May is a month full of celebrations! This month we get to celebrate our principals, teachers, AND school nurses!

Our school principals are dedicated individuals who are pivotal in leading our schools and inspiring, challenging, and empowering our students.

We are beyond grateful for our teachers and recognize their outstanding work and the important contributions they make to Shelton School District students. All our teachers are doing incredible work in our schools and providing unique opportunities for students while supporting them to reach their goals - Check out a few of them!

• Toni Wharton is a first-year teacher at SHS as a Life Skills Special Educator. She consistently works hard on meeting students where they are at. Toni is kind, consistent, and present, with each student, and teaching the curriculum in such a way that students are making huge progress in their academics and functional skills.
  
• Jennifer Clarke, a 5th-grade science teacher at Olympic Middle School, recently took charge and organized the 5th-grade PEI experience where over 300 students participated and had the opportunity to learn about our local ecosystems! Jennifer has also stepped up as content team lead and has done an amazing job mentoring and supporting OMS’ two new science teachers.

• Sharee Strickland has given over 40 years to the Shelton School District during her teaching career. Even after all these years, she maintains a positive attitude, a great sense of humor, and a love for her students and community. She's a wonderful educator but still strives to get better each day.

• Kurt Garrison, a math and science teacher at Cedar High School, is a strong leader who, not only believes in Cedar’s goal of collaboration but models it. Kurt has helped students learn through hands-on applications, positively impacting them and our community. This year, students have learned about ecology through trail building, creating a community composting site at Callahan Park, and a variety of other hands-on activities.

• Gwen Owens is a fantastic leader and educator! Her willingness to collaborate, share strategies, and exhibit passion for student learning all contribute to a positive educational environment at Evergreen Elementary. Gwen’s effective communication with parents is also crucial for student success. She is a valuable asset to Evergreen and its community!

• Mike Beyer, the automotive teacher at Shelton High School, has been creating amazing and unique opportunities for students for many years. Recently, he secured a large donation from a racing company for the CTE program. Mike is also always quick to volunteer when help is needed.

Our schools would not be the same without our school nurses who help our students succeed by providing physical, emotional, and mental health services within the school setting.

We encourage you to join us as we acknowledge the tireless efforts of our Shelton School District principals, teachers, and school nurses, and celebrate them for the difference they make every day in transforming our communities.

Congratulations to the newest members of the Shelton School District & Community Hall of Fame - Sheryal Balding, Brian Fairbrother, Mike Fox, Dann Gagnon, Leslie Orme, and Dick Wentz! All six of these individuals have made immense contributions, not only to the Shelton School District but to the entire Shelton community. It was a true honor celebrating these incredible people.

Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this a special evening!

Hall of Fame Inductees: Mike Fox, Sheryal Balding, Dick Wentz, Dann Gagnon, Brian Fairbrother, Lindsey Orme on behalf of Leslie Orme

Student speakers: Gwenny Smith, Sophia Nakhla, Filesi Tausa, Dayna Stigall (Language Arts Teacher), Madison McClanahan, Scott Jordan, Josephine Simmons

Shelton High School's Advanced Level III culinary class now offers a work based learning option where students gain hands-on experience in the food service industry. A small group of students now have the opportunity to complete a four-week internship in the school district's kitchen located at Shelton High School, working alongside the food service employees to prepare student lunches for the day.

Advanced culinary students have also been preparing a Harvest of the Month (HOTM) recipe that was piloted with a collaborative effort with WSU Snap-Ed. Students have been gathering data from their peers and improving a recipe for black bean salsa since 2022 with the intent of serving it as a menu item during school lunches. Recently, the advanced culinary student interns prepared the salsa from scratch served it as an accompaniment to the taco salad on the lunch menu!

Congratulations to Scott Chamberlain, for being named the Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association (WSSAAA) Athletic Director of the Year! Thank you, Scott for leading our student athletes and serving as a model administrator and person for our community.

Here in the Shelton School District, we value music and its importance in education. Next school year, we are investing $200k+ into new instruments for junior and high school band students.

We are also currently going through the adoption process for elementary music curriculum and we want to hear from you! You are invited to view the choices and provide us feedback.

The available options we are considering for adoption include MusicPlay and Quaver Music. The music curriculum options will be on display by the front desk in the District Office at 700 S. 1st St, now - May 17th. Feedback forms will be available in English and Spanish at the District Office.

Following the adoption process, the adoption committee will use public feedback, internal checklists, and OSPI’s antibias tool, to make a recommendation to the Instructional Materials Committee. The Instructional Materials Committee will make a final recommendation to the school board about which curriculum to adopt.

Shelton School District is looking for people who are fluent in Q’anjob’al and English. Paid hourly, as needed. If this is you, please contact Betty Uriostegui at (360) 490-1235; BUriostegui@sheltonschools.org or Krystal Moore at (360) 426-1687; KMoore@SheltonSchools.org.

Districts across the state are facing budget constraints. This includes the Shelton School District. One result of budget cuts will be the end of transfer buses between the elementary schools at the end of the 2023-24 school year.

Historically, the district provided bus transportation for students whose parents/guardians elected for them to attend a different elementary school through the Open Enrollment process. The transfer bus is elective and not a mandated service or, unfortunately, reimbursed by the state. Since the state does not reimburse for transfer buses, the district incurs the added cost of fuel, bus drivers, wear on the buses, and added supervision staff at each elementary.

We will be notifying families who utilize the transfer buses starting this month and into the summer. Parents/guardians must provide transportation if they elect for their student to attend a non-neighborhood school or they may elect to enroll their student(s) back in their neighborhood school. If a family chooses to re-enroll into their home school they should contact the home school prior to the close of the open enrollment window on April 19, 2024.

You may be eligible for services if you or your family live in any of the following situations:

• In a shelter, transitional housing, motel, vehicle, campground, or on the street
• In an abandoned building, trailer, or other inadequate accommodations
• Temporarily doubled-up with friends or relatives because you lost your home, or cannot afford housing
• Living as an unaccompanied youth without your parent or guardian
• In the process of eviction or foreclosure

Some services offered to those in the program are Immunization assistance, Enrollment assistance, Free meal registration, School supplies/backpacks, PE uniforms, Clothing support, Hygiene supplies, School fees, Field trip or camp expenses, Laundry support, Transportation to and from the school of origin, Access to rental and utility assistance, Referrals to basic services (food, shelter, medical assistance, etc.), Bilingual support for Spanish speakers, And more!

Please contact the district’s McKinney-Vento Liaison, Amanda Gonzales, if you believe you qualify: (360) 463-4061 | AGonzales@sheltonschools.org

Did you know that you could receive school notifications as text messages? This includes messages about school closures, delays, low or negative meal balances, and more! Opt-in today by texting “Y” or “Yes” to 67587.

Are you in need of something? We can probably help! Our resource center has a clothing bank with clothing for all ages. All of the clothing is either new or laundered before entering the bank. A household item bank may also have what you need: bedding, small kitchen appliances, and more! The newest addition to the SFRC is the food bank and hygiene bank. If you are looking for a community connection, the SFRC can help you connect with the right resource.

Schedule an appointment to visit our resource center by contacting a family liaison:

• Bordeaux Elementary | Wendy Lankelis | (360) 426-3253 ext. 11002 | cell (360) 545-7310
  
• Evergreen Elementary | Lucrecia Hernandez | (360) 426-8281 ext. 12129 | cell ( 360) 463-4393
  
• Mt. View Elementary | Ivette Salamanca | (360) 426-8564 ext. 13017 | cell (360) 545-7136
  
• Olympic Middle School | Cleyri Zacarias | (360) 462-6671 ext. 14105 | cell (360) 280-3539
  
• Oakland Bay Jr. High | Isabel Castaneda | (360) 426-7991 ext. 15008 | cell (360) 545-2189
  
• Shelton High School | Veronica Lawrence | (360) 426-4471 ext. 16019 | cell (360) 968-9553
  
• Choice & Cedar High school | Betty Uriostegui | (360) 426-1687 ext.10541 | cell (360) 490-1235

Looking to donate to the SFRC?

It is the SFRC's goal to help every family find the information and resources available to ensure the most successful outcome from their educational experience in their respective schools. Please consider partnering with us this year, and thank you in advance for your contribution.

If you would like to help keep our food bank and clothing bank stocked, the following are our 'high-need' items: maseca, rice, beans, individually packed snack items, baby clothing, elementary-school-age sized clothing, new underwear, and black leggings in all sizes.

If you would like to donate your time to help sort clothing or make a monetary donation, please contact the director of the SFRC: Betty Uriostegui or the McKinney-Vento/Foster Care Liaison: Amanda Gonzales; (360) 463-4061.

The State & Federal Programs Department offers services and resources to eligible students to eliminate the achievement gap between student subgroups. We are committed to connecting with students, families, and the community to provide the education needed to achieve academic and personal success. The Federal Programs complaints process may be found on our website.

It is hard to believe summer is nearly here, which also means so is Summer School! Students enrolled in the summer program will have the exciting opportunity to earn points by showing up, completing their homework, actively participating, etc. With the points they collect, they will then be able to ‘purchase’ prizes, which is where we need your help!

We are collecting donations through June 1, 2024, which may be dropped off at the district office (700 S. 1st St., Shelton). Below is a list of items we are looking to collect, from minimal to higher-priced. We are open to a variety of items that would be of high interest to kids! Here are some ideas, and we are open to others. Thank you for considering partnering with us!

• Books
• Fun pencils
• Fun notebooks
• Sketchbooks
• Pencil cases
• Colored pencils
• Pencil sharpeners
• Pens
• Stickers
• Cards
• Card games
• Rubix cube
• Board games
• Water bottles
• Blankets (esp. themed)
• Stuffed animals
• Mini-Lego sets
• Sunglasses
• Small toys
• Jump ropes
• Soccer balls
• Footballs
• Over-the-door indoor basketball set
• Jewelry-kits

Shelton School District is not a sponsor of any of the events or resources under the "Community" section of the E-Community Link and assumes no responsibility for them.

Students in the Shelton School District are invited to attend Ballet Northwest's production of COPPELIA at the Washington Center over Mother's Day weekend! Set in a Norwegian village, "COPPELIA" features beautiful dancing, costumes and scenery! Ballet's most famous romantic comedy tells the story of the toymaker Dr. Coppelius, his prized doll Coppelia, and the young couple in love, Franz & Swanhilda. Fun for all ages!

When:

• May 10, 7:30 p.m.
• May 11, 5:00 p.m.
• May 12, 2:00 p.m.

Where: Washington Center, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501

Tickets: FREE! To redeem, visit www.washingtoncenter.org/bnw and use code SSDCOPPELIA - valid in sections B & C (green & purple.) Limit up to 4 tickers.

FREE COOKING CLASSES

Thursdays I 2:30-4pm I Shelton Family YMCA

ALL ARE WELCOME! Bring a friend and head to the Yon Thursdays after school. Hope Garden Project has partnered with the Shelton Family YMCA to provided free cooking classes for all teens in the /community.

suasteguic@ssymca.net I (360) 753-6576 I SheltonFamilyYMCA.org

When: Mondays, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Where: MTV STEM Classroom

Permission forms may be found in the front office

Sound Scholars is a fun, daily, online class for kids ages 3-5 that uses music to build kindergarten readiness and prosocial learning skills in English, Spanish, Mam and Q'anjob'al at no cost to participating families.

School board meetings are held every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Please check the district calendar for meeting dates and locations.

• 5/15: 1.5 Hour Early Release
  
• 5/27: No School - Memorial Day
  
• 6/17: Last Day of School

Right to Translation and Interpretation Services: All parents have the right to information about their child’s education in a language they understand. We can provide an interpreter or translated documents, free of charge when you need them. For assistance, please contact: Betty Uriostegui; 360-426-1687 ext. 10541

Derecho a Servicios de Traducción e Interpretación: Todos los padres tienen derecho a la información acerca de la educación de sus hijos en el lenguaje que ellos entienden. Podemos proveer con un intérprete o documentos traducidos de manera gratuita cuando los necesite. Para ayuda, por favor comuníquese con: Betty Uriostegui; 360-426-1687 ext. 10541

Ayon ti chi ko kamik’olne ko jatnene eloq yul ko q’anej chi jala yulaq ko na’: Ka axka tu chi ko sayek maktxel chi alon ko q’anej yin janoq ab’ix bay sanail kuyuj o ma b’ay eb’ mamej o ma janoq xa tx’oq ab’ixal. Chi huj e yalon bay Betty Uriostegui ta hay junoq che yoche chi ko jatne ek toq yul junoq xa txoq tiejal. 360-426-1687 ext. 10541