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Dear Friends

September 27, 2022

Dear FriendsSeptember 27, 2022

Help us chart our course!

The school district is engaging in a strategic planning process and would like parent/guardian feedback. Parent/guardian feedback will help us outline the goals for the future of the Snohomish School District.


There are also in-person input sessions scheduled for our middle and high school students, and those are being coordinated directly through our middle and high schools. Dedicated Zoom input sessions have also been set up for our district employees, and details of those sessions have been communicated through staff email.


At each session, participants will discuss:

  • What is Snohomish School District doing well?
  • What could the Snohomish School District do to improve the outcome of the goals for our child/children?


The majority of parent/guardian sessions will be held over Zoom. We hope you will be able to attend one of the sessions so that you can provide feedback that will help us improve the education and services for our children. Parent/guardian session details are noted below:


Thursday, October 6


Wednesday, October 12


Thursday, October 13


Thursday, October 20

  • 5-6 p.m. at the Resource and Training Center (1601 Avenue D in Snohomish)
  • In-person session for Russian/Ukrainian-speaking parents/guardians
  • Interpreters will be provided

  • 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Resource and Training Center (1601 Avenue D in Snohomish)
  • In-person session for Spanish-speaking parents/guardians
  • Interpreters will be provided

Fall teacher conference information

This year’s fall teacher conferences will be held the week of October 24. Please watch for school-specific conference details that will be communicated directly by our schools.

Please note that AIM High School and Parent Partnership Program conference and half-day early release day schedules are different from the schedule noted below and will be communicated directly from each school to families.


October 24 Week Schedule
Monday, October 24

    • No parent/guardian/teacher conferences will be scheduled.
    • Regular in-school food service will be provided.


Tuesday, October 25

    • Elementary parent/guardian/teacher conferences will be scheduled between 12:30-3:20 p.m.
      • Exception: Central Emerson Elementary (Central Campus) will also hold conferences from 4:05-7:35 p.m. on Tuesday evening.
    • Middle and high school parent/guardian/teacher conferences will be scheduled between 11:15 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
    • Elementary, middle and high school students can grab a lunch to-go at dismissal.


Wednesday, October 26

    • Elementary parent/guardian/teacher conferences will be scheduled between 12:30-3:20 p.m. and from 4:05-7:35 p.m.
      • Exception: Evening conferences will not be held at Central Emerson Elementary (Central Campus) on Wednesday evening.
    • Middle and high school parent/guardian/teacher conferences will be scheduled between 11:15 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
    • Elementary, middle and high school students can grab a lunch to-go at dismissal.


Thursday, October 27

    • Elementary parent/guardian/teacher conferences will be scheduled between 12:30-3:20 p.m.
    • Middle and high school parent/guardian/teacher conferences will be scheduled between 11:15 a.m-2:30 p.m. and from 4:30-7 p.m.
    • Elementary, middle and high school students can grab a lunch to-go at dismissal.


Friday, October 28

  • Half-day early release for elementary, middle and high schools.
  • No parent/guardian/teacher conferences will be scheduled.
  • Elementary, middle and high school students can grab a lunch to-go at dismissal.

K-3 highly capable program information

If your student is currently in grades K-3 and you are interested in your student receiving highly capable services to include learning opportunities with more depth, complexity, and acceleration in the classroom please be aware of the following information. Students currently identified for highly capable K-3 services do not need to go through the K-3 referral process.


Referral packets for the K-3 highly capable program are available in all elementary schools, and on the Snohomish School District websites in English, Spanish and Russian. The completed referral packet is due Wednesday, October 19 and can be turned in at your home school or the Snohomish School District office (drop box located by the main entrance) located at 1601 Avenue D, Snohomish, WA 98290. Click here to learn more.


If you have questions, you may contact Linda Varner at 360-563-7296 or Julie Francois at 360-563-7258.

Upcoming homecoming celebrations

Below are the various spirit days for our school homecoming weeks. Whether you have a student in high school or not, join in the fun and share in the community spirit!

Students named Commended Scholars

Kudos to our four Glacier Peak High School and Snohomish High School students who have been named National Merit Commended Scholars. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2023 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).


National Merit Commended Scholars are:

  • Leo Malmberg, Glacier Peak High School
  • Ella Molsee, Snohomish High School
  • Cassidy O’Neill, Snohomish High School
  • Antonia Ordonez Suarez, Glacier Peak High School

Employees hold food drive for kids

District classified (PSE) and transportation department employees got it done for kids and hunger last weekend! Employees held a food drive and proceeds benefited the Hope Creek Charitable Foundation Backpacks of Hope Program, which provides healthy food over the weekends for local students impacted by food insecurity. Within a few short hours they collected 897 pounds of food and $250 for the cause!

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Calling all Snohomish School District high school students!

Calling all Snohomish School District high school students! Are you interested in serving as a representative on the Student Advisory Council for the School Board? We have 10-member Student Advisory Council representative positions open for the 2022-2023 school year and invite you to submit your application by October 14, 2022. Four students (one per grade level) will be selected from each Glacier Peak High School and Snohomish High School, and two students will be selected from AIM High School. Students selected to the Student Advisory Council will receive community service hours for their involvement. Learn more and apply at www.sno.wednet.edu/studentadvisory.

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Senior Citizens Dinner - November 16

Calling all community senior citizens... you're invited! The 2022 Senior Citizens Dinner “A Little Taste of Italy" will be held at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16. The free dinner will be held at Glacier Peak High School (7401 144th Place SE in Snohomish) and is coordinated by the Glacier Peak High School and Snohomish High School ASB students. Community senior citizens are invited for dinner, games, photos and entertainment! To RSVP, please contact Teri Corwin at 360-563-7547 no later than Friday, November 4.

Interested in getting more involved in your school district?

We are looking for adults interested in getting involved in the work and activities of the Snohomish School District? Click here for an online interest form for you to complete, so when an opportunity arises, we will know of your interest. Community engagement is a priority for our school district, and we are looking for adults who are interested in getting more involved at a district level. Involvement could include participating on committees or focus groups. Topics may include district strategic planning, food & nutrition, equity & inclusion, curriculum & academics, events & activities, and schools, building & facility planning.


If you are interested, please click here to complete an online interest form. As potential opportunities for involvement arise throughout the school year, we will be in touch with those who have expressed interest.

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Now hiring!

Join our team! Visit www.sno.wednet.edu/jobs or call 360-563-7233 today!


Current high-need school and district openings include:

  • Paraeducators/Educational Assistants
  • Psychologists, Occupational/Physical Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists
  • Elementary and Secondary Teachers
  • Administrative Assistants and Office Support
  • Custodians
  • Maintenance Workers, Plumbers, and Carpenters
  • School Bus Drivers and Substitute Bus Drivers
  • Substitute Nurses
  • Substitute Teachers/Guest Teachers
  • Substitute Paraeducators/Educational Assistants

  • Kitchen Staff

  • Lifeguards

  • Swim Instructors


Snohomish School District positions


Snohomish Aquatic Center positions


Chartwells K-12/Compass Group (district's food service provider) positions

Driver shortage having impacts on district transportation

The district is continuing to work on ways to minimize the impact of the existing labor shortage on our bus driver workforce. However the shortage of bus drivers, combined with normal absences due to illness, has already created circumstances that potentially could have impacted district routes and schedules.


We want you to be aware of a possible driver shortage scenario that could impact students and families. It is possible our drivers may have to drive a double run (meaning they would drive one route and then return to pick up/drop off students from an additional route of an absent driver). The impact could cause significant delays. Elementary routes could be delayed for as long as an hour and secondary delays could be impacted by up to two hours. Should these delays happen in the afternoon, school staff will be available to supervise students and provide a snack/water if needed.


Should we learn of a specific instance where pick-up and drop-off times are delayed, the school district or your school will contact impacted families as soon as we are able through our School Messenger communication system (phone and email). We encourage parents/guardians and our students to utilize the Traversa Ride 360 app (see info below on Traversa Ride 360) as this system provides secure, up-to-date access to specific student bus schedule/routing information.


Our district is currently transporting about 8,000 students each day on school buses, and our driver shortage has left us about 10-15 drivers short of a full staff. Our drivers are assigned multiple routes each day. In addition, our district substitute drivers, mechanics and routers are driving routes when necessary. We are actively recruiting and training bus drivers.


While our intention is that the above scenario is rare, and hopefully not necessary to implement, we want to give our students and families time and space to plan for the possibility. We appreciate your patience and understanding.


If you or someone you know would be interested in becoming a bus driver, please have them contact us at 360-563-3525. We are currently paying $27.63 per hour (paid training available).

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Traversa Ride 360

Traversa Ride 360 provides secure, up-to-date access to student bus schedule/routing information and specifics. Traversa Ride 360 provides quick access to your child's bus schedule/routing information, which can include the bus stop, route, and bus number. This is accessible on mobile devices, and confidential and secure. This program can be accessed via the web or mobile app and is free to download and use. The user guide can be downloaded by clicking one of the links below:


Parents/guardians need to use their student ID# (include the initial 0 if there is one) and student date of birth to add their student to the app.


Traversa Ride 360 website - https://wasnohomishsd201.traversaride360.com/

District transportation information - www.sno.wednet.edu/transportation

School & district news

  • School newsletters - If you would like to receive Dear Friends and other district and school newsletters, or if you have a high school student who wants to receive the school Daily Bulletin, you must subscribe to our listserv subscription tool. For directions on how to subscribe or change your subscription preferences (for those already signed up), please click here.
  • Dear Friends - Looking for back issues of our Dear Friends enews? Visit www.sno.wednet.edu/dearfriends.
  • Facebook - Today, 11,000 Facebook fans receive regular district updates through our district's Facebook page - www.facebook.com/snohomishschooldistrict. This site is just one of many ways we communicate with our students, staff, families and community. Although we are aware of other Facebook pages, please note that this is the only verified Facebook page of the Snohomish School District and is where official information is posted.
  • School Messenger - Our district uses the School Messenger automated system as a tool for communication with our parents, families and staff. School Messenger works with the district’s student-data system (Skyward/Family Access) to notify families and staff through phone and/or email of emergencies, critical school and district messages, school/district closures, inclement weather, attendance issues, underfunded student meal accounts and other events/activities. The overall goal of using this service is for parents and families to receive critical information about Snohomish schools - especially information that affects their children - in a timely manner. As long as we have accurate primary phone numbers and email addresses on record for our students in Skyward/Family Access, families should automatically receive these messages when they are sent out.

Free and low-cost community programs

Below are links to some free and low-cost programs which we are aware of that are available for our district students and community members:

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Save the date - SEF Annual Fundraising Auction

The Snohomish Education Foundation (SEF) invites you to join them at their Annual Fundraising Auction - “Light Up the Future" - on Saturday, November 12, at the Tulalip Casino Resort.


The SEF annual auction is their main fundraising event to benefit the students, teachers, and families of the Snohomish School District. Since 1986, the Snohomish Education Foundation has granted more than $2.7 million in scholarships to graduating high school seniors, funded more than $1 million in classroom grants to teachers and staff, and more than $595,000 in Snohomish School District K-12 programs.


  • 6 p.m. - Silent auction
  • 7:45 p.m. - Dinner
  • 8 p.m. - Live auction


Tickets to the annual fundraising event are $130/each. For more information call 360-568-5292 or email auction@snoed.org. To register online visit https://snoed.ejoinme.org/2022Auction. Tulalip discounted rooms are available by calling 1-866-716-7162. Mention the "Snohomish Education Foundation Auction" to receive a discount and reserve your room for this fun, charitable event!

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Register to vote

Election day is November 8. Below are some important Snohomish County voter reference materials:


And if you are a 16- and 17-year-old in the state of Washington, you can pre-register to vote! Registrants under the age of 18 will have their registrations held until they become eligible to vote. Visit www.myvote.wa.gov to:

  • Register to vote
  • Request a replacement ballot
  • Update voter registration info
  • View a listing of your elected officials
  • View what elections are impacted at the address on file
  • View ballot status (mailed, received, not received, etc.)


As a reminder, ballot boxes are located at:

  • Centennial Middle School
  • Glacier Peak High School
  • Sno-Isle Library in downtown Snohomish

Schools & COVID-19

Below is some information you may find helpful regarding COVID-19 and the 2022-2023 school year:


COVID-19 reporting
Through our online Self-Reporting Tool, students and staff can report if they have tested positive for COVID-19. All positive cases of COVID-19 should continue to be reported to the school nurse or principal so we can provide guidance and support. Those who test positive for COVID-19 outside of the school setting should also self-report through one of the following Washington State Department of Health tools:

  • Use the WANotify App to report positive result.
  • Contact the DOH COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #, to report the positive result from an over-the-counter test.

District-approved community fliers


    Fliers are typically posted on Tuesdays during the months of August through June. For additional flier program details and/or to complete a request for distribution, please click here.
    Sign up to receive school communications
    If you have not already subscribed and would like to receive newsletters from your student's school or the high school Daily Bulletin, please click here to follow the directions and subscribe or edit subscription preferences to our listserv.
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    How to reach us

    Non-Discrimination Notice

    The Snohomish School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities 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 Coordinator, Title IX Coordinator and ADA – Darryl Pernat, 1601 Avenue D, Snohomish, WA 98290, 360-563-7285, darryl.pernat@sno.wednet.edu; Section 504 Coordinator and Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying – Shawn Stevenson, 1601 Avenue D, Snohomish, WA 98290, 360-563-7282, shawn.stevenson@sno.wednet.edu.
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    Our mission

    The Snohomish School District, in its commitment to excellence, places the success of each student at the center of all decisions and actions. Partnerships and strong academic programs ensure competent, responsible, lifelong learners.

    Email: communications@sno.wednet.edu
    Website: www.sno.wednet.edu
    Location: 1601 Avenue D, Snohomish, WA, USA
    Phone: 3605637300
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snohomishschooldistrict/