Gateway Family News

Labor Day is upon us, the leaves and starting to fall, and school is in the air. Once again we can't wait to meet with you and your student.

If you missed our August communication, here is the link to this letter. This communication contains information you need for back to school.

Friday, August 30th

Schedules will be available in HAC @4:00pm - we will notify families when they are available

Monday, September 2nd

Labor Day- School Closed

Tuesday, September 3rd

6th Grade Orientation 10:00am - 12:00pm

7th + 8th Grade + New Student Drop In 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Wednesday, September 4th

First Day of School!

Friday, September 6th

Learning Improvement Friday (LIF)

LIF + PM Assembly Bell Schedule

Tuesday, September 10th

School Picture Day

Wednesday, September 11th

Families should expect to receive the link to the school year calendar

Thursday, September 19th

6:00-8:00 - Gateway Curriculum Night

We are using a new communication platform that should help streamline communication to families. Here is a link on our website with more info Parents Overview / ParentSquare (everettsd.org). ParentSquare is a great tool that helps our district, schools, and families stay connected. It makes it easy to communicate in different languages, sends quick notifications, and has a single newsfeed for all important updates. If you want to have the app on your phone, there are QR codes below to scan.

• Please drop off your student at the gym starting at 9:50am.

• The session is not required, but it will be a great opportunity for your student to attend!

• This timeframe is only for 6th graders, and we will have different activities scheduled from 10am-12pm.

• Teachers are likely not available. However this is a chance for some fun activities for our incoming 6th graders!

• 6th graders will attend an assembly, get their schedule, walk their schedule, learn school routines, and pick up their Chromebook.
• At 11:45am we will welcome parents back to drop off medications/paperwork with the School Nurse and check in with their student. If your student would like more time to walk their schedule, you are welcome to walk it with them.

• Students will be picked up by their guardians 11:45am - 12:15pm in the Gateway MS bus loop.
• Payments can be made in the Main Office, but it is preferred that payments are made online through Intouch https://wa-everett.intouchreceipting.com/ (ASB card, Yearbook, and optional PE shirt/shorts).Please note - Yearbooks are not available to purchase until September 3rd, and the link will then remain open until September 24th.

** We will also send out HAC login instructions when schedules are available in HAC on Friday, August 30th.
• If your student cannot attend on Tuesday, September 3rd, not to worry! We will have lots of staff members in the hallways helping students get where they need to go and find what they need when school starts. **

• The session is not required, and there is not a schedule of events for this session.

• The 2:00-4:00pm timeframe is intended for 7th grade and 8th grade students (including new students) to drop-in and do a self-guided tour of their schedule. There will be staff onsite to help guide students as well.

• Students, please print your schedule or take a photo of your schedule in HAC. We will also send out HAC login instructions when schedules are available in HAC on Friday, August 30th at 4:00pm.

• The Chromebook Cafe will be open to pick up your new Chromebook!

• Teachers are likely not available as they will be getting ready for the first day of school.

• Payments can be made in the Main Office, but it is preferred that payments are made online through Intouch https://wa-everett.intouchreceipting.com/ (ASB card, Yearbook, and optional PE shirt/shorts) - more instructions and information about this will be sent in our upcoming September Gateway Family News. Please note - Yearbooks are not available to purchase until September 3rd, and the link will then remain open until September 24th.
• A representative from Athletics will be onsite to help students with Athletics sign-ups!

** If your student cannot attend on Tuesday, September 3rd, not to worry! We will have lots of staff members in the hallways helping students get where they need to go and find what they need when school starts. **

If your student cannot attend their session on Tuesday, September 9th, not to worry! We will have lots of staff members in the hallways helping students get where they need to go.

Please complete your Annual Update ASAP!

The Annual Update must be completed every year to ensure your student's information is correct and current, including:

• Contact information for student, guardians and emergency contacts
• Priority setting of contacts
• Health and transportation updates
• Agreements, document updates, etc.

Even if you haven't had any changes, please login to review and submit.

The online process is quick and easy. Simply sign into Home Access Center (HAC). Click here to sign in to HAC. The image below displays how you will find the Annual Updates: under Registration, Update Enrollment...

..., and then click start next to the 2024-2025 Annual Student Update Form.

If you need your HAC login info, send an email to LMS@everettsd.org with your name, student name(s), student ID# and school they attend. They will respond with your login/password by email.

This link Annual Update in Home Access Center includes further instructions on completing the Annual Update.

If you are carpooling/driving to school, please give yourself plenty of time for drop off and pick up. It may take some time to get through this line. You may also drop your student off at the overflow lot across from Forest View and allow your student to walk in. School doors open at 7:50am. We do not provide student supervision before 7:50am.

There is only one way in and one way out of Gateway. Please follow the flow of traffic and only drop off students in the red square area below.

Please make sure you are driving the speed limit and looking out for our students and staff. We want every aspect of all of our students to be safe.

If you have a bus issue please contact Transportation at 425-385-4144

Everett Public Schools Board of Directors adopted a policy on use of Personal Electronic Devices in 2019.

Elementary and Middle School Students

Elementary and middle school students who choose to bring cell phones and other PEDs to school may only use them before or after the school day. During the school day, all cell phones and other PEDs must be powered off and stored (e.g., in the student’s backpack, locker, other district provided storage). Please click here to access the policy.

Parents, if you need to reach your student, please contact the office. We regularly have parents sending text messages to students during the school day. This is a distraction to learning for your student and sometimes those around them, and sometimes disrupts teaching as well. If your student is not feeling well, they should report to the health office and we will notify you. If a family emergency arises, please call the office and we will assist in retrieving your student.

We do not allow use of PEDs at anytime. ChromeBooks should only be used for academic purposes. To reduce the duration students are on screens and to encourage socialization, school ChromeBooks are not allowed to be used during lunchtime, unless a student is in the library or working with a staff member on schoolwork.

Parents, please know that counselors are continuing to work on student schedules. We continue to process students who have moved in or out of our service area. Also, schedule changes to ensure students receive required classes sometimes inadvertently changes the schedule of another student.

In addition, due to growth in our boundaries this year, and a large 6th grade class, class sizes are very full. Our electives and PE classes especially are full and we are not able to process schedule changes for students wishing to be in classes with friends or based on teacher preference, or if they did not receive their preferred elective.

The first 8 days of school, our staff works diligently to determine which students will be attending Gateway and if students who are not attending have moved, opening up space for new students. If you know your student(s) will be absent during the first 8 days of school, please utilize our attendance reporting to ensure that your student’s schedule is preserved. If we do not have contact with families during that time, we will assume that the student is no longer attending Gateway and their seats in classes will be given to other students.

To report attendance: GWYAttendance@everettsd.org

Middle School Fall Sports, including Girls Softball, Co-Ed Football and Cross Country, start on September 9th. Softball and Football are only open to 7th and 8th grade students. Cross Country is open to all students, 6th graders can participate in practices, but not meets.

Please register your athlete now on FinalForms. If you don't have an account in FinalForms, follow the directions in the Parent Play Book to create your account, register your student(s), and sign your forms. Your student will also need a current physical on file, which can be uploaded directly to FinalForms. If your student is already registered, be sure to check your student's email for messages from FinalForms that may require their attention.

The first day of practice is September 9th from 3:00pm - 4:45pm and there is an activity bus available at 5:00 PM for students who need a ride home. Students can sign up at the Office if they need to ride the Sports Activity Bus. If you have any questions about Sports at Gateway, please contact Peggy Trachte, our Athletic Secretary, at 425-385-6604 or mtrachte@everettsd.org.

The links will be open to purchase the following items:

• ASB Cards - $15.00: Monday, August 12th - will remain open all year
• Yearbooks - $30.00 1st Round: Tuesday, Sept 3rd - Tuesday, Sept. 24th
• Yearbooks - $30.00 2nd Round: Typically around Winter Break - we will notify you when this window opens

At the end of the school year we sometimes have extra Yearbooks, but it isn't a guarantee. We recommend purchasing the Yearbook at the start of the school year to make sure your student gets one! We can always check your purchase history for you to see if you did purchase one, just ask the Main Office staff.

The easiest way to make a payment is online via InTouch where you will follow the instructions to log in using your student's ID number. The instructions to login are on the login screen. Once you are logged in, click on "Items at Students School." ASB cards are under the category for Registration/Orientation, and Yearbooks are under their own category. Please reach out to the Main Office 425-385-6600 if we can help navigate this. We also accept cash/check in the Main Office. Please bring exact change if it is cash please!

Towards the end of September, course fees will be associated with student accounts as well for the following classes:

• Art 6, 7, 8 Fee - $10.00 (per Semester)
• Band Fee, Choir Fee, Orchestra Fee - $20.00 (per school year)

We will notify families when the fees are assigned, and payments can be made online or in-person.

As a parent, we always want to protect our students. If you have a concern, please take a look at the district policy on HIB. If you need to report a concern, please click here.

District Policy 3204 P

As defined in legislation, “Harassment, intimidation or bullying” means any intentional electronic, written, verbal, or physical act including but not limited to, one shown to be motivated by any characteristic in RCW 28A.640.010 and RCW 28A 642.010, or other distinguishing characteristics, when the act:

A. Physically harms a student or damages the student’s property;

B. Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education;

C. Is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; or

D. Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.

HAC (Home Access Center) is Everett School District's official gradebook. No other platform has official grades. Teachers should update this platform every two weeks. You will find that most teachers update more often. Click here to access your students grades.

Google Classroom may be used by teachers to turn in assignments and give students feedback. Teachers may grade in this platform, but the grade is not official, unless it is placed in the HAC gradebook. Teachers that use this platform will send a link to the students in their classroom.

Canvas has multiple purposes. One of these purposes is to allow students to keep up with their work when absent. If your child is ever absent, please check this platform to see what your student has missed. Teachers may have students submit work on this platform, but once again the final grade will be placed in LMS. Click here to find out how you can access Canvas.

Please take a moment to review the Student Handbook with your student. All students are expected to follow the expectations outlined in the handbook. When your student signs into their laptop, they are agreeing to these expectation.

Have a tech issue, please place a request for support by clicking here.

Need to change a password? Click here.

Want to check your student's grades? Click here.

​Our Mission: The PTSA strengthens our schools and benefits our children. Gateway PTSA provides programs and activities that enhance the educational opportunities of Gateway’s students, teachers, and the surrounding community. Gateway PTSA is an advocate for all students attending Gateway Middle School and Everett Public Schools.

Please consider joining our PTA (link was updated, PTSA is using Givebacks starting this year). Attendance at meetings is not required, but your support allows our students to have more opportunities. Click this link to find out more information! Click here to order Gateway spirit gear!

Students will soon be taking the Panorama SEL survey. Click here for more information.