly
June 12 Seniors will check out at the end of each class on this date. Seniors will be given their check out form in the first period they attend at SHS. Please note: In person students will need to turn in their check out form to the main office by the end of the day. (Full time online, Ehli Hill and running start students do not need to complete the form) All fines must be cleared and textbooks/chromebooks turned in prior to receiving their diploma and transcripts.
June 15 Pierce Community College graduation 7 pm
June 17 Senior Breakfast in Phase 1 Commons. 8:00 am - 9:00 am. Tickets are $10.00 per person
June 17 Graduation Practice: Practice will take place in the SHS Gymnasium at 9:15 am. Attendance is MANDATORY. Students who do not attend this practice will not be able to participate in the Graduation Ceremony on Monday, June 17th. Seniors who have check out procedures to complete should do so following Graduation Practice. Practice details will be announced at the Senior Meeting on May 20th.
June 17 Graduation Ceremony at the Tacoma Dome at 4:00 pm. Students must dress appropriately for Graduation. Business Casual attire is suggested, which includes: slacks (khakis okay), dress shirt, dresses, skirts, nice shoes or sandals. The following items will not be allowed: sunglasses or flowers/leis. Parents, please review these items with your Senior
Graduation is a formal ceremony. Please acknowledge everyone’s accomplishments by acting in a respectful manner. Please be respectful so that the names of all Seniors may be heard by their families. Also, please stress appropriate behavior with your Senior.
Please note: Only Seniors will be allowed in the staging area. Perler’s Photography will be taking pictures during the ceremony. They will explain picture packages to students during Graduation Practice earlier in the morning. (Perler’s, 253-770-5670)
Doors will open at 3:00 pm. There are specific seating areas for handicapped guests. (Additional wheelchairs will not be provided.)
June 17 Green River Community College graduation 6 pm
June 24-27 Diplomas will be available in the Main Office. Office hours are 8:00 am- 12:00 pm & 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. (All fines must be cleared and textbooks/chromebooks turned in). Students must be present to sign for and pick up their Diploma or they can give handwritten permission for a parent pick up. Beginning July 8, Diplomas will be available at the District Office . To request a transcript, please visit : https://www.parchment.com/
Building Better Together at the 29th Annual Community Summit
Thank you to the Sumner-Bonney Lake community for showing up to "Build Better Together" at the 29th Annual Communities for Families Coalition Community Summit on Tuesday. Attendees had coffee with our community leaders, spoke with representatives from local resource agencies at the Opportunity Fair, shared valuable input at breakout sessions on topics ranging from youth mental health to housing, and were inspired to continue building community through our keynote speaker, John Norlin. Also recognized were our 2024 Community Unsung Heroes:
Brian Doherty - Sumner Community Cleaning Crew
Paula Hemminger - Victor Falls Elementary School PTO Co-President
Deputy Chief Andy McCurdy - Sumner Police Department
Eric Pilcher & Paul Smith - Mackay-Sposito & SBLSD Capital Facilities Advisory Committee Members
Fenet Guyassa - Bonney Lake High School senior
Ilee Lewis - Sumner High School senior
Cooper Miller - Sumner High School senior
School Lunch Hero Day
Thank you to our amazing kitchen staff for all you do for our students and staff.
Freaky Friday
Grab your friends and family and come see the Sumner High School Theatre Troupe’s newest musical, Freaky Friday, May 15 - 19 at the Sumner Performing Arts Center!
Synopsis: When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again before mom’s big wedding. Freaky Friday, a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, is a hilarious, contemporary update on an American classic in which a mother and daughter really see what it is to be a family and experience each other’s lives first-hand, if only for a day. “Delightfully spunky” with “timeless appeal” (Variety), Freaky Friday features a new book by Bridget Carpenter (Parenthood) and an original pop/rock score by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winners Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal).
Performances:
7 pm May 15-18
2 pm May 18, 19
Located at the Performing Arts Center at Sumner High School
Box office opens 1/2 hour before showtimes. Tickets are $12 adults, $8 seniors, military and students without ASB card, and $5 for students with ASB card. Purchase tickets online here.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental health wellness is an essential part of the overall health and well-being of both our students and staff. Mental health refers to our emotional and social well-being and impacts how we think, feel, and behave. It plays a role in connecting with others, making decisions, handling stress, and many other aspects of daily life. Your mental health deserves just as much attention as your physical health.
Did you know? SBLSD partners with Daybreak, the leading school-based teletherapy provider that gives students access to high-quality, affordable and culturally-competent youth mental health programs and care to meet their unique needs. Reach out to your child’s school counselor if you’re interested in accessing these services. Visit sumnersd.org/wellness for additional mental health and wellness resources.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or mental distress, please call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
You can save a life: Youth Mental Health First Aid workshop
SBLSD is partnering with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to host a free Youth Mental Health First Aid workshop that teaches how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 6-18.
This workshop covers:
How to connect youth with help
Common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in youth
Common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges
How to interact with a child or adolescent in crisis
Trauma, substance use and the impact of social media and bullying
Youth Mental Health First Aid Workshop
9 am - 5 pm Saturday, May 11
Sumner-Bonney Lake School District Central Office
1202 Wood Ave, Sumner
Questions? Contact Marilee Hill-Anderson at marilee_hill-anderson@sumnersd.org or 253-891-6032.
COVID Protocol Update
As we continue to navigate through COVID and COVID protocols, I wanted to provide you all with some updates:
On May 30, 2023, DOH released updated COVID-19 guidelines for K-12 schools and childcare, reflecting continued shifts toward long-term COVID-19 management and away from an emergency response.
- No longer required:
- Schools are no longer required to report Covid Cases except when there is an outbreak
- Schools/Departments are no longer required to inform the school community of COVID cases
- The District is no longer required to report COVID cases on the District dashboard or to the health department
- Students are no longer required to isolate for 5 days after testing positive for COVID.
- Exclusion of students with Symptoms
- Students and staff with new symptoms, such as cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, or other symptoms of COVID 19 should not attend school or child care. They should stay home, and get tested for COVID 19.
- For questions about specific symptoms in general, see When to Keep Your Student Home information
- While students are no longer required to isolate for 5 days, they:
- Should isolate for 5 full days after positive test or symptoms first appeared. Students may return when they are fever free without the use of medication and there is significant symptom improvement.
- Should notify the school of a positive COVID test.
- Should test or see primary care provider for alternative diagnosis.
Strong school attendance matters
Did you know?
Starting in kindergarten, too many absences (excused and unexcused) can cause children to fall behind in school.
Missing 10 percent of the school year is considered chronically absent. That’s only two days a month or 18 days in a school year.
Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
Setting a regular bedtime and morning routines can reduce tardiness and absences.
By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
How can you help your child to have strong attendance?
Schedule non-urgent appointments to occur after school.
Only let your student stay home if they are truly sick.
Develop a back-up plan for getting to school in case of the unexpected.
Talk to your student about the importance of attendance.
Talk to your student’s teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be signs of an underlying issue.
Update your student’s information at school as your address and/or phone number(s) change.
If your student is going to be absent, please contact your school. If prior notice is not possible and you are notified that your child was absent through ParentSquare, please reply to the attendance notice, call or email your school, or send a written note upon the student’s return to school.
Compulsory Attendance Policies & State Law
In the State of Washington, RCW 28A.225 requires children who are between the ages of 8 and 17 years old to attend a public school, private school or a district approved home school program. The Washington State truancy law, otherwise known as The Becca Bill, requires schools to notify parents and guardians of the absences.
The school and parent must make a plan when there are unexcused absences recorded. It is our desire to work with families to ensure required attendance of our students.
For information about excused and unexcused absences and tardies and District attendance procedures, please refer to the Family Student Handbook and/or Sumner-Bonney Lake School District Policy and Procedure 3122 Excused and Unexcused Absences.
The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. The following employees are designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Title IX/Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator Adrienne Chacon (253) 891-6033, ADA Coordinator Diana Thomas (253) 891-6033, Section 504 Coordinator Karen Finigan (253) 891-6040. Address: 1202 Wood Ave, Sumner, WA 98390.