Port Susan Middle School

I would like to thank you everyone for a great first week! We had a wonderful time together with a lot of positive energy throughout our building. I'm so thankful for our staff, students, families, and greater community.

I also want to acknowledge our teachers for their delivery of a consistent message to students around our Knights Code. We are a learning organization that supports all students. Showing kindness and respect for self and others is important to supporting the learning environment. Please continue communicating any questions and concerns throughout the year.

The first week of sports is off to a great start! Highlights of the week included getting to know coaches and athletes, working on technique, and building endurance for the season

Even though the season has started, it is not too late to sign up at FinalForms. We would love to have you join our teams!

I want to thank parents for working through our drop off line this week. Please remember to pull forward to the front cone and we can fit 5 cars dropping off at a time. Once you see students exit the vehicle, the next 5 cars can pull forward. Overall, we were able to get all students in the building prior to the school day starting by the end of the week, so it was a success!

If your student will be absent due to illness or family business, please call the school at 360.629.1366 or send email to skline@stanwood.wednet.edu to excuse the absence prior or the morning of to avoid an email or phone call. All absences must be excused within 72 hours of a student returning to school.

As you can see below, on regular schedule (Mon/Tue/Thur/Fri), class begins at 7:40 a.m. and on Wednesdays (late start throughout the district), secondary classes begin at 9:00 a.m. As a district, we will always be on late start Wednesday schedules unless it is an early release day. Full year calendar below.

Monday September 11th

• Regular Schedule

• Advisory

Tuesday, September 12th

• Regular Schedule
• Advisory: Activity provided

Wednesday, September 13th

• Wednesday Schedule

Thursday, September 14th

• Regular Schedule
• Advisory: Activity provided

Friday, September 15th

• Regular Schedule
• Picture Day (See Schedule Below)
• Advisory: 9/11 Read Aloud (Novels will be provided)

Snapchat has launched new measures aimed at better protecting teens using the platform from unwanted contact, providing a more age-appropriate content experience, and cracking down on accounts that try to market in-appropriate content.

This effort includes a website, a YouTube series, to help families understand the basics of Snapchat, the key protections they offer for teens, and how to use the parental controls.

Families can find breakfast and lunch menus for September and meal prices on our Food Services webpage and via the Menu button at the top of each school website.

We encourage families to submit a Free and Reduced Meal application. We recommend applications be completed online via Skyward Family Access by clicking the Food Service tab and then Applications to begin.

Students and families who qualify for Free and Reduced Meals don't just see benefits on food. They qualify for a host of other benefits, including reduced Snohomish County PUD bills, reduced YMCA membership costs, and much more.

Read about the other benefits HERE.

Just a quick reminder that all our building doors are locked during school hours. Visitors must use the button near the front doors to ring the office staff to be let in. All visitors then need to check in at school offices.

We're excited to see so many people register to volunteer in our school so far! And it's not too late to sign-up and help in classrooms, lunchrooms, libraries, and more. Just use our simple, new online form at www.stanwood.wednet.edu/volunteer.

Nominations are now open for our monthly awards! Please let us know about the extraordinary work our staff is doing by completing our simple form on our Employee Recognition Program webpage.

You can nominate a staff member for Classified or Certificated Employee of the Month. Heritage Bank is a proud sponsor of the employee recognition program in partnership with Stanwood and Camano Island area businesses.

• Sign up to volunteer in our schools HERE
• See school start times HERE
• Steps on how to complete Free & Reduced Meal applications are HERE
• Find the calendars for the school year HERE
• Sign up for our new weekly Spartan Sports Report newsletter HERE

Cherae Almanza, Principal

Crysty Auckland, Assistant Principal