November 2024

As we kick-off our month long focus on Gratitude, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you for an amazing October! It has been fantastic to see so many of you volunteering as an Art Docent, Watch DOG or classroom volunteer. Your support and engagement is key to our efforts to ensure every Falcon is known, valued and supported. Thanks to your support, the PTO raised over $27,000 that will support engaging experiences throughout the year, including assemblies and field trips.

As we look ahead to November, we have exciting updates and important information to share so that the month is a successful for our entire community. We want make sure you have all the information you need about Prop. 1 and the nearest secure ballot drops. Remember to vote and drop your ballot off by Tuesday, November 4th. Please see more detailed information in the next section. We also encourage you to review other important information including Fall Family Conferences on 11/20-22, the annual Mayor's Food Drive, and the Big Give.

We hope to see all of our families of Veterans and active duty service members at the Veterans Day Assembly at 8:45 on Friday, November 8.

Make it a great day to be a Falcon!

Adam Uhler, Principal & Angela Kelly, Assistant Principal

Over the past few months, the district has been sharing facts and information about Proposition 1: K-12 Expanded Student Capacity, School Improvements & Safety Upgrades.

As we continue to provide information about the bond, we naturally receive questions. Please see answers to some frequently-asked questions.

Why does the district need to run a bond?

The District needs to add classrooms by expanding facilities, and replace aging and outdated school facilities to improve and increase educational opportunities, programs and spaces, and enhance safety and security.

Sumner-Bonney Lake is one of the fastest growing school districts in Pierce County, with more families moving here to join our community and our schools. We are currently overcrowded and need more classrooms. Nine out of 14 schools are currently over 100% capacity. Projected enrollment is expected to increase by 16% in the next decade, 2024-2033.

A delay in running a bond would further add to the costs in the long run. If we were to run the 2020 bond (that didn’t pass) today, there would be a 147% cost increase due to inflation and rising costs:

Bond cost in 2020 = $175 million
Costs for the same bond today = $433 million

What projects are on the bond?

Every school in the district will benefit from the bond. See our projects list and map. Here are details about the eight projects receiving the bulk of expansion/upgrades/improvements:

• Bonney Lake High School Expansion

• Sumner High School Master Plan

• New middle school in Tehaleh

• Crestwood Elementary Improvements

• Liberty Ridge Elementary Improvements

• Donald Eismann Elementary Improvements

• Tehaleh Heights Elementary Improvements

• Daffodil Valley Elementary Improvements

For further information, please refer our district website.

The much-anticipated general election ballots have arrived! And, there’s a lot on them, so be sure and turn your ballot over to see SBLSD’s Proposition 1: K-12 Expanded Student Capacity, School Improvements & Safety Upgrades on the bottom.

After you’ve filled out your ballot:

• Drop it off at a Pierce County Ballot Dropbox, with three located locally:

• Sumner Library (1116 Fryer Ave)

• Bonney Lake South Park & Ride (Sky Island Dr E & 184th Ave E)

• Bonney Lake Public Safety Building (18409 Veterans Memorial Dr E) (NEW)

or

• Mail it and make sure it’s postmarked by Nov. 5

then

• Track it by signing in to VoteWA.gov and click the tab that says “Your Ballot & Voting Materials”

Not yet registered to vote? Click here to register or update your registration.

Fall conferences will be held on November 20-22nd. Fall conferences focus on formative assessment to share an academic and social-emotional well-child check up. We would like all students to attend and be actively engaged in their conference. Students will be working alongside their teacher to present their progress and goals for the year.

Conference sign-up will be available through Parent Square on Monday, 11/4. Parents should be receiving notification to sign up. Please make sure that you have access to Parent Square and keep an eye out for a message from your student's teacher. If you do not receive an email, please call the office.

There will be early dismissal on conference days at 11:40 am. Lunch will be served.

VFE is participating in the 11th Annual Mayor's Food Drive. This year we are collecting cans of corn. Our goal is 7,000 cans!! Please help us reach our goal by sending cans of corn to our VFE Office. Please be sure to check the expiration date (no expired cans please).

If we reach our goal, every student will help duct tape Mr. Uhler to the wall!!

Picture Retake day is coming up! If you would like retakes, please send your picture packets back on Retake Day with your student. Parents can also order photos online through mydorian.com. Please contact the office if you have any questions at 253-891-4700.

We are excited to invite all families of service members, Veterans in our school community, and families of students speaking or performing in the assembly to join us for an extraordinary Veterans Day School Assembly on Friday, November 8, 2024, from 8:55 AM to 9:25 AM.

The doors will open at 8:45 a.m.

The PTO will provide coffee outside the front doors for those who arrive early.

Guests are encouraged to walk or carpool, as parking is limited. We look forward to honoring our Veterans!

We are looking forward to focusing on Gratitude throughout November! Students are learning that Gratitude is “choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives.” Practicing Gratitude can increase our well-being and even our happiness! Gratitude is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Well. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like emotion regulation, positive self-talk, and stress-management.

We encourage you to capture moments in the car or at the dinner table to engage your student. Ask them to share or show what it means to practice gratitude. Ask them to share something their are grateful for each morning as you get ready for the day. Or, have some fun as a family by engaging in a PurposeFull Pursuit.

PurposeFull Pursuit #1: What are some small, specific things that you are Grateful for? Maybe it is your favorite water cup, the way the cat sleeps on the chair, or when your grandma bakes banana bread. Spend some time as a family trying to think of at least 10 small things that you have Gratitude for and then choose to notice them this week with a smile.

PurposeFull Pursuit #2: Review Gratitude as a family! Remember that Gratitude is choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives. Find a place in your home to display a glass jar. Cut up small slips of paper and place them next to the jar. Use the jar to collect special people, places, events, and memories that your family is thankful for. Find a time each week to add slips of Gratitude to the jar and assist students in writing or drawing gratitude as needed. Having a gloomy day or a challenging time as a family? Pull out the slips of Gratitude and read them aloud together as a reminder of your Grateful moments.

Good Attendance is Important

We value every student’s contribution to our school community and miss them when they are gone. Regular, daily attendance is one of the most important things a student can do to be successful in all grade levels.

Please remember…

• All absences (excused and unexcused) have the potential of harming students academically.

• Students who miss 10 percent (18 days) of the school year, or two or more days a month, are defined as being chronically absent.

• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.

• By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.

• It takes an average of 3 days for a student to catch up from every 1 day of being absent.

• Missing 3 or more days of school per month can set a student back up to 2 full years of learning.

Assess Your Student’s Attendance

Take an assessment of where your student is a quarter of the way through the school year and learn what you can do to help.

• The Satisfactory Zone (0-3 absences): Your child has good attendance. Celebrate and make a goal with your child to have even better attendance.

• The Warning Zone (4-6 absences): Your child’s learning may be affected. Pay special attention to make sure your child is keeping up with school work and support strong attendance in the future.

• The Danger Zone (7-9 or more absences): There is a good chance your child has fallen behind academically. Develop a plan with your child’s school to help your child get to school on time and attend regularly.

Good attendance matters

• Chronic absence (missing 10 percent of the school year or more) does not just affect the students who miss school. If too many students are chronically absent, it slows down instruction for other students, who must wait while the teacher repeats material for absentee students. This makes it harder for students to learn and teachers to teach.

• Good attendance helps children do well in school and eventually in the workplace. Good attendance matters for school success, starting as early as prekindergarten and throughout elementary school. By middle and high school, poor attendance is a leading indicator of dropout. Developing the habit of attendance prepares students for success on the job and in life.

Thank you for helping start the year off strong! 83% of families have paid their fee!

If you still need to pay the fee, please pay online, call the school, or send cash/ check with your student (be sure to label it with their name and teacher)

For step-by-step instructions on how to pay for elementary school supplies, click here. Here is the direct link to online payments at VFE.

Thank you for your efforts getting your students to school on time. If you arrive past 10:00 am on Mondays & 8:25 am Tuesday - Friday we kindly ask that you park your vehicle & walk your student into the office to be signed in. Please contact the front office with any questions you may have. 253-891-4700.

Hi parents! We are running low on our supply of spare clothing in the health room, and would be so grateful for any donations of gently used clothing or shoes. Our biggest need is pants for boys and girls, sizes 6-14. Donations of NEW packages of underwear or socks are greatly appreciated as well! Thank you for helping keep our Falcons clean and dry!

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of music as our 5th graders take the stage for their Winter Concert!

📅 Date: Wednesday, December 11
🕒 Arrival Time: 6:40 PM
🎤 Concert Start: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Bonney Lake High School Performing Arts Center

A Friendly Reminder for Families:
To help make this a successful performance, we kindly ask families to remind their children about the importance of good stage behavior. Please encourage your child to remain focused, stand tall, avoid talking while on stage, and show support for their classmates.

Thank you for your support—we’re looking forward to a wonderful evening of music and celebration!

This week your K-2 student should be bringing something home that looks like the above picture. This is a mindfulness tool to help regulate those big feelings and when we are feeling overwhelmed. Some ideas--move a bead for each big breath, move a bead after saying a positive affirmation about themselves, move a bead for something that makes them happy or grateful. The kids were super excited to create them and practice using the tool.

To help with the abundance of lost and found clothing and items, please label your student's clothing. We try our best to look through the lost and found and deliver them to students if they are labeled.

Lost & Found is open for parents to look through from 7:30am-4:30pm. Please avoid coming during arrival 8:10-8:25 & dismissal 3:10-3:30. Due to the amount of lost and Found items, all of the items will be donated over Thanksgiving Break (11/27-11/29).

We are so thankful for our volunteers, who help make so many things possible! If you would like to be added to our volunteer email list, use the link to sign up. We will use this to notify you of different opportunities throughout the year to be involved with PTO events. We are creating a new volunteer list for the 24/25 year, so please sign up even if you volunteered last year.

Please remember: You MUST be approved through the SBLSD to volunteer.

We look forward to serving the Falcon community with you!

SBLSD Volunteer link

VFE Volunteer Google Form

Together we raised $27,205.54 through our Walk A Thon! Our students did an amazing job asking families and friends to donate and completing the Walk A Thon in October! Thank you to everyone who donated and all of the volunteers who helped! We truly appreciate you.

The book fair will be held during the parent/teacher Conferences on 11/20-22 in the Library.

Please note: There is an early release at 11:40 a.m. on those days.

The Book Fair hours are:

11/2011:40a-4pm

11/21 11:40a-7:30pm

11/22 11:40a-4pm

The PTO is looking for volunteers to help at the Book Fair. If you are interested, please use the Sign Up Genius.

We are excited to bless our staff on Thursday November 21th with a delicious Thanksgiving meal as our November Staff Appreciation event. This is much-loved VFE tradition! I know this time of year can be VERY busy for us all, so feel free to utilize store bought/already prepared, or whip up your family's favorite recipe to share. Any contributions are so appreciated!

We can also use help to set up the feast (see the volunteer slot). Please deliver Thanksgiving feast items to the front office on Thursday 11/21 8-9:30am.

Also, we are happy to be providing snacks for staff as it will be conference week. Slots asking for snacks are included. Please deliver snacks for conference week to the front office on Monday 11/18 10-3pm.

Thanks so much for your support! Please use this Sign Up Genius link to contribute items.

Mark your calendars! The PTO is planning a Holiday Family fun event called Make It & Take It.

There will be lots of arts & crafts, activities, and more.

The event will be at Victor Falls Elementary in the MPR

All families are invited! This is a FREE Event.

6:30-8:30 pm

More details to come!

Calling all artists! The time has come for our annual STEM Fair and Art Show poster contest. Students of all grades are invited to submit an original piece of artwork to be considered for this year's promotional materials. The winning artwork will be featured on posters and flyers for the event, and the artist will be recognized on district social media and at the STEM Fair itself.

Check out last year’s winning art here: Click here

This year’s STEM Fair and Art Show will be held at Sumner Middle School on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025.

Guidelines:

• Submissions must be STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) related.

• Submissions must include the phrase: STEM Fair and Art Show 2025.

• Submissions can be hand drawn or electronic and should fit within the box on the poster contest template.

• Submissions must be completed by the student without aid from others.

• Submissions do not need to state the date, time, or location of the event - this information will be available elsewhere on the poster.

• Submissions must include the student name, school, grade, and teacher name.

• Submissions must be received by Jeremy Martin at Central Office by the end of day on the due date, November 29th, 2024.

To submit an entry:

• Students should submit their artwork to their art teacher, or to the main office of their school

Judging:

• As in past years, submissions will be judged by Central Office staff on the following bases:

• Visual Impact – use of color and design to capture the viewer’s attention.

• Originality and Creativity—the design is unique and shows creative interpretation of the STEM concept.

• Theme – uses the phrase “STEM Fair and Art Show 2025” and contains a visual representation of STEM

• Craftsmanship – chosen medium is used to create a finished product that is neat, free from errors and/or stray marks.

• In the event of a tie, the first place winner will be chosen by Superintendent Dent.

• First, second, and third place winners will be notified, and will be included in a celebratory post on district social media and in our district newsletter.

Falcon Families,

With chillier weather around the corner, members from the East Pierce Firefighters IAFF Local 3520 are partnering with Victor Falls to ensure that students who need warm coats have them free of charge. If your student could benefit from a new winter coat, please contact our school counselor at kaitlyn_johnson@sumnersd.org with the following information:

-Students first and last name

-Teacher

-Size of coat needed

*Please make sure to have this information to Mrs. Johnson by 11/7/24

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at any time.

Kaitlyn_johnson@sumnersd.org

Families,

The holidays are approaching and we want to offer support during these times. One community support available to 1500 families is the Community Big Give. If you would benefit from receiving a free Thanksgiving meal please use the link below to apply. If you are wondering what is included, the link also contains more information addressing this and delivery times. A friendly reminder that the meals are limited and the request needs to be submitted no later than November 15th. Please reach out to your school counselor if you have any questions or could use other support.

https://communitybiggive.com/meal/

The East Pierce site of Toys for Kids hopes to make Christmas a little brighter by providing a toy and stocking stuffers to children with a need, ages birth to 17 years, within the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District area.

Please provide the information from this FORM and return the form to your school by November 25, 2024. Gifts will be distributed on December 14th at Daffodil Valley Elementary School (1509 Valley Ave E, Sumner) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. while supplies last.

Please contact Marilee Hill-Anderson if you have any questions.

marilee_hill-anderson@sumnersd.org

(253) 891-6032

Here is the November Lunch Menu.

Free and reduced-price meals are available to students that qualify. Benefits must be renewed each year. All families who wish to apply for free or reduced-price meals with the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District are encouraged to fill out an application any time during the school year. A new application must be completed at the beginning of each school year. Applications are available at all school locations or you may complete one online. Once an application is completed properly it will not be necessary to complete a new application during the school year.

Students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals or College Bound may be eligible for waived or reduced fees to participate in extracurricular school programs. Find the form necessary for eligibility at sumnersd.org/waived fees.

If you have information about a threat to student or school safety, please report it. Vector Alert is our district’s tip reporting service. Your report will remain anonymous unless you choose to include your name. All tips submitted are taken seriously and will be acted upon.

zoom_out_map

Easy ways to report (District code: 1251):

• Website: https://1251.alert1.us

• Email: 1251@alert1.us

• Call: 253-693-3729

• Text: 253-693-3729

Report tips on:

• Bullying

• Intimidation

• Harassment

• Weapons

• Drugs

• Other

Note: For easy access to the safety tip line, you can always find it at the top of our district’s homepage.

Please check our website for updates.

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Email: VFE@sumnersd.org
Website: sumnersd.org/vfe
Location: 11401 188th Ave Ct E, Bonney Lake, WA, USA
Phone: (253) 891-4700
Twitter: @VictorFallsEle1

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