Spartan Update

Monday 10/14 Schedule B

Tuesday 10/15 Schedule A

Wednesday 10/16 Schedule A -- Picture Retakes AM

Thursday 10/17 Schedule A

Friday 10/18 NO SCHOOL (staff in-service day)

The colors of Cap, Gown and Stole have changed this year. Students will not be able to reuse a cap or gown from previous years.

The Homecoming dance is October 26, 2024

Ticket sales will be in person ONLY starting October 7th.

• Price: $10 with ASB, $15 without ASB (first 2 weeks)
• Price Increase (starting Oct 21): $15 with ASB, $20 without ASB
• Guest ticket (entire time) $25 with approved guest form from the main office
• No tickets will be sold after 3pm on Oct. 25th, 2024 & no tickets will be sold at the door.
• Tickets will be sold before school, during your students lunch or after school

Pictures for ID and yearbook are taken during Spartan Days. Purchasing information is mailed home over the summer from Perlers, our school photographer. This will also be available at the picture table at Spartan Days. If you miss Spartan Days, picture retakes are October 16th during school. You can prepay ahead of time online by going to their website https://www.prepaysystems.com/view/Q9jrs6VW/sumner-high-school. Be sure to bring your receipt to Spartan Days as proof of payment.

*To ensure your picture in the yearbook, please be sure to make it to one of these days.

Photo by Nova Fuge

Photo by Morgann Richards

Photo by Kyler Mercier

Photo by Bella Gallardo

At Sumner High School, we are committed to fostering a learning environment that aligns with our 8 Essentials: Kindness, Respect, Honesty,Selflessness, Forgiveness, Humility, Commitment, and Patience. Evidence shows that unrestricted access to cell phones can disrupt learning, increase stress, and negatively affect mental health. Our goal is to create a focused educational atmosphere that upholds our core values and supports student well-being and academic success.

Cell Phone Policy

Classrooms will be phone and bluetooth device/earbud free during class time. Students will place their devices on silent or turned off and store them in their backpacks.

How can parents reach their students in an emergency?

If your family has an emergency and you need to be in touch with your student during a 59 minute class period, you may call the SHS attendance office and we will have your student get a hold of you. The phone number to the SHS front office is 253.891.5510

When will SHS students have access to their phones?

Students will have full access to their phones:

• Before school starts

• During passing periods

• During lunch breaks

• After school

What if a student forgets their computer? Can they use their phone instead?

Students are expected to bring their fully charged computers to school each day. If a student forgets their computer, they will not be permitted to use their phone as a substitute during class. However, SHS provides a limited number of loaner computers, ensuring that all students can participate in learning without relying on their phones.

Our Goal

This policy is intended as a proactive measure to create a learning environment that reflects our 8 Essentials. By minimizing distractions, we help students develop the focus and discipline needed to succeed both academically and personally.

Resources

Surgeon General Issues New Advisory About Effects Social Media Use Has on Youth Mental Health | HHS.gov

Away For The Day

How Social Media Affects Your Teen’s Mental Health: Yale Medicine

The District utilizes ParentSquare for its robocalls, emails, text messages and more!

Here are just a few key ParentSquare features we’re especially excited for:

• One tool for all communication formats

• Supports 106 languages with real-time, two-way translation

• Families choose communication format (text, email, voice calls) and timing (immediate or digest)

Please make sure your contact information is up-to-date in Skyward Family Access. With text messaging a family-preferred communication format, be sure to include your cell phone number in the primary phone field.

It is that time of the year again! The SBLSD STEM Fair is on February 22nd, 2025, and as in past years, we are encouraging students to participate in the event through the poster contest. Key elements of the contest are as follows:

• All students grades K-12 are encouraged to enter.

• The winning design will be featured in STEM Fair promotional materials, and will receive special recognition at the event.

• Entries may be hand drawn, or electronic.

• All entries will be judged equally, regardless of age/grade.

• Entries can be submitted to Jeremy Martin at jeremy_martin@sumnersd.org, or mailed through district mail to Jeremy Martin at District Office.

• The deadline for submission is Friday, November 29th.

Here is some information that can be shared with your buildings, added to family newsletters, or otherwise communicated to people in your networks:

STEM Fair Poster Contest Communication

STEM Fair Contest Entry Template

Washington State law requires that every student receives HIV/AIDs prevention education in grades 5 through 12. Because this unit covers sensitive topics, Washington State law and SBLSD board policy require that parents are provided the opportunity to preview these lessons.

The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District (SBLSD) is hosting a curriculum night for families to preview the HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum for students enrolled in the following:

• 2nd semester 8th grade Skills for Life (HIV/AIDS) and

• 9th grade Health classes (Health content).

The Curriculum will be available for preview. This is an opportunity for parents and guardians to understand the health content for students currently enrolled in 8th grade Skills for Life or 9th grade Health classes, preview teaching materials and ask questions about the resources used in the classroom.

Parent Review Night

December 10, 2024 4:30-6:00 p.m.

Sumner-Bonney Lake School District Administration Building, Board Room

Parents wishing to exclude their child from the Sexual Health curriculum required by our state must preview this curriculum and sign an exclusion form.

Additionally, there will be another opportunity in the spring for families of 6th-12th graders who will study this Health-related content during 2nd semester.

State Law and Required Attendance

The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District and staff care about the well-being and academic achievement of each student. We know that daily attendance is one of the most powerful predictors of school success and on-time graduation. Our goal is to have every student at school on time, every day.

State law for mandatory attendance, called the Becca Bill, requires children from age 8 to 17 to attend a public school, private school or a district-approved home school program. Children who are 6 or 7 years old are not required to be enrolled in school. However, if parents enroll their 6 or 7 year old, the student must attend full time. And, school districts are required, under RCW 28.225.020 and RCW 28A.225.030 to take a series of actions when students accrue absences.

Also by law, we notify parents/guardians when their student is absent. If a student reaches a certain number of unexcused absences the school will contact parents/guardians to create a plan to support good attendance. Find information about excuse and unexcused absences, tardies and attendance procedures in the district’s Student & Family Information Guide and Policy 3122 Excused and Unexcused Absences.

The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. The following employees are designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Title IX/Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator Adrienne Chacon (253) 891-6033, ADA Coordinator Diana Thomas (253) 891-6033, Section 504 Coordinator Karen Finigan (253) 891-6040. Address: 1202 Wood Ave, Sumner, WA 98390.