Newsletter

Please remember:

• Schools are on 1/2 day schedule for conferences.
• Many schools in partnership with parent organizations are hosting book fairs.
• Family Belonging Surveys are still open.

We are pleased to partner with our Parent Organizations who will host an informational forum at each school between December 5 and January 22. These events are open to the public, and families can attend any event. However, the parent organizations will have information and resources available specific to their school families.

Forums will be in person; however, a ZOOM link is provided to watch remotely. All events are posted on our levy website calender along with other levy information. Continue to monitor the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as we move forward and respond to community comment.

Come learn about the levy and ask questions!

Starting January 5 after Winter Break, the only way to clear your child's absence will be using Family Access. We encourage you to practice this next month. Instructions are available on our school websites.

Remember: you will need a Family Access Login. Visit our website with instructions to set up your account.

Tuesday's storm caught many of us by surprise. While we were fortunate to have maintained power and network in our schools, there is always a chance weather can impact our school schedule. Here are a few FAQs and topics to discuss with your children.

Q: When do we make the call?

A: We monitor power and network 24/7 and start driving the roads at 3am. While we try to make a decision by 5:15am, we ofter have changes in temperature in remote areas where it is unsafe for buses to travel and may delay notification until we are confident that our drivers can arrive safely and get buses/vans on the road.

Q: Where do you post delays and closures?

A: An automated message (phone, email and text) is sent out to all families and staff as soon as we decide. We will post the information on the district and school websites along with social media. We pubish on FlashAlert which notifies all media outlets. We do not control when they add our school to their lists.

Q: What happens when most roads are safe but there are some places that may not be?

A: We have some roads that are difficult for buses to travel. We have developed "inclement weather routes" which change pickup and drop off locations which also impact the route times. These routes will be posted on our website.

Q: When there is a delay are other programs impacted?

A: Yes, a delay shortens the school day impacting the ability to offer preschool, any out of district transportation including New Market and no breakfast service.

We want to keep all parents and guardians informed about district and school information. However, it can be overwhelming to get phone calls, emails and texts. You can manage your messages to fit your preference but access stored messages to review at a later date. If you block the emails or calls, you will not receive any future messages or emergency notifications.

Instead download the School Messenger App in Google Play Store or Apple App Store. You will be able to set preferences on which types of messages you want to receive and how. Check our website for details.

Remember: You must OPT IN to receive text messages by texting YES to 67587.

Nov 25-27: 1/2 Day - Conferences (no preschool)

Nov 28-29: No School - Thanksgiving Break

Dec 5: Levy Forum @ YHS 6pm

Dec 10: Levy Forum @ Lackamas 4:00pm

Dec 11: Levy Forum @ RMS 6:30pm

Dec 12: Levy Forum @ Southworth 5:00pm

Dec 17: Levy Forum @ Prairie 6:00pm

Dec 19: School Board Meeting @ District Office 6pm

Dec 23: Winter Break Begins

Jan 5: Return to School

Email: communications@ycs.wednet.edu
Website: www.ycs.wednet.edu
Location: 107 North 1st Street, Yelm, Washington, USA
Phone: 360.458.1900
YouTube

Yelm Community Schools does not discriminate in any programs, activities or employment opportunities 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. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights: Doyla Buckingham, 360.458.1900, doyla_buckingham@ycs.wednet.edu; Title IX Coordinator: Lisa Cadero-Smith, 360.458.6120, lisa_cadero-smith@ycs.wednet.edu; and HIB & 504 Coordinator: Shannon Powell, 360.458.6124, shannon_powell@ycs.wednet.edu. Address: 107 First St N, PO Box 476, Yelm, WA 98597.