Evergreen Middle School
December 22, 2023
Message from Principal Collins
Friday morning, our choir, orchestra and band scholars performed for their peers. It is such a joy to hear such beautiful music performed by our scholars. We are so proud of our students and staff as they have been working diligently to showcase their special talents.
As we head into our December vacation and the last week of the month and the year, it certainly is a time to reflect and take stock. As I reflect on the first few months of the school year, I think about how hard our scholars and staff worked to create a learning environment. How we grew and embraced new ways to connect and creative ways to meet all our scholars learning needs. Together we have continued to explore innovative ways to engage and support the children in our care, and as this calendar year comes to a close, I am grateful for the commitment and passion of our Staff and for the unwavering support they give daily. I look forward to our work together to reach even greater heights and fulfill our potential as a school community where everyone can thrive and grow together.
As I think about Evergreen and what 2024 can bring, here are some of my own goals as your principal. I will continue my focus on a positive, safe, warm school climate where students and staff feel comfortable and at home. Our environment is one where when we all commit to treating others respectfully, and when we learn and celebrate the differences that we all have, we are enriched...and it's a win/win for everyone. Second, I plan to provide more FUN opportunities for students to create special memories here at school, while meeting new friends and trying new things. Our students are in middle school for such a brief period, and I want them to be happy and fulfilled within our community. Providing opportunities to showcase who they are, to participate in different school events, and to highlight what talents they have are all on my mind and we can do all of these while having fun. Third, I also think about the quality instruction that our teachers and staff work so hard to provide each day. I have seen how our staff is constantly learning new strategies to reach our learners and I am committed to our leadership team supporting them and recognizing them for what they do. Finally, I plan to work closely with more students in 2024. Student voice is important and I want to hear directly from them on what is working well and what they would like to see at EVG.
As we come back in January, I would like to remind parents when you are picking up your child(ren) make sure to park in our School parking lot. Do not pull into the bus loop. Please do not stop on 40th Ave S. or make U-turns on 40th Ave S. after you pick up your child(ren). Most importantly do not block the busses trying to get out of the bus loop. They are on tight schedules and need to leave as soon as possible. Please use Evergreen’s parking lot. The traffic does flow through the parking lot quickly, thank you
I wish you a restful winter break and hope you enjoy this time with your scholar (s). For the New Year, I wish you health and happiness and hope the winter recess provides a myriad of opportunities for you and your scholar(s) to do things you might not be able to accomplish when school is in session.
On behalf of the staff and Evergreen Middle School To all of our Evergreen families, warmest holiday wishes and here’s to a prosperous new year for all!
Your Partner in Education,
Mrs. Collins
253 945 5100
Quotes for the month of December
December is a month of enormous potential. It’s a time when we can all give and receive. A time when the spirit of humanity shines brightest." -– Michael Josephson
“December is the time for remembering the past and reaching toward the future.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sweat the technique!
This Friday, I am gifting all Evergreen teachers a book that describes the most important techniques of teaching. For example, one page explains how to call on students without putting them on the spot, while another shows how to end lessons by consolidating the learning and calmly transitioning the students into the hallway. The book is called WalkThru 5-Step Guides to Build Great Teaching, and I have been using a version of it with teachers since it was in its first edition.
Just as a surgeon must amass a plethora of techniques to be able to perform surgery successfully, so must teachers to be able to teach their students effectively. Inevitably, teachers must adapt the techniques to fit their context, but we cannot forget that the core variables of learning - that students must be listening, thinking, and exerting effort in order to learn – are the same in all classrooms. As a teacher, I found that mastering something as mundane as getting students to get out their materials quickly freed me up to think about other things in the classroom; those intangibles that are often emphasized in education over technique.
As Evergreen’s instructional coach, I am committed to helping teachers to improve their practice, one technique at a time.
Zach Groshell, Ph.D.
Instructional Coach
Evergreen Middle School
